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		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:09:58 -0400</pubDate>
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					<![CDATA[Inside James Wood's Low-Key Presence and High-Impact 'Sky's The Limit' Bat]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/james-wood-nationals-high-impact-bat</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/james-wood-nationals-high-impact-bat</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[A gentle giant at 6-foot-7, James Wood is impressing at the plate for a surprise Nationals team.]]>
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				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:23:39 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[NEW YORK – Sitting on a gray couch in the Citi Field visitor’s clubhouse, James Wood studied a 64-square checkerboard. This was the 23-year-old outfielder’s second game of chess of the afternoon. Moments before, Wood had just said the magic word — checkmate — to shortstop CJ Abrams, defeating his Washington Nationals teammate before moving on to his next victim. Wood was looking for another win against another teammate, hours before the real competition on the field. It was a somewhat intense battle of minds. Wood was leaning forward, focused on the board and ignoring the outside world. The clubhouse was mostly quiet, besides some soft music playing from a floor speaker placed on one side of the room. Abrams sat next to Wood, silently playing Sudoku on a printed sheet of paper. All of this might seem boring, but playing chess is an essential challenge for Wood. Embracing obstacles as part of his daily routine is how the young power hitter likes to begin his game days. "It's just more competition," Wood told me on the field during batting practice Tuesday. "Just trying to break the cycle, have some fun. It's a different way of thinking." Wood, a gentle giant at 6-foot-7, is a man of few words. While the third-year big leaguer is a low-key guy, his bat is one of the loudest in the major leagues. He enters Wednesday tied for the National League lead in home runs with 10. He leads the NL in walks with 29. Not only that, but he ranks ninth among all MLB hitters with a .953 OPS. Across the board, these are all career-best numbers for Wood, who is fast emerging as a bonafide star in the league. Wood is hitting the ball harder than everyone. His 97 mph average exit velocity is tied with Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for the best in MLB. Wood’s 116.3 maximum exit velocity is tied with Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton for fifth-best among all hitters. It’s an eye-popping number that’s faster than reigning MVP's Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. "Honestly, what is most impressive about [Wood] is how fast he freaking hits the ball," Nationals general manager Paul Toboni told me at Citi Field on Tuesday. "He's kind of a unicorn in that respect." Wood is coming off his first-career All-Star season in 2025, which was also his first full major-league season. To follow that up, he hasn’t wasted any time showing off his raw power and top-tier bat speed through the first month of action. He’s helping a rebuilding Nationals team stay afloat in a tough NL East. Washington (13-17) is neck-and-neck with the Miami Marlins, fighting for second place in the division. With Wood driving the team’s offense, the Nationals are ranked fourth in MLB in runs scored, behind only the Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs. It’s apparent why Wood, who’s under team control through 2030, is the centerpiece of the club’s long-term plans. Earlier this month, Wood won his first NL Player of the Week honor after batting .545 (12-for-22) with three home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, six walks and two stolen bases amid a six-game hitting streak. He posted a .655 on-base percentage, a 1.091 slugging percentage and a 1.746 OPS in that stretch. Wood’s elite dominance is turning heads around the league. But, ask him about his hot start to the season and his rising status as a big-league star, and he doesn’t think anything of it. "It's kind of just a title," Wood said. "I just try to be myself. And if that's how people see me, that's great. But, if not, I'm just going to be myself regardless." Wood’s ability to be so grounded at such a young age has stood out to people in the Nationals organization. Even though he’s only 23, he carries himself like a veteran leader who understands what it takes to produce at the highest level. But none of this happened overnight for Wood. Even though he’s always been excellent at staying down-to-earth, he’s had to work on remaining disciplined. Last year, in his first full-season in the majors, Wood found it somewhat difficult to stay locked in over the course of the long, 162-game schedule. After posting a .903 OPS in April, 1.014 in May, and .897 in June, Wood’s production dropped to a .564 OPS in July, .724 in August, and .785 in September. Young hitters often struggle with concentration over the lengthy season, dealing with mental fatigue, a build-up of the physical grind, and inexperience with daily adjustments. When I asked him if he’s feeling more confident at the plate this year, Wood said: "It’s the same as last year. I just gotta find a way to bring it every day." This season, Wood has tried to focus on finding a new challenge every day, whether that’s in-game or in the locker room, like playing chess with his teammates. Wood has learned that "baseball has its own way of keeping things interesting." Now, in his second full-season in the big leagues, with nearly 1,200 plate appearances under his belt, Wood has a better idea of what to expect. The game has slowed down for him, and he’s more comfortable. "The sky's the limit for this guy," Toboni said. "And I just think it's up to us, and the coaching staff, to continue to find ways to challenge him, because being good and having a boring routine — and being good at that boring routine — oftentimes is really important. And James, I think, is really good at owning that. The season's really long. And staying disciplined throughout the course of the season, I think, is really important to James." Wood’s relationship with discipline also extends to the batter’s box. His 221 strikeouts led the majors last season, and he’s once again pacing the league with 46 whiffs through 30 games this year. Striking out so frequently is the main reason his production plummeted in the second half of last year. The Nationals would like to see him cut down on his strikeouts, which would lead to a more consistent offensive output. Still, Toboni has been impressed by the consistency of Wood’s at-bats so far this season. Even if the result of his plate appearance is an out, the quality of his at-bats has improved, Toboni said. Compared to last year, Wood is seeing slightly more pitches per plate appearance this season, and his strikeout percentage is also marginally diminished. The most encouraging improvement for Wood is the jump in his walk rate, escalating from 12.3% last year to 20% this year. Still, Wood needs to ameliorate his defensive limitations after posting a -7 OAA (Outs Above Average) in left field last season. But look closely, and he’s making strides with his glove this year. Earlier this month against the Cardinals, Wood made a jumping catch in right field to take a home run away from Norman Gorman. Wood’s OAA has improved to -3 so far this season. "He'd probably kill me if he heard me say this," Toboni said, laughing. "But when you watch him, you don't really think he's moving because his limbs are so long. He's 6-7. But he's moving. I know there are advantages to having really long arms and being able to reach for balls that other players aren't able to." It’s so easy to overlook how young Wood still is, particularly given the elite company he’s keeping at the plate and, of course, his mature disposition. Plenty of young players spend their free time scrolling on their phones or overworking themselves in the batting cage. But Wood? He’s staring at rooks, bishops and knights. Building a routine and slowing things down has helped Wood block out the noise, even when that attention is positive. Even though his name is being mentioned more and more, with his highlights routinely popping up on MLB Network, Wood doesn’t view himself as a budding superstar. That's not a bad thing. The young Nationals phenom can be reserved off the field, as long as he stays ruthless at the plate. "I don't think I ever doubted I would be here," Wood said. "But it's cool to be here and just take it in every day. I'm just super grateful to be where I'm at. So I'm taking one day at a time." "From The Dugout" is where we provide an insider's view on the biggest and best storylines surrounding MLB's top players and teams. ___ Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Why Two-Way Star Shohei Ohtani Will Sometimes Be a One-Way Pitcher on His Start Days]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/why-two-way-star-shohei-ohtani-will-sometimes-one-way-pitcher-dodgers-2026</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/why-two-way-star-shohei-ohtani-will-sometimes-one-way-pitcher-dodgers-2026</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Dodgers are giving Shohei Ohtani occasional off days at the plate when he's starting on the mound in an attempt to keep him healthy and available with a full pitching workload.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:44:16 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Before this season, it had been nearly five years since Shohei Ohtani last pitched but did not hit in a game. It has now happened twice in Ohtani’s last three starts on the mound, including in Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Marlins, as the Dodgers attempt to keep their two-way sensation as healthy as possible while handling a full pitching workload for the first time since 2023. How does the four-time MVP feel about occasionally serving only as a pitcher on his start days? "I’m always going to respect the decision, regardless whether I’m pitching or doing both," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I also understand the importance of getting to the end of the season with everybody healthy. So, talking with the training staff, talking with the team, I think it’s really important that the team makes the decision." The Dodgers are trying to provide Ohtani rest wherever they can, especially early in the season. They’re utilizing a six-man rotation and have often pitched Ohtani on the day before an off day. Giving him the day off from hitting when he’s on the mound — "almost like a half day," as manager Dave Roberts described it — is another strategy. Going forward, there is no set plan for how often the Dodgers will do that. Roberts described the choice as "read and react." "Obviously having him do both duties, in theory, practice, it's great," Roberts said. "But how sustainable is it without kind of taking a little bit off his plate a little bit? That's the question, and it's not an exact science." Through five starts, Ohtani leads all qualified MLB pitchers with a 0.60 ERA in a year in which many around him believe he wants to contend for a Cy Young Award. That quest will be difficult considering how closely the Dodgers will monitor and protect their superstar player while they seek a third straight World Series title, but Ohtani has gone six innings and allowed no more than one earned run in each start so far. In two of his five starts, Ohtani has gotten the night off from hitting. The first time, there was a health component to the Dodgers’ decision. Ohtani’s April 15 start against the Mets came two days after he took a fastball from David Peterson off the back of his throwing shoulder. Afterward, Ohtani was dealing with some soreness, so the Dodgers wanted him to channel all of his energy into pitching in his next outing. "I think that he understands that I’m making a decision that’s best for the player, for him, and for the team," Roberts said. It was the first time since 2021 with the Angels — the "Ohtani Rule," allowing two-way players to stay in the game as a DH after pitching, wasn’t created until 2022 — that Ohtani was not in the lineup on a day that he started on the mound. When Roberts informed Ohtani of the decision, Ohtani’s eyes widened, but he didn’t push back. Roberts explained to him the reasoning. "I was a little bit surprised," Ohtani said, "but it made sense hearing what he had to say." That night, Ohtani struck out 10 batters and allowed one run on two hits and two walks in six innings. Dalton Rushing filled in at designated hitter and launched a grand slam in an 8-2 win. "We have a really good DH hit today," Ohtani said. "So, I’m very open to that." Roberts was clear then that Ohtani would’ve been doing each of his normal duties had it not been for the hit by pitch. Ohtani resumed his typical two-way role the following week, throwing six shutout innings in San Francisco while going hitless at the plate. Understandably, Ohtani’s offensive production has wavered on days that he pitches. In the three games in which he has both hit and pitched this season, Ohtani is batting .100 with no extra-base hits. In his 25 other games entering Wednesday, he is hitting .295 with six homers and six doubles. Overall, Ohtani has an .898 OPS, a total that puts him in the top 25 of qualified hitters but well below his usual elite production after tallying an OPS over 1.000 in each of the last three seasons. He has started to heat up, though, recording seven hits — including three extra-base hits — in his three games before getting another offensive breather on Tuesday. "It is easier to maintain something good when things are going well," Ohtani said. "But when things are not going well it’s not easy, in the sense that I have to make sure that I’m healthy and not overdoing it in terms of repetition. So while I’m working on certain things, it’s also a balancing act of making sure I’m not overdoing it physically and making sure that I’m healthy." Rest, not performance, is still the primary reason for the Dodgers’ cautiousness on days that he’s pitching. After keeping Ohtani out of the DH role on his start day for the first time two weeks ago, Roberts left room open for the Dodgers to implement the strategy again. "It’s something I’m going to keep an eye on if it makes sense," Roberts said. "It’s got to make sense to not have your best hitter in the lineup." This week, Roberts and the Dodgers decided it made sense again. Ohtani wasn’t aching on Tuesday against the Marlins, but the Dodgers were playing a game for the 12th consecutive day and Ohtani was pitching on five days of rest for the first time this season. In addition, the next day was a day game in which Ohtani would be assuming his usual DH role. Roberts didn’t feel the need to go through the whole reasoning process for the decision with Ohtani again, believing that his star player understood the decision. "I'd like to think he would tell me if he didn't agree with it, and then there's a deeper conversation," Roberts said. "But I think that he's just very respectful of a decision that the manager of an organization makes." Tuesday’s start was more of a grind than Ohtani’s previous four, but he still allowed just two runs (one earned) and struck out nine in six innings. He threw 104 pitches, his most as a Dodger. "I think his goal is to make every start," Roberts said. "And so, with that, there has to be some compromise and some openness to kind of read and react. And so far, I think we're doing a nice job, and he's open to that." Edwin Díaz ‘100% confident’ he can return to form in second half Just seven appearances into his three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers, Edwin Díaz had an ERA over 10.00. His velocity was fluctuating, and his arm felt "tired and tight." The star closer was sent for imaging, which led to surgery last week to remove five loose bodies from his elbow. Díaz expects to return sometime in the second half and said he’s "100% confident" he can return to his usual form when he does, especially considering how good his arm was feeling just days after his procedure. "I can move my arm really good," Díaz said Monday. "My range of motion is completely back to normal, so that’s something I like. Just get stronger and be ready for the second half." Díaz’s average fastball velocity this year of 95.7 mph was down from 97.2 mph last year. Still, he looked mostly like himself through his first five appearances with the Dodgers, striking out eight batters and allowing just one run to that point. But he didn’t look right while surrendering three runs to the Rangers on April 10, and he missed the next eight days while reporting fatigue in his surgically-repaired right leg. He was feeling better leading into his appearance on April 19 in Colorado, when he failed to record an out against the four batters he faced. Díaz said his arm felt fine until that outing against the Rockies. He has known about the loose bodies in his elbow since 2012, but they hadn’t caused him any pain until recently. "I think my range of motion was a little bit shorter than normal," Díaz said. "Now, after surgery, I’m getting close to what I was, what I am when I was good. So, I think that maybe that’s why the velo was a little bit inconsistent." Díaz was brought in to help remedy a Dodgers bullpen that imploded last season. They’ll now need to rely on many of the same characters. Tanner Scott is expected to receive the majority of save opportunities with Díaz down and has performed much better in year two of his four-year, $72 million deal. Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia could also figure into the ninth-inning mix. "That sucks, you know, to miss the first half with a team," Díaz said. "But that's something I can't control. Everyone here is supporting me. All of my teammates, they're supporting me, they're happy that I'm doing way better than before. They just can't wait to see me on the mound in the second half. They say take your time, we need you in October, but I want to come back as soon as possible and help this team to win games." Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Last Night in Baseball: Blue Jays World Series Hero Trey Yesavage Has Returned]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/trey-yesavage-blue-jays-aaron-judge-homer-phillies-don-mattingly</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/trey-yesavage-blue-jays-aaron-judge-homer-phillies-don-mattingly</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Blue Jays' rotation just got a lot better overnight, the Phillies turned the page, the Mets did it all, Elly De La Cruz is on fire and more from Tuesday's MLB action.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:50:40 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[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: It might be hard to believe, but Blue Jays’ starter Trey Yesavage is still a rookie. He didn’t debut until mid-September of last year, and while he starred in the postseason and World Series for Toronto — he had a 3.58 ERA across six games and five starts, with 17 strikeouts in 12.2 World Series innings — none of that counts against his rookie eligibility. And while it’s nearly the end of April now, offseason shoulder surgery kept him out until Tuesday, when he made his 2026 debut against the Red Sox in Toronto. The Blue Jays certainly need Yesavage in their rotation, and now. The 6-foot-4 right-hander, who won’t turn 23 until the end of July, arrived on the scene of a sub-.500 team with a rotation full of holes: while Kevin Gausman and free-agent acquisition Dylan Cease have been everything they need to be and more, Eric Lauer, who split time in 2025 between the rotation and bullpen, was back starting and doing a poor job of it, and veteran Max Scherzer posted a 9.64 ERA over five starts before landing on the IL with multiple injuries. Three others have filled in to start already, and Shane Bieber — a former Cy Young winner acquired at the deadline last year and productive in both the regular season and postseason for Toronto — has yet to make a start in 2026 and is on the 60-day IL thanks to a stress fracture in his elbow. If Patrick Corbin wasn’t somehow rewinding time to pitch at an above-average clip again, things would be even worse for the Jays’ rotation. In Yesavage’s first start back, he took on a Red Sox team that had improved its run differential by 23 runs over its last three games — they had not been hitting all season, but seemed to finally be doing so. Yesavage brought them back to their old ways in a hurry, with 5.1 scoreless innings that featured just three strikeouts, but also four scattered hits and no walks. Four relievers combined to take the shutout the rest of the way, and Toronto would win, 3-0. The Blue Jays are 14-16, which is disappointing, but they are also 14-16 after going all this way without Yesavage until now and Bieber at all, with some horrifying performances from multiple starters and with Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander and George Springer all on the IL and missing from the lineup. It’s not too late for them to turn things around and look like they did a year ago, when they made it to their first World Series since 1993. Yesavage’s successful season debut is a reminder of that — this team just got better, and will get better still every time another key player exits the IL. Munetaka Murakami took MLB’s homer lead for himself on Monday night with his 12th long ball of the year, breaking a brief tie with Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge. Judge resumed that tie on Tuesday, and did it both to impress and to win. The Yankees were up 2-0 in the top of the ninth when Judge strode to the plate against Rangers’ reliever Cole Winn. He would take a 2-2 four-seam fastball from the righty that was left up in the zone and hit it 424 feet to left-center, with an exit velocity of 112.7 mph. Judge crushed that one. And while it was just an insurance run at this point with Cam Schittler and the Yankees’ bullpen outdueling Texas ace Jacob deGrom, New York was glad to have said insurance in the bottom of the ninth. There, David Bednar allowed two hits and two runs, after a throwing error by third baseman Ryan McMahon allowed outfielder Andrew McCutchen to reach and Bednar hit center fielder Brandon Nimmo with a pitch. He ended up getting out of the inning in the end, though, when shortstop Corey Seager grounded into a double play that was upheld by a challenge. Part of the fine Yankees’ performance by the bullpen prior to Bednar came from Fernando Cruz, who got out of the bottom of the eighth despite letting one runner on with a walk and another with a hit. And he got the first out he needed from the ground. More specifically, while on his butt. Cruz slid to secure the ball, then basically fell backwards while throwing to third — it barely got there in time, but the ball made it all the same, and the lead runner was out, inevitably helping to preserve the shutout. And given Bednar’s performance in the ninth, this was as key as Judge’s dinger for giving the Yankees the W without the need for extras. Pirates’ rookie Konnor Griffin hasn’t taken off offensively yet, but it was never expected he would proverbially hit the ground running there. His glove was big-league ready before his bat was, but the best place for him to learn how to hit in the majors was in the majors. On Tuesday, he showed off a bit of his education so far, hitting his second home run of the year but his first at the Pirates’ home, PNC Park. That was a real shot, too, a 403-foot blast to right-center that came off the bat at over 107 mph, a 97-mph sinker that Griffin hit the other way with authority. That’s an exciting moment for Griffin, but maybe not as exciting for him as for the fan who picked up the homer. And all his friends, of course. Seeing Pirates’ fans happy is a rarity, but maybe it’ll happen more and more as Griffin figures things out. And between this homer and three multi-hit games in his last five, well, it might be starting to happen already. Francisco Lindor is on the IL, which makes hitting leadoff home runs — a thing he does with regularity — a problem. No worries, though: third baseman Bo Bichette is filling in atop the order, and on Tuesday also went yard on the very first pitch the Mets saw against the Nationals. That would be the lone run in the game for a few innings, but then New York erupted for a seven-run fourth inning, which included but was not limited to two walks, a fielder’s choice that resulted in a run, a run-scoring sac fly, multiple singles and Juan Soto hitting a two-run shot, his second of an injury-shortened year. After all that happened, the Nationals took out starting pitcher Zack Litell. Washington would end up losing, 8-0, as the Mets didn’t just have the offense clicking but got six scoreless innings out of righty starter Clay Holmes before the bullpen took over and — though it may be difficult to believe if you have watched much Mets baseball this season — allowed one baserunner and zero runs the rest of the way. Drew Romo is not a rookie. He hasn’t played a ton in the majors, but the catcher debuted back in 2024 and has appeared in 22 games with 65 plate appearances in the bigs. In that time, Romo has never hit a home run. Or, had never hit a home run. He’s also never been a big power hitter in the minors, with just 49 in six seasons there, or, an average of 17 per 162 games. On Tuesday, he bashed his first in MLB, a two-run shot off of Angels’ starter Jose Soriano. If you have been paying attention to the season Soriano is having, you would already know how improbable this dinger was. Before this start, the righty had a 0.24 ERA on the season and had allowed a single run, and it wasn’t like this was all luck, as he was genuinely shoving out there. But look, things get more improbable: Romo came up again the very next inning, and hit another home run. This one didn’t come against Soriano, but still. Another homer, so soon after the first of his big-league career? His three RBIs alone were enough to down the Angels, which lost 5-3 to Chicago, dropping them to 12-19. Soriano has been basically the only great part of the Angels’ rotation, and the bullpen has caused problems for everyone else in it when they do manage to put a strong start together, so losing one of his games is not a great omen for the rest of this turn through it. After April 9’s game against the Marlins, Reds’ shortstop Elly De La Cruz was batting just .231/.310/.423 with a .733 OPS. Not awful by any means, but not what Cincinnati needs out of a player who is supposed to be a star. In the 15 games since, De La Cruz is hitting .338/.403/.723 with 22 hits, seven homers, 18 RBIs and five steals in six attempts. On Tuesday against the Rockies, De La Cruz went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs, four RBIs and his 10th home run of the year. He’s now hitting .291/.362/.590 for the season, and in the first month of the year is 45% of the way to last year’s dinger total. Sure, he won’t hit exactly like this for the entire season, but remember: De La Cruz had an .854 OPS at the end of July last season despite a slow start, before a left quad strain sapped his power and production for the rest of the season. A healthy De La Cruz is great news for the Reds and bad for everyone facing them. On Monday, Cardinals’ rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt showed off his power with his sixth long ball of the year, and on Tuesday, he flashed his glove. Look at the range on that one, getting to the outfield grass, and then the 23-year-old was able to spin and throw from the ground and get it to first not just in time, but he also overthrew a little. Credit to first baseman Alec Burleson there for managing to stretch up high and away from the bag without actually leaving it until after he had toe-tapped the bag to be sure that the ump saw everything was in order. St. Louis would end up defeating Pittsburgh 11-7 — sorry, excited Konnor Griffin fans, at least you got that ball. The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday, and while there is much to consider in terms of what’s next for Philadelphia, in the short-term, there are ballgames on the schedule. And on Tuesday, the Phillies won their first without Thomson in the dugout in years. Don Mattingly took over as interim manager, and the Phillies responded with a 7-0 shutout of the Giants. Shortstop Trea Turner deserves quite a bit of credit, as the leadoff hitter went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while first baseman Bryce Harper had a pair of hits and right fielder Adolis Garcia drove in a pair. The sixth inning was the big one, with Turner leading off with a single followed by a walk from DH Kyle Schwarber. Harper then doubled in a run, with Garcia hitting his own double right after to score both Schwarber and Harper — all of this came off of Giants’ starter Tyler Mahle, and all without any outs, to boot. Left fielder Brandon Marsh would pop out against new pitcher Matt Gage, but then the lefty would walk the next batter, second baseman Bryson Stott, and allow an RBI double to struggling third baseman Alec Bohm. The Phillies would add two more runs later on, but they weren’t necessary thanks to the performance of starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo, who went seven scoreless with eight strikeouts while allowing just two baserunners, both on hits. Luzardo is admittedly either dominant or a wreck out there on the mound, and the coin landed on the better side this time, but if the Phillies can get more starts close to this one at the same time that ace Zack Wheeler is back, it could go a long way towards repairing the significant damage April has already caused to their season.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Former White Sox All-Star Alexei Ramírez Tested Positive for 4 Steroids at WBC]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/white-sox-alexei-ramirez-tested-positive-4-steroids-wbc</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/white-sox-alexei-ramirez-tested-positive-4-steroids-wbc</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Former Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramírez tested positive for four anabolic steroids at the World Baseball Classic.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:31:17 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Fomer Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez tested positive for four anabolic steroids at the World Baseball Classic in March, where he set a record as its oldest ever player. The 44-year-old Cuban tested positive for "metabolites of mesterolone, metandienone, oxandrolone and stanozolol," the International Testing Agency said Wednesday in announcing his provisional ban from the sport. Ramírez played nine years in Major League Baseball, mostly at shortstop for the White Sox, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays. He was runner-up in the American League Rookie of the Year vote in 2008 won by the Rays’ Evan Longoria. An Olympic champion with Cuba at the 2004 Athens Games, Ramírez was on the silver medal-winning team at the WBC two years later won by Japan. There, the 43-year-old Roger Clemens set the previous record for oldest player by representing the United States. Ramírez returned to the Cuba roster 20 years later as a bench player to break the mark. The ITA said it notified Ramírez of the result from a sample taken during the tournament. Cuba did not advance from the pool phase. The agency based in Lausanne, Switzerland, said the steroids in question are "associated with promoting rapid muscle growth, increased strength and enhanced physical performance." Ramírez hit 115 home runs in the majors and had 590 RBIs in his regular-season career through 2016. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[What’s Next for the Phillies After Firing Manager Rob Thomson?]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/whats-next-phillies-after-firing-manager-rob-thomson</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/whats-next-phillies-after-firing-manager-rob-thomson</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Can Don Mattingly turn the Phillies' season around, or is the NL East playoff race already over?]]>
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				<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:10:12 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Often, managers become the scapegoats for poorly-constructed teams missing the requisite talent to contend. Occasionally, though, an in-season change can spark a speedy turnaround. In 2022, that’s exactly what happened when Rob Thomson took over for Joe Girardi after Philadelphia’s 22-29 start and went 65-46 the rest of the way, steering the Phillies to their first playoff appearance in 11 years and their first World Series appearance in 13 years. Four years later, though, Thomson now finds himself in Girardi’s fateful position. The Phillies, owners of a 9-19 record and the worst run differential in Major League Baseball, have fired Thomson, the man who guided them back to relevance after a decade of disappointment and amassed the highest winning percentage (.568) in the team’s modern era. They reached the postseason in each of their four seasons with Thomson at the helm, but after making it to the World Series in 2022, they got bounced in the NLCS in 2023 and failed to advance out of the NLDS in 2024 and 2025. Now, the Phillies are hoping that Don Mattingly can rescue their 2026 season the same way Thomson did four years ago. What’s next for the Phillies? Just three days ago, Alex Cora was fired in Boston and immediately became one of the hottest names available. So it’s no surprise that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who hired Cora eight years ago and watched him guide the Red Sox to a World Series championship in his first year as the club’s manager, reached out to fill the Phillies' vacancy. This time, however, Cora declined Dombrowski’s offer. Cora was in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million extension in Boston and, at least right now, appears content to sit out the rest of this year. He could become an option in Philadelphia again next season. For now, the Phillies have pivoted to their bench coach, promoting Mattingly to interim manager "through the end of the 2026 season," according to a team statement. Third-base coach Dusty Wathan will take over Mattingly’s role as bench coach, and Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Anthony Contreras will assume Wathan’s role as third-base coach. Dombrowski still clearly believes in his roster, which has the fifth-highest payroll in the sport, despite its ineptitude to this point. The Phillies have dropped 15 of their last 18 games and at one point lost 10 straight. They’re 3-13 against teams over .500, and problems persist everywhere. Their offense ranks 29th in OPS, their pitching staff ranks 28th in ERA and their defense ranks last in defensive runs saved. Can a new manager solve all of those problems? Probably not, but it’s also hard to believe this team — which returned a nucleus of players that won 96 games last year — is suddenly the worst in the sport. On offense, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh have all been well above league-average hitters. The right-handed hitters on the team, however, have collectively tallied a .587 OPS, the second-worst mark in MLB. As a team, the Phillies have been the worst offense against left-handed pitchers by a wide margin. It’s hard to envision this team accomplishing much when Trea Turner, Bryson Stott and Adolis Garcia are all well below league-average hitters and when Alec Bohm is the worst qualified hitter in the sport, as he is right now. But you don’t get the worst run differential in MLB simply with an underperforming lineup. A starting pitching staff that many expected to be among the better units in baseball collectively sports a 5.80 ERA, the worst mark in MLB. Mattingly — whose son, Preston is the team’s general manager — will need a lot more out of that group, which just got Zack Wheeler back from injury and should be better than this. Opponents have a .354 batting average on balls in play against Phillies pitchers, a staggering figure that has to regress at some point. What’s next in the NL East race? Just one month in, the Braves are running away in the NL East. They’re 20-9 and, stunningly, the only team in the division with a winning record. After 28 games, the Phillies are already 10.5 games back of first place. Luckily for them, the Mets have been equally incompetent. FanGraphs still gives the Phillies a 32.5% chance to make the playoffs, and plenty of time remains for them to at least contend for a wild-card spot, though the decision to run back basically the same roster with its aging core looks inauspicious at the moment. There’s not a lot of help coming on the farm — top prospect Aidan Miller hasn’t played all year due to a back issue — so it’s on the players in uniform to get right while there’s still time. The track record of the Phillies’ top players would suggest better days ahead. What’s next in MLB’s coaching carousel? It’s a rarity to see any manager fired in April, let alone two. But with a number of supposed contenders dealing with unexpected early-season turmoil, front offices are getting antsy. With Cora and Thomson out, the two hottest seats now belong to Carlos Mendoza and Joe Espada, who are leading underperforming clubs while on expiring deals. Mendoza’s Mets are 9-19 and in a share for last place with the Phillies in the NL East. Espada’s Astros are 11-18 and in last place in the AL West. They'll both need to get the train back on the tracks expeditiously to quiet the noise. Beyond those two, Matt Quatraro’s Royals are 11-17 and Dan Wilson’s Mariners are 14-16 a year after making it to the ALCS. Both teams, however, have played better recently. While many teams choose to hire from within when they make in-season managerial changes, among the top candidates available for teams seeking a new voice are Cora, Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltrán, Yadier Molina, Brandon Hyde, David Ross, Rocco Baldelli, Omar López and George Lombard.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Last Night in Baseball: MLB's Home Run Leader is an Enigmatic Rookie]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/munetaka-murakami-aaron-judge-white-sox-yankees-cal-raleigh-red-sox</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/munetaka-murakami-aaron-judge-white-sox-yankees-cal-raleigh-red-sox</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Munetaka Murakami doesn't hit often but he hits 'em real far, the Dodgers came back to walk it off, Cal Raleigh is back back, the Red Sox have won three in a row and more from Monday's MLB action.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:14:44 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[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: Murakami is MLB’s home run leader Is Munetaka Murakami a good defensive player? The White Sox moved the rookie third baseman and NPB import over to first base already, which is about all the answer you need to that question. Is he going to hit for a high average in MLB? That seems unlikely with the evidence we have so far, given he is leading the American League with 41 strikeouts and is currently batting .243, while his fellow lefties are chewing him up: he’s hitting just .161 with a .270 on-base percentage against southpaws. Can Murakami hit baseballs to the moon with regularity, though? Can he ever. And even against those pesky left-handed pitchers, too. Murakami didn’t even hit this one far, in terms of distance traveled in a straight line. The ball landed 382 feet away, and came off the bat at 95.8 mph. He sent this thing sky high, however, with a launch angle of 48 degrees — per MLB’s Sarah Langs, just eight home runs on record, since 2015 when StatCast began collecting the data, have had a higher launch angle. And hey, another nugget from Langs: Murakami has 12 extra-base hits, and they are all home runs. Nearly half of his total hits are long balls, as he has just 25 on the season. He strikes out constantly — just under one-third of his plate appearances have ended that way — hits some singles, walks nearly as often as he picks up a hit and also sends baseball into orbit the rest of the time. It’s a very strange profile so far, but it’s also working. Pitchers might adjust to him a bit, but his power is undeniable, in a way that makes leaving pitches he can hit in the zone a lot like playing with fire. Sure, you might get away with it — again, he strikes out more than he does any one thing — but he has also hit a whole bunch of baseballs comfortably further than 400 feet. When he gets a hold of one, he gets a hold of one. Right after Murakami gave the White Sox a lead over the Angels with a three-run homer, third baseman Miguel Vargas followed with a shot of his own to go back-to-back, capping off a seven-run seventh inning for Chicago. And good thing, too, because the Angels would end up scoring another two in the ninth — Los Angeles would fall short, 8-7. Dodgers walk off Marlins The other Los Angeles, though? The Dodgers came through. Before they could come from behind, though, they had to fall behind. The Marlins were happy to help with this early on, as they got on the board in the fourth and then scored three in the fifth — all on a 348-foot dinger DH Liam Hicks — to go up 4-2. Miami couldn’t score again from there, however, which gave Los Angeles all kinds of time to catch up. And they finally did in the bottom of the ninth. Center fielder Andy Pages walked to lead off the inning against new pitcher Pete Fairbanks, and then pinch-hitter Dalton Rushing also drew a free pass. Shortstop Miguel Rojas popped out on his bunt attempt, but that didn’t matter to Shohei Ohtani: the DH hit a ground-rule double down the right field line to score Pages and cut the lead to one. Fairbanks would then intentionally walk first baseman Freddie Freeman to load the bases and create multiple double play opportunities, and it worked out even better than that since catcher Will Smith struck out on a foul tip. The Dodgers’ lineup is deep, though, and next up was right fielder Kyle Tucker. He would deliver what Freeman wasn’t allowed to and Smith failed to. That’s Tucker’s first walk-off hit with his new team, and it made the Dodgers the second team in the league behind the Braves to reach the 20-win mark in 2026. Tucker has had a rough start to his career in Los Angeles — he has a .684 OPS and has been worth zero (0) wins above replacement to this point after signing a four-year, $240 million free agent deal this offseason. This W is in the bank, though, and maybe it will help get him going at the plate. Big Dumper is back back Losing to the Twins 11-4 isn’t great, Mariners fans will line up to tell you as much, but hey. There is some good news buried under the bad there. Seattle’s catcher, Cal Raleigh, made a whole lot of headlines in 2025 when he bashed 60 homers and set all kinds of records for switch-hitters and backstops in the process. His start to 2026, though, was abysmal. Now here’s that good news: Big Dumper is back, baby. That’s home run number seven on the year for Raleigh, which 1) has him on pace for 38, which would be the second-most he’s ever hit in a season after last summer’s hard-to-repeat outburst, and 2) the fifth that he’s hit in the last 10 games, a stretch in which he’s also batting .296/.367/.659. That’s a 1.026 OPS, and yes, it’s over 10 games, but recall the "abysmal" start: in that 20-game stretch, Raleigh batted .169/.253/.286. The Mariners are 14-16 and have plenty to figure out, but Seattle is at the point where they can scratch this particular off that list. Raleigh is back to mashing, and while he might never hit 60 homers again, well, that’s just what happens to almost everyone who has ever hit that level. Even Babe Ruth just pulled it off the one time, and he was literally Babe Ruth. If Raleigh is hitting 40, he’s still the best offensive catcher in the game, and the Mariners needed that guy back sooner than later. Cubs, Padres slug it out The pitchers were doomed in this one from the start. The Padres strung baserunners together in the first to drop three on the Cubs, but Chicago responded with five of their own over the next two innings, four of which came on one swing of the bat. The bat belonging to rookie slugger Moises Ballesteros, who drove this 86.1 mph curveball from Randy Vasquez 404 feet for a grand slam. Sorry, for a grand slam with a sick bat flip that followed it. The Padres would chip away at the lead, however, and wouldn’t take particularly long to do so. Right fielder Nick Castellanos hit one right back up the middle in the fifth to score third baseman Manny Machado and first baseman Ty France, putting San Diego ahead again, 6-5. In the seventh, France would come up with two on, and he hit a triple into the corner in left, scoring both runners and pushing San Diego’s lead to 8-5. France, at this point, was actually playing third base — Machado had exited with a leg injury, so France shifted across the diamond and Gavin Sheets came off the bench to play first. Sheets made his presence felt an inning later with a two-out dinger, his fourth home run of the year. This little bit of insurance might have seemed unnecessary, since closer Mason Miller was coming in for the save and had recently set the franchise record scoreless streak. But the Cubs managed to put two on the board in the ninth, ending Miller’s streak at 34.2 innings and scoring the first runs off of him that anyone has managed since August of last year, shortly after the Padres traded for the flamethrowing reliever. The Padres held on for the W, however, and remained half-a-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The Cubs, coming off a 10-game winning streak, have now dropped three in a row. Cardinals come from behind to win It didn’t look like the Cardinals were going to be in this one for a while there, as the Pirates started out the game by sitting down the first 18 batters St. Louis sent to the plate, and scored a pair of runs early to go up (and stay up) 2-0 for the first eight innings. In the top of the ninth, though, against new pitcher Dennis Santana, the Cards woke up. Catcher Pedro Pages hit his third homer of the year to snap the shutout, and then second baseman and 23-year-old rookie JJ Wetherholt made it back-to-back jacks with his sixth long ball of ‘26. Things did not get better for Santana after these shots. DH Ivan Herrera walked, then first baseman Alec Burleson singled to put him in scoring position with just one out. Left fielder Jose Fermin, who had entered as a pinch-hitter earlier, then doubled home both runners to give the Cardinals their first lead of the night. George Soriano would come on to close things out for St. Louis in the bottom of the frame, and he retired three of the four batters he faced, giving up a harmless single. That’s a big win for the Cardinals, who are slowly climbing up the NL Central — they are now just half-a-game behind Pittsburgh for third — despite being the one team in the division that’s been outscored on the season. Even more reason to bank wins whenever possible. No seriously, how Also from the Cardinals-Pirates’ tilt: a ground ball that defied logic and maybe also physics. That or it hit a couple of patches of ground where the dirt wasn’t smoothed out anymore. Take your pick. Judge goes yard, Yankees win Very briefly, Yankees’ right fielder Aaron Judge was tied for the MLB lead in home runs. Murakami changed that with his own long ball, but don’t discount the majesty of this 414-foot shot from Judge. It came off the bat at 113 mph and deserves some recognition. Plus, it served as the Yankees’ third run of the game — it followed a dinger from first baseman Ben Rice, who even more briefly was tied with Judge for New York’s home run lead — in a game that the Bombers ended up winning 4-2. A homer is good on its own, but a homer with meaning? That’s the stuff. The Yankees downed the Rangers, pushing Texas under .500 again, while New York remained atop the AL East at 19-10. A pretty good start from a team that had a five-game losing streak, no? Messick thrives again, but Rays win Guardians’ rookie starter Parker Messick nearly threw a no-hitter earlier this month, and on Monday night he was once again dominant, this time against the Rays. While he pitched just 5.2 innings this time, he also struck out nine while limiting Tampa Bay to one run and three hits. Messick had a little help from his defense, naturally — check this barehanded grab by shortstop Brayan Rocchio. But it wasn’t just Cleveland’s D that made notable plays: check out Rays’ second baseman Ben Williamson and the extension he had on this diving grab, in which he crossed to the other side of second base to take away what should have been a hit to no man’s land. Play like this helped keep the game close, and in the eighth, the Rays’ offense got going just enough. First baseman Jonathan Aranda hit a solo homer, his seventh long ball of the year, to tie the game 2-2. And then third baseman Junior Caminero singled, was replaced by pinch-runner Richie Palacios — who stole second to get into scoring position — and was singled in to give Tampa Bay its first lead, by right fielder Ryan Vilade. A difficult loss for the Guardians, who are scrapping atop the AL Central with the Tigers already, but a big dub for the Rays given the early success of the aforementioned Yankees: Tampa Bay is 17-11 and in second place in the AL East. The Red Sox have won three in a row The Red Sox front office and ownership might be incoherent and obsessed with creating drama, but hey, the roster itself is doing well the last few days. It’s not quite time for Tampa Bay or New York to worry about a resurgence in Boston, but the Sox have won three in a row to improve to 12-17 on the season and push their run differential to -6: that’s a three-game change of +23. And hey, the second two of those games even happened under new interim manager Chad Tracy. Monday’s W was highlighted by a standout performance from free-agent acquisition, starting pitcher Ranger Suarez. The lefty went eight innings against the Blue Jays’ own major offseason rotation pickup, Dylan Cease, and things went much better for the former: he struck out 10 against one walk while allowing a single hit and no runs, while Cease was lifted after 5.2 after giving up four runs on seven hits and three walks. Boston would complete the shutout against the defending AL champs, who are scuffling just half-a-game less than the Sox are to start 2026. The Red Sox have a lot more work to do — this is just three games — but Boston has to start somewhere, and the last three days have been as good of a place as any.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Philadelphia Phillies Fire Manager Rob Thomson After 4 Years]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/philadelphia-phillies-fire-manager-rob-thomson-after-4-years</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/philadelphia-phillies-fire-manager-rob-thomson-after-4-years</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Philadelphia Phillies have fired manager Rob Thomson in the wake of the team's 9-19 start to the 2026 MLB season.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:59:46 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Action has been taken. The Philadelphia Phillies have fired manager Rob Thomson in the wake of the team's 9-19 start, the team announced on Tuesday morning. Bench coach Don Mattingly, who was previously the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, will be Philadelphia's interim manager, while third base coach Dusty Wathan is now the team's bench coach. The Phillies recently lost 10 consecutive games, have lost 10 of their last 12 and their 9-19 mark is tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in MLB (32.1% winning percentage). Philadelphia's starting rotation has the worst ERA (5.80), WHIP (1.64) and opponent batting average (.307) in the sport. Meanwhile, its offense is 29th in batting average (.219) and on-base percentage (.294), 28th in runs (102) and hits (208) and 27th in slugging percentage (.362). Thomson was Philadelphia's bench coach from 2018-22 and promoted to interim manager when Joe Girardi was fired in June 2022. The Phillies then proceeded to reach the 2022 World Series and kept Thomson on a long-term deal. Philadelphia made the playoffs in each of the following three seasons (2023-25), with the Phillies posting a combined 355-270 record in the regular season and 21-17 in the postseason under Thomson from 2022-26. They won the NL East in 2024 and 2025. The 62-year-old Thomson, a baseball lifer finally promoted to his first managerial stint in '22, signed a contract extension in the offseason through the 2027 season and was again expected to lead the Phillies into World Series contention in 2026. The Phillies and their $300-plus million payroll have instead been one of the biggest flops in baseball and had lost 10 straight games before ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win against Atlanta on Saturday. The Phillies lost to Atlanta on Sunday and fell to 9-19 overall, tied with the divisional rival New York Mets. Thomson is the second manager fired in baseball this season after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora and five coaches on Saturday. Mattingly most recently managed for the Marlins in 2022, and last made the postseason in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. From 2013 through 2015, Mattingly's Dodgers reached the postseason, and lost the 2013 NLCS, 4-2, to the Cardinals. Current Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts replaced Mattingly before the 2016 season. The Associated Press contributed to this report.]]>
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					<![CDATA[What’s Next For the Red Sox After Manager Alex Cora’s Firing?]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/whats-next-red-sox-after-manager-alex-coras-firing</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/whats-next-red-sox-after-manager-alex-coras-firing</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Let’s dive into what’s next for the Red Sox after Cora’s stunning dismissal.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:11:36 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The Red Sox just can’t help themselves. Ever since they traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers for peanuts in 2020, the organization has become a magnet for public drama. It stems from their wide-ranging incoherence and inability to have a feel for when to implement high-profile decisions. This past weekend, the Red Sox struck both of those tones when chief baseball officer Craig Breslow fired manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff. The dismissals came hours after the Red Sox clobbered the Baltimore Orioles in a 17-1 win on Saturday at Camden Yards. Yes, the Red Sox had a disappointing 10-17 start, but this was bad timing. The team’s punchy offensive output behind their ace’s strong shutout outing that afternoon had created, at the very least, optimism. The clubhouse finally saw a formula that could help get them out of the AL East basement. Despite all that, principal owner John Henry, CEO Sam Kennedy and Breslow traveled to Baltimore to deliver the news in person. It was simply the latest episode of the discordance between their stated goals and expectations — being competitive and winning a world championship — and their actual, volatile actions that have caused, as usual, an uproar. Let’s dive into what’s next for the Red Sox after Cora’s stunning dismissal. What’s next for Craig Breslow and ownership? Breslow is under the microscope, facing pressure to prove that his swift and unexpected moves were the right thing to do for the organization — both this season and long-term. It’s clear that he’s in a weird place, on an island, after Kennedy in Sunday’s press conference indicated that Cora’s firing was Breslow’s decision, rather than a joint resolution from the entire ownership and front office group. But that’s nothing new around Fenway. Henry, who has remained silent with the media and Red Sox players since the dismissals, routinely sidesteps responsibility. Even though Henry was physically present in Sunday’s team meeting with players, he just stood there and didn’t actually say anything. The Red Sox owner has created an unstable and dysfunctional environment that forces everyone working for him to perform frantically and chaotically under pressure. Breslow is in the hot seat, and he knows it. Now, it’s in question whether he’ll even make it past July. The Red Sox have to show signs of turning it around quickly, otherwise they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline. (And there is no indication that this team is equipped with the tools to make a comeback.) Breslow’s lack of job security is the foundation that led to these significant firings. History is certainly not on Breslow’s side. This is his third season as Boston’s chief baseball officer, and all three predecessors (Chaim Bloom, Dave Dombrowski and Ben Cherington) were fired by the Red Sox ownership group within their first four years. Anticipating that his days are numbered, it sure looks like Breslow made the dramatic change of firing Cora and a handful of coaches as a last-gasp attempt to save himself, believing a shake-up will create a higher chance of the roster succeeding. But, take a look at the problems within that Red Sox roster, and it’s clear that the manager and coaches were not the problem. The team’s disappointing start is a direct result of inadequate roster construction. What’s next for the Red Sox? A mere 27 games into the season, Red Sox players are tasked with adjusting on-the-fly to new interim manager Chad Tracy and several coaches in different roles. While they do that, they also have to overcome their roster-construction flaws and win games, because Breslow waited until the season barely started to enforce significant changes, even though he could’ve done all this in the offseason. So, naturally, players are angry. There is really no one to turn to in the clubhouse, which is youth-led and lacks veteran leadership. That the 21-year-old outfielder Roman Anthony was the first player to face the cameras in the wake of Cora’s firing was an organizational failure. He was a rookie just last year, but now he’s being asked to be the leader of the team. It’s the result of the Red Sox failing to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, despite knowing that he had a strong influence on the field and in the clubhouse as the chief vet that younger talents looked up to. Speaking of failures, Breslow didn’t do enough this past winter to fortify an inexperienced roster that’s dependent on young talent like Anthony and Marcelo Mayer to take steps forward. After failing to sign Bregman or land a power bat like Pete Alonso, Breslow changed his messaging and said he’s focused on run prevention. But the additions of southpaw Ranger Suarez and veteran Sonny Gray (currently injured with a hamstring strain) haven’t helped, and ace Garrett Crochet has uncharacteristically struggled in three of his six starts so far this season. Entering Monday, Boston’s 4.96 starting pitching ERA is ranked 27th in MLB. The Red Sox lineup has a below-average wRC+ of 84, which is ranked 28th. Their power is nonexistent, and unless Anthony can single-handedly morph into David Ortiz, Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx overnight, there’s little reason to believe their slugging problems will improve this season. In the competitive AL East, the Red Sox are seven games behind the first-place Yankees — so far removed from the team that forced New York to Game 3 of the Wild Card series last October. If Boston starts playing better, it could work its way into a pennant race come September thanks to MLB’s expanded playoff format that accommodates mediocre teams. But competing for an early playoff exit is the bare minimum. That’s not what fans are told to expect, but it’s routinely what actually happens. What’s next for Alex Cora? Cora was in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract extension when he was fired by the Red Sox. In order for Cora to be picked up by another organization, that team will have to rip up his current contract and sign a new one. So Cora, of course, will only agree to that if the new contract pays him more than the current one. It’s unlikely that will happen, but he still has some options. There are currently two high-profile landing spots for Cora that could see him managing again this season, and both teams are performing worse than the Red Sox. The Phillies and Mets are tied for the worst record (9-19) in baseball. Both of their managers — Rob Thomson and Carlos Mendoza, respectively — are in the hot seat. It's tough to envision David Stearns, New York’s president of baseball operations, making Mendoza the scapegoat and firing him this early into the season. But Dave Dombrowski, Philly’s P.O.B.O., fired former Phillies manager Joe Girardi mid-season in 2022, then Thomson took over and instantly catapulted the team to its first World Series appearance in 11 years. Cora is said to have a strong relationship with Dombrowski ever since the longtime baseball executive hired Cora to be the Red Sox manager in Oct. 2017. In his first year as skipper, Cora led the Red Sox to a 108-54 record in the regular season before they won the 2018 World Series. Boston’s shoddy roster construction is not Cora’s fault, but it’s not like the shrewd skipper hasn’t made mistakes, either. The Rafael Devers situation in Boston was a poor reflection on Cora, who failed to talk to the slugger about playing first base last year. Devers immediately switched from designated hitter to first after he was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Cora was also investigated by MLB for helping mastermind the Astros’ 2017 electronic sign-stealing scandal. He was suspended for the entire 2020 season, which led to him briefly parting ways with the Red Sox before rejoining as their manager in 2021. Still, Cora has a 620-541 managerial record, and his résumé makes him an immediate candidate for future openings. He’s all but guaranteed a second act, somewhere. Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 MLB Power Rankings: What’s Every Team’s Biggest Early-Season Flaw?]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-mlb-power-rankings-whats-every-teams-biggest-early-season-flaw</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-mlb-power-rankings-whats-every-teams-biggest-early-season-flaw</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
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				    <![CDATA[We use this week’s MLB power rankings to identify at least one area of concern for every team.]]>
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				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:28:30 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t assemble the team that ranks tied for last in home runs, 27th in OPS, 23rd in scoring and 20th in team ERA, but he nonetheless paid the price for the club's early season ineptitude. Clearly, there are a lot of problems right now for a Boston team that expects to contend in 2026. The Red Sox are certainly not alone in that regard (see: Mets, Phillies, Astros, Blue Jays or Royals), but they are the first to make sweeping changes. Less than a month into the season, Cora is already out. As we wait to see which manager might be next, and as Boston tries to claw its way out of the doldrums, we’ll use this week’s power rankings to identify at least one area of concern for every team. The White Sox allowed the fifth-most runs and scored the fifth-fewest runs in MLB, so take your pick at which issue stands out most. We’ll focus here on the late-game pitching; Chicago has blown nine saves — second-most in MLB — and have a 5.58 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in the seventh inning or later, both of which rank in the bottom four in MLB. Just when it seemed like a series win against the Twins might jump start the slumping group, the Mets then went and got swept by the Rockies, scoring four runs over three games. That … can't happen. New York's offense ranks last in MLB in runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging. Yikes. The Phillies finally ended their losing skid at 10 games this weekend, but they still lost the series in Atlanta. The offense is a problem — they’ve scored the third-fewest runs in MLB — but the bigger and more surprising issue is a starting rotation that has allowed the most hits and runs in the sport. Their MLB-worst minus-54 run differential is …almost unfathomable. Maybe a sweep of the Angels will get them on track. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is finally getting going. He hit his first home run of the year on Sunday, but first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez still have batting averages that start with a "1." The bigger issue? The bullpen is 3-8 with a 5.75 ERA, the second-worst mark in MLB. The Rockies already have more wins before the end of April than they had by the end of May last year. Their bullpen has performed surprisingly well, logging a 3.61 ERA that ranks eighth in MLB; the starting rotation, however, ranks 27th in WHIP and 28th in batting average against. Don’t be surprised if that group’s 4.60 ERA continues to climb; Colorado starters have the highest expected ERA in MLB. The team can hit; It just can’t stop anyone else from hitting. The Nationals rank third in runs scored…and 29th in runs allowed. They’ve allowed the most home runs and committed the most errors in MLB. Their starters rank 29th in ERA. Their bullpen ranks 30th in ERA. Hunter Brown and Josh Hader — among many injured Astros — can’t get back soon enough. After a commendable start to the year, the Angels have now lost seven of their last eight games. One of the team’s biggest problems last year still persists: The Angels have the most strikeouts and highest whiff rate in MLB. As previously mentioned, the offense is concerning. The Red Sox rank 27th in OPS and 28th in slugging and are tied for last in home runs, even after plating 17 runs on Saturday. The bigger surprise about the team's dismal start, though? The starting rotation ranks 27th in ERA. The Twins (shortstop Brooks Lee, 111 wRC+) and Mets (catcher Francisco Alvarez, 117) are the only teams who have just one qualified hitter batting above league average. As a team, Minnesota's offense ranks 24th in wRC+ over the last two weeks. The bullpen, decimated at last year's deadline, ranks 23rd in ERA on the season. The Marlins have the third-most errors in MLB and rank 29th in defensive runs saved. The Giants have the lowest walk rate in MLB and just 19 home runs on the year, tied for the fewest in MLB. That's a tough offensive recipe for success, though the team has been performing much better lately. The most obvious flaw is the team’s health. Starting pitchers Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios are due back shortly, but fellow starters Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce and Bowden Francis are also on the IL, as are outfielders George Springer, Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Anthony Santander and catcher Alejandro Kirk. Those position player absences hit the hardest, as the Blue Jays have the fourth-fewest runs scored and the highest chase rate in MLB. The five starters who’ve thrown the most innings for the Orioles this year all ERAs over 4.00. Baltimore needs to hit to its potential to mask the issues on the mound. Their pitchers have the lowest strikeout rate and worst K-BB% in MLB. They’ve thrown 182 strikeouts as a team; every other team has at least 200. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo has given the Rangers everything they could’ve asked for, and a leap forward from third baseman Josh Jung has provided a boost. But questions loom about a Texas offense that ranks 22nd in on-base percentage and 20th in OPS. The Mariners have the second-highest whiff rate and fourth-most strikeouts in baseball. Those issues can be mitigated by their ability to power away, but their slugging (21st in MLB) has been limited to this point. Catcher Cal Raleigh’s heating up, though. As is often the case, the Guardians offense lacks the pop you’d expect from a contender. They have the second-lowest hard-hit rate in MLB and rank 19th in OPS and 20th in slugging; those rankings, however, represent significant improvements from last year’s playoff team. They’re also 21st in bullpen ERA, though I’m more confident that number will improve. The Aaron Civale signing has helped, but that wasn’t going to be enough to fix a rotation that ranked 27th in ERA last year. This year, A’s starters rank 26th in ERA. The team's bullpen, however, has been much better than expected, and the A’s are in first place despite their offense not yet playing to its potential. The Brewers rank 29th in slugging percentage and last in expected slugging percentage. It doesn’t help that outfielders Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn are all injured. Over the last week, the Tigers’ bullpen has a 6.99 ERA. On the year, Detroit relievers rank 19th in ERA and 23rd in strikeout rate. The bats are heating up, though, and first baseman Spencer Torkelson’s suddenly on a home-run tear after a slow start. Starters Michael Soroka and Eduardo Rodriguez have both pitched well, but the rest of the pitching staff has not. The usual problem persists, as D-backs starters and relievers both rank in the bottom 10 in MLB in ERA. The offense, however, — led by … 34-year-old veteran Ildemaro Vargas?! — is getting it done. (Seriously, if you haven’t yet, take a look at what Vargas is doing.) The Rays’ bullpen ranks 27th in ERA, and their offense has the lowest hard-hit rate in MLB. But the lineup’s contact-heavy approach has worked to this point: Tampa Bay, with the highest zone contact rate and fifth-highest batting average in MLB, has the second-most wins in the American League. Over the last week, the Pirates have the lowest on-base percentage and slugging percentage in MLB. For the year, they’re now down to a bottom-10 OPS. Is that a sign of things to come after the hot start? It’s kind of amazing considering they lead the NL Central, but the Reds have the lowest batting average overall (.213) and batting average with runners in scoring position (.197) in MLB. The Cubs had already lost standout starter Cade Horton when star closer Daniel Palencia went down with a lat strain — no matter, they still rattled off 10 straight wins before seeing the streak snapped this weekend in Los Angeles. They’re on the rise, but the pitching depth is a concern given the injuries. Depth, both in the rotation and the field, is the team’s biggest concern. Clearly, A.J. Preller agreed, which is why the Padres just signed free-agent starter Lucas Giolito. Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Griffin Canning are all on the shelf, and while Randy Vasquez was terrific (2-0, 1.88 ERA) before a rough start on Monday night, the group gets thin after Michael King. Offensively, the Padres rank 23rd in OPS, yet they've won 16 of their last 20 games. The Yankees rank fifth in OPS, but Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and the heart of the order is doing most of the damage. The depth of the lineup has left some to be desired. The Yankees' Nos. 7-9 hitters rank 24th in batting average and 16th in OPS. Outfielder Trent Grisham’s hitting .160, and catcher Austin Wells (81 wRC+), second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (81) and third baseman Ryan McMahon (66) have been well below league-average hitters. To this point, the Braves have admirably withstood a litany of injuries, particularly in their rotation. Their biggest issue might be outfield depth. A bounce-back start to the season from outfielder Michael Harris II has been huge, but as a group, Atlanta’s outfielders have hit below league average. Ronald Acuña Jr. has yet to get going, Mike Yastrzemski has been the team’s worst hitter, and Jurickson Profar's PED suspension could wind up being costly. Their big signings, and many of their top stars, have yet to get going. Closer Edwin Díaz has a 10.50 ERA and then underwent an elbow procedure. Outfielder Kyle Tucker has been a below-league average hitter. So has outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Shortstop Mookie Betts was hitting .179 before hurting his oblique. Catcher Will Smith has a .729 OPS. First baseman Freddie Freeman’s 118 OPS+ would be his lowest mark in a season in 14 years…and yet the Dodgers are 19-9 with the highest OPS in MLB.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Big Bets Report: Bettor Miraculously Turns $30 Parlay Into $2 Million]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/big-bets-30-dollars-into-2-million-mlb-parlay-hard-rock</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/big-bets-30-dollars-into-2-million-mlb-parlay-hard-rock</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[One bettor's $30 turned into $2 million and another turned 10 cents into $3,500. Patrick Everson breaks down these Hall of Fame betlips.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:57:09 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[As the cliché goes: Parlays are a bookmaker’s best friend. And there’s an ocean of losing bets to prove it. For every leg a bettor adds, the chance of winning significantly diminishes. And winning millions? Well, that never happens. Except on the extremely rare occasion when it does, as it did Friday night for a Hard Rock Bet customer who turned 30 bucks into nearly $2 million. More on that monster payday, along with how 10 cents became $3,500 and other notable wagers, as we recap the week that was in sports betting. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Home Run Derby At 7:04 a.m. ET Friday, a Floridian playing on Hard Rock Bet’s mobile app decided to string together six players to hit at least one home run apiece, in Friday night’s MLB games. A couple of players were usual suspects: the Phillies’ Bryce Harper (+475) and the A’s Nick Kurtz (+325). The rest of the ticket: Add up all those odds, and you’ve got a lottery-style number of +6576031. In slightly more digestible terms, that equates to just beyond 65760/1. A 1-in-65,760 chance. Yet it happened. Kurtz homered to lead off the first inning against the Rangers. Sanchez also went yard in the first inning against the Blue Jays. Greene’s homer was in the second inning against the Tigers, and Chisholm went deep in the fourth inning against the Astros. The biggest sweats: Harper and Mayo homering in the fifth inning, vs. the Braves and Red Sox, respectively. And that, incredibly, is how a modest $30.11 becomes $1.98 million. When the massive windfall ticket was reported on X on Saturday, there were skeptics all over the replies, screaming that the bet was fake. It got to the point where Hard Rock Bet’s own post on the win got a Community Note. By Sunday morning, that Community Note was gone. The wager was absolutely legit, as Hard Rock Bet Senior Vice President, Sportsbook Neil Walsh enthusiastically acknowledged. "We’re jazzed up over this slip. It’s one of the highest-odds parlays that we’ve ever paid out — with only six legs — and the smallest-ever stake that’s minted a million-dollar payout," Walsh said. "We’ve handled some massive winners, but this one knocked it out of the park. "It’s an all-timer. Send this ticket to Cooperstown." Big Dollars on a Dime Parlays on home-run hitters seem to be the preference at the moment. And to bettors’ credit, they’re often keeping the wager size quite reasonable, as pretty much all of us should when it comes to parlays. In one case last week, a FanDuel Sportsbook customer utilized just about the smallest bet possible, 10 cents. And in fact, it was a bonus bet — so basically, a 10-cent free ride. I’m not sure how one even acquires a 10-cent bonus bet. But if you have one, crafting a seven-leg long-shot parlay isn’t a bad idea at all. The ticket included two same-game parlays, which comprised five of the seven legs. That helped hike the odds out to a hefty +3548119, or just beyond 35481/1. Yet all seven legs got there, turning one thin dime — and a free one at that — into $3,548.12. That’s an ROI that anyone can appreciate. Six-Figure Feast To be clear, making 21-leg parlay bets is an excellent way to separate you from your money. Even making three- or four-leg parlays regularly will have the same effect. So just understand that before punching in more and more legs. Last Wednesday, a Fanatics Sportsbook customer just kept pressing the button, ultimately stringing together 21 legs across a bundle of sports: European basketball and soccer, MLB, NHL and a dozen outcomes tied to the NBA. Almost every leg was a favorite on the $500 ticket. Many selections were huge favorites, including Magic forward Franz Wagner -1300 to score 11 or more points vs. the Pistons in Game 2 of an NBA playoff series. By late evening, Wagner’s output was all that remained. And he barely got there. Wagner hit two free throws with 8:05 remaining, for his 11th and 12th points of the game, and he scored no more after that. But that’s all it took to complete the parlay, for a huge win of $362,070 (total payout $362,570). Not the most orthodox way to earn such money. As they say, though, it’s sometimes better to be lucky than good. Laser Beam Among the MLB offerings from FanDuel this season is the Laser Beam. It involves wagering on a player to hit a home run with an exit velocity of 110 mph or more. On Wednesday’s slate, a bettor put $5 on a three-leg parlay of the A’s Nick Kurtz (+700), the White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami (+1900) and the Orioles’ Coby Mayo (+5000) to hit high-velocity homers. The odds: +815900, or 8159/1. All three players delivered lasers, and the customer’s five bucks turned into $40,800. The Name Game Doing parlays for fun, rather than expecting a huge hit, is a good way to go. A pair of FanDuel customers did just that on Sunday. One bettor decided to base a $25 three-leg wager on athletes named Nathan: The odds of all three events happening were +11630, or just beyond 116/1. All three indeed delivered, turning $25 into $2,932.65. The other bettor banked on Sunday being the Lord’s Day. The customer wagered accordingly on the Blue Jays’ Jesus Sanchez, the Astros’ Christian Walker and the Cardinals’ Nathan Church to homer. All three players went yard. At odds of +23714 (about 237/1), a five-dollar bill became $1,190.70. Divine intervention. 50 Cents To $500 Finally, during Sunday night’s Celtics vs. 76ers Game 4, Fanatics offered live Over/Under points scored props on 13 players. One customer decided: Why not put all 13 into a live same-game parlay? The bettor wagered the extremely responsible sum of 50 cents, at odds of +100000, or 1000/1. All 13 legs came through, turning those two quarters into $500. Not a bad couple of hours worth of work.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Trevor Story: Red Sox Direction 'Up in the Air' After Alex Cora's Firing]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/red-sox-alex-cora-fired-trevor-story</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/red-sox-alex-cora-fired-trevor-story</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Infielder Trevor Story was among Red Sox players unsatisfied with the how and why of Boston firing manager Alex Cora and much of his coaching staff.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:27:58 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Less than 24 hours after the Boston Red Sox shockingly fired manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff, infielder Trevor Story said the club’s path forward feels unclear. "I mean obviously, it’s kind of up in the air what the true direction is," the two-time All-Star said on Sunday morning before a series finale against the Baltimore Orioles. "Those are conversations that need to be had. They’ll be had today and onward going forward, too." The Red Sox officially dismissed Cora on Saturday evening after a 10-17 start to his eighth season guiding the club, including an embarrassing three-game sweep at home to the New York Yankees earlier this week. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow explained the first in-season firing of a Boston manager since 2001 by suggesting it showed commitment to the current season. "It really comes down to the belief we have in the players, and the belief we have in the group to accomplish what we set out to accomplish," Breslow said Sunday. "By acting today, it gives us 135 games ahead of us, almost a full season’s worth of run, to take advantage of this fresh start." [Red Sox: Alex Cora, Members of Coaching Staff Fired Amid Poor Start] But Story, in the fifth season of a six-year, $140-million deal, is an exception on a young roster that has traded away stars like Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers in the years since Cora guided Boston to a 2018 World Series title in his first season. The Red Sox have reached only two postseasons since, and only one since Story’s arrival when they made a wild-card appearance in 2025. "I came here to win and I came here to be successful," said the 33-year-old Story, who is among the Boston batters struggling with a .198 average, two homers and 17 RBIs. "And we had a flash of that last year. We’re looking to build on that. Obviously not off to a great start. But yeah, some of the direction needs to be cleared up, in my opinion." Breslow and interim manager Chad Tracy spoke with the team for roughly eight minutes in a Sunday morning gathering that also included owner John Henry and team president Sam Kennedy, according to reliever Garrett Whitlock. Players did not talk during the meeting. "They spoke. Yeah, they spoke," Story said. "There just has to be more conversations had. I wouldn’t say it was satisfactory." To reporters, Breslow and Kennedy indicated this was a decision driven by baseball operations after the club had performed particularly poorly on offense. [Last Night in Baseball: Resurgent Braves Get to 20 Wins First] Despite a 17-1 win over Baltimore Saturday that halted a four-game slide, the Red Sox batters entered Sunday slashing .233/.312/.354 collectively and ranked in the bottom quarter of MLB in most key metrics. "Ultimately, responsibility for the performance on the field, it falls on me as the leader of baseball operations," Breslow said. "But so, too, does the responsibility for doing everything I can and the organization can to find solutions. And right now we feel like this change, these changes were warranted." Kennedy said Breslow has "made several bold decisions and recommendations." "And this was one of them and we fully support it.," he said. Henry remained in Baltimore Sunday but did not address the media. "I think it’s evident by his presence here that this was a collaborative decision (with Henry)," Kennedy said. Tracy makes his MLB managerial debut after six seasons guiding Triple-A Worcester. The son of longtime manager Jim Tracy, he recognized the delicate dynamics of his opportunity. "I’m toeing that line of sitting here with all of you in this moment, but also acknowledge the relationship with some of the people that are no longer here was strong," Tracy said. "And you also know that that’s, in a lot of ways, that’s how some of the players feel as well. So, excited, right? But also honoring the people that were before me that were mentors to me." Story praised Tracy’s "baseball mind," but was clearly still emotional about Cora’s firing. "He had our backs every single day," Story said. "He was very truthful with players and took bullets for us and did everything you can ask for and more as a manager. I just can’t express how thankful I am to have played for him. Yeah, I’ve got a love for that guy." Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[2026 World Series Odds: Dodgers Favored; Braves Move Up]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-world-series-odds</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/2026-world-series-odds</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The two best teams in baseball reside in the National League. See the latest World Series odds.]]>
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				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:48:22 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Baseball is back. Here are the odds for the 2026 World Series at DraftKings Sportsbook as of April 27. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. 2026 World Series odds Dodgers: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)Yankees: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)Mariners: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Braves: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Cubs: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)Tigers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Blue Jays: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Rangers: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Phillies: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Orioles: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Brewers: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Mets: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Red Sox: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Padres: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Astros: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Pirates: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Reds: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Guardians: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Royals: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Rays: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Diamondbacks: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Athletics: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Giants: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Twins: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Marlins: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)Cardinals: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)Angels: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)White Sox: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)Rockies: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Nationals: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total) At the end of last season, the Dodgers became the first back-to-back World Series champs since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000. In addition, L.A. won its third championship in the past six years. As for this season? L.A. has picked up right where it left off. As of April 27, the Dodgers are atop the AL West and have the second-best record in the National League (19-9), just one win behind the Braves (20-9). They have the highest run differential in baseball (+67), alongside the highest team batting average (.278), most home runs (45), most quality starts (18), second-most RBIs (151) and second-most hits (264). While L.A. is atop the oddsboard, the Braves are not far behind, with the season they're having. They have the best record in baseball, as well as the lowest team ERA (3.13), most RBIs (161) and second-highest batting average (.274).]]>
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					<![CDATA[Last Night in Baseball: Resurgent Braves Get to 20 Wins First]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/braves-mets-rockies-dodgers-cubs-reds</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/braves-mets-rockies-dodgers-cubs-reds</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
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				    <![CDATA[The Braves are thriving as much as the Phillies and Mets are faltering, the Rockies are competent now, the Reds are suddenly powerful, Spencer Torkelson is slugging and more from the weekend's MLB action.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:54:35 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[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 the weekend in Major League Baseball: Braves first to 20 wins The NL East might be a mess in plenty of ways, but not for the Braves. Atlanta, which struggled with injuries and effectiveness from the start last summer, won the weekend series against the Phillies, with the last of those victories making the Braves the first team in MLB this season to reach 20 wins. Philadelphia, meanwhile, moved up into a tie for last place in the NL East despite dropping two of three to Atlanta, because the Mets were even worse this weekend. More on that in a bit, though. Atlanta came out swinging on Sunday, with right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. leading off the bottom of the first with a single, followed by catcher Drake Baldwin getting his own on a liner to right. That brought up first baseman Matt Olson, who made it clear with one swing that the Braves were aiming to make up for their extra-inning collapse the day before. That was Olson’s eighth long ball of the season, and you’ll note that it wasn’t like it was on a mistake pitch or anything of the sort: he hit a 93.5 mph four-seam fastball that was located well inside the zone 399 feet to right field to put the Braves up 3-0. Atlanta would score another three runs in the second inning to go up 6-0 — left fielder Mauricio Dubon opened that frame with a triple and the Braves were off from there — and Philadelphia could only scrape together a pair of runs against Atlanta’s bullpen, both in the eighth. Before then, Chris Sale dominated. Sale picked up career win 150 by allowing just one hit and no runs over six innings, while striking out nine and walking a pair. The lefty also had this look-what-I-found falling grab on the mound to help his own cause. Sale now has a 2.45 ERA across two-plus seasons and 56 games with the Braves. Pretty good for a guy who started that stretch when he was already 35. Torkelson homers in fifth-straight game Spencer Torkelson has hit 31 homers two of the last three seasons, so his starting 2026 out by just not going yard for the first 23 games was a bit concerning. Well, as concerning as anything can be over the first 23 games, anyway. It’s a long season, and the Tigers’ first baseman is doing his best to make up for lost time and get everything looking all normal again in the span of the last week. Torkelson hit another home run on Sunday when Detroit took on the Reds, the fifth game in a row that he’s gone deep, and tied the Tigers’ franchise record in the process. He crushed that one, too, as it went 421 feet with an exit velocity of 107.3 mph; that’ll happen sometimes when a pitch is left up in the zone, whether it’s going 95 mph or not. Torkelson has now gone from not having any homers at all in 2026 to being on pace for 39, or, more than he has ever hit before in a single season. Patience really is a virtue when it comes to April stats. If Torkelson can hit a dinger again in the Tigers’ next game to bring this to six games — Detroit faces the Braves on Tuesday in Atlanta — then he’ll move into much rarer air (but not the rarest) for MLB’s historic home run streaks. Mets swept by the Rockies The Rockies aren’t as bad as they were a year ago, so this statement doesn’t necessarily have the dramatic power it would in 2025. However, the Mets also aren’t as good as they were a year ago, and New York wasn’t exactly a powerhouse in a year where they limped to the finish line and finished 13 games out of first in the NL East. New York is now 9-19, tied for last place in the NL East with the similarly floundering Phillies, while the Rockies are 13-16. Hey, it took Colorado until June 12 to win their 13th game last season; this spring’s last-place record is one that the Rockies will take at this point. But yeah, it also makes this whole thing tougher to swallow for Mets’ fans. Also making it worse? Two of the losses in this sweep came on the same day, as Saturday’s game had been rained out and rescheduled for a Sunday doubleheader. New York’s pitching was looking good, as it gave up just six combined runs across the doubleheader, but the offense was… not. The Mets were shut out in the first contest, and managed a single run in the second. It takes seven seconds in the below video to show you more Rockies runs than New York managed all day. Friday wasn’t much better, either, with Colorado winning 4-3. A 10-run weekend from the Rockies is the kind of thing you would expect to mean that they were the ones getting swept, but no. Colorado pitching limited the Mets to four runs across three games. Now that’s a sentence to say a few times to see if it makes any more intuitive sense the more you repeat it. The Rockies are doing pretty alright, though; their run differential is just -11, which is huge when you remember that it was just last season that Colorado posted the worst run differential of the last 125 years, at -424, 79 runs worse than the next-worst team. It will take time for the Rockies to fully heal from the damage the previous regime(s) inflicted upon them, but early returns are looking promising in terms of this actually looking like a professional baseball team. Dodgers end Cubs streak The Dodgers were scuffling a little — for the Dodgers, anyway — while the Cubs were thriving, so this clash was one to look forward to when the weekend kicked off. And Chicago made good on the initial promise on Friday, too, winning that opening contest 6-4 to extend their winning streak to 10 games. The next day, the Dodgers happened. The Cubs struck first, going up 2-0 in the first three innings, but Los Angeles tied it up in the bottom of the third before losing the lead in the top of the fourth, but responded by dropping six runs on Chicago an inning later. Second baseman Alex Freeland tied things up again with a double to score shortstop Hyeseong Kim, then first baseman Freddie Freeman singled Freeland home. Left fielder Teoscar Hernandez would open things up some more with a two-run single later in the inning… …then catcher Dalton Rushing and center fielder Andy Pages would both single home another run each to make it 8-3, Dodgers. The Cubs would not go down quietly — catcher Miguel Amaya hit a solo homer to cut the lead to four in the very next half-inning, and then Chicago loaded the bases in the sixth. However, that larger threat was squashed when reliever Will Klein managed to get out of the situation unscathed, with the Cubs unable to score there or again in the game. The Dodgers would then go on the attack again in the bottom of that inning, driving in another four runs to make it 12-4, which would end up being the final score. Streak snapped, but still, that was a real run by the Cubs there. Los Angeles would best Chicago on Sunday, too, and since Shohei Ohtani had been in a bit of a funk for a while — even, at times, during his on-base streak — here he is hitting a home run on a day in which he went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs. The Dodgers are half-a-game up on the Padres in the NL West at present — San Diego played just two games over the weekend thanks to traveling to Mexico City for their series against Arizona — while the Cubs sit a game behind the Reds, despite Cincinnati losing on Sunday as well. PCA’s bat is a mess right now, but that glove… The less said about Pete Crow-Armstrong’s bat at the moment, the better. His glove, though? That does not go through slumps that date back to last year’s All-Star break. Look at the way he contorts his body here to stay with the changing trajectory of the ball. Not your average robbery at the wall, that’s for sure. And to put a finer point on it: despite PCA posting a .613 OPS with one homer this season, he’s been worth a win above replacement already thanks to that absurd defensive ability. Sal Stewart is on fire The Reds ranked just 21st in homers in 2025, easily one of the areas that kept them from being more of a danger both in the regular season and in the postseason. Today’s MLB is one of big innings, and those are harder to come by if you can’t get a big swing to make them happen. An injury to star shortstop Elly De La Cruz that sapped his power didn’t help, but the lack of sluggers elsewhere in the lineup was a problem. That was part of the appeal of bringing Eugenio Suarez back to DH: even if he couldn’t produce the third 49-homer campaign of his career, this is a player with six seasons of at least 30 homers on his resume; the Reds had zero players with 30 bombs in 2025. Suarez has hit just three to start and is currently on the IL, but luckily, other Reds have stepped up. Rookie first baseman Sal Stewart is the most significant of those, as his five-RBI day on Saturday against the Tigers reminded. Stewart went 3-for-5 with a walk, a run, a first-inning homer — his ninth long ball of the year — and two singles to go with the five RBIs. He’s now batting .291/.385/.602 on the season while leading the majors with 29 RBIs; the additional homer and now six additional RBIs make an already impressive graphic from the weekend that much more so. De La Cruz is looking great, too, and hit his own ninth homer of the year on Saturday to help the Reds to a W. He’s now at .274/.349/.558; if Cincinnati can get top-tier production from both De La Cruz and Stewart, and Suarez comes back to fulfill the purpose the organization had in mind for them when he was signed, this team’s lineup looks a whole lot different than last year’s just based on that. Royals come from behind to walk off Angels The Angels were up 6-0 on the Royals after the second inning, but that’s not a safe lead in this league, not by a long shot. Kansas City scored once in the fifth and twice each in the sixth and seventh, with Los Angeles picking up just one run after its early outbursts, considerably narrowing the gap. In the ninth, the Angels scored one more to make it 8-5, but all that ended up doing was ensuring that the Royals couldn’t win outright in regulation. What’s amazing about Kansas City managing to pop off for three runs in the bottom of the ninth and force extras is that it all happened with two outs. Center fielder Lane Thomas and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. both started the inning by making an out. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino would follow with a triple, though, then DH Salvador Perez would single him home to make it 8-6. The Angels would put in a new pitcher, Drew Pomeranz, but things didn’t go well for him, either. Down to their last out, down by two with a runner on, right fielder Jac Caglianone — who had entered earlier as a pinch-hitter and stuck in right afterward — hit a two-run homer that was upheld after a challenge. The Angels would get a run back in the top of the 10th thanks to a passed ball by Royals’ catcher Carter Jensen, but Kansas City was still ready to hit when their turn came up. Joey Lucchesi came on in relief of Pomeranz, and, like in the previous inning, the Angels got the first two outs. Third baseman Maikel Garcia drew a walk, though, putting the winning run on base, and then Lane Thomas called game. The Royals came from behind to sweep the Angels, which is huge for Kansas City considering that even after the three-straight wins, they’re in last place in the AL Central. They are also just 3.5 games back, though, so this was a case of filling in a hole instead of digging it deeper. The Angels are just 3.5 out of first, too, but despite the numbers being the same that feels a little worse after this weekend. Emotionally, anyway — it’s still April, you’ll recall. Now there’s a pickoff The Padres blew a 7-2 lead against the Diamondbacks in the second of the two-game Mexico Series, ending it with a split. What you need your attention drawn to, though, is this pickoff by reliever Ryan Thompson. He never actually goes toward the plate, and manages to turn while looking as if he’s mid-motion, allowing for him to then throw to second and catch Fernando Tatis Jr. in a rundown. That serves as a pretty good metaphor for how the Padres did from that point forward in the game, though. They had a huge lead, and then they just gave it away.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Dodgers Snap Cubs' 10-Game Winning Streak Behind Roki Sasaki's Outing]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/dodgers-score-6-runs-in-4th-to-snap-the-cubs-10game-winning-streak-with-124-victory</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/dodgers-score-6-runs-in-4th-to-snap-the-cubs-10game-winning-streak-with-124-victory</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Roki Sasaki earned his second major league victory as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Cubs 12-4.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:22:11 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Roki Sasaki earned his second major league victory and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied with six runs in the fourth inning to beat the Cubs 12-4 on Saturday night, snapping Chicago's 10-game winning streak. Shohei Ohtani ended an 0-for-12 skid with a single in the first and then swiped second for just his second stolen base of the year. He had one of the Dodgers' 14 hits as Los Angeles set a season high for runs at home. Sasaki (1-2) gave up four runs — three on solo homers by Seiya Suzuki, Moises Ballesteros and Miguel Amaya — and seven hits with a career-high 99 pitches on his bobblehead night. The Japanese right-hander struck out five in his fifth career start, pitching into the sixth inning for the first time this year. He went 1-1 as a rookie last season before working as the closer during the Dodgers' run to their second straight World Series championship. The Dodgers scored 10 or more runs for the fourth time this season. After scoring six in the fourth inning, they tacked on four more in the sixth. Andy Pages had a two-run double off reliever Javier Assad and later scored on a wild pitch by Vince Velasquez, who was called up Friday. Max Muncy hit a tying two-run homer in the third for the Dodgers, who had lost five of seven. Their bullpen blew a four-run lead in a 6-4 loss in the series opener Friday that dropped them out of the NL West lead for the first time this season. The Cubs took their last lead, 3-2, on Ballesteros' two-strike homer off Sasaki in the fourth. The Dodgers went ahead for good by playing small ball in the bottom of the inning. Alex Freeland tied the game at 3 with an RBI double. Freddie Freeman's RBI single chased Cubs starter Colin Rea (3-1). Teoscar Hernandez had a two-run single and Dalton Rushing and Pages had RBI singles — all with two outs — to open an 8-3 lead. Trailing 8-4, the Cubs left the bases loaded in the sixth. Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer struck out Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong before Will Klein came in and induced a groundout to the mound by Amaya that ended the threat. Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.17 ERA) starts Sunday's series finale against LHP Justin Wrobleski (3-0, 1.88). Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Bryce Harper, Phillies Snap 10-Game Skid With Extra-Inning Win Over Braves]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/bryce-harper-leads-phillies-past-braves-85-in-10-innings-to-stop-10game-losing-streak</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/bryce-harper-leads-phillies-past-braves-85-in-10-innings-to-stop-10game-losing-streak</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
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				    <![CDATA[Bryce Harper had four RBIs, including a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies snapped their 10-game losing streak with an 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:17:11 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Bryce Harper had four RBIs, including a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies snapped their 10-game losing streak with an 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night. Phillies ace Zack Wheeler made his 2026 debut and looked strong, giving up two runs and three hits over five innings. The right-hander returned from thoracic outlet decompression surgery after a blood clot was discovered in his pitching shoulder last season. After the start was delayed 56 minutes because of rain, Wheeler struck out six, walked three and left with a 3-2 lead. Harper had two hits and scored twice for the Phillies, who hadn't won since April 13. Brad Keller (1-0) tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win. Kyle Backhus got Michael Harris II to ground out with two runners aboard to end it. Ozzie Albies was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Harris went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Braves, who had won nine of 10. Tyler Kinley (3-1) walked Trea Turner to open the 10th, and Jose Suarez walked Kyle Schwarber to load the bases before Harper's two-run single gave Philadelphia a 6-4 lead. Two batters later, Brandon Marsh tacked on a two-run single to make it 8-4. Braves starter Bryce Elder lasted seven innings, giving up three runs and six hits while striking out two and walking one. He exited with a 4-3 lead. Schwarber led off the Philadelphia eighth with a triple to center field over the head of Eli White and scored on a sacrifice fly by Harper that tied it at 4. Braves LHP Chris Sale (4-1, 2.79 ERA) faces RHP Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.06) in the finale of the three-game series Sunday. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Red Sox Fire Manager Alex Cora, Members of Coaching Staff Amid Poor Start]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/red-sox-fire-manager-alex-cora-members-coaching-staff-amid-poor-start</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/red-sox-fire-manager-alex-cora-members-coaching-staff-amid-poor-start</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Red Sox are making sweeping changes to their coaching staff amid the team's poor start.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 19:47:39 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Alex Cora's tenure as manager of the Boston Red Sox is over, and several members of his staff are out of a job, too. The Red Sox fired Cora, hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Rámon Vazquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson and assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson amid the team's 10-17 start to the 2026 season on Saturday, the team announced. Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek has been reassigned to a new role within the organization, the team also shared. While the move came hours after the Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 17-1, they had suffered a 10-3 loss on Friday after getting swept by the New York Yankees. "Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude," Red Sox principal owner John Henry said in a statement. "He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived. "I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude." Cora, 50, was in the midst of his second tenure as the team's manager. He was previously the manager of the Red Sox for two seasons, helping the team win the World Series in 2018 before leaving the team for the 2020 season due to his role in the Houston Astros' cheating scandal. Cora was re-hired by the Red Sox following the 2020 season. Cora's second tenure as Boston's manager was a bit bumpy. He helped the Red Sox reach the ALCS in 2021, where they lost to the Houston Astros in six games. But Boston finished in last place in the American League East in the 2022 and 2023 seasons before going 81-81 in 2024. The Red Sox were able to make it to the postseason in 2025, going 89-73. However, they lost to the New York Yankees in the wild-card series, falling in three games. Even though the Red Sox lost star third baseman Alex Bregman over the offseason, the Red Sox were expected to be among the top teams in the American League in 2026. But they've spent the majority of the opening month of the season well below .500 as they've underperformed in all facets of the game. They were 26th in runs scored and 24th in ERA entering Saturday. Boston's top players haven't played up to expectations, either. Outfielder Roman Anthony has hit just .225 with a home run as he's recently battled a back injury. Ace Garrett Crochet had a 7.88 ERA before Saturday's start against the Orioles, in which he threw six scoreless innings. With Anthony and Crochet struggling, FOX Sports MLB writer Rowan Kavner recently attributed Boston's struggles to its lack of power at the plate and its starting pitching. "The Red Sox are last in MLB in slugging percentage, expected slugging percentage and home runs, and they have the lowest OPS in the American League," Kavner wrote on Thursday. "They’ve been too passive at the plate — they’re 29th in zone swing percentage — and that’s especially been a problem for Roman Anthony, who has the fourth-lowest zone swing % in MLB. Anthony, who hit 42% better than league average as a rookie last year and started for Team USA in the WBC, has been a league average hitter this year and has just one home run and four RBI, and he’s now dealing with back tightness. Jarren Duran, a 2024 All-Star, is slashing .194/.266/.306, all career lows. "Boston’s rotation was viewed as one of the deepest in the game this year after adding Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez, and so far it hasn’t performed anywhere close to expectations," Kavner added. "Red Sox starters rank 26th in ERA and 24th in WHIP and batting average against. Gray has the lowest strikeout rate of his career and is now out with a hamstring strain. Suárez has also seen his strikeout rate decline precipitously, and the master of soft contact is allowing the highest hard-hit rate of his career. Brayan Bello has an ERA over 6.00. Most glaringly, though, Cy Young hopeful Garrett Crochet has a 7.88 ERA through five starts. And to make matters worse, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval, who were on the rehab trail, are both currently shut down." The Red Sox sit 7.5 games back of the first-place Yankees as of Saturday afternoon.]]>
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					<![CDATA[MLB Roundtable: Dodgers and Cubs Are Off to Great Start, But What Are the Deficiencies?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-fox-roundtable-what-make-dodgers-cubs-2026-starts</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-fox-roundtable-what-make-dodgers-cubs-2026-starts</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[FOX Sports' Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar analyze how the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs look out of the gate.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:59:51 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The Los Angeles Dodgers have been as advertised out of the gate, and the Chicago Cubs are on a heater, winning each of their last 10 games. In fact, the two teams are in the midst of a three-game series in Los Angeles. Catch Game 2 of the series on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX. But what should we take from the two teams' respective hot starts? Thanks to injury, 2025 rookie Roki Sasaki has just 54 regular-season innings under his belt as well as another 10.2 in the postseason. While his ERA was sparkling out of the bullpen, he still struck out just six batters and walked five, and similar troubles persist in 2026. How long can the Dodgers stick with Sasaki in the rotation if his control and command issues continue? Rowan Kavner: They’re intent on letting him work out his issues in the big leagues, despite the control problems that persist. They can survive Sasaki’s volatility when Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow are excelling atop the rotation — combined, that trio has a 1.91 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 18 walks this year — and when Justin Wrobleski is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA as the team’s sixth starter. Despite Sasaki’s unseemly 6.11 ERA and 1.87 WHIP, the Dodgers have the best starters’ ERA and WHIP in the National League. Those numbers should get even better when Blake Snell returns sometime next month. So, while I think Sasaki should either be in the bullpen or in the minors in a more controlled environment working on his erratic command and the development of his third pitch, it doesn’t sound like that will happen. Even when Snell is activated, the Dodgers, at least right now, are saying Sasaki won’t go to the bullpen. The control issues are concerning and ongoing, but at least holding his velocity in the upper-90s and missing more bats than he did last year. With top pitching prospect River Ryan currently on the shelf with a hamstring issue (and with the Dodgers being careful about Ryan’s innings after he missed last year recovering from Tommy John surgery), there aren’t a lot of obvious alternatives knocking down the door at the moment. Deesha Thosar: The Dodgers have the type of depth that other executives dream about, making it a no-brainer to let Sasaki work out his troubles and give him a long leash, at that. It’s not like Sasaki is that much of a detriment that he’s throwing the Dodgers’ bullpen out of whack. Though he’s allowed multiple runs in his last three starts, and is having trouble issuing walks, he’s averaging four-plus innings pitched each time out, which is manageable for now. In the meantime, Los Angeles can figure out whether Sasaki belongs in the rotation or the bullpen and hope something clicks to let him settle into the former. Sasaki’s command issues are a problem, no doubt. That 14.1% walk rate is up from last year. But, in a vacuum, that’s not hurting the club’s chances to compete in October. The only real red flag to watch out for with the young right-hander is any potential dip in velocity. His fastball lives in the upper 90s, and he’s able to repeat his mechanics while still generating swings and misses. So, now he has to settle in, pitch with confidence and find a balance that lets him thrive, not overthink, on the mound. Outfielder Andy Pages took a leap last summer, producing nearly a four-win season for the Dodgers that was overshadowed by their lineup of stars. He’s off to a scorching start in 2026: is this another jump in production, or just a hot April? Kavner: Pages is prone to these wild swings in which he’s running scorching hot for a few weeks and then ice cold for the next few. Last year, he had a .544 OPS with three extra-base hits through his first 20 games before producing a 1.056 OPS with 11 extra-base hits over his next 20 games. We might be seeing something similar now, but in the opposite order. Pages had a 1.186 OPS with nine extra-base hits through his first 16 games before falling back down to earth over the last week, registering a .500 OPS with no extra-base hits over his last eight games. So, no, I don’t expect him to be challenging for the batting crown at season’s end as he’s doing right now, and I do think he’ll have a month or two where he cools off considerably before heating back up again. But I also think this production is at least a bit more sustainable. His hard-hit rate and average exit velocity have skyrocketed from last year, and while he’s still below league average in walk rate, he’s at least shown more of a willingness to take a free pass when it’s given. Pages' tendency to chase will make him vulnerable to ebbs and flows throughout the year, but he’s shown a slight improvement in his selectivity, and I think he could be poised for a career year with an OPS+ well above the 115 mark he finished with last season. Thosar: It’s always a positive sign to look at a third-year player’s Baseball Savant page and see flashes of bright red in all the right places. For Pages, those key areas setting him apart from the pack are an elite batting run value, hard-hit rate and expected batting average. Pages’ quality of contact has been excellent so far this season. Sure, Pages is likely to cool off some, as his high BABIP suggests he can’t maintain a top-three average in MLB all year. And when he does inevitably experience a dip at the plate, I’d like to see him chase less and walk more so that he can still get on base and be a factor for the Dodgers. But the underlying metrics are encouraging and suggest that this season could be the real deal. Pages could actually finish among the top 15 leaders in batting average if he improves his chase rate and  remains consistent with his plate approach. The Cubs are looking like a contender as expected despite getting absolutely nothing offensively out of first baseman Michael Busch and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Are you concerned that the struggles of either will be a long-term issue? Kavner: Yes, although right now I’m almost more confused than concerned about Busch. The declines in hard-hit rate and exit velocity are so steep and dramatic compared to what he was doing last year that I wonder if he’s been playing through something. He has the largest dropoff in average exit velocity (from 92.2 mph last year to 83.4 mph this year) of any qualified hitter in MLB, his bat speed has been slower, and he’s not pulling the ball in the air nearly as often. There was a moment last April when his exit velocity was down, so maybe he just needs the weather to warm up to start looking more like himself. The series against the Phillies have been much more encouraging. With Crow-Armstrong, the defense and speed provide such a reliable baseline of value, but I don’t know if we can expect him to put together a full season of the first half he had last year — one that would put him in the MVP conversation, as he was trending toward in 2025 before the late-season dropoff — until or unless he gets his whiff and chase rates more under control. Going back to the start of last August, he has the third-lowest wRC+ among all qualified hitters. In that time, he has just five home runs and a .563 OPS in more than 300 plate appearances, and his career OPS is down to .714, right around a league-average hitter. He’s still only 24, though, and already has a 30-30 season under his belt, so we know what he can do when he’s in the zone. It’s now a matter of finding a way to sustain what he had. Thosar: I’m not as concerned about Busch as I am about Crow-Armstrong as far as plate production. Last season, Busch had a slow start in April and May before he took off in the warmer months. He’s already started to show signs that he’s turning it around, suggesting he could find his groove at the plate even earlier than his hot June last year. There’s no question he’s been a major disappointment for the Cubs to start the season, and his reduced bat speed is something to keep an eye on. But for now, Busch’s track record is working in his favor. As far as PCA, he’s starting the season similarly to the way he ended it last year, which is slightly concerning. The outfielder experienced a harsh second-half slump in 2025, with his OPS dropping to a dreadful .446 in 28 August games. In the early going, opposing pitchers are exposing PCA’s rotten plate approach. He’s elite at chasing the ball out of the zone, to the point where it’s actually a mistake for an opposing pitcher to throw him a strike. He’s more likely to swing and miss on balls low and away, and his barrel rate is half of what it was last year. PCA will always provide value defensively, and it’s a great sign that the Cubs are winning despite his offensive struggles. It’s too early to panic, but these seem to be lingering issues at the plate for the 24-year-old. Chicago has received serious production from 22-year-old designated hitter and catcher Moises Ballesteros, after a short but impressive debut in 2025. Expecting an Aaron Judge impression for the season is likely optimistic, but what kind of year do you see the rookie having in ‘26? Kavner: The kid can flat-out mash right-handed pitching, possessing a rare combination of bat-to-ball skills, power and the ability to control the zone. He’s also doing a better job of getting the ball in the air, which should lead to more home runs considering his penchant for hard contact. Because the Cubs aren’t exposing him to lefties and are mostly keeping him off the field— there are questions about his defensive abilities behind the plate, and at 5-foot-8 it’s tough to imagine him moving elsewhere full-time — he’s providing the best version of himself without getting overexposed. While it might be tough for him to contend for the NL Rookie of the Year Award when he’s barely playing the field, I wouldn’t be surprised if he remains a well above-average hitter the rest of the way with 15-20 homers and staggering rate stats. His bat is legit and impossible to ignore, even if his .400+ BABIP is unsustainable. Thosar: Encouragingly, Ballesteros has continued where he left off in his major-league cameo last September, when he recorded a .999 OPS in 46 plate appearances. So far this year, he’s been able to increase his bat speed and hard-hit rate, and as we’ve discussed with other slow-starting hitters, Ballesteros would be forgiven if he struggled to get going in April. Instead, there are talks around Wrigleyville of wanting the Cubs to extend this kid. One of the most encouraging signs of his hot start is how well he’s squaring the ball. Ballesteros has slashed his ground-ball rate from 62.2% in 2025 to 38.1% this year. He’s hitting the ball in the air more, with an apparent intent on getting out in front of it. None of these things are flukey. Ballesteros is staking his claim as Chicago’s up-and-coming DH.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Dansby Swanson 9th-Inning HR Helps Cubs Beat Dodgers, Reach 10-Game Win Streak]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/dansby-swanson-9th-inning-homer-helps-cubs-beat-dodgers-reach-10-game-win-streak</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/dansby-swanson-9th-inning-homer-helps-cubs-beat-dodgers-reach-10-game-win-streak</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
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				    <![CDATA[Dansby Swanson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning, leading the Cubs to a 6-4 victory over the Dodgers on Friday.]]>
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				<pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:07:09 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Dansby Swanson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning to cap a four-RBI performance from the No. 9 spot, rallying the Chicago Cubs past the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, 6-4, for their 10th consecutive victory. Craig Counsell reached 899th managerial victories. Swanson's 413-foot shot off Tanner Scott (0-1) landed in the left-field pavilion, scoring Pete Crow-Armstrong who singled leading off. The Cubs trailed 4-0 against Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, who allowed one earned run over 6 1/3 innings and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts. The right-hander struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. Then, Chicago got to the Dodgers' bullpen. The Cubs scored six consecutive runs off the erratic trio of Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Scott. They closed to 4-3 in the seventh off Vesia. With two outs, Swanson tripled to center for two runs and Nico Hoerner followed with an RBI single. Alex Bregman homered leading off the eighth against Treinen, tying the game 4-4. Ryan Rolison (1-0) got the win with three scoreless innings of relief. Corbin Martin retired the side in the ninth to earn his first save. The Dodgers led 4-0 on Will Smith's three-run homer with two outs in the third and Hyeseong Kim's RBI single in the fourth. The Dodgers' big hitters got shut out. Shohei Ohtani struck out three times to go with a walk, while Freddie Freeman was 0-for-4. Kyle Tucker went 0-for-3 with a walk against his former team. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Last Night in Baseball: Yankees Finish Off Road Sweep of Struggling Red Sox]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/yankees-red-sox-offense-mets-padres-braves-degrom</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/yankees-red-sox-offense-mets-padres-braves-degrom</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
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				    <![CDATA[The Red Sox can't score and the Yankees took advantage all series, the Padres come from behind to win, a Braves rookie takes a lesson to heart immediately and more from Thursday's MLB action.]]>
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				<pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:54:20 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[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: Yankees sweep spiraling Red Sox It just hasn’t been the Red Sox’ season so far. Boston has been outscored by 22 runs to this point, which, uncharitably, is the kind of thing you could link back to the one-two punch of trading slugging third baseman and DH Rafael Devers away after signing free agent Alex Bregman to a deal with an opt-out, and then, predictably, losing Bregman the next offseason, too. That’s a whole lot of offense to replace, and the Sox were relying on Caleb Durbin and Willson Contreras — both acquired this offseason — along with the influx of promising young players to manage it. Contreras has been great, but Durbin’s OPS+ is 26 — not a typo! — while returning young players like designated hitter Roman Anthony, right fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and second baseman Marcelo Mayer have been fairly mediocre; combined with terrible starts from left fielder Jarren Duran (.197/.265/.303) and shortstop Trevor Story (.186/.220/.294), well, it’s not hard to see where that -22 run differential came from. Boston’s pitching did the job on Thursday against the Yankees, in an attempt to not be swept by their greatest rivals. Payton Tolle, making his 2026 debut after being called up to start, threw six innings where he allowed just one run and struck out the first five Yankees that he faced. The 23-year-old Tolle would end up with 11 strikeouts for the night while allowing just four baserunners, one of those on a solo homer. And while catcher Carlos Narvaez broke the tie and gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead with a dinger of his own… …the Yankees were able to feast once Tolle was out of the game. Reliever Danny Coloumbe came in for Tolle to start the seventh, and proceeded to give up three singles in a row, sandwiched between two outs: one to center fielder Trent Grisham, then to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. and finally to shortstop Jose Caballero. The Yankees used Cody Bellinger as a pinch-hitter to get the platoon advantage with the bases loaded and two down, and Bellinger did what he was meant to do in that situation. Right fielder Aaron Judge would follow with the fifth paper cut — err, single — of the seventh, and the Yankees took a 4-2 lead. One they would not relinquish, thanks to the efforts of New York’s own young stud on the mound, Cam Schittler. The right-hander went eight innings striking out five against a walk and four hits, while allowing just a pair of runs. David Bednar came in for a save in the ninth, and threw a clean 1-2-3 inning against Boston’s two, three and four hitters — ballgame, Yankees. New York swept Boston here in their first meeting of the season, and the gap between the two feels massive right now. The Red Sox have managed to fall seven games behind the Yankees in the standings with a week of April still on the schedule. New York’s run differential is 59 runs better, through all of 25 games. Boston isn’t doomed yet — it’s too early for that sort of thing, and even in their current state the Sox are just four back of the last wild card spot — but all those names from the intro to this section? They are going to have to start hitting, soon, or this hole is going to keep getting deeper. Things only went up from here Just a leadoff home run, right? Not a great way to start a game, but these things happen. Don’t worry, here’s some context to make it all feel a little worse. 1.) JR Ritchie, the Braves’ starting pitcher, was making his MLB debut. 2.) The home run came on the very first pitch that Ritchie threw in the majors. And finally, 3.) his parents were in attendance, and the camera cut from them in the stands directly to the home run. Welcome to the majors, kid. James Wood recommends that you don’t throw a fastball down the pipe to a guy who can hit a ball nearly 400 feet. Which is most hitters in the bigs, by the way. There’s a happy ending to this sad tale, however. Ritchie gave up another solo dinger later on, but beyond that, he went seven frames with just five hits allowed, a pair of walks, just the two runs and struck out seven Nationals. That’s one hell of a debut, even if it started so inauspiciously. Atlanta’s hitters did their thing in the seventh, Ritchie’s final inning, which helped him pick up the W. Catcher Drake Baldwin scored on a wild pitch out of the hand of Gus Varland, then second baseman Ozzie Albies — who went 3-for-4 on the day with four RBIs and two runs — singled in two of those runs to make it 5-2. Center fielder Michael Harris II would add another run to make it 6-2, but Ritchie didn’t need anymore assistance than that initial wild pitch in the end. The Braves have now won 12 of 15 and, at 18-8, have the best record in MLB, as well as the best run differential (+62). The 2026 season feels a whole lot different than 2025 did at this point, that’s for sure, and Atlanta hadn’t even hit the worst stretches of their season yet in late-April. deGrom whiffs 10 You might need to sit down before hearing this, but, Jacob deGrom? He’s good at baseball. Through five starts, he now has a 2.13 ERA and has struck out 35 batters in 25.1 innings, with the last 10 of those punch outs all coming on Thursday against the Pirates. deGrom lasted for 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, a walk and one run, in what ended up being a 6-1 victory for both the right-hander and Texas. deGrom has been incredible with Texas — the only issue was that he wasn’t on the mound at first, as he managed just nine starts across those first two seasons. All told with the Rangers since 2023, though, deGrom has started 44 games and totaled 239 innings, producing a 2.79 ERA with 279 strikeouts against 49 walks. Did you know he’s the all-time leader in strikeout-to-walk ratio? He’s at 5.36 for his career, and he’s only gotten better in this respect as he ages: deGrom’s K/BB with Texas is 5.69. As for Thursday, he had some assistance outside of his 10 strikeouts. Check out this play from third baseman Josh Jung. Sure, that’s after deGrom exited in favor of reliever Gavin Collyer, but those were his baserunners waiting to come around to score, too. deGrom also got plenty of run support, with center fielder Evan Carter hitting an inside-the-park home run to put the Rangers up 2-0 in the third… …and then shortstop Corey Seager hit a three-run shot to give deGrom and the Rangers more cushion than they would end up needing. A big W for the Rangers there, as the AL West is very much anybody’s game both now and, presumably, deep into the season given that the favorites have all started so slowly. And even Texas, in first, is just 13-12 as they head into a weekend series against the Athletics, who are tied with the Rangers atop the division. More games like this one from deGrom will certainly help matters. Padres rally in the ninth for W It was looking like the Rockies were going to take the series against the Padres, a bit of revenge after being swept by them in a four-game set less than two weeks ago. Left fielder Mickey Moniak started off the scoring for Colorado early, hitting a solo homer, his seventh dinger of the season, in the first inning. He would then bash a second one in the sixth to put the Rockies up 7-4 in the sixth. Right fielder Troy Johnson would add another run on a single to right, scoring second baseman Tyler Freeman, an inning later. The Padres were down four, but cut into that a little in the eighth inning against reliever Juan Mejia when leadoff hitter and left fielder Ramon Laureano hit a ground ball single to score catcher Freddy Fermin. San Diego still had work to do, however, but that was what the ninth inning was for. Victor Vodnik, who relieved Mejia at the end of the eighth, came back out for the ninth. Center fielder Jackson Merrill would start things off with a walk, then third baseman Manny Machado singled. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts would follow with a single of his own to make it 8-6 with two on and still no outs. DH Miguel Andujar added yet another single — 8-7 Rockies — and things only escalated from there. Gavin Sheets came in as a pinch-hitter for first baseman Ty France — the left-handed Sheets is significantly better against right-handed pitchers than lefties — and went boom on the first pitch of the at-bat, a cutter in name only in the middle of the zone. The Padres would make three outs in a row after this shot, but they were also up 10-8 at this point thanks to a five-run rally. That was more than enough for closer Mason Miller, who hasn’t given up a run since early August of 2025: after facing the minimum in the ninth, Miller has now tied Cla Meredith’s franchise record with 33.2 scoreless innings. With the Dodgers shutting out the Giants, 3-0 — eight shutout innings from Tyler Glasnow got that job done — this was a huge comeback for San Diego, which remains tied atop the NL West with Los Angeles (as well as now six games up on San Francisco). It’s too early to celebrate anything about the standings at the top, of course, but every day the Padres keep pace with the Dodgers — or anywhere near the back-to-back champions — is better than the alternative for them. Mets don’t blow it again Hey, the Mets tried to blow it. The 12-game losing streak might be over, but that doesn’t mean all of New York’s problems have vanished. This was evident on Thursday against the Twins, but there were some bright points to pick out, too. Such as when the Mets responded to a first-inning run by the Twins with a three-run homer from right fielder Brett Baty in the bottom of the frame. The Mets would push their lead to 7-2 by the fourth inning, when left fielder Carson Benge hit a solo shot off of starter Joe Ryan, who would somehow stay on the mound for another inning after this. The Twins would work their way back into things in short order, though. First, third baseman Tristan Gray homered to cut the lead to four in the sixth, and then in the eighth, it felt like New York was about to start a new losing streak. Catcher Ryan Jeffers, facing Huascar Brazoban with Craig Kimbrel’s bequeathed runners on base, hit a grand slam on a sinker down the middle to tie the game up. That sinker didn’t sink so much as gradually and calmly come right into contact with Jeffers’ bat; there was only one possible result on a pitch like that one. This was not the end for the Mets, though, even if it felt like, on a night when the bats actually did wake up, that the pitching would give the game away, instead. And that’s because the Mets, once again, responded immediately: third baseman Bo Bichette hit a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the eighth, putting New York up 10-7. While closer Devin Williams once again made things wildly uncomfortable to watch — three hits and a run in just 0.2 innings — this time he at least got the outs he needed to, and the Mets won. It wasn’t pretty, no, but New York ended up stopping their 12-game losing streak and winning a series, too: thanks to this, they swapped places in the NL East basement with the Phillies, who are nearing their own double-digit losing streak after nearly coming from behind against the Cubs only to lose in the end, anyway. Tigers walk off the Brewers The Brewers made it a game again, scoring three in the seventh inning against the defending AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to chase him and go up 4-3. But the Tigers chipped away, scoring one in the eight to tie things back up, and then first baseman Spencer Torkelson delivered his one and only hit of the game at the perfect time: in the bottom of the ninth. Well, not perfect for Milwaukee. But Detroit should be pretty pleased about it, at least.]]>
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