What’s Happening in Baseball Today

The First Pitch: April 23, 2024

Atlanta’s Max Fried needs little time and few pitches to throw his third career shutout, dispensing of the visiting Marlins on 92 pitches in a 5-0 win that takes one hour and 54 minutes. It’s the first nine-inning, complete-game effort by a Braves pitcher since 2022—and the first by anyone throwing 92 or fewer pitches since…Max Fried, in 2021. 

For the first time since 2020, Mike Trout bats leadoff for the Angels—and belts his AL-leading ninth homer of the year in his first at-bat, setting the pace for a 7-4 home win over Baltimore. Trout had only logged 15 at-bats at the top of the order since 2013—and hadn’t homered from the spot since 2012, when he hit leadoff throughout much of his breakout season for the Angels. 

Alas, poor White Sox. Leading 5-2 going into the bottom of the eighth at Minnesota, the White Sox surrender two runs to see their lead trimmed to a single run—and in the ninth, Steven Wilson, looking for his second career save, can’t get it as he gives up a leadoff homer to Byron Buxton and, five batters later, a walk-off single to Alex Kiriloff as the Twins snatch a 6-5 victory over Chicago, which is now 3-20. 

Only four other teams—the 1988 Orioles, 1936 St. Louis Browns, 2003 Tigers and 2022 Reds—have also lost at least 20 of 23 games to start a season; only the ’36 Browns (57-95) ended up the season with less than 100 defeats—but if they had 162 decisions instead of the 152 they ended up with, they might had gotten there, too.

Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Hitters Edition)

5-2-2-6—Pavin Smith, Arizona
The fourth-year Diamondback has never been one for producing overwhelming numbers—except on this night, as he enjoyed his first multi-homer game including his second career grand slam, leading to a lifetime-best six RBIs in Arizona’s 14-1 bashing of the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Pitchers Edition)

9-3-0-0-0-6—Max Fried, Atlanta
The 30-year-old southpaw really needed this gem, as he came into the game sporting a 7.71 ERA through four starts; now it’s down to 4.97. Strangely, it’s his second win…against no losses.

It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today

1901: While three other games are postponed due to bad weather, the Chicago White Stockings and Cleveland Blues are able to get in what turns out to be the first-ever game in American League history, with Chicago winning by an 8-2 score. Roy Patterson gets the complete-game win for the White Stockings in front of 9,000 home fans in a game that lasts one hour and 30 minutes. 

1945: Happy Chandler is elected baseball’s second commissioner. Currently a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, the 46-year-old Chandler replaces Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who died five months earlier.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

Minnesota utility guy Willi Castro is 27; Baltimore pitcher John Means is 31; nine-time All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran is 47; Hall-of-Fame third baseman Chipper Jones is 52; closer of 319 saves Todd Jones is 56; winner of 10 Gold Gloves at shortstop Omar Vizquel is 57; 118-game winner Bill Singer is 80. Born on this date is Cooperstown-bound Negro League pitcher Andy Cooper (1897), 1929 World Series hero Howard Ehmke (1894) and 1900s pitcher Bob Ewing (1873).

Shameless Link of the Day

Who’s on our list of the 10 greatest hitters in Detroit Tigers history? Find out here.

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