What’s Happening in Baseball Today

The First Pitch: May 11, 2026

Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson enhances his ironman image by breaking into the all-time top 10 list of consecutive game streaks. In the Braves’ 7-2 win over the Dodgers at Los Angeles, Olson plays in his 823rd straight game, surpassing Gus Suhr’s 822-game run from 1931-37. If Olson plays in the Braves’ remaining 121 games this season, he’ll also surpass Eddie Yost (829, 1949-55) and Stan Musial (895, 1952-57) and move into eighth place on the list; his next target, late in 2027 (assuming no work stoppages) would be #7 Joe Sewell, who played 1,103 straight games from 1922-30. 

The potential wear and tear of everyday play doesn’t seem to be affecting Olson. Against the Dodgers, he homers in the ninth inning, the seventh time he’s gone deep over his last 16 games—a stretch in which he’s batting .361.

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

4-2-3-2—Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels                                 
Best known so far this year for stealing home runs in bunches, Adell can also hit ‘em in bunches. Witness Sunday afternoon at Toronto, where the 27-year-old slugger produced his ninth career multi-homer game—and first this year—adding a double in the Angels’ 6-1 win over the Blue Jays.

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

7-3-0-0-0-10—Jacob deGrom, Texas                                   
It was the best outing of the year for the 37-year-old right-hander (yes, he’s already 37), who silenced Chicago in the Rangers’ 3-0 home win, their second straight shutout victory over the once red-hot Cubs. It’s the 17th time that deGrom has struck out least 10 batters while walking none; that’s good for 10th on the all-time list.

It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today

1923: At Philadelphia’s bandboxed Baker Bowl, the Phillies and Cardinals combine to hit 10 home runs and collect a major league record 79 total bases during the Phillies’ 20-14 win. The home run record has since been surpassed, but not the total base mark. 

1972: Off to a miserable 9-for-49 start with the Giants, 41-year-old Willie Mays is traded to the Mets, returning to New York where he began his major league career in 1951.

1977: Braves owner Ted Turner gives manager Dave Bristol a “paid leave” and takes over the job, losing 2-1 to the Pirates to extend his team’s skid to an Atlanta-record 17 straight defeats. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn will order Turner out of the dugout afterward, citing a rule prohibiting owners from managing. 

2016: Washington’s Max Scherzer, on his way to 20 wins and the NL Cy Young Award, hits 20 strikeouts to tie a major league record previously set by three other pitchers (Randy Johnson, Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens, who did it twice). His chance for a record-breaking 21st K is denied when Detroit’s James McCann grounds into the final out in the Nationals’ 3-2 home win over the Tigers.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

Happy birthday to:

Francisco Cordero (51), reliever of 800 games with 329 saves; three-time All-Star; saved career-high 49 games for the 2004 Rangers 

Pitcher Bobby Witt (62), winner of 142 games but cheated out of a perfect game in 1994 on a blown call at first, 20 years before video reviews took effect; three-time MLB leader in walks, twice in hit-by-pitches 

Pitcher Walt Terrell (68), solid pitcher for Tigers during the late 1980s; won 111 games over 11-year career 

Born on this date:

Billy Bean (1964), little-used outfielder not to be confused with Moneyball guru Billy Beane; came out as gay after his playing days; MLB’s first ambassador of inclusion 

Milt Pappas (1939), one of many talented pitchers circa 1960 who made a major league debut with the Orioles before turning 20; would end up winning 209 games over a 17-year career; prime name in trade to Reds that sent an “old 30” Frank Robinson to Baltimore in 1966; lost a chance at a perfect game in 1972 when he walked the 27th batter 

Rip Sewell (1907), who was at his best pitching during World War II with a pair of 21-win seasons from 1943-44; best known for throwing the high-arcing “eephus” pitch which crossed up both opposing hitters and umpires 

Charlie Gehringer (1903), the Hall-of-Fame hit machine who compiled a career .320 batting average; batted .321 in 20 World Series contests; known as the “Mechanical Man” for hitting almost the same high average year after year; participated in the first six All-Star Games; seven seasons with 200+ hits; 12 years with 100+ runs scored; winner of the 1937 AL MVP; last AL player to-date with 60 doubles in a season

Shameless Link of the Day

Who were the top 10 batters and hitters from each league 75 years ago, during the 1951 season? Find out here.

Join Us on X and BlueSky

Besides our growing and active presence on X, TGG has spread its social media wings to BlueSky for those who’ve found the X culture too toxic. For those who are wondering, we provide the same posts on both platforms, and they’re non-political. We’re just talking baseball.

Meanwhile, we’ve given up our fight trying to reactivate our Facebook page, which was hacked last year. The page remains up but is frozen in time, as we are unable to access it—and Facebook, in all its infinite lack of wisdom, continues to provide absolutely no customer support in the matter as they literally have none. All the more reason to join us on X and BlueSky.

To Whom It May Concern

We are proud of what we have built at This Great Game, but we also admit it is not perfect. Occasionally, fans from all walks of life check in and point out errors, and we are grateful to these external editors. Our site is all the better because of you.

Also, we have had many folks chime in on our various lists in the Lists and Teams sections, many of them disagreeing with some of our choices. Since all lists are made to be argued, this is to be expected. If your arguments are respectful, we will respond in kind and join in a civilized debate—and we’ll often see your viewpoints, since no list should qualify as The Gospel. But if your responses contain the sort of vitriol found so often these days in social media circles, you’re going to get ignored. So please, respond respectfully, engage in polite conversation with us, and enjoy the site!