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The First Pitch: April 15, 2026
After Detroit rallies for two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 2-1 lead over Kansas City, Tigers closer Kenley Jansen closes out the win for his 479th career save— passing Lee Smith for sole possession of third place on the all-time list. At age 38, Jansen may have to settle for the #3 spot; the next guy up on the list is Trevor Hoffman, who’s got 601.
A pitching duel between the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mets’ Nolan McLean in Los Angeles lives up to its billing. Yamamoto serves up a home run to the very first batter (Francisco Lindor) he faces, then proceeds to retire the next 20 batters before being removed with two outs in the eighth; McLean allows a run himself in the bottom of the first on a Freddie Freeman RBI double, then retires his next 13 batters, not allowing a hit until the seventh.
McLean doesn’t so much blink as does the Mets’ coaching staff, which removes the young phenom after the seventh. Brooks Raley, his replacement, shows his relative lack of immortality by getting into immediate trouble in the eighth, leading to a Kyle Tucker single that brings home the eventual game-winning run in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win.
In his first 12 career starts, McLean has struck out 85 batters; the only pitcher to strike out more with fewer runs allowed in a similar span to begin a career is Paul Skenes (97 K’s 16 runs allowed).
It’s not going to get any easier for the Mets, who’ve lost seven straight games while scoring only 10 runs during that stretch; they face Shohei Ohtani on the mound tonight.
It’s another loss for the Red Sox—shut out at Minnesota, 6-0—and another head-shaking moment involving Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran. In the midst of a 0-for-4 night—dropping his season average to .182—Duran responds to a heckler in the Target Field crowd by flipping him off, a moment caught on camera. This is the same Duran who once audibly called a Fenway Park fan both f-words, and last year stared down a Cleveland fan being escorted out of Progressive Field after he loudly brought up Duran’s suicide attempt in 2022.
Duran says after the game that he gave the fan the middle finger after being told to “go kill yourself.”
The Astros end an eight-game skid, hanging on for dear life while doing so as they edge the visiting Rockies, 7-6. Christian Walker’s three hits, including a home run, help lift the Astros to a 7-3 lead after three innings—but the Rockies nip back here and there, placing runners at first and third with two outs in the ninth before Enyel De Los Santos puts out the fire to record the save.
The eight-game losing streak was Houston’s longest in 13 years, when they lost a franchise-record 15 straight.
Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Hitters Edition)
5-4-4-2—Byron Buxton, Minnesota
A day after hitting his first home run of the year—and thus becoming the all-time leader in Target Field history—Buxton added two more to both lists, all part of a four-hit day in the Twins’ 6-0 win over the visiting Red Sox. Buxton’s fifth career game of four or more hits—and 18th multi-homer game, third in Twins/Senators history behind Harmon Killebrew and Justin Morneau—puts a more positive face on an otherwise slow start, having entered the day batting an even .200 (12-for-60).
Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Pitchers Edition)
7-4-0-0-0-10, Mick Abel, Minnesota
While Buxton was knocking them out for the Twins, Abel was sitting them down, setting career marks in innings and strikeouts while allowing no walks. It’s the young right-hander’s second straight scoreless start, a good sign considering his Jekyll-and-Hyde results since joining the majors last year.
It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today
1909: The Giants’ Red Ames has a no-hitter through nine innings on Opening Day against the Brooklyn Superbas, but to complete it has to pitch into the 10th as both teams are scoreless in regulation. Sure enough, Ames loses the no-hitter in the 10th and, then in the 13th, collapses by allowing three runs. Brooklyn starter Kaiser Wilhelm, who himself had a no-hitter going into the eighth, goes the distance, allowing just three hits to earn the 3-0 win.
1941: Lou “Not-Quite-Yet-First” Stringer, playing his first major league game, commits four errors at shortstop for the Cubs. Chicago survives Stringer’s gaffes and beats the Pirates, 7-4. Stringer will perform the majority of the year at second base, where his defensive skills are in far better shape.
1947: Jackie Robinson officially debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers, going hitless in three at-bats with a run scored in a 5-3 win over the Braves before 26,623 at Ebbets Field. Managing Robinson is Clyde Sukeforth—who scouted Robinson while he was playing for the Negro Leagues’ Kansas City Monarchs—in his only year as a pilot while Leo Durocher is serving a one-year suspension.
1966: The Cardinals win their 18th straight game at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field over the Pirates, 9-2. It’s an all-time record for a team winning continuously at another’s ballpark. The Cardinals last lost to the Pirates in the Steel City on May 7, 1964.
1968: The Mets and Astros trade zeroes for 24 innings before a bad hop on a double play ball goes through Mets infielder Al Weis, scoring the winning—and only—run on the evening for the Astros at Houston. Time of game is six hours and six minutes.
2003: The first base area of Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field is proving to be a spot where one must watch his back. A fan jumps out of the stands and attacks first-base umpire Laz Diaz while the White Sox are taking on the Royals. Ironically, it’s the Royals’ first visit back to the ballpark since September 19, 2002—when then-Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa was assaulted by a father-and-son duo who accessed the field from the same spot. The two incidents prompt the Royals to threaten a boycott of the next game unless the White Sox improve security.
2022: For only the eighth time in MLB history, a batter is given an intentional pass with the bases loaded. It happens in Arlington, where the Rangers’ Corey Seager is granted an IBB with the bags full by the Angels in the fourth inning. Texas will score two more runs after the gift to take a 6-2 lead—but will give up seven unanswered runs to lose the game, 9-6.
You Say It’s Your Birthday
Happy birthday to:
Miami pitcher Eury Perez (23)
Cincinnati reliever Tony Santillan (29)
Texas catcher Danny Jansen (31), first major leaguer to play for both teams (Blue Jays and Red Sox) in the same game, in 2024
Milton Bradley (48), talented but troubled outfielder during the 2000s who wore out his welcome with eight different teams; 2008 All-Star
Jeromy Burnitz (57), slugger of 315 home runs; four-time collector of 100+ RBIs; 1999 All-Star
Ted Sizemore (81), second baseman of 12 seasons and 1,311 hits; TGG interview subject
Born on this date:
Willie Davis (1940), three-time Gold Glove-winning center fielder with 2,561 career hits and 398 steals; two-time league leader in triples
Ed Bailey (1931), five-time All-Star catcher of 14 seasons; 155 career homers
Chaney White (1894), 11-year Negro League outfielder with lifetime .321 batting average; two-time league leader in runs
Shameless Link of the Day
Today is Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating the debut 79 years ago today of the legendary player who broke baseball’s color barrier. Here is that story.
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