What’s Happening in Baseball Today

The First Pitch: May 8, 2026

The Cubs sweep the Reds and win their 15th straight game at Wrigley Field—their longest such streak since 1935—this time doing it without the drama as they score all eight of their runs within the first four innings and coast to an 8-3 victory. Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto, a mostly off-the-bench commodity for the Cubs, wields the big bat in a rare start with a single, double, walk and home run; from the mound, Shota Imanaga strikes out 10 over six innings, allowing a run on six hits. 

The loss for the Reds is their seventh straight, dropping them into last place in the NL Central—but they still remain over the .500 mark, at 20-18.

It’s a seventh straight win for the Rays, and it’s a good thing for them that they rack up the most runs in nearly three weeks as they surrender more than three for the first time in 13 games, which set a franchise record. But a win is still a win; the Rays break an early 3-3 tie and prevail over the Red Sox at Boston, 8-4. A Wilyer Abreu sac fly in the eighth leads to the Red Sox’ fourth and final run of the night, breaking Tampa Bay’s streak.

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

4-3-3-4—Kelbert Ruiz, Washington                                 
“Finally, this pathetic player and waste of a roster spot does something!!!” That’s a direct post, minus the all-caps and adding the comma, from an X handle ironically named “optimistic nats fan.” The sixth-year Washington catcher has largely missed the boat full of the team’s explosive offense so far this year, but he finally caught up with two doubles and a home run in the Nationals’ 7-5 home win over Minnesota; it’s his first major league game with three extra-base hits. Something to be “optimistic” about, eh buddy?

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

8-4-1-1-1-8—J.T. Ginn, Athletics                                   
The 26-year-old right-hander took the mound at Philadelphia never having thrown more than six innings in 27 previous career starts. If he was looking to break through that ceiling, the 28th start proved to be the charm. Ginn coasted through eight frames, and perhaps might have been given permission to pitch the ninth had he not taken a comebacker off his left foot in the eighth. The 12-1 rout for eh A’s over the Phillies is Ginn’s first win of the season, lowering his season ERA to 3.62.

It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today

1968: Oakland A’s pitcher Catfish Hunter retires all 27 Minnesota batters he faces in the American League’s first perfect game since 1922. The 22-year-old Hunter strikes out 11 and aids his own cause at the plate by collecting three hits, including a double, to knock in three runs in a 4-0 home victory. 

1984: It takes 25 innings, 753 pitches and eight-plus hours over two days to get it done, but the Chicago White Sox outlast the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6, to win the second longest game in major league history by innings—and the longest by elapsed time. The game is suspended after 17 innings in accordance with the American League-mandated curfew of 1:05 a.m., and is picked up the next day—lasting another eight innings before the start of the regularly scheduled May 9 contest. The Brewers score three in the top of the 21st to position themselves for the win, but the White Sox rally with three runs of their own to tie it back up. Harold Baines finally ends it with a solo shot in the 25th. Tom Seaver, Chicago’s eighth pitcher of the game, pitches the final inning to earn the win. 

2001: Randy Johnson joins Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood by striking out 20 batters over nine innings of work. But officially, it’s not a record-tying event; the game goes overtime and, in order for Johnson to join the record book, the game has to be decided after nine innings. Arizona relievers take over and lose in the 11th, 4-3, to the Reds at Phoenix. 

2012: Josh Hamilton homers four times and adds a double to produce an AL-record 18 total bases in the Texas Rangers’ 10-3 rout of the Orioles at Baltimore. The 5-for-5 performance, which includes eight RBIs, is part of a titanic, near-record week for Hamilton in which he’ll homer nine times over a six-game period. 

2016: Washington’s Bryce Harper officially goes 0-for-0 in the box score—despite making seven plate appearances. The Cubs walk him a record-tying six times (three intentionally) and also hit him once, none of which count as official at-bats. The avoidance of Harper seems to work for the Cubs, who defeat the Nationals at Chicago in 13 innings, 4-3.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

Happy birthday to:

Adrian Gonzalez (44), five-time All-Star first baseman who clubbed 317 home runs—though Petco Park robbed him of many more; seven-time collector of 100+ RBIs 

Dennis Leonard (75), workhorse who won 20+ games three times for the Royals; all-time Kansas City leader in complete games and shutouts 

Born on this date:

Mike Cuellar (1937), Cuban-born ace who shared 1969 AL Cy Young award with Denny McLain; 1970 MLB leader with 24 wins; four-time All-Star; two-time league leader in win percentage 

Turkey Stearnes (1901), Hall-of-Fame Negro League center fielder who batted a career .348, won two batting titles and three times knocked in over 100 runs 

Edd Roush (1893), Cooperstown-bound center fielder who, also like Stearnes, won two batting titles; career .323 batting average on 2,376 hits; all-time modern-era Reds leader in triples 

Dan Brouthers (1858), superb 19th-Century hit machine who entered Hall of Fame with career .342 batting average, nabbing five batting titles; eight-time collector of 100+ runs, six with 100+ RBIs; .943 OPS highest among all pre-modern era ballplayers

Shameless Link of the Day

Check out our list of the 10 most memorable games in Detroit Tigers history.

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