Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell and his staff felt Shota Imanaga’s preparation in Arizona provided the perfect platform to bounce back from a rocky ending to 2025.

“I thought it happened exactly how you’d want a spring training to happen, really,” Counsell said before Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. “I think it ...Read more

A new way for MLB managers be ejected was just unlocked.

Minnesota Twins skipper Derek Shelton was tossed from Sunday’s game against the Orioles in the ninth inning after arguing that Baltimore closer Ryan Helsley didn’t tap his cap quickly enough to signal for an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge.

“I didn’t think Helsley tapped ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Pirates earned their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, but they needed some free baseball to do it.

The Pirates beat the New York Mets, 4-3, avoiding a sweep on 10th-inning RBI singles from Ryan O’Hearn and Henry Davis. O’Hearn’s single, his third of the game, was just the Pirates’ second hit ...Read more

HOUSTON — Now that we are in the era of the automated ball-strike system, the focus of questionable calls late in games will go from the umpires to players.

Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe found himself in just such a spot in the eighth inning of a 9-7 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday.

O’Hoppe caught a 2-and-2, two-out pitch from Drew ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — The 2011 team has a special place in Rays history, most notably for the dramatic Game 162 ended by Evan Longoria’s 12th-inning walkoff homer that sent them into the playoffs.

That 2011 squad stood out for another reason, as the only Rays team to start a season 0-3.

That distinction remains in place, as the current Rays hung on ...Read more

The Miami Marlins get the series sweep.

The Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Sunday at loanDepot park on an Owen Caissie walk-off, two-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning to cap Miami’s first series sweep to begin a season since 2009.

The Marlins (3-0) opened the season with a 2-1 win on Friday and a 4-3 win on Saturday. ...Read more

This offseason, Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo focused on improving his fastball.

The goal was to command it early in counts and challenge hitters. If successful, Lugo felt it would keep teams from sitting on his off-speed pitches.

As a result, he could create a little balance.

On Sunday, Lugo put his reworked approach to good use. ...Read more

CINCINNATI — It’s been 100 years since the Red Sox saw a start like the one Connelly Early turned in Sunday afternoon.

At 23 years and 360 days old, the Red Sox rookie was already the youngest pitcher to start one of the first three Red Sox games of the season since Jeff Sellers in 1987, and the youngest left-hander since Billy Rohr in the ...Read more

It took until the sixth inning for the Phillies to record their first hit against MacKenzie Gore and the Rangers on Sunday.

An infield single from Justin Crawford, which clocked just 48.4 mph off the bat, was the first of three total hits for the Phillies. They were doomed by an anemic offensive performance in an 8-3 loss to Texas as the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It was as if the moment froze in time. Bases loaded, one out, bottom of the first inning on opening day at Citi Field.

New York Mets designated hitter Brett Baty smacked a screaming line drive to center. At first glance, the ball looked to be a routine out, a step closer for Paul Skenes to escape what had been a rough opening ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — I don’t know which baseball truth is more absurd:

That at age 21, Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle has resembled an All-Star hitter;

Or that because the San Diego Padres have been so good at making Major League Baseball more popular, they have less chance to draft someone as promising as McGonigle.

Let’s start with ...Read more

SEATTLE — The joyful glee was still reverberating through T-Mobile Park when the top of the 10th inning started. A crowd of 43,283 was still celebrating Julio Rodríguez’s game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth off Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith, scoring Cole Young. They cheered, they danced — possibly to stay warm on the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Freeze frame. There’s Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith in his follow-through at the plate, watching the ball travel toward the wall Saturday.

Now, split screen. Pull up an image of the bobblehead the Dodgers gave out before the game, commemorating Smith’s Game 7 World Series-winning home run. It’s a mirror image.

On...Read more

SAN DIEGO — One of the questions that could play a big role in determining the San Diego Padres’ level of success in 2026 is whether Randy Vásquez can continue his ascension from scrappy back-of-the-rotation pitcher to a guy that can be counted on for quality innings start after start.

So what he did by throwing six scoreless innings ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Kansas City Royals know they can count on veteran starter Michael Wacha to deliver a quality start on the mound.

Wacha is as consistent as they come. Last season, the Royals right-hander posted 13 quality starts and a 3.86 ERA in 31 games.

On Saturday, Wacha began the 2026 campaign on a similar note. He held the Atlanta Braves ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Chad Whitson wasn’t close, and Trent Grisham knew it.

With the home plate umpire missing a high 2-2 pitch by 2.7 inches in the third inning of Saturday’s game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, the Bombers’ center fielder immediately tapped his helmet. Lo and behold, the computer overruled Whitson —...Read more

HOUSTON — For four and a half innings, the magical start to the 2026 Angels season continued, as they could hardly do anything wrong.

And then, in an instant, the 2025 Angels returned.

Everything went wrong over a span of two innings, as a six-run lead turned into a five-run deficit in a game the Angels eventually lost, 11-9, to the Houston ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles are still getting warmed up.

After squeaking out a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on opening day Thursday, the Orioles were quiet on offense again Saturday as the Twins strung together a few rallies for a 4-1 victory.

It was a chilly day in Baltimore — the first-pitch temperature of 44 degrees was tied ...Read more

CINCINNATI – On Opening Day, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Major League Baseball introducing the ABS challenge system was going to be “interesting.”

He had no idea how interesting the series was about to get.

ABS fueled Saturday’s 6-5 extra-inning Red Sox loss to the Cincinnati Reds going from bad to worse. Boston ran out of ...Read more