MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[Jayyoungjr]

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2022

Cubs Host Braves in Game #1 of NLCS

The Braves (82-80) were able to sneak by the Marlins to win the East by 1.5 games, but have been one of the hotter teams in baseball to end the season as they swept the Nationals and are 6-1 in the last 7 games. Atlanta comes into the series well rested as they were able to get pass the Diamondbacks 3-1 in the NLDS.

With the short turn around due to the series going to the elimination game, The Cubs had Yu Darvish on the mound in Game 1 as he faced Mike Soroka. The Cubs were able to strike in the bottom of the 1st as Baez and Schwarber hit back to back RBI’s to make it 2-0. Darvish did not have the greatest stuff but were able to keep the Braves scoreless through 6 innings. As they have in the past postseason games the Cubs were not able to capitalize on their fast start as the bats went quick the rest of the game; The Cubs would end up only getting 4 hits in the game.
As the game moved to the 8th Emmanuel Clause looked to get the game to the 9th from Kimbrel but a 2 run blast by Ronald Acuna Jr. tied the game. The Cubs would play extra innings for the 2nd time in 3 games as the game wouldn't be decided until the 11th inning. Juan Castro was able to break the tie in the 11th he took a ball to center field off Rowan Wick. Luke Jackson was able to end the game pitching a perfect 11th as Atlanta takes game 1.

A.J. Puk Looks To Tie Series in Game 2

The Cubs looked to A.J. Puk for a strong start to help out a taxed bullpen before the off day between games 2 and 3. Atlanta had Mike Foltynewicz on the mound as they looked to return to Georgia with a 2-0 lead. Austin Riley got the Braves going with a 2 run homerun that was aided by the wind blowing out to center. Down but not out the Cubs got into the game in the bottom half of the 3rd. The rally started as The Cubbies had the bases juiced with no outs for Willson Contreras. Contreras showed great presence at the plate as Foltynewicz walked in the first run for Chicago on 6 pitches. Next up, Kyle Schwarber took a ball to deep left for a grand slam that would make the score 6-2.
The Braves were able to respond in the 4th as Austin Riley was able to hit his second home run of the game to make it 6-4. The Cubs got back in business as Justin Turner homered in the 5th to make the game 8-4


The Cubs were able to add a run in the 7th as they went on to win 9-4. AJ Puk helped the bullpen out by going 7 solid innings. Yovanny Cruz got his first taste of postseason action as he pitched a scoreless 9th to preserve the win. With the series tied 1-1, The Cubs will get a greatly needed day off before heading to Atlanta for Game 3.

In the ALCS the Red Sox prevailed against Houston by the score of 6-5; Bogaerts homered as Chris Sale pitched up another postseason victory.

[decga]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNKNGM

UPDATE FROM MY RED SOX FRANCHISE I have finally done it....after many close calls over thousands of games spanning over a decade of playing MLB The Show, I have finally thrown a no-hitter!!!! HIGHLIGHT - The bottom of the 9th and final 3 outs of Nathan Eovaldi's no-hitter HIGHLIGHT - Eovaldi struck out 10 batters Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers Aug 30, 2020 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Boston (89-48) 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 9 0 Detroit (44-93) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 W: Nathan Eovaldi (12-4) L: Jordan Zimmerman (4-13) Scoring Summary SCORING DETAILS BOS DET BOS 2 Kevin Plawecki sac fly to CF (Verdugo scores) 1 0 BOS 3 Rafael Devers solo HR to RF 2 0 BOS 5 Jose Peraza tripled to CF (Pillar scores) 3 0 BOS 5 Andrew Benintendi grounded out to 2B (Peraza scores) 4 0 Boston Red Sox HITTERS AB R H RBI BB SO HR AVG Benintendi, LF 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 .263 Devers, 3B 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 .267 Bogaerts, SS 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .294 Martinez, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 .315 Moreland, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .314 Verdugo, RF 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 .270 Plawecki, C 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 .250 Pillar, CF 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 .278 Peraza, 2B 3 1 1 1 0 2 0 .234 TEAM TOTALS 34 4 9 4 0 6 1 BATTING: 2B: Pillar (21) 3B: Verdugo (6), Peraza (1) HR: Devers (25) RBI: Devers (88), Benintendi (40), Plawecki (14), Peraza (8) SF: Plawecki Detroit Tigers HITTERS AB R H RBI BB SO HR AVG Reyes, CF 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 .276 Maybin, RF 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 .252 Cabrera, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 .316 Schoop, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Cron, DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .249 Mercer, SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .236 Jones, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .252 Candalerio, 3B 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 .240 Greiner, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .265 TEAM TOTALS 26 0 0 0 2 10 0 BASERUNNING: CS: Maybin (15) Boston Red Sox PITCHERS IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Nathan Eovaldi (W, 12-4) 9.0 0 0 0 2 10 0 3.64 TEAM TOTALS 9.0 0 0 0 2 10 0 PITCHING: Pitches-Strikes: Eovaldi - 89 Pitches / 81% Strikes Detroit Tigers PITCHERS IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Jordan Zimmerman (L, 4-13) 6.0 5 4 4 0 3 1 6.24 Rony Garcia 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 6.69 David McKay 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6.47 Gregory Soto 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4.83 TEAM TOTALS 9.0 9 4 4 0 6 1 PITCHING: Pitches-Strikes: Zimmerman - 76 Pitches / 75% Strikes

Congrats on the no hit bid!

[eric7064]

Quote: Originally Posted by eric7064

The Cubs finished August 72-66, going an even 14-14 for the month. It started off good for the Cubs, as they were 13-8 before going on a 6 game losing streak at the tail end of the month. This was also made worse when starting 1B Devin Jackson (.263/21HR/63RBI) broke his hand at the end of the month, and could miss the rest of the season. 1B/OF will take over at 1B with Wilmer Flores as the backup there. Henry Browning keeps his hot season going, as he had a game in August where he had 3HR/9RBI and it was a historic game. Browning (.266/25HR/59RBI/43SB) started the season off slow, but has transitioned smoothly to the 5 spot in the order since Tim Anderson took the leadoff role. While on the other hand, in what could be his last season C Kyle Schwarber is below the Mendoza line hitting .196 on the season. It has been tough for him, and he could unceremoniously find himself on the bench. The bullpen on the Cubs has been strong all year, and continues to do so. In the rotation DeGrom has really settled in, and Urias has begun to turn around his season in which he had been struggling so far. The NL has been dominated by the 3 division leaders (PHI,MIL, SF) and it has made the rest of the NL weak. The Cubs are the ONLY team that is above .500 in the NL that does not lead the division. Therefore, the Cubs find themselves in a prime position for a WC spot as they sit at 72-66, and the 2nd WC team is 69-71. September will see the Cubs only need to maintain and hold on, as the Brewers have the division all but locked up.

Cubs had a productive September all around, and although they had no shot at the NL Central crown, they found themselves in prime position to nab one of the two WC spots in the NL.

The Cubs went 14-10 in September and ended up finishing the year 86-76. 3 wins less than last year, but last year they did not make the playoffs. The Cubs will likely not be anyone’s favorites to win the fall classic, but they are in and that’s what counts.

The Brewers were unstoppable in the NL central this year as they won 99 games, had the 1st and 2nd place votes for MVP with Bichette and Yelich and their other offseason acquisition Brendan McKay won the Cy Young.

The Cubs will look to be sneaky good in the playoffs as they do not have the firepower the Brewers have. They will take on the Miami Marlins (83-79) and young ace Ronald Guzman.

Notable Regular Season Performers:

2B Tim Anderson (.282/29HR/88RBI)
RF Henry Browning (.263/27HR/61RBI/49SB)
LF Juan Soto (.264/40HR/96RBI)
3B Miguel Sano (.253/36HR/87RBI)
SS Javier Baez (.278/25HR/74RBI)
SP Jose Berrios (12-16, 3.66ERA, 204K’s)
SP Julio Urias (13-8, 3.99ERA, 192K’s)
SP Jacob DeGrom (13-12, 4.07ERA, 178K’s)

NL Wild Card Game: Cubs Vs Marlins
SP Jose Berrios (12-16, 3.66ERA) VS SP Ronald Guzman (11-8, 4.08ERA)

The Cubs struck early in this one. Guzman was in his first playoff appearance and looked as nervous as expected. The Cubs got 3 runs in the 1st inning thanks to a 3-0 count 3RHR blast from Miguel Sano to open up the game early for the Cubs.

The Marlins answered back in the 2nd with a RBI double from 1B Grant Lavigne.

It was quiet until the 5th, with the Cubs leading 3-1 the Marlins surged and started hitting everything Berrios was throwing. They jumped to a 4-3 lead before the Cubs could even manage one out. Berrios was quickly taken out of the game in favor of RP Craig Reese who somehow managed to get out of a bases loaded jam with no more damage done. Marlins lead 4-3 after 5.

All was quiet heading into the bottom of the 9th where the Cubs season was 3 outs away from being suddenly over. First batter Sano hit a rifle of a pitch deep to left field where the Marlins fielder caught the ball slamming into the ivy for out #1. Baez followed up with another hard hit ball to left of his own, this time it got out of the playing field for a game tying solo HR in the 9th. Cubs were able to tie it in epic fashion. This WC game is going to extras.

Cubs RP Rowan Wick cruised through the 10th, the Cubs on the other hand put pressure on the Marlins. The Cubs had 2 outs quickly, but then with back to back hits by Soto/Sano had runners at 1st/3rd with 2 outs. Baez again could be a hero, and he hit the ball hard to left, but right to the LF for out 3. To inning 11.

The game cruised along to the bottom of the 12th when the Cubs had back to back singles to start the inning. A dribbler from Browning allowed the runners to move to 2nd and 3rd with one out. Soto grounded out, and with 2 outs Miguel Sano delivered a single to LF to win the game for the Cubs and advance them to the NLDS! Sano was huge going 3-6, with 4RBI in the game. The bullpen was drained and hopefully will be ready to roll for game 1. The Cubs will have to take on the archrival Brewers.

[Jayyoungjr]

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2022

NLCS Heads to Atlanta

As the Cubs and Braves took a day off, Boston was able to outlast the Astros 5-4 as Benintendi & Vazquez homered to power the Soxs to victory.

For Game 3, Veteran Justin Verlander faced off against Matt Fried in Atlanta. After a scoreless top half of the first, Yasiel Puig got Atlanta on the board as he cook a 2-2 curveball that Verlander left over the plate yard. Atlanta was able to add 2 more in the 4th as Austin Riley hit a double to score. Verlander was dominant outside of those two innings as he went 6 innings and struck out 11.
The Cubs hoped to feast on left handed pitching like they had all season but things did not come together as they only managed 4 hits in the game. Fried was able to go the distance on 94 pitches and struck out 8 as the Cubs could not get anything going. The Cubs lackluster performance showed as they did not get a man on to third during the game and only had runners on second twice in the game. With the shutout Atlanta took Game 3 3-0 to move to a 2 to 1 game lead in the series.

Cubs Look to Rebound in Pivotal Game 4.

The Cubs were facing a 3-1 deficit if they were not able to turn around things at the plate. The pitchers have done their part but with the lineup struggling to produce outside of the 9 run barrage in game 2 the Chicago hitters have struggled. The hero of the NLDS, Kris Bryant, has only one hit in this series and Contreras and Baez have struggled in the 3 and 4 hole with averages hovering around the mendoza line. In Game 4 Kyle Hendricks faced Sean Newcomb as the Cubs looked to swing the series back to a tie. Hendricks struggled in his first outing against LA and was so-so in game 5 but has a postseason ERA over 9 as he heads into his 3rd start in October. Hendricks was able to return to form as he got through the lineup without allowing a hit. On the day he would go 6.1 innings and struck out 8 while allowing 2 runs before heading for the showers.
The Cubs were able to respond after a scoreless first as Baez and Schwarber were able to get on with a double and a walk. Next up Rizzo was able to crush a ball to left field to get the Cubs on the board for the first time in nearly 11 innings. After adding one in the 4th with a Contreras solo shot, Chicago expanded the lead to 7 with a as Contreras came back to the plate with 2 on and blasted a 3 run shot.
Atlanta was able to get on the board as Carlos Sanatana hit a gapper to score 2 when he came in to pinch hit. The Braves would add two more runs in the 7th but the Cubs kept pressing as they would go on to add 3 more runs. With the series tied 2-2, the Braves and Cubs will play one more in Atlanta before the series move back to Chicago.

In the AL Houston was able to avoid going down 0-3 as they hammered Boston. The ‘Stros were up 2-0 early before Boston was able to claw back and go up 5-2 in the 7th. Boston Could not hold the lead though as their bullpen imploded, giving up 9 runs in the bottom of the 7th in the end the bullpen would surrender 12 runs in 3.2 innings of work as Houston took game 3 14 to 5.

[Jayyoungjr]

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2022

Game Five Set as Braves/Cubs Look For Edge in Series


With the Series locked at 2 games apiece the Cubs had Oscar Colås on the mound against the big 23year old right hander out of Texas, Forrest Whitley. The Cubs were able to get on the board in the first; after an out by Bryant, Anthony Rizzo hit a double and Willson Contreras was able to advance the runner on a fly out to right field. Next up Kyle Schwarber was able to split the mid fielders for a double that scored the runner. In the bottom of the 1st The Braves were able to tie it after 2 men got on and Ronald Acuna got the first of his 4 hits on the night to tie it at 1-1.
In the top of the fourth, Schwarber was able to connect, this time for a homerun to make the score 3-1. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Colås gave up 2 runs as Freeman and Acuna were able both had RBI hits.


In the 5th Cubs got things in motion as they were able to get Schwarber back to the plate where he smashed his second home run of the day, this time a 3 run shot. To make the score 5 to 3. The Braves would not quietly into the night though, as they again matched the Cubs by scoring 2 runs of their own.


With Oscar Colås ran from the game the Cubs entrusted Andrew Miller to hold the lead. After getting a quick out, pinch hitter Carlos Santana got on board. Miller was able to get a strike out from Yasiel Puig as he showed his frustration, breaking hit bat after striking out for the 3 time on the night. Miller would not hold the lead though as Ronald Acuna would not be denied as he hit in another Atlanta runner to tie the game.


Typically Schwarber has been spelled for a defensive replacement in the late innings but Skipper David Ross decided to roll the dice and leave the big man in left and this move would prove to be the key play of the game. Schwarber was able to bat again in the 8th and did not disappoint as he hit his 3rd home run of the game. Launching a ball that just made it over the left center field wall to get the Cubs back on top.



The Cubs went to Carl Edwards Jr. in the bottom of the 8th and he was able to hold serve as he struck out the 3 batters he faced. Edwards has proved to be a key pickup at the deadline as he has pitched 6 scoreless innings in the postseason. As the game moved to the 9th Craig Kimbrel was able to earn his 3rd save of the postseason as he struck out 2 while allowing one hit. The Cubs will head back to Wrigley with a chance to end the series after the 7-6 win. Schwarber 4-4 performance was the key in the game as he accounted for all 7 of the Cubs runs, “it’s been a hard postseason and we have been inconsistent. Javy’s been struggling and Kris had a rough few games so i knew i just needed to go out and produce and i was able to put the team on my back tonight.”

In the AL, Boston was able to go up 3-1 in the series after a 3-0 win.



Back In Chicago, Cubs Look To Secure Bid to 2nd Straight World Series

While the NLCS took a day off Houston was able to keep their season alive for at least another day as they beat the Red Sox in Game 5. Urquidy got the best of Chris Sale as the Astros won 4-0 with Springer going yard. The series will move back to Houston for game 6 and game 7 if necessary with Houston down 3 games to 2.

Up 3 games to 2, The Cubs had a chance to end the series and clinch the NL Pennant. Yu Darvish took the mound looking to avoid the series going to a 7th game; for Atlanta the Mike Soroka would serve as their last chance to keep the series alive. In the first inning Darvish ran into trouble after getting Puig to strike out. Yu was going for the 2nd strike out but a slider on a 1-2 pitch went too far inside and plucked Ozzie Albies. A Freeman single had the Braves in position with Acuna’s hot bat up and only 1 out. Acuna didn’t disappoint as he was able to get 1 run in on a single to right field. Darvish was able to calm down to retire the side to get out of the jam.

Kris Bryant was able to tie the game up in the Cubs 1st at bat as he made a sovereign out of a 1-1 sinker that landed in the left field bleachers. The Cubs were able to get back in business as Schwarber was able to score Rizzo to make it 2-1. Darvish was able to breeze through the top half of the 2nd and two way player Oscar Colås moved the lead to 3-1 with a homerun that just stayed fair down the 1st baseline.

The Braves inched back into the game after catcher Juan Castro was able to hit a double that scored a run. With the game 3-2 the Cubs extended the lead with Schwarber hitting a 2 run homerun to make it 5-2. Darvish was solid as he gave up 6 hits and struck out 4 in his six innings of work.


The Cubs turned to the bullpen in the 7th as Carl Edwards kept his streak of scoreless work going as he retired the side. Rowan Wick was able to do the same in the 8th after facing the top of the lineup. The Cubs went 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th to set up the game for Kimbrel to Atlanta’s season. After striking out the first batter. Kimbrel gave up a single as the Braves looked to keep their season alive in their last 2 outs. Kimbrel was able to strike out Darby Swanson but gave up a single to Austin Riley. With a runner at first and 2 outs Adam Duvall was Atlanta’s last chance. After working the count to 1-2. Kimbrel went back to the well for a 100mph fastball to get the final strike looking. The Cubs rushed the mound and swarmed the reliever as they celebrated their second consecutive NL Pennant. The Cubs and the rest of Chicago will celebrate tonight as they await the winner of Houston/Boston. Kyle Schwarber is the clear candidate for NL postseason MVP as he battled .424 and hit 5 home runs, including 4 in his last 2 games.

In Game Six of the ALCS, the series headed back to Houston and the Stros sent the fans home happy as they got the 6-5 win. Boston was able to push the lead to 5-4 in the top of the 9th but Alatuve would not let Houston lose as he hit the walk off 2 run home run force game 7. In Game 7, Houston was able to prevail 9-6 in a game they led from the first inning. Houston was powered behind the strength of 4 home runs by Altuve, Correa, Springer and Gurriel.

With the teams set, Houston will face off in Chicago for Game one of the World Series. Skipper David Ross announced that Justin Verlander will take the mound in game 1, He was mum on how the rest of the rotation will go; “With the extra day of rest we got i feel we have 3 fresh arms that could go game one we are gonna roll with Verlander and we'll see how darvish feels he may start game 2 or it could be Hendricks but we will see how the series shapes out before we make that call.”

Ben Revere rejoins the playoff roster and rookie Richard Kell was removed. Revere is set return after a hip injury has kept him out since game 3 of the NLDS. Revere will take over for Dee Gordon as he has struggled to produce in the playoffs, hitting .176. Ross was happy to see his speedy outfield get back. “Ben had been the ultimate professional, He and Gordon bounced in that center field spot a lot throughout the season and had to deal with coming to the ballpark each day not knowing if he was starting or not.. Rich had some good at bats and it was a tough call to take him off the roster but I like the matchups we’ll have with adding more speed to the bench.” Revere was the MVP of the World Series a year ago as he stole key bases and had timely hits.

Going into the fall classic, Javier Baez has struggled greatly as he is hitting below 200. During his press conference leading up to game one, Ross put down any thoughts of moving down the short stop. “Javy has been pressing and knows that but the kid hasn’t forgotten how to hit. He’s disappointed after winning the batting title and having a slump now but that's a part of baseball. He’ll plan on him still hitting behind Schwarber. he has been reaching for stuff outside the zone but he has made some good contact when it's just been at someone - he'll get a few of them to drop and and sort things out."

Houston won 106 games as they cruised in the AL West. Houston is several years removed from the trash can scandal and out to prove they can win it all without an asterisk in the history books.

[Jayyoungjr]

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2022

Verlander-McCullers set for Game One In Chicago

Game One of the World Series opened under clear skies at Wrigley with it being a blustery 43 degrees. Verlander, a starter for Houston a year ago, was not resigned and looked to get a quick start against his former teammates. He did just that as he struck out 2 and got a fly out to end the top of the first. While both teams were known for having power bats, Game One was a pitchers duel through and through as both teams had just 4 combined through the first 5 innings. The Cubs had 3 of those hits and looked to set the table in the 4th after Rizzo was able to get on board. In the next at bat Willson Contreras was able to hit a dribbler up the middle that just missed the outstretched hands of SS Carlos Correa for another hit. Play was stopped after Correa remained on the ground holding his hand after attempting to drive for the ball. Correa would be removed from the game. Myles Straw took over at short for the rest of the game and Houston will have to wait for X-Rays to see how long they might be without Correa.

Moving to the 6th inning with the game still scoreless, The Cubs again got into scoring position after a Rizzo double and Contreras walked with no outs. Schwarber just missed a pitch but the result was a fly out to right that was just deep enough to move runners to 3rd and 2nd. Javy Baez came to the plate already with one hit to his name and was able to smack a ball to deep center field. Springer was able to corral it but the long 2nd out saw Rizzo tag up for the first run of the game.

In the 7th Verlander was still going strong but ran into trouble after he gave up a 1 out double to Myles Straw to put a man in scoring position with the 3 and 4 hitters up. Verlander was about to get out of the jam as he struck out his 7th batter of the night and induced a ground out to get out of the inning. Verlander was pinch hit for ending his night but contributed with those 7 K’s in 7 innings of scoreless work while only allowing 3 men to get on base.

The 8th inning saw no runs scored as Miller came in and got 3 quick outs on 11 pitches with 2 strike outs. Kimbrel came in to face the top of the order; The Cubs closer had his ups and downs in the regular season but had been perfect so far in 5 innings of postseason work as he has allowed no runs and with 12 K’s. Altuve changed that on the 2nd pitch he saw as he hit a high fly ball that carried and just snuck into the left field bleachers to tie it at 1-1. Houston proceeded to get a single after the home run as Kimbrel appeared to be self-destructing as the next count went 3-0 and no outs. Kimbrel was able to avoid further disaster as he was able to get a pop on a 3-1 count and then struck out the next 2 batters. The Cubs could not do anything in their half of the 9th and the North Siders found themselves going to extra innings for the 3rd time in these playoffs.

Carl Edwards Jr came in in the 10th and 11th and was masterful as he allowed no hits or walks and struck out 4 in two innings of work. In the bottom of the 11th, The Cubs had the heart of the order up. Rizzo just missed a hit down the left field line that went foul and proceeded to strike out for out number 1. Contreras was able to battle back from a 1-2 count to get on first with a single. The pitcher spot was up next due to a double switch and Howie Kendrick was brought off the bench. Hendrick has struggled in limited play as he has gotten just one hit in the postseason but he changed that with a bloop single - the slow footed Kendrick stayed at first but Contreras was able to hustle to 3rd on the play. This brought up Javy Baez. after missing badly on a inside strike, the next pitch was a hanging curveball by Stephen Woods caught too much of the plate; Javy squared up to split the infield to get through to center to score Contreras for the walk off. Many would question Houston’s manager Dusty Baker, as he chose to go to Woods in the 11th while still having his top pitchers Osuna and Pressley. As noted before the game Baez had struggled leading up to this game in the postseason but he showed to be the key to victory as he went 2 for 4 and drove in both the Cubs’ runs.


After the game Houston announced that Correa’s X-Ray was negative but was diagnosed with what the Houston medical staff labeled a finger contusion; Carlos will be absent for the rest of the World Series as he was removed from the playoff roster and Jack Mayfield was added. Mayfield played a limited role for the club as he spent time in Triple A; he did appear in 60 games for Houston and batted .290.

[jmcole33]

The Amazins

Mets Take 2 of 3 in Miami
April 17, 2024

The Mets took the bookend games of the series and have gotten off to a 5-2 record against the team that prematurley eliminated them from the playoffs last year.

Game 1 was a 4-1 win highlighted by a first inning 2R HR by Michael Conforto. Dakota Chalmers continued his impressive start to the season with six innings of one run ball. He struck out 5 and walked 2 while giving up just 5 hits.

In Game 2, the Mets bats disappeared. They managed 9 hits, 4 of which were doubles, but they were unable to push a run across the plate. Sean Machado was impressive again, giving up one run over 6 innings. His ERA is at 1.00 on the season so far, and he's making a case for moving into the rotation permanently.

The bats woke up in Game 3, and the Mets took the series finale 10-4. The offense was led by none other than Rafael Devers. He went 3-5 with a HR, 2B, and 4 RBI.

After yet another day off (their third in the last week), the Mets are headed to Atlanta for a three game set, followed by three games in Cincinnati. After their 4th day off of the month, the Mets will finish the month of April hosting the Braves and the Cubs.

RHP Julio Alvarez Continues to Struggle

The submariner has been a staple in the Mets bullpen since 2021, but he has yet to find his groove this year. He last appeared in Game 2 against the Marlins, and surrendered a home run in the bottom of the 7th of a one run ballgame. In 9 innings this season, he's given up 3 HR and has an ERA of 6.00, as well as a WHIP of 1.44. His numbers are significantly inflated from last season where he had a 2.04 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 70.2 innings.

The Mets are hoping a bump to some lower-leverage spots will help to right the ship. In the meantime, expect RHP Kelvin Herrera and RHP Nathan Eovaldi to get some extra work. Fortunately, Herrera is looking like the guy the Mets were expecting when they signed him before last season. He's got a 1.64 ERA, 0,92 WHIP, with 18 K in 11 IP.

[countryboy]

Cardinals move Michael Wacha back into the rotation

The Cardinals have moved 34 year old Michael Wacha back into the rotation going forward. Wacha, who was spot starting and pitching out the pen most of the season, made 2 starts in place of Dakota Hudson who was placed on the injured list, and won both starts, pitched deep in both starts and looked like the Michael Wacha who won the NL Cy Young award 6 years ago.

Having Wacha back in the rotation now means the Cardinals must find a spot for Dakota Hudson, which would seem like the bullpen, but the pen is actually pitching well with the arms available that the Cardinals aren't looking to upset the apple cart. So what to do now? Hudson can't be optioned to Memphis without first clearing waivers and the chances of that happening are slim for the 31 year old.

The rest of the rotation is fairly locked with Kyle Funkhouser, Josh Rogers, Junior Fernandez and Jack Flaherty. It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals do now that Hudson is off the IL.

Eddie Ortiz moved into everyday right field position

24 year old Eddie Ortiz is now the everyday right fielder for the Cardinals as he played well there, while Juan Fabregas was on the IL and Dylan Carlson moved to left. With Fabregas back in the lineup, the Cardinals have been flip flopping Carlson and Ortiz in right. After a week of that experiment manager Mike Matheny has decided that Eddie Ortiz now be the everyday right fielder, hitting 5th in the lineup. Ortiz is batting .312 on the year with 2 homeruns and 12 RBI's. One detract for Ortiz is his lack of power but the Cardinals are hopeful that comes along as he gets older.

Carlson will once again be moved to the bench which isn't a popular spot for the 28 year old. With C.J. McElroy also there and having a better season than Carlson, expect Carlson to be the 5th outfielder for the time being, which could equate to a not so friendly clubhouse.

Cardinals listening to offers on Kolten Wong

35 year old Kolten Wong has been a Cardinal his entire career and thoughts were that he would finish his career in St.Louis. Well, that may or may not be the case now as the Cardinals have informed the other 29 clubs that they are will to entertain offers for Wong.

Wong is having a horrible season where he is batting just .176 and has struck out in 35% of his at-bats and isn't drawing walks at the rate that he has the past two seasons where he led the majors in walks drawn. Add to that fact that he has committed more errors 8 thru May of this season than he did in all of 2025.

While his numbers and play are down, there is no shortage of interest in his services, with the Yankees being the most intrigued. Others include the Mariners, Nationals, and Dodgers. The return may not be what it used to be, but there is a decent return rate available.

Not sure if the Cardinals will move the beloved 2nd baseman or not, but its possible, if the Carlos Martinez roster moves proves anything.