The Baseball Buffet for 4/1/2026

TEX 8, BAL 5 - Both starters had seven strikeouts in short starts: TEX SP Jacob deGrom (4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) and BAL SP Zach Eflin (3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K). Pete Alonso went 2-4 and hit his first official HR with the Orioles, and Taylor Ward went 4-5 with a double and 2 RBI. But the Rangers did a lot of damage against Baltimore’s bullpen, including Corey Seager 2-4 with a walk, a HR, 2 runs, and 2 RBI, Danny Jansen 3-5 with a 3-run HR, Ezequiel Duran with HR and Wyatt Langford with a triple.

PIT 8, CIN 3 - As happened a bit during Spring Training, Pirates rookie SP Bubba Chandler pitched well though his control was an issue (4.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 6 K). Another Pirates rookie hurler Hunter Barco allowed HRs to Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, but the Bucs’ offense did damage against CIN SP Brandon Williamson (4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). Oneil Cruz, hitting out of the eighth spot in the lineup went 3-4 with 2 HR, 3 runs, and 3 RBI, and Ryan O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds both hit homers too.

WSH 2, PHI 3 - PHI SP Andrew Painter did very well in his MLB debut (5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) and Jhoan Duran closed out the game with 2 K in the ninth for his second save on the year. Kyle Schwarber hit his second HR, and Adolis García hit his first.

CWS 2, MIA 9 - MIA SP Janson Junk pitched well enough (4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) and four Marlins’ relievers shutout the White Sox the rest of the way, with Pete Fairbanks striking out three in the ninth to close it out. Griffin Conine went 2-4 with a 2-run HR, and Liam Hicks went 1-3 with a walk, a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI.

COL 1, TOR 5 - TOR SP Max Scherzer pitched well (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K), with the only damage coming from a HR by Hunter Goodman in the sixth. The Jays banged out 14 hits, with Jesús Sánchez, Vladimir Guerrero, Nathan Lukes, and Tyler Heineman collecting two apiece.

ATH 5, ATL 2 - Drake Baldwin hit his third HR of the year, but the Braves couldn’t get much else going. ATL SP Jose Suarez had 6 K in 3.2 IP, but also allowed 5 H, 3 BB, and 4 ER. Jacob Wilson went 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI, Andy Ibáñez went 2-4 with 2 RBI, and Shea Langeliers hit a solo HR, his fourth dinger of the season.

LAA 2, CHC 0 - LAA SP José Soriano pitched very well (6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K), and three Angels’ relievers combined for a four-hit shutout. The only runs in this one came in the sixth inning when Logan O’Hoppe singled to drive in runners from second and third.

TBR 2, MIL 6 - Jonathan Aranda hit a solo HR in the first inning, and Nick Fortes had one in the fifth inning. MIL SP Brandon Woodruff otherwise pitched well (5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K), and four Brewers’ relievers pitched scoreless innings the rest of the way. Gary Sánchez went 1-1 with 2 walks and a HR, Jake Bauers went 2-4 with a HR and 2 runs, and Brandon Lockridge was 2-4 with a double. TBR SP Shane McClanahan, after 972 days between major league starts due to injury and recovery time, had mixed results with 4 K in 4.2 IP, allowing 2 HR, 3 BB, 3 R, and 2 ER.

NYM 0, STL 3 - STL SP Andre Pallante pitched five scoreless innings (5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K), and four Cardinals’ relievers combined for a three-hit shutout. Kodai Senga had 9 K in 6 IP, but also allowed 4 H, 3 BB, and 2 ER, which along with a late HR by Ramón Urías is all the Cardinals needed.

BOS 2, HOU 9 - HOU SP Hunter Brown had a strong start (6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K), while BOS SP Brayan Bello struggled (4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K). Yordan Alvarez went 2-3 with a walk, a HR, and a double, Cam Smith was 2-3 with a walk and a HR, Carlos Correa was 2-3 with a walk and a double, and Christian Walker was 2-4 with a double, his fifth two-bagger of the young season.

DET 5, ARI 7 - The Tigers scored five runs in the third inning of ARI SP Brandon Pfaadt (6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K), and DET SP Casey Mize did well (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K). But the Detroit bullpen gave up six runs in the bottom of the eighth, including a 3-run HR by outfielder Jose Fernandez, the second homer of his MLB debut. Paul Sewald then came in and struck out three in the top of the ninth to record his second save of the year.

SFG 9, SDP 3 - SDP SP Germán Márquez struggled (3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) and the Giants scored eight runs through six innings off him and Kyle Hart (2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). Willy Adames went 4-5 with a HR and a double, Matt Chapman was 2-5 with a HR, and Jung Hoo Lee went 3-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI.

NYY 5, SEA 0 - NYY SP Max Fried once again did well (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K), and two Yankees relievers combined for a four-hit shutout (the Yankees’ third shutout of the season already). SEA SP Logan Gilbert had 6 K in 5.1 IP, but also allowed 7 H, 3 BB, and 5 ER. Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Giancarlo Stanton each had two hits.

CLE 1, LAD 4 - Shohei Ohtani pitched very well (6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K), and Max Muncy went 2-3 with a walk, a HR, and 2 runs. Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages also collected two hits apiece.

ARI 1B Pavin Smith - 10-day IL (left elbow inflammation)

TOR SP Cody Ponce - 15-day IL (right knee ACL sprain)… likely out for much longer

STL RP Matt Pushard - 15-day IL (right knee patellar tendinitis)

1914: Rube Waddell dies at only 37 years old. "Rube Waddell dies from tuberculosis in San Antonio, TX, at the age of 37. One of the top lefthanded pitchers in major league history, Waddell led the American League in strikeouts for six years in a row, collected four consecutive 20-win seasons from 1902 to 1906, including the Triple Crown in 1905 with 27 wins, 287 strikeouts and a 1.48 ERA, leading the league in all pitching categories. Waddell, who dies in a sanitarium, had seen his condition weakened by his efforts to contain a winter flood in Kentucky. He will be selected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee in 1946."

1970: The Seattle Pilots become the Milwaukee Brewers. "An ownership group headed by automobile dealer Bud Selig buys the Seattle Pilots for $10.8 million. Selig will immediately move the Pilots to Milwaukee, WI and rename the team the "Brewers." The Pilots lost $1 million during their lone season in Seattle, WA."

1985: April Fools’ Day by Sports Illustrated. "Today's issue of Sports Illustrated contains a fictitious article about a New York Mets pitching prospect named Sidd Finch, whose fastball has been timed at 168 miles per hour. Author George Plimpton offers bogus quotes from real-life members of the Mets, as well as several staged photos, and fools readers nationwide."

1987: The Pirates acquire Andy Van Slyke. "The Pittsburgh Pirates trade All-Star catcher Tony Peña to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for catcher Mike LaValliere, outfielder Andy Van Slyke, and pitcher Mike Dunne. Van Slyke will hit 21 home runs for the Pirates this year and emerge as a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder."

1996: Umpire John McSherry dies during a game. "Home plate umpire John McSherry collapses and dies from a heart attack on Opening Day at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, in the 1st inning of a game between the Reds and Expos, which is cancelled. The 51-year-old McSherry had umpired in the National League for 26 seasons. Reds owner Marge Schott hits a low point with her insensitive remarks, blaming the late umpire for spoiling the team's opening day celebrations."

2018: The Shohei Ohtani era begins. "Three days after being the starting designated hitter on Opening Day in his major league debut, Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani makes his debut on the mound, pitching six innings in leading the Angels to a 7 - 4 win over the Athletics. The only blemish on his ledger is a three-run homer by Matt Chapman in the 2nd. Ohtani is the first player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to start as a position player on opening day and then start a game on the mound within his team's first ten games. Joe Bush and Clarence Mitchell had also started games on the mound and in the field in their first ten games in 1920."

2024: Ronel Blanco throws a no-hitter. "Ronel Blanco of the Astros throws the earliest no-hitter in major league history in terms of calendar date as he defeats the Blue Jays, 10 - 0. He walks the first batter of the game, George Springer, but retires the next 26 batters in a row before walking Springer again with two outs in the 9th. He then gets Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out to second to end the game, which is also the first career win for Houston manager Joe Espada."

Hall of Famer

24-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1964-1987, mostly with the Braves

Five-time All-Star, and winner of five Gold Glove Awards

Led the NL with a 1.87 ERA in 1967

Had 20+ wins three times, including a 23-13 record with a 2.56 ERA in 1969, and then later led the NL in wins with a 20-13 record in 1974, and again with a 21-20 record in 1979

He is generally considered the all-time most successful and well-known knuckleball pitcher

Overall had a 318-274 (.537) record, 3,342 K, a 3.35 ERA, and a 115 ERA+

23-year major league career, spanning from 1963-1985, mostly with the Mets, Astros, Tigers, and Expos

Six-time All-Star

He played RF for much of his career, before switching to DH and ultimately being a frequent pinch-hitter in his last few seasons

Hit 20+ HR four times and had 100+ RBI three times

Overall had 292 HR, 1,466 RBI, a .279/.362/.431 slash line, and a 124 OPS+

14-year major league career, spanning from 1936-1949, mostly as a LF with the Indians, Browns, and Braves

Two-time All-Star

In his first full season in 1938 he batted .343 with 21 HR, 112 RBI, 104 runs, and an AL-leading 18 triples

Then in 1941 he hit .340 with 24 HR, 123 RBI, 18 SB, and an AL-leading 20 triples

Overall had 194 HR, 102 triples, a .293/.370/.509 slash line, and a 139 OPS+

12-year major league career, spanning from 2008-2020, mostly as a 2B and 1B with the Mets, Nationals and Rockies

Three-time All-Star

Led the NL with 47 doubles in 2016 while batting .347, with 25 HR and 104 RBI

Then led the NL again with 43 doubles in 2017 while batting .322, with 23 HR and 93 RBI

He generally performed well in the post-season, including earning the NLCS MVP in 2015 after going 9-17 with 4 HR and 6 RBI

Overall had 138 HR, a .296/.341/.455 slash line, and a 113 OPS+

13-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1961-1973, mostly with the Dodgers, Twins, and Tigers

Posted a 16-3 record with 21 saves and 1.67 ERA across 69 relief appearances and 129 IP for the Dodgers in 1963

Later with the Twins led the AL with 31 saves in 1969, and then again with 34 saves in 1970

Overall had 178 saves, a 2.79 ERA, and a 124 ERA+

PIT Paul Skenes vs. CIN Andrew Abbott - presumably Skenes will do better than his opener in which he didn't get out of the first inning

TBR Drew Rasmussen vs. MIL Jacob Misiorowski - an interesting pitching matchup in this inter-league game

NYY Cam Schlittler vs. SEA George Kirby - game 3 of this power series, with two great starting pitchers taking the hill

ATL Michael Harris II, 4-8, HR, double vs. ATH Luis Severino

ATL Matt Olson, 5-11, double vs. ATH Luis Severino

TEX Andrew McCutchen, 6-12, 3 HR, triple vs. BAL Trevor Rogers

CHC Alex Bregman, 7-20, 2 HR, 3 doubles, vs. LAA Yusei Kikuchi

DET Javier Baez, 5-10, HR, 3 doubles, vs. ARI Zac Gallen

SFG Jung Hoo Lee, 6-12, HR, triple, 3 doubles vs. SDP Nick Pivetta

CIN TJ Friedl, 2-12, double, 5 K vs. PIT Paul Skenes

SDP Manny Machado, 1-13, though only 1 K vs. SFG Adrian Houser

SFG Harrison Bader, 1-10, 6 K vs. SDP Nick Pivetta

SFG Heliot Ramos, 1-10, 3 K vs. SDP Nick Pivetta

KCR Kyle Isbel, 1-17, 3 K vs. MIN Joe Ryan

PIT Paul Skenes, 76 AB, 0 HR, 31 K, 2 BB, .197/.237/.248 vs. CIN hitters

PHI Cristopher Sánchez, 58 AB, 0 HR, 9 K, 3 BB, .224/.272/.242 vs. WSH hitters

CHC Matthew Boyd, 66 AB, 1 HR, 29 K, 8 BB, .197/.278/.289 vs. LAA hitters

MIN Joe Ryan, 110 AB, 3 HR, 24 K, 8 BB, .191/.251/.336 vs. KCR hitters

BOS Garrett Crochet, 50 AB, 1 HR, 17 K, 5 BB, .380/.436/.547 vs. HOU hitters

TEX Nathan Eovaldi, 60 AB, 2 HR, 12 K, 2 BB, .350/.371/.477 vs. BAL hitters

STL Matthew Liberatore, 42 AB, 2 HR, 4 K, 3 BB, .310/.348/.526 vs. NYM hitters

ARI Zac Gallen, 40 AB, 2 HR, 12 K, 2 BB, .300/.323/.537 vs. DET hitters

2,795 - Nolan Ryan

1,833 - Steve Carlton

1,809 - Phil Niekro

1,775 - Early Wynn

1,764 - Bob Feller

1,732 - Bobo Newsom

1,707 - Amos Rusie

1,665 - Charlie Hough

1,580 - Roger Clemens

1,570 - Gus Weyhing

The month of April could make or break these October hopefuls, by Will Leitch at MLB, 3/31/2026

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Projecting a season-end All-Rookie Team, by Jonathan Mayo at MLB, 3/31/2026

Celebrate April Fools' Day with these 10 classic baseball pranks, by Jeffrey Lutz at MLB, 3/31/2026

Players to homer twice in their regular-season debuts, by Theo DeRosa and Brent Maguire at MLB, 3/31/2026

Here's 1 must-visit Minor League spot from every farm system for 2026, by Benjamin Hill and Josh Jackson at MLB, 3/31/2026