News Category: MLB

Spencer Torkelson’s bat coming to life as Tigers, Marlins collide

Spencer Torkelson is finally hitting home runs again, a welcome sight for the Detroit Tigers. Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, blasted 31 homers last year, his second season in the majors. He hadn’t gone deep this season until he smacked a ninth-inning, two-run shot in a lopsided loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday. His second homer of the year, a majestic, 446-foot blast, was more meaningful: a go-ahead, two-run

O’s look to get bats going, avoid third straight loss

The Baltimore Orioles can usually count on offense. In fact, when the runs aren’t coming it seems almost alarming for the Orioles. They’ll try to quiet the alarm bells after a couple of sluggish days for their bats when they take on the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The Orioles have lost two in a row following Monday night’s 3-2, 10-inning setback to Toronto when they managed only three hits. Two of those

Red-hot Chris Paddack guides Twins against Yankees

Chris Paddack is feeling healthy, and the Minnesota Twins are feeling happy. On Tuesday night, Paddack will go for his fifth victory in a row when he and the Twins open a three-game series against the New York Yankees in Minneapolis. Paddack (4-1, 4.34 ERA), who played in just seven games over the 2022 and 2023 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is coming off a win against the Seattle Mariners in his most recent

Ascending Diamondbacks ready for rematch vs. reeling Reds

The Arizona Diamondbacks swept three games from the Cincinnati Reds last week. The Diamondbacks will attempt to do it again this week, beginning with Monday night’s series opener between the teams in Phoenix. Arizona outscored the Reds 15-9 in sweeping a road set last Tuesday through Thursday. That sweep is a big part of why the Diamondbacks have won five of their past seven games to follow a stretch in which they dropped 11 of

Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes first appearance vs. Giants

The banged-up San Francisco Giants will get their first look at one of their primary offseason targets, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, when they open a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night. Neither Yamamoto (4-1, 2.79 ERA) nor the Giants’ scheduled starter Monday, Jordan Hicks (3-1, 2.30), pitched when the rivals met in Los Angeles in the first week of the season. The Dodgers swept that three-game set, taking the last two games

Randy Vasquez, Padres look to subdue Rockies in series opener

Randy Vasquez has been left with quite a tall bar to clear. Four straight San Diego Padres starters have worked at least five innings and allowed two or fewer hits. It’s believed to be the first time it’s happened in 131 years, according to research from Elias Sports Bureau. Vasquez will try to make it five in a row on Monday night when he gets the call for the opener of a three-game series against

Angels’ Jo Adell looks to continue rebirth vs. Cardinals

Jo Adell’s status with the Los Angeles Angels has been tenuous at best, even as recently as spring training this season. But the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft has been given every chance to find himself as a major leaguer, and the Angels’ patience appears to be paying off. Adell likely will be in right field Monday night when the Angels begin a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals in Anaheim, Calif.

Royals to test mettle in series opener vs. Mariners

The American League Central long has been one of the worst divisions in baseball. It hasn’t had more than one team finish above .500 in the past three seasons and hasn’t had a team earn a wild-card berth in a full season since 2017. Thanks in large part to a resurgence by the Kansas City Royals, who will open a three-game series Monday night in Seattle, things are looking up in the Central. If the

Pirates, Brewers coming off tough losses as series opens

The Pittsburgh Pirates and host Milwaukee Brewers will turn to solid starters when they open a three-game series on Monday night. In a matchup of right-handers, Colin Rea (3-0, 3.29 ERA) will go for Milwaukee against Mitch Keller (3-3, 4.41) of Pittsburgh. The Brewers came up short in their bid to complete a four-game sweep of the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, falling 4-3 on Sunday. Milwaukee scored three runs in the first inning but failed