
⚾ Welcome to First Pitch - Today is Wednesday April 1st, 2026.
For the best experience, view this newsletter in your browser by clicking “Read Online” in the top right.
⚾ Today’s Edition
☝️👇 3 Up, 3 Down
Fernandez homers twice in his debut, Painter shoves with 8 K’s, Yankees pitching stays dominant.
🎌 Dodgers 4, Guardians 1 — Ohtani dominates in two-way debut
🌉 Giants 9, Padres 3 — Adames leads offensive breakout
🍺 Brewers 6, Rays 2 — Woodruff strong in return, Brewers capitalize
⚾➕ Extra Innings
Trade the Future. The Final Four Starts Saturday.
The Final Four is set: Arizona, Michigan, UConn, and Illinois all punched their tickets. But watching the games is only half the fun — what if you could put real money behind your predictions?
Kalshi is a federally regulated exchange where you buy and sell contracts based on the outcomes of real-world events. March Madness, elections, economic data, weather — if it's happening, there's probably a market for it.
I'm placing a trade on Arizona to cut down the nets. Their balance on both ends of the floor has been unmatched all tournament. But the beauty of Kalshi is you don't have to agree with me — you just have to have a take.
Sign up now and get $10 free to place your first trade. No fees on your first deposit. Browse all available March Madness markets here.
☝️👇 3 Up, 3 Down
Our top 3 Moments of the Day
💥 Fernandez’s 2-HR MLB Debut Sparks Comeback Win for D-backs
Jose Fernandez homered twice in his first career game, including a go-ahead three-run shot in the eighth to cap a six-run rally and secure a 7-5 win.
🎯 Painter Shoves in MLB Debut with Eight Strikeouts in Statement Win
Andrew Painter struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits while showcasing upper-90s velocity and multiple swing-and-miss secondary pitches.
⚡ Yankees Pitching Stays Lights Out Behind Fried’s Seven Scoreless Frames
Fried delivered seven shutout innings with six strikeouts as the Yankees matched a historic mark with three shutouts in their first five games.
📊 Final Scores

🔁 Around the Horn
Top games from around the league
Dodgers 4, Guardians 1 — Ohtani deals in dominant two-way debut
The Dodgers got a strong all-around win, led by Shohei Ohtani, who looked completely in control in his first start of the season.
Ohtani tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six. He worked around a few walks but never let the Guardians find any rhythm at the plate.
At the same time, he contributed offensively, reaching base three times with a hit and two walks, continuing to put pressure on all night.
The Dodgers offense backed him up with timely swings. Max Muncy provided a key solo homer, while Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández each drove in runs to build the lead.
Cleveland didn’t get much going, managing just two hits and striking out 10 times as Los Angeles controlled the game throughout.
📊 Key Stats
Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani: 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB | 1-3, BB, BB
Max Muncy: 2-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB
Andy Pages: 2-4, 2 RBI
Teoscar Hernández: 2-4, RBI
Freddie Freeman: 1-4, R
Guardians
Rhys Hoskins: 1-3, BB
Brayan Rocchio: 1-4, RBI
Steven Kwan: 0-2, 2 BB
Giants 9, Padres 3 — Giants break out behind Adames and big night at the plate
The Giants offense finally showed up in a big way, putting together their most complete game of the season.
Willy Adames set the tone immediately with a leadoff homer and never slowed down, finishing with four hits and driving in two. From there, the lineup kept rolling with contributions up and down the order.
Jung Hoo Lee came through with a big two-run double early, while Matt Chapman added a solo shot. Later on, San Francisco pulled away with another big inning, getting key hits from Adames, Heliot Ramos, and Luis Arraez to blow it open.
On the mound, Logan Webb battled through six innings. He gave up three runs but settled in late, finishing strong and giving the bullpen a chance to lock it down.
This was the kind of offensive breakout the Giants needed after a slow start to the season.
📊 Key Stats
Giants
Willy Adames: 4-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Jung Hoo Lee: 3-5, 3 RBI
Matt Chapman: 2-5, HR, RBI, 2 R
Heliot Ramos: 1-4, 2 RBI, R, BB
Luis Arraez: 1-4, RBI
Logan Webb: 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 K
Padres
Jackson Merrill: 1-3, RBI, R, BB
Fernando Tatis Jr.: 1-3, R, BB, SB
Manny Machado: 1-3, R, BB
Brewers 6, Rays 2 — Woodruff returns with strong debut, Brewers capitalize on chaos
The Brewers flipped the game in a wild fifth inning and never looked back, backing a solid return from Brandon Woodruff.
After falling behind early on a pair of solo homers, Woodruff settled in and gave Milwaukee exactly what they needed, working five innings and limiting further damage while striking out six.
The turning point came in the fifth when Brice Turang delivered a two-run single that turned into a three-run swing after a defensive miscue, giving the Brewers the lead for good.
From there, Gary Sánchez added a homer, Brandon Lockridge chipped in with an RBI double, and Jake Bauers capped it with a late long ball to put the game out of reach.
Milwaukee’s bullpen handled the rest, locking things down to secure the win.
📊 Key Stats
Brewers
Brandon Woodruff: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 K
Brice Turang: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB
Gary Sánchez: 1-1, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Jake Bauers: 2-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
Brandon Lockridge: 2-4, RBI, R
Rays
Jonathan Aranda: 1-4, HR, RBI
Nick Fortes: 1-4, HR, RBI
Chandler Simpson: 2-3
Like this newsletter? Help us keep the content free by sharing our newsletter and supporting our sponsors.
Help support our team by donating or buying us a drink below:
Buy us a drink 🍺
Thanks for reading!


