First Pitch - April 20th, 2026

☝️👇 3 Up, 3 Down
Murakami stays scorching with a homer in three straight, Ben Rice goes deep for the fourth straight game, and questions arise after the Rockies’ lineup looked untouchable at the plate.

🧹 Reds 7, Twins 4 (F/10) — Cincinnati rallies late again to complete sweep

🏟️ Cubs 2, Mets 1 (F/10) — Hoerner walks it off as Mets skid hits 11

🔥 Cardinals 7, Astros 5 (F/10) — Winn clears the bases to finish sweep

⚾➕ Extra Innings

⚾ Welcome to First Pitch - Today is Monday, April 20th.

For the best experience, view this newsletter in your browser by clicking “Read Online” in the top right.

💥 Murakami On Fire: 3 Straight with a Homer

The power surge continues as Murakami stays locked in and quickly becomes must-watch in Chicago.

🔥 Ben Rice Stays Hot: 4 Straight Games with a Homer

Ben Rice keeps raking, going deep for the fourth straight game and proving he can do damage against lefties too.

👀 Rushing Raises Eyebrows: Rockies Too Locked In?

Daulton Rushing stirred things up after the game, hinting something felt off as the Rockies seemed to be all over everything at the plate.

MUST WATCH BONUS CONTENT:

🥹 Sibling Love: Moment of the Season

A young fan snagged a ball and immediately gave it to his sister. No hesitation, just pure kindness and one of the most wholesome moments of the year.

Reds 7, Twins 4 — Cincinnati rallies twice late to finish sweep in extras

The Reds looked dead in the water for most of the afternoon, managing just one run through eight innings before erupting late to complete a three-game sweep of the Twins in extra innings.

Minnesota built a 3-0 lead early behind RBI knocks from Josh Bell and Victor Caratini, while Brady Singer battled through six innings to keep Cincinnati within striking distance.

The comeback finally arrived in the ninth. After Tyler Stephenson and Dane Myers helped load the bases, TJ Friedl ripped a bases-clearing double into right-center to give the Reds their first lead of the day.

The Twins answered in the bottom of the ninth when James Outman doubled and Austin Martin brought him home with a game-tying double, sending the game to extras.

In the 10th, Cincinnati cashed in again. Elly De La Cruz scored the go-ahead run on a pair of Minnesota errors, and Rece Hinds followed with a two-run double to give the Reds breathing room. Graham Ashcraft then closed it out after a successful ABS challenge helped seal the final strikeout.

📊 Notable Stats

Reds

TJ Friedl: 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI
Rece Hinds: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Elly De La Cruz: 1-5, 2 R, 2B
Brady Singer: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB
Graham Ashcraft: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 SV

Twins

Victor Caratini: 2-4, 2 RBI
Josh Bell: 1-5, RBI
Austin Martin: 1-1, 2B, RBI
James Outman: 2-4, 2B, R
Bailey Ober: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 10 K

Cubs 2, Mets 1 (10 innings) — Hoerner walks it off as Chicago extends streak to five

The Cubs leaned on pitching and late-game execution, walking off the Mets in extras to secure their fifth straight win.

Chicago struggled offensively most of the day, managing just one hit in key spots early while MJ Melendez gave New York a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the fifth. But the Cubs’ pitching staff kept them within striking distance, delivering scoreless innings across the bullpen to hold the deficit.

The breakthrough finally came in the ninth when Michael Conforto delivered a clutch pinch-hit double to tie the game. In the 10th, Pete Crow-Armstrong advanced to third on a wild pitch before racing home on Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly, sealing the walk-off win and sparking a celebration at Wrigley.

The loss extended the Mets’ skid to 11 straight games as their struggles continue to mount.

📊 Notable Stats

Cubs

Nico Hoerner: 1-3, RBI
Michael Conforto: 1-1, 2B, RBI
Ian Happ: 2-3
Pete Crow-Armstrong: 1-3, 3B, R
Javier Assad: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K

Mets

MJ Melendez: 1-4, HR, RBI
Marcus Semien: 2-3
Luis Robert Jr.: 1-4
Luis Torrens: 1-4
David Peterson: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER

Braves 4, Phillies 2 — Albies sparks go-ahead rally as Atlanta sweeps Philly

The Braves used a decisive fifth-inning rally to take control and complete a sweep of the Phillies, extending their winning streak to five games.

Philadelphia struck first with a two-run homer from Kyle Schwarber in the opening inning, but Atlanta chipped away and flipped the game in the fifth.

Back-to-back hits from Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. set the table before a sequence of productive at-bats did the damage. Matt Olson drove in a run on a forceout, Austin Riley followed with an RBI single, and Ozzie Albies capped the rally with an RBI double to give the Braves a 4-2 lead.

Atlanta’s pitching staff handled the rest, combining to limit the Phillies to just two runs while shutting things down late to secure the win.

📊 Notable Stats

Braves

Michael Harris II: 3-3, HR, RBI, 2 R
Ronald Acuña Jr.: 1-4, R
Matt Olson: 0-5, RBI, R
Austin Riley: 1-4, RBI
Ozzie Albies: 1-3, 2B, RBI

Phillies

Kyle Schwarber: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
Trea Turner: 1-5, R
Bryce Harper: 1-3
Bryson Stott: 1-4, 2B
Andrew Painter: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER

Cardinals 7, Astros 5 (10 innings) — Winn clears the bases as St. Louis completes sweep

The Cardinals kept their hot streak rolling, using a clutch extra-inning swing to finish off a sweep of the Astros and extend their winning streak to five games.

St. Louis broke through in the fifth inning after being held hitless early, stringing together walks and timely hits. Victor Scott II drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before JJ Wetherholt ripped a two-run single and Iván Herrera added another RBI knock to cap a four-run inning.

Houston battled back late, tying the game in the eighth behind a solo homer from Yordan Alvarez and a two-run single from Isaac Paredes.

In the 10th, the Cardinals loaded the bases again, setting the stage for Masyn Winn, who delivered the decisive blow with a three-run double down the line to put the game away.

📊 Notable Stats

Cardinals

Masyn Winn: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R
JJ Wetherholt: 1-4, 2 RBI
Iván Herrera: 1-5, RBI, R
Victor Scott II: 0-2, RBI, R
Matthew Liberatore: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K

Astros

Jose Altuve: 3-5, RBI, R
Yordan Alvarez: 1-5, HR, RBI, R
Isaac Paredes: 1-4, 2 RBI
Taylor Trammell: 2-4, 2 R
Mike Burrows: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER