First Pitch - April 26th, 2026

⚾ Today’s Edition

🔥 Padres rally from 4-0 down as France’s 2 HR power comeback win over D-backs

🚨 Mariners outslug Cardinals 11-9 as Rivas delivers go-ahead hit in wild finish

💥 Dodgers explode for 12 runs to snap Cubs’ 10-game winning streak

😳 Red Sox drop 17 runs on Orioles amid shocking Cora firing fallout

🚀 Reds stay red-hot as De La Cruz continues MVP-level start in blowout win

⚾ Welcome to First Pitch - Today is Sunday, April 26th.

Breaking News from Saturday: Alex Cora and several Red Sox coaches have been fired. Somewhat shocking news, especially with Cora’s background and past history with the Red Sox.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the move. Feels like the front office deserves more of the blame after some questionable decisions over the past few years.

More on the firing below in today’s edition.

What do you think, smart decision or no?

🚨 Red Sox Shake-Up: Cora Out After Slow Start

Boston makes a major move, parting ways with Alex Cora and members of the coaching staff following a rough start to the season.

🚀 Elly Taking Over: Superstar Start

De La Cruz continues his insane start, doing it all and looking like a true MVP candidate.

😆 Reunion Comedy: Dodgers Mess with Conforto

A little mid-game trolling as the Dodgers try to get Conforto in on the fun.

Padres 6, D-backs 4 — Padres storm back AGAIN behind France’s two homers

The Padres continued their comeback-heavy season, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to take down the D-backs in the Mexico City Series opener.

Arizona jumped out early with a four-run second inning, but San Diego chipped away before exploding in the seventh. Gavin Sheets delivered a clutch two-run single to spark the rally, and the Padres took advantage of a key error before tying the game on a sac fly from Freddy Fermin.

Moments later, another sac fly from Ramón Laureano gave San Diego its first lead of the night.

From there, it was lights out. The bullpen shut the door, and Ty France added insurance with his second homer of the game in the ninth to seal yet another comeback win.

📊 Notable Stats

Padres

Ty France: 2 HR, 2 RBI (multi-HR game)
Gavin Sheets: 1 H, 2 RBI
Freddy Fermin: RBI (sac fly)
Ramón Laureano: RBI (go-ahead sac fly)

D-backs

Alek Thomas: HR, 2 RBI
Jose Fernandez: 2 RBI (2B)

Mariners 11, Cardinals 9 — Rivas delivers late as Seattle wins wild slugfest

The Mariners outlasted the Cardinals in a back-and-forth offensive explosion, rallying multiple times before Leo Rivas came through with a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth.

Seattle jumped out early behind a two-run homer from Julio Rodríguez, but St. Louis answered immediately with a barrage of home runs to take control. The Cardinals built a 7-4 lead after a four-run third, only for the Mariners to chip away again.

After falling behind 9-7 in the seventh, Seattle responded once more. Connor Joe tied the game with a clutch two-run single in the eighth, setting the stage for late-game heroics.

In the ninth, a rally sparked by J.P. Crawford and Cole Young put pressure on, and Rivas delivered the decisive hit up the middle to give Seattle the lead for good.

📊 Notable Stats

Mariners

Leo Rivas: 1-1, 2 RBI (go-ahead single)
Julio Rodríguez: 3-6, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Cole Young: 3-4, HR, RBI, 3 R
Connor Joe: 1-2, 2 RBI
Mitch Garver: 2-4, 3 R

Cardinals

Nathan Church: 2 HR, 4 RBI
Pedro Pagés: 3-3, HR, 2 RBI
Masyn Winn: 2-5, RBI, 2 R
JJ Wetherholt: HR
Iván Herrera: HR

Dodgers 12, Cubs 4 — Dodgers erupt for 12 to snap Chicago’s 10-game streak

The Dodgers finally broke out in a big way, unloading for 12 runs to take down the Cubs and snap their 10-game winning streak.

Chicago struck first with early homers from Seiya Suzuki and Moisés Ballesteros, but Los Angeles answered immediately. Max Muncy tied the game with a two-run blast before the floodgates opened.

A six-run fourth inning flipped the game completely, with Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, and others stringing together hit after hit in a relentless rally. The Dodgers never looked back, continuing to pile on with another four-run inning later to put the game out of reach.

Every starter in the lineup recorded a hit and scored a run, showcasing a complete offensive explosion.

📊 Notable Stats

Dodgers

Teoscar Hernández: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R
Andy Pages: 2-5, 3 RBI, R
Max Muncy: HR, 2 RBI
Shohei Ohtani: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB
Freddie Freeman: 1-5, RBI, R
Hyeseong Kim: 2-5, RBI, R

Cubs

Seiya Suzuki: 3-4, HR, RBI
Moisés Ballesteros: HR, RBI
Miguel Amaya: HR, RBI
Michael Busch: RBI

Red Sox 17, Orioles 1
The Red Sox finally punched back after a rough stretch, exploding for 17 runs and 17 hits to snap a four-game skid. Garrett Crochet looked like himself again with six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts, while Andruw Monasterio led the offensive breakout with a grand slam and two doubles.

Blue Jays 5, Guardians 3
Kazuma Okamoto stayed hot with another monster homer to center, his third long ball in the past six games. Kevin Gausman gave Toronto exactly what it needed with 6 2/3 steady innings, and Louis Varland survived the ninth to close out the win.

Giants 6, Marlins 2
Casey Schmitt went from frustration to redemption after another baserunning mistake, crushing a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth. Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos also went deep as the Giants flashed some much-needed power at home.

Rays 6, Twins 1
Shane McClanahan looked sharp in his first win at the Trop since 2023, throwing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Jake Fraley gave him the big swing with a two-run homer, helping Tampa Bay lock up the series win.

Rangers 4, A’s 3
MacKenzie Gore had to grind through five tough innings, but talked his way into staying in the game and got a huge final out. Josh Jung made it count later with a two-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth to help Texas even the series.

Pirates 6, Brewers 3
Pittsburgh kept proving this start is real, winning in 10 innings for another big division series victory. The bullpen threw five scoreless frames, Bryan Reynolds came through first in extras, and Nick Gonzales added two insurance runs to quiet the sold-out crowd.

Reds 9, Tigers 2
The Reds moved into first place as their offense kept rolling without Eugenio Suárez. Sal Stewart drove in five with a three-run homer and a two-run single, while Elly De La Cruz and Nathaniel Lowe also went deep in another loud Cincinnati win.