First Pitch - April 2nd, 2026

⚾ Welcome to First Pitch - Today is Thursday, April 2nd.

The Phillies just gave us one of the best comebacks of the season, capped off by the early breakout star for Philly, Justin Crawford.

What a story. The son of former big league standout Carl Crawford, Justin is already making his mark and has been a huge part of the Phillies’ early success. Also shout out to Edmundo Sosa, who came through with two massive plays late to seal it.

If this is a sign of things to come, the Phillies look like they’re in for a big year.

Check out the full game highlights here. I’ve got more from this one later on as well:

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☝️👇 3 Up, 3 Down
Alcantara throws a CG shutout, Crawford walks it off for Philly, Giants frustrations boil over.

🔔 Phillies 6, Nationals 5 — Crawford caps wild comeback with walk-off

🏴‍☠️ Pirates 8, Reds 3 — Skenes settles in, Pittsburgh pulls away late

🛡️ Guardians 4, Dodgers 1 — Williams dominates to take series

⚾➕ Extra Innings

💪 Alcantara Delivers Complete-Game Shutout to Continue Strong Start

Alcantara went the distance with a three-hit shutout and seven strikeouts, leading Miami to a 10-0 win.

🔥 Crawford Delivers Walk-Off Knock to Finish Wild Phillies Rally

The 22-year-old capped a comeback win with a 10th-inning walk-off single after the Phillies battled back from down four runs.

👀 Chapman, Schmitt Exchange Words After Defensive Mistakes in Giants Loss

A heated moment followed a missed play at first base, as frustration showed during a 7-1 loss to the Padres.

Phillies 6, Nationals 5 — Crawford walks it off after wild comeback

The Phillies pulled off one of the wildest comebacks of the early season, storming back late before Justin Crawford delivered the walk off in extras.

Down 5-1 late, things didn’t look great until J.T. Realmuto got it started with a solo homer. Bryce Harper followed with another blast in the eighth to keep the momentum going.

In the ninth, Edmundo Sosa came through in a huge spot with a two run single to tie the game and completely flip the energy in the stadium.

After a clutch double play in the top of the tenth, Philadelphia wasted no time. Realmuto set the table, and Crawford finished it with a walk off single to cap the comeback.

Phillies

Nationals

Pirates 8, Reds 3 — Skenes settles in, Pirates pull away late

The Pirates got exactly what they needed from Paul Skenes after a rough first outing. He wasn’t overpowering the whole way, but he was back in control, working five strong innings and allowing just one run while settling things down after an early walk.

Pittsburgh gave him a lead right away with Oneil Cruz blasting a three run homer in the first, and that let Skenes attack from in front. The Reds made it interesting later when Eugenio Suárez came off the bench and launched a two run homer to cut it to one, but the Pirates had an answer this time.

They broke it open in the ninth behind a two run single from Nick Gonzales and a two run homer from Bryan Reynolds, turning a tight game into a comfortable one.

It wasn’t perfect, but it looked a whole lot more like the version of Skenes and the Pirates you’d like to see.

Pirates

Reds

Guardians 4, Dodgers 1 — Williams dominates as Cleveland takes series

The Guardians rode a dominant outing from Gavin Williams, who completely shut down the Dodgers lineup.

Williams was in control all night, going seven scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and racking up 10 strikeouts. He mixed pitches well and kept hitters off balance from start to finish.

Offensively, Cleveland got on the board early with a solo shot from Gabriel Arias, then added insurance late when José Ramírez launched a two run homer to put the game away.

The Dodgers never really got anything going, with their only run coming late, as they struck out 12 times against Cleveland pitching.

Guardians

Dodgers