Just Baseball Highlight Reel: April 26, 2022

Tuesday may have been the craziest day on the baseball calendar this season. Every team was in action and the offenses exploded. There were big numbers everywhere, a walk-off, late comebacks, great pitching and something I have never see before in DC. I have it all for you right here, in your JB Highlight Reel for April 26th.

Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 5

The Blue Jays constantly seem to find themsleves in wild games and Tuesday was no different. Toronto led 2-1 for a long portion of the game after they took a lead in the third, the Red Sox tied it in the fourth, then they took a lead again in their half of the fourth.

The game went quiet until the eighth when the Sox dropped four on Yimi García, capped off by a two-run double from Xander Bogaerts.

Toronto had an answer and it came from their lead-off man, George Springer. Trailing 5-2 in the ninth, the Jays got one across before their center fielder launched a patented “Springer Dinger” to tie the game at five. Just another example of how good this offense is and how bad the Red Sox bullpen is.

Jordan Romano put up a zero in the tenth and Toronto took advantage. They loaded the bases with one out, and Raimel Tapia hit one just deep enough to score Bo Bichette from third. The Jays are now 12-6 while the Sox fall to 7-11.

Yankees 12, Orioles 8

Another AL East matchup with a whole lot of offense took place in the Bronx. One of two games that finished 12-8 on the night, this one nearly got really interesting. It started as a snoozer, with Anthony Rizzo putting the Yankees up 3-0 early. He was not done.

Joey Gallo homered to make it 4-0, then Rizzo took the Major League lead in home runs with his second of the night and seventh of the year.

The Orioles did not surrender despite the big scoreline. They came back with three in the sixth, one in the seventh and four in the eighth. Austin Hays made it interesting with a two-run homer that cut the deficit to 10-8, however the Yanks had more long balls left in them. First it was the birthday boy Aaron Judge adding a big insurance run with a solo blast. Then it was Rizzo one last time, turning this into a night he will never forget and sealing the Yankees victory.

Brewers 12, Pirates 8

The other game that finished 12-8 was a little closer than the first. In New York the Orioles caught up late, but in Pittsburgh the Pirates were a real threat. The Brewers went ahead in the first on a Willy Adames two-run homer, his second in as many nights.

The Pirates got one back, then the lead grew to 4-1 as Adames doubled in two more, at that point driving in all the runs the Brewers had scored. Then the Pirates began their comeback, as Ben Gamel chased Brandon Woodruff with an RBI double. Kevin Newman came through with a two-run double to tie the game and the Pirates were all the way back.

The Brewers wasted no time responding, as the very next half inning they retook the lead on a triple by Tyrone Taylor. They were far from done, putting up five more in the inning. Adames was at the center of it once again, crushing a three-run homer to make it 10-4. He finished the night 4-for-5 with two home runs and 7 RBI, jump-starting a Brewers offense that desperately needs it.

Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 3

You can definitely classify this one as a stunner. After the Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the first on a bases-clearing double by Will Smith, it seemed all but in the bag.

LA did the same thing last night, and had no issue with the Diamondbacks. That was not the case Tuesday. The D-Backs had some fight in them, and battled all the way back to take the victory. It started when they cut into the lead on a horrendous error by Gavin Lux on what should have been a routine play.

Daulton Varsho would come around and tie the game at three. Then the game just screeched to a halt, as neither team scored again until the eighth.

In that frame, David Peralta launched a two-run homer, the longest of the night, to put his team ahead 5-3. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth and Arizona took home a win. Big credit to their pitching staff that did not allow a run after the Smith double in the first.

Marlins 5, Nationals 2

The Marlins have not been over .500 in a 162-game season since 2017. They are a win Wednesday away from getting there. They got back to .500 Tuesday on the backs of a solid pitching performance by their ace Sandy Alcantara. Known for struggling to get run support, Joey Wendle came through for Alcantara with a three-run birthday bomb to take a 3-0 lead.

Alcantara lost his touch for a moment in the fourth, but his defense had his back. The Nats put balls in the outfield on back-to-back plays that should have scored runs, but the Marlins outfield shut it down.

First it was Jesús Sánchez, then Avisail García on consecutive plays throwing players out at the plate to save runs.

I cannot recall ever seeing anything like what the Marlins did. Instead of a tie ballgame, the Marlins went to the fifth with a 3-1 lead and did not relent. They added two more, while the Nats added one of their own, and took the first of a three-game set.

Twins 5, Tigers 4

Yet another game that got crazy late!

The Twins led 3-1 going into the eighth, and not a whole lot had happened. Then everything happened.

First it was the Tigers taking the lead on a three-run home run by Javier Báez. Back from a stint on the IL, Báez came through with a huge moment for his new team and put them in a position to win.

The Twins had no answer in the eighth, but in the ninth it all went crazy. Greggory Soto issued two walks, bringing Miguel Sanó to the plate with one out. Sanó lined one hard into right, but there was a play to be made by Tigers right fielder Robbie Grossman.

I will just let you watch what happened next.

Angels 4, Guardians 1

Ya know that Mike Trout guy, he’s uh…pretty good!

He crushed his fifth homer of the year to put the Angels up 3-0 as they cruised past Cleveland, moving their record to 11-7.

Patrick Sandoval dazzled in this one, keeping the Guardians off the board in seven two-hit innings and striking out nine. The Trout homer turned out to be enough behind Sandoval’s dominance. Trout finished the game 2-for-3 with the homer and a walk and Anthony Rendon had two hits of his own.

Giants 8, A’s 2

That Carlos Rodón guy is pretty good too!

His ERA is down to 1.17 after six one-run innings against the A’s in which he struck out nine more. His tally for the season is now up to 38 in 23 innings, and he is posting an 0.83 WHIP at the same time. An early Cy Young candidate for sure.

The offense exploded behind a four-RBI night from Wilmer Flores, and a three-RBI night from Austin Slater. This team always seems to find a way to get production from unlikely sources, and Gabe Kapler is pushing all the right buttons. Slater was brought in for Joc Pederson in a platoon spot, and came through again in a big way. He pushed a home run out to right field, something that is extremely difficult to do for right-handed hitters at Oracle Park. It put the Giants up 8-2 as they pick up a stress-free win.

Mets 3, Cardinals 0

Really not a whole lot of action to report in this one. The Mets had eight hits and scored just three runs, while the Cardinals had just three hits and none for extra bases. Jordan Hicks got pulled after just two innings of work in which he allowed two runs on two hits and two walks.

James McCann had a three-hit night while Starling Marte had two of his own for the Mets. The most notable thing to happen is when Pete Alonso got hit on the helmet with a breaking pitch. Alonso had some words going down to first base and some sparks flew, but nothing came of it. It could be something to keep an eye on as the series concludes Wednesday.

Astros 5, Rangers 1

Houston needed a win Tuesday and got one thanks to a great performance by Jake Odorizzi on the mound. He allowed just one run on one hit and one walk in six good innings. Yordan Álvarez had two hits, but it was Kyle Tucker who came through with the big one. Already up 2-1, he launched a moonshot to double their total and extend the lead to 4-1. The Rangers scored their only run in the second, and just one total run was scored after the third.

Padres 9, Reds 5

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the second, but let me just say it did not last. The Padres tied it in the third on a homer by Ha-Seong Kim, then exploded for eight runs in the fourth. Jurickson Profar gave them a lead with an RBI double, then Eric Hosmer actually hit a ball in the air to open the lead to 5-1.

Finally, Jake Cronenworth put the final nail in the coffin with a bases-clearing triple. The Reds got two in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the ninth, but never really threatened San Diego.

Phillies 10, Rockies 3

The Phillies did what the Phillies do: score runs in bunches. They also had a big fourth inning, entering with a 3-1 lead and putting up four to grow the lead to 7-1. They put up three more in the sixth and sailed home. Two of Colorado’s three runs came via Charlie Blackmon solo shots, his third and fourth of the year. The Phillies hit just one long ball despite the offensive outburst and it came from Odubel Herrera.

Mariners 8, Rays 4

Just like the Padres, the Mariners used a big fourth inning to pick up an easy victory Tuesday. They put up seven and did not even hit a home run. Eight of the nine Seattle starters had a hit, and Eugenio Suárez and JP Crawford each had two.

Up 2-0 already, Julio Rodriguez roped a two-run double to really open it up. The Rays scored four in the seventh, including a home run by Wander Franco, but never really put a scare into Seattle, who is now 11-6.

Braves 3, Cubs 1

The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second, then Ian Happ quickly tied it up with a rare homer from the right side. Marcus Stroman was better but not great, while Max Fried put together a solid six innings. Not really a whole lot happened in this one. The Braves took the lead in the fifth on a two-run homer by Travis Demerrite, and neither team scored the rest of the way.

Royals 6, White Sox 0

The White Sox are not playing good baseball. They got shutout Tuesday to fall to 6-10 on the season. Daniel Lynch shut down their powerful lineup, twirling six two-hit shutout innings, allowing just two walks and striking out seven in the process.

The Royals took the lead on an infield hit by Bobby Witt Jr., fitting for a night that lacked so much offense. They did not hit a home run and had just one extra base hit. There were 11 hits total in the game, only two for extra bases.