Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that will get you up to speed on everything you need to know for today's slate of games, while catching you up on the most fun stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here. The Blue Jays are bringing bunting back. And for any "never bunt" zealots out there, guess what? It's paying off! In this case we mean that both in a winning baseball games sense and a monetary sense. If you watched Toronto beat the Nationals last night, it might not have registered that the Blue Jays laid down three picture-perfect bunts. But that was by design, as our own Keegan Matheson explains, and it all goes back to a Spring Training competition organized by skipper John Schneider, who put a thousand bucks on the line for the bunting champs. There were hula hoops and other markers to hit on the field, and a photoshopped image of Schneider as the Monopoly Man in the clubhouse as extra incentive. The winning team in that spring bunt bout was led by Will Wagner, who of course bunted for a single to keep the Blue Jays' second-inning rally rolling against the Nats. He did it again with the game tied in the eighth to set up Bo Bichette's go-ahead knock. If you'll allow it, we'll go ahead and call this some Good Will Bunting. This all goes to show that small ball can be a winning strategy, and bunting is very much a fun thing when executed as perfectly as it was by the Blue Jays. Remember when the all-star game in Korea went viral for its "Bunting Derby"? Everyone loves to see a highly specialized skill, and though it might be something of a relic in the bigs, Schneider and the Blue Jays put their money where their mouth is and proved bunting still has a place in the game. -- Scott Chiusano |
• There is so much exciting young talent in the game right now, and two of those future stars were inked to long-term deals in the span of a few hours today. First came Jackson Merrill, who signed a nine-year, $135 million contract to keep the good times rolling for the 6-0 Padres (they just might be working on win No. 7 as you're reading this). Then it was No. 6 overall prospect Kristian Campbell agreeing to an eight-year pact with the Red Sox after only five big league games. But that was more than enough time for the club to realize what it has, which is a star in the making, and Mike Petriello breaks down exactly why.
• If you're not a Brewers fan, you probably have not heard the name Chad Patrick before. He wasn't even supposed to make Milwaukee's Opening Day roster. Adam McCalvy tells the unlikely story of how this little-known right-hander, who was laid up in bed all day with an illness on Monday, proved to be the stopper the Brewers needed in their first win of the season.
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We have a sneaking suspicion you might currently be watching some afternoon baseball games or refreshing gameday while perusing this newsletter. But we figured we'd give you a couple more things to tune in for later tonight. • Red Sox @ O's (6:35 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): You can see two of Boston's freshly extended talents on the field tonight in rookie Kristian Campbell and ace starter Garrett Crochet. All eyes will be on whether the left-hander can rack up strikeouts against a divisional rival and whether Rafael Devers can, well, not. He's off to an 0-for-19 start with 15 K's, a record through a player's first five games, but baseball is a fickle sport. A hitter like Devers is liable to turn things around at any moment, and watch out when he does. |
• D-backs @ Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Gather round and let us regale you with the tale of the man who only hit homers. It might sound like some Paul Bunyan-esque folk hero, but we're talking here about Eugenio Suárez. The D-backs slugger has five hits on the season, and all five of them are homers. Will he make it six tonight, which researcher extraordinaire Sarah Langs tells us has not been done at least since 1900? Or will he do something truly bonkers like, who knows, hit a single? |
• Braves @ Dodgers (8:38 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): It feels weird to say a game on – checks calendar – April 2 is make or break, but this actually might be the case for the Braves here. After their offense could not back ace Chris Sale last night, Atlanta fell to 0-6. We're sorry to report that no team has ever started a season 0-7 and made the playoffs, and the Braves face a tall task in two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. But hey, someone has to be the first! |
Photo credit: Roe Ethridge (GQ) |
Paul Skenes has gone GQ. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year was featured, alongside his celebrity girlfriend Livvy Dunne, in the April issue of the fashion magazine. The sultry Skenes can be seen rocking a few different outfits (including his Pirates jersey) throughout the profile, but this particular one above shows him in a red jacket and pants by Wales Bonner at Essx. NYC and Nike sneakers with a red swoosh. Of course Skenes is far more than just his fit, and a few hours after this interview dropped he went out and pitched seven three-hit innings against the Rays. All in a day's work. |
Through yesterday's games, there have been 13 triples this season. Five of them have been hit by catchers! Dillon Dingler, Nick Fortes, Carson Kelly, J.T. Realmuto and Jake Rogers make up this distinguished group of backstop burners. Special shoutout to Vinnie Pasquantino, not a catcher but another big boy who also has a three-bagger. |
Do you remember those five games Mike Piazza played for the Marlins? Then this game is for you! Put your intricate baseball player knowledge to the test with Immaculate Grid. Play free >> |
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