2026 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #1

The Swamp Things added insurance in the seventh when Nick Allen drove in Royce Lewis with a clutch single. Chicago threatened in the ninth, putting two runners on, but Matt Svanson induced a game-ending groundout to secure the save.

Final Score: Gainesville 2 – Chicago 0

Win: Logan Evans 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Hunter Brown 0-1 (1.69)
Save: Matt Svanson #1

Chicago finally got on the board in the seventh with a solo shot from Riley Greene, but the Mobsters’ offense struggled otherwise, striking out 12 times in total. Gainesville starter Tyler Mahle earned the win with six solid innings, while Matt Svanson slammed the door in the ninth, striking out the side to secure his second save of the season.

Final Score: Gainesville 2 – Chicago 1

Win: Tyler Mahle 1-0 (1.50)
Loss: Roki Sasaki 0-1 (2.57)
Save: Matt Svanson #2

Jesus Luzardo provided a strong start for Chicago, pitching seven innings of one-run ball to earn the win. Gainesville attempted a late comeback with a solo home run by Chas McCormick in the eighth and a bases-loaded walk in the ninth, but Aroldis Chapman entered to induce a flyout and end the threat.

Final Score: Chicago 8 – Gainesville 3

Win: Jesus Luzardo 1-0 (1.29)
Loss: Zac Gallen 0-1 (43.20)
Save: Aroldis Chapman #1

The game took a somber turn in the eighth when Chicago catcher Gary Sanchez suffered a significant injury during a collision at the plate, sidelining him for 33 days. Matt Svanson retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his third save of the season.

Final Score: Gainesville 7 – Chicago 5

Win: Steven Cruz 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: MacKenzie Gore 0-1 (12.60
Save: Matt Svanson #3

The bullpens dominated the extra frames until the bottom of the 14th. Chourio led off with a double and later scored the winning run when Luis Arraez delivered a clutch, two-out walk-off single to right field. Wandy Peralta was heroic in relief for Gainesville, tossing four innings, but ultimately suffered the loss.

Final Score: Chicago 5 – Gainesville 4 – (14 Innings)

Win: Garrett Cleavinger 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Wandy Peralta 0-1 (1.29)

Chicago broke the scoreless tie in the fifth when Riley Greene laced an RBI single to score Alex Bregman. They added a crucial insurance run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Bregman. Gainesville attempted a late rally in the eighth as Royce Lewis doubled and scored on a Spencer Steer sacrifice fly, but the comeback fell short. Aroldis Chapman navigated a walk in the ninth to secure the save and the victory.

Final Score: Chicago 2 – Gainesville 1

Win: Hunter Brown 1-1 (1.35)
Loss: Logan Evans 1-1 (0.64)
Save: Aroldis Chapman #3

However, the Mobsters’ resilient lineup—headlined by Jackson Chourio‘s late-inning heroics and a massive seven-run second inning in Game 3—refused to buckle. The series’ emotional peak occurred in Game 4, when Chicago’s catcher Gary Sanchez suffered a severe collision at the plate, resulting in a 33-day injury. Despite the loss of their backstop, Chicago showed grit in a 14-inning marathon win, anchored by a Luis Arraez walk-off. The split leaves both clubs deadlocked as they establish themselves as early-season contenders.

Final Score: DAL 4, TSS 0

Final Score: DAL 7, TSS 4

Final Score: TSS 5, DAL 3

Final Score: DAL 12, TSS 5

Final Score: TSS 2, DAL 1

Final Score: DAL 9, TSS 1

Woo strands a ton of runners. He gives up 11 hits in 7 innings and only gives up one run. Colson Montgomery with the big 2 run homer in the 8th inning.

Luis Castillo throws a 3 hit complete game, but still loses. Michael Taylor hits a solo homer for the Road Runners in the 4th inning. Megill pitches 6.2 innings and earns the win.

Turang hits a homer for the Road Runners. Pederson knocks in the other run. Bassitt picks up the win. Fraley hits a solo homer for Alamo.

Logan Allen pitches a solid 7 innings for Alamo. Patrick Bailey drives in 2 runs. Sugano picks up the loss.

The Road Runners get an early lead as they hit Tajuan Walker hard. Westburg has 4 hits. Blalock earns the win.

Pivetta picks up his 2nd loss. Montgomery and Taylor hit homers for the Road Runners. Woo gives up 3 hits and earns his 2nd win of the season.

DETROIT, MI – In a classic Opening Day pitchers’ battle, the Tijuana Bottle Rockets squeaked past the Detroit Crime 2-1, capitalizing on timely hitting and a stellar performance from their bullpen to silence the home crowd.

The game was a showcase of dominant pitching from the outset. Detroit’s ace, Paul Skenes, was electric in his seven innings of work, striking out eight while scattering just three hits. However, two of those hits proved costly. After the Crime drew first blood on a solo blast from Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the first, the Bottle Rockets answered in the third. A single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a double from Austin Wells brought home the tying run, with Wells getting caught in a rundown trying to stretch the play.

Tijuana grabbed the lead for good in the fifth. After a leadoff walk to Isaac Paredes, Kiner-Falefa struck again, ripping an RBI double to left that put the Bottle Rockets ahead 2-1. Despite Skenes’ dominance—he finished with eight strikeouts and only two walks—the single run of support was all he would get.

The Crime threatened in the bottom of the eighth, putting two runners on with one out against the Tijuana bullpen. But Bottle Rockets reliever Caleb Thielbar induced a game-ending double play off the bat of Bryce Harper to snuff out the rally. In the ninth, Tijuana closer Kade Strowd retired Manny Machado on a groundout to seal the victory.

Top Performers

Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TIJ): The unsung hero of the day, Kiner-Falefa accounted for the game-winning run. He broke up Skenes’ no-hit bid with a third-inning single and later delivered the decisive RBI double in the fifth. He also made a key putout in the field.

Randy Arozarena (DET): Provided the lone spark for the Crime offense, launching a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning for his first long ball of the season.

Cristopher Sanchez (TIJ): The Bottle Rockets’ left-hander was magnificent, earning the win. Over seven innings, he limited the powerful Crime lineup to just one run on five hits, striking out six and walking none.

Paul Skenes (DET): The hard-luck loser, Skenes was nearly untouchable but lacked support. He fanned eight over seven frames, allowing only two runs on three hits.

Kade Strowd (TIJ): Picked up the save by recording the final out of the game, stranding the tying run on deck.

The Bottle Rockets take a 1-0 lead in this six-game set, while the Crime are left to rue missed opportunities, leaving four runners on base. The two teams will meet again tomorrow.

DETROIT – In a game that started as a pitchers’ duel and quickly spiraled into a slugfest, the Detroit Crime erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning to obliterate the Tijuana Bottle Rockets by a score of 14–5 on Thursday. The win evens the six-game series at one game apiece.

After Zack Wheeler and Reese Olson traded scoreless frames for the first two innings, the Crime bats came alive in the bottom of the second. Thairo Estrada’s grounder through the legs of second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa plated two runs, giving Detroit a 3-0 lead.

The floodgates opened in the fourth. Manny Machado led off with a solo shot to left. After a walk to Jose Azocar, Estrada crushed a two-run homer, chasing Olson from the game. Reliever Kyle Leahy fared no better. Randy Arozarena greeted him with a three-run bomb to center, and Machado capped the eight-run frame with his second homer of the day, a two-run shot to left, making it 11-0.

“It was one of those innings where everything clicked,” said Machado, who finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. “We put together great at-bats and didn’t miss our pitches.”

Tijuana showed some life in the fifth when Pete Crow-Armstrong launched a two-run homer off Wheeler, and again in the eighth when Corbin Carroll cleared the bases with a two-run shot, but the deficit was insurmountable. Donovan Solano added a three-run double in the sixth to further pad the Detroit lead.

HITTING HIGHLIGHTS:

Manny Machado (DET): 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI. A dominant performance from the third baseman.

Randy Arozarena (DET): 2-for-4, HR (3-run), 4 RBI. His homer in the fourth was the knockout blow.

Thairo Estrada (DET): 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI. Key two-run single in the second and a homer in the fourth.

Corbin Carroll (TIJ): 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI. Provided late fireworks with an eighth-inning homer.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (TIJ): 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI. Put Tijuana on the board with a fifth-inning blast.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS:

Zack Wheeler (DET): (W, 1-0) – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K. Dominant through six, allowing only a Crow-Armstrong homer.

Reese Olson (TIJ): (L, 0-1) – 3.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Tagged for two homers and couldn’t escape the fourth.

Jake Bird (DET): 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Allowed solo shots to Hayes and Carroll but closed the door.

The series continues as the Crime look to build on their momentum and take the lead.

DETROIT — In a game that featured six home runs, 26 total hits, and enough momentum swings to fill a season, the Tijuana Bottle Rockets out-slugged the Detroit Crime 14-8 on a wild afternoon at Crime Field.

The game was tied five different times before Tijuana broke it open with a five-run ninth inning capped by Trea Turner‘s emphatic grand slam.
HITTING STARS SHINE BRIGHT

Trea Turner (TIJ): The shortstop was unstoppable, going 4-for-6 with a double, a grand slam, and 4 RBI. His ninth-inning blast turned a tight game into a rout.

Kyle Schwarber (DET): Provided the thunder for Detroit with a two-homer performance, including a three-run shot in the first that briefly gave the Crime a 5-2 lead. He finished with 4 RBI.

Ian Happ (TIJ): Collected three hits and drove in three runs, including a solo homer in the eighth that extended the Bottle Rockets’ lead.

Junior Caminero (TIJ): Reached base four times with three hits, including a double, and scored three runs.

Bobby Witt Jr. (DET): Launched a solo homer in the fourth to give Detroit a brief 6-5 advantage.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS

Erik Miller (TIJ): Earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits and striking out one.

Caleb Thielbar (TIJ): Picked up the save despite allowing a solo homer to Schwarber, striking out four over two innings of work.

Ronel Blanco (DET): Lasted four innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in a no-decision.

Jake Bird (DET): Took the loss, surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits over two innings.

The win improves Tijuana to 2-1 on the season, while Detroit falls to 1-2 in this six-game series.

**DETROIT – In a game that felt firmly in hand for the home team, the Tijuana Bottle Rockets erupted for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to steal a 6-5 victory from the Detroit Crime.

Trailing 5-2 entering the final frame, the Bottle Rockets’ offense came alive against the Detroit bullpen. Pinch-hitter Isaac Paredes delivered the knockout blow, a two-out, two-run homer off reliever Jason Adam that turned a one-run deficit into a stunning 6-5 lead.

The Crime had seemed in control thanks to a powerful display from their lineup. Manny Machado got Detroit on the board in the second inning with a two-run blast, and Bryce Harper followed in the third with a two-run shot of his own to extend the lead to 4-1. Randy Arozarena added a solo homer in the sixth, making it 5-2 and putting the Crime in a commanding position.

Detroit starter Ryan Weathers was effective before exiting with a wrist injury in the fifth inning, allowing just one unearned run on two hits. The bullpen, however, could not hold the line. After Gabe Speier surrendered a two-run homer to Pete Crow-Armstrong to start the ninth, Adam served up Paredes’s decisive blast.

HITTING HIGHLIGHTS:

Manny Machado (DET): 2-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI. His third-inning homer briefly gave the Crime a lead they would hold until the ninth.

Bryce Harper (DET): 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, BB. His two-run homer in the third extended the Detroit advantage.

Randy Arozarena (DET): 1-for-4, HR (3), RBI. His solo shot in the sixth gave the Crime a seemingly comfortable 5-2 cushion.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (TIJ): 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI. His ninth-inning blast cut the deficit to one and ignited the comeback.

Isaac Paredes (TIJ): 1-for-1, HR (1), 2 RBI. Delivered the game-winning two-run homer as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

Trea Turner (TIJ): 2-for-5, RBI, SB. Provided a spark at the top of the order with a pair of hits.

PITCHING NOTES:

Ryan Weathers (DET): 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 K. Was in line for the win before exiting with an injury.

Framber Valdez (TIJ): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 6 K. Was tagged for three homers but kept his team in the game.

Cole Sulser (TIJ): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K. Picked up the win in relief.

Jason Adam (DET): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 K. Suffered the loss after surrendering Paredes’s go-ahead homer.

Kade Strowd (TIJ): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 2 BB. Earned his second save despite walking the bases loaded in the ninth.

The win improves the Bottle Rockets’ record to 3-1, while the Crime fall to 1-3 in this six-game series. The two teams will meet again tomorrow for Game 5.

DETROIT – In a game that had “extra frames” written all over it from the early going, the Tijuana Bottle Rockets finally broke through in the 13th inning to defeat the Detroit Crime 4-2 on a cool evening in Detroit. The victory was Tijuana’s third straight, improving them to 4-1, while Detroit dropped their third in a row to fall to 1-4.

The game was a classic pitchers’ duel that turned into a battle of attrition, with the score deadlocked at 2-2 from the sixth inning until the fateful 13th.

Pitching Dominates Early

Detroit starter Janson Junk was sharp early, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and escaping a third-inning threat thanks to a spectacular 9-2-6 double play that cut down Austin Wells at second base. Junk kept the Bottle Rockets off the board until the sixth.

Tijuana’s Spencer Strider was equally impressive, striking out five over 4.1 innings. He allowed just one run—a solo blast to Bobby Witt Jr. in the third that gave Detroit a 1-0 lead.

Happ Breaks the Seal

The Bottle Rockets finally answered in the sixth. Trea Turner led off with a single, and Ian Happ followed by crushing a two-run homer to right field, erasing the deficit and tying the game at 2-2.

From there, the bullpens took over. Detroit’s Dylan Lee and Tijuana’s Brendon Little traded zeroes, with both teams threatening but unable to push across the go-ahead run. Lee worked 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out four, while Little matched him with 2.2 shutout frames, fanning four of his own.

Caminero Plays Hero

With the game stretched to the 13th, Tijuana finally capitalized. Corbin Carroll drew a leadoff walk against Detroit reliever John Schreiber. Junior Caminero then stepped to the plate and delivered the biggest hit of the night, launching a two-run homer to left-center field to give the Bottle Rockets their first lead of the game at 4-2.

“It felt good,” Caminero said postgame. “I was just looking for something I could drive, and he left one over the plate.”

Erik Miller, the third Tijuana pitcher of the night, worked a perfect bottom of the 13th to secure the win.

Top Performers

Ian Happ (TIJ): The spark plug of the Tijuana offense, Happ went 3-for-5 with a double and the crucial two-run homer that tied the game in the sixth. He finished with two RBIs.

Junior Caminero (TIJ): Provided the game-winning heroics with his 13th-inning two-run blast, his first homer of the season.

Bobby Witt Jr. (DET): Provided the only offense for the Crime for most of the night, going 3-for-6 with a solo home run and a double.

Dylan Lee (DET): Was phenomenal in long relief for Detroit, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four.

Brendon Little (TIJ): Equally effective out of the Tijuana bullpen, throwing 2.2 hitless innings with four strikeouts.

The two teams will meet again as the six-game series in Detroit continues.

DETROIT – The Tijuana Bottle Rockets continued their scorching start to the season, riding a dominant pitching performance from Cristopher Sanchez and a relentless offensive attack to a 9-0 shutout victory over the Detroit Crime on Sunday. The win secures a 5-1 series victory for Tijuana, who have now won four straight games.

Sanchez (2-0) was masterful, scattering just three hits over seven innings of work. The left-hander was in complete command, walking two and striking out three while keeping the Crime hitters off balance all afternoon. The Detroit lineup never managed to mount a serious threat, stranding five runners and failing to score for the first time this season.

While Sanchez was dealing, the Bottle Rockets’ bats provided ample support, amassing 10 hits. The scoring began in the fourth inning when Jahmai Jones led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The floodgates opened in the fifth. Austin Wells crushed a solo home run to right field to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, back-to-back doubles from Ian Happ and Corbin Carroll chased two more runs across the plate, extending the lead to 4-0.

Any hopes of a Crime comeback were dashed in the eighth. Junior Caminero launched a two-run homer off reliever Jake Bird, his second long ball in as many games, pushing the advantage to 7-0. Tijuana added two more in the ninth on a hit batter and a fielder’s choice to account for the final margin.

Crime starter Paul Skenes (0-2) took the loss despite a valiant effort. The right-hander struck out 10 batters over six innings but was tagged for four runs on six hits, including the pivotal home run by Wells.

For Tijuana, Jones finished with two hits and an RBI, while Carroll and Happ each drove in a run with their clutch doubles. Caminero led the way with three RBIs. The Bottle Rockets’ offense was too much for a Detroit team that managed only three hits on the day, all singles.

FALCONS 8 / 16 / 0
COMETS 2 / 7 / 1
WP – Cabrera (1-0)
LP – Wrobleski (0-1)

FALCONS 6 / 9 / 2
COMETS 7 / 10 / 2
WP – Dominguez (1-0)
LP – Williams (0-1)

FALCONS 2 / 3 / 1
COMETS 4 / 5 / 1
WP – Priester (1-0)
LP – Yamamoto (0-1)
S – Phillips (1)

FALCONS 11 / 11 / 0
COMETS 2 / 9 / 1
WP – Buehler (1-0)
LP – Tidwell (0-1)

FALCONS 1 / 3 / 1
COMETS 0 / 4 / 1
WP – Pepiot (1-0)
LP – Dominguez (1-1)

FALCONS 6 / 10 / 1
COMETS 3 / 8 / 0
WP – Cabrera (2-0)
LP – Soriano (0-1)
S – Williams (1)

Last season, the Cycle finished last in a 3-way tie, drawing the 8th seed and an early exit from the playoffs. That said, they at least did make the playoffs and are hoping to retrun in 2026, though their roster is a bit too thin to be a World Series contender.

Fremont finished 2nd in the AL in 2025 then fought through a tough crowd to make it to the World Series, where their power vanished and they saw Sacramento come away with the trophy. This year’s team takes a step back offensively, while the rotation has a pair of aces but will also be dealing 3’s and 4’s quite often. Another division championship is the goal this year but will be harder to come by than in recent years.

Like many an Opening Day matchup, this turned out to be a pitchers’ duel. Robbie Ray and Carlos Rodon put up zeroes on the scoreboard until the fifth. Fremont had two on in the third with a Byron Buxton single advancing the runners, but Joey Bart ran through a red light and J.J. Bleday gunned him down.

In the fifth, Nate Lowe leads it off with a triple after Austin Hays misses a diving catch. A Dane Myers walk puts runners on the corners, then Curtis Mead delivers on the hit-and-run to bring in the games first run for Corktown. Logan O’Hoppe then grounds into a double play, but that’s enough to bring in the second run to make it 2-0 Corktown. Luis Urias and Joey Bart single in the bottom of the inning, then Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singles one home to cut the lead to 2-1.

Steals of third base in the sixth and seventh innings give Corktown a chance for insurance run, but the runners are left stranded. Fremont gets a big swing from Byron Buxton in the eighth, with a solo HR tying the game 2-2. The Cannons then get a runner on 2nd in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Carlos Correa popped out and we go to extra innings for the opener.

Both teams go 1-2-3 in the tenth. An infield hit and walk in the top of the inning sets the stage for J.J. Bleday’s 3-run HR, giving the Cycle the 5-2 lead. An error to lead off the bottom of the inning puts Elly de la Cruz on third, but Yoan Moncada’s bouncer to the pitcher leads to DLC getting caught in a rundown. Fremont wouldn’t get another runner, and the Cycle win the opener 5-2 in 11 innings.

Fremont committed two errors, including the first play of the game. Corktown committed one, though none of the errors led to runs. Corktown ran wild, going 5-5 in stolen bases. Shohei Ohtani, Ben Rice, and Elly de la Cruz all started their season 0-5.

W: Bennett Sousa (1-0)
L: Garrett Whitlock (0-1)

HR: CRK- J.J. Bleday (1); FRE- Byron Buxton (1)

Corktown strikes first again, with a 3rd inning solo HR by Curtis Mead. Logan O’Hoppe singles, then Jose Caballero hits the second Cycle HR of the inning and Corktown jumps out to the 3-0 early lead. A pair of walks to lead off the bottom of the fourth is followed by an Elly de la Cruz single to score a run and put runners on the corners. Bryan Bello gets the next two batters to leave it at 3-1.

Shohei Ohtani leads off the eighth with a walk, but Fremont can’t put anything else together. The Cycle then pad the lead in the eighth after having no trouble hitting Will Vest to go up 5-1. Fremont doesn’t do anything the rest of the way and falls 5-1 to Corktown.

Corktown went 2-2 in stolen bases, staying perfect. Shohei Ohtani goes to 0-8 on the season but did get on base with a walk. Ben Rice goes to 0-9.

W: Bryan Bello (1-0)
L: Tarik Skubal (0-1)
S: Taylor Clarke (1)

HR: CRK- Jose Caballero (1), Curtis Mead (1); FRE- none

Fremont gets on the board with a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. solo HR in the first. A Daylen Lile triple could lead to another but instead goes nowhere. Logan O’Hoppe ties it in the third with a solo HR of his own. Fremont gets two on with no outs in the fourth, but leaves everyone stranded.

Fremont leads off the sixth with a Guerrero Jr. double, but the bigger story is J.J. Bleday running into the wall and being knocked out for 16 days. Corktown doesn’t let it get to them and keeps him from scoring. Injury-replacement Dylan Crews then leads off the seventh with a double. An attempted steal of third leads to a wild throw from Bo Naylor, bringing him in for the 2-1 Corktown lead. Nolan Gorman gets a hold of one in the bottom inning to tie it back up again 2-2.

Amed Rosario leads off the ninth with a double. A groundout moves him to 3rd with one out and brings up pinch-hitter Curtis Mead. The plan goes awry when Mead is beaned and also lost for 16 days, but puts runners at the corners. A pair of strikeouts from Robert Suarez ends the threat right there. Elly de la Cruz leads off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Mike Ystrzemski tries to bunt him over to 3rd, but failing that, just grounds him over to 3rd. The next two batters can’t execute, and we go to extra innings tied 2-2.

Garrett Whitlock is called upon again after blowing game 1. A walk and a wild pitch give the Cycle a chance, but he whiffs Ben Rice to keep it tied. The Cannons go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth.

Whitlock keeps it boring in top of the eleventh and takes down the side in order. Taylor Clarke does the same in the bottom of the inning.

Edwin Uceta comes on in the top of the twelfth and sets down the Cycle in order. After getting the first out, Clarke runs into trouble in the bottom of the twelfth with a Carlos Correa double. Corktown opts for youthful optimism and brings in Bubba Chandler who excitedly hits Luis Urias. A single from pinch-hitter Yoan Moncada is hit too sharply to bring in the run but does load the bases. Byron Buxton is brought on as a pinch-hitter and “BUXTON goes out and gets it… a long drive to deep left field … MYERS galloping back … back … back…and MYERS watches it disappear … a grand slam home run for BUXTON! … it’s all over!” Fremont gets their first win of the season 6-2.

Worse than the loss on the field are the player losses due to injury for Corktown. The Cycle again go 2-2 on stolen bases to go to 9-9 for the season. Fremont tries to follow their lead but ends up 0-1. Joey Cantillo picked up 12 strikeouts in 7 innings in the no-decision. In the staring contest of “who doesn’t get a hit first”, neither Shohei Ohtani (0-13) nor Ben Rice (0-14) blink, though Rice does geta a golden sombrero out of it.

W: Edwin Uceta (1-0)
L: Taylor Clarke (0-1)

HR: CRK- none; FRE- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1), Nolan Gorman (1), Byron Buxton (2)

Finally feeling some momentum after Buxton’s walk-off grand slam, the Cannons waste it in devastating fashion. Kodai Senga tries to get the Cycle on the board in the fist with a leadoff walk to Jose Caballero followed by a wild pitch. After moving him over and getting runners on the corners, a double steal is snuffed out at home and Corktown suffers its first Caught Stealing (now a sad 9-10 In SB attempts). Senga escapes the inning with no damage.

Byron Buxton doubles in the bottom of the inning, then a HBP on Elly de la Cruz puts two on. DLC is worse for it and exits the game, which Fremont assumed would be their only injury to deal with (it wasn’t). The Cannons do nothing with the baserunners so it stays scoreless.

In the third, an infield single followed by a walk brings up Ben Rice (the 0-15 guy) and he decides that his 2026 season starts now and doubles in a run. Senga is fortunate to close out the rest of the side without more damage. That luck runs out in the fifth.

Jose Caballero leads off with a walk. Jazz Chisholm does the same. Ben (now can hit) Rice doubles in one, Danny Jansen gets the third Senga walk of the inning. Amed Rosario grounds out to bring in another run. Then with two outs, Dan Myers puts the game out of reach with a 3-run HR. Chase Dollander comes for Senga on to earn some BFs.

The result is predictable after that, especially in the sixth when a collision occurs between Yoan Moncada (who came in with the DLC) and Josh Naylor. Moncada takes the worst of it (23 days) while Naylor is lost for 6. The Cannons give up more runs, fail to score any, and lose 8-0. The only positive is 20 BF to Dollander’s ledger and the first caught stealing for the Cycle. Shohei Ohtani wins the “start the season 0-fer contest” with Ben Rice by going 0-2 for a total of 0-15, but is pulled when the game is out of hand, avoiding his chance for a meaningless homer or something late. Jose Berrios gets the CGS with 11 K’s, though it’s starting to be questionable if the Cannons have a major league offense…

W: Jose Berrios (1-0)
L: Kodai Senga (0-1)

HR: CRK- Dane Myers (1); FRE- none

The Cannons can rally after their injuries like Corktown did, right? Shohei Ohtani can use a start on the mound to get him out of his funk, right?

Well, it looks good in the 1st. A walk and single sets up Daylen Lile’s run-scoring double. Elly de la Cruz walks to load the bases, then Mike Yastrzemski singles to bring in two more for the 3-0 Fremont lead. Ohtani walks again in the second, then Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scores them both with a 2-run homer and Fremont has a 5-0 lead. Bibee hits the showers early. Ohtani goes 5 scoreless, then the tide begins to turn.

Robert Suarez comes in to the sixth intending to pitch one inning. Jazz Chisholm greets him with a solo HR and it’s now 5-1. Fremont forgets to make the double switch, watches Suarez fail at the plate, then keeps him on too long as he gives up three in the seventh, with the big blow being a Carson Williams 2-run double. Now at 5-4, Corktown smells blood in the water, and Dylan Crews leads off the eighth with a game tying homer. Now at 5-5, Fremont’s manager is flustered and again forgets the double switch, and the Cannons go scoreless.

An Elly de la Cruz error (now on pace for 97 this season) puts the leadoff runner on in the ninth, and an infield single gets two on. A fielder’s choice puts them at the corners, but a strikeout gets the second out, and Ben Rice reverts to early-series Ben Rice and leaves them stranded. Fremont benefits from a Carson Williams error in the bottom of the ninth, getting Guerrero Jr. on with one out. Daylen Lile continues his early-season good form by following with a single. Jeremiah Estrada comes in and only faces one batter as DLC sends one into the corner to bring home the winning run in a walkoff. Fremont 6, Corktown 5.

The Cannons can rally after their injuries like Corktown did, right? Well, 5 early runs seemed like it, until they gave all of them back.

Shohei Ohtani can use a start on the mound to get him out of his funk, right? Two walks and two runs is nice, but no hits puts him at 0-18 on the season.

No attempted stolen bases from Corktown- are they scared of Austin Hedges? No wins on the season from a Fremont starter, despite the 5-0 lead when Ohtani left.

W: Jared Koenig (1-0)
L: Bennett Sousa (1-1)

HR: CRK- Jazz Chisholm (1), Dylan Crews (1); FRE- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2)

Rematch of Game 1’s pitcher’s duel. Fremont hopes to salvage a split, while Corktown would love to start the year with a series win.

A two-run first-inning homer from Ben Rice gets the visitors going early. Nate Lowe keeps the Cycle fans cheering with a solo shot in the second to extend the lead to 3-0. Fremont gets their first run in the third, as a Luis Urias single is followed by a Joey Bart double, and a Shohei Ohtani sac fly (almost as good as a hit?) brings Urias home.

A leadoff double in the fourth from Anthony Volpe becomes runners at the corners, but the threat is ended when Volpe is picked off at third with two outs. Both starters keep things scoreless until the seventh. Teoscar Hernandez tees one up, and Fremont cuts the Cycle lead to 3-2. One inning later, Mr. Shohei Ohtani gets his first hit of the season- and of course it’s a home run! We are now tied at 3-3, heading to the ninth.

With two outs in the ninth, Anthony Volpe singles. After a pickoff and a caught stealing earlier in the game, he runs again and this time steals 2nd. Will Vest gets Nate Lowe swinging, so it was all for naught. Fremont gets Austin Hays on with a single. One out and one wild pitch later he’s on 2nd, but Teoscar Hernandez strikes out against Ray in his ninth inning of work and we have our 3rd extra inning game of the series.

Danny Jansen leads off the tenth with a double. Pinch-runner James Outman gets to 3rd with two outs but is stranded. Fremont goes 1-2-3 in their half.

Corktown is quiet in the 11th. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads off the bottom half with a single, but Taylor Clarke gets the next three batters. Nolan Gorman’s two-out walk is the only baserunner for either team in the twelfth.

Logan O’Hoppe leads off the thirteenth with a single, but is erased on a fielder’s choice and the Cycle do not threaten further. Shohei Ohtani’s second hit of the season is a leadoff double in the bottom of the twelfth. Young Bubba Chandler gets Guerrero Jr. to ground out but Ohtani advances to third with one out. Chandler strikes out Byron Buxton but walks Elly de la Cruz to put runners on the corners. Fremont calls for the hit-and-run with Austin Hays at bat, but DLC is thrown out at second to end the inning.

Corktown goes 1-2-3 in the fourteenth. A two-out walk to Austin Hedges gives the Cannons a baserunner, but Chandler strikes out Gorman.

Moving to the fifteenth inning the Cycle again go 1-2-3. Mike Yastrzemski leads off the bottom of the inning with a walk. After an Ohtani flyout, Guerrero Jr. successfully executes the hit-and-run to put runners on the corners. Jeremiah Estrada comes in and only faces one batter as he did the day before, as Byron Buxton hits a sac fly to bring in the winning run. Fremont takes it 4-3 in 15 innings.

W: Edwin Uceta (2-0)
L: Bubba Chandler (0-1)

HR: CRK- Ben Rice (1), Nate Lowe (1); FRE- Shohei Ohtani (1), Teoscar Hernandez (1)

Many big hitters from both teams see their averages around .100 or less, highlighted by Shohei Ohtani’s .087. Coming off a poor offensive effort in the World Series, it didn’t seem to change too much for the Cannons.

Corktown manager Duke Robinson Jr. had a lot of trust in his starters, as there were four 9-inning outings with high performance. Robbie Ray definitely deserved to pick up at least one win.

First round pick Daylen Lile handled the pressure easily, with a 1.133 OPS in his debut. Other offensive stars included Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.938 OPS, 5 runs scored), Byron Buxton (.985 OPS, 6 RBI), and Jose Caballero (.807 OPS, 5 runs scored).

Next week: Corktown stays on the road in an interleague matchup with Triple Creek, while Fremont stays in the division, heading to the Queen City of Cincinnati.