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Deadspin | Cardinals set season high in runs, blow past Pirates  Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals second base as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) looks on during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images   Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II homered Tuesday night, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each knocked in three runs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7.  St. Louis scored multiple runs in four different innings, finishing with 12 hits. The Cards were efficient, going 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position and stranding only seven runners. The Cardinals collected six extra-base hits and reached double figures in runs for the first time this year.  Kyle Leahy (3-3) garnered the win, scattering nine hits and allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned seven.  Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) absorbed the loss, permitting six runs on six hits and three walks while whiffing seven. Ashcraft and reliever Hunter Barco combined to issue five walks and Pittsburgh chipped in two errors.  Gorman got the onslaught started in the second with his fourth homer of the year, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and walloping it over the seats in right field. Scott led off the third with his first homer, belting it an estimated 415 feet to right.  Walker tacked on an RBI single later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. St. Louis doubled its lead in the fifth, getting a run-scoring double from Burleson plus sacrifice flies from Walker and Gorman.   Leahy cruised into the sixth inning before the Pirates got back into the game briefly. Oneil Cruz launched a leadoff homer to center, his ninth of the year, and Ryan O’Hearn drilled his fifth homer, a two-run shot with Bryan Reynolds aboard to cut the margin to 6-3.  But the Cardinals responded in their half of the seventh with three more runs. Walker’s second RBI single, an infield out from Gorman and Masyn Winn’s run-scoring single restored a six-run lead.  St. Louis made it 11-3 in the eighth when Burleson laced a two-run double to right-center. Pittsburgh scored three runs in its half of the eighth on O’Hearn’s RBI single and a two-run single by Nick Gonzales.  Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Pirates, his second.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Cardinals #set #season #high #runs #blow #Pirates

Deadspin | Cardinals set season high in runs, blow past Pirates
Deadspin | Cardinals set season high in runs, blow past Pirates  Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals second base as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) looks on during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images   Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II homered Tuesday night, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each knocked in three runs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7.  St. Louis scored multiple runs in four different innings, finishing with 12 hits. The Cards were efficient, going 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position and stranding only seven runners. The Cardinals collected six extra-base hits and reached double figures in runs for the first time this year.  Kyle Leahy (3-3) garnered the win, scattering nine hits and allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned seven.  Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) absorbed the loss, permitting six runs on six hits and three walks while whiffing seven. Ashcraft and reliever Hunter Barco combined to issue five walks and Pittsburgh chipped in two errors.  Gorman got the onslaught started in the second with his fourth homer of the year, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and walloping it over the seats in right field. Scott led off the third with his first homer, belting it an estimated 415 feet to right.  Walker tacked on an RBI single later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. St. Louis doubled its lead in the fifth, getting a run-scoring double from Burleson plus sacrifice flies from Walker and Gorman.   Leahy cruised into the sixth inning before the Pirates got back into the game briefly. Oneil Cruz launched a leadoff homer to center, his ninth of the year, and Ryan O’Hearn drilled his fifth homer, a two-run shot with Bryan Reynolds aboard to cut the margin to 6-3.  But the Cardinals responded in their half of the seventh with three more runs. Walker’s second RBI single, an infield out from Gorman and Masyn Winn’s run-scoring single restored a six-run lead.  St. Louis made it 11-3 in the eighth when Burleson laced a two-run double to right-center. Pittsburgh scored three runs in its half of the eighth on O’Hearn’s RBI single and a two-run single by Nick Gonzales.  Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Pirates, his second.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Cardinals #set #season #high #runs #blow #PiratesApr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals second base as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) looks on during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II homered Tuesday night, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each knocked in three runs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7.

St. Louis scored multiple runs in four different innings, finishing with 12 hits. The Cards were efficient, going 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position and stranding only seven runners. The Cardinals collected six extra-base hits and reached double figures in runs for the first time this year.

Kyle Leahy (3-3) garnered the win, scattering nine hits and allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned seven.

Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) absorbed the loss, permitting six runs on six hits and three walks while whiffing seven. Ashcraft and reliever Hunter Barco combined to issue five walks and Pittsburgh chipped in two errors.

Gorman got the onslaught started in the second with his fourth homer of the year, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and walloping it over the seats in right field. Scott led off the third with his first homer, belting it an estimated 415 feet to right.


Walker tacked on an RBI single later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. St. Louis doubled its lead in the fifth, getting a run-scoring double from Burleson plus sacrifice flies from Walker and Gorman.

Leahy cruised into the sixth inning before the Pirates got back into the game briefly. Oneil Cruz launched a leadoff homer to center, his ninth of the year, and Ryan O’Hearn drilled his fifth homer, a two-run shot with Bryan Reynolds aboard to cut the margin to 6-3.

But the Cardinals responded in their half of the seventh with three more runs. Walker’s second RBI single, an infield out from Gorman and Masyn Winn’s run-scoring single restored a six-run lead.

St. Louis made it 11-3 in the eighth when Burleson laced a two-run double to right-center. Pittsburgh scored three runs in its half of the eighth on O’Hearn’s RBI single and a two-run single by Nick Gonzales.

Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Pirates, his second.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Cardinals #set #season #high #runs #blow #Pirates

Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals second base as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) looks on during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II homered Tuesday night, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each knocked in three runs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7.

St. Louis scored multiple runs in four different innings, finishing with 12 hits. The Cards were efficient, going 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position and stranding only seven runners. The Cardinals collected six extra-base hits and reached double figures in runs for the first time this year.

Kyle Leahy (3-3) garnered the win, scattering nine hits and allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned seven.

Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) absorbed the loss, permitting six runs on six hits and three walks while whiffing seven. Ashcraft and reliever Hunter Barco combined to issue five walks and Pittsburgh chipped in two errors.

Gorman got the onslaught started in the second with his fourth homer of the year, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and walloping it over the seats in right field. Scott led off the third with his first homer, belting it an estimated 415 feet to right.

Walker tacked on an RBI single later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. St. Louis doubled its lead in the fifth, getting a run-scoring double from Burleson plus sacrifice flies from Walker and Gorman.

Leahy cruised into the sixth inning before the Pirates got back into the game briefly. Oneil Cruz launched a leadoff homer to center, his ninth of the year, and Ryan O’Hearn drilled his fifth homer, a two-run shot with Bryan Reynolds aboard to cut the margin to 6-3.

But the Cardinals responded in their half of the seventh with three more runs. Walker’s second RBI single, an infield out from Gorman and Masyn Winn’s run-scoring single restored a six-run lead.

St. Louis made it 11-3 in the eighth when Burleson laced a two-run double to right-center. Pittsburgh scored three runs in its half of the eighth on O’Hearn’s RBI single and a two-run single by Nick Gonzales.

Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Pirates, his second.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Cardinals #set #season #high #runs #blow #Pirates

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How FIFA turned the World Cup into the biggest grift in sports <div id="zephr-anchor"><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The FIFA World Cup is the world’s richest clown show. Recently run by people <a href="https://abcnews.com/Sports/fifa-investigation/story?id=31332200">investigated for international criminal conspiracy,</a> now run by people <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gianni-infantino-wanted-canada-treat-111927180.html">who ask to be treated like the Pope on a visit to Canada</a>. Bought and paid for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/03/30/china-fifa-corruption-human-rights-world-cup">by dictators for decades</a>, sustained by those who see its mandate over the world’s most popular sport as the ultimate source of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/27/world-cup-bonanza-of-sportswashing-donald-trump-ice-human-rights">power and sportswashing.</a> Yet it has managed to be completely unfunny even in its incompetent, institutional idiocy, always dipping its disgusting toes into matters that defy even the realm of comedy. You find yourself laughing at it out of delirious shock, before realizing what horrific realities lie beneath the face paint and red noses.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">I can’t really “criticize FIFA” as I would, say, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/24481208/las-vegas-raiders-losers-worst-franchise-other-than-jets-history-coaches-millions-waste">the Las Vegas Raiders</a>, because FIFA’s misdeeds exist on such a galactic scale that I can’t actually do them any justice. There are a billion reasons to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but I’m not asking you to do that. I am even tempted to say I won’t enjoy it, but I know I will.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The World Cup is entertainment genius; it’s the world’s prodding, calculating, beautiful game distilled into a single chaotic flow, national pride and eternal glory for the victors. It is the greatest spectacle on earth, the peak of every player’s career. And it is being stepped on like a cockroach. Yes, we will enjoy the World Cup, but we will enjoy it in spite of everything I am about to tell you. And it is within that dissonance, our enjoyment leeched upon by subsurface repulsion, that we find suffering instead of celebration.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">It seemed impossible that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be topped in terms of pre-tournament issues — it spawned a standalone Wikipedia article titled: “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2022_FIFA_World_Cup_controversies">List of 2022 FIFA World Cup Controversies</a>.” But the 2026 World Cup in North America has not even begun, and yet it is a mortal lock to be categorically insane. Whereas the Qatar contest was the result of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/16/sepp-blatter-qatar-2022-world-cup-mistake">documented corruption, graft and secrecy</a>, 2026 is the out-in-the-open sequel.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">For instance, President Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7234444/2026/04/27/fifa-peace-prize-trump-infantino-klaveness/">the winner of the spectacularly not-illustrious FIFA Peace Prize</a>, will surely be the event’s main character given <a href="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-12-01/how-infantino-and-trumps-unlikely-friendship-is-bringing-soccer-to-the-maga-world.html">his cozy association with the much-maligned FIFA president Gianni Infantino</a> and their perfectly matched egomania. And he will be the mascot of the event even despite the depravity of his immigration crackdown <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/27/world-cup-bonanza-of-sportswashing-donald-trump-ice-human-rights">that will threaten the security and human rights of soccer fans</a> who travel to the United States; Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already issued a public warning. He will glow in the light of his Not-The-Nobel Peace Prize while prosecuting an aggressive war with Iran, who qualified for the World Cup, as Trump’s representatives <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/22/trump-envoy-seeks-to-replace-iran-with-italy-at-world-cup-says-report">attempt to replace them with Italy, who did not</a>.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Infantino has repeatedly made a mockery of his position and authority, called a “nowhere man in this bonfire of greed, vanity and despotic power” (I can’t do any better than that) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/28/gianni-infantino-fifa-world-cup-2022-qatar">by The Guardian’s Barney Ronay in 2022</a>. The FIFA President is seen by many observers as an over-promoted megalomaniac who has marshalled global soccer to serve himself above all others. And lately, FIFA’s utterly guaranteed profit-margin has come at the direct expense of its consumers.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">FIFA has treated their ticket sales like we live in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max hellscape, and their tickets are gasoline; feel scammed? That’s just the way of the world. The Athletic’s Henry Bushnell has been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7175652/2026/04/08/world-cup-tickets-fans-stadium-seating-map/?unlocked_article_code=1.ZVA.paHZ.e5Bd5V1Q0_qz&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta">relentlessly reporting</a> on the changing seat maps and lack of transparency despite stratospheric price hikes, and it’s really something to behold. FIFA has treated their fans, and the greatest sporting event the world has to offer, like a cash cow they can repeatedly bludgeon with impunity.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">And they can. What began as a regulatory body for European soccer between seven continental countries is now an essentially <a href="https://home.fau.edu/cboudreaux/web/FIFA%20Corruption%20final%20draft%20for%20online%20version.pdf">unaccountable superstructure of graft and corporate overreach</a>. I often joke that while American sports can sometimes feel chaotic and corrupt, with <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1104918/fanatics-exclusive-licensing-deals-need-to-end-for-sports-fans-to-get-a-fair-shake">monopolistic leagues</a> organized financially like drug cartels, international soccer makes American leagues look like a kindergarten papier-mâché project.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">2015 saw FIFA investigated for multinational racketeering; we’ve had<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/nyregion/soccer-corruption-charges-fox-employee.html"> broadcast rights bribery,</a> investigations about how in the world <em>Qatar</em> was awarded the 2022 World Cup, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/nine-fifa-officials-and-five-corporate-executives-indicted-racketeering-conspiracy-and">lines of financial criminality</a> that penetrate local administration, you name it. FIFA, which is supposed to be an administrative and regulatory body, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/21/america-is-showing-us-football-in-its-final-dictator-form-we-cant-afford-to-look-away">has behaved like the dictator of international soccer</a> and has placed itself above the game; they have become a distraction rather than a unifier. If there’s one silver lining, though, it’s that their culture of greed and corruption is hitting the United States at the perfect time, as it will have ample opportunity to mix and mingle with our own special brand of greed and corruption that is presently ascendant in American politics and business.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The World Cup should be the <em>coolest thing ever</em> when it comes around, and it’s still amazing every time. But why must it come with a persistent circus of financial crimes, authoritarian-curious actors with egos the size of Jupiter and human rights violations at every turn? It is the epitome of a sporting event being too big to fail, too popular to boycott and too powerful to fight.</p></div></div> #FIFA #turned #World #Cup #biggest #grift #sports

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World Boxing follows IOC approach, permits Russian and Belarusian boxers to take part as neutral athletes <div id="content-body-70920703" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Boxers from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes by World Boxing, the new governing body recently put in charge of Olympic boxing competitions.</p><p>World Boxing announced on Tuesday that it would treat Russian and Belarusian boxers as neutral athletes, following the approach generally taken by the International Olympic Committe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.</p><p>Fighters and support personnel from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to take part in World Boxing events with flags, uniforms or national anthems. They must also be cleared through a vetting process to ensure they have not supported the war in Ukraine or have links to the Russian military.</p><p>World Boxing was formed in 2023 as an alternative to the International Boxing Association, which was permanently banned from the Olympic movement that year. The IOC had lost patience with the IBA after years of governance issues and financial misconduct, compounded by the organisation’s ties to Russia following the election of Umar Kremlev as president in 2020.</p><p>The IBA largely ignored restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes across sport in recent years, allowing them to compete with national flags and symbols from 2023.</p><p><b>ALSO READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/white-house-response-on-us-president-donald-trump-winning-fifa-peace-prize-world-cup-2026/article70919100.ece#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">None more deserving of FIFA Peace Prize than Donald Trump: White House</a></b></p><p>World Boxing was given provisional recognition by the IOC in February 2025. The IOC had run the Olympic boxing tournaments in Tokyo and Paris after the IBA was excluded.</p><p>A month later, boxing was formally confirmed as part of the programme for the Los Angeles Olympics after months of uncertainty over the sport’s governance.</p><p>World Boxing has gradually expanded its membership to include federations from almost every nation. It also added federations from Russia and Belarus last month. Ukraine’s federation joined the organisation last year.</p><p>Gennadiy Golovkin, the former middleweight world champion who won an Olympic silver medal for Kazakhstan in 2004, was elected World Boxing president last year.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 29, 2026</p></div> #World #Boxing #IOC #approach #permits #Russian #Belarusian #boxers #part #neutral #athletes

#SRH #IPL #Mumbai #Indians #wearing #black #armbands #Sunrisers #Hyderabad">MI vs SRH, IPL 2026: Why is Mumbai Indians wearing black armbands against Sunrisers Hyderabad?  Mumbai Indians players will wear black armbands in its IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.The team will do so as a mark of respect to a support staff member’s daughter who has passed away. The franchise said that it would wear the armbands “in remembrance and solidarity with the family” ahead of the match.MI is currently ninth in the IPL table, having won two of its first eight matches.Published on Apr 29, 2026  #SRH #IPL #Mumbai #Indians #wearing #black #armbands #Sunrisers #Hyderabad
Deadspin | Tarik Skubal, Tigers take aim at hot Braves    Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) walks off the field for pitching change during the seventh inning against Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 23, 2026.   Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will take the mound on Wednesday night when his Detroit Tigers face the host Atlanta Braves and their top rookie pitching prospect.  The Braves recorded a 5-2 victory Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series. It was Atlanta’s ninth straight win over the Tigers, who fell to 5-13 on the road this season.  Atlanta has won 11 of its past 13 games overall.  The left-handed Skubal (3-2, 2.72 ERA) will oppose Braves right-hander JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.57), who will make his second career start.  Skubal had good stuff but received a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday when he allowed four runs — three in the seventh inning without recording an out. When he returned to the dugout after being lifted in the seventh, he flipped over a small cooler and threw his glove.  “A mentally challenging day for him,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He got dinged up a little bit at the end, but he pitched us pretty deep into the game.”  Skubal has made only one career start against the Braves, in 2024 when he allowed five runs (four earned) over four innings and took the loss.  Ritchie, 22, made his major league debut on Thursday against the Washington Nationals and yielded two runs on five hits — one of them a leadoff homer on Ritchie’s first pitch — with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 7-2 victory.   “Going into it, I wasn’t going to worry too much about the hitters,” Ritchie said. “I kind of wanted to let (catcher Drake Baldwin) take care of that, and he did a great job all day. Very communicative, him and (Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner), just, ‘Hey, go out there and throw your stuff.’ Talking between innings about adjustments, what we’re gonna do. They definitely made my life a lot easier.”  Wednesday may be Ritchie’s last opportunity to start early this season. The Braves said Spencer Strider would not need another rehab start and would be returned to the rotation. That could come as soon as this weekend in Colorado.  Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle had an infield hit on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He is batting .347 during the streak.  The Tigers had two players leave Tuesday’s game because of injuries.   Starting pitcher Casey Mize exited in the third inning with a right groin strain, and center fielder Javy Baez had to be carted off the field after catching his right ankle under his body while trying to slide into first base to beat a high throw. Both will be evaluated on Wednesday.  Atlanta activated right-hander Didier Fuentes when Dylan Lee went on the paternity list on Tuesday. Lee, who has made a team-high 14 appearances, likely will miss the entire series against Detroit. Fuentes pitched two scoreless innings on Tuesday night.  Atlanta said shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Columbus this week. Kim signed a  million, one-year contract as a free agent. He fell on some ice in Korea in January and injured the finger on his throwing hand.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Tarik #Skubal #Tigers #aim #hot #BravesDetroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) walks off the field for pitching change during the seventh inning against Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will take the mound on Wednesday night when his Detroit Tigers face the host Atlanta Braves and their top rookie pitching prospect.

The Braves recorded a 5-2 victory Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series. It was Atlanta’s ninth straight win over the Tigers, who fell to 5-13 on the road this season.

Atlanta has won 11 of its past 13 games overall.

The left-handed Skubal (3-2, 2.72 ERA) will oppose Braves right-hander JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.57), who will make his second career start.

Skubal had good stuff but received a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday when he allowed four runs — three in the seventh inning without recording an out. When he returned to the dugout after being lifted in the seventh, he flipped over a small cooler and threw his glove.

“A mentally challenging day for him,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He got dinged up a little bit at the end, but he pitched us pretty deep into the game.”

Skubal has made only one career start against the Braves, in 2024 when he allowed five runs (four earned) over four innings and took the loss.


Ritchie, 22, made his major league debut on Thursday against the Washington Nationals and yielded two runs on five hits — one of them a leadoff homer on Ritchie’s first pitch — with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 7-2 victory.

“Going into it, I wasn’t going to worry too much about the hitters,” Ritchie said. “I kind of wanted to let (catcher Drake Baldwin) take care of that, and he did a great job all day. Very communicative, him and (Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner), just, ‘Hey, go out there and throw your stuff.’ Talking between innings about adjustments, what we’re gonna do. They definitely made my life a lot easier.”

Wednesday may be Ritchie’s last opportunity to start early this season. The Braves said Spencer Strider would not need another rehab start and would be returned to the rotation. That could come as soon as this weekend in Colorado.

Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle had an infield hit on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He is batting .347 during the streak.

The Tigers had two players leave Tuesday’s game because of injuries.

Starting pitcher Casey Mize exited in the third inning with a right groin strain, and center fielder Javy Baez had to be carted off the field after catching his right ankle under his body while trying to slide into first base to beat a high throw. Both will be evaluated on Wednesday.

Atlanta activated right-hander Didier Fuentes when Dylan Lee went on the paternity list on Tuesday. Lee, who has made a team-high 14 appearances, likely will miss the entire series against Detroit. Fuentes pitched two scoreless innings on Tuesday night.

Atlanta said shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Columbus this week. Kim signed a $20 million, one-year contract as a free agent. He fell on some ice in Korea in January and injured the finger on his throwing hand.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Tarik #Skubal #Tigers #aim #hot #Braves">Deadspin | Tarik Skubal, Tigers take aim at hot Braves    Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) walks off the field for pitching change during the seventh inning against Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 23, 2026.   Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will take the mound on Wednesday night when his Detroit Tigers face the host Atlanta Braves and their top rookie pitching prospect.  The Braves recorded a 5-2 victory Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series. It was Atlanta’s ninth straight win over the Tigers, who fell to 5-13 on the road this season.  Atlanta has won 11 of its past 13 games overall.  The left-handed Skubal (3-2, 2.72 ERA) will oppose Braves right-hander JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.57), who will make his second career start.  Skubal had good stuff but received a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday when he allowed four runs — three in the seventh inning without recording an out. When he returned to the dugout after being lifted in the seventh, he flipped over a small cooler and threw his glove.  “A mentally challenging day for him,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He got dinged up a little bit at the end, but he pitched us pretty deep into the game.”  Skubal has made only one career start against the Braves, in 2024 when he allowed five runs (four earned) over four innings and took the loss.  Ritchie, 22, made his major league debut on Thursday against the Washington Nationals and yielded two runs on five hits — one of them a leadoff homer on Ritchie’s first pitch — with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 7-2 victory.   “Going into it, I wasn’t going to worry too much about the hitters,” Ritchie said. “I kind of wanted to let (catcher Drake Baldwin) take care of that, and he did a great job all day. Very communicative, him and (Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner), just, ‘Hey, go out there and throw your stuff.’ Talking between innings about adjustments, what we’re gonna do. They definitely made my life a lot easier.”  Wednesday may be Ritchie’s last opportunity to start early this season. The Braves said Spencer Strider would not need another rehab start and would be returned to the rotation. That could come as soon as this weekend in Colorado.  Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle had an infield hit on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He is batting .347 during the streak.  The Tigers had two players leave Tuesday’s game because of injuries.   Starting pitcher Casey Mize exited in the third inning with a right groin strain, and center fielder Javy Baez had to be carted off the field after catching his right ankle under his body while trying to slide into first base to beat a high throw. Both will be evaluated on Wednesday.  Atlanta activated right-hander Didier Fuentes when Dylan Lee went on the paternity list on Tuesday. Lee, who has made a team-high 14 appearances, likely will miss the entire series against Detroit. Fuentes pitched two scoreless innings on Tuesday night.  Atlanta said shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Columbus this week. Kim signed a  million, one-year contract as a free agent. He fell on some ice in Korea in January and injured the finger on his throwing hand.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Tarik #Skubal #Tigers #aim #hot #Braves

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