March 2026

There were 1,682 posts published in March 2026 (this is page 30 of 169).

Garrett Crochet throws 6 shutout innings as Red Sox defeat Reds 3-0

CINCINNATI (AP) — Garrett Crochet allowed only three hits in six innings, Ceddanne Rafaela hit an RBI single in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox got their first opening day shutout since 2015, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Thursday.

Roman Anthony had three hits for the Red Sox, who had their 11th opening day shutout — with all but one on the road.

It’s the ninth time the Reds have been blanked in an opener and the first since 2018. Rookie first baseman Sal Stewart had three of Cincinnati’s four hits, including a pair of doubles.

Crochet (1-0) became the first pitcher to start on opening day in each of his first three seasons as a starter, according to MLB. The right-hander struck out six and walked two en route to his first victory in an opener.

Crochet allowed only one hit the first five innings before running into some trouble in the sixth. Matt McLain drew a walk with one out and singles by Elly de la Cruz and Stewart loaded the bases.

The right-hander struck out Eugenio Suárez and Spencer Steer to get out of the inning.

Former Reds closer Aroldis Chapman retired the side in the ninth for the save.

Andrew Abbott, the first lefty to start a Reds opener since 1998, matched Crochet with six shutout innings and struck out four.

Rafaela lined Pierce Johnson’s fastball up the middle to drive in Marcelo Mayer. Mayer came on as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and drove a double to the warning track in left center off Johnson (0-1) that was just beyond the outstretched glove of Reds center fielder TJ Friedl.

Mayer advanced to third on Carlos Narváez’s sacrifice bunt before scoring on Rafaela’s second single of the game.

Boston added a pair of runs in the ninth on RBI singles by Trevor Story and Jaren Duran.

Up next

Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray (14-8, 4.28 ERA in 2025) will face Reds RHP Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 ERA in 2025) on Saturday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pistons vs. Pelicans Discussion: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More

NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 21: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

I’m really feeling the grind of the end of this season. It’s already hard enough as it feels like biding time waiting for news on when Cade Cunningham will return to the lineup from the collapsed lung. Then you look at the schedule, and you see the New Orleans Pelicans are on it. That is not a huge motivator for me to want to sit down and invest three hours into a regular season game with likely zero impact on standings and seeding. To be clear, the Detroit Pistons could completely embarrass themselves and give an obviously winnable game away. You could even make the case that the Pelicans are on quite an extended respectability streak. They are 10-6 in their last 16 games, including wins against the Raptors and two wins against the Clippers. That’s not nothing! For the Pistons, Marcus Sasser is back in action, and Caris LeVert is once again out. LeVert was being forced into ball-handling far above his station, and hopefully Sasser can at least fill that role in a more responsible manner. More importantly, Duncan Robinson is also out tonight. Also known as Detroit’s one reliable 3-point shooter. Kevin Huerter is starting in his place. Lastly, remember, the Pistons are an NBA-best 10-2 on the end of a back-to-back this season.

Game Vitals

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (52-20)

Daniss Jenkins, Ausar Thompson, Kevin Huerter, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

New Orleans Pelicans (25-48)

Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson, DeAndre Jordan

Cubs, Nico Hoerner reportedly agree to 6-year contract extension

Infielder Nico Hoerner and the Chicago Cubs have reportedly agreed to a six-year contract extension, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

Financial terms of the deal have not yet been revealed, as Hoerner reportedly still needs to pass a physical. The Cubs have not officially announced the signing.

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

Hoerner, 28, was set to become a free agent after this season, finishing a three-year, $35 million extension he signed before the 2023 MLB campaign.

The second baseman has been remarkably consistent throughout his seven-year career. Last season, he slashed .297/.345/.394 with 29 doubles, 7 home runs, 61 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 649 plate appearances.

At second base, Hoerner was credited with 17 Defensive Runs Saved and 14 Outs Above Average. Both of those marks were the highest of his career, during which he has earned two Gold Glove Awards.

In his seven seasons with the Cubs, Hoerner has recorded a .282/.340/.384 slash line, with 128 doubles, 36 homers, 278 RBI and 131 stolen bases. He has played 150 or more games in each of the past three seasons.

Hoerner’s reported extension follows Pete Crow-Armstrong reportedly agreeing to a six-year, $115 million deal earlier this week. That takes care of the Cubs’ up-the-middle, players with Dansby Swanson inked through 2029 on the seven-year, $177 million free-agent deal he signed in December 2023.

MLB Opening Day 2026: Orioles OF Tyler O’Neill’s Opening Day home run streak ends at 6

Todd Hundley, Gary Carter and Yogi Berra jointly held the Opening Day home run record until O’Neill made it his own in 2024. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Scott Taetsch via Getty Images

Tyler O’Neill’s Opening Day home run streak has come to an end.

The Baltimore Orioles’ outfielder failed to homer on Opening Day for the first time since 2019 in Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. O’Neill finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Entering the start of the 2026 season, the 30-year-old O’Neill had homered on six straight Opening Days. He set the record with five straight in 2024, surpassing the tally of four held by Todd Hundley (1994-97), Gary Carter (1977-80) and Yogi Berra (1955-58).

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

O’Neill, 30, is aiming for a bounce-back season after his first year with the Orioles was one to forget. Having joined Baltimore on a three-year, $49.5 million deal ahead of last season, he was limited to 54 games in 2025 due to three trips to the injured list.

2020: July 24 off Joe Musgrove, Pittsburgh Pirates
2021: April 1 off Cam Bedrosian, Cincinnati Reds
2022: April 7 off JT Brubaker, Pittsburgh Pirates
2023: March 30 off Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays
2024: March 28 off Cody Bolton, Seattle Mariners
2025: March 27 off José Berrios, Toronto Blue Jays

Jacob Misiorowski sets Brewers’ Opening Day record with 11 strikeouts

Jacob Misiorowski began the Milwaukee Brewers’ season by serving up a homer to Chicago White Sox leadoff hitter Chase Meidroth. Let’s just say he did a bit better with his next 19 batters.

The young right-hander set a Brewers Opening Day record Thursday with 11 strikeouts in his team’s season-opening 14-2 win. The previous record was eight, shared by Ben Sheets in 2002 and Freddy Peralta in 2024 and 2025.

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

That Sheets start came one day before the 23-year-old Misiorowski was born.

Per MLB.com, Misiorowski is the youngest pitcher to log double-digit strikeouts on Opening Day since Seattle Mariners legend Félix Hernández logged 12 in 2007 at the age of 20.

Misiorowski dominated the way he usually does, with some of the fastest pitches in baseball. According to Baseball Savant, he averaged 98.3 mph with his four-seam fastball and topped out at 101.1 mph. Batters swung at the pitch 29 times and whiffed on 19 of them.

Misiorowski’s slider also averaged 94.3 mph, which is not a thing sliders usually do.

Few pitchers in baseball have a ceiling higher than Misiorowski, who began his MLB career with 11 consecutive no-hit innings. That’s how he reached the 2025 MLB All-Star Game despite having only five big-league starts under his belt, and it’s why the Brewers tapped him as their 2026 Opening Day starter. If all goes right, he will be their ace for years to come.

There were some growing pains in 2025, though, evidenced by Misiorowski’s 4.36 ERA. He walked batters at the unusually high rate of 11.4% last year, and walks came up again Thursday, with three free passes issued.

On the offensive side for the Brewers, their lineup went off despite missing rising star Jackson Chourio, who was placed on the 10-day IL earlier Thursday. Brice Turang, Christian Yelich, Jake Bauers and Joey Ortiz all recorded multiple hits against an underpowered White Sox pitching staff, with Bauers and Sal Frelick hitting homers.