For the first time in his brief big league career, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting the road. The Blue Jays and their wunderkind third baseman open a three-game series in Anaheim on Tuesday night. Vlad Jr. and Albert Pujols connected before the game:
Guerrero was 89 days old -- 89 days old! -- when the Cardinals selected Pujols in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft. Generations colliding indeed. Now here is everything you need to know about the rest of the day in baseball.
Select games can be streamed regionally via fuboTV (Try for free). For more on what channel each game is on, click here.
Baseball scores for Tuesday
FINAL - Cardinals 3, Nationals 2 (box score)FINAL - Tigers 3, Phillies 1 (box score)FINAL - Indians 7, Marlins 4 (box score)FINAL - Red Sox 5, Athletics 1 (box score)FINAL - Mets 4, Reds 3 in 10 innings (box score)FINAL - Padres 4, Braves 3 (box score)FINAL - Astros 11, Twins 0 (box score)FINAL - Brewers 4, Rockies 3 (box score)FINAL - Pirates 6, Rangers 4 in 11 innings (box score)FINAL - Diamondbacks 3, Yankees 1 (box score)LIVE - Dodgers vs. Giants (GameTracker)LIVE - Blue Jays vs. Angels (GameTracker)LIVE - Cubs vs. Mariners (GameTracker)POSTPONED - Orioles vs. White SoxPOSTPONED - Rays vs. RoyalsBetts heating up for Red Sox
Exactly two weeks ago, reigning AL MVP Mookie Betts called his play "unacceptable." Betts went 0 for 3 in that night's game to drop his season batting line to .212/.321/.394. That's not truly horrible, but it sure as heck isn't good.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and Betts is as hot as any player in the game. He's gone 17 for 42 (.405) with five doubles, two homers, eight walks, and five strikeouts in 11 games since calling his performance "unacceptable." And, on Tuesday night, he swatted a first inning home run against the Athletics.
Betts is red hot and the Red Sox are slowly but surely working their way out of their early season slump. Since starting 2-8, the Red Sox have gone 11-9 in their last 20 games. That counts as progress, I do believe.
Sabathia gets 3,000th strikeout
Yankees stalwart CC Sabathia on Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks notched the 3,000th strikeout of his career. He becomes just the 17th pitcher in history to join that exclusive club. Even more impressive is that Sabathia is just the third lefty ever to get to 3,000 Ks. Here's the history maker:
Our own Mike Axisa has more on Sabathia's milestone.
Martinez keeps hitting
In edging the Nationals on Tuesday night, the Cardinals notched a second-straight come-from-behind win in D.C. Overall, they've now won four in a row and nine of their last 10. Mike Shildt's squadron still has the NL's best record, and they finish April with 19 wins.
There are many reasons for those early successes. One of them is Jose Martinez. On Tuesday night in Washington, he went 2 for 3 with a walk. Thanks in part to some erratic playing time early on -- the Cardinals' crowded outfield situation is to blame -- Martinez got off to a slow start, but he now boasts these numbers for the season:
Martinez has only one home run on the season, and he's drawn just four walks. Still, that lofty batting average is enough to carry him to productivity. This isn't a fluke, either. Since arriving in the majors in 2016, he's done nothing but hit. Coming into Tuesday night, Martinez boasted a career OPS+ of 128, and he's never had a bad season.
He's 6 foot 6 with an unconventional setup and load at the plate, and he didn't crack the majors until he was 28 years of age. Still and yet, he's done nothing but produce. Professional hitter, this guy.
Stat of the day: Voit extends on-base streak to 40 games
The longest active on-base streak in baseball reached 40 games Tuesday night. Yankees first baseman Luke Voit drew a first inning walk against Zack Greinke, pushing his on-base streak to 40 games. That, obviously, dates back to last season.
Here are the longest active on-base streaks:
Luke Voit, Yankees: 40 gamesMike Trout, Angels: 26 gamesAnthony Rendon, Nationals: 19 gamesCody Bellinger, Dodgers: 19 gamesYadier Molina, Cardinals: 19 gamesThe Yankees acquired Voit in a relatively minor trade with the Cardinals prior to last year's deadline and he's been a revelation in pinstripes. He went in Tuesday's game hitting .283/.397/.538 with eight homers on the season. That's after hitting .333/.405/.689 with 14 homers in 39 games after the trade last season.
Quick hits
The Reds are expected to call up top prospect CF Nick Senzel in the coming days. Senzel, a natural infielder, transitioned to center field in spring training to help get his bat into the lineup.The Marlins demoted CF Lewis Brinson to Triple-A. Brinson has struggled tremendously for the second straight season. He was the key piece Miami received in the Christian Yelich trade.Brewers OF Christian Yelich is "trending" toward being ready to play this weekend, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Nationals placed 3B Anthony Rendon on the 10-day injured list with an elbow contusion, the club announced. He was hit by a pitch a few days ago. LHP Dan Jennings was called up in a corresponding move.Yankees OF Aaron Hicks (back), 3B Miguel Andujar (shoulder), and SS Troy Tulowitzki (calf) have all started playing in minor league games. Andujar and Tulowitzki could return in the coming days.Dodgers OF A.J. Pollock will have exploratory surgery on his elbow, reports MLB.com. Pollock has an infection that could require a plate in his elbow to be replaced or treated.Cubs closer RHP Brandon Morrow received an injection in his elbow and will be shut down 2-3 weeks, reports the Chicago Tribune. Morrow has not pitched since last July due to various injuries.The Mariners sent the struggling OF Mallex Smith to Triple-A, the team announced. Smith has hit a weak .165/.255/.247 in the early going this season. OF Braden Bishop was called up in a corresponding move.The Tigers placed IF Josh Harrison on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder contusion, the team announced. He's been having trouble swinging a bat. IF Harold Castro was called up in a corresponding move.
