Hi all.  Here’s how I see baseball on this Monday, April 9.

Like Monday night football, ESPN’s Sunday night baseball depends on a good game to keep what audience it has.  Last night it got the best game on the schedule, as things played out.  The Mets, last year’s dumpster fire defeated the Nationals 6-5 in 12 innings, completing a 3-game sweep in the nation’s capital. Yoenis Cespedes, feared throughout the baseball world for his mighty home runs won last night’s game with a bloop single in the visitors’ half of the 12th inning. Bull pen newcomers Seth Lugo got the win with Jacob Rhame converting his first save. The Orange and Blue are now 7-1 and are on a 5-game winning streak as they fly south to face the Marlins. Matt Harvey struggled, giving up a 2-run home run to Bryce Harper, but what pitcher doesn’t do that.  The Mets’ Adrian Gonzalez put up a grand slam, giving the former Dark Knight a little more room.  He barely survived 5 innings. He left with the Mets ahead 5-4.  Robert Gsellman surrendered the tying run in the 7th, and there it remained until Cespedes’ game-winning single. Seth Lugo, who started last year for the Mets went 3 innings from the bull pen.

In another exciting game yesterday, the Red Sox rallied from 5 runs down in the 8th to take an 8-7 win over the Rays.  The game was played in polar conditions, with a gametime temp of 38 degrees.  That wasn’t the worst of it for the home town team.  Their hottest hitter, Xander Bogaerts was helped from the field after crashing into the Rays’ dugout while trying to rein in a bad throw. But the Old Town Team could do no wrong in the 8th.  All 6 runs scored with 2 men out.  3 hitters got hits with two strikes on them, a fact that makes pitching coaches’ hair turn gray early. With the win the Sox have now won 8 in a row after losing the first game of the season.

Both Chicago teams were scheduled to play at home today, and both should have played in the afternoon.  Now the Cubs are snowed out and the White Sox game is in jeopardy.  As more teams get into the swing of the new season, most games will be played at night. One I believe is in question is the game between the Astros and Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis.  If it happens, the old Tiger Justin Verlander will start for the Astros against the Twins’ Lance Lynn.  The Tigers will face the Indians in an evening tilt in Cleveland. You have a Cy Young winner in Corey Kluber against Francisco Liriano who hasn’t beaten the Indians in 8 years.  The Nationals stay home following last night’s 12-inning loss to the Mets.  They host the Braves at Nationals Park. The Reds and Phillies meet tonight in Philadelphia. The Cards send out Miles Mikolas against the Brewers last week.  Mikolas homered at Miller Park in his first US start following 3 seasons in Japan. The Jays and Orioles get it on at Camden Yards. The Mets and Marlins offer a terrifid pitching duel as Noah Syndergaard faces the Marlins’ Jose Urena. The Rangers host the Angels in Arlington. The Mariners visit Kansas City, the Rockies host the Padres (weather permitting) and the D-Backs face the Giants in San Francisco.