MLB Weekly Recap (April 20-26): Chaos, Comebacks, and Coaching Shakeup!

Hey babes!

In this week’s recap (April 20–26), we’ve got a little bit of everything! We cover the chaos, streaks, and a very surprising coach firing...

We’re diving into:

• The NL Central staying red hot (can an entire division really finish over .500??)
•  The sudden firing of Alex Cora and what it could mean for the Boston Red Sox
•  Mason Miller’s insane scoreless streak with the San Diego Padres
•  Sweeps from the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals and more
•  Teams cooling down (looking at you, Minnesota Twins…)
•  Teams heating up like the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Atlanta Braves
•  And my sneaky team to watch

Plus:

•  Aaron Judge hitting another home run (and why this one was special)
•  A wholesome moment from Austin Hedges
•  Division leaders + home run leaderboard updates

And we’re looking ahead to some must-watch matchups this week!

Thanks for hanging with me in the softest corner of sports media!

Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share with a friend who’s learning baseball with you!

Transcript

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Hey babe, welcome to Baseball for Girls, where baseball means soft girl energy. I'm Shaughnessy, and here we do baseball with heart, humanity, and a little humor. So, whether you're brand new to the game or deep in your baseball era, you're in the right place. So grab something cozy. Settle in. And let's get into today's episode. Hey babes! Welcome back to another episode of Baseball for Girls. I am so excited to get into another episode. So, of course, we're just gonna be doing another weekly recap for the week of April 20th through the 26th. So, just like the overall vibes from the week, we are still seeing that the NL Central is smoking hot with all of their teams in that division over 500. Very interestingly, um, I heard that there's never been a season where an entire division finished over 500. So we're gonna be keeping an eye out for that for the NL Central. The NL Central is made of the Reds, so the Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals, the Pirates, so the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs, and the Milwaukee Brewers. So, like I mentioned, all those teams are over 500, and so since they're so smoking hot, I'm gonna be talking about a few of them throughout this episode, so I won't get into all the details for that right now. Um, but the other thing that happened just over this weekend is that Alex Cora, who is, or I guess who was the manager for the Boston Red Sox was fired this past Saturday after the Red Sox well, they actually won that game against the Orioles. He it was announced that he was fired as well as a bunch of hitting coaches and just other coaches on the team, so they kind of cleaned house. Um, I was watching um MLB Sunday scorecard last night, and the analysts were saying like they think that is probably some sort of relationship issue because it's very, very early in the season for a manager to be fired, especially like having so many other people that were fired along with him. So if I get any more information about that, I will definitely let you guys know. But right now it just seems as though they were just trying to move on to someone else. But Alex Cora is definitely beloved in Boston. He helped them, he guided them to win their um World Series in 2018. They the Red Sox have a documentary or a docuseries, I guess, on Netflix that just came out in 2025. Around this time last year, I believe it was like April 9th. I binge watched the entire thing in a night. Um, so good, and it was about the Boston Red Sox. And so I really got to know most of the players on that team a lot better. A lot of those players are super young, they don't really have a strong veteran player presence on that team, and that is why many analysts believe that they're struggling, not necessarily because of their manager, it's just that they really just haven't found their momentum yet. So it is very surprising that they would fire Alex Cora, knowing that the team really loves him, the city really loves him, um, and obviously these calls come down from much higher up in the organization, but we'll see what happens next. Right now, their interim manager is the manager of one of their triple or their triple A team um in from Worcestershire, however you say that, weird little like W-O-O-S-T-R-E-R. They say those kinds of words weird up in the north. Um, but he was the manager for a triple A team, so now he'll be the interim manager for the Boston Red Sox, um, as well as a bunch of other minor league managers and coaches came up from different levels to help out in the interim. So it's just really interesting. Some a part of me wonders if this was some sort of coup, like now all these other lower tier kind of managers are just all of a sudden now they're gonna be in the big leagues. I don't know. Seems a little suspicious to me, but what do I know? Other than that, another really interesting statistic that's um going on right now is that Mason Miller is on a scoreless streak. So Mason Miller is the closer, so he's a pitcher on the San Diego Padres. So since he's a closer, that means that he plays at the very end of the game. Um, so your closer comes in when they're it's a very close game. So um maybe the score is like three to two, and well, for the Padres, like the Padres are three to two. Um, and so you just really want to make sure that the other team doesn't score and win. So you bring out Mason Miller, your closer, um, your closing pitcher, and he's supposed to get those last three outs and secure the win. And he has been doing that, and right now he's on a scoreless streak of 34 and two-thirds innings. So, like I said, typically the closer only comes in for the last inning, and we know each inning has three outs. So when I say something like two-thirds of an inning, it just means that he got two of the three outs required for that inning. But it's just the math of it all. Um, that doesn't necessarily mean that he was unable to do one of the outs. It might have been that they got one out, and then that pitcher needed to be taken out, and so they brought in Mason Miller. So that's it's just a very impressive statistic. Um, that he still has a zero ERA right now. And with that, the Padres are actually seven wins to three losses in their past ten games. They just lost their last game, which was um Sunday night. They were playing the D-Backs this weekend, but it was a very special uh weekend series because they were playing in Mexico City, it was a part of the international um kind of series that happens throughout the season. So they got to go to Mexico City and play. The Padres won on Saturday 6-4, and then the D-Bax won 12 to 7 last night, so Sunday night. But the Padres have been doing pretty well, they are 18 to 9, so they have 18 wins and nine losses as an overall total. They have been winning their series. They've actually only lost two series, and those were the first two series of the season. They haven't lost another series since. So they're definitely as we expected a team to beat. Um, they're doing pretty well in their division as well. They're only second to the Dodgers in the NL West. So let's get into some of the sweeps from this past week and the past weekend. So during the week, the Yankees swept the Red Sox and they'll be playing again in June, so they'll get their rematch soon. And then the Cubs swept the Phillies. If you remember um maybe two episodes ago when the Phillies and the Cubs played, the Cubs won that series um two out of three. And super interestingly, so we also, if you remember, the Phillies have had been on a very long losing streak that coincided with a very long winning streak for the Cubs. So on that last game, so they that was actually a four-game series. That Phillies versus Cubs series was four games, and on that last win for the Cubs on the last day, that marked um a nine-game win streak for the Cubs. And the last time that they lost was when they played the Phillies, and vice versa, the Phillies were at a nine-game losing streak when they lost that game, and their last win was versus the Cubs. So that's what they mean when they say that baseball is just so you can't make this up. It's a very interesting little storyline. So the Cubs actually ended up having a 10-game win streak, and the Phillies had a 10-game losing streak. They both ended up, well, I guess on that 11th game, the Cubs lost, and then the Phillies won. So they kind of broke that little their curse, I guess you could say. Um, and then the next game, the Phillies lost. So then I thought the Cubs might win that game, but then the Cubs also lost. So I guess they're no longer in that timeline anymore. But during the weekend, the Mariners swept the Cardinals. Loved that. That was great. I am also a Mariners fan, so I loved to see that. Um, the Rockies swept the Mets. Oof. The Mets, the Mets have not been doing well. They were fortunate to finally break their 12-game losing streak that they were on. They broke that streak last Wednesday. However, they are now two wins to 17 losses in the past 19 games. And overall, they've won nine games and they've lost 19 games overall. So they are not they're not doing they're not doing great. They're not doing great. Um, so when they finally broke that 12-game losing streak, they were playing the twins, and they did end up winning that series, so they took two out of three, but then over the weekend the Rockies swept them in three games. The Rays also swept the twins, and the Royals swept the Angels. Um, so the Royals are trying to warm back up, it seems like. Um, so we'll have to keep an eye out for them as well. But my sneaky team for the week is the Rays. So we haven't really talked very much about the Rays, but they are actually doing pretty well. They are above 500 at 593. They're currently on a four-game winning streak. They've won six and lost four of their past ten games. Their one of their best players is Camonero. He has eight home runs right now, and one of their other really good players is Yandi Diaz, who has four home runs and a 337 batting average. So they have some pretty good players on their team, and they've been winning series. They swept the White Sox last week, and about two weeks ago, they swept the Yankees. So they are kind of a team that you should keep an eye out for. Right now they are over 500, and they're only second to the New York Yankees in the AL East. So now it's time for our temperature check, and we're gonna look at the teams that are heating up and the ones that are cooling down. So for the ones that are cooling down, the Twins are actually on a five-game losing streak right now. They've won one game and lost nine of their past ten games. And the Cardinals actually are on a four-game losing streak right now. They've won five games and lost five games in their last ten. So we're just gonna keep an eye out for those two teams. They were doing pretty well um previously. We remember that the twins did sweep the Tigers a couple of weeks ago, and obviously the Cardinals are in the NL Central, so they're still over 500, and we know them to be a pretty good team this part of the season at least. And then for the teams that are heating up, the Giants, they have won two series, won against the Dodgers this past week, and they won their series against the Marlins this past weekend. They've won seven and lost three of their past ten games, and overall their standing is 18 to 9. So they've won 18 games overall and lost nine games overall. The other team that's starting to heat back up are the Yankees. They did break their eight-game winning streak um by losing their game from yesterday, but so cool, Aaron Judge did hit a home run on his birthday. It was his 10th home run of the season, so that was pretty cool. Apparently, he's hit a home run on several of his birthdays um while being a major league player. So that's just a really cool little thing. I think that happens pretty often where players will hit a home run on their birthday. So if it's somebody's birthday, you should be you should be careful. So the Yankees are starting to heat back up, and the Braves are the last team I'm going to mention that are heating up. They have been doing really well, they've been winning a lot of series. They are the first team, the first MLB team to reach 20 wins this season. They are 20 to 9 currently overall, which is kind of crazy because only one of their players on their entire team has a home run, and he only has one, and that's Matt Olson. I love Matt Olson. His jersey is the one that I bought when I went to the Braves Stadium for my birthday last year. Matt Olson's definitely one of my favorite players, and he's the only one with a home run. Everybody else hasn't hit a home run, so it's kind of amazing that they are doing so well. They kind of are a sneaky team, but not really. They've been winning several series. Um, they've been sweeping people, so the Braves are definitely um ones to watch out for. And while we're kind of talking about all the different standings, I thought it would be kind of helpful to look at division leaders once a month at the end of the month. So, and then it will also help you better understand um the different divisions, kind of get an idea of the different divisions. And so, like I've mentioned before, there's the American League and the National League in Major League Baseball. Each of the leagues has an East, a Central, and a West division. And so, right now, for the AL East, the Yankees are the leader. They have 18 wins and 10 losses overall for this season. The AL Central, the Guardians are the leader, they have 15 wins and 14 losses. The AL West, the Athletics are the top of their division, which is very surprising just from the athletics history, but it's not really surprising in the context of just this season. Um, the athletics have been kind of on a tear, they are underestimated most of the time, and so people don't really think much of them, but they are the top of their division. The AL West is also a very difficult division. They have the Rangers and the Mariners. It's not an easy division to be in, and they're usually at the bottom, but right now they are 15 to 13, so 15 wins and 13 losses. Moving on to the National League. The National League East, the Braves are at the top of their division, like I mentioned. They are 20 to 9. And in the NL East, the Mets and the Phillies are tied for last with nine wins and 19 losses. Kinda crazy to say that about the Phillies. I mean, and the Mets, they're usually neck and neck for winning the entire division alongside the Braves. It's usually them in the top three. But the Braves are winning games, and the Mets and Phillies are not. And then for the NL Central, like we mentioned, they are red hot, and the Reds are at the top. Um, they are 18 wins and 10 losses overall so far this season, and so they're also doing really well. And the NL West, the Dodgers are the top of their league or at the top of their division, with 19 wins and nine losses. So, as you can see, to be at the top, you have to at least have 15 wins, um, which makes sense based on where we are in the season. All these teams are above 500. The one that's the closest to just being at.500 is the AL Central's Guardians. But the Guardians are a really good team, they usually are towards the top of their division. They have Jose Ramirez, who actually just um got a record that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago where he has hit, he has played in 1620 games, which is like the most ever in a Cleveland Guardian um player has played. And he recently just hit another record. He has hit home runs off of all 29 teams in his career, um, which has not been done by any other um Guardians player. So everyone is starting to say that Jose Ramirez is Cooper's town bound. So that just means he's about to be in the Hall of Fame at the end of his career, um, which we're hoping isn't for a long time. And now we'll talk a little bit about the home run leaders. So, right now, your Don Alvarez is still at the top with 11 um home runs, and he's on the Astros. Well, I guess he's tied for first with Minataka Murikami, who is a rookie on the White Sox. He's actually being considered as a contender for the American League Rookie of the Year. So we're gonna start looking out for Murikami more. I hadn't really been paying very much attention to him, but now he is at the top of this home run leaderboard, and he's been doing really well for the White Sox, and the White Sox don't usually do as well as they're doing, so we'll keep an eye out for him. Aaron Judge has 10 home runs and he plays for the Yankees, and James Wood has 10 home runs and he plays for the Washington Nationals, and finally Mike Trout has 9 home runs and he plays for the Los Angeles Angels. There are a lot more players that are around eight, like between six and eight. Um, but those are just the ones that are at the very top for right now. And now for the warm and fuzzy thing that happened this week. So Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges proposed to his girlfriend Lexi um on this past Sunday. Well, not yesterday, it was April 19th. He proposed at Progressive Field, which is where the Guardians play in Cleveland, Ohio. And she said yes. So that was super cute to see. And finally, let's talk about some of the games I'm excited for for next week. So, next week, which is basically right now, so April 27th through May 3rd during the week, the Mariners are gonna be playing the Twins. Right now, the Mariners are just below 500. We're at 14 wins and 15 losses. While the twins are much more below 500 at 12 wins and 16 losses, and those are the overall stats. So I'm only looking forward to that game because I'm hoping that the Mariners will win and get some more wins under their belt and get above 500. And then the other matchup I'm looking forward to is the Cubs versus Padres series. So the Cubs are 17 to 11 overall, and the Padres are 18 to 9, which I mentioned earlier. I just think this is gonna be a really fun game to watch. These are two really good teams in the National League, and we should all be sitting on the edges of our seats. It's probably gonna be such a good game, and you know, Mason Miller is gonna come out. Who knows? He might lose his scoreless streak because the Cubs, they're not playing around. And so I'm super excited to see how this series plays out. And then over the weekend, the Red Sox are gonna be playing the Blue Jays. So, like I mentioned earlier, with all the little drama around the Red Sox, it'll be interesting to see how this new management um affects how well they're playing, really. I mean, the Red Sox did end up winning their series against the Orioles this past weekend. Um, so the new management got their first win on Sunday, which I just feel like is not very fair to say. I mean, they literally just started, but regardless, it will be interesting to see how this series during the week, but also over the weekend, versus the Blue Jays, and see how they how well they do. So the Red Sox right now have 11 wins and 17 losses, and the Blue Jays have 12 wins and 15 losses, so they're both struggling under 500, um, pretty low in the American League East in that division, which is the same division as the New York Yankees, who are 18 to 10. And so that is an interdivision series. The other interdivision series that I'm really excited for is the Reds versus the Pirates. So that will be two teams that are in the NL Central. So we know the NL Central is a super hot um division right now, and so I feel like it'll be a really fun game to watch. The Reds are 18 wins, 10 losses, and the Pirates are 16 wins and 12 losses overall. So I'm excited. I am super interested to see who's gonna win and how this game is gonna play out. And that's all I have for you today. Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you come back again next week. I also want to plug my Instagram, so my Instagram is baseball the number four girls underscore. And you can follow me on there, and I pretty much just post my sound bites for each episode. So I post whenever I post a new episode. I need to get more active on there. Um, I'm still trying to figure all this stuff out. I'm thinking about starting a Substack. So I'll just keep you up to date with all the new things that I'll have coming out. So thanks again. Please remember to rate and leave a review if you like this and share it with someone who you think might also enjoy it. Have a good rest of your week and I'll see you next time. Bye.