Heading into 2026, it was expected that the Braves would be in a better spot compared to last year — and that has held up. However, the Cardinals and White Sox, two rebuilding teams, were not expected to make waves. But so far, both Chicago (AL) and St. Louis have done so & remained highly competitive five weeks into the year.
Cardinals win sixth straight
The Cardinals won their sixth straight game on May 2, as St. Louis picked up a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers.
Michael McGreevy continues to do what he does best: control the strike zone and induce groundballs. McGreevy had eight groundballs and struck out three over six scoreless innings.
Alec Burleson drove in a run, while Jordan Walker hit a two-run line-drive home run off Roki Sasaki.
White Sox beat San Diego
Chicago (AL) defeated the Padres on May 2, giving the team their fifth straight win.
Sean Burke was excellent, as he punched out eight over six innings to notch his second win of the year.
The bullpen was also spotless. Chicago didn’t allow a run, even though Seranthony Dominguez had to inherit a bases-loaded situation from Grant Taylor. He shut the door and earned his eighth save of the year.
That also meant another loss for the Padres, who failed to take advantage of the Dodgers’ loss and take first place in the NL West. San Diego remained a half-game behind Los Angeles for first in the division.
Braves win 24th game
Atlanta won their 24th game of 2026 with a 9-1 win over the Rockies.
The Braves hit three home runs in Coors Field, as Drake Baldwin, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson all went yard. Chris Sale struck out 11 in the Atlanta win.
Colorado, meanwhile, fell to 14-20 on the year. Additionally, all teams in the NL West currently have a losing streak of three games or more.
Everything else
- Yankees def. Orioles 9-4
- Blue Jays def. Twins 11-4
- Cubs def. D-Backs 2-0
- Guardians def. Athletics 14-6
- Pirates def. Reds 17-7
- Brewers def. Nationals 4-1
- Astros def. Red Sox 6-3
- Marlins def. Phillies 4-0
- Rays def. Giants 5-1
- Tigers def. Rangers 5-1
- Angels def. Mets 4-3 (10)
- Royals def. Mariners 3-2 (10)
One note on the Pirates: Pittsburgh’s offense didn’t hit a single home run on May 2. However, the Pirates picked up 19 hits and 11 walks. Seven of those walks came on consecutive plate appearances to tie an MLB record.
Additionally, Nick Kurtz‘s 20-game walk streak ended against the Guardians.
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