The Nationals entered Monday’s action with an 0-29 record when trailing heading into the ninth inning (h/t Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic). Washington erased a 3-1 deficit against the Giants in the final frame, scoring three runs against reliever Keaton Winn to secure a comeback victory. The bullpen collapse spoiled a strong start from Logan Webb, who cruised through eight innings of one-run ball.
1. Brewers/A’s in Vegas
The Athletics are playing at Las Vegas Ballpark this week. The first matchup in the extremely hitter-friendly venue delivered. The Brewers escaped with a 15-14 win in 12 innings. The clubs combined for 11 home runs, including a 483-foot shot by Shea Langeliers, the longest of the season. William Contreras seemed to put the game away in the 10th inning on a three-run homer that gave Milwaukee a four-run lead. No margin is safe in this ballpark, though. The A’s pulled within a run on a Nick Kurtz homer, then tied it with a Jonah Heim solo shot. Milwaukee regained the lead in the 12th inning, and Chad Patrick stranded a runner at third base to secure the win. This was just the first of six games at Las Vegas Ballpark.
2. Cease slated to return
Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease is expected to get the ball on Tuesday against the Phillies. The free agent acquisition is returning from a minimum stint on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. Cease scuffled through his lone rehab appearance, allowing five earned runs on six hits and two homers across four innings. He got up to 75 pitches, so he should have close to a normal workload against Philadelphia. Toronto is finally getting healthy in the rotation. Max Scherzer is lined up to start Wednesday, and Shane Bieber is also only a couple of rehab outings away from rejoining the club.
3. Mancini back in the majors
Veteran first baseman Trey Mancini made his long-awaited return to the big leagues on Monday with the Angels. The 34-year-old hadn’t seen MLB action since 2023 with the Cubs. Mancini wasted no time checking back in, recording an RBI single in his first at-bat. He picked up two more hits later in the contest. Mancini had been a strong producer in the middle of the Orioles’ lineup for multiple seasons. He struggled mightily after being dealt to the Astros, then failed to stick with the Cubs. Mancini inked a minor league deal with the Angels in January. He could factor in at first base and DH with Nolan Schanuel still playing through an ankle injury.
Photo courtesy of Lucas Peltier, Imagn Images
