WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM
Xander Boagerts visits Slam Diego, Padres unveil City Connect uniforms, a thrilling 1st round at The Masters, Miles Byrd's surprise transfer, Neymar considers MLS, and more in today's Front Row Seat!
Now that I do this (free) newsletter for free, it allows me to occasionally make choices based on mental health over potential profits.
That’s why, after watching nine innings of the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies playing to a 1-1 draw last night, I turned off the game. More specifically, I turned on the latest episode of The Pitt, which was a real banger.
When the episode ended, I turned off the TV and went to sleep. I didn’t even remember to check what happened at the end of the Padres-Rockies game. It’s very possible that it was still being played at that point, but sleep and a happy marriage took priority (as it sometimes does!).
What I missed was a walk-off grand slam from Xander Boagerts, who (for the last week) has been hitting like the clock has been turned back nearly a decade. He is looking a lot like the Red Sox shortstop that the Padres were wishing and praying, probably in the face of doubt and realistic expectations, that they were adding to their team when they signed him as a free agent.
Xander is older now, with a ton of miles on his body, and he plays in a ballpark that is specifically built to make life difficult for hitters like him…..so I don’t know that we can count on this to continue, but we can certainly enjoy it while it’s going on. And maybe that means next time I decide to sit through a few extra innings of live baseball instead of switching to a fictional TV series that can be watched any time.
Now, onto the links…
San Diego Padres
Slam Diego is back! Padres’ first walk-off of ‘26 comes on Bogaerts slam in 12 - MLB.com
Xander Bogaerts ended the longest game at Petco Park in nearly five years with a walk-off grand slam, sending the Padres to a 7-3 victory over the Rockies on Thursday night at Petco Park.
With the winning run on third base in the 12th inning, the Rockies opted to intentionally walk Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado, loading the bases for Bogaerts. He quickly made them pay, turning on a Valente Bellozo fastball and sending it into the left-field seats.
Padres Daily: Campusano a hero too; Rockies don’t have the stuff; Estrada has slowed down - San Diego Union-Tribune
Stammen said the sacrifice bunt laid down by Tatis at the start of the 12th inning, which got Cronenworth to third base before the two intentional walks, was not called from the dugout.
“He decided that he wanted to bunt in that moment,” Stammen said. “I think Fernando wanted to impact the game in some way. And at that moment, he felt like that’s how we were going to win the game. He’s a baseball player. That was his natural instinct to like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna bunt here.’ And so I fully supported it, all in on it. ‘Tati’ has got great baseball instincts. I’ll go with what he’s thinking.”
Padres’ new uniform a ‘more classic’ look with Dia de los Muertos vibe - San Diego Union-Tribune
The subject of months’ worth of speculation from fans and a series of online leaks, the Padres’ new City Connects are inspired by Dia de los Muertos, a celebration of the dead held every Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. The Padres will wear their new uniforms for every Friday home game and in their Mexico City Series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks later this month.
San Diego Padres final bid process underway as sale price could shatter MLB record at over $3 billion - 10 News San Diego
Four possible buyers are looking to add the Padres to their sports empires. Two come from the NBA: Joe Lacob, who owns the Golden State Warriors, and Tom Gores, who owns the Detroit Pistons. The other two come from the world of soccer: Dan Friedkin owns Everton in the English Premier League and Italy’s AS Roma, while Jose Feliciano owns Chelsea FC in West London.
The Masters
Masters 2026 leaderboard: Rory McIlroy grabs early share of the lead after Thursday at Augusta National - Yahoo Sports
The 90th edition of the Masters is officially here … and Rory McIlroy picked up right where he left off.
After a sluggish start, the defending Masters champion carded five birdies in an eight-hole stretch to get himself to 5-under for the tournament and into the clubhouse lead alongside Sam Burns.
For McIlroy, it’s quite a difference from a year ago, when he left Round 1 seven shots back of Justin Rose, who he would eventually beat in a playoff that Sunday.
Fred Couples made a 9 at the Masters. Then he did something surprising - Golf.com
“If I was 35 and did that I would be going bananas on everybody,” you say. “And I would’ve ran right by and you told you to get out of my life.”
But today?
“It really was a fun day.”
And the craziest thing is that even though you don’t feel it, you know you mean it. You still play golf for moments like Thursday — not for the fleeting moments of magic, but for the brief, totally insane belief that the magic might stick around.
Masters 2026: Robert MacIntyre under fire for lewd gesture in Round 1 - Yahoo Sports
At hole 15 on Thursday, MacIntyre dumped his second shot into the water guarding the front of the green. He proceeded to hit his next shot in the water, too, then flew the green and, when it was over, had carded a quadruple bogey 9.
After the first shot went into the water, MacIntyre stuck up his middle finger — a no-no at Augusta National. He also slammed his club into the ground two holes later. He ultimately finished at 8-over for his round and is in danger of missing the cut.
Odds & Ends
SDSU’s Miles Byrd announces transfer destination from impressive list of suitors - San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego State guard Miles Byrd had reportedly reduced his list of transfer destinations to seven by early this week: Kentucky, Texas, Louisville, Baylor, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt and Providence.
And his choice?
Surprise: the Providence College Friars.
76ers star Joel Embiid adds appendicitis to bizarre injury history amid tight playoff race - CBS Sports
You’d be hard-pressed to find a player with an unluckier run of injuries, especially around or during the playoffs, than Embiid. It’s so extensive, it would just be easier to list them all.
Neymar’s camp, FC Cincinnati in initial talks over move: Sources - The Athletic
FC Cincinnati has engaged Neymar’s camp in preliminary discussions about a move to MLS, per sources briefed on the situation.
The sources cautioned that the discussions around the Brazilian star are in the very early stages. Cincy is gauging Neymar’s interest and requirements, while also having internal conversations about whether pushing to sign the global superstar makes sense, sources add.