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NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge connected for another historic home run on Thursday, becoming the fastest player to reach 61 career blasts in terms of games played.

The reigning American League Rookie of the Year launched a seventh-inning solo shot to left field off the Blue Jays' Tyler Clippard; it came in his 199th career game and gave the Yankees a two-run lead.

The homer broke the record held by Mark McGwire, who hit 61 homers in 204 games for the 1987-88 Athletics.

Thursday's shot, Judge's fifth of the season, was calculated by Statcast™ to have come off of Judge's bat at 105.8 mph, with a projected distance of 394 feet.

SEATTLE -- Evan Gattis said he knew how many outs there were, he just was mad at himself for grounding into a double play.

Seconds later, the Astros' veteran designated hitter realized he'd instead wound up wandering into the first triple play in the Majors this season when he was tagged off first base by the Mariners in the fourth inning of Houston's 9-2 victory Thursday at Safeco Field.

The Astros had runners at first and second with no one out when Gattis hit a hard grounder to Kyle Seager at third. Seager stepped on the bag and threw to second baseman Robinson Cano for a double play.

Gattis made it to first base and walked off the bag toward the middle of the infield. The Mariners started pointing at Gattis, and first baseman Daniel Vogelbach tagged him for the third out.

After the game, Gattis walked to his locker and said, "Who wants to ask me about my dumb play?"

Everyone did.

"It was just a mistake,'' Gattis said. "I knew how many outs there were. It was about grounding into a double play. At the time I wanted to laugh on the inside because of how stupid it was. It was a 0-0 game. I think I got so mad I couldn't think straight. It's ridiculous."

Astros manager AJ Hinch wasn't sure how it happened.

"That was an ugly play and clearly not something we want to see happen,'' Hinch said.

Video: Must C Classic: Mariners turn an odd triple play

It was the first triple play turned by the Mariners since 2015 and 12th the club has turned in franchise history. It marked the first triple play the Astros hit into since George Springer did so in 2016, and their ninth in club history.

Video: HOU@CWS: Frazier starts a 5-4-3 triple play

Seager watched the play unfold after his quick throw to second and was surprised Cano didn't try to relay the ball to first for an initial triple-play attempt, with Gattis slow out of the box on the checked-swing hopper.

"I'd never been part of a triple play," Seager said. "That was pretty cool. It was an interesting one, as well. When I threw it to Robbie and he didn't throw it [to first] I was like, 'Oh man, he was going to be safe either way, but you might as well try it.' Then we ended up getting him anyway, so Robbie was a genius."

Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales was the recipient of the quick three outs to get out of the inning. He, too, said it was the first triple play of his career.

"It was a freak one, but I'll take it," Gonzales said. "I had no idea where Robbie was throwing the ball. It made me question how many outs there were."

Video: HOU@SEA: Correa stays in game after getting shaken up

It was an unusual inning even before the crazy triple play. After Jose Altuve walked to start the fourth, Carlos Correa fouled a pitch off his left knee and fell to the dirt in obvious pain. After walking it off and talking to Hinch and a team trainer, Correa remained in the game.

Moments later Correa scorched a 99-mph liner back to the mound that Gonzales managed to keep from hitting his face by getting his glove up just in time to deflect the ball away. That put two runners on to set up the triple play.

Video: HOU@SEA: Correa reaches on liner back to the pitcher

"I guess he was ticked after he fouled one off of him, so he took it out on me," Gonzales said. "It was one where you kind of see it off the bat and I almost had it. I'm just glad it didn't get me in the mouth."

ANAHEIM -- Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani is back in the Angels' lineup, batting sixth and serving as the designated hitter for Thursday night's series finale against the Red Sox at Angel Stadium.

Ohtani, 23, departed his start against the Red Sox on Tuesday after two innings due to a blister on his right middle finger, but the ailment isn't expected to affect his hitting. The left-handed slugger entered Thursday batting .367 (11-for-30) with three home runs and 11 RBIs. He has collected a hit in all seven of his starts at DH.

The No. 6 hole is the highest Ohtani has hit in the order this season.

"I just think, where our lineup is right now and just looking at the groupings, it's a good spot for Shohei," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We'll get him back in there, and hopefully give him a chance to look at some pitches and help us."

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez got the start for the Red Sox against Angels right-hander Nick Tropeano. The Red Sox won the first two games of the series in decisive fashion, outscoring the Angels, 19-1.

Ohtani's blister is improving, and the Angels remain hopeful that he'll make his next scheduled start on the mound. If the Angels keep him on his once-a-week pitching schedule, Ohtani would start Tuesday in Houston. Ohtani played catch Thursday, and he will throw a bullpen session over the weekend to test the blister's progress.

"He's not very worried about it," Scioscia said. "We're looking at it very closely, the medical staff is looking at it closely. Hopefully it'll be a non-issue."

SEATTLE -- Looking at the box score of the Astros' 9-2 victory over the Mariners, you probably wouldn't guess they were victims of a bizarre triple play and a starting pitcher taking a line drive off his pitching elbow.

Charlie Morton, however, shook it off and pitched seven shutout innings Thursday at Safeco Field, allowing only three hits and no walks while striking out eight in another dominant performance by a Houston starting pitcher.

Jose Altuve had four RBIs, including a bases-clearing double during a four-run fifth inning, but this game was all about the man on the mound. Morton improved to 3-0 and has the best ERA in the American League at 0.72.

Video: HOU@SEA: Altuve doubles twice, drives in four in win

And he did it despite a Robinson Cano line drive that careened off Morton's elbow in the fourth inning.

"He obviously came back strong and was throwing really good stuff,'' Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "I applaud him for being able to collect himself and finish the inning and some more strong innings after that. Just an incredible job."

Morton said anytime you get hit with a hard liner like that one, you have to give it a couple of minutes to see how you feel.

"It depends on how it's affecting you,'' Morton said. "I was able to stay loose for the most part."

Video: HOU@SEA: Morton remains in game after comebacker

The Astros now have three of the top four ERAs among AL starters, including Gerrit Cole at 0.96 and Justin Verlander at 1.35.

Morton has gone six innings or longer in all four of his starts this season, but that's nothing new for this staff. The starting pitchers for Houston have gone six innings or more in the last seven games.

"Yeah, but it can change quick,'' Morton warned. "In 2015, I won my first five starts, then I gave up nine runs in two-thirds of an inning. My goal is just go out there and have quality innings. It's pitch to pitch."

And moment to moment, in a game that seemed to turn in Houston's favor after Evan Gattis hit into a triple play in the fourth inning. The Astros scored all nine runs after that incident and finished with 11 hits.

"That was a weird game, sort of the tale of two different halves,'' Hinch said. "A couple of pitchers avoiding major injuries with comebackers [including Seattle starter Marco Gonzales on a Carlos Correa liner] and a triple play I don't even want to talk about."

Video: HOU@SEA: Hinch on weird game, Morton's outing

Max Stassi and Josh Reddick each hit solo home runs late before Altuve drove in his fourth run of the game with another RBI double in a three-run ninth inning.

"We knew it was a matter of time until we turned things around," Reddick said of the Houston hitters.

Video: HOU@SEA: Stassi belts a solo dinger to right

Reddick also praised the starting pitchers, who have kept games close and given the offense plenty of opportunities to finally get going.

"It's a lot easier in the outfield, I can tell you that,'' Reddick said. "You just have to jog in and out. We couldn't ask for more from those guys."

The Astros (13-7) won the final three games of the series with the Mariners after losing the series opener. Houston is 9-1 in its last 10 games against Seattle, dating back to last season.

Video: HOU@SEA: Reddick launches a solo jack to right-center

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
An error by Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager on Alex Bregman's grounder to third opened the door for the four-run fifth. Marwin Gonzalez immediately singled and Reddick followed with an RBI before a single and a walk loaded the bases for Altuve.

Video: HOU@SEA: Bregman scores on Reddick's fielder's choice

"We took advantage of a couple of weird plays,'' Hinch said. "We're an opportunist offense. We're pretty potent when you give us extra opportunities. It was nice to see our guys loosen up a little bit in the second half of the game."

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
As crazy a 5-4-3 triple play as you'll ever see. The Astros were victimized when Gattis became distracted after grounding into a double play and walked away from first base. It marked the first triple play the Astros hit into since George Springer did so in 2016, and their ninth in club history.

Video: Must C Curious: Mariners turn unique triple play

"It was just a mistake," Gattis said. "I knew how many outs there were. It was about grounding into a double play. At the time, I wanted to laugh on the inside because of how stupid it was. It was a 0-0 game. I think I got so mad I couldn't think straight. It's ridiculous." More >

SOUND SMART
Astros reliever Will Harris has recorded 18 consecutive scoreless appearances on the road, dating back to last season, the longest active streak in baseball. But it's only the fifth-longest in team history. The longest was left-hander Tim Byrdak, who had a 24-game streak in 2010.

UP NEXT
The Astros will move on to cooler temperatures when they start a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday night (7:10 CT) at Guaranteed Rate Field. "We're not wired to play in cold weather in this sport,'' said Hinch. "But both teams have to deal with it, and we have to toughen up a little bit." Verlander (2-0, 1.35 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season. The White Sox, who have yet to announce a starter, have lost four consecutive games and nine of the last 10.

NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton's slow start to his Yankees tenure prompted the smallest of lineup demotions, and the slugger's drop to the cleanup spot offered an encouraging sign in Thursday's contest against the Blue Jays.

Entering the evening hitless in his last 13 at-bats and just 3-for-35 at home, Stanton flied out in the first inning and grounded out in the third before connecting on a two-out single in the fifth, beating the throw to first on a close play and loading the bases.

"It's more our personnel versus their pitching and [the Blue Jays'] bullpen, that kind of thing," manager Aaron Boone said prior to the game. "I'm not ready to move him down-down in the order. I still want him surrounded by impact guys. You move him down, and then all of a sudden, he's one good at-bat maybe from getting locked back in, and then all of a sudden, you're in a situation where it's a blatant pitch-around and those kinds of things."

Stanton had batted third in his first 16 games as a member of the Yankees, but Boone pointed out that Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez, Thursday's starter, has been historically tougher on right-handed bats. Didi Gregorius was elevated to the No. 3 spot for Thursday's game; Boone does not anticipate a day when Stanton might hit substantially lower in the order.

"No, I think he's too close to hopefully finding that feeling to where he can lock in," Boone said. "I have no intentions of moving him down any further. Whether it's fifth or third or fourth, those are always flexible depending on what we have, but I don't plan on moving him to the bottom half of the lineup."

Boone added that he gave little consideration to elevating Stanton in the order, perhaps flipping him with Aaron Judge, who has hit well out of the No. 2 spot.

"No. I kind of love Aaron in that spot, with his ability to get on base," Boone said. "Look, he's Giancarlo Stanton, so I don't think they're going to groove him pitches because he's hitting second or he's hitting fourth or he's hitting third. Guys kind of get pitched to how they get pitched. I think in the long haul, he's going to benefit more from having traffic on the bases and pitchers being in trouble, then when he's right there's no one better at taking advantage of mistakes. So with Aaron and how much he gets on base, I kind of like him in that two-hole."

'We have your back!'

Members of the Yankees united in support of 10-year-old Cassidy Warner this week after the Pennsylvania fourth grader made a public plea against bullying on her personal Facebook page.

The Yankees responded with a video that featured 24 players, plus Boone, holding up a series of note cards to mimic the style of Warner's video. The Yanks message was posted to the team's social media accounts on Wednesday.

Tweet from @Yankees: Hey Cassidy - we saw the video you made and from all of us here at the New York Yankees, we want you to know that you are not alone. We have your back! https://t.co/uuRb0ghzf1 pic.twitter.com/V2EeuJ1YmW

The original video was spotted by Jason Zillo, the Yankees' director of media relations, during the team's rainouts in Detroit this past weekend. The team has invited Cassidy and her parents to a game at Yankee Stadium.

"All our guys were really excited to be a part of it, to stand up for something like that," Boone said. "I think it was an easy call for us as an organization and for our players. Hopefully, we can make a difference, not only in this situation but across the country that [bullying is] not OK."

All you need is glove

The Yankees are tied with the Rangers for an American League-worst 17 errors through their first 16 games, and the team has scheduled a full workout of defensive drills prior to Friday's game against the Blue Jays. Pitchers' fielding practice, relays and shifts will be among the items addressed, and Boone said that similar days will occur periodically throughout the season.

"It's something that we need to improve overall," Boone said. "If we're going to be an elite-level team, we've got to catch the ball a little better, and we'll continue to work at that. [Friday] we have a defensive day kind of planned where we'll do a lot more than just the basic stuff, which has been in the plans for the last week. It's something that needs to improve, and I'm confident will continue to improve."

All rise

The Yankees have announced the creation of the Yankees Honor Row, a monthly initiative that throughout the season will honor community-based organizations committed to making a positive difference by hosting them in the Judge's Chambers section at Yankee Stadium.

Tweet from @Yankees: Introducing... Yankees Honor Row!Yankees Honor Row is a monthly initiative throughout the 2018 season that will honor community-based organizations committed to making a positive difference by hosting them in the Judge���s Chambers at Yankee Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Qbmav3HjY6

The first beneficiaries of the initiative will be a group of Bronx public school students (grades 5-8) and teachers at the 1:05 p.m. ET game on April 26 vs. the Twins as part of the Yankees' Bronx Education All Star Day. The group will also receive official Judge's Chambers robes and foam gavels.

Injury report

Greg Bird (right ankle surgery) ran on the field at Yankee Stadium, played catch and hit in the batting cage on Thursday. Boone said that Bird is "moving in the right direction."

Brandon Drury (migraines) took on-field batting practice and ground balls at third base on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Jacoby Ellsbury (left hip soreness) has resumed workouts in Tampa, Fla., and hit off a tee on Thursday.

Clint Frazier (concussion) was scheduled to go through a full workout with Class A Tampa on Thursday, taking batting practice and performing defensive drills. It is possible that he could resume taking at-bats in Florida State League games this week.

Tommy Kahnle (right elbow and right shoulder tendinitis) will be shut down without throwing for about 10 days, Boone said, indicating that it could be about three weeks before the right-hander returns to big league action.

CHICAGO -- The snow days gave the Cubs more time to work on their hitting approach in the batting cages, and that seemed to pay off on Thursday. Javier Baez provided the spark and Jason Heyward the power with a two-run homer to back Jon Lester and lead the Cubs to an 8-5 victory at Wrigley Field, snapping the Cardinals' winning streak at five.

All nine starters recorded at least one hit for the Cubs, with Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber driving in two runs each. The Cubs were playing just their second game this week after weather-related postponements. Thursday's game was a makeup of Wednesday's postponed contest, and the 47-degree game-time temperature and sunshine were welcome after snow at Wrigley Field. Manager Joe Maddon called it "balmy."

Video: STL@CHC: Schwarber hits a two-out RBI single in 2nd

"It takes time to gel with that and it takes time for us to gel," Heyward said. "Moving pieces, things like that early in the season, and an inconsistent playing schedule, that will happen."

The Cubs' players kept hitting coach Chili Davis busy, even if there weren't any games.

Video: STL@CHC: Maddon glows over Cubs' win over Cardinals

"Good approach, good at-bats," Maddon said of the Cubs' 14-hit attack, which involved using the entire field. "It is so fun to watch. Keep your launch angles, keep your exit velocities, give me a good at-bat. Those were really good at-bats. Staying inside the ball, using the whole field -- I promise you if they stay on that path, balls will still go out of the ballpark at the pace they're capable of. With that, you'll see better situational hitting, you'll see higher batting averages, on-base percentages. I loved our approach today."

The weird week may have contributed to the sloppy play to begin the game. Lester hit Harrison Bader with one out in the first and Bader then stole second and reached third on a throwing error by Willson Contreras before scoring on a wild pitch.

Video: STL@CHC: Bader speeds home on Lester's wild pitch

"When you don't play consistently, the feel, the nuance, that escapes you," Maddon said. "Throwing and fielding in general was off just a little bit."

The Cardinals totaled two hits over six innings off Lester, who struck out seven and didn't allow a hit until the fifth. He even contributed to the Cubs' offense with a single in the fifth after Heyward's homer.

What helped Lester settle in?

"A four-run [second] inning," Lester said. "When you score four, it kind of opened it up and it makes things easier."

Video: STL@CHC: Lester fans seven, allows no earned runs

"He's a competitor," Maddon said of Lester. "He sizes up each situation. He wanted to go back out [in the seventh]. I said, 'Jon, this is not the time to go 110 [pitches] today.' If it was a closer game, I would've put him back out there."

Baez, moved up in the lineup for the first time this season, had two hits, including a triple, to increase his total of extra-base hits this season to 11.

"It seemed to work," Schwarber said of Baez batting second. "The guy's an exciting ballplayer. I feel we're always talking about Javy Baez. I'm not going to get tired of it. He's a heck of a ballplayer and a lot of instincts and he's a leader and he's fun to watch."

Video: STL@CHC: Morrow strikes out Bader to cap a Cubs win

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Baez provides spark: Maddon tweaked the lineup, moving Baez up to No. 2 in hopes he could provide some "energy." Baez did that in his first at-bat with a triple to the gap in right-center with one out. He then scored on Bryant's single that third baseman Jedd Gyorko deflected.

"That's good to know," Baez said when told of Maddon's plan. "I was trying to stay focused on the same approach, same swings. I didn't get excited, but that's one of my goals is to end up there in the lineup. I feel great, I'm still seeing the ball really good. I chased a few pitches today, but I took good at-bats." More >

Video: STL@CHC: Baez dives in for a triple in the 1st

Cubs bat around: The Cubs sent nine batters to the plate in the second. Heyward singled to lead off and moved up on Lester's sacrifice. Albert Almora Jr., who got a rare start against a right-hander, Luke Weaver, then hit an RBI single and reached third on Baez's single. Almora tallied on Bryant's sacrifice fly and Anthony Rizzo and Schwarber each added RBI singles for a 6-1 lead.

"We're just focusing on the work and the process besides results," Schwarber said. "That's more the thing. We've been doing some pretty good work in the cage. It's pretty much what we did in spring and we're continuing to work well."

Video: STL@CHC: Rizzo singles up the middle to plate Baez

SOUND SMART
Lester, who was making his 100th career start for the Cubs, improved to 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA (12 earned runs over 57 1/3 innings) in nine starts against the Cardinals since the start of the 2016 season.

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Heyward's home run registered a 110.7 mph exit velocity, his highest on a homer since Statcast™ began tracking in 2015. The ball sailed 423 feet, which is tied for his second-longest home run. Plus, Heyward made a three-star catch on Matt Carpenter's deep flyout in the fourth, covering 116 feet in 6.3 seconds on a ball with a 55-percent catch probability.

HE SAID IT
"It's good, quality at-bats. We had good at-bats all day. That's nice to see. What people forget -- and I go back to this -- is that guys are still young and maturing at the big league level. In some other organizations, these guys would not be up here or they'd be knocking on the door to get here. [The young Cubs players] have been here three years, and some longer. Every day's a learning process, every day is figuring out something about themselves. We've had some good offensive games for the most part. If we can keep people off the basepaths, we'll be going in the right direction." -- Lester

UP NEXT
Kyle Hendricks will open the Cubs' three-game series in Denver against Jon Gray and the Rockies on Friday at 7:40 p.m. CT. Hendricks posted a quality start in his last outing against the Pirates but took the loss, serving up a pair of home runs for the second straight outing. The problem was fastball command, and the right-hander said that would be his focus between starts.

The Reds on Thursday became the first team in 2018 to replace their manager by dismissing Bryan Price in his fifth season at the helm and naming bench coach Jim Riggleman interim manager.

Cincinnati had lost 10 of its last 11 games to begin the year 3-15, the franchise's worst start since 1931 (2-16). But as the Reds begin the search for a long-term replacement, Riggleman will get to work as skipper with hopes of righting the ship. The odds are against the struggling Reds, who weren't expected to contend in the National League Central this season, but a turnaround under new leadership wouldn't be unprecedented, particularly this early in the season.

Below is a look at the last five managerial changes during the season that resulted in a postseason berth:

2009 Rockies: Jim Tracy (replaced Clint Hurdle)
The former Pirates and Dodgers skipper earned a promotion from bench coach and helped guide the team from last place to a Wild Card berth. The Rockies started the year 18-28 under Hurdle, but finished the season with a franchise-record 92 wins. Colorado lost in four games in the Division Series to the eventual NL champion Phillies, but Tracy earned NL Manager of the Year Award honors after the Rockies' remarkable resurgence.

2008 Brewers: Dale Sveum (replaced Ned Yost)
Sveum spent six seasons on the Brewers' coaching staff, including a 12-game stint as manager when Yost was dismissed near the end of the 2008 campaign. The move was a surprise for a team in postseason contention, but an eight-game slump that dropped Milwaukee into a tie for the NL Wild Card spot prompted a change. Under Sveum, the Brewers went 7-5 and reached the postseason for the first time since 1982. Milwaukee clinched its postseason berth on the final day of the regular season, eliminating the Mets, who made a midseason managerial change of their own from Willie Randolph to Jerry Manuel.

Video: Rosenthal on Reds' future after firing Bryan Price

2004 Astros: Phil Garner (replaced Jimy Williams)
With their eyes on a World Series run, the Astros loaded up in 2004, signing free-agent pitchers Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte and acquiring outfielder Carlos Beltran in a June trade. But the club didn't meet expectations in the first half; sitting at a 44-44 record at the All-Star break, Houston dismissed Williams and replaced him with former Brewers and Tigers skipper Garner. Under Garner, the Astros finished out the season 48-26 and reached the playoffs. They defeated the Braves in the NL Division Series before losing to the Cardinals in seven games in the NL Championship Series. Garner also led the club to the World Series the next season.

2003 Marlins: Jack McKeon (replaced Jeff Torborg)
In perhaps the most successful instance of a new manager turning around a struggling season, the Marlins replaced Torborg with McKeon after a 16-22 start in 2003. The Marlins finished out the rest of the season by going 75-49 and advanced to their second World Series in seven seasons by defeating the Giants in the NLDS and the Cubs in the NLCS. The Marlins then took home the franchise's second title by besting the Yankees in six games, and McKeon, at age 72, became the oldest manager to win a World Series.

1996 Dodgers: Bill Russell (replaced Tommy Lasorda)
Russell had very large shoes to fill when he assumed managerial duties for the Dodgers in the wake of Hall of Famer Lasorda's retirement. In the midst of the 1996 campaign, Lasorda stepped away from the dugout due to health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family, handing the reigns to Russell, who helped the Dodgers finish the year 49-37 for a second-place finish in the NL West and a Wild Card spot. Los Angeles' postseason run didn't last long, however, as the Dodgers were swept in three games by the Braves.

Last year's Red Sox lineup was one of baseball's weakest in the power department, finishing last in the American League in home runs and next to last in slugging percentage. You knew that, because it was talked about endlessly all offseason, particularly regarding their months-long pursuit of slugger J.D. Martinez.

Despite the lack of power, it was always clear this lineup was going to be better. Way back in February, we noted that Boston projected to be baseball's third-best offense, and it wasn't just about Martinez. It was because it was all but a guarantee that Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts would improve from down years after playing through hand injuries, and because new manager Alex Cora's insistence that he wanted the lineup to be more aggressive seemed like a step in the right direction.

Well, the Red Sox have been better, but at least early on, we may have undersold them by suggesting they could be the "third-best" offense. They're the best, by a lot, and a big part of that is because they're pulling off a trick that last year's World Series champions in Houston managed to do.

Boston has baseball's highest slugging percentage, at .485. It has baseball's lowest strikeout percentage, at 16.6 percent. The Red Sox are hitting the ball a lot, and destroying the balls they connect with. It's how you end up with baseball's highest runs-per-game, at 6.4. It's the perfect combination.

That's impressive on a team basis, but also look at what's happened on an individual basis. Ten batters have taken at least 30 plate appearances for Boston in both 2017 and '18. Every single one has had at least a small decrease in strikeout rate.

Now, let's be clear about one thing: While contact is good, simply making contact does not by itself make you a good offense. Last year, two of the five best contact teams were the punchless Royals and Giants, who were below-average offenses. When the 2015 Royals famously rode a contact-heavy approach to a title, the next two best contact teams were the A's and the Braves, who lost 94 and 95 games, respectively. It's good, but there has to be more.

Aside from the fact that it's still early in the season, how exactly have the Red Sox pulled this off? Let's check out three possibilities.

New faces
Because of the extended courtship of Martinez, and because he out-slugged everyone in baseball last season -- even Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton -- it's tempting to simply point to the fact that there's a new elite bat in the lineup. Martinez is fantastic, and he's hitting .313/.343/.578, while Boston is no longer giving time to Chris Young (.235/.322/.387 last year) or Pablo Sandoval (.212/.269/.354), so there's some truth to that. Martinez is wonderful. He'd help any lineup.

That said, Martinez has hit only 70 times so far. Pretty much everyone else is the same, other than the fact last year's rookie sensation at third base, Rafael Devers, is around from day one this year. They've helped, but it's not just about new talent.

Video: BOS@LAA: Martinez notches four hits, RBI in 9-0 win

Better health
Since much of the improvement is simply about existing guys performing better, this is a natural place to look, and there's some pretty obvious stories here.

We knew that Bogaerts' second-half slide was in some way related to being hit by a pitch on July 6, as he hit .308/.363/.455 before that and just .232/.321/.340 after, and he admitted as much during Spring Training.

"To a point, I do regret [playing through pain], but it's over with," Bogaerts told MLB.com in February. "We were in the heat of things, we were pushing for the playoffs. You don't want to be the guy on the bench not being able to help your team to win. You learn, and I definitely did."

Bogaerts was off to a smoking start (.368/.400/.711) this season before injuring his ankle.

We knew, also, that Betts playing through a thumb injury hampered his performance last season. He went from .280/.356/.490 through the end of June, and just .248/.332/.427 after that. 

"It's been going on for a couple months, but I was able to just kind of play through it," Betts said when he was forced to come out of a game against the Rays in September due to a thumb contusion. So far in 2018, he's been baseball's best hitter.

Finally, Hanley Ramirez, who struggled through most of 2017, underwent left shoulder surgery in October. After hitting .242/.320/.429 last year, he's slugging .322/.369/.542 so far.

Video: BAL@BOS: Ramirez cranks a two-run homer to left field

A new approach
This is the one that got the most press, simply due to Cora talking about being more aggressive. There's something to this, though this is hardly the whole story.

Last year, Boston hitters went after 57 percent of pitches in the zone or on the edges. That was 30th in baseball. This year, that number is up to 63 percent. That's the most in baseball. As you'd imagine, that's the largest jump in baseball.

So yes, there's something to be said for "swinging at strikes," which the Red Sox now are -- especially because they have a .318 average and a .550 slugging on those pitches, each the best in baseball. It's not just about swinging either, it's about swinging earlier. For the past decade, Boston was always in the bottom three in baseball in swinging at in-zone strikes early in the count (0-0, 0-1, 1-0). This year, the Red Sox have done that the second most. As a result, they've found themselves in the fourth-fewest two-strike counts in the game. It's hard to strike out when you never see two strikes.

But there's more to it than just that. Betts, for example, has done more than just be aggressive, he's changed the way he's hitting entirely. After spending the past three years hitting grounders between 38 percent and 41 percent of the time, that's dropped all the way to 26 percent -- while his pull percentage has jumped from his career mark of 41 percent to 57 percent.

You can see it in the outcomes, too. Only two teams have a higher hard-hit percentage than Boston's 42.1 percent. Only four teams have a lower ground-ball percentage than the Red Sox's 41.7 percent. No one, as we said, strikes out less. This is essentially what the perfect offense is supposed to look like.

Now, Betts won't hit like this all year, most likely. Bogaerts can't slug .711 all season. Then again, Jackie Bradley Jr. hasn't done much yet (.228/.313/.351). Dustin Pedroia hasn't stepped on the field yet. Only two teams in baseball have gotten less offense from their catchers. As some fall back, others may step up.

We saw the Astros doing this last year, paired with a very good pitching staff. The Red Sox are doing it this year, paired with a very good pitching staff. You don't get off to a 15-2 start by accident.

Weather has not been baseball's friend for much of the month of April, with rain and snow (snow!) wiping out games at just about every level imaginable (high school baseball here in Pittsburgh is threatening to become a gym sport). But there have been some outstanding performances across the country by prospects, from the big leagues all the way down to this year's Draft class. This week's Inbox tries to reflect that.

We're less than seven weeks away from the 2018 Draft, and Jim Callis and I are working feverishly on a new Draft Top 100, which is coming soon. That will also mark the start of mock draft season (several of you have asked on Twitter). So I decided to kick off this week's Inbox with a question about the amateur set.

Tweet from @jaymarkle_BP: Mize has seen most of the attention this spring, but there are also rumors that Kelenic is under serious consideration for the top spot. Is he an overdraft? What's your take?

There is no question Casey Mize has separated himself, but in no way have the Tigers decided who they will take with the No. 1 overall pick. It's always fun to see the rumors that make the rounds at this time. Check out the video above for my response to this one.

Tweet from @jmb9299: Hey Jonathan is Joe Dunand keeps this up can he be a top 100 prospect in the near future???? What���s your take? Also, can Edward Cabrera be a top 100 prospect as always appreciate your work thank you

Giving Marlins prospects some love is a relatively new thing, isn't it? And what I liked about this question the most is that while much of the attention has come because of the trades bringing in prospects, this is about two guys drafted and/or signed by the Marlins.

We can start with Dunand, No. 18 on the Marlins' Top 30. The club's second-round pick in 2017, Dunand has mostly been known to date as Alex Rodriguez's nephew, though now he can put Prospect Team of the Week on his resume. He certainly has started his first full season of pro ball well, with a .370/.407/.609 slash line across his first 46 at-bats, while getting pushed to the Class A Advanced Florida State League (not an easy place to hit). All of that is encouraging and yes, if he keeps that up, he'd have to eventually be considered for the Top 100. But the emphasis is on eventually. It's just 11 games and he's No. 18 on the team list, so he has a ways to go before he's Top 100-worthy, to answer the "near future" part of your question.

Cabrera, the No. 12 prospect, really intrigues me, and he was our choice for the Marlins' breakout prospect. He's really young (just turned 20), has a great pitcher's body, electric stuff and a good feel for pitching. Only two starts in, obviously, but he is tough to hit. If the command comes, I could see him as a Top 100-type pitching prospect eventually. I'm encouraged by his start in his move to full-season ball, though.

Tweet from @AlexBurkeC: Jack Flaherty or Mike Soroka long term?

Wow, this is a really tough call. It just so happens that I do the Top 30s for both the Cardinals and the Braves, so I know both of these talented right-handers quite well. My first gut reaction was to call this a dead heat, but let's try to take a closer look.

Video: Top Prospects: Jack Flaherty, RHP, Cardinals

Based on where we have them on the Top 100 (Jack Flaherty is No. 38; Mike Soroka is No. 31), there isn't a ton separating them. There isn't much differentiation grades-wise, either:

Flaherty: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 60 | Overall: 55
Soroka: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 60 | Overall: 55

Before you say Flaherty should have the edge because he has a fourth pitch, it should be noted that Soroka adds and subtracts from his slider to give it more of a curve shape at times. Both command their stuff extremely well. Soroka has a very slight edge on the fastball, but Flaherty throws plenty of 60-grade fastballs. Flaherty has obviously pitched in the big leagues already; Soroka is knocking on the door and is two years younger. Flaherty has the higher strikeout rate; Soroka's walk rate has been lower. Yes, I'm stalling here. I'm leaning slightly in Soroka's direction.

Video: Top Prospects: Mike Soroka, RHP, Braves

I decided to send the question to a couple of folks in the scouting and player development world. It wasn't even close to exhaustive, but those I heard back almost entirely sided with the Braves righty. But I really think an argument could be made for either one.

Tweet from @fantasy_jester: Will we see Keller this year before September

Tweet from @DPosey39: Should I pick up Pirates pitcher Keller? How would you rate him

Finishing off with a bit of a "homer" question (I live in Pittsburgh, for those who don't know). And I love Mitch Keller. In fact, I drafted him in our first Pipeline Prospect Fantasy Draft and he's rewarded me with two very solid starts to begin the year in Double-A.

We have two different questions about him here, though I think both have to do with potential fantasy value. If you're asking if you should pick him up in a keeper league, the answer is an unequivocal yes. If you're talking about this year, which speaks to the question about whether he'll be up before September, I'd lean toward no.

Video: Top Prospects: Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates

It's not that I don't think the 22-year-old can compete in the big leagues. His combination of stuff and feel for pitching is as good as just about any pitching prospect (I'd take him over either Flaherty or Soroka, for whatever that's worth). But the Pirates tend to be methodical in terms of pitching development and Keller has just eight Double-A starts (not counting the playoffs) to his credit. Maybe his Arizona Fall League stint helps a littlte, but there's also some pitching depth ahead of him in Triple-A, so I don't see a severe need to get Keller to Pittsburgh this year. I'm all in for 2019, though.

ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman received the confirmation he was seeking regarding his left wrist and then successfully lobbied to be in the Braves' lineup for Thursday night's series opener against the Mets at SunTrust Park.

"It's not broken," Freeman said. "I told [Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos] and everybody last night, 'If it's not broken, I'm playing today.' It's not broken. So, I'm in there."

Freeman didn't waste any time showing off his swing Thursday, hitting a sacrifice fly as the Braves pounced on the Mets' Matt Harvey to build a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Freeman also made a diving grab on a liner to rob Jay Bruce of a hit in the fourth.

Video: NYM@ATL: Freeman lifts a sac fly to open the scoring

Freeman was still feeling some soreness as he filled his normal roles as the Braves' first baseman and three-hole hitter. But that discomfort paled in comparison to the mental and physical pain he would have felt if his left wrist had been fractured by a pitch for a second straight year.

There was certainly reason to be concerned when Freeman's left wrist was struck by left-hander Hoby Milner's fastball during the eighth inning of Wednesday night's 7-3 win over the Phillies. The scene conjured memories of last season, when Freeman was hit in essentially the same area by Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup's fastball.

"It missed [the bone] I broke last year by about half an inch," said Freeman, who missed seven weeks with the left wrist fracture sustained on May 17.

Freeman was thinking about the similarities when he felt the sting of Milner's pitch. This prompted him to exit the batter's box and walk directly to SunTrust Park's X-ray room. But he wasn't feeling the same throbbing and aching, which gave him hope.

Though Wednesday's X-rays did not show a fracture, Freeman was not completely relieved until he went through a variety of tests and underwent a CT scan while visiting Dr. Gary Lourie on Thursday morning.

"I was pretty ecstatic last night," Freeman said. "Last year, there was about an 80 percent chance it was broken when I left [the ballpark]. This time, when I left the stadium, Dr. Lourie said, 'I don't think it's broken at all.'"

After arriving at the stadium early Thursday afternoon, Freeman took some swings in the batting cage and had little trouble lobbying Braves manager Brian Snitker to put him in the lineup.

Asked if he had any concerns about allowing Freeman to play with a bruised wrist, Snitker said he did not.

Sanchez improves
The Braves certainly had reason to fear the worst when Anibal Sanchez was carted off the field with an air cast stabilizing his right leg a few hours before Wednesday's game. But it appears the veteran right-hander might miss just a couple of weeks with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.

"It's going to be awhile before he gets on the mound, but it might be a lot sooner than we had thought," Snitker said.

The Braves initially thought Sanchez might be sidelined for a few months with the injury suffered while completing sprints in the outfield grass. But the pitcher's condition quickly improved Wednesday night.

Matt Wisler was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make Sanchez's scheduled start on Thursday night. Outfielder Lane Adams was designated for assignment to create a roster spot for Wisler. The Braves are hopeful Adams goes unclaimed on waivers.

"He's done a really good job," Snitker said. "Hopefully, everything works out that we can keep him. It's unfortunate, but it's just one of those moves we had to make."

After the Reds dismissed manager Bryan Price and installed Jim Riggleman as his interim replacement on Thursday, they appeared in no rush to immediately hire a new full-time skipper.

"It's premature to set a timetable on that," Reds general manager Dick Williams said. "But the point is we will be doing a thorough and exhaustive search process to identify the full-time manager. We have good internal candidates, but it will be a process we will undergo. It makes more sense to do that towards the end of the season because any external candidates, for the most part, are not going to be available until then."

Internally, Cincinnati could look to special assistant to the GM and Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. John Farrell, most recently the manager of the Red Sox, was hired in March as a scout. Third-base coach Billy Hatcher has expressed a desire to manage in the past.

• Reds dismiss Price; Riggleman named interim

Currently available outside the organization are former Yankees manager Joe Girardi and ex-Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus. There are also numerous former managers who currently work as coaches for other clubs, such as Fredi Gonzalez of the Marlins and Manny Acta of the Mariners.

The choice of Reds fans would seem to be Larkin, a Cincinnati native and shortstop for the club during his entire 19-season career from 1986-2004. After working as a television analyst for several years, Larkin returned to the organization in 2015 and works as a roving Minor League instructor.

However, Larkin has no Major League or Minor League managerial experience. He did manage Brazil in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, winning a qualifying round before going 0-3 in the tournament.

Farrell, who won a World Series with Boston in 2013, was hired by the Reds to provide an external scouting eye on the club's own players and others around the league. When his addition was announced, there was no indication that he could be a manager-in-waiting behind Price.

Ausmus, who currently works in the Angels' front office, managed the Tigers from 2014-17 and won an American League Central title his first season. He is considered to be a more analytical-minded manager, which would fit the trend among front offices around the Major Leagues.

Girardi did a lot of winning with the Yankees from 2008-17, including the '09 World Series title. But his end with the club came amid reports that he had struggled to connect with a younger clubhouse. Cincinnati has one of the youngest clubhouses in baseball, with only a few players over the age of 30.

Video: Williams on replacing Price, Riggleman on taking over

Then there is Riggleman, who has been in this position before as an interim three times in his career. The 65-year-old has managed for all or parts of 12 Major League seasons for the Padres, Cubs, Mariners and Nationals.

"It's not the circumstances that anybody wants to get the job under," Riggleman said. "Bryan Price is a great man, and a great friend. I'm concerned about Bryan. The opportunity to manage, it's something that I love to do. I've always taken on that challenge with various clubs. It's a passion for me. I look forward to it. But this is not the circumstances you want it to happen."

Riggleman resigned from Washington amid a contract dispute during the 2011 season. He joined the Reds organization in '12, first as manager at Double-A Pensacola and then Triple-A Louisville in '13-14.

Riggleman returned to the Majors in 2015 to be Price's third-base coach, then moved over to bench coach, where he had served since '16.

For the time being, Riggleman will be tasked with getting Cincinnati back on track following a 3-15 start to this season.

"I think just try to see if we can win some ballgames, it's as simple as that," Riggleman said. "I will just try to stress the details of the game, which was what Bryan was trying to do. We've just got to find a way with the coaches, and myself, to really put an exclamation point on the details of the game. The hitting and the pitching are the two biggest areas of the game, they have to take care of themselves. But we as coaches and the manager can really try to pick up a win here or there with maybe some things we stress pregame that will hopefully carry into the game and help us win a few."