Glew - BWDIK: Boucher, Brash, Romano, Sabrowski, Soroka, Young
Calgary Redbirds alum Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) had his second 10-strikeout game of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Photo: MLB.com/X
April 12, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Some Canadian baseball news and notes:
Soroka dominating as a Diamondback
In his six major league seasons prior to this one, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) had struck out 10 batters in a game just once.
He has done it twice in three starts this season.
On Friday, he fanned 10 Philadelphia Phillies batters in the D-Backs’ 5-4 come-from-behind win. After allowing four runs in the first inning, Soroka held the Phils off the scoreboard for the rest of his outing, pitching 5 2/3 innings to earn his third win in three starts.
Soroka also struck out 10 Detroit Tigers batters in his first start of the season on March 30.
In total, the Calgary Redbirds and Junior National Team grad is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA and has 23 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this season.
Romano still perfect as Angels closer
I know it’s early, but Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) seems reborn as a closer with the Los Angeles Angels.
He is a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities this season, and even more impressive is that he has not surrendered a hit in five scoreless innings.
The 32-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough 2025 with the Phillies.
Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is in his eighth major league season.
Sabrowski shining out of Guardians’ bullpen
Speaking of Canadian relievers who have been near-perfect this season, Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) has yet to permit a run and has six holds in eight appearances for the Cleveland Guardians.
He has surrendered just three hits and has 12 Ks.
Just how good has the 28-year-old left-hander been since making his MLB debut with the Guardians on September 4, 2024?
This good (This post was on X on Wednesday):
Miami Marlins: Canada’s “other” team
Six times this season three Canadians – Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) and Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) – have hit fourth, fifth and sixth in the Miami Marlins’ lineup.
I’m confident that this represents the first time three players with Canadian citizenship have hit back-to-back-to-back for the same major league team in multiple games.
In the Marlins’ 8-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, each of the Canadians had at least one run and one hit. Caissie led the charge, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
The three Canadians have been top offensive contributors for the Marlins this season. Lopez is batting .327 and ranks second on the team with 17 hits and a .386 on-base percentage (OBP). Hicks tops the team in home runs (3) and RBIs (13), while Caissie is tied with Lopez for the team lead with four doubles and ranks second with 12 RBIs.
Julien red-hot for Rockies
Colorado Rockies infielder Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) entered the week with a .091 batting average but has since gone 10-for-21 in a six-game hitting streak. This has lifted his average to .344.
The ABC and Junior National Team grad was moved into the leadoff spot by the Rockies on Saturday. He is seeing regular playing time at second base after being acquired from the Twins in January.
Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, Julien played parts of three seasons with the Twins. He made his big league debut four years ago today. Hitting eighth and starting at second base, Julien went 0-for-2 with a walk in the Twins’ 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.
Thirty-five years ago, Boucher made MLB debut
Thirty-five years ago today, Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.) made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays.
He started and allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at SkyDome. The first three batters he faced were Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and Gary Sheffield and he retired them in order.
The Blue Jays won 5-4.
It was his first of seven starts for the Blue Jays that season before he was dealt to Cleveland along with Mark Whiten and Glenallen Hill for Tom Candiotti and Turner Ward on June 27, 1991.
Young has first three-hit MLB game
Last Sunday, New York Mets outfielder/first baseman Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) had the first three-hit game of his major league career. He had two singles and a double in the Mets’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young spent the majority of 2025 in triple-A but he also belted four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.
Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum also played parts of parts of two seasons with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023.
Remembering former Expo Carl Morton
Please take a moment to remember former Montreal Expos pitcher Carl Morton who died 43 years ago today when he was just 39.
Morton is best remembered for his 1970 season in which he went 18-11 with a 3.60 ERA and pitched 284 2/3 innings and became the first Expo to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.
He pitched two more seasons with the Expos before being traded to the Atlanta Braves where he had three strong campaigns from 1973 to 1975, never winning less than 15 games in a season. He posted a 4.17 ERA in 26 contests for the Braves in 1976 and then spent 1977 in double-A in the Phillies’ organization before retiring.
Fourth anniversary of Brash’s MLB debut
Four years ago today, Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners.
He started against the White Sox and allowed two runs and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings but the Mariners lost 3-2.
Brash has since been converted into a set-up man by the Mariners. Now in his fourth big league season, the Kingston Thunder alum is off to another excellent start. He has yet to allow an earned run in six relief outings and has fanned four batters in 5 2/3 innings.
Fryman would be 86 today
Please take a moment to remember former Expos left-hander Woodie Fryman who would’ve turned 86 today.
He died on February 4, 2011 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The Kentucky native enjoyed two tenures with the Expos (1975-76, 1978 to 1983) and was the Expos’ Player of the Year as a starting pitcher in 1976. When he was brought back to the club in 1978, he returned to the rotation but was then used exclusively as a reliever in his final five seasons. In three of those campaigns, his ERA was 2.79 or lower.
In total, he pitched in 18 big league seasons and won 141 games.
Ward made MLB debut 40 years ago
It was 40 years ago today that Duane Ward made his MLB debut with the Braves.
He hurled a scoreless eighth inning against the Houston Astros in the Braves’ 4-3 loss at the Astrodome. Ward struck out the first batter he faced — Astros catcher Mark Bailey.
Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1982 MLB draft by the Braves, Ward was dealt to the Blue Jays for Doyle Alexander on July 6, 1986. With the Blue Jays, he became one of the greatest relievers in franchise history, first serving as a set-up man for Tom Henke and then as the team’s closer in 1993.
In total, in nine seasons with the Blue Jays, Ward appeared in 452 games, the second-most by a pitcher in franchise history and earned two World Series rings. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
1990s Olerud “Holy Grail” card
I was digging through the baseball card collection I put together with my dad in the 1990s earlier this week and found this card.
It’s a 1993 Donruss Elite John Olerud. This card was inserted in a limited number of packs.
When my dad and I got this card in 1993, we thought we had found the Holy Grail.
Just 10,000 were produced. That’s seem like a laughably high quantity today with cards often serial-numbered to 10 or less, but a warm wave of nostalgia came over me when I rediscovered this card.
Condolences to Michael Murray
I wanted to send my deepest condolences to my friend Michael Murray, who is a huge supporter of Canadian baseball history and this column. His wife, Di, passed away on Thursday night after a courageous battle with cancer.
I am thinking of you Michael and sending you love and strength.