Atlanta, GA
MLB power rankings: Perfect Padres throttle Braves to put Atlanta in early 2025 hole
Alex Rodriguez weighs in on MLB season, Dodgers, Yankees ability to win
Alex Rodriguez talks baseball and his partnership with Lysol
Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers are unbeaten in five games and the New York Yankees can’t stop hitting home runs, but let’s pause to consider what the San Diego Padres have pulled off.
It’s not even April, and they’ve already clinched the season series against the Atlanta Braves – and cracked the top five in USA TODAY Sports’ first power rankings installment.
Oh, it probably won’t matter, but it’s worth pondering that the most significant feat of this opening weekend was the Padres sweeping four games against Atlanta, marking six consecutive victories over them at Petco Park, dating to their wild-card steamrolling during last year’s playoffs.
Perhaps you might remember that: The Braves, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks all had to wait until hurricane-delayed Games 161 and 162 were played to determine the final NL playoff spots. Sure, most tiebreakers don’t come into play, but with the Padres and Braves very likely slotting in wild-card spots this year, it’s not entirely meaningless.
Of greater note, San Diego’s throttling of Atlanta might at least force observers to recalibrate their expectations for both teams, with the Padres perhaps providing resistance to the Dodgers in the West, while the Braves are already a pace behind what should be an excellent three-team race in the East.
Then again, 158 games remain for both.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
- You might say they, uh, torpedoed Brewers pitching.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
- Jesús Luzardo wins first start as Phillie.
- Bullpen allowed one earned run in 16 innings.
5. Baltimore Orioles
- Blasted 10 homers in four games against Toronto.
6. Texas Rangers
- Jack Leiter did enough to win first start; can Kumar Rocker follow suit?
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
- Next time, just start the guy you just gave $210 million.
8. New York Mets
- Oh, they’ll hit soon enough.
9. Houston Astros
- Spencer Arrighetti picks up where he left off after strong 2024 finish.
10. Detroit Tigers
- They’re definitely done with the Dodgers.
11. Boston Red Sox
- Rafael Devers doing anything but designated hitting: 0 for 16 with 12 strikeouts.
- Ah yes, three games at the Dodgers should wash that 0-4 start right away.
13. Cincinnati Reds
- It’d be a shame if relief woes sank an otherwise solid and charismatic roster.
14. Chicago Cubs
- Relief acquisition Eli Morgan has given up six runs in 3 ⅔ innings.
15. Seattle Mariners
- After four-run opening day explosion, they score two, zero and two runs against A’s.
16. Cleveland Guardians
- Jose Ramírez’s wrist is barking a little bit.
17. Kansas City Royals
- Tough opening series ends on grim note when pitch strikes Jonathan India in face.
18. Tampa Bay Rays
- They embrace the great outdoors with two wins over Rockies, including walk-off homer.
19. San Francisco Giants
- Maybe this Old Guys Rule rotation will work out.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
- So far, their “reset” has resulted in a perfect record.
21. Toronto Blue Jays
- The Max Scherzer thumb saga already getting painful.
22. Washington Nationals
- Dylan Crews hitless in 11 at-bats, with eight strikeouts.
23. Minnesota Twins
- Top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez with a three-hit night in Class AAA opener.
- We feel confident in saying they will not see the New York Yankees again this year.
25. Los Angeles Angels
- Tim Anderson gets a nice welcome in return to Chicago’s Southside.
26. Athletics (Sacramento)
- Their Yolo County Era begins this week.
27. Miami Marlins
- Griff Conine hits game-tying homer on night his dad is inducted into club Hall of Fame.
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
- First three losses all walk-offs. So they’re coming close.
- Chase Dollander watch: Strikes out five in four innings of first Class AAA start.
30. Chicago White Sox
- Clip and save this for posterity: Their 1.00 ERA leads the major leagues
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Atlanta, GA
Apple turns 50 as new Atlanta exhibit showcases decades of innovation
Apple turns 50 on April 1, and if you have ever owned an iPod, Mac, or iPhone, there’s a good chance it’s inside a new exhibit opening on Apple’s birthday.
“Inspire: 50 Years of Innovation From Apple” opens Wednesday at the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, and it’s packed with nearly 2,000 products and artifacts.
Inside the exhibit, Apple’s story comes to life.
For museum founders Lonnie and Karin Mimms, it’s a story they have been building for 40 years, collecting nearly every apple product ever created.
But they don’t just want to show the world, they want to educate and inspire.
“We want people to come through these doors and to get an idea and say, okay, I’ve had an idea, I want to go do it,” said Karin Mimms.
Walk through and you see the evolution, starting with items owned by Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and their yearbooks.
“How did we get here? How did they start this company? They had a passion and we want to show that,” said Karin Mimms.
The artifacts date back to 1973, the oldest being the second check written to create the company.
Then there’s the products everyone knows and loves, from the “jelly bean” computer in every color, to every model of the iPod in every color.
The exhibit also intends to grow, featuring Apple’s latest products such the Vision Pro goggles.
The iPods are displayed across a wall, and it’s a big showstopper.
“Everybody loves this wall because if you’re of this era, you’ve had one of these at some point,” said Karin Mimms.
Every model lines up like a snapshot in time, in chronological order of creation, not only to tell a story, but to create new stories.
“When they leave here, it would be nice to think that you know in a dramatic case that some kid literally, you know, starts looking at what might end up being a career for them,” said Lonnie Mimms.
Atlanta, GA
Athletics defeat Braves 5-2 in Atlanta
The Athletics continued their interleague series with the Braves today at Truist Park in Atlanta. Making his first official start of the season for the A’s was 30-year-old righty Aaron Civale. He was 4-9 with a 4.85 ERA last season for three MLB ball clubs. Civale matched up against 28-year-old lefty José Suarez for the Braves. Suarez just pitched in nineteen innings for the Braves last season, going 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA.
After a quiet top of the first inning, the Braves got on the board first when reigning National League R-O-Y Drake Baldwin knocked his third homer of the year to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
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In the top of the second, Brent Rooker led off with a single but was erased on a double play ball by Soderstrom. Max Muncy walked and advanced to second on a balk and scored on a single by Andy Ibáñez. Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke each walked and Jacob Wislon hit a ground rule double to drive in two.
Max Muncy doubled to lead off the fourth inning. Andy Ibáñez drove in his second run of the game with a base hit. Headed to the bottom of the fourth, the A’s led 4-1.
Shea Langeliers knocked his fourth homer of the year against the team that drafted him to bring the score to 5-1 for the A’s.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hogan Harris replaced Aaron Civale. Civale’s final line:
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5.0 innings, two earned runs, four hits and one walk. He struck out three.
Harris flirted with disaster walking the first two Braves of the inning but buckled down and escaped unharmed.
Denzel Clarke ripped a single into right centerfield, and then Jacob Wilson shocked the stadium with a bunt single down the first base line. Shea Langeliers ground into a double play, erasing Wilson but moving Clarke to third with two outs. Kurtz flied out to left field to end the threat.
Justin Sterner replaced Harris in the bottom of the seventh, he walked Dominic Smith and then Mauricio Dubón reached on a throwing error by Max Muncy. That brought up Ronald Acuña Jr. who struck out swinging.
Scott Barlow replaced Sterner in the eighth. This was his third appearance in the kelly-green and gold. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning to get the A’s to the ninth.
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Mark Leiter Jr. was brought in to shut the Braves down in the ninth. It would be his first save opportunity of the year. He didn’t make it easy on himself, but in the end, he struck out former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and got Drake Baldwin to pop out to end the game. The A’s first victory of the season came at the expense of the Atlanta Braves, 5-2.
The A’s go for the series win tomorrow at 9:15 AM PDT.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Snags Two 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Nominations
The James Beard Awards Foundation announced its official 2026 slate of award nominees on Tuesday, March 31, and two Atlanta names and places are among them.
J. Trent Harris of lauded Midtown restaurant Mujō is nominated in the Best Chef: Southeast category. Additionally, wine-focused Aria (also a finalist last year) was recognized in the Outstanding Hospitality category.
The news comes after eight Atlanta restaurants and bars were originally under consideration when the long list of semifinalists was revealed back in January. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, June 15.
Considered one of the restaurant industry’s most coveted awards, the honors span categories such as Restaurant and Chef Awards, Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism), and Achievement Awards. Last year, the foundation introduced the new category of Impact Awards, which it describes as recognizing “achievement by individuals and/or organizations who are actively working to push for standards that create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry.”
The full list of nominations can be found here.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards.
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