In the middle of a dreadful start to the season, the players and coaches on the field aren’t the only ones making mistakes for the Mets. Yes, it seems it’s now spreading beyond the walls and into the video replay room.
In the first inning of Saturday’s eventual 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles in extra innings, Nolan McLean allowed three straight two-out hits with the third hit resulting in both an out and a run scoring.
Except it shouldn’t have.
Upon further review, the runner trying to advance to third base was tagged out, on a great throw by Austin Slater in right field, before the runner going home touched the plate which should’ve negated the run from counting.
The Mets did not challenge the call on the play and manager Carlos Mendoza was asked why not.
“He missed it,” the skipper said, referring to Mets replay analyst Harrison Friedland. “We called, obviously, and he missed it. Harrison is one of the best at his job. Obviously it ends up being a big play when you lose by one run, but I also think we had chances there and we couldn’t cash in.”
Yes, New York ended up losing by a single run in extra innings, meaning had they challenged the call and got it overturned and everything else stayed the same, the Mets would’ve won.
However, while that mental lapse proved costly, Mendoza doesn’t believe it’s the only reason his team lost. After all, once they tied the game in the seventh inning they had two more big chances to take the lead but were unable to cash in.
The first opportunity came with the bases loaded and one out and the top of the order coming up. In a lineup bereft of big hitters, this was the perfect time for the Mets to go for the jugular as Bo Bichette and Juan Soto, the two survivors of a once-thought stacked lineup, were due up.
Instead, Bichette, who had an RBI single earlier in the game, grounded into a force out at home and Soto struck out. Inning over.
Nevertheless, by a stroke of luck (and catcher’s interference), Bichette had a chance to redeem himself in the 10th inning with runners on first and second and nobody out. Once again, Bichette grounded out, this one a double play.
“I just hit two sliders in the ground,” Bichette said after the game. “I think for me just trying to be too perfect, have the perfect swing for every pitch and that’s not attainable.”
“This one stings,” he said. “We had our chances, but more times than not guys like Bo and Juan, those are the guys that we want at the plate to be in those situations. They’re gonna come through more times than not, today they just didn’t do it.”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 02: Emerson Hancock #26 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after getting a strike out against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park on May 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Randy Johnson is the first Mariners pitcher I remember watching. Somewhere there is a picture of a mulleted Randy taken by me with a hot pink camera in the Kingdome at a Kid’s Day. It’s blurry, and his head is partially cropped off, seven-year-old me tilting up the camera at the towering figure above me. That’s what it felt like watching him pitch: larger than life, scary, and a little bit thrilling.
Emerson Hancock, while very tall in his own right, does not spark the same fear, with his kind smile and soft Georgia accent. I have seen many versions of Emerson Hancock over the years: the college acee whose career and trip to Omaha was cut short; a young pitcher surrounded by other young pitching that leapfrogged him on his journey to the bigs; a beaten but not defeated Hancock searching for answers after a bad start, and another, and another; and tonight, what should have been a triumphant Hancock coming off a career-best start of 14 strikeouts against not walks, but was instead a chastened Hancock forced to explain away his teammates’ mistakes in a crushing 3-2 extra-innings loss.
Randy Johnson was famous for telling his offensively anemic Mariners teammates “just get me one run tonight, boys, that’s all we need.” Hancock would need just a little more than that. He wouldn’t get it.
The Mariners did oblige The RJ Doctrine in the first. Julio Rodríguez continued his torrid stretch with a one-out double that missed being a home run by about a foot, tagging a 90-mph fastball on the opposite corner of the plate. Josh Naylor followed him up with a classic Naylor single, the high fastball away that he punched into center field for a run. Unfortunately, Randy Arozarena capped the scoring there by unluckily lining into a double play, so the Mariners really did just get the one run, boys. That would prove to be significant, later, in a chain of events that undid this game from what should have been a thrilling win into a loss.
The Royals got their own run in the third through some bad luck for Emerson Hancock. Nine-hole hitter Kyle Isbel got a hold of a cutter at the bottom of the zone and laced it just past a diving Josh Naylor. Maikel Garcia then threw his bat at a first-pitch sweeper on the outer edge of the zone and blooped it into left field to bring home Isbel. Hancock rebounded even with one out, getting Bobby Witt Jr. to pop out on the sweeper (assisted by a strong throw from Luke Raley to hold the runner at second) and ending the inning on a strikeout looking to Vinnie Pasquantino, a perfectly spotted four-seamer at 97.4 mph.
The Mariners were able to get a go-ahead run in the fifth but it came…weirdly. With one out, the Mariners loaded the bases on back-to-back-to-back singles from Leo Rivas, J.P. Crawford, and Julio Rodríguez; Rivas then scored on a wild pitch by Royals starter Seth Lugo, the reigning Royals organizational Pitcher of the Month. Josh Naylor then struck out for the second out, but Randy Arozarena walked to re-load the bases…and then was picked off to end the inning, having lost track of the count. Manager Dan Wilson was gracious about the mental mistake postgame, saying there are times where he’s forgotten the count, or rolled the ball back with runners on, but once again, a scoring chance would be squandered, and eventually, the Mariners would run out of chances.
That sent Hancock out to protect the precious one-run lead once again. It looked like he might be done after the sixth, having to work around a leadoff ground-ball single from Bobby Witt Jr. followed by a line drive base hit from Vinnie Pasquantino. With Hancock’s velocity trending downwards and some location misses with sinkers leaking onto the plate, things felt dangerous. But Hancock spun a bunch of sweepers at Salvador Perez to get him to strike out, retired Carter Jensen on a frankly scary flyout, and then got Jac Caglianone to tap a comebacker right at him to end the inning without trouble.
Then, a surprise: Dan Wilson sent Hancock back out for a seventh inning of work, and Hancock dug down for what he had left, collecting two more strikeouts from the bottom of the order and getting Kyle Isbel to pop out softly to put a cap on his night. It was a brilliant, beautiful performance from Hancock that deserved so much better than this loss. It deserves a full recap devoted to the particular journey Hancock has taken this season, tunneling himself out of the fear and doubt and ineffectiveness of his first few seasons, bad outings and worse ones, and the perseverance he’s shown in making himself into not just a big-league starter, but the current anchor of this rotation.
If you want to just watch this highlight and stop reading, go ahead. I won’t fault you.
But once again, the bullpen wasn’t able to protect that slender lead, and the offense wasn’t able to add on. To be clear, Eduard Bazardo is blameless in this; he worked a clean eighth inning with some help from a diving Randy Arozarena. But Andrés Muñoz had the ninth and things started off roughly, with perpetual Mariner-killer Salvador Perez lining a leadoff single into right field and then pinch-runner Lane Thomas getting to second on a called balk. “DAN DO SOMETHING!” hollered one aggrieved fan in front of me in the press box and honestly, yes, I would also have liked for Dan to fix it somehow. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. Muñoz struck out Carter Jensen on a slider, but then Jac Caglianone ambushed a first-pitch heater for an RBI single – and then advanced to third on a fielding error by the normally surehanded Julio Rodríguez, who just sort of…let the ball roll past him. A swinging bunt from Isaac Collins advanced the runner to third, bringing up Michael Massey, who popped out to end the inning and make Julio’s error academic, but it felt like another missed stitch in the ugly afghan that was this game. May seems a little late to be making these kinds of mistakes, and so many of them.
The Royals brought out the anciént one (Matt Strahm) again for the ninth, causing Wilson to dip into his bench and summon Rob Refsnyder to pinch-hit for Canzone after Cole Young flew out softly for the first out of the inning. But righty pinch-hitters Refsnyder and Connor Joe couldn’t get anything cooking, and the game went to extras.
Cooper Criswell was tasked with handling the tenth and immediately had a base stolen off him, but was able to strike out Kyle Isbel for the first out of the inning, so it was basically like the sac bunt worked. That turned the lineup over, though, and Maikel Garcia was able to get that runner home with a shallow sac fly. Criswell was able to retire Bobby Witt Jr., but the Mariners – who hadn’t scored on a hit since the first inning of the game, remember – now entered with the bottom of their lineup to try to score off Royals closer Lucas Erceg.
They did not. It’s not important how. In lieu of dwelling on this annoying, frustrating, frankly godawful loss, let’s return to Emerson Hancock. While images of Randy Johnson snarling and strutting filled the giant screen behind him, Hancock warmed up as he always does, keeping an even tempo. The old baseball rule is you don’t talk to pitchers on their start days; most of the Mariners starters don’t follow that, but definitely not Hancock, who greets every member of the media as he does every day, with a soft hello-how-are-ya. Pregame, he was hanging on the batting turtle with Kevin Seitzer, maybe talking about the Braves, who come into town next, cheering a Dominic Canzone homer that scraped the upper deck. Hancock admitted he was a little starstruck by the baseball luminaries – Nolan Ryan and Pedro Martinez among them – whose voices filled the stadium before his start, but stopped short of saying he felt pressure to bring something of their greatness into his game, despite his career-best performance.
“You go out there and you try to be someone you’re not, you try to do something you don’t usually do, you can run into a trap,” said Hancock.
Not intent to dominate but intent to compete. Not a 99 mph fastball but one that ticks down to 93 at times and he lets it. Not an untouchable, harrowing presence, but a warm one that reflects the Georgia sun and open farmlands. Not a snarl but a smile. Emerson Hancock has always done it his way, and tonight he did it better than he ever has. In a frustrating game, that’s worth holding on to – the lesson that you don’t have to borrow anyone else’s persona to be great. Stick to who you are, be who you are, and you can find your own way to it, no matter how long it takes.
May 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Royals pinch runner Michael Massey (19) slides home to score a run against the Seattle Mariners during the tenth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
If you needed more evidence that it’s no longer April, the Royals gave it to you tonight. Coming into May, the Royals were 1-5 in one-run games. So far in May, they’re 2-0 in those games and in all games. For most of the game, that didn’t seem possible.
Had the Mariners won, Emerson Hancock would be the story of this game. I’m not sure he shouldn’t still be. On the night the Mariners retired Randy Johnson’s number in a pre-game ceremony, Hancock pitched seven one-run innings with a whopping 14 strikeouts. That’s not only the most of his career; it’s the most of anyone in MLB so far this year. In case you were wondering, Hancock has never been a strikeout pitcher before. But the high heat was working for him tonight. You can refer to the game thread for a representation of how Hancock has looked this season; here’s the TJ Stats summary for Hancock tonight:
Oh yeah, he didn’t walk any either.
On the other side, Seth Lugo gave up a run within three batters. Julio Rodríguez continued his scorching hot May with a one-out, automatic double to the opposite field. Josh Naylor smashed a single to centerfield.
The Royals roared right back in the third inning. Kyle Isbel led off and snuck a double down the first base line, then Maikel Garcia drove him home with a double into the right-center gap. Unfortunately, the Royals stranded him there.
The Mariners stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the second after Vinnie Pasquantino and Seth Lugo each had brain farts on defense. In the bottom of the fifth, the Mariners had some good luck to load the bases against Lugo again. With one out, Leo Rivas had a clean single to right. J.P. Crawford snuck one past a diving Bobby into left, and Julio grounded one that Bobby grabbed on the dive but couldn’t get to Michael Massey in time to get an out. With the bases loaded and Josh Naylor at the plate, Lugo threw a wild pitch to allow Rivas to score. Lugo struck out Naylor but walked Randy Arozarena to reload the bases. Then, on a 2-2 pitch, Randy decided to take off for second. Perhaps he lost track of the count? Regardless, the Royals managed to tag him out before Crawford could score from third.
In the top of the sixth, the Royals put two runners on with no outs and failed to advance either runner. You’d be forgiven if you assumed the game was over then. But it wasn’t.
Lugo ended up only giving up two runs in six innings for the team’s 16th quality start – tied with the Mariners for fourth-most in baseball. He struck out six, walked a pair, and gave up seven hits. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. Luinder Avila looked absolutely deadly pitching the seventh and eighth innings. He allowed no runners and earned a strikeout. Matt Strahm pitched a clean ninth.
But the only reason Strahm pitched the ninth was because of what happened in the top of the inning against the Mariners’ stud closer, Andres Muñoz. Salvador Perez led off the inning and flipped a single into right. Lane Thomas came in to pinch run and was immediately awarded second base on a balk. Carter Jensen – who won April Royals player of the month, but is also 0 for his last 15 with 7 strikeouts – struck out. Jac Caglianone came to the plate with a chance to tie the game. We know what he did the last time Lugo started. Could he do it again?
Yep!
That was hit at 108.9 MPH off the bat of Jac Caglianone, and the defensive maven J-Rod had it skip past him, allowing Jac to arrive at third still with only one out. Unfortunately, the Royals couldn’t score him, so it was up to Strahm to get the game into extras.
In the top of the tenth, the Royals engaged in more shenanigans. Kyle Isbel led off with Massey at second. Isbel tried and failed to get the bunt down twice. On the second attempt, Massey got a little far from second, and Mitch Garver attempted a backpick. Massey turned his blunder into an opportunity by not panicking. Instead, he took off for third and made it a stolen base. Which was fortunate because Isbel struck out on the next pitch.
Maikel came up and, after taking a couple of big hacks, shortened his swing and got the ball just deep enough to score Massey.
In the bottom of the tenth, Lucas Erceg came out to earn his ninth save and looked like his 2024 self again. He struck out a pair – one on a slider in the zone and the other on a sinker up and away from a lefty – and got a 1-2-3 inning. Don’t look now, but Lucas has gone six straight appearances without allowing an earned run. Over that span, he’s walked 4, but he’s struck out 8 and only given up 1 hit. If Lights Out Lucas is back in business, that changes a lot of what’s possible for the Royals this year.
No matter what happens next, the Royals have guaranteed a .500 road trip with tonight’s victory. Still, they get a shot to earn a winning road trip and their second sweep of the season when they close out the series and the road trip with a late afternoon match tomorrow. Kris Bubic (3.74 ERA) will go against Luis Castillo (6.35 ERA). The game will start at 3:10 Royals time.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians bats against the Athletics in the top of the second inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on May 02, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Was that the most fun game of the year? I think it was. It’s been a long time since we saw the offense score the way they have in the last two games. Seeing Travis Bazzana get his first big league hit with the bases loaded was truly special. His surface numbers may not look great so far but I have been very impressed with his ABs. He is going to be a good player for a very long time.
Chase DeLauter continues to do absurd things for a rookie. I told some of my friends earlier today that he’s like a video game character with maximum hitting attributes. He truly has no weakness at the plate and it is an absolute joy to watch. Over his last 7 games he has a slash line of .565/.630/.696.
Maybe the most important thing from today was Kyle Manzardo hitting a pinch hit 3 run bomb. Let us all pray that this is the start of him going back to being the Kyle Manzardo that we know he is capable of being. José Ramírez also seems to be in a bit of slump, it was nice to see him have that big double today that knocked in a couple runs.
Angel Martinez continues to have an awesome season with 3 hits today. And how about David Fry? They have had a lot of patience with him and it looks to be starting to pay off after he hit a huge HR today off a lefty. How could I possibly forget AUSTIN HEDGES? With two doubles and a HR today, he is now hitting .325 with an .864 OPS on the season, good for third best on the team behind Schneemann and DeLauter. I do not expect this to continue, but we appreciate any and all offensive contributions from Hedgey.
Now that we have went through all the awesome things with the offense, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room. Slade Cecconi had another rough start today. His ERA is up to 6.56 on the season and it’s hard to find any positives with him right now. How long can they keep running him out there every 5 days? Do they think Logan Allen can give them a better chance to win right now? Allen is not exactly lighting it up in AAA either. Cecconi does have an option, so they could always send him down to AAA and have him work on some stuff there. If it were my decision, that is likely what I’d do as he seems like someone who just needs a reset.
Tim Herrin might be the most underappreciated member of the team right now, he’s been phenomenal this season. He has yet to allow an earned run and the advanced metrics support that. Hunter Gaddis had another rough performance, but I am still not worried about him. I think he just needs some time and he’ll be fine.
The Guardians will look for the sweep tomorrow. It will be Parker Messick vs…checks notes…Aaron Civale at 4:05 pm ET.!
Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio is headed to the injured list after he fractured his left thumb on a head-first slide to first base against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night, manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game.
The injury occurred in the seventh inning after Mauricio hit a slow roller to first baseman Nolan Schanuel and tried beating it out by diving to first base. After initially called an out, the Mets immediately challenged the call which was overturned, but at great cost.
"I’m gonna have to talk to David [Stearns]," Mendoza said when asked about a possible replacement. "We need a player here tomorrow so it’s a quick turnaround."
Mauricio looked shaken up after the play, but stayed in to run the bases. He was taken out of the game in the bottom half of the inning when Brett Baty came in at third base, moving Bo Bichette to shortstop.
Who will play shortstop in Sunday's series finale and beyond is now the question, although moving Bichette back to his natural position is an option.
"I gotta wait and see who the player is that’s gonna come up," Mendoza said. "Pretty sure Bo is gonna be in the conversation, but again we just got done with the game."
With Mauricio starting due to the calf injury of Francisco Lindor, this is just the latest blow to a team that has been decimated by injuries early this season. It's also Mauricio's second significant injury after he tore his ACL before the 2024 season and comes at a time where he was finally going to get a long look in the majors.
"It’s tough, obviously," Mendoza said. "You lose your everyday shortstop and the guy that comes up and is getting the everyday opportunity here now is hurt – somebody else is gonna have an opportunity."
May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler (12) is congratulated by manager Kurt Suzuki, center fielder Mike Trout (27) and catcher Sebastian Rivero (38) after scoring in the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
April was a terrible month for the Mets. But April is over, and they won yesterday on May 1st. Surely May was destined to be much better. The 2026 season can now officially begin, right?
Yeah, no. Tonight we had another game where the Mets didn’t come through enough in the clutch—just like every other game in April. The result was an extra inning 4-3 loss.
Following a quiet first inning for the Mets, the Angels got off to an early lead against Nolan McLean. The rookie ace retired the first two batters with ease, but then surrendered three straight singles (one of them being a little squeaker to an empty spot on the right side of the infield). The third single was hit to right fielder Austin Slater, who unleashed a good throw to nab Jorge Soler trying to get to third to end the inning. Replay showed that the out at third beat the runner scoring at home, but the umpires did not see this, and Carlos Mendoza did not challenge the play, so the run counted and the Mets were quickly behind 1-0. That missed call/non-challenge would prove to be quite impactful.
However, after another quiet inning in the second, the Amazins finally pushed a run home in the third against Angels starter Reid Detmers. Following his impressive defensive play in the first, Slater—in the lineup against the lefty pitcher—socked a one-out double to left field, and after Ronny Mauricio struck out for the second out of the inning, Bo Bichette knocked a single to right to tie up the game.
They failed to add any additional runs on the board, though, and the Angels would retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth. After recording the first out, McLean surrendered a walk and a single to put runners on first and second, and both runners would subsequently advance on a wild pitch. A strikeout of Josh Lowe got the Mets one out away from getting out of the inning, but Vaughn Grissom then blooped a single to center to bring both runs home and put the Angels up 3-1. Another single extended the inning and further contributed to the high pitch count which would end McLean’s night after just four innings (the first time in his young career that he had an outing that short), but he did strike out former Met Travis d’Arnaud swinging to keep the deficit at just two.
Tobias Myers came on for the bottom of the fifth for some long relief and managed to work out of a jam after allowing the first two baserunners on. He followed that with a scoreless second inning, and it was at this point when the Mets’ bats decided to wake up against Detmers. Mark Vientos led off the inning with a double to left field, and Marcus Semien followed with a single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Andy Ibáñez—making his first start as a Met—then hit a ball to deep center to score the runner from third on a sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to just one run. Semien then swiped second base to put the tying run in scoring position, and Tyrone Taylor quickly took advantage by socking a single to center to even it up at three runs apiece.
Two infield singles (one from Ronny Mauricio, who slid into first base and would subsequently have to come out of the game in the bottom of the inning after hurting himself on the play) knocked Detmers out of the game and gave the Mets an opportunity with the bases loaded, one out, and the top of the order up against an Angels bullpen that has struggled mightily in recent times. Alas, Sam Bachman came on and retired Bichette (on a groundout to third base in which Taylor was thrown out at home) and Juan Soto (on a strikeout). Thus, following another scoreless frame from the Angels in the bottom of the inning (started by Myers in his third inning of work, and finished by Huascar Brazobán when Mendoza turned to him with two outs and a runner on), the score remained tie after seven.
Anyway, remember that beleaguered Angels bullpen we just remembered? Well, it should surprise absolutely no one that against the Mets, they suddenly looked like prime Mariano Rivera, as Bachman retired three straight batters in the top of the eighth with two more strikeouts and Ryan Zeferjohn followed with an easy 1-2-3 inning as well. For his part, Brazobán also pitched his own 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel then came on for the ninth to try to bring the game into extra innings. After retiring the first batter, Yoan Moncada hit a line drive to first that Vientos inexplicably failed to catch, resulting in a double down the line to put the winning run in scoring position. But the future Hall of Fame reliever bore down, striking out Zack Neto for the second out and then—following an intentional walk to Mike Trout—inducing a groundout to second to end the game and send it to the tenth.
The Mets got a gift in the beginning of the top of the tenth, as Brett Baty—who entered the game when Bichette moved to shortstop following Mauricio’s exit—reached on a catcher’s interference, putting runners on first and second with nobody out and the top of the order coming up. As was the case in the seventh inning, however, the top of the order failed to come through. Bichette grounded into a double play, Soto was intentionally walked with the go-ahead run on third, and Francisco Alvarez weakly flied out to shallow center to end the inning without a single run coming home. Austin Warren then came on with the unenviable task of needing to prevent the ghost runner from scoring to keep the game going. But, well, you already knew that wasn’t going to happen. Jorge Soler led off the inning with a walk, and Jo Adell then lined a sharp single to right to load the bases. Warren, to his credit, did bear down to record two straight outs and get to within a strike of getting out of the inning unscathed. But Oswald Peraza dunked a single into left field to end it.
The Mets are now 11-22. On the bright side, they’re still 1-1 in May. That’s .500! Progress!
Big Mets winner: Brett Baty, +20% WPA Big Mets loser: Austin Warren, -36% WPA Mets pitchers: -11% WPA Mets hitters: -39% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty reaching on catcher’s interference in the 10th, +19.8% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Oswald Peraza walk-off single in the 10th, -34% WPA
The Mets went to extra innings and lost to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night by a score of 4-3.
Here are the takeaways...
-- After striking out the first two batters he faced, Nolan McLean couldn't put the opening inning to bed and allowed three straight singles, two of which came with two strikes. The third hit of the inning produced an out as right fielder Austin Slater gunned down Jorge Soler at third base, but not before Nolan Schanuel crossed home plate to put the Angels up 1-0... or so the Mets thought.
As it turned out, thanks to replay, Soler was tagged out before Schanuel touched home plate which should've canceled the run from counting. However, New York either didn't see it or caught it too late because nobody in the dugout challenged the call, which is a reviewable play, on the field. The mental lapse cost McLean and the Mets a run. Would it come back to bite them?
-- New York would get the run back in the third inning. After Slater, in the Mets' starting lineup for the first time because of lefty Reid Detmers on the mound, doubled with one out, Bo Bichette drove him in with a two-out single. Slater had a good game and finished 2-for-3 alongside his outfield assist at third base from right field.
-- McLean followed up the missed call in the first inning by retiring the next seven hitters in a row before issuing a one-out walk in the fourth. The inning began innocently, but a single and a wild pitch, the right-hander's first of the season, put runners on second and third with one out. McLean managed to strike out Josh Lowe for a path out of the inning, but after getting ahead in the count 0-2 to Vaughn Grissom, he left a sweeper in the zone that Grissom lined into center field for a two-run single. McLean lost Oswald Peraza to a single after getting to two strikes as well before finally ending the inning with a strikeout.
Not only were the three earned runs the most allowed by the rookie in the first four innings of his career, it was also the shortest outing of his career after he was not given the fifth as Tobias Myers took over to start the fifth inning. McLean's final line: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. His season ERA rose to 2.97.
While it wasn't the right-hander's best performance, the decision by manager Carlos Mendoza to pull him after just 78 pitches (51 strikes) was certainly interesting.
-- As for Myers, he found himself in trouble immediately after the first two hitters he faced reached base. He managed to escape without allowing a run and ended up going 2.2 scoreless innings.
-- Thanks to Myers' efforts, the Mets were able to hang around before tying the game in the seventh. Still facing Detmers, who had been cruising right along, Mark Vientos began the seventh with a double down the left field line. Marcus Semien followed with a single to put runners at the corners with nobody out and Andy Ibañez, in his Mets debut, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
New York continued to play solid baseball after Semien stole a crucial base with one out to advance to second in front of Tyrone Taylor who knocked him in with a game-tying single. The Mets would end up loading the bases, knocking Detmers out of the game in the process, but were unable to push across the go-ahead run against the Angels bullpen after Bichette grounded into a force play and Juan Soto struck out to leave them loaded.
-- Things stayed tied through the bottom of the ninth inning where Craig Kimbrel was tasked with sending the game to extra innings. Things got dicey after pinch-hitter Yoan Moncada doubled with one out to bring up the top of the order, but Kimbrel struck out Zach Neto for the second out and New York wisely intentionally walked Mike Trout, already 2-for-4 on the night, to pitch to Schanuel who grounded out to end the inning.
-- In the top of the 10th inning, after the Mets got the first batter to reach, Bichette grounded into a double play and Los Angeles returned the favor by intentionally walking Soto to face Francisco Alvarez who popped out to end the frame. In the bottom half of the inning, Austin Warren came in and walked the first batter he faced before allowing a single to load the bases.
After Warren nearly escaped the jam by retiring the next two hitters, Peraza stroked a two-strike single into left field for the game-winner. Mets pitchers not being able to put away hitters with two strikes was a theme for most of the night and the miscall in the first inning that New York failed to review cost them dearly in the end.
Game MVP: Oswald Peraza
He finished 3-for-5 with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Mets close out their series with the Angels on Sunday afternoon starting at 4:07 p.m. on SNY.
RHP Clay Holmes (3-2, 1.75 ERA) looks to keep his fantastic beginning to the season going and will face off against RHP Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09 ERA).
Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock and NBCSN is headlined by the Detroit Tigers hosting the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park to close out a three-game set.
Both teams split the first two game of the series after Texas has lost three of their last four series and Detroit has lost two series in a row.
Texas (16-17) sits in the middle of a tight AL West with little separation between division leaders Athletics and last-place Los Angeles Angels.
Meanwhile, Detroit (17-17) is one game back from the Cleveland Guardians in an even tighter AL Central with just four games separating the top from the bottom.
See below for additional information on how to watch the Braves vs. Phillies and a breakdown of the game. Also check out the schedule for the MLB on NBC and Peacock. There will be 27 prime-time MLB games featured across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN in 2026. NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock.
Jason Benetti is on the call alongside 1984 World Series Champion Pitcher Dan Petry and Former Major League Pitcher Mike Bacsik.
Ahmed Fareed will host the pregame show alongside Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
Who are the probable pitchers for Rangers vs. Tigers?
Rangers: Jack Leiter (1-2, 5.17 ERA, 33 K)
Tigers: Tyler Holton (0-1, 5.54 ERA, 9 K)
Texas Rangers Preview
Texas has not posted a winning season in the two seasons after winning the World Series in 2023. In manager Skip Schumaker's first season, the Rangers are again posting a middling record through the first handful of weeks of 2026.
The lineup is struggling up and down with the fourth lowest total runs in the MLB while sitting in the bottom half in team AVG, OBP and SLG. Bright spots have been Josh Jung with four homeruns and 19 RBIs with a .931 OPS and free agent acquisition Brandon Nimmo with a team-leading 38 hits.
The strength of this Texas team is the pitching with a 3.48 combined ERA, the second-best in the AL, and 278 strikeouts, which is the sixth-best in the league. Jacob deGrom is mowing down hitters with 40 punchouts in 31.1 innings with just six walks and a 2.01 ERA. The Rangers bullpen has four pitchers with a 2.10 ERA or less and double-digit innings pitched.
Detroit Tigers Preview
Detroit has gotten off to a somewhat slow start looking to build off two consecutive ALDS appearances with manager A.J Hinch. The Tigers rank second in the American League in hits (274), third in batting average (.249), and sixth in ERA (3.99). Rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle leads Detroit with a .310 batting average with 39 hits, 11 doubles. and 23 runs scored.
Catcher Dillon Dingler is tied for lead in home runs with six and leads in RBIs with 23. Three other Tigers including Dingler have a 1.0 or higher WAR alongside McGonigle.
Following its debut on March 29 with Guardians vs. Mariners, you can find the full Sunday Night Baseball schedule here. The 18-game MLB Sunday Leadoff schedule will begin May 3, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Twins in Minnesota. On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
From an MLB Opening Day doubleheader on March 26 to the Wild Card round of the playoffs, NBC Sports’ 2026 schedule delivers wall-to-wall coverage.
D.J. Short
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MLB on NBC 2026 schedule
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Even if the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2025-26 season came to a close after a disappointing first-round Stanley Cup Playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, things down on the farm are alive and well as far as the post-season is concerned.
And one of their affiliates punched their ticket to the second round on Saturday.
In a double-overtime thriller, the Wheeling Nailers - ECHL affiliate of the Penguins - beat the Reading Royals, 1-0, in Game 5, and advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Forward Nolan Renwick scored the OT winner, which came a little more than seven minutes into the second overtime period, to put away the ECHL affiliate of the Flyers.
— xy-Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) May 3, 2026
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier - who served as the Penguins' emergency backup goalie during home games in the first round of the NHL playoffs - made 41 saves and earned his third shutout of the series. He is up to a .974 save percentage in these playoffs.
With the shutout, he tied an ECHL record for the fewest number of goals given up in a five-game series, and his three playoff shutouts are the most in franchise history.
Wheeling will meet the winner of the Maine Mariner and Adirondack Thunder series in the North Division Final, which will start on May 8 in Wheeling.
DENVER, CO - May 1: Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuña Jr. (13) looks on from the dugout during a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Matt Olson has been absolutely crushing the ball this season. Through roughly 20% of the season, he is on pace for 55 homers and 65 doubles. He has a monster 171 wRC+, plays elite defense at the first base position, and is leading the NL in fWAR. With Olson leading the way, Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris, and Ozzie Albies have been premium offensive contributors as well. With Ronald Acuna seeming likely to miss at least some time with a hamstring injury, the Braves could really use Austin Riley stepping up and producing like he is paid to fill in some of that production for the time being. Austin has put together two nice nights at the plate in Coors, punctuated by a huge homer Saturday night. Here’s hoping that could be a turning point for Austin, because while the team has started this season incredibly well, some of this offensive production seems likely to come back to Earth, at least some, and especially without Ronald Acuna in the lineup.
May 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) and Philadelphia Flyers center Luke Glendening (41) battle during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
James Guillory-Imagn Images
RALEIGH, N.C. — Logan Stankoven scored twice to continue his postseason tear and the Carolina Hurricanes smothered the Philadelphia Flyers in a 3-0 victory Saturday night to open the second-round series.
Jackson Blake also scored for Carolina, and Frederik Andersen stopped 19 shots for his second shutout of these playoffs and seventh in his postseason career.
Game 2 of the series is Monday night in Raleigh.
Carolina never trailed in closing a first-round sweep of Ottawa last weekend, then had an extended break while the Flyers battled to push past Pittsburgh in overtime of Game 6 on Wednesday night. That led to rest-versus-rust conversations about how the the Eastern Conference’s top seed would start Saturday night.
Instead, the Hurricanes pounced from the opening puck drop, a departure from how all four regular-season meetings went to overtime or a shootout.
Stankoven scored in each of the four wins against the Senators, then scored on a redirect from the slot just 1:31 in. Blake followed at 7:30, splitting two defenders as he entered the zone and charging in to slip a puck behind Dan Vladar.
That was more than enough offense on this night with the Flyers struggling to apply much pressure on Andersen.
Philadelphia started its first postseason since 2020 by battling through Pittsburgh to close out a six-game series in overtime on Cam York’s Wednesday night winner. But the Flyers sputtered from the start, managing just nine shots on goal through two periods and being outshot 3-2 on their four power plays for the night.
By the final 10 minutes, the game had turned testy with players having to be separated multiple times. That included 10-minute misconduct penalties on Philadelphia’s Trevor Zegras and Nick Seeler, along with Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere for Carolina.
Both teams were down key players. The Flyers didn’t have regular-season goals leader Owen Tippett because of an undisclosed injury, while the Hurricanes were missing defenseman Alexander Nikishin after he suffered a concussion in Game 4 against Ottawa.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 2: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 23.5 VJ Edgecombe – 16 Joel Embiid – 13.5 Paul George – 9 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5 Justin Edwards – 4 Andre Drummond – 3 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Porter Martone – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
Here we are, in what might be the heaviest Bell Ringer post in quite some time. The seven-seeded Philadelphia 76ers knocked off the Boston Celtics with a 109-100 Game 7 win on the road, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
This game had big stakes beyond just the current playoff picture. The Sixers hadn’t beaten the Celtics in over 40 years, and until now had never come back from 3-1 down to win a series. This year’s team has officially made history, knocking off the favored Celtics in the process.
They’ll take on the New York Knicks in the second round starting Monday night.
Many names were vital in this team effort, of course. I’m not one to put an asterisk on this award, but this Bell Ringer carries a little something extra. Let’s dive into the box score and see which guys are up for it.
Embiid came out as a man on a mission, playing the entire first frame and immediately producing in a variety of ways: 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and five assists to go along with zero turnovers. The big man was playing in his own world, and it showed right from the jump. A tale as old as time, the backup big came in and nuked a lot of Embiid’s early work, with Andre Drummond doing the damage tonight. Embiid checked back in less than four minutes later and was a big stabilizer in the Sixers not leaking away their entire early lead.
That domination carried over quickly into the second half, with Embiid plowing his way to the rim on numerous possessions, generating free throws, and even having a back and forth with Celtics star Jaylen Brown. Head coach Joe Mazzula hasn’t had an answer for Embiid since he returned mid-series, and this game was an embodiment of that, with the Celtics resorting to Hugo Gonzalez and other small defenders just to switch things up and throw him off. Embiid looked like a man possessed during this stretch — sealing, blocking out, and just going to the rim over and over.
Unsurprisingly, Embiid was instrumental down the stretch. The Celtics went on a run to trim the lead to single digits, but he poured in a few midrange baskets and was all over the place on loose ball plays, diving and doing a lot of the dirty work down low. He didn’t play much in the final minutes as the game devolved into free throws, and he took two nasty collisions to the knee, but this was a massive statline and performance. He finally beat the dreaded Boston Celtics, and he was a major factor in doing so.
One of the under-the-radar storylines of this series has been the Sixers’ 3rd overall pick getting valuable playoff reps, and now experiencing a Game 7. We’ve seen highs and lows from the 20-year-old, with this game being one of the higher points for the rookie. It came at the best time possible, as it was his most efficient performance since Game 2 when he scored 30 points. Edgecombe did well staying ready, as the Celtics frequently put help defenders on him which opened up several looks that he mostly cashed in on. His three-point shot had been missing for stretches of this series, but it was falling tonight. He also did well converting on several fast breaks in the first half.
Edgecombe took on some of the tougher assignments defensively as well. He was the primary defender on Derrick White, who finally found some offensive rhythm in the first half, and really made him work for baskets. White ended the game just 8-of-21 from the field. Edgecombe also took on some of the Payton Pritchard assignment, who has been one of Boston’s better players this series. Defense is hard to track in a box score, but Edgecombe did well affecting this game on both ends. The third quarter featured some excellent offensive sequences from him, including a nice pass fake and made three, and a clutch corner three to keep the Celtics at bay.
Edgecombe wasn’t much of a factor down the stretch, as Maxey and Embiid did their thing to seal the game. But the rookie looked far from out of place in this high-stakes environment and was a big factor in his first ever Game 7. He finished with five made threes, and shot a solid 8-of-17 from the floor. Some players just thrive under the lights, and Edgecombe continues to be one of them. Edgecombe finished with a game-best +19 in plus-minus, with Embiid trailing behind at +11.
This was an interesting game for Maxey in the sense that it wasn’t a flashy, or even hot, scoring start. In fact it was the opposite. Maxey was mostly quiet from an individual scoring perspective, finishing the half in single digits and rarely generating his own shot. Early on though, he did well in other areas, particularly playmaking and rebounding. Maxey logged six assists in the first quarter alone and was crucial crashing the boards, which led to run outs and fast breaks.
He began to make some noise offensively in the third quarter, hitting a pair of threes and converting some layups off drives. The Sixers began to pull away largely because of Maxey not just protecting the lead, but extending it. Embiid briefly left in the third to get some treatment on his side, and Maxey kept the team afloat. His understated box score had ballooned to an impressive 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists after three quarters.
That stellar stretch carried well into the fourth, with Maxey continuing to make shots long after the offense went stagnant around him. Embiid was the only other Sixer to score multiple baskets in the frame. Without Maxey, the Sixers don’t generate enough offense and probably sink in the fourth quarter.
DENVER, CO - May 1: Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuña Jr. (13) prepares to bat in the first inning during a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Just when it seemed like the Atlanta Braves were starting to turn a corner with injury luck with all of the positive updates on players who are currently on the injury list and Michael Harris II continuing to rake despite quad issues of his own, the injury bug appears to have taken another bite from this squad.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has exited Saturday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies with what appears to be a left hamstring issue. Acuña was simply running out a ground ball to second base and pulled up grabbing at his left hamstring. He walked off the field under his own power but he did need help getting down the stairs according to what we saw on the television broadcast.
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. was removed from tonight’s game with left hamstring tightness.
We’ll provide more updates as they become available and hopefully it’s not as bad as looks for Acuña.
[UPDATE 11:08 p.m ET]: Walt Weiss talked to the media following the game and stated that Ronald Acuña Jr. will be going for an MRI. He said he was hoping for it to be a cramp but also it’s “never good” whenever you see a guy going in for an MRI for this sort of thing. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best at this point.
May 2, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; A squirrel runs behind Coors Field home plate in the second inning between the Atlanta Braves against the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies were hoping their offense would take flight after last night’s showing, but unfortunately it did not. Instead, the offense was limited to just four hits, while Chase Dollander got roughed up for the first time this season.
Playing from behind
Brennan Bernardino served as the opener, and he left Dollander with a mess right off the bat. Bernardino failed to get out of the first inning giving up a single to Ronald Acuña Jr., and then he surrendering a two-run homer to Drake Baldwin to make it a 2-0 ballgame with zero outs in the first.
Ozzie Albies then doubled before Matt Olson finally flew out to center record the first out for Bernardino. A wild pitch allowed him to advance to third, and then Bernardino struck out Michael Harris II.
Warren Schaeffer likely envisioned Bernardino finishing at least the first inning, if not multiple innings, but ended up lifting him after just 0.2 innings. Dollander entered and immediately walked Mauricio Dubón, but then struck out Austin Riley to limit the damage.
The Braves Chase’d Dollander
Dollander started off the second inning strong with a strikeout of Mike Yastrzemski, but then gave up a double to Jorge Mateo. Acuña then came up to the plate and grounded out, but he pulled up halfway to first base. Hopefully it’s not an extended injury, given his history.
Next up, Baldwin singled to score Mateo and put the Braves up 3-0 but then Ozzie Albies struck out to end the inning.
Dollander recorded a 1-2-3 third, but the fourth and fifth got dicey.
The fourth started off with a walk to Austin Riley, which inevitably came back around to haunt. Yastrzemsky popped out to Karros, but then Riley stole second and then was knocked to third by a Mateo single. Eli White — who entered for Acuña — bunted, which scored Riley and moved Mateo to third. Baldwin struck again, though, with an RBI double to put the Braves up 5-1 and then Albies hit a sac fly to score White. Matt Olson flied out to end the inning, but the damage was done.
The fifth inning started with a single by Harris, which turned into two bases on an error committed by Troy Johnston. Dubón grounded out, but Riley homered to center to put the Braves up 8-1.
It was just Dollander’s fourth home run allowed this year, but he came back to get Yastrzemski and Mateo.
The sixth featured a lot of traffic, but nobody came around to score. Dollander was lifted after the sixth with a final line of 5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. He threw 97 pitches, 61 for strikes.
“I thought (Dollander) was just a little behind today,” Schaeffer said after the game. “I think (it was) unusual, with some walks. The breaking ball and the off-speed stuff — not enough strikes out of those so he relied on his fastball a little more. And they got him. I mean, that’s a good lineup. Tip your hat to that lineup, it’s a really good lineup.”
Dollander echoed that postgame with the media.
“I just didn’t get ahead and then didn’t put guys away when I needed to,” he said. “I started falling behind when I got ahead and it’s not conducive to success.”
When asked about pitching behind an opener versus starting, Dollander responded that it doesn’t change his mentality.
“I’m just trying to get the guys innings and put up zeroes just like I was when I was starting,” he said. “The mentality does not change at all. If you fall into that trap, it’s not good for pitching.”
You can watch Dollander’s full postgame interview here (courtesy of Patrick Saunders).
Offensive Offense
The Rockies offense, once again, was MIA tonight. They did not record a hit until the third inning, when Kyle Karros singled to lead off the inning. Ezequiel Tovar and Troy Johnston both flied out to center, but then Jordan Beck smacked a double to (barely) score Karros and end the shutout.
Brenton Doyle struck out, but at least the Rockies plated a run.
But that was the end of the scoring.
There was some traffic in the fifth, when Karros and Tovar walked back-to-back to start the inning, but Johnston grounded into a force out, Beck was called out on strikes, and Doyle struck out swinging to strand the runners.
Their next hit wouldn’t come until the seventh, when Brett Sullivan led off with a single. But then three-straight strikeouts stranded him at first. Willi Castro got a hit with one out in the ninth, but Sullivan grounded into a double play to end the game.
In total the Rockies offense mustered just four hits, but walked three times and struck out 12 (11 of those were against Chris Sale).
Up Next
The Rox will look to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Braves tomorrow afternoon. Kyle Freeland will face Spencer Strider, who is making his 2026 debut. First pitch is at 1:10pm.
May 2, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Willy Adames (2) reacts to the umpire during the second inning against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images
Soon after the 27th out was recorded in the 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Giants players filed out of the dugout into the clubhouse as somber as one leaves a church pew at a funeral. Heads were mostly bowed. Hats pulled low. Eyes kept down. The coaches busied themselves with their game-prep clipboards and binders. The auxiliary staff gathered equipment. Amidst the muffled bustle, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames stayed frozen on the bench, bearing expressions infinite in their emptiness.
The pair have sat shiva together after each loss so far in Florida. After today’s defeat, a camera operator slowly zoomed in on the two processing their grief. Adames started to distractedly wipe his brow of sweat, hiding his face in the crook of his arm. Beside him, Devers’s wide, glazed-over eyes laid the hollowness behind them bare as Katrina and the Waves 1983 hit “Walking on Sunshine” blasted over the stadium PA system. The song’s refrain “I’m walking on sunshine…wooah!” repeated again…and again…and again… and again… as the camera closed in on Devers’s face, numb and in hell.
Pure cinema. The clip was better than anything Giants fans had watched all game, and thank god the camera caught the moment, considering how one failed to track the flight of a consequential ball off of Heliot Ramos’s bat in the 2nd.
I say consequential because in theory, this hit should’ve been the Giants’ first home run since last Sunday — coincidentally the last outing of the evening’s starter, Landen Roupp, and San Francisco’s last win.
Runs have been hard to come by for this club. Wall-clearing power, nearly impossible. Going into Saturday’s contest, the 2026 Giants have gone homer-less in a MLB-leading 19 games. Their record in those games: 3-16, good for a .158 win-loss percentage that’s the lowest in the National League. Conversely if a Giant homers in a game, the team is 10 – 3, which is a much better .769 win-loss percentage, which means good things happen when the Giants hit a home run, which means it was kinda messed-up when Ramos’s 108 MPH shot to center somehow got knocked out of the sky and fell to earth twenty feet short of the wall.
Baseball should be played outside. God wants it that way. Hurricane Milton made that abundantly clear in 2024, and yet, the Rays organization stubbornly spent all of last season rebuilding Tropicana Field’s roof in blasphemous defiance.
Because of this repeated hubris, new rules were made to account for totally foreseeable occurrences like a baseball hitting a bunch of metal hanging down from the ceiling. The rule: If a fly ball hits one of the lower two catwalks between the foul lines, a home run should be awarded. That rule makes a lot of sense. What doesn’t make a lot of sense is having a rule and not enforcing it. Or not having a way of enforcing it. Or not having a back-up plan, like an all-seeing eye-in-the-sky in case something goes awry.
Something went awry in the 2nd inning of Saturday’s game. Heliot Ramos ripped a 96 MPH four-seam from Rays’ starter Griffin Jax to dead-center. It shot off his bat at 107.9 MPH with a 33 degree launch angle. A baseball with similar off-the-bat metrics left Ramos’s bat under a roofed park in Arizona back in June 2024. 108 MPH exit velocity, 35 degree launch angle. It cleared the center field wall with ease, officially traveling 424 feet, officially outta here in all 30 Major League parks. It stands to reason a similarly struck ball in a similarly, climate-controlled enclosed arena, would also clear an outfield wall by plenty.
Apparently not. Ramos’s projected 420 foot bomb was quickly downgraded to a routine 380 foot flyout after it fell into center fielder Cedric Mullins glove. Ramos lingered around second base, mouthing “No way,” looking around in disbelief. What went on up there was apparently beyond the field of vision for the four bleary-eyed umpires in attendance, and out of frame of the dozens of officially sanctioned cameras that Big-Brother MLB games nowadays. Giants coaches voiced their discontent, gesturing towards the heavens, towards he obvious. The umpires performed an official review on the play, waiting on the field for visual confirmation to bail them out for their collective blink. They surely understood what had happened by that point, but now needed visual proof, another angle. There were plenty that provided cursory evidence. How ‘bout Heliot Ramos trotting out of the box as if the ball was destined to splash down in the aquarium; or Griffin Jax rubbernecking the drive from the mound? With his eyes pinned to the ball at the center field wall, Cedric Mullins clearly says “Oh sh*t” before retreating back across the warning track to catch the baseball dropping from the sky like a dead dove.
One of the catwalks turned a sure-fire tater into a can of corn, and I guess since the lens’ eye missed it, it didn’t happen, no matter what physics and geometry and logic dictates. What is written in the official scorebook is what happened. No questions asked. Baseballs fall from the sky all the time.
The home run that never was cost the Giants the game.
Well, probably not.
It cost them an early lead, at least, a brief boost in energy, a reprieve from the suffocating bleakness that has blanketed the team. The solo shot could’ve meant something — but it didn’t happen, so nothing happened. A couple of frames later, the Rays scored first with three consecutive weak singles off Landen Roupp in the 4th. A lead-off double, a pair of walks, and a single helped chase the right-hander off the mound with just an out recorded in the 5th, serving Roupp his shortest outing of the year. The Giants bullpen kept things mostly steady in relief, and the offense avoided the complete embarrassment of another another shutout when Devers doubled home Luis Arraez in the 6th.
Arraez’s one-out double gave San Francisco their first at-bat with a runner in scoring position. They managed just one yesterday; today they got three and a hit! Devers punched a hard-hit liner towards left field that Chandler Simpson jumped after, pocketed in his glove momentarily before jostling free after colliding with the wall.
So I guess things evened out. Tropicana’s structural features, they giveth and taketh. Thanks to a wall, the Giants had their first run in the series — four innings late, but what can ya do? Be mad at a building?
D.J. Short
