NEW YORK — The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their fifth division title with a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees in second game of a day-night doubleheader Tuesday as Drew Rasmussen allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings and Yandy Díaz hit a pair of two-run singles.
The Rays won the AL East for the first time since 2021 and beat that team by three days with the earliest division clincher in team history. Tampa Bay also won division crowns in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season along with 2010 and 2008, when it reached the World Series and had the first winning season in team history.
Tampa Bay (96-61) opened a six-game lead over the second-place Yankees (90-67) with five to play and will be the No. 1 seed with home-field advantage in the American League playoffs. The team is two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the majors and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
After closer Bryan Baker retired Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. for the final out, the Rays shook hands on the field and exchanged hugs near the dugout to start their celebration.
Rasmussen held the Yankees hitless until Heliot Ramos started the seventh with a double to left field. The right-hander exited after walking Jazz Chisholm Jr., but Kevin Kelly retired Austin Wells after allowing Lombard’s run-scoring single.
After finishing with three hits during a 2-0 loss in the opener, the Rays locked up the division title with a three-run seventh. Taylor Walls had a bunt single and Díaz lined a single to center field for a 4-0 lead. Díaz added another two-run single in the ninth.
In a year that hasn’t gone his way, Mets left-hander Sean Manaea struck out nine batters over six innings in a 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday as the veteran looks to end the 2026 campaign with momentum before entering a crucial offseason in his career.
“He really battled,” Mets manager Andy Green said of the starter. “First inning punched the side and looked amazing. And then kinda hit a little bit of a funk there, couple walks, couple hit batters. Locked it back in for the last two.”
And those last two innings were crucial as he delivered back-to-back 1-2-3 frames, including getting over the sixth-inning bugaboo with three straight groundouts, which set off a bit of a dugout celebration.
“We all were talking about the sixth inning coming off the field,” Green said, breaking into a big smile. “So I said something to him immediately, and he got pretty fired up to just get past it. [The sixth inning had] become a story, and now it won’t be a story because he got through six.”
“It just felt great to do that,” Manaea said with a broad smile. “I think everybody in the dugout kinda realized that, too. To be able to share that with the boys, it was really cool, really special.”
The left-hander's fastball may not be what it was in the past (averaging 91.6 mph on the night, which is at his average for the season), but it was effective with 14 whiffs on 29 swings (48 percent) in his second-to-last start of the year.
“Just attack guys, don’t do anything too crazy,” Manaea said of his night. “Just get ahead, throw sweepers, a changeup every once in a while, and then threw some cutters for strikes. Just kept it simple.”
While the season has been far from ideal for the lefty - a 4.67 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 144.2 innings over 32 games (18 starts) – a bounce-back season next year is in his hands.
“It’s crazy to say somebody who’s [34 years old] has all the potential to get back to who he’s been,” Green said, mentioning what Chris Sale has been able to do with Atlanta at an advanced age after struggling for a few years in Boston. “Sean, if he takes advantage of this offseason and really gets after it, and he’s back at the 94, 95 [mph] range, his stuff really, really plays.”
Manaea’s velocity dip was a big storyline coming out of spring training, something he downplayed, and while he has been effective at times without hitting the highs he did in years past, the skipper stated the obvious about throwing harder: “It certainly helps.”
“It makes everything easier,” Green said. “There’s days when you get on the bump, and you might not have it over the course of a season. You can’t use that as a crutch; you still have to compete and win and figure out a way to get guys out.
“But the best version of him has always been one that carries more velocity than he carried at the start of this season. I think there’s more ceiling there.”
And with Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, ZacThornton, and Jonah Tong all hungry to pencil their names in the Mets’ plans for next year, Manaea will have to work to “climb the mountain” this offseason, Green said.
“We’ve had a conversation about that very thing,” the manager said about Manaea working back into the fold. “He can be in the rotation, he can be a fixture, he can be a guy; he has been a guy on a team that went to the NLCS. He’s been a guy that we relied on heavily.
“I would love for that to be the case again. He knows full well that he’s gotta pitch and pitch well. As we get to ‘27, nothing is gonna be handed to him.”
Green later put the stakes more bluntly about the coming months ahead of Manaea, who is under contract with the Mets through the 2027 campaign: “I think he needs to push for [higher velocity] this offseason. I think he needs to approach this offseason like he’s trying to continue pitching for the next four years.”
New York Islanders' Matias Maccelli (63) skates against the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Two of the uncertainties that followed the Islanders into training camp involved the version of Matias Maccelli they’d get — whether he could produce in the top six as some type of Anders Lee replacement — and whether they could revive their power play.
And in their second preseason game, against a lineup containing plenty of NHL regulars, both flashed some potential as Maccelli — who also skated on the left side of the Islanders’ second line in their 4-3 win over the Blueshirts at the Garden — collected two of their three goals with the man advantage. Maccelli started last season on the Maple Leafs’ top line alongside Auston Matthews, but he was also at one point a healthy scratch and finished with just 14 goals and 39 points.
“Obviously, that’s the goal, to play in that role,” Maccelli said of trying to carve out a top six role and run with it. “It was a good start for that [Tuesday], and try not to think about it too much and just come to the rink and do my job and play as good as I can.”
New York Islanders’ Matias Maccelli (63) skates against the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Getty Images
Maccelli’s first goal contained a fortunate bounce, as he flung a puck toward the net that bounced off Rangers defenseman Sean Durzi and went in. But for his second tally, he collected a generous rebound from Spencer Martin off a shot from Matthew Schaefer and deposited the puck into the net.
Maccelli acknowledged that it was just the preseason, but Tuesday’s goals still served as an encouraging sign that his one-year flier with the Islanders could end up being worth it.
“You need a certain amount of goals in this league in order to get in the playoffs, regardless of how well you defend,” Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said. “You still have to put the puck in the net at a certain level in order to give yourself a chance to get in the playoffs. So I think our conversations were around ‘how do we add some goals to the lineup,’ and that included adding guys that could help our power play — and I think he checked both those boxes.
“He did what he’s supposed to do [Tuesday] in order to make a statement about where he fits on this team.”
Matias Maccelli (63) of the Islanders scores the game-winning goal against Spencer Martin (41) of the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Getty Images
And it could directly coincide with the emergence of a power-play unit that finished with the third-worst success rate in the NHL (16.5 percent) last season. DeBoer said the unit “felt dangerous” during their power-play chances — with Schaefer recording the other goal — but said he wanted to “temper our enthusiasm.”
“It’s one game,” DeBoer said. “We’re working on some things. If we go 0-for-4 tomorrow, the sky’s not falling, either.”
DeBoer said postgame — when asked about Schaefer — that the second-year superstar will be “a future captain of this team.”
“He’s one of those players at the end of my coaching career, I’m gonna sit on a deck somewhere and think about that I got a front-row seat to watch that guy play hockey, which is pretty special,” DeBoer said.
Defenseman Ethan Bear and goaltender Henrik Tikkanen were waived Tuesday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Hamilton. Cameron Berg, Cam Thiesing, Jesse Pulkkinen, Hunter Drew, Ryan Healey, Luke Rowe, Ryan Fanti, Brandon Scanlon, Jesse Nurmi, Joey Larson, Gleb Veremyev and Calle Odelius were all assigned to the Hammers, according to the team. … Kyle MacLean scored the first Islanders goal.
Shohei Ohtani returns from the injured list Wednesday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers have less than a week left of the regular season to round into playoff form. And their roster moves this series reflect that time crunch.
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Shohei Ohtani (right biceps, left knee) was on track to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. Ohtani is feeling “considerably” better than he was before the IL stint, according to Roberts.
“I would say if he was a five, he’s probably an eight or a nine right now,” Roberts said before eight pitchers led the Dodgers’ 7-0 win against the San Diego Padres.
On Tuesday, they returned two other important postseason pieces, reinstating center fielder Andy Pages (fractured left hand) and right-hander Roki Sasaki (right middle finger blister) from the injured list.
In corresponding moves, the Dodgers optioned right-hander Emmet Sheehan and catcher Eliézer Alfonzo to triple-A Oklahoma City.
Sasaki took the fourth inning of the bullpen game and threw scoreless ball. He gave up a pair of singles, but his fastball had a little extra life in the short stint, averaging 98.7 mph and topping out at 101.7.
Pages went 0 for 2 but reached base twice, on a hit by pitch and a walk.
Even as players return, however, there are still questions the Dodgers have to answer in the last week of the season:
Where will Ohtani hit?
At least at first, Roberts plans to write Ohtani in at the top of the order, per usual. But shortstop Mookie Betts has entered the conversation.
“Certainly versus right-handed pitching [Ohtani] will be there,” Roberts said. “I do think I should think through the Mookie versus left situation, but I have to think about the entire lineup structure.”
Ohtani has hit leadoff in every game he’s started this year. But he hit No. 2 in 79 games the two previous seasons combined.
Even without Ohtani, the Dodgers lineup has been clicking. On Tuesday, Tommy Edman hit his second home run in as many games, and Will Smith homered for the third time in four days.
Is the rotation healthy?
Blake Snell is on track to start Saturday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell, who exited his start last week with left groin tightness, threw a bullpen on Tuesday. He’s scheduled for one final regular-season start Saturday, Roberts said.
That means all four of the Dodgers’ projected playoff starters are lined up to pitch this Wednesday through Saturday, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow on the mound for the last two games against the Padres, and Tarik Skubal and Snell in the first two games in San Francisco.
Who is the closer?
Tanner Scott has 23 saves this season. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
In short, it could change by the day.
“In a perfect world, as we all know the world’s not perfect, I would love [a set closer],” Roberts said. “I think if there’s an opportunity, for example, for Tanner [Scott] to pitch a high-leverage inning in the seventh or the eighth inning, it’s just hard to pass that up if he’s the best option right there. Because you just don’t know where the ninth inning is going to be.
“Those are things that you have to kind of toil with, and those are always good things for people to debate. Right now I don’t see a one-person closer.”
Sasaki stepped into that role last year. It’s unclear exactly how Roberts will use him this time around, but Roberts said he could be an option, depending on how he pitches coming off the IL.
“Last year it was one of those things where it was a situation of need, as far as where we were at with performance and health and guys,” Roberts said. “He filled that role admirably.”
Who gets the last bench spot?
Will Josue De Paula get the final spot on the postseason roster? (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The battle to serve as the left-handed bat off the bench in the postseason has come down to rookie Josue De Paula and injured catcher Dalton Rushing (right flexor strain). But with Rushing still on the IL, De Paula appears to have an edge.
Don’t read too much into the Dodgers’ corresponding move for Ohtani on Wednesday. If they option De Paula 10 days out from the first game of the National League Division Series, he can still be included on the roster.
The Dodgers will have to make another roster move later in the week, when they plan to activate Rushing. If they option a player to make room for Rushing, that player would only be eligible for the start of the NLDS as the corresponding transaction for an IL move.
The New York Rangers’ Tuesday night preseason game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Islanders was a big test for 2026 fifth-overall pick Alberts Šmits.
Entering his first training camp, Mike Sullivan emphatically stated that Šmits would be given a real opportunity to make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
Those words have been put into action, as through the first week of training camp, Šmits has been playing on the Rangers’ third pairing alongside Braden Schneider, a clear indication that Sullivan and the coaching staff are serious about getting a serious look at their young defenseman to determine if he’s ready for the NHL.
Tuesday night marked his biggest test, facing off against an Islanders roster filled with NHL players, and it’s safe to say he passed the test.
The way in which Šmits defended in his own zone stood out, specifically on a play where he used his long reach to poke-check the puck away from Bo Horvat, who was cutting to the net.
At just 18-years-old, Šmits showed he’s able to still command a physical presence and hold his own amongst NHL players, which is what caught the eye of Sullivan.
“I thought he played well,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “One of the biggest challenges for young players is just the physical size and strength of the guys in this league, and I mean you guys can see it, he's a man as an 18-year-old. His physical stature. He's big and strong. He has the ability to battle on pucks. He's big enough and strong enough to compete in this league, that's one challenge I think he's already met.”
Šmits was also able to contribute offensively.
In the second period, Šmits gave Taylor Raddysh a perfect pass as he was streaking to the front of the net, which resulted in a deflection goal from Raddysh.
The play showed Šmits’ confidence with the puck as well as his impressive offensive instincts to find Raddysh in a tight window.
“He makes a really nice play on Taylor Raddysh’s goal,” Sullivan said. “Just looking for that stick in the high slot, just getting his head up, and the awareness to make that play… He;s a mobile guy.”
Šmits finished the night playing 15:29 minutes, while recording one assist, one blocked shot, two hits, and one takeaway.
After the game, Šmits emphasized that he felt comfortable with the speed of play, something that was directly shown in his performance.
Despite an impressive preseason debut, Šmits described his overall performance as up and down.
“There were a lot of good moments, a lot of moments where I wish I could have played differently,” Šmits said. “Hockey is a momentum game, and there is ups and downs through the game. I just gotta learn from the bad things and gotta take them with me to the future.”
Šmits has already played some high-level hockey at a young age, including at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing his home country Latvia.
However, he was still in awe and relished the opportunity to play under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
“Obviously, it's a big arena,” Šmits said. “You can feel all the energy that's in there, and it was an amazing experience for me. I really enjoyed it.”
Los Angeles, - September 18: Miguel Rojas #72 has fun with pitcher Blake Snell of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, September 18, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Veteran infielder Miguel Rojas was voted by his Dodgers teammates and coaching staff as the 2026 winner of the Roy Campanella Award, given annually to the Dodgers player who best embodies the leadership and spirit of the Hall of Fame catcher. Rojas also won the award in 2024and 2025, making him the first player to win the Campanella Award in three straight seasons.
In the 21-year history of the award, Justin Turner is the only other player to win the Campanella Award three times, taking the honor in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Clayton Kershaw (2013-14) and Chase Utley (2016, 2018) are the only other Dodgers to win the award twice.
The longtime shortstop Rojas has started games at second base, shortstop, and third base this season, and even played three innings at first base. He’s hitting .271/.311/.399 with a 93 wRC+ in his 101 games and 243 plate appearances, including a robust .297/.340/.476 with a 122 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers.
Rojas signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract in December to return for his 13th and final season, and plans to join the Dodgers front office afterward, with a focus on player development. Rojas has long stated his desire to get into coaching once his playing days are over.
“Nobody when I came to this organization asked me, ‘Hey we want you to be a leader’ or ‘We want you to be a mentor.’ It’s just who I want to be and who I want to be for the future,” Rojas told True Blue LA in 2024. “After my career is over, I’m trying to stay on the field, to stay coaching, and I want to be a part of an organization that wants to win.”
Rojas will receive his 2026 Roy Campanella Award before Thursday night’s series finale against the Padres, with Campanella’s daughter, Joni Campanella Roan, and his granddaughter, Akua Campanella presenting Rojas with the award on the field at Dodger Stadium.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 22: Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a solo home run in the seventh inning during a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It wasn’t the (potential) final Coors Field game Kyle Freeland dreamed of.
Unfortunately, the Rockies lost their 100th game of the season, and he only pitched three innings in the loss. The Rockies mustered just eight baserunners, and only two came around to score early in the game they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-2.
(Potential) Coors Field Swan Song
In what could be Kyle Freeland’s final start at Coors Field as a Rockie, he wasn’t very sharp. He gave up a lead-off single to Ildemaro Vargas, but then got Rockies-killer Ketel Marte to pop out to short. Following that, Gabriel Moreno doubled to score Vargas, and Geraldo Perdomo singled to score Moreno and put the Diamondbacks up 2-0. Nolan Arenado singled to reach base for the 11th time in 11 games against the Rockies this year, but then Freeland was able to strike out Jordan Lawlar. Other Rockies-killer Corbin Carroll added another run on another double before Tim Tawa walked to load the bases. However, Jose Fernandez grounded out to end the inning.
Freeland allowed just a single to Marte in the second, but then gave up a lead-off double to Arenado in the third. Lawlar grounded out and Carroll lined out, but then Tawa hit a ground-rule double — the fourth of the ballgame — to score Arenado. Fernandez struck out on a foul tip to end the inning.
Freeland came out for the fourth, but allowed a single to Vargas that turned into two bases when Zac Veen committed an error. Unfortunately, that was the end for the Denver native in this game. His final line: 3.0 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. He threw 69 pitches, 44 for strikes.
“I think he was behind in counts early,” manager Warren Schaeffer said, noting that the Diamondbacks had “a good plan.”
“I don’t think he was as sharp in the zone,” he added.
When his press conference had ended, Schaeffer added this: “This guy’s meant to much to our organization over the years, and the ultimate pro. You hate to see it end like that.” Schaeffer thanked him for his contributions on the field and in the community.
“Not how you want to draw it up,” an emotional Freeland said, thanking his teammates, coaches, family, and fans.
“It was an emotional day,” he noted. “I made sure to soak up every single minute of it.”
Freeland added to fans, “I appreciate you so much. I love you so much,” adding, “I’m proud to be a Colorado Rockie.”
Baserunners galore, but runs no more
The Rockies offense was befuddled by Michael Soroka early, but finally broke through in the third inning. Mickey Moniak broke out of his slump with a solo shot to right-center to break up the shutout.
Troy Johnston then doubled and Veen reached on an error by Tawa. Jake McCarthy grounded into a force out that nabbed Veen at second, and then Johnston came around to score on a Connor Norby sac fly, cutting the lead in half, 4-2.
Unfortunately, McCarthy tried to do McCarthy things and was picked off trying to steal second. And even more unfortunately, the next eight were retired until Norby walked with two outs in the sixth. But then TJ Rumfield flied out to left to end the threat.
In the seventh, Cole Carrigg was hit by a pitch after Hunter Goodman struck out, and then Kyle Karros and Moniak struck out. In the eighth, Johnston was hit by a 99.5-mph fastball to kick things off. Veen then flew out to left and McCarthy struck out swinging, snapping his career-best 22-game on-base streak. Norby struck out to end the inning and strand another baserunner.
In the ninth, Rumfield flew out to end his 24-game on-base streak — the longest active streak in the Majors and longest by a Rockie since Tyler Freeman’s 25-gamer from June 13-July 12, 2025 — while Goodman grounded out. Carrigg singled for just the third hit of the game, but Karros grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
The Rockies offense mustered eight baserunners all game: three hits, two errors, two hit batters and one walk. The two runs came around to score on the back-to-back hits in the third inning.
Still, Schaeffer remains positive.
“I see a lot of hope, and I see a lot of progress,” he said. “This is obviously not where we want to be.”
He added, “You have to focus on the positives moving forward.”
Gritty Bullpen
Zach Agnos came in to relieve Freeland, immediately getting Marte to ground back out to him. But Moreno hit a sac fly to add another run, 5-2, and then Perdomo singled and stole second. Arenado was called out on strikes to end the inning.
In the fifth, Lawlar led off with a double and Carroll grounded out to Goodman. And Tawa hit a sac fly to score Lawlar from third to make the score 6-2. Fernandez popped out to third to end the inning.
In the sixth, Agnos issued a lead-off walk to Vargas. Luckily, he got the next three batters out. But then Arenado smacked a 421-foot homer to lead off the seventh, putting him a triple away from the cycle (which he would ultimately not get).
Luckily, though, he retired the next three batters thanks in part to a diving play from Carrigg to nab Tawa.
Nick Frasso came in to relieve Agnos in the eighth and was able to pitch a 1-2-3 inning. Juan Mejia took the ninth, and pitched (kind of) a 1-2-3 inning. Moreno grounded out to first and Perdomo singled. Arenado popped out to dash his cycle hopes, and then Perdomo got caught in a rundown trying to steal second to end the inning.
Up Next
The Rockies will look to regroup tomorrow, and the Diamondbacks will look to keep their postseason aspirations alive.
Mason Adams (0-1, 5.09 ERA) will face off against Merrill Kelly (9-14, 5.00 ERA). First pitch is at 6:40pm.
Offence was hard to come by for the Vancouver Canucks in their second pre-season game. In their 3–1 loss to the Calgary Flames, Vancouver registered a grand total of 10 shots compared to Calgary’s 31. Arshdeep Bains scored the lone goal for the Canucks, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 28 of 31 shots faced.
Tonight’s lineup gave a bit of insight into how the Canucks’ leadership delegation could go in the future. Once again dressing a younger lineup, with Aatu Räty being the Canucks skater with the most NHL experience with 114 games, Vancouver distributed their ‘A’s to three players tonight — Bains, Guillaume Brisebois, and Tom Willander.
Vancouver’s biggest standout in tonight’s game was by far Lankinen, who kept the Canucks in the game despite the team barely generating any offence throughout the second period. The goaltender stopped 21 straight shots before the Flames finally found the back of the net 15 minutes into the second frame.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net during the first period, though both were given power-play opportunities to try and beat the oppositions’ goaltender. Both Vancouver’s first (Braeden Cootes, Bains, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Adam Novotný, and Willander) and second-units (Riley Patterson, Matthew Stienburg, Ty Mueller, Ilya Safonov, and Kirill Kudryavtsev) were unable to put together sustained O-zone time during their opportunities.
Things got a little chippy halfway through the second period after Flames forward Martin Pospisil cross-checked Aatu Räty off a draw. More pushing and shoving occurred the play after, with the result being Calgary forward Maxim Tsyplakov sent to the box for grabbing Räty’s visor. Willander took an interference penalty less than 20 seconds into Vancouver’s power-play, putting the two teams on 4-on-4 for a little over a minute and 30 seconds.
That wasn’t the end of the rough stuff, however. Flames defenceman Kevin Bahl got into post-whistle shoving matches with both Brisebois and Jimmy Schuldt, while Safonov tussled with Zayne Parekh.
Interference penalties made a difference in tonight’s game, as the Canucks took two at two important times throughout the match. The first interference penalty was given to Willander, who caught the skate of Samuel Honzek, taking his team off a power-play and putting them at 4-on-4. The second put Ben Berard in the penalty box, with Calgary scoring on the ensuing man-advantage.
Two of the Flames’ three second-period goals came off the rush, with the first goal, scored on the power-play, occurring after Parekh sent Joel Farabee and Matvei Gridin in on Lankinen in the midst of a Vancouver line change. The second came only a couple of minutes after Calgary’s first goal, with Flames forward Matt Coronato capitalizing on an odd-man rush.
In an attempt to generate more offence, the Canucks switched up their line combinations during the third period. Patterson started the period with Cootes and Bains, Fix-Wolansky skated with Novotný and Brooks Rogowski, and Räty centered Berard and Mueller.
The change seemed to work in Vancouver’s favour, as a combination effort from Cootes, Patterson, and Bains got the Canucks on the scoreboard with around 13 minutes to go in the game. Notably, Cootes and Bains showed chemistry during training camp and combined for two goals in Vancouver’s first pre-season game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
A penalty taken by Bahl with seven minutes to go in the game put Vancouver on their second full power play of the night. Afer the first unit was unable to properly break into Calgary’s zone, the second group came out with a little less than a minute to go in the man-advantage. The Canucks finished the power-play without registering a shot on goal.
By the time the final whistle rang, the Canucks registered a total of 13 scoring chances-for throughout the entire game. In comparison, Calgary put up 43.
While the numbers don't look pretty, the Canucks can take comfort — though not a lot — in the fact that Calgary dressed their near-full NHL lineup. It's likely that Vancouver will roll with a more-experienced lineup come their next pre-season game on Thursday night.
Sep 22, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) reaches for the puck in front of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Canucks register first shot of the second period with 5:50 minutes remaining
Victor Mancini finishes with the highest TOI of all Canucks skaters with 21:51 minutes played
Aatu Räty registers a faceoff win percentage of 75%
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
No Scoring.
2nd Period:
15:00 - CGY: Joel Farabee (1) from Matvei Gridin and Zayne Parekh (PPG)
17:30 - CGY: Matt Coronato (1) from Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin
18:58 - CGY: Samuel Honzek (1) from Zayne Parekh and Joel Farabee
3rd Period:
6:22 - VAN: Arshdeep Bains (2) from Braeden Cootes
Up Next:
The Canucks return home for the remainder of the pre-season, taking on the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at 6:00 pm PT. As well, from the 24th to the 26th, the team will be holding their first-ever Fan Fest.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Smits was a standout in an otherwise frustrating 4-3 loss to the Islanders in their second exhibition game of the preseason Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Not only did he register the primary assist on the Blueshirts’ third goal, but the Latvian defenseman was sound defensively against an NHL-heavy Isles lineup.
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
Since the start of training camp, Smits has skated on the left side of the third pair alongside Braden Schneider.
The Rangers are giving their 2026 fifth overall pick every chance to show he’s ready to make the jump to the NHL. It’s one thing not to look out of place in training camp, but it’s an entirely different feat to look as sturdy as Smits did in his first unofficial NHL game.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits and New York Islanders center Kyle MacLean, right, fight for possession of the puck in the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
Taylor Raddysh got a stick on a perfectly placed puck from Smits at the high slot to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead just under 7 ¹/₂ minutes into the second period.
Smits more than held his own in a physical, scrum-heavy environment. He was strong in the corners and unfazed with the puck on his stick. Logging 15:29 of ice time, Smits also saw 3:33 on the penalty kill.
“I thought he played well,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “One of the biggest challenges for young players is just the physical size and strength of the guys in this league, and I mean you guys can see it, he’s a man as an 18-year-old. His physical stature. He’s big and strong. He has the ability to battle on pucks. He’s big enough and strong enough to compete in this league, that’s one challenge I think he’s already met. He makes a really nice play on Taylor Raddysh’s goal, just looking for that stick in the high slot, just getting his head up and just the awareness to make that play.
“I thought his gaps were really good. He’s a mobile guy. He’s got a long reach. He’s got a long stick. So he’s hard to play against. I thought he had a strong game tonight. We’re real encouraged to this point with what we’ve seen.”
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rangers deepened their pool of players who could upgrade the second power-play unit, but don’t expect to see more balanced ice time between the two groups.
“I think our second power-play unit is more of a threat with some of the people that are on it, and I think as far as how the time is distributed, I think that will play itself out,” Sullivan said. “I do believe strongly that the top power-play unit is really good, and I think they showed last year — certainly the core of that group is still back. And those guys were certainly a bright spot of the team with how they performed on the power play, and so I would anticipate them getting a long look. I think they deserve it. I also think it gives us the best chance to win.”
Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen, Gabe Perreault and Liam Greentree skated on the second unit in the loss Tuesday night.
Sullivan did not have an update on forward Adam Sykora or defenseman Vincent Iorio, who both left Monday’s game against the Devils with lower-body injuries.
The two did not skate Tuesday and were still being evaluated.
Seven of the 20 Rangers in the lineup Tuesday were acquired in the offseason. Six of them registered at least one point in the loss.
After a 4-1 victory in game one, the Penguins dropped their second game of the pre-season to the Detroit Red Wings, 7-4, in a game that went downhill quickly and sharply. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard led the way for Detroit with two goals, while Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs had a night to forget, allowing seven goals on 23 Red Wings' shots.
Although the goaltending was subpar in this one, the team as a whole began to fall apart in the second period before surrendering four goals in the third.
"I thought we gave up way too much tonight," head coach Dan Muse said. "We have more games coming up, we have more practice time. Arty showed last year, too, what he can do in this league. So, it's not like we're suddenly forgetting about that. He's a guy whose game came a long way just last year, and I believe it's going to continue to come a long way moving forward."
The Penguins opened up the scoring in this one on a first-period penalty kill, when defenseman Ilya Solovyov found Nick Robertson streaking down the right side. Robertson used his speed and edgework to beat the defender one-on-one and cut across the front of the net, burying the puck blocker-side and giving the Penguins the 1-0 lead.
Brandsegg-Nygard responded within the final two minutes of the opening frame with his first goal, and Mason Appleton and Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored 31 seconds apart before the five-minute mark of the second period to put Detroit ahead, 3-1. Rickard Rakell cut the deficit to one in the latter half of the period on a nice feed from Sam Girard, and 3-2 was the score going into second intermission.
That's when the wheels fell off the wagon. A little more than five minutes in, Brandsegg-Nygard scored his second to make it 4-2, and although Kaedan Korczak responded with a snipe from the right point a few minutes later, Pittsburgh never really took back control of the game. Consecutive goals by Ondrej Becher, Wilmer Skoog, and Jesse Kiiskinen sealed the Penguins' fate, even with a late goal by Rutger McGroarty off a nice give-and-go with Markus Ruck.
UNREAL PLAY FROM THE RUCK TWINS AND RUTGER MCGROARTY!
Beautiful steal from Liam Ruck, followed by an even prettier give-and-go between Markus Ruck and Rutger McGroarty!pic.twitter.com/DFllJQ1ZSX
Here are some takeaways from game two of the Penguins' pre-season:
- Yes, it's only the pre-season, and everyone is just getting warmed up for regular season action.
But this was not a good performance by Silovs in any way.
Yes, he earned that 1A spot with his outstanding performance against the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 1 last postseason, and yes, he will begin the season on the NHL roster. Muse basically said as much during his postgame presser, when he reiterated that Silovs's performance from last season cannot be forgotten about when evaluating the situation in goal this season.
However, given how well Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist have performed in the pre-season up to his point, Silovs needs to make sure a performance like this doesn't follow him into the regular season. There's a giant target on his back, and two young, promising goaltenders won't be relenting anytime soon.
- I wrote two summers ago that the Penguins should pursue Robertson (this one, anyway). And, again, it's only the pre-season, so everything must be taken with a grain of salt.
But I really like what I'm seeing from him so far in this camp. He's easily been one of the standouts, and he looks like a natural fit on both the penalty kill unit and on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rakell.
His speed is a huge factor, but he can shoot the puck, too. And his defensive awareness seems to be a bit better than what waas advertised when he came over from the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer.
"You saw a lot of what he's shown already throughout trainimg camp," Muse said of Robertson's game. "Just the speed, the tenacity, the ability to hunt pucks. I thought that [the shorthanded goal] was a good example. He makes good defensive reads, and we wanted to get him some time here early on and get to see him on the penalty kill. And I thought - obviously, the shorthanded goal was nice to see - but, also, just from what we've seen so far, he's shown the ability to make those reads defensively.
"We know he's going to work. I think just that speed, the quickness, the tenacity he plays with is obviously a major factor and a big part of his game."
I've seen several others say this at this point, but he reminds me a bit of Pascal Dupuis as a complementary piece on that line. His forechecking and speed are legit, but I also think there is a bit higher upside in terms of goal-scoring.
We'll see how things progress into the season, but I think this could be a really good pickup for the Penguins.
- I thought the third line of Rutger McGroarty, Bill Zonnon, and Atley Calvert got some great looks early on. Their game faded a bit as the team's overall game faded later, but overall, they were pretty solid.
It was nice to see McGroarty notch that goal at the end, too. I'm not sure there is space for him on the NHL roster to start the season, and I'd like for him to start showing more in other aspects of the game. But that goal, although meaningless, had to feel good.
- Speaking of which, the Rucks looked really good on that McGroarty goal, too. Liam - notching his second helper of the night - forced a turnover along the wall and fed it to McGroarty in the slot. McGroarty was decisive in getting the puck over the Markus on the right side, and Markus fed it right back for a nice finish.
Honestly, I thought both twins looked pretty good in this one. It's always interesting to see how newly drafted prospects look in NHL game action during the pre-season, and they didn't really look out of place for it being their first NHL tilt.
Individually, I actually thought Liam looked right at home on that second power play unit, and he made some cerebral offensive plays to help generate chances throughout the night. Markus could stand to work on his skating a bit, but he was also attacking the offensive zone and made a few nice reads in the defensive zone, too.
Overall, it was a good first outing for both. They're likely bound for Medicine Hat - whether that's at the same time or at different times during camp - but they looked good in their first taste of NHL action.
- I really like how Sam Girard has looked throughout the pre-season, and he turned in a nice performance Tuesday. It's clear as day that he is healthy, he's got more jump to his step, and he's a heck of a lot more confident with the puck than he was after the trade last season.
I like the way he and Korczak tandemed, too. Korczak doesn't do anything flashy, but he is pretty solid defensively, and he and Girard were reading off each other nicely.
I imagine this will be the Penguins' third pairing to begin the season.
- I think Solovyov was particularly noticeable in this one. He may not be the most fleet of foot, but his decision-making is quick, and his breakouts are solid. He never holds onto the puck too long, and he's rarely caught out of position despite his footspeed.
He played well in the games where he saw action last season, and yes, he is going to struggle against some of the league's faster teams. But he's a nice option as a seventh defenseman, and unless Jake Livanavage really impresses in his taste of pre-season action - presumably, on Thursday - I think Tuesday's performace probably won Solovyov that spot.
- Finally, a note about another new blueliner: Declan Carlile was an angry man in this one.
He took exception to Detroit's harassment of Crosby throughout the game, and it was only a matter of time before the ticking time bomb in Carlile went off. That finally happened in the third period, when he took it all out on Skoogs and earned a double-minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct, and Brandsegg-Nygard scored his second goal on that four-minute man advantage.
If anything, it's a good sign that the Penguins appear to have a few guys willing to step in when guys like Crosby are messed with. Carlile doesn't shy away from that aspect of the game, and it certainly got to a tipping point Tuesday.
"Taking that penalty at the end, I think it was just... I kind of had enough of it throughout the game, and it is what it is," he said.
I'd expect a lot of fisticuffs from Carlile this season.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Francisco Alvarez #4 of the New York Mets reacts to a two run double against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field on September 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets won the first game in Texas this evening, 6-3, against the Rangers and old friend Brandon Nimmo. The offense took advantage of subpar defense by the Rangers, and Manaea and the bullpen kept the Rangers’ offense largely quiet.
Jake Burger of the Rangers was the first baserunner of the game in the bottom of the second inning. He reached first base on an errant throw from Francisco Lindor to Mark Vientos that went wide. Nimmo followed Burger with the first hit of the game into center field for a single. Both runners moved up a base when Ezequiel Duran flied out to Juan Soto in left field. However, Manaea retired the next two batters to strand both runners and keep the score 0-0.
Francisco Alvarez led off the third inning by lining a double into center field that bounced off the wall. He moved to third base when Luis Torrens grounded out for the second out. Lindor drew a four-pitch walk, but the game paused briefly while the trainers checked over Gore. He resumed pitching to Soto, who threaded an RBI single through the middle infielders, allowing Alvarez to score. Bo Bichette grounded out to end the top of the third inning with the Mets leading 1-0.
Manaea walked Danny Jansen on four pitches to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Jansen reached second base on a passed ball by Torrens. Josh Jung then ripped an RBI double down the right field line that allowed Jansen to score and tie the game. Manaea struck out Burger to end the third inning with the score Mets 1, Rangers 1.
With one out at the top of the fourth inning, Carson Benge swatted a ground-rule double that bounced out of play in the corner of left field. Alvarez smacked a ball into center-right field that resulted in a cross-up by Nimmo and Duran in the outfield, during which the ball dropped between them. Alvarez reached second base, and Benge scored on the error, which was charged to Nimmo. The Mets led 2-1.
Nimmo knocked a single into center field to lead off the bottom of the f0urth, and Manaea walked Duran. He hit Justin Foscue on the foot with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Elias Díaz then whacked a sac fly into left field to drive Nimmo in and once again tie the game. Then the sequence repeated. Manaea hit Jansen on the foot with a pitch to load the bases, and Wyatt Langford drove in Duran on a sac fly to left field. Manaea finally struck out Corey Seager to end the fourth inning, but the Rangers had taken the lead 3-2.
Soto lined a single into center field with two outs in the fifth inning. Sadly, after eight pitches and a successful ABS challenge by the Rangers, Bichette went from ball four to strike three, and Soto was stranded to end the top of the inning. However, Manaea retired the batters in order at the bottom of the fifth inning to keep the Mets in the game.
Nathan Eovaldi replaced Gore on the mound in the sixth inning. Brett Baty came in to pinch-hit for Mark Vientos and banged a double into center field. Benge walked, but Semien grounded into a force out at third. Alvarez lofted a line drive into center field for a two-run double that brought in runs from Semien and Baty. Ewing followed up with a soft ground ball for an infield hit that allowed Alvarez to reach third base. When Torrens popped out in foul territory, Alvarez tagged and ran. It was a close call, but he was called safe at home. Ewing stole second base after that, but Lindor lined out to end the top of the sixth . Manaea came back out for the bottom of the sixth inning, recently a difficulty for him, and retired the batters in order to end the sixth inning with the score Mets 5, Rangers 3.
Robert Garcia replaced Eovaldi at the top of the seventh inning and walked Bichette with one out. Baty grounded into a force out at second, but Benge lined an RBI double into right field after that to drive in a run by Baty, who had gotten an early jump. Jakob Junis replaced Garcia at this point and got the last out of the inning when Semien flied out to left field. Nate Lavender replaced Manaea at the bottom of the seventh and worked a 1-2-3 inning. The score after the seventh inning was Mets 6, Rangers 3.
Ewing drew a one-out walk in the eighth inning, and he was almost picked off by Junis while trying to put his oven mitt on. The Rangers challenged the call that he was safe, but it was confirmed. With two outs, Lindor hit a single into center field that moved Ewing to second base; however, Soto grounded out to end the top of the eighth. Dedniel Núñez replaced Lavender at the bottom of the eighth and retired the batters in order.
Peyton Gray replaced Junis in the ninth inning, and allowed a lead-off single to Bichette on a line drive into center field. Baty drew a walk, but unfortunately the next three batters went down in order. Kodai Senga replaced Núñez to try to get the save. There was a brief dispute when Duran thought he had walked, but instead umpire Laz Diaz had delayed calling him out on a foul tip. Nevertheless, he was out, and the inning moved forward when Senga hit Nicky Lopez with a pitch on the foot. If you’re counting, this is the third time tonight a Mets pitcher hit a Rangers hitter on the foot. With two outs, Lopez moved to second base on another passed ball by Torrens. However, Jansen flied out for the third out and the Mets won, 6-3.
The series in Texas continues tomorrow, with first pitch at 8:05 PM ET. Nolan McLean will face TBD.
Sep 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Angel Genao (17) makes the final out of the game against 1Boston Red Sox first baseman Nick Sogard (20) in the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The result of tonight’s game doesn’t matter for the Red Sox. They’re locked into the postseason, they’re going on the road in the Wild Card series, and they can’t move up in the standings. However, there’s plenty of things that happened within this game I really, really didn’t like. Chief among them were:
The club’s continued inability to hit good pitching. (They went 0-9 with runners in scoring position against a Cleveland team that used good arms trying to stay one game ahead of the White Sox in the AL Central.)
Roman Anthony’s at bat in the ninth inning (more on that in the duds section).
Payton Tolle coming out of the gate cold. (He did recover to post a halfway decent line, but if he looks like that again next week in New York, the Red Sox likely lose.)
Erik Miller’s command coming unraveled again. He gave up the winning run on a leadoff hit by pitch in the ninth (which was followed by additional suckage), and he’s now given up at least one run in four straight outings.
I want to start at the end of that list with Miller, because this is a particularly troubling and escalating development. After the game, Chad Tracy was asked about Miller’s recent struggles, and here’s what he had to say.
“He’s going through some things, obviously. But we still trust the stuff. If we can get that right, we trust his stuff and his ability to get guys out.”
Okay, but what if he doesn’t get right in the next seven days? With Justin Slaten out of the equation and Tyron Guerrero hitting a wall in recent weeks, where is this club going with a one run lead in the seventh inning of a gotta have it game if Miller needs a compass to find the plate? Is this where Garett Crochet ends up landing? Will Garrett Whitlock be stretched out for two innings again? (Probably not a good idea the way last year ended.) Do they dare go Bryan Bello?
Either way, kudus to whoever in the postgame presser followed up with Tracy asking “when is he [Miller] going to pitch next?” Tracy’s response: “TBD.” Well ain’t the comforting.
Of course, Miller wasn’t the only big lefty who had a less than stellar night. Payton Tolle gave up eight hits and two walks in just 5.2 innings pitched, and struggled with command early. If you want to be an optimist, you can point out that Tolle figured out how to limit the damage and did indeed get better as the game went on, which is the sign of him becoming a good pitcher. However, the Sox need him to be a great pitcher right now, and this was his last tune-up before he takes the mound in New York next week with immense consequences on the line.
On the other side of the ball, this lineup just doesn’t look like it has the guns to properly handle postseason arms. I know they’re missing Willson Contreras, but this game was a continuation of their complete inability to get a big hit against velocity with ducks on the pond. Maybe they figure it out just in time with everybody healthy, but this feels like something that could easily end their season if it doesn’t change next week.
On the contrary, amid the overall problematic game, there actually were a few well deserved studs and silver linings in the clouds, so if you’re an optimist, this next bit is for you.
Three Studs
Mickey Gasper: He went deep again, this time with a game tying homer in the eighth. It’s his tenth home run in the last six weeks, and like many of the others, it came in a big moment. With the rest of the team struggling mightily in both high leverage spots and against velocity, Mickey Gasper is proving to be an unexpected and delightful outlier.
Here’s the offensive highlight of the night for the Red Sox:
Adley Rutschman: Not just a three hit night, but he did it in a game with a lefty on the mound for Cleveland in Messick, meaning he was batting from the right side where he’s largely struggled in a Red Sox uniform.
He also won two more ABS challenges, where he’s proved to be extremely dialed in all season.
Jovani Moran: Three strikeouts in his one scoreless inning of work.
Three Duds
Roman Anthony: The boxscore says 0-5 with two strikeouts, but it’s even worse when you fold in the context of his ninth inning groundout. Following a well earned, nine pitch, one out walk by Jarren Duran, Anthony came up in a wonderful spot to get some experience in a big, ninth inning moment. Instead of waiting around for his pitch — a quality he often has to a fault — he swung at the first offering out of the zone and rolled over to first base. Awful!
This could have been a joyful little feather in Anthony’s cap if he slowed down and put a quality at bat together here, but instead, he continues to look off at the plate.
Erik Miller: For obvious reasons.
Jahmai Jones: He’s on this roster for one reason and one reason only: To hit lefties. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been doing much of that lately. His 0-3 showing tonight means he’s hitting .091 with a .395 OPS in his last ten games.
Overall, the Sox have plenty to clean up, and they’re running out of time to get it right. To say I’m nervous about next week is an understatement!
Dual Brownlow medallist guilty of intentional striking
Plea of ‘exceptional circumstances’ rejected by tribunal
Brisbane will head to the AFL appeals board in a desperate bid to free suspended star Lachie Neale for the grand final.
Neale remains banned for the premiership decider against Fremantle after failing to argue his way out of a one-match suspension for a gut punch on Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan.
\n\n\n\tARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Brandon Nimmo #24 and Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers are unable to field a fly ball during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Globe Life Field on September 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images\t\n\n
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the New York Mets scored six runs.
\n
The Rangers had ample opportunity to hold or enhance their fate tonight against a team that was seven games worse than them, but instead decided to play a pretty bad game of baseball all the way around.
\n
In true past like 35 months fashion, the bats wasted chance after chance early and ended up going just 1-for-8 with RISP. Twice the Rangers had multiple runners on base — including a dreaded bases loaded chance — only to fly out with a Mets outfielder’s ass scraping the wall.
\n
Still, they did manage to score three runs but that certainly wasn’t good enough. Not when they also allowed several runs to score via palpable defensive miscues as the ball seemed to find the guys the Rangers were hoping to hide out in the field.
\n
As for the pitching, MacKenzie Gore gritted through five innings of one-run ball with whatever muscle ailment is still nagging him but left after throwing just 77 pitches. Skip Schumaker decided to try to get another heroic relief outing out of Nathan Eovaldi to start the top of the sixth with the Rangers up 3-2 but unfortunately Eovaldi didn’t have it.
\n
Before Schumaker realized that fact, and after more questionable moments with the gloves, it was 5-3 Mets. Rather than Texas taking that as a challenge, they did not even have a hit after the first batter of the fourth inning as the Mets added one more insurance run in the seventh for the game’s final tally.
\n
Manaea, who hadn’t completed six innings in a start in month, and had only allowed fewer than three runs in a start just once since the beginning of August, eventually finished allowing just two earned runs (three runs total) in six innings while striking out nine Rangers.
\n
One of these teams looked like they had something still to play for tonight but it wasn’t the one that came into the night ahead in the American League West and the one that is now also below .500 again.
\n
Player of the Game: Skip Schumaker does everything he can to let you know he’s managing every Rangers baseball game so I see you Skip. It’s cool, man. We know you’re the manager.
\n
Up Next: The Rangers will try to get back to .500 with with whichever pitcher with an arm hanging on by a thread that they haven’t announced yet to start against RHP Nolan McLean for New York.
\n
The Wednesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and you can check it out on the Rangers Sports Network.
The Mets got six solid innings from Sean Manaea and an all-around good effort at the plate and on the bases from Francisco Alvarez to grab a 6-3 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night in Texas.
- Alvarez got the Mets' first hit, smashing a 2-0 Mackenzie Gore fastball 396 feet into left-center for a double that one-hoped the wall to start the third. The DH for the night just tattooed it (112.3 mph off the bat) on a ball that would have gone out of seven ballparks, including Citi Field.
With two down and a runner on second in the fourth, he got lucky when former teammate Brandon Nimmo couldn’t make a running grab on a ball that hit off his glove as he nearly collided with center fielder Ezequiel Duran in the right-center gap to give the Mets a 2-1 lead on the error.
Alvarez, up with runners on first and second and one gone in the sixth, ripped his second double of the night to virtually the same spot to plate two more runs to give the Mets a 4-3 lead on his 14th double of the campaign. (The second double would have been a homer in six parks, including Citi Field.) Alvarez pushed the envelope and came around to score on a pop-out in foul territory as first baseman JakeBurger hesitated throwing home after making the catch up the right-field line. He finished 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
- Manaea got four whiffs on his first four swings, plus four called strikes, as he struck out the side in the first on 13 pitches. He was immediately in a spot of bother in the second with an error and a Nimmo single to center. A ball that somehow carried to the wall in left put two in scoring position, but Manea got a strikeout looking and a pop-up to right to escape without any damage.
The southpaw started the third with a four-pitch walk to the nine-hole hitter, but bounced back with a three-pitch strikeout and a pop-up to shallow center FranciscoLindor tracked down. But a passed ball from Luis Torrens allowed the Rangers to level the score on Josh Jung’s RBI double that just stayed fair down the right-field line. Manaea got his sixth strikeout to end the frame.
Manaea loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth on a bloop single, a walk, and a hit batter. A sac fly to the warning track in left leveled the score, but Manaea hit another batter, his 16th of the season. Another sac fly to the warning track in left put Texas ahead before the Mets lefty got a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning.
The lefty worked his second and third 1-2-3 innings of the night to close his penultimate start of the year on a high note, conquering his sixth-inning bugaboo. Manaea’s final line: 6.0 innings, three runs, three hits, two walks, two HBP, and nine strikeouts on 99 pitches (68 strikes).
- Carson Benge grabbed his 20th double of the season on a ball that hit the chalk in the left-field corner and hopped over the fence with one down in the fourth. He didn't wait long to grab his 21st with a two-out double yanked into the right-field corner to plate a run against left-hander Robert Garcia in the seventh. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and the pair of two-baggers.
- Brett Baty, pinch-hitting for Mark Vientos, smacked an 0-2, opposite-field double off Nathan Eovaldi to start the sixth, his 22nd double of the year, and later showed off his wheels to score from first on Benge's double as he was running with the pitch. He went 1-for-2 with a walk.
- A.J. Ewing went 1-for-3 with a walk and an infield hit with one down in the sixth and added a stolen base, his 25th of the year, setting a record for a Mets rookie.
- Juan Soto, who tagged a ball (100.5 mph) to left-center, but it went for a 373-foot warning-track out his first time up, got a chance with runners on the corners and two outs in the third and cashed in with an RBI grounder that squeaked into center to plate Alvarez. He went 2-for-5.
- Nate Lavender was the first man out of the bullpen and delivered a 1-2-3 inning with two going down on strikes. His ERA stands at 1.83 in 19 appearances with 25 strikeouts this year. Dedniel Núñez struck out the first two he faced in a perfect eighth to make it 14-straight Rangers retired.
Kodai Senga got a strikeout to start the ninth as home plate umpire Laz Diaz, in his final week as an ump, made an astute call on a foul tip into the glove on a 3-2 pitch. Senga hit the next guy as he couldn't control his forkball, but earned his eighth save of the year with a strikeout and flyout to left.
- Lindor committed his 11th error of the season with a bad throw to first on a routine grounder to leadoff the second. He went 1-for-4 with a walk.
- Bo Bichette flew out to left first time up and left runners on the corners with a groundout to end the third. He finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout looking, adding a ringing single (108.6 mph) to center to start the ninth.
- Marcus Semien, playing his first game in Texas since an offseason trade with the Rangers for Nimmo, went 0-for-5 but, with some good base running, scored from first on Alvarez's double.
- Luis Torrens went 1-for-3 with an RBI on a sac fly thanks to Alvarez’s smart base running.
- Vientos was caught looking at a fastball at the knees his first time up and went 0-for-2.
- Nimmo went 2-for-4 with a strikeout in his first game against his old club.
- The Mets left plenty of meat on the bone, as despite pounding out 10 hits went 3-for-16 with RISP and left 10 on base. Semien was the biggest offender, going 0-for-4 in those situations, with Ewing and Alvarez each going 1-for-3.
Game MVP: Mets pitchers
The Mets allowed just one base runner after the fourth inning and held the Rangers to three hits with 15 strikeouts.
