BOSTON — Boston’s Trevor Story had a strange Fenway Park homer in the sixth inning against Cleveland on Monday when the ball went off an outfielder’s glove and then the Pesky Pole.
Facing right-hander Jakob Junis, Story hit a 306-foot fly down the right-field line, where Jhonkensy Noel tried for a leaping catch. The ball ticked off Noel’s glove and then the pole as Story stopped at second and umpires gathered to discuss the play.
Umpires ruled the ball foul, then conducted a video review. Crew chief Jordan Baker then announced the call had been overturned, giving Story his 23rd homer and Boston a 6-3 lead in a game it went on to win 6-4.
“It was nice. It was obviously cool to get one on the Pesky Pole, I think that’s the first one I got,” Story said. “It was crazy. I didn’t know what was going on at first and then finally the last few (replays) I saw it hit the pole. I felt good about it.”
Story said it felt strange waiting on second because he initially thought it would be a ground-rule double.
“It’s weird for sure. You’re trying to stay locked in in case it’s a foul ball,” he said. “It’s just kind of a weird time. After I saw the last couple of clips, I felt good about it.”
It ended up being the shortest (non inside-the-park) homer in the MLB this season. The previous shortest was a walk-off past the Pesky Pole by his teammate Ceddanne Rafaela on June 4.
CHICAGO — Carlos Santana was contacted by a couple teams after he was released by Cleveland last week. Once he heard from Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, he knew what he wanted to do.
“The day before I come here, he called me and said ‘Hey, I need you here,’” Santana said. “I say ‘Oh, yes,’ I don’t think twice.”
Santana joined Chicago on Monday after signing a one-year contract. The Cubs also added Aaron Civale to their roster one day after they claimed the veteran right-hander off waivers from the White Sox.
Outfielder Kevin Alcántara was recalled from Triple-A Iowa, and outfielder Owen Caissie was sent down. With Pete Crow-Armstrong slumping at the plate, Alcántara could be used in center field against left-handed pitching.
Santana joined the contending Cubs in time to be eligible for the team’s playoff roster. The MLB deadline used to be midnight ET at end of Aug. 31, but it was changed in the offseason to noon ET on Sept. 1. Active major league rosters also expanded from 26 to 28 players on Monday.
“We just think adding kind of some veteran players to strengthen, fortify, offer some insurance to the roster is really what we’re looking for,” Counsell said before Chicago’s game against Atlanta. “Not anticipating, frankly, big roles, but should things happen, then their roles could expand.”
The 39-year-old Santana was let go by the Guardians on Thursday, ending his third stint with the franchise.
Chicago has Michael Busch at first base, and Seiya Suzuki is the team’s primary designated hitter. But the addition of Santana puts an experienced switch hitter on Counsell’s bench.
Santana batted .225 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs in 116 games with the Guardians after signing a $12 million, one-year contract in December. The former Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner is the majors’ active leader with 1,330 career walks.
Santana played for Counsell at the end of the 2023 season, after he was traded from Pittsburgh to Milwaukee.
“I come to here for hope, for making championship,” Santana said. “Before I retire, I want to make a champion. ... I’m open for any situation that (Counsell) needs me.”
Santana has appeared in 30 playoff games, batting .205 with five homers and 13 RBIs. He made it to the 2016 World Series with Cleveland, losing to the Cubs in seven games.
“I think he’s at a stage of his career where he’s interested in one thing, just being a part of fun, being a part of winning,” Counsell said. “And he’s earned a great reputation in the game, and it’s always good adding people like that.”
Civale is 3-9 with a 5.26 ERA in 18 starts this year. He was traded from the Brewers to the White Sox for first baseman Andrew Vaughn on June 13.
The Cubs plan to use Civale in a bulk role out of the bullpen, keeping him stretched out in case he is needed in the rotation at some point.
“Not a lot of pitching went on the waiver wire in August,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “But Civale is a guy that we had talked about at the (trade) deadline also. He was having a solid year as a starter there and pitching well.”
The 30-year-old Civale is 42-44 with a 4.18 ERA in 135 career starts, also playing for Cleveland and Tampa Bay. He was moved to the bullpen by the Brewers, but he said he wanted to continue to start — leading to the trade to the last-place White Sox.
“It’s a good opportunity,” Civale said of joining the Cubs. “Just doing my best to take advantage of it and trying to come in here and help the team.”
He gave the Mets the lead in the top of the fourth, crushing a 1-2 curveball from veteran right-hander Charlie Morton deep to right-center for a grand slam.
It was his team-leading 36th homer of the season, but his first with more than one man on-base.
It was also somehow only the second grand slam of his career.
Detroit would rally to even things up against Sean Manaea, but Soto struck again a few innings later, this time lacing a go-ahead two-run triple down the right field line to put New York back in front for good.
He also drew a pair of walks on the day, reaching four times and matching his career-high with six RBI.
Soto now has the most career games (116) with a home run and a walk before turning 27 years old, passing Yankees legend Mickey Mantle (115), h/t Sarah Langs.
“I haven’t changed anything,” he said. “I’m just getting more lucky, more balls are landing and I’m just doing the same thing up there -- just trusting my swing and the ability that I have to go up there and do damage.”
Soto has gone deep four times and has driven in 11 runs over the last four games.
His OPS has quickly risen to .915 on the season.
“Pretty impressive,” Carlos Mendoza said. “I don’t think anybody is surprised by it, but when you see it day in and day out for a long period of time it’s like man, this guy can really put a team on his back and carry it, and that’s what he’s doing right now.
“The grand slam, then the triple down the line in a tough left on left matchup. Just his ability to control the strike zone, it’s a show, every time he’s at the plate you want to watch that -- he’s pretty special and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Juan Soto tied his career-high with six RBI to power the Mets to a 10-8 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday afternoon.
Here are the key takeaways
-- New York loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning thanks to a Jeff McNeil double, a walk, and a bloop single. It looked like they were going to waste away another scoring chance, but Juan Soto came through with his first grand slam in a Mets uniform to make it a 6-3 game. Despite it being his 237th career homer, it was just his second grand slam.
With the game tied at 6-6 in the sixth inning, Soto stepped up in the clutch again with a two-out, two-run triple (his first of the season) to put the Mets up 8-6. He came around to score on Brandon Nimmo's single as the Mets took a 9-6 lead.
-- Sean Manaea delivered a fastball over the middle of the plate to Jahmai Jones on his first pitch of the game as the Tigers took a quick 1-0 lead. The lefty let up two more hits in the second inning, but got a pair of groundouts to avoid further damage. Manaea gave up another home run in the third inning, this time a two-run blast on a flat slider to righty Wenceel Pérez as the Tigers took a 3-2 lead.
The struggles continued in the fourth, allowing a RBI-triple to Zach McKinstry and another hit to Jones as the Mets' 6-3 lead became 6-5 in the blink of an eye. Manaea surrendered another single before Carlos Mendoza pulled him after 3.2 IP. He allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts over 83 pitches.
-- The Mets failed to capitalize with RISP in the first inning after Francisco Lindor and Soto both walked, but found a way to get on the board in the second. Cedric Mullins, starting for a third straight game with Tyrone Taylor out, dropped a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and then Luis Torrens made it a 2-1 game with a double down the third base line. Although, that's all they'd score in the frame, leaving two on base.
-- Gregory Soto relieved Manaea and got the final out of the fourth inning. He was pulled with runners on the corners and one out in the fifth as Ryne Stanek entered and immediately threw a wild pitch, allowing Detroit to get even at 6-6. Tyler Rogers worked around a leadoff single for a scoreless sixth inning.
-- After being recalled earlier in the day, Luisangel Acuña pinch ran for McNeil in the seventh and stole second base right away. He advanced to third on Torrens' sac-bunt and scored on Brett Baty's groundout, tacking on another to make it 10-6. Ryan Helsley gave a run back in the bottom of the seventh as his struggles continued, throwing just 0.2 IP and needing to be replaced by Brooks Raley for the third out.
Raley allowed another tun to cross in the eighth inning, making it a 10-8 game, before handing the ball to Edwin Diaz for the four-out save. Diaz got a fly out to end the eighth and sent the Tigers down in order in the ninth to seal the victory.
Game MVP: Juan Soto
Soto's grand slam gave him 36 homers and the two-run triple pushed him to 90 RBI on the year. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk and the six RBI. Soto now has the most career games (116) with a home run and a walk before turning 27 years old, passing Yankees legend Mickey Mantle (115), h/t Sarah Langs.
MILWAUKEE – On this Labor Day, the Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers put in a ton of work on the baseball field during an exciting afternoon. The Phillies got an improbable 10-8 win over the team with the best record in baseball.
Brandon Marsh knocked in the winning run in the ninth inning with an RBI single to cap off a wild game that had injuries, questionable calls, 24 hits and a manager ejection. But Jhoan Duran provided stability when the Phillies needed it most as the Phillies improved to 80-58 on the season and kept their six-game lead over the Mets. Milwaukee fell to 85-54.
“I’m going to bed,” joked manager Rob Thomson after the draining win that saw the teams use a total of 14 pitchers. “They just kept fighting. That was a battle today.”
Taijuan Walker allowed three runs on 32 pitches in the first inning on Monday against the Brewers at American Family Field, just two starts after he delivered 38 pitches and allowed three runs in the first against Washington.
Walker’s fifth pitch of the game was launched into the leftfield seats by Milwaukee’s leadoff hitter Brice Turang. After a double by William Contreras and a walk to Christian Yelich, Blake Perkins lined a double past Bryce Harper down the rightfield line that scored two more to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead.
It was a particularly impressive game by the Phillies, who were playing an afternoon game in Milwaukee a day after being the Sunday night national game in Philadelphia. The team didn’t get into Milwaukee until about 1 a.m. The teams have off Tuesday before resuming the series on Wednesday.
“Huge, today was a big test for us, just getting in a little late and playing a good team over there,” said Marsh. “It was a huge game for us and taking one in this atmosphere, in this ballpark. Obviously, you want to win as many games as you possibly can. That was a big momentum shift for us just coming off that last game against Atlanta (a 3-1 loss).
“My bread and butter has always been left-center and left field. Always have to take what the pitcher and the other staff gives you. Couple of bad swings that turned out good. Very thankful for that. It’s a hard game, you take as many as you can.
Caleb Durbin led off the second inning with a home run to left for a 4-0 Brewers lead before Bryce Harper countered in the fourth. Harper belted his 23rd home run of the season right over the 400 foot sign in dead center field to cut the lead to 4-1 off Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski.
After the Brewers upped the lead to 5-1 in the fourth with a pair of singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly off Walker, the Phillies chased Misiorowski in the fifth.
Max Kepler started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Edmundo Sosa. Bryce Stott forced Sosa at second on a fielder’s choice, before Trea Turner knocked in Kepler and Stott with a triple to the right field corner. That sent Misiorowski to the showers as the lead was cut to 5-3.
Tim Mayza made his Phillies debut in the fifth a successful one as he shut down the three Brewers he faced in order. The Allentown native hadn’t pitched in the majors since the middle of April due to a left lat strain. And the Phillies rewarded him with a big sixth inning.
J.T. Realmuto led off the inning and got plunked by Milwaukee reliever Nick Mears. Brandon Marsh followed with a single to put runners on first and third. Realmuto scored on a double by Harrison Bader before Kepler and Sosa each hit sacrifice flies for a 6-5 Phillies lead.
That was short-lived, however, as the Brewers scored the tying run without getting a base hit in the sixth. Milwaukee turned two walks, a wild pitch and a stolen base into a run when second baseman Bryson Stott bobbled a two-out grounder for an error that allowed the sixth run to score for the Brewers.
“The Stott error, my jaw dropped,” said Thomson. “Cause you don’t see that. He’s just so good. It was a battle. You’re down four, they you hit the (Harper) home run and you’re down four again. And then we just kept battling back and it was back and forth. It was almost like a playoff feel to it.”
Bader came through again in the eighth when he knocked in Brandon Marsh, who had singled to start the inning, with a double. The centerfielder had two doubles on the day, both resulting in RBIs. Marsh collected four hits, while Turner, Harper, Bader and Stott each had two of the Phillies’ 14 hits. After Bader’s go-ahead double in the eighth, Stott knocked him in with a double, silencing the sell-out Labor Day crowd. Only for a moment though as the Brewers scored two runs with two outs off David Robertson, – the key blow a two-run single by pinch-hitter Isaac Collins to shallow left-center to tie the game, 8-8.
“It’s really easy to get caught up in the emotion of trying to fit into a clubhouse,” said Bader. “Just relaxing and letting your game speak for itself to try to help the team win after nine innings eliminates all of that. I’m just kind of running with that feeling and trying to put up for my new club.”
It was a tough day for catcher J.T. Realmuto who was hit by a pitch on the arm and took a foul ball to the man section. He was also a part of a big play in the ninth when a questionable check swing went his way leading to a walk that kept the inning alive for Marsh’s heroics, before Bader knocked in the final insurance run. Brewers manager Pat Murphy argued so much that he got tossed. But all he missed was a big win by the Phillies.
With rosters officially expanding on Monday, the Yankees have made a pair of moves.
Ryan Yarbrough has been activated from the injured list and J.C. Escarra has been recalled from Triple-A.
Yarbrough has been sidelined since late June due to a right oblique strain.
The southpaw has pitched well for the Yanks this season, posting a 3.90 ERA over 16 appearances.
He slid into the backend of the rotation earlier in the year, but Aaron Boone said late last week that he's expected to work as a reliever down the stretch.
Escarra has appeared in 40 games at the big-league level this season.
The veteran hasn't quite been able to find his footing in the majors offensively, but has enjoyed a ton of success in the minors, hitting .308 with a .828 OPS in just 18 games.
There’s nothing quite like facing off against an old friend in the big leagues, but the feeling is even sweeter when you come out on top.
Young Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert experienced that firsthand in San Francisco’s 8-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, taking former Tennessee teammate Chase Dollander deep for a two-run homer in the third inning at Coors Field.
While Gilbert certainly was fired up as he rounded the bases, he had nothing but compliments for his old friend after the win. The outfielder’s postgame demeanor tends to differ from the energy he displays on the field, which he credits to the “heat of the competition.”
“It’s cool,” Gilbert said of homering off Dollander. “Obviously grateful to have played with him, and he was a great teammate of mine, and he’s a heck of a pitcher and has a super bright future. He’s going to pitch in this league for a long time, so any chance you get to do something off a guy like that, you definitely cherish it.”
Gilbert had the Giants — and fans at home — rolling when he came back into the dugout after the homer, with a loud celebration involving Matt Chapman that was described by NBC Sports Bay Area broadcaster Javier Lopez as “next level.”
Gilbert and Dollander are two of four former Vols to make their MLB debuts during the 2025 season. San Francisco acquired Gilbert in the deadline trade that sent Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets, and the 24-year-old made his big-league debut against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 8 at Oracle Park.
“I think it’s always fun when you know a guy, you’re friends with someone and you get to compete against them,” Gilbert said when asked if he was more fired up than normal after the home run. “Obviously, I’ve just known him for so long, and he knows it, and I know it, so it’s just fun competition, friendly competition.
“And you know, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of moments where he’ll get the best of me, as we’re hopefully going to be in the same division for a long time.”
It certainly was a full-circle moment for Gilbert, who ended the day 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI after the homer off his former teammate. Over his last six games, Gilbert appears to be benefitting from more playing time and is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with three doubles, six runs, seven RBI and a home run.
The Giants have felt Gilbert’s energy as the rookie becomes more comfortable, too.
“Oh my God, he might have more energy than me,” Willy Adames told Laura Britt and Sergio Romo on “Giants Postgame Live” after the win. “He shows up every day like he has new batteries … People are acting like, yo, how do you get so much energy? Where do you get it from? Like, give us something. Whatever you’re taking, we want some, too.
“He’s hilarious. He brought some energy to this club that we needed.”
The electric Gilbert wasn’t the only Giant to homer in Monday’s win, either. Rafael Devers hit his second home run in as many games when he crushed a 114.5-mph missile over the right-field wall — the hardest exit velocity on a Giants home run during the Statcast era, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.
And Adames crushed his 26th homer of the season in the seventh inning, increasing his odds to become the first player to hit 30 home runs in a full Giants season since Barry Bonds hit 45 in 2004. With Monday’s two-run shot, Adames also made his mark as the first Giants player with 26-plus homers through 138 games since Bonds in 2007, again per Langs.
The homers marked the first time San Francisco has homered in 15 consecutive games since 2001, too.
As the Giants’ offense continued to thrive, Kai-Wei Teng, whom San Francisco recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday after placing lefty Carson Whisenhunt on the 15-day injured list, did his job well. The right-hander surrendered two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks in his first start at Coors Field.
The Giants didn’t escape their successful series opener against the Rockies unscathed, however; Dollander hit Casey Schmitt in the right elbow to begin a three-run rally in the fifth, and the second baseman eventually was pulled from the game after initially going to first base.
Casey Schmitt remained in the game after being hit in the right elbow during his at-bat pic.twitter.com/hjVx6zqkp7
After the game, manager Bob Melvin told reporters X-rays on Schmitt’s elbow came back negative, and that the Giants will see how he feels tomorrow. Christian Koss could start in his place, but the team doesn’t anticipate Schmitt landing on the IL.
Bob Melvin provides an update on Casey Schmitt's elbow after he was hit in today's game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/d7Qn5WhFZC
The Giants (69-69) now are back to .500 with Monday’s win and sit five games back of the third and final NL wild-card spot, held by the Mets. With 24 games remaining, San Francisco certainly isn’t backing down. Gilbert seems more than ready for the final push, though he isn’t letting on if he’s starting to feel like a true big leaguer yet.
“I don’t know if I ever want to say [I’m feeling more comfortable] just because it’s the best players in the world on a night-to-night basis,” Gilbert said. “I think there’s more of a comfort level just being around your teammates, getting to know them, the coaching staff, just a new environment.
“Being able to kind of mold in here and get to know some of the guys has made it a lot easier.”
Taylor is out of the lineup for a third straight game due to hamstring tightness he felt on Friday night, but the team is optimistic he won't need to go on the IL.
"On Friday night he complained about left hamstring tightness and that's why he wasn't available the past couple of nights," Mendoza said. "Feeling better today. So we'll see if he's available for us today or not. We didn't think right away that he was going be an IL situation and that's why we gave him 48 hours.
"Yeah he's been playing well, but even when he's healthy we're going to continue to play the matchups and put the guys we feel best there."
With Taylor out, trade deadline acquisition Cedric Mullins will start his third straight game in center field on Monday. Mendoza was asked if an IL stint is still possible for Taylor and said they'll need to see how he feels after running and working out.
"Well I mean we got to see, we got to push him," Mendoza said. "He's got to start running, which he was going to do today, and we'll see what we got there. They're tricky, especially for a guy that speed is part of his game and defense and all that. We just got to wait and see."
New York also recalled infielder Luisangel Acuña from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, as Mendoza noted how the speedster saw some action at CF while in the minors and could be used in that spot defensively, especially with Taylor out.
Alvarez caught nine innings on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse as he works his way back to the bigs following his thumb and pinky finger injuries. Mendoza said Monday that the 23-year-old will catch again the next two games for Syracuse before the team makes a decision.
"Alvarez will catch tomorrow," Mendoza said. "He has back-to-back in Triple-A, he'll catch Tuesday and Wednesday."
With Alvarez continuing to improve, it sounds possible that the catcher could rejoin the team in Cincinnati for their three-game series against the Reds over the weekend.
After Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Marlins, Mendoza hinted at a possible change in the starting rotation in regards to Kodai Senga. The righty struggled again in the loss and has not completed six innings of work in any of his last nine starts since returning from the IL.
“We’ve got to get him right, obviously,” Mendoza said Sunday. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to have some discussion about what’s next for him, but our job is to get him right. But it’s been a struggle, and again, we’ll see what’s next for him.”
When asked about it again Monday, Mendoza didn't say the team hasn't decided on a plan.
"No, we don't know yet," Mendoza said.
Upcoming pitching rotation
Moving to a six-man rotation with Jonah Tong getting another start, Mendoza discussed the pitching plan for later this week. The Mets have an off day on Thursday before playing a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati starting on Friday.
"As of right now, [David] Peterson will go Game 1 there and then we'll see where we're at," Mendoza said. "The off day helps. We got six starters. It'll be fluid, we'll be creative and go from there."
Despite Peterson's recent rough start against the Marlins, Mendoza expressed confidence in the lefty who's been one of New York's more consistent starters this year. Tong could follow him on Saturday and then that "creativity" will have to kick in if they don't turn to Senga on Sunday.
Megill will make another rehab start in the minors on Tuesday as he's nearing a return to the majors, but when he does, it's unclear what his role will be.
"We'll see, the biggest thing is we have to get him healthy, which he is," Mendoza said. "We're building him up as a starter. But if we have to make an adjustment here and use him as a multiple inning guy out of the bullpen, we will do it. But right now, the plan is to build him as a starter."
Megill has been out since June 14 due to an elbow strain and has pitched well during his rehab. Over four starts (two in Double-A and two in Triple-A), he's gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 19.0 IP. He had gone 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA over 14 starts prior to the injury.
The right-hander has started all but one game he's pitched in the majors over the last three seasons, but does have some experience pitching out of the bullpen with six appearances in 2022.
MILWAUKEE – If instructions were handed down about player behavior earlier this year by the Phillies when it comes to shenanigans, Garrett Stubbs is oblivious to them. At least that’s what he claims.
“Are there any rules here,” he questioned in the Phillies clubhouse before the team played the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. “I wasn’t aware of rules. No, I have been told any new rules or if there were any previously or now. Hopefully not.
Stubbs, along with left-handed reliever Tim Mayza, were placed on the 28-man expanded roster Monday and his arrival made an immediate impact in the clubhouse with hugs and smiles all around.
The 32-year-old catcher has spent this season with triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he hit .265 and collected 12 doubles, eight home runs and 50 RBI in 71 games. He spent the past three seasons with the Phillies as a backup to J.T. Realmuto. His arrival now will allow for manager Rob Thomson to have some flexibility when Realmuto doesn’t catch, such as using him as a designated hitter or a pinch-hitter in those games.
“Love these guys so it’s just awesome to see their faces again. It’s already been great, on the bus ride over, going and grabbing food just in the first 30 minutes of being here. It’s just fun to be back around the group of guys that have been here since ‘22-’23. Excited to get that going again, just have some fun and win some baseball games.
“It was really nice to get some consistent playing time down there, get a feel for my swing offensively again. It was cool to have some success down there, too, and just working with a young pitching staff of guys that have made some appearances here and getting to know them.”
Particularly, Stubbs got to see, first hand, top prospect Andrew Painter and his progression this season from Tommy John surgery.
“He’s coming off of Tommy John. Success is him having a full season and being able to get the innings in and post every single week,” said Stubbs. “To me, that’s a successful season. I know people want to see him up here, probably months ago. He’s been our number one prospect for a long time. People want to see him here. For me, just seeing him healthy every single week and getting to pitch is a success for him. It’s been good to see him do that, progress throughout the season.
He’s got really good velo, throws the ball hard. Him getting a feel for all of his pitches back will take some time coming off of Tommy John. Just getting to know him as a person, too, and getting to see how mature he is and that he’s ready for the big league level mentally. The physical stuff will come in time as he progresses through his Tommy John rehab still.”
Mayza, an Upper Perkiomen grad and Millersville University product, has just finished up rehabbing a lat strain. He could become an important left-hander out of the bullpen moving forward for Thomson.
“Exciting as somebody who grew up a Phillies fan and to finally be able to put the uniform on and be in the organization, I’m excited,” Mayza said. “It’s kind of super fun to be close to home. I’m definitely excited to be here.
Mayza has 374 career relief appearances and has posted a 3.85 ERA to go with a 20-9 record.
“I feel great,” Mayza said. “I had four outings, one of them was multiple innings, which I felt like that was the biggest thing I was looking forward to was how I was bouncing back from that. Everything’s been going great. The recovery’s been great. The stuff is where I’d like it to be.”
Lineup shuffling
Thomson had Edmundo Sosa at third base instead of Alec Bohm on Monday, and also penciled in an outfield of Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler.
“Just a day off,” he said of Bohm. “Get Sosa back in there.” As for Castellanos, the manager said, “Just a day off.”
It is the first time the Phillies have faced hard-throwing rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who was named to the National League All-Star game back in July.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets play a three-game series in Detroit against the Tigers, beginning Monday at 1:10 pm on SNY.
5 things to watch
No Skubal
The Mets catch a break by missing Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner who is having another outstanding season. Without him the Tigers’ starting pitching is pretty average.
Detroit will start veteran Charlie Morton, a trade deadline pick-up who has a 4.61 ERA in five starts with the Tigers. The Mets are very familiar with him from his days with the Braves. For his career he is 7-7 with a 3.75 ERA against the Mets.
The Tigers haven’t named a starter for the second game of the series, and could do a bullpen game. Casey Mize will start the third game of the series. The right-hander is their second-best starter -- 12-5 this season with a 3.95 ERA.
All eyes on Manaea
The Mets continues to hope Sean Manaea finds his form from last season, as the left-hander starts the first game of the series on Monday. In his nine appearances since his delayed start to the season (his first outing he piggybacked off Kodai Senga’s start), he is 1-2 with a 5.01 ERA, a long way from his dominance in 2024.
Most notably he is averaging fewer than five innings per start and has often started strong but fallen off dramatically by the fourth inning, as his velocity, down a bit overall from last season, has tended to dip to 90 mph in the middle innings.
The need for Manaea to find his game is heightened by Senga’s struggles of late. The Mets were counting on the two of them at the top of the rotation and obviously it hasn’t happened.
How good are the Tigers?
A.J. Hinch’s ballclub is 80-58, sporting the best record in the American League and the second best in the majors behind the Milwaukee Brewers. But since getting out of the gate quickly they have leveled off, going 21-20 in the second half of the season.
Other than Skubal’s brilliance, nothing in particular stands out about them statistically. Offensively they rank seventh in the majors in runs scored, but they’ve dropped off in the second half, as 2025 All-Stars Javier Baez and Gleyber Torres have slumped for extended periods.
The Tigers have been tough at home, 44-25 going into this series. They’ve also had a knack for hitting in the clutch -- their .268 average with runners in scoring position and two outs is third best in the majors. That clutch factor likely figures into their success in close games -- they’re 20-9 in one-run games.
Aug 29, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a two run home run during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Soto is soaring
The Mets’ offense came alive in August, hitting for big numbers and hitting in the clutch as well. Most notably Juan Soto is finally hitting when it counts most and looking like the superstar who can carry an offense.
Soto put up a 1.009 OPS in August, with 10 home runs and 22 RBI. He’s been even hotter lately: In his last seven games he’s slashing .333/.500/.708 for a 1.208 OPS with three home runs and seven RBI. For the season he now has a .900 OPS –- ninth highest in the majors. His .394 on-base percentage is third-highest.
The Sproat watch is on
The third of the Mets’ three highly-touted pitching prospects, Brandon Sproat, could well join Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong with the big league club soon.
On Sunday manager Carlos Mendozaindicated that Senga’s spot in the rotation may not be safe after another sub-par outing from the right-hander. He spoke of Senga throwing “a lot of non-competitive pitches,” said “he’s having a hard time competing in the strike zone,” and offered that “I’m pretty sure we’ll have some discussion about what’s next.”
It sounded ominous and could mean that Sproat, coming off a strong start in Syracuse on Saturday, will be called up to make a start for the Mets in Senga’s spot.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
He’s coming off an outstanding month of August, looking like he can carry the offense if necessary. And he’s finally delivering with runners in scoring position.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Nolan McLean
Why not? The rookie has been spectacular through the first three starts in the big leagues, showing off his elite spin rates with his breaking pitches and, perhaps most important, the poise and confidence that has enabled him to attack hitters without fear, as he has issued no walks in his last two starts.
Which Tigers player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Charlie Morton
When he’s right and he’s snapping off his big curveball with command, Morton was very tough on the Mets at times when he with with the Braves.
On the first day of September in 2024, Aroldis Chapman was toiling away on the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates en route to a below-average season with a 3.79 ERA and 14 saves in 19 appearances.
Twelve months later, Chapman was meeting with reporters at Fenway Park as one of the best closers in baseball to discuss his new contract extension with the Boston Red Sox, which will pay him $13.3 million in 2026 and includes a vesting option for 2027.
Chapman’s turnaround has been remarkable; at age 37 and in his 16th season, he boasts a 1.02 ERA with a microscopic 0.660 WHIP and 76 strikeouts in 53 innings. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since July 23 and hasn’t given up a single hit in his last 15 outings.
Aroldis Chapman has gone 15 straight appearances and 44 straight batters without allowing a hit!
Based on those numbers, it’s no wonder why the eight-time All-Star would want to stay in Boston after bouncing between four teams in the last three years. But Chapman also seems to be enjoying himself in the Red Sox’ clubhouse on a squad that entered Monday with a 76-62 record.
“The chemistry that we have here is unique,” Chapman told reporters Monday. “I feel like my teammates — we’re very together on and off the field. Also the coaching staff and the medical staff and the trainers made the decision easier for me wanting to stay here.”
That chemistry would be a strength of the 2025 Red Sox is also a surprise. At the beginning of July, Boston was two games below .500 and had recently traded away its franchise player, Rafael Devers, who publicly criticized the team for asking him to change positions.
All the Red Sox have done since July 1 is win 34 of their next 52 games to firmly entrench themselves as an American League Wild Card team.
Chapman has played a critical role in that turnaround. And for a player with two World Series rings, his commitment to Boston for at least the next season speaks volumes about what the Red Sox are hoping to build.
The Mets start a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Monday at 1:10 p.m. on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Sean Manaea (1-2) looks to get his second win of the season after going 0-1 over his last six starts. His only win came on July 23 against the Angels
Brandon Nimmo has hit safely in his last 14 starts dating back to Aug. 12, batting .386 (22-for-57) in that span
Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak to six games Sunday and has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games. He batted .350 in the month of August, his best batting average over a single month in his career since his career-high .373 average in May of 2018 with Cleveland
METS
TIGERS
Francisco Lindor, SS
Jahmai Jones, DH
Juan Soto, RF
Gleyber Torres, 2B
Pete Alonso, 1B
Wenceel Pérez, RF
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Spencer Torkelson, 1B
Mark Vientos, DH
Riley Greene, LF
Jeff McNeil, 2B
Andy Ibáñez, 3B
Cedric Mullins, CF
Dillon Dingler, C
Luis Torrens, C
Zach McKinstry, SS
Brett Baty, 3B
Javier Báez, CF
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The Mets are recalling infielder Luisangel Acuña from Triple-A Syracuse, the team announced.
New York is also recalling RHP Justin Hagenman. The moves come as MLB rosters expand to 28 players Monday.
Acuña, 23, has been with Syracuse since the Mets optioned him to Triple-A Aug. 18.
He most recently played for Syracuse in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, posting a 1-for-4 game with a ninth-inning double.
In 28 games for Syracuse this season, Acuña is slashing .303/.347/.395 with 10 RBI. He has a .239/.295/.283 slash line and seven RBI in his 79 games with the Mets this year.
Hagenman, 28, owns an 0-1 record with a 3.26 ERA over seven games (19.1 IP) and 20 strikeouts for the Mets this season. He last pitched in the bigs on Aug. 12, recording a four-inning save in a 13-5 win over the Atlanta Braves. He's pitched to a 6.12 ERA over 19 games (11 starts) with 67 strikeouts across 60.1 IP in Triple-A.
Dodgers pinch-hitter Will Smith celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Even before they blew a late-game, three-run lead.
As a clearly frustrated Dave Roberts put it ahead of first pitch, the team needed to “not get embarrassed” in the face of a potential three-game sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and play with a level of “pride” that had been missing the previous two nights in this unexpectedly challenging weekend series.
“Whatever it is, we've got to do it right now,” the manager said. “We've got to win today. We've got to play better baseball. ... There's more in there. There just is."
In the 5-4, walk-off win over the Diamondbacks that followed, his team finally delivered despite self-inflicted adversity.
After letting the Diamondbacks (68-70) get back into the game, and nearly squandering Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s seven-inning gem, the Dodgers prevailed on Will Smith’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, moving two games up in the National League West standings after the San Diego Padres’ rubber-match loss to the Minnesota Twins earlier in the day.
The win should have been simpler.
Yamamoto gave up just one run and tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts without conceding a single walk. The Dodgers' lineup, meanwhile, wore down Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt with competitive early at-bats. They scored twice in the first after leadoff hits from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, plus an RBI double from Freddie Freeman, and again in the fourth and fifth when Miguel Rojas and Andy Pages each delivered full-count singles to score a run.
“I thought today there was a lot of fight,” Roberts said. “Today was a good sign. I was pleased with today.”
Tanner Scott, however, almost wasted the good vibes.
In the eighth, he gave up a pair of two-out singles before Corbin Carroll took him deep for a tying three-run blast. The long ball was the ninth Scott has surrendered this year, compared to the 11 total he had yielded over the past three seasons. It came on the kind of misplaced, center-cut fastball that has plagued him repeatedly, leaving the $72-million offseason acquisition to be booed on his way off the mound as his ERA rose to 4.44.
“You never want to see the ball leave the park, especially in that situation,” Scott said. "It's super frustrating.”
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott pitches in the eighth inning Sunday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Yet, at what felt like another inflection point in the season, the Dodgers responded.
And, in an unexpected turn, it was Smith who saved the day.
After leading the NL batting race for much of the season, the veteran catcher had been mired in a deep slump. He was batting .147 in August. He had hit only two home runs in his previous 28 games.
Behind the scenes, though, coaches continued to praise his work. When pressed on his struggles, Smith pointed to mechanical flaws he was trying to iron out.
“I always say the game honors you, and Will has been going through it,” Roberts said. “But he’s been working his tail off. And today he reaped some benefit.”
Indeed, his reward came in the form of a 420-foot, stinging missile of a walk-off homer — driving the second pitch he saw into the left-field pavilion.
"We needed it. We needed a win in this series,” said Smith, who has four career pinch-hit, walk-off homers — the second most in MLB history.
“The first two [games of this series] got away,” Smith added. “Had the early lead [today]. Yoshi pitched really well, gave us a great start. Unfortunately, they got back in it, tied it up. But yeah, we were able to come up on top. ... Every win going forward is going to be huge.”
Dodgers catcher Will Smith celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run in the ninth inning Sunday.
Freddie Freeman, left, and Alex Call, center, and other Dodgers players celebrate with Will Smith, right, as he crosses home plate.
Will Smith, left, celebrates with Alex Call, right, and his Dodgers teammates.
Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times
Granted, any feeling of progress from the Dodgers (78-59) will remain tempered for now.
Whether Sunday proves to be a momentum-builder — or just another flash of promise that once again fizzles — remains to be seen as they enter September.
Coming into the weekend, the Dodgers appeared to be riding high. They had won four straight games, including a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. Their offense looked to be rounding a corner, finally pairing up with a strong run of pitching the way the front office envisioned when they built this supposed juggernaut in the winter.
But then, Friday and Saturday produced the kind of maddening, reality-check performances that have dogged the club repeatedly over the second half of the season.
There was listless offense at the plate both nights, amounting to one run off Arizona’s beleaguered pitching staff in 18 innings. There were fundamental miscues on the bases and on defense, lapses Roberts boiled down to a simple lack of focus.
"I wish I had an answer for you,” Rojas said of the team’s struggles to find consistency. “We're all frustrated. Coming out of the off-day [on Thursday, we played] pretty flat the last couple days.”
It was yet another unexpected drop in the team’s roller-coaster season.
Another example of the team taking two steps forward, then one stark jump back in their efforts to try and protect first place in the division.
“There has to be a point where that has to be sharpened,” Roberts said. “And that’s where, I feel, the time is now.”
Asked before the game why his team has wavered so much, Roberts struggled to find an answer.
He alluded to a potential World Series hangover, noting “when you’re playing a long season, you’re defending champions, people are coming after you — which we know and understand — it’s just hard to keep that dialed-in focus every single night. That’s just reality.” (Rojas also mentioned that dynamic, though insisted it’s “not an excuse.”)
Roberts highlighted the lack of reliable production from veteran players, as well — coinciding with his decision Sunday to leave Teoscar Hernández on the bench, in favor of Alex Call in right field, amid a recent three-for-27 slump that has been compounded by persistently shaky defense.
“He's an everyday guy,” Roberts said of Hernández, whom the team hopes will benefit from a “two-day reset” between Sunday’s day off and Monday’s travel day. “But I do think that where we're at, you've got to perform too, to warrant being out there every single day.”
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the fourth inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Roberts said that thinking would apply to the rest of the lineup, too, in an aim to raise his players’ late-season urgency and steady their ever-teetering focus.
“I do think that a flip can be switched,” Roberts said. “Each day should be equally important. Every little play, pitch, should be equally important. ‘How you do anything is how you do everything,’ that kind of adage, I believe in that.”
And on Sunday, at least, his team managed to persevere.
“It's just really focus on this last month, just go pitch to pitch ... and do what we need to do, do the little things,” Smith said. “We can't try to win the game in one pitch. All the little things add up each and every day, each and every inning. That's how you win baseball games."
The challenge will be replicating that formula over the season’s final month, and ensuring Sunday’s gut-check victory is not wasted on clunkers marred by self-inflicted mistakes.
“It's going to take every little ounce of us to do what we want to do,” Rojas said. “I feel like we should be playing way better baseball than what we did the last couple days, and today we showed that we play a really quality game.”
