Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Monday blues: Phillies lose Turner, Bohm to injured list originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

An IL stint was certainly on the horizon for Trea Turner after he left Sunday’s contest in Miami with a hamstring injury, but losing Alec Bohm to the injured list was unexpected.

Turner, who was as hot as anyone, has a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. The expected recovery time is unclear, but the Phillies are hopeful he will be back for October and potentially before.

“It was better than what we’d expected,” manager Rob Thomson said pregame Monday.

The Phils’ shortstop experienced a hamstring injury last season, too. Turner spent 43 days on the IL and was clearly not the same player when he came back. After returning, he stole just nine bases over 88 games to finish the year.

Hamstrings are tricky and easily re-aggravated, which creates some uncertainty for Turner and the Phillies. This injury comes at the wrong time for Turner, who over his last 30 games was slashing .389/.433/.603 in 131 at-bats.

His defense has also made strides. Among shortstops with at least 500 plate appearances and 50 percent of games played at the position, Turner ranks fourth in MLB with 16 Outs Above Average. He’s been extremely valuable, ranking second in fWAR at 6.6.

Thomson said that he had noticed his veteran was working through something recently.

“I just felt [he was] a little banged up,” Thomson said. “There was nothing specific. It was just so I wanted to give him a day off from the turf. So we did, and then it happened.”

The Phillies skipper will keep his options open at shortstop, listing Edmundo Sosa as the top choice with Bryson Stott, recently promoted Donavan Walton and Weston Wilson also in the mix.

As for Bohm, he landed on the IL with a left shoulder injury.

“With Bohmer, he’s been grinding with this left shoulder for a while now, been fighting through it,” Thomson said. “It’s probably been 10 days. … So we decided to shut this thing down. We expect [him] maybe back in 10 days.”

It marks his second IL stint in the last two months. In July, Bohm suffered a fractured rib and missed nearly a month. Since returning, he has posted a .648 OPS and hit just .243 — down from .278 before the injury.

Otto Kemp was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to help fill the void. The 25-year-old infielder flashed potential earlier this season but also struck out 49 times in 145 at-bats. His versatility allows him to play third, second and left field.

Even with a seven-game lead over the Mets, the Phillies know the challenge ahead.

“Yeah, it’s tough. Anytime you lose one of your premier players, obviously it’s hard,” Bryce Harper said.

“Guys got to step up, keep playing the same ball that we’re playing and continue to play our game … just got to keep going.”

Harper emphasized that replacing All-Star caliber players like Turner and Bohm outright isn’t realistic right now.

“You can’t replace a Turner, it’s just not possible,” Harper said. “You can’t replace Zack Wheeler or anybody else. So everybody’s got to do their job and understand doing their job is the best thing for us.”

The Phillies have weathered injuries before and built themselves a cushion in the division. But with October fast approaching, they’ll need Turner and Bohm back in rhythm — a tall task given the minor-league season winds down soon.

Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; James Hagens is selected as the seventh overall pick to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On Monday, the Boston Bruins announced an extension of their affiliation agreement with the Maine Mariners through the 2027-28 season.

“We are proud to extend our affiliation with the Maine Mariners through the 2027-28 season,” Providence Bruins General Manager Evan Gold, who is also the Assistant General Manager for Boston, said in a statement. “It has been a pleasure getting to know and collaborate with Dexter Paine over the past year-plus of his ownership tenure, and we are confident that his and the entire Mariners staff’s dedication to developing players and competing for championships fully aligns with our organizational development model. “The Bruins are excited to continue working with the Mariners to prepare our prospects for the next levels.”

The Mariners began their partnership with Boston and Providence in 2021, leading into Maine’s third ECHL season. The 2025-26 campaign marks year five of the affiliation and begins the new three-year extension.

“We are excited to extend our affiliation agreement with the Boston Bruins and Providence Bruins,” Mariners Owner & Governor Dexter Paine stated. “It is an important step for our franchise as we align the Mariners with these two historic franchises. Stabilizing and growing the partnership with both Boston and Providence was a priority of mine after purchasing the team last fall. I want to thank Cam Neely, Don Sweeney and Evan Gold, and we look forward to many great years as part of the Bruins development pipeline.”

The Maine/Boston affiliation has a history dating back to late 1980s and early 1990s, when the American Hockey League’s Maine Mariners served as Bruins affiliates for five seasons before the team relocated to Providence in 1992.

Where Giants' core of star players currently ranks among MLB's best, per ESPN originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants have won 11 of their last 14 games as one of the hottest teams in baseball, but where does San Francisco rank when it comes to the team’s core talent?

Not in the top 10 according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, who places the team right in the middle of the pack at 15th (third in NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres).

While the team’s season success is not an apparent metric, McDaniel says he “judges teams based on which players they have under contract through the next two full seasons.”

The Giants saw an impressive jump up in the ratings from their 2024 rank (22), largely in part because of what Buster Posey has done in his short time with the team.

“I like what president of baseball operations Buster Posey has done in remaking this big league team,” McDaniel said. “He’s investing in star players (re-signing [Matt] Chapman, signing [Willy] Adames, trading for [Rafael] Devers), and at the deadline, he moved nonessential players or those on expiring deals to beef up the farm system.”

The Giants were just one of two teams in the top-half of the list to be without an “elite” player — “5ish WAR talent, or perennial All-Stars with MVP chances” per McDaniel.

Devers, who was listed as a “solid” tiered player, has batted just .253 since joining the Giants but really has turned it on since the start of August, slashing .289/.389/.602 with 12 home runs in 34 games played.

Another “solid” tier player, Adames, who had a woefully slow start, also has picked up the pace in the second half of the season. Over his last 15 days, he has slashed a respectable .289/.375/.622.

Other notable players in that tier: ace Logan Webb, Chapman and Patrick Bailey.

The list mentioned Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge, who has continued to tear pitching up in Triple-A Sacramento, as well as Jung Hoo Lee and recently acquired outfielder Drew Gilbert, among others.

At 72-71, the Giants have significantly underperformed on the year, but with the roster they currently have, a hot streak earlier in the year could have made all the difference and made 2025 a completely different season.

McDaniel also states he believes the Giants could be a contender as early as next season. Only time will tell.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

The Mets open a four-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on Monday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Juan Soto is hitting .314/.467/.714 with 13 home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 137 plate appearances over his last 29 games dating back to Aug. 6
• Francisco Lindor has been on fire for about a month, hitting .386/.475/.634 with five homers, 10 doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 120 plate appearances over 25 games going back to Aug. 12
• Nolan McLean has a 1.37 ERA and 0.759 WHIP in 26.1 innings over his first four major league starts

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Phillies play a four-game series in Philadelphia starting on Monday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.

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5 things to watch

Nolan McLean gets things going

It has been a scintillating start to McLean's big league career, with him carrying a 1.37 ERA and 0.759 WHIP into Monday's outing.

And it was arguably McLean's last start that was his most impressive.

He was hit around a bit in the first inning but locked in after, retiring the last 14 batters he faced. Overall, he allowed two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out seven.

McLean faced the Phillies in his third major league start back on Aug. 27 at Citi Field, and he stifled them, firing eight shutout innings while allowing four hits, walking none, and striking out six.

Who's in center?

It's been an offensive struggle for Cedric Mullins since he was acquired from the Orioles at the trade deadline.

In 108 plate appearances over 29 games, Mullins is slashing just .178/.290/.278.

If there's one issue that's most glaring, it's Mullins' lack of power.

He hit 15 home runs in 91 games earlier this season for Baltimore, but has mustered just one for New York.

With Tyrone Taylor still out due to a hamstring injury, the Mets could conceivably turn to Jeff McNeil as the regular in center field for now, which would allow them to use Brett Baty at second base and Mark Vientos at third base. 

The Mets' offense needs to break out

The Mets have scored just 12 runs over their last four games as they've gone 1-3.

Yes, they've run into some really good starting pitching, including Casey Mize last Wednesday and Hunter Greene on Sunday, but the bats need to wake up.

Juan Soto has remained red hot and Francisco Lindor had a huge series against the Reds and has been on fire for about a month. But aside from them, it was a struggle for the offense in Cincinnati.

Against the Phillies, New York will face a rotation that is weakened without Zack Wheeler. But it's still formidable, led by Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.

The one true weak spot is Aaron Nola (6.78 ERA, 1.51 WHIP), who gets the ball on Monday. 

The out of town scoreboard

The Mets enter this series 7.0 games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. So barring a four-game sweep by New York, it's fair to classify the NL East race as essentially over.

As far as the Wild Card race, the Mets are in strong shape, leading the Giants and Reds by 4.0 games and the Diamondbacks and Cardinals by 4.5 games for the third Wild Card spot.

Meanwhile, the Mets trail the Padres by 2.0 games for the second Wild Card spot, and have a three-game series coming up with them later this month at Citi Field.

As the Mets battle the Phillies, the Reds and Padres play each other in San Diego, the Giants host the D-backs, and the Cardinals travel to Seattle to play the Mariners.  

Kyle Schwarber has gone cold

Since blasting four home runs against the Braves on Aug. 28, Schwarber hasn't done much.

He's hitting a paltry .152/.317/.212 in 41 plate appearances over his last nine games, and has struck out 13 times during that span.

Schwarber has one extra-base hit in those nine games (a triple) and just one RBI.

It's just a matter of time before Schwarber, who has blasted 49 homers this season and has a .929 OPS, wakes up. The Mets obviously hope it doesn't happen against them.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Francisco Lindor

Lindor has been a beast for about a month, hitting .386/.475/.634 with five homers, 10 doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 120 plate appearances over 25 games dating back to Aug. 12.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Sean Manaea

Tuesday's start is a huge one for Manaea, who needs to lock in.

Which Phillies player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Bryce Harper

It's been a relatively quiet September for Harper, who will need to step up with Trea Turner out due to a hamstring injury.

Things didn’t go well for Tylor Megill in his potential final rehab start on Sunday afternoon. 

The right-hander was roughed up again as he took the mound for the Syracuse Mets.

Megill ended up being pulled after allowing a total of five runs on four hits, two walks and two HBPs, while striking out just three batters in 2+ innings of work. 

Buffalo Bisons outfielder Joey Loperfido jumped on him for a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the first but he responded by striking out a pair.   

He worked around a second and third jam with one out in the second allowing just one more run, but wasn’t able to finish off the third. 

Megill was removed after quickly loading the bases with a walk, HBP, and single. 

Richard Lovelady entered and allowed an RBI single and grand slam, capping an ugly line.

After starting his rehab with three consecutive scoreless outings, Megill has responded by allowing three or more runs in three straight to lift his ERA to 6.60 over just 20 innings of work.

President of baseball operations David Stearns said earlier this week that the Mets will make a decision on Megill's potential activation and next steps following Sunday’s outing. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the club plans on utilizing him down the stretch.

The 30-year-old began the year in the starting rotation, but with the trio of top prospects jumping into the mix there likely isn't a spot for him there. 

With a strong six innings on Sunday afternoon, Brandon Sproat became the third rookie pitcher to make an impressive major league debut for the Mets in the space of about three weeks. 

It makes for a bright future but what about the present?

Is it realistic to think the Mets can make a deep playoff run with three young starters as saviors of sort for their beleaguered starting rotation?

For the moment, in fact, after losing two of three games to the Reds in Cincinnati this weekend including Sunday’s 3-2 defeat, the more pressing task is holding off their pursuers for the third NL Wild Card spot, especially as they head to Philadelphia for a four-game series. 

The Mets were fortunate the surging San Francisco Giants lost in St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday, keeping them four games back in the Wild Card standings, along with the Reds.  

Now they turn to Nolan McLean to start in Philadelphia on Monday, the third straight game in which they’ll start a rookie -- can his brilliance continue?

The rarest of circumstances has forced the Mets to lean so heavily on a trio of pitchers with so little major league experience, but the poor performance of their starters, especially Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea, has forced their hand. 

How it plays out remains to be seen, but the truth is that so far the kid starters have done about all the Mets could have expected. 

There are bound to be growing pains, as was the case Saturday night, when Jonah Tong learned that it is a lot harder to blow his high fastball by major league hitters than it was in the minors, as he gave up three home runs in the first four innings. 

Same went for Sproat, to some extent, when a couple of mistake pitches -- a lazy-breaking curve ball to Elly De La Cruz and a hanging changeup to Austin Hays -- cost him a couple of runs in the sixth inning on Sunday that proved decisive. 

But let’s be real: those mistakes only loomed large because the Mets didn’t hit much on Saturday and Sunday. 

In truth, both Tong and Sproat showed why they are regarded so highly. 

After Tong -- in his second career start -- paid for trying to overpower Reds hitters in the early innings, he adjusted, mixed in his off-speed stuff nicely and showed some grit in getting through six innings, striking out his final hitter with a 98-mph fastball.

That those home runs were the only hits he allowed spoke to Tong’s potential to dominate, just as the 13 swings-and-misses he induced were proof of the quality of his stuff. 

And then there was Sproat, the third of the three top prospects to make his debut. 

He’s not McLean when it comes to spinning the baseball, but he showed an impressive array of breaking balls, throwing three variations of them at different speeds -- a slider at 90 mph, a sweeper at 84-85 mph, and a curveball at 79 mph.

Using those pitches in combination with his 95-97 mph fastball, Sproat did a nice job keeping the Reds’ hitters off-balance over six innings, as he allowed three hits while racking up seven strikeouts. 

That prompted praise from Carlos Mendoza:

“He pitched,” Mendoza told reporters in Cincinnati. “I was impressed with the way he used his secondary pitches. He was able to use his curveball to get back in counts at times, and he made pitches when he had to.”

For a while it looked like Sproat might even do something special, as he no-hit the Reds through 5.1 innings.

By then he’d given up a run, thanks to a walk, a stolen base, a ground out and a sac fly in the fourth inning. He walked four batters on the day, something he’ll need to clean up to succeed in the big leagues.

Yet there he was with a no-hitter in the sixth inning, and a bit unlucky to give up that first hit, as he jammed Noelvi Marte with a 95-mph sinker, only to see Marte muscle a broken-bat blooper to the opposite field for a single. 

Then, finally, mistakes cost him. He got ahead 1-2 on De La Cruz, and wanted to bury a curve ball in the dirt, hoping for a chase, but left it in the strike zone, at the knees but in De La Cruz’s nitro zone, and the result was an RBI double to the wall in right-center to put the Reds ahead 2-1. 

Against Hays he got ahead in the count again at 1-2, but then Francisco Alvarez called for a changeup, a strange decision as it’s arguably Sproat’s least effective pitch, especially against a right-handed hitter. 

And when it hung in the strike zone about thigh-high, Hays laced it hard on the ground past Brett Baty for a single to make it 3-1 Reds. 

At that point it felt like the inning was getting away from Sproat, but much like Tong on Saturday night he didn’t buckle, instead he came back to strikeout Gavin Lux swinging with a curveball and then Sal Stewart looking at a 95-mph fastball.

On another day, when Mets’ hitters weren’t being overmatched by Hunter Greene, who allowed one hit and struck out 12 over seven innings, Sproat may well have been in position to get a win. 

As it was, the Mets rallied in the ninth, putting the tying and go-ahead runners on base after a solo home run by Juan Soto, and threatened to win for the first time this season when trailing after eight innings. 

But it wasn’t to be, as Starling Marte hit into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play and the Mets lost the series, failing to close the door a little further on the Reds and the Giants as well. 

It wasn’t a lost weekend, at least in the big picture. 

Even in defeat Sproat and Tong looked like they belonged. 

But now, after McLean pitches Monday, it will be up to the veterans in the rotation -- not to mention the offense -- to win a couple of games in Philly or this Wild Card chase could get too close for comfort. 

The day started with a couple of Shohei Ohtani home runs. It continued with a strong 5 ⅔ inning start from Clayton Kershaw. And it ended with the Dodgers in a celebratory postgame line, trading victorious high-fives near the mound.

After five consecutive losses, several weeks of mounting frustration, and the most painful collapse imaginable the night before, the Dodgers took a crucial first step toward righting their sinking ship on Sunday.

They beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2, finally finding a way to hold on to a late-game lead.

They ended an otherwise disastrous road trip on a sorely needed high note, avoiding what would have been a second-consecutive series sweep to a last-place opponent.

Read more:Yoshinobu Yamamoto falls one out short of a no-hitter, then Dodgers lose in Orioles walk-off

“It’s not a surprise how we responded,” manager Dave Roberts said. “There was no panic. There was just preparation. I like the way that our guys weren’t downtrodden. We were up, looking forward to playing a ball game, to win a game. And that’s a tell that we have confidence still in the room. It speaks to the character.”

Indeed, Sunday was the kind of day the Dodgers (79-64) were desperately searching for amid their recent struggles, which reached a new low when their no-hitter turned walk-off nightmare on Saturday trimmed their division lead down to just one game.

That game, in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a no-hitter broken up with two outs in the ninth before the Orioles (66-77) rallied for a stunning walk-off win, was the kind of loss that threatened to throw the Dodgers into an all-out nose-dive; an unthinkable defeat that, on top of their previously mounting frustrations, turned Sunday into yet another gut-check for the long-slumping club (which entered Sunday 10 games under .500 since July 4).

“It was a tough loss yesterday,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “Especially what Yoshi did, everybody was so excited and happy for him. And to lose, that was tough. So it was pretty down.”

Sunday morning, however, Betts said the mood in the clubhouse had rebounded.

“There's a lot of vets in here and a lot of guys that know how to handle bad situations,” he said. “So this morning everything was great. The vibes were high.”

And then, two pitches into the game, Ohtani raised them even higher, belting his 12th leadoff home run of the season off fellow Japanese native Tomoyuki Sugano to tie Betts’ single-season franchise record.

“You could see the life in the dugout,” Roberts said.

“Shohei jump-starting, it lets us know we're fine,” Betts added.

On Ohtani’s next trip to the plate, the two-way star went deep again, blasting his 48th home run of the year on a 2-and-0 fastball Sugano left over the plate. Then, in the next at-bat, Betts left the yard himself with a drive to left.

Just like that, the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead — and later it extended to 4-0 on a lucky break, when Miguel Rojas scored from third on an errant pickoff throw from Baltimore catcher Alex Jackson in the fourth.

“We haven’t gotten a break like that in a while,” Roberts quipped. “Miggy is playing his tail off. So for us to get a break like that, that was something that was very welcome and very needed.”

So too were the closing innings of the game, in which the Dodgers finally got across the finish line behind a stout (if not entirely stress-free) performance from the pitching staff.

As he has done repeatedly this year, Kershaw served as a stopper to another Dodgers slide, setting a new season high with eight strikeouts while giving up just two hits through his first five innings.

“Obviously a tough one last night, but everybody came in here with a good mindset. Everybody came in here ready to win a game today,” Kershaw said. “That’s the great thing about baseball, and the worst thing about baseball — that you play every day. It’s a new opportunity every day. And sometimes it’s hard. But that’s why not everybody plays it. You’ve got to put on your big boy pants and go play.”

Kershaw got knocked out of the game in the sixth, following a Gunnar Henderson single and RBI double from Emmanuel Rivera with two outs. Rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez flirted with disaster after that, giving up another RBI double to Jackson and a loud fly ball to Dylan Carlson that died at the warning track.

But from there, the Dodgers settled back down.

Another rookie, left-hander Justin Wrobleski, provided two critical innings of scoreless relief, striking out the final five batters he faced after putting two aboard in the seventh. 

“I felt the team needed a jolt or something,” Wrobleski said. “Thankfully, I was able to go out there and feel really good and do what I wanted to.”

The Dodgers tacked on an insurance run in the ninth, when Betts hit an RBI single off the wall (he was held to just the one base after not hustling out of the box) following a leadoff single from catcher Ben Rortvedt and a walk from Ohtani (his third of the day, reaching base in all five trips to the plate).

“Certainly, when you get Shohei and Mookie doing what they’re doing, that’s also helpful too,” Roberts said.

And after being walked off by the Orioles each of the first two nights at Camden Yards this weekend, the Dodgers avoided any further fireworks in the ninth, with rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer coming on for his third save of the season.

“It’s good for other guys, or certain guys, to get opportunities and see how they respond,” Roberts said, after staying away from more veteran, but recently struggling, relievers like Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott.

Granted, one win will put only the slightest dent in the damage the past week has already done.

Read more:Despite emergency help from Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers lose again: 'Truly have no answers'

Instead of extending their National League West lead and making a run for a top-two seed in the NL, the Dodgers let the San Diego Padres (who have also been slumping) hang around in the division and the Philadelphia Phillies (who currently hold the No. 2 seed, which comes with a first-round bye in the playoffs) pull away in the standings.

Instead of capitalizing upon a weak spot in the schedule, they will return home with a 1-5 record against two last-place teams, having again reverted back to their $400 million roster’s most frustrating form.

However, given the way Saturday ended, the season was starting to feel dangerously close to the brink. Sunday’s win, for at least one day, helped calm the waters. Now, they have to figure out a way to rise instead of sink.

“That’s really all you can do: Keep showing up, keep going on the field, keep playing,” Kershaw said. “We’re too good for it not to turn around.”

Muncy set to return; Smith, Glasnow progressing

When the Dodgers return home Monday to face another last-place team in the Colorado Rockies, they’ll do with a key reinforcement waiting. Roberts said third baseman Max Muncy, who has missed almost a month with an oblique injury, is expected to be activated for Monday’s series opener.

“I think that’s going to be helpful,” Roberts said.

Catcher Will Smith, who has missed the past four games with a bone bruise on his hand, is also getting closer to returning to the lineup, and was available off the bench Sunday. Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, meanwhile, is expected to make a start against the Rockies, as well, after doctors cleared him following a bout of back tightness that forced him to be scratched on Friday.

“We dodged a bullet,” Roberts said, “so we feel good about that.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, earning a series win in the process.

Here are the key takeaways…

-- The Yankees jumped on Max Scherzer early. After an Aaron Judge walk and a Cody Bellinger single, Ben Rice connected for a three-run shot to right, giving the Bombers a quick 3-0 lead. Bellinger added an RBI double off the wall in the bottom of the third, and Scherzer's day ended in the fifth inning.

Scherzer lasted 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on just three hits while striking out eight and walking four.

-- Max Fried had a strong afternoon on the mound, though his defense behind him wasn't always up to par. Fried allowed a pair of runs in the second, and an Anthony Volpe throwing error (his 19th of the season) would ultimately lead to a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RBI double in the third inning, which tied the game at 3-3. The run was ultimately earned, but Volpe's shotty defense continues to be an issue.

A throwing error by Austin Wells nearly led to another run in the fourth, but Judge bailed the catcher out by making a sliding grab on a George Springer liner to keep the Jays off the board and maintain the one-run New York lead.

Fried ended up giving the Yankees seven quality innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, striking out four and walking one.

-- With the Yankees up by a run, Aaron Boone turned to Devin Williams for the eighth inning, putting the embattled reliever in a huge spot. After his first pitch of the inning sailed to the backstop, Williams allowed a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Addison Barger,who immediately stole second to get into scoring position.

But Williams locked in and retried the next two hitters, including a Guerrero strikeout. Then, after a walk put two runners on base, Williams induced an easy grounder to third to end the inning.

-- The Yankees took that same one-run lead into the ninth, when David Bednar allowed a one-out single to Nathan Lukes to put the tying run on base. But Lukes tried to steal second, and Wells gunned him down with a perfect throw for the second out of the inning. Bednar then got Myles Straw to ground out to secure the win, brining the Yankees within two games of the division lead.

-- Paul Goldschmidt is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee, but all testing came back clean, Boone said. Goldschmidt entered the game as a defense replacement in the ninth inning.

Game MVP:

Rice, whose three-run bomb set the tone early.

Highlights

 

RICE RICE BABY! pic.twitter.com/RQBmzIPvHA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 7, 2025

 

Cody Bellinger puts the Yankees back on top! pic.twitter.com/qYXxnlAKVg

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 7, 2025

Huge strikeout for Williams as he gets Vladdy swinging pic.twitter.com/rZgCSYUTUc

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 7, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees have Monday day off before starting a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers, starting on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren is scheduled to face Casey Mize.

The Mets lost to the Reds 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati, managing only two hits, both solo home runs, dropping the rubber game of the series. 

Brandon Sproat took the loss in his major league debut, despite pitching a strong six innings.

Here are some takeaways...

- After being held to one hit over seven innings by Hunter Greene, the Mets made some noise in the ninth inning before losing. Juan Soto hit a solo home run off reliever Tony Santillan to cut the Reds’ lead to 3-2, extending his streak of games of reaching base to 16. It was Soto’s 38th home run of the season. 

After a throwing error by shortstop Elly De La Cruz allowed Pete Alonso to reach first, Brandon Nimmo singled to left, putting runners at first and second with one out. Starling Marte then got jammed on a fastball, and his broken-bat ground ball to short turned into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.

The Mets were bidding to win a game when trailing after eight innings for the first time this season. 

- Despite taking the loss, Sproat made a strong start in his major league debut, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning while showing off an impressive arsenal of pitchers, mixing his 97-mph fastball with three different breaking balls -- slider, sweeper, and curve ball at a variety of speeds. 

All in all, Sproat went six innings, allowing three runs on three hits, while racking up seven strikeouts and allowing four walks.

Sproat gave his first run in the fourth inning without allowing a hit, as Noelvi Marte walked, stole second, took third on a ground out and scored on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ sacrifice fly. 

With one out in the sixth, Sproat gave up his first hit on a good pitch, as he jammed Marte with a 96 mph fastball yet that turned into a broken-bat blooper to right field. Sproat then paid for leaving a curve ball in the strike zone, as De La Cruz drove it to the wall in right-center for an RBI double. 

Sproat then made another mistake, hanging a change-up that Austin Hayes hit past Brett Baty for an RBI single. 

The rookie right-hander finished strong, striking out Gavin Lux with a 79-mph curve ball and Sal Stewart looking on a 96-mph fastball.

- Greene overmatched the Mets, allowing just one hit, a Baty home run, over seven innings while striking out 12 and allowing two walks. Greene, one of the hardest-throwing starters in baseball, mostly overpowered the Mets with his fastball, regularly reaching 100 mph -- the only hit he allowed came on a hanging slider. 

The Reds’ right-hander finished strong in the seventh, striking out Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Jeff McNeil on fastballs, the last one at 101 mph that got McNeil looking. 

- Reed Garrett returned from the IL on Sunday, pitching a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Sproat, allowing one hit and recording one strikeout. Garrett’s return is much-needed in a bullpen that has had few good late-inning options lately. 

- Cedric Mullins continues to be a disappointment since coming over from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline. He went 0-for-2 Sunday, stretching his current hitless streak to 0-for-24, and is hitting just .184 with the Mets. Carlos Mendoza used Mark Vientos to pinch-hit for him in the eighth inning.

Game MVP: Hunter Greene

The Reds’ ace was on his game, showing his potential to be one of the top starters in the majors. In his fifth start since returning from a groin injury, he racked up 12 strikeouts, while lowering his ERA to 2.69. Greene also had a whopping total of 21 swings and misses. 

Highlights

Brett Baty makes a great play to start the 5-4-3 double play!

Brandon Sproat has his first two outs in MLB pic.twitter.com/jRE6PVjJhT

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

Brett Baty's 16th home run of the year! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ws9iSt5Hx5

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

Five strikeouts in five innings for Brandon Sproat! pic.twitter.com/5ItVMNRtyt

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

38 HOME RUNS FOR JUAN SOTO!

The Mets are within one in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/azEJZqBcW5

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

What's next

The Mets head to Philadelphia to conclude this huge seven-game road trip.

Nolan McLean takes the mound in the opener against Aaron Nola on Monday at 7:10 p.m.