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

The Mets open a three-game series against the Phillies at Citi Field on Monday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

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

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Mets Notes

• Mark Vientosis slashing .357/.387/.964 with five homers, two doubles, and 11 RBI in 31 plate appearances over his last seven games
• Francisco Lindorhas been on fire during his current 12-game hitting streak, hitting .471/.534/.804 with four homers and five doubles in 58 plate appearances
• Cedric Mullinshas picked things up in a big way after struggling at the plate during his first week as a Met. In 14 games since Aug. 9, Mullins is slashing .306/.375/.490 with a homer, triple, and four doubles

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Phillies play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Monday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

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5 things to watch

It seems that Mark Vientos is back

After emerging as a powerful force last season as he smacked 27 homers in just 111 regular season games -- before going on a power tear in the postseason -- it was a struggle for Vientos during the first four months of the 2025 campaign.

He was unable to find consistency at the plate and was eventually left fighting for playing time as other options including Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio emerged.

But the version of Vientos who helped make New York's lineup go last season might just be back.

In 31 plate appearances over his last seven games, Vientos is slashing .357/.387/.964 with five homers, two doubles, and 11 RBI.

Vientos heating up over the last week has been especially important given the absence of Francisco Alvarez (who will be out for at least another week due to his thumb injury) and Brandon Nimmo (whose return is imminent).

NL East race should be an afterthought

The Mets enter this series 7.0 games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East.

As Mets fans have seen first-hand, a deficit that big can be erased in half the time the Mets have to do it. And the Mets will have four more games with the Phillies after this series, as they'll head to Philadelphia in September.

But for New York, currently holding the third Wild Card and two losses up on the Reds for that spot, the Phils are just another team they need to grab wins from.

And Philadelphia, currently the No. 2 seed in the National League and on pace for a bye to the NLDS, has been especially formidable lately.

How is Brandon Nimmo doing?

Nimmo left this past Wednesday's game early due to neck stiffness and has not played since, though he was available off the bench on Sunday.

This is the same issue that has popped up every once in a while for Nimmo during his career and quickly resolved, including earlier this season. So it is not especially alarming.

But the Mets, whose offense went cold on Sunday, could certainly use Nimmo back in the lineup.

And the expectation is that he'll return on Monday night.

Nimmo had been heating up before missing time, slashing .333/.382/.500 in 34 plate appearances over his last eight games.

The loss of Zack Wheeler has seriously dented Philadelphia's rotation

Wheeler, who was in the midst of another Cy Young-caliber season, will miss the remainder of the year and possibly the start of next season due to surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

The loss of Wheeler is a huge one for Philadelphia, since he was their unquestioned ace -- and would've been a daunting pitcher to try to topple in a playoff series.

Without Wheeler, Philadelphia's rotation is fronted by Cristopher Sanchez (having an incredible season in his own right with a 2.46 ERA and 1.10 WHIP) and Ranger Suarez (3.07 ERA, 1.13 WHIP).

During this week's series, the Mets will face Sanchez on Monday, Jesus Luzardo on Tuesday, and Taijuan Walker on Wednesday.

Beware of Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber is in the midst of a mini cold snap, with zero hits in his last nine at-bats, but he has been one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball this season.

His 45 home runs lead the NL, his 109 RBI lead MLB, and he's sporting a career-best .945 OPS.

There are other dangers to deal with in Philadelphia's lineup, including Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, but the Mets should go out of their way to make sure Schwarber doesn't beat them.

While he's having a career year, Schwarber remains susceptible to the strikeout, having fanned 154 times in 130 games. He's on pace to finish the year with 192 strikeouts.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Francisco Lindor

Lindor tends to shine in the biggest moments, and the Mets need him this week.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Sean Manaea

Manaea is too good to continue struggling the way he has since returning from injury.

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

Nick Castellanos

Castellanos has nine hits in his last 24 at-bats, including a homer and double.

How Giants provided Luis Matos a necessary ‘reality check,' per Mike Krukow originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sometimes all a young professional athlete needs is a wake-up call.

And that’s what the Giants might have provided outfielder Luis Matos, who caught fire over the weekend in San Francisco’s series win over the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers.

Matos, who once was a top prospect in the Giants’ farm system and believed to be a potential cornerstone player, has had a roller coaster of an MLB career thus far, from earning National League Player of the Week honors in May 2024, to yo-yoing back and forth between Triple-A Sacramento and the major-league level this season.

However, the 23-year-old outfielder has caught fire in recent weeks, batting .293/.341/.634 with three home runs, six RBI, three walks and two stolen bases in 41 at-bats. Matos came through big in San Francisco’s series win over Milwaukee, blasting two home runs, including a two-run homer on Sunday, before scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning.

Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow liked what he saw from the young slugger over the weekend.

“I’ve always liked the guy,” Krukow told KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus.” “I’ve always felt he was a player that could develop into an everyday player and put up big numbers with power and he’s got speed to steal. He’s the whole package. We’re just waiting for him to sort of mature into the game.”

Despite his recent success, Matos still is batting just .209 on the season, but Krukow believes some of San Francisco’s roster decisions earlier this season might have lit a fire under Matos, fueling his current hot stretch, which, Krukow hopes, continues through the end of the season and into the future.

“For him to get that confidence [playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic], I expected more,” Krukow added. “I expected once he got hot earlier and started to put things together, I thought, ‘OK, here he goes.’ And then all of a sudden, the same old thing that’s plagued him, his inability to stay in the strike zone, his lack of discipline identifying strikes and good pitches to hit, sent him back down.

“But I think what they did, about a month ago, think back, when Drew Gilbert came up and they brought Tyler Fitzgerald back [in right field] … That was a massive head-slap to Luis Matos. That’s how you motivate from the front office to a player in the minor leagues. You move somebody right past him. And you talk about a reality check, it absolutely happened to Matos.”

While a Giants postseason run seems unlikely at this point in the season, the team’s remaining 31 games can provide Matos, and other young players, an opportunity to compete for roster spots and everyday roles next season.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Biggest series of the season? What awaits for Phillies-Mets matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The optimistic Phillies fan will look at this upcoming three-game series with the New York Mets at Citi Field and see that the lead in the National League East could grow to as much to 10 games over the Mets with a sweep.

The pessimist, of course, will point out that a sweep by the Mets would knock the difference between the two to just four games with 29 games to play. Either way, the truth is the truth and the Phillies’ current seven-game lead over New York is the biggest it’s been all season.

The Mets are coming off a series in Atlanta in which they won two of three, after having lost 16 of their previous 21 games. Sunday’s loss was a stinger, as Gregory Soto gave up two runs in the eighth to break a tie game and denied the Mets a sweep over the host Braves.

The Mets currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Cincinnati Reds for the final Wild Card spot.

The Phillies have won seven of their last nine games and have been playing some of their best baseball of the season over the last few weeks. But this is the Mets and this may be a series that defines how the East is going to play out.

“They’re all big. I mean every game’s big from here on out,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson of the upcoming series. “The Mets have a good club. And we have to go in and pay attention to every detail and play hard. It can go the other way, too. We have to pay attention.”

Monday’s series opener will feature strong Cy Young candidate Christopher Sanchez for the Phillies against Mets right-hander Kodai Senga.

Sanchez (11-4, 2.46 ERA) has allowed more than two earned runs in just five of his 25 starts and is coming off a start against Seattle in which he went 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, two runs, while striking out 12. It was the seventh double-digit strikeout performance of his career and his fourth this season. He has pitched six or more innings in each of his last 14 outings.

Senga (7-5, 2.58 ERA) has allowed 18 earned runs over his last six outings which spans 27 innings for a 6.00 ERA. He hasn’t gotten out of the sixth inning in any of his last eight starts. It will be the first time he’ will’ll pitch on four day’s rest this season.

Thomson will most likely go with his lefty-heavy lineup, though he has been juggling his outfield since the trade deadline. Sunday, left-handed hitter Max Kepler sat against Washington right-handed starter Jake Irvin because Harrison Bader has posted good career numbers against Irvin. Right fielder Nick Castellanos has recently had a few days off, which hasn’t been the norm this season. Thomson appears to be playing the “who’s hot” card when it comes to the outfielders. And it’s worked, so no need to think it’s going to change in these three games.

Tuesday the Mets will throw left-hander Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.15) against the Phillies, who will counter with lefty Jesus Luzardo (12-6, 4.10).

Manaea will be making just his ninth start of the season after a battle with injuries in spring training and in the early season. He was sidelined before the season with a right oblique strain and then pain in his elbow. He made his season debut on July 13 and has gone into the sixth inning in just one of his starts. He has given up 17 earned runs over his last 19 1/3 innings (four starts) for an ERA of 7.92 during that time.

Luzardo struggled during July but has seemingly righted himself in his last five starts. During that time, he struck out 34 over his last 31 innings and has posted an ERA of just 2.32. He struck out 12 in six innings in his last start against Seattle.

In the series finale Wednesday, Mets’ hot rookie Nolan McLean (2-0, 1.46) will make his third-career start and will oppose Phillies veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.44).

McLean has struck out 15 in his 12 1/3 innings so far and went seven innings for the win last Friday against the Atlanta Braves when he was backed by a 21-hit performance by the Mets. McLean boasts a really good sweeper and curve ball.

Walker just continues to give the Phillies strong outings as their fifth starter. He has pitched five or more innings in each of his last six starts and has given up three or fewer runs in each of them.

The Mets have won four of the six games between the two teams this season, including all three at Citi Field. After this series, they will have four more matchups at Citizens Bank Park in September.

After this series the Phillies will have 29 games remaining in the season. Things can change quickly. But a good showing at Citi Field over these three games probably will push that talk aside a little bit.

Giants are ‘built to win big' despite second-half collapse, per Brewers manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants’ playoff hopes certainly have faded, but they still are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with MLB’s best teams.

Let their road series win over the league-best Milwaukee Brewers this weekend serve as evidence.

And even on an emotional day for Brewers manager Pat Murphy’s squad, and the entire Milwaukee organization, who honored late broadcasting legend Bob Uecker in a pregame celebration of life ceremony, San Francisco was able to steal a thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 win that sealed a series victory.

Murphy, speaking to reporters postgame, gave the Giants their flowers.

“I didn’t think there was any way that the baseball gods would bestow this on us, but you know, you look at the Giants, they’re built to win,” Murphy said. “They were built to win big. It didn’t work out for them yet, but they’re playing with some freedom. They’re really talented.” (h/t MLB.com’s Maria Guardado)

San Francisco, which once was tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West on June 13, has gone 23-39 since and has plummeted out of playoff contention.

Despite the Giants’ immediate future not looking so bright, it’s clear some around the league still believe San Francisco will contend again in the near future.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

When he was finished rounding the bases at Petco Park on Sunday, Shohei Ohtani made a detour on his return to the Dodgers' bench.

Seated by the visiting dugout was a fan in a San Diego Padres cap and brown Fernando Tatis Jr. jersey. The spectator had spent most of the afternoon reminding Ohtani of how much he’d stunk in the three-game series.

Ohtani initiated a high-five with his tormentor, who playfully bowed in deference.

Manager Dave Roberts howled with delight. Teoscar Hernández showered Ohtani with sunflower seeds.

These were like scenes from the good old days, the Dodgers hitting bombs and laughing as they celebrated.

But was this a mirage?

Read more:Dalton Rushing and Freddie Freeman help revive Dodgers' offense in win over Padres

Even after avoiding a sweep by the Padres with an 8-2 victory, even after moving back into a tie with them for the lead in the National League West, the Dodgers continued to be an enigma.

Who were they? The team that trampled the Padres in the series finale? Or the team that rolled over in the two previous games of the series?

“They’re gettable,” said a scout from a rival NL team who was in attendance.

The kind of game the Dodgers played on Sunday, however, prompted the same scout to attach this qualifier: They can’t be counted out.

One of baseball’s worst offensive teams over the last two months, the Dodgers blasted four home runs, including two by Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers claimed the lead on a three-run blast in the seventh inning by Dalton Rushing.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto did his part on the mound, picking up his 11th win by limiting the Padres to two runs over six innings.

The Dodgers have 31 games remaining in the regular season and they expect a number of their injured players to return over that period. The form they take will dramatically affect their chances in October.

Winning their division could position them to secure a top-two seed in the NL, which would grant them a first-round bye. Failing to do so would subject them to a dangerous best-of-three wild-card series.

Because of the alarming number of injuries they have sustained this season, the Dodgers have already cycled through a variety of identities, from a team without starting pitching to a team without a reliable bullpen to, most recently, a team without a consistent offense.

In their previous two games, the Dodgers scored a combined two runs, leading Roberts and some players to question the team’s collective approach at the plate.

Just a week earlier, the division race looked as if it could be over. The Padres entered a three-game series at Dodger Stadium as the hottest team this side of Milwaukee. The Padres had bolstered their lineup, rotation and top-ranked bullpen at the trade deadline while the Dodgers did almost nothing.

The Dodgers still swept them.

Read more:News Analysis: The Dodgers have an outfield problem. But do they have the options to fix it?

But their inconsistency on offense kept them from protecting the two-game lead they’d built. They inexplicably dropped two of four games against the last-place Colorado Rockies. By Saturday, after their second loss to the Padres in as many days, they were in second place.

Just as the Dodgers looked as if they could be written off, just as they looked as if they could relinquish control of the division to the Padres, they responded with a performance worthy of their $320-million payroll.

“Today was a game we couldn’t drop no matter what,” Yamamoto said in Japanese, “so I went into the game with more focus than usual.”

The hitters also went into the game with a heightened focus, resulting in more extended at-bats that gradually wore down the Padres’ pitchers. The Dodgers scored seven of their runs in the last four innings.

The Dodgers don’t play the Padres again this season but Freeman said his team should be more concerned about their improvement rather than what its division rivals do.

Asked when he would start to scoreboard watch, Freeman replied, “Maybe in mid-September.”

Reminded only 31 games remain in the regular season, Freeman replied, “It is a sprint. I’ll be honest with you there. It’s a sprint now. You can’t worry about other teams if, like the last couple games, we don’t fix our offense, how our at-bats were going the last couple days. We fixed it today, we did better today. If you’re worrying about other things, that’s just not conducive, it’s not going to lead to quality things in the clubhouse. So maybe mid-September. When I turn 36, we’ll start scoreboard watching, all right?”

Freeman’s birthday is on Sept. 12. Will the Dodgers know who they are by then?

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 salvaged the final game of a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night by winning 7-2.

Here are the takeaways...

-Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each had themselves a day, finishing a combined 4-for-6 with four home runs and six RBI. Chisholm got New York started with a two-run shot in the second inning before Grisham joined in with a solo bomb in the third.

Grisham added another homer to lead off the sixth inning to put the Yanks up 5-0 after Jose Caballero had a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Chisholm hit his second of the night in the bottom of the eighth to make it 7-2.

The home runs gave Grisham and Chisholm 25 and 24 home runs, respectively, on the season -- good for second and tied for third on the team, behind Aaron Judge (40).

-Carlos Rodon earned the victory, improving to 14-7 on the season with 5.2 innings pitched, allowing just one hit and two earned runs while striking out three and walking five. It was a crucial bounce-back performance for the Yankees' rotation. 

Still, Rodon's 24 walks since the All-Star break are the most by any MLB pitcher during that span.

-Sunday's win marked the Yankees first against Boston this season, as the team had previously lost eight consecutive games to the Red Sox to begin the season, being outscored 48-22 over that stretch. The Yankees entered this series with a disappointing 1-8 record against Boston in 2025.

-In a notable lineup decision, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe was removed from the starting lineup, with manager Aaron Boone citing his 1-for-28 slump and league-leading 17 errors as factors in the decision. Caballero started at shortstop in Volpe's place.

-Boston managed only five hits in the loss, with their lone offensive highlight coming in the sixth inning when Nathaniel Lowe delivered a two-run single to center field, scoring Alex Bregman and Romy González. Dustin May took the loss for Boston, falling to 7-10 after allowing five earned runs on five hits over 4.1 innings.

Game MVP: Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

They both get the honor after hitting two home runs each.

Highlights

Trent Grisham deep into the night! pic.twitter.com/SF8HyhEiyQ

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 24, 2025

Trent Grisham has liftoff again! pic.twitter.com/UgJdPojWa3

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 25, 2025

Jazz for the second time! pic.twitter.com/ghGnDqNHRG

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 25, 2025

What's next

The Yankees continue their homestand with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals starting on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

RHP Cam Schlittler (1-2, 3.22 ERA) goes up against RHP Brad Lord (4-6, 3.46 ERA).

The Mets were slow to promote Nolan McLean -- too slow it appears, judging by his two outstanding starts in the big leagues. They need to change that conservative approach as it applies to their two other top pitching prospects, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong, in their pursuit of a postseason spot. 

And it appears they may be ready to do just that -- perhaps quickly, as the week ahead figures to be pivotal. 

At least there are indications the Mets are thinking more aggressively, perhaps realizing their trio of electric young pitchers, Sproat, Tong, and McLean, could help provide a much-needed re-set for the major league staff.  

On Sunday they had an opener start for Triple-A Syracuse rather than Sproat so the 24-year old right-hander would get a taste of coming out of the bullpen. It’s a way of preparing him for the possibility of the role as a bulk reliever for the Mets in the weeks ahead, something they will need if their starters continue to have problems going deep into games. 

That it didn’t go well for Sproat on Sunday, as he gave up seven runs -- five earned -- in 3 2/3 innings, shouldn’t deter the Mets from continuing to let him get a feel for the new role. He’s pitched with enough dominance at Triple-A over the last two months to make the case he’s as ready as McLean for the big leagues. 

Whether he has McLean’s poise and presence remains to be seen. But there is no doubt Sproat has the high-ceiling stuff to succeed anywhere. 

“He’s not as naturally confident as McLean,” one Mets’ person said of Sproat Sunday. “It took him longer to make the transition to Triple-A because he lost his confidence and started shying away from contact. But he’s come a long way this season in the way he attacks hitters and commands all of his pitches. When he’s on, he’s very impressive.”

And then there’s Tong, whose eye-popping success since his recent promotion to Triple-A is apparently forcing the Mets’ brass to re-think the possibility of using him in the big leagues this season, as reported Saturday by the New York Post.

And why not? Tong on Saturday not only pitched six scoreless innings, while racking up eight strikeouts, but got a whopping 21 swings-and-misses while throwing 88 pitches, as his fastball topped out at 97.6 mph. 

In two Triple-A starts he’s pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and 39 swings-and-misses. The K’s are impressive enough but the crazy-high total of whiffs is what had baseball people I spoke to believing that Tong could have immediate success if promoted. 

“If I see 21 swings-and-misses, and I have a need, I’m absolutely giving him a shot,” a former GM told me Sunday. “Otherwise you’re not doing right by your ballclub. 

“He has a unique delivery, the way he comes over the top, and that may be creating deception to go with his plus stuff. It gives him a better chance of having immediate success in the big leagues against guys who haven’t seen him. He could be the type of lightning-in-a-bottle guy who can have a big impact for a team chasing a postseason spot.”

A scout who saw Tong multiple times in Double-A added: “I’ve seen him dominate hitters at the top of the strike zone with his fastball and at the bottom with his offspeed stuff. He has weapons and he has deception. I wouldn’t be afraid to throw him in there against big-league hitters.”

Suddenly, then, the Mets have a slew of possibilities to improve their pitching staff, including Tylor Megill, who has pitched nine scoreless innings in rehab outings and could be back soon as well. 

So how would the Mets find places for the new faces?

They DFA’d Paul Blackburn to make room for McLean, and Frankie Montas’ season-ending elbow injury opened another spot, filled for now by the call-up of reliever Huascar Brazoban.

Because they’re six games into a stretch of 16 straight without an off-day, they’ve indicated they will add a sixth starter at some point soon to give their five-man rotation an extra day of rest. Senga, in particular, rarely starts on four days rest, but is scheduled to do so Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

It seems highly unlikely the Mets would have him make a second start on regular rest, which would be Saturday at home against the Miami Marlins. So that could well be the day they use the extra starter, either Megill, Sproat, or Tong. 

Beyond that, however, much could depend on how both Senga and Sean Manaea pitch over the next two days. They have been the primary short-start culprits lately, which has created a sense the Mets would be better off with a couple of bulk relievers than all of the one-inning guys they have now.

In addition, if Manaea continues to lose velocity after a few innings, which could be the result of the loose bodies in his elbow, the Mets could also be served well to designate someone to piggyback and limit Manaea to 3-4 innings.

Clay Holmes seems to have gotten a second wind in that regard in his last two starts, but his innings-total remains enough of a concern that the Mets could need a similar set-up for him in the weeks ahead. 

It’s why David Stearns is likely mulling multiple pitching scenarios for the days and weeks ahead. 

If he wants to go bold and utilize both Sproat and Tong at some point, it could mean optioning Reed Garrett to the minors and DFA’ing Ryne Stanek. 

That shouldn’t be a deterrent at this point. If anything, Stearns should be emboldened enough by McLean’s success to get creative and give his pitching staff a makeover. The sooner the better.

Dave Roberts sought the best of both worlds from his slumping Dodgers offense Sunday.

More competitive at-bats, a more disciplined two-strike approach, and a renewed team-first mindset at the plate on the one hand.

But also, amid a two-month funk that dropped them to second place in the National League West, to not abandon the slugging prowess that makes them who they are.

“I want my cake, and [to] eat it as well,” the Dodgers manager quipped.

“I’d be shocked,” he added, “if we don’t see a different offensive output from here forward, starting today.”

Read more:News Analysis: The Dodgers have an outfield problem. But do they have the options to fix it?

Indeed, everything the Dodgers were missing in their first two games against the San Diego Padres this weekend — when they combined for just two runs and five hits to relinquish their place atop the division standings — came roaring suddenly back when the club needed it most.

In a sweep-evading 8-2 win over the Padres at Petco Park on Sunday, the Dodgers got back to working better at-bats, manufacturing consistent baserunners, then pouncing on mistakes with their lineup’s trademark pop.

The biggest swings came in a five-run seventh inning, when Dalton Rushing broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run home run to right and Freddie Freeman hit his second long ball of the day to put the score out of reach.

But all along, they displayed the progress Roberts had promised in his pregame address with reporters; following up two of their worst offensive displays of the season, with a nine-hit, four-walk, eight -run outburst that drew them back into a first-place tie with the Padres (74-57).

In their losses on Friday and Saturday, the Dodgers’ problems had been simple. They didn’t adjust to a Padres pitching staff that attacked them carefully. They didn’t grind with two strikes, or shorten up their swings, or do enough little things to unlock their long-scuffling offense (which led the majors in scoring through June, but had ranked 24th in the two months since).

“We haven’t really been in-sync,” Roberts said. “It’s been disjointed a lot, as far as the offense.”

When asked if that meant his team needed to adopt more of a small-ball mentality, however, Roberts pushed back.

“I think it’s a fair question,” he said. “But I couldn’t disagree more.”

After all, his team is still stocked full of All-Stars, MVPs and future Hall of Famers. At their core, they are a team built to bludgeon opponents — not slap singles and drop down sacrifice bunts.

“Slugging is still a part of it,” he said. “I definitely don’t want guys to hit like I did.”

Read more:Dodgers lose to Padres in two-hit flop and fall out of first place: 'We got to do more'

Around the margins, though, there were ways they could better position themselves to do that. Such as trying to work better counts, stay alive with two strikes when needed, and striking a better balance between patience and aggression.

“When you can kind of play, knowing you have people around you, where your goal is just to win — versus, my goal is just to be good myself individually, that’s pressure,” he said. “But when you feel like [you are doing] whatever little thing I can do to help a team, an offensive unit, that’s freeing. So that was some of the conversations that I’ve had with the guys, trying to relay that message.”

The change started in the first inning, with the Dodgers putting Padres starter Nick Pivetta under immediate stress.

Shohei Ohtani drew a five-pitch leadoff walk. Mookie Betts shortened up his swing on an 0-and-2 slider to line a single up the middle. Freddie Freeman loaded the bases by grinding out a full-count free pass.

It was a string of small victories that provided cleanup hitter Teoscar Hernández the perfect chance to slug.

Hernández tried to, getting a fastball over the plate in a 3-and-1 count and launching a deep flyball that seemed destined to be a grand slam. The drive, however, hung up just enough for Ramón Laureano to rob it at the wall.

The sacrifice fly brought in the Dodgers’ only run of the inning — giving them a 1-0 lead that would soon be erased on Elias Díaz’s two-run homer in the third off Yoshinobu Yamamoto (the only runs he gave up in a six-inning start).

But it set the tone for a flurry of offense that would follow later in the afternoon, when a weekend of non-existent offense finally started to turn.

In the sixth, Freeman hit his first home run, crushing another center-cut fastball from Pivetta to right-center for a tying blast.

Then, against Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada in the seventh, the club put all the pieces together in a five-run rally.

Andy Pages rolled a single through the left side to lead off. Michael Conforto came up next, fouled off a full-count slider, then took a borderline fastball at the top of the zone for a stress-inducing walk.

Miguel Rojas couldn’t get a bunt down after that, eventually swinging away for a flyout to center.

But, in what was easily his best moment of a trying rookie season, Rushing delivered the decisive blow seven pitches later — fouling off his own two-strike slider before clobbering another to right for a go-ahead three-run shot.

Freeman tacked on two more insurance runs before the inning was through, landing his second long ball of the day into the Petco Porch down the right-field line. Ohtani got in on the action in the ninth, belting his 45th homer to right to put the game — and another weekend of offensive frustration — to bed.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some updates prior to Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox...

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Volpe benched

Jose Caballero is in the Yankees’ lineup at shortstop over Anthony Volpe for Sunday’s meeting in the Bronx. 

It’s been a rough season for the young shortstop on both sides of the ball. 

Volpe has just eight hits over his last 18 games and has struck out 18 times over that span. 

He’s also committed a league-high 16 errors is an ugly -7 Outs Above Average (fourth percentile in MLB).

Aaron Boone hinted it was a possible following Saturday’s loss, and now he makes it official.

“He’s just scuffling a little offensively over the past week,” the skipper said. “Having Caballero now he gives you that real utility presence where he can play anywhere including short, and the spark that he provides so we just felt today was a good day for that.”

Boone wouldn’t rule out Volpe sitting again for Monday’s series opener against the Nats.

“We’ll see, I haven’t made any definitive decision yet,” he said. “I just want to get through today and do everything we can to get a win tonight and we’ll see where we’re at heading into tomorrow.”

Cruz set to return

Fernando Cruz is officially set to be activated from the IL on Monday. 

Cruz has been sidelined since late June with a left oblique strain. 

He has appeared in three minor league rehab games, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out four. 

Now that he’s back, the righty should be in the mix for high-average innings. 

Prior to the injury, Cruz pitched to a 3.00 ERA across 32 appearances.

“He’s been super productive for us and a such an important part,” Boone said. “He’s just a great person and competitor -- he’s willing to take the ball in so many different areas, so I’m looking forward to getting him back.”

The Mets had a chance to pick up some big momentum on Sunday. 

After dropping the final two games against the Nationals, they received strong pitching performances and the offense exploded as they were able to blow past the Braves in the first two games of their weekend set. 

David Peterson then took the mound in the series finale in Atlanta and he worked his way through five efficient innings before struggling in a rough bottom of the sixth. 

Atlanta was able to even things up and the Mets couldn’t come up with the big hit from there. 

Juan Soto had a clutch RBI single in the top of the ninth, but a pair of pop outs stranded the go-ahead run on base as Jurickson Profar’s eighth inning two-run single ended up being the difference in the series finale. 

New York did manage to win the set, but it was a frustrating way to end things. 

“At the end of the day, we didn’t get the job done today,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Whether we have the lead or we’re trailing we have to be able to finish ballgames -- the little things that we aren’t doing right now just continue to add up on us. 

“Led 2-0 in the sixth, but we didn’t get much going after the [Mark] Vientos homer. We had a couple of chances and didn’t get the big hit and they got the big hit. But we won the series here and we have as good team coming up so we have to be ready tomorrow.

That big team? The NL East leading Phillies. 

The division rivals come into Citi Field for a three-game set starting on Monday. 

After Sunday’s frustrating loss, the Mets now sit a season-high 7.0 games behind Philadelphia.

Still, they feel like they are in a good spot heading into the huge set. 

"We've had a good couple of games," Peterson said. "The guys are excited to head back home and we’ve got a good opponent coming in and a familiar one, so we just have to be ready to go and continue moving forward one game at a time."

Aaron Judge has officially taken the next step in his throwing program. 

The Yankees star is still feeling the effects of the flexor strain suffered in his right arm earlier this season, but he was able to throw to bases for the first time on Sunday afternoon. 

Aaron Boone called it a good step, but Judge remains without a potential timeline for a return to the outfield as the team continues taking the cautious approach.

"He continues to improve," the skipper said. "As far as when, I don’t know -- the bottom line is we want to do this the right way. As much as he wants to be out there and we want him out there, we want to make sure we do everything to put ourselves in the best position to not reinjure this.

"So as the progression goes his body will tell us, but it was definitely another good step forward."

Judge landed on the IL on July 27, but he's been able to return to DH duties for the past 11 games. 

With him limited the oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton has been forced to slide into more of a regular outfield role for the first time since late in the 2023 season. 

Stanton has looked strong out there thus far, and Boone didn't rule out the possibility of the two splitting time when Judge is eventually ready to return to the field. 

"It'll come down to how does it look, how is he responding, how is he bouncing back each day," he said. "It may still be a shared thing, I think it's tough to answer that at this point."