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The Mets’ pitching continues getting the job done. 

Clay Holmes put together another strong effort on Monday afternoon -- working around traffic to help keep the team in the ballgame as they struggled to get anything going against their former teammate, Adrian Houser. 

The White Sox scratched across a run in the top of the fourth when the first two batters of the inning reached on a walk and a double and then Andrew Benintendi lined a sacrifice fly to shallow left field. 

But Holmes limited them there with some help from his defense. 

Pete Alonso made a beautiful diving play with two outs and a man on third in the top of the first and a few innings later Jeff McNeil layed out to rob Mike Tauchman on a leadoff single in the sixth.  

Chicago did get a rally going against Holmes later that inning -- loading the bases with two singles and a walk, but José Butto entered and got young catcher Edgar Quero to ground out to McNeil to end the inning. 

“I felt good today,” Holmes said after stretching out to 100 pitches for the first time. “I had a chance to work a little deeper, but that sixth inning I started getting some traffic and the pitch count got up. Overall, I was able to get some groundballs early and settled in a little bit.”

Huascar Brazoban then found himself thrown into some trouble in the seventh, as Josh Rojas drew a walk and then advanced to second on a stolen base, but the right-hander escaped the threat with some help from another diving play by Alonso. 

Brandon Nimmo made a running snag to help Brazoban keep the leadoff man off the bases in the eighth. 

Later that inning, with a man on and two outs, Carlos Mendoza turned to lefty José Castillo to put on the finishing touches and after walking Austin Slater on 11 pitches he struck out the next batters with just three. 

Edwin Diaz then kept his recent dominance going -- working around a walk in a easy top of the ninth before the Mets rallied to walk it off. 

“Big day for the bullpen,” Holmes said on their dominance behind him. “We had a few guys come in at different points with runners on and shutting the door there was huge -- that really kept us in it and gave us a chance to win the game.”

As a group, they combined to put together 3.1 more hitless innings. 

“They were throwing strikes and making pitches when they needed,” Mendoza said. “Butto came in with the bases loaded, gets to a 3-2 count and was able to execute a pitch to get out of the inning then goes back out. 

“Brazoban comes in and is able to give us a couple ups on a day I was trying to keep it at 20 pitches. Castillo comes in and gets a huge out and then Sugar attacking. Overall, those guys coming out the bullpen just making big pitches and attacking hitters.”

It had been a while since the Dodgers’ last stress-free win.

Over their previous nine games entering Monday, the team had won just three times — and needed extra innings after blown ninth-inning saves in two of them, and a late-game go-ahead home run from Teoscar Hernández in the other.

Such theatrics underscored the club’s underwhelming play in recent weeks, with manager Dave Roberts bemoaning everything from poor fundamentals, to continued pitching injuries, to a lineup that had most of all gotten back out of sync.

Read more:Chris Taylor is staying in SoCal. Angels sign former Dodgers utilityman

“We’ve got to kind of lock in our hitting zone,” Roberts said Monday afternoon, “and continue to take good swings.”

In a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Memorial Day, the Dodgers finally did.

While Yoshinobu Yamamoto cruised through a six-inning, two-run start, the club’s lineup was waking from a recent lull that had seen them fail to top five runs (excluding extra innings) in each of their last seven games.

Shohei Ohtani provided an early spark, hitting a leadoff home run for the second straight game to take the MLB lead with 19 long balls. Andy Pages added an RBI single in the second inning, before the Dodgers mounted two extended rallies in the fifth and sixth, scoring two runs in each inning.

The bullpen was shakier, with Alex Vesia stranding two runners in the seventh before Tanner Scott — coming off two blown saves in his previous three outings — worked around José Ramírez’s second double of the game in the eighth for Cleveland (29-24).

But in the top of the ninth, Will Smith punctuated the night with a home run over the tall left-field wall at Progressive Field to ensure the Dodgers (33-21) got back in the win column.

Read more:The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Adrian Houser struggled mightily during his brief time with the Mets.

The right-hander ended up being designated for assignment after pitching to a 5.84 ERA across 23 appearances (seven starts) while being bounced back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation.

Houser then found himself stuck working his way back to the majors, until last week.

After landing with the Chicago White Sox on a one-year big-league deal, he immediately jumped into their starting rotation and provided a much-needed veteran arm for the young and struggling club.

And, of course, his turn came around for the series opener Monday afternoon.

Taking the Citi Field mound for the first time since being released by the club he delivered a terrific outing -- limiting his former teammates to just three hits and a walk while striking out six over six-plus scoreless innings.

“He was nasty today man,” Tyrone Taylor said. “His sinker was working really well, his changeup off of it was good and he was mixing in his slider good too -- I talked to him after, that was gross.”

“He was really good,” Carlos Mendoza added. "The way the ball was coming out it was 95, 96. The movement, I thought the changeup was good and he kept attacking. He didn’t shy away from contact -- we had a few at-bats where guys were up there swinging at the first pitch and he kept them in the ground.”

Houser is now just the sixth player in franchise history to throw six-plus scoreless innings in each of his first two starts with the White Sox.

Luckily for the Mets, they were able to overcome the revenge game and rallied for two runs off of the sluggish Chicago bullpen -- walking things off on Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

“Houser was really good for them, it was just a great team win,” Lindor said.

The Mets keep getting the job done late in games. 

New York was stymied by old friend Adrian Houser over the first seven innings on Monday afternoon, but it was finally able to string together some knocks after getting into the shaky White Sox bullpen.

Francisco Alvarez has been struggling against fastballs of late, but he squared up a 2-2 offering low in the zone from left-hander Cam Booser to get things started leading off the eighth with a single.

Luisangel Acuña then came off the bench, and his speed made an immediate difference as he went first to third on a Brandon Nimmo single to right and then scored the tying run on a Juan Soto flyout to shallow left.

“Alvarez’s ability to work an at-bat was a good sign,” Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s where it starts -- getting on time allows you to make good swing decisions. It was good to see him getting us going there in the eighth.”

“Acuña there is a real weapon for us,” the skipper added. “Even though he’s not getting everyday playing time, you feel like at some point he’s going come in and he’s going to help you do something to win a baseball game.”

An inning later, the Mets were able to pull out that victory. 

After Edwin Diaz worked around a two out walk in the top of the ninth, Tyrone Taylor continued his stretch of strong play on both sides of the ball by driving a 2-2 sweeper into the left-center gap for a leadoff double.

Jeff McNeil was then intentionally walked and a Luis Torrens single loaded the bases for Francisco Lindor, who jumped on a first pitch sweeper and crushed it to deep right for a game-winning sacrifice fly. 

“I was just looking for something in the area I wanted, and it showed up,” Lindor said after picking up his third walk-off RBI of the season. 

“The moment is never too big for him,” Mendoza added. “He’s aggressive with pitches to hit and he’s got conviction when he’s making those decisions -- that’s what great players do over and over and over, and he keeps doing it for us.”

The Mets have now delivered five walk-off wins on the season.

They've also shown that fight that was on display so often during their NLCS run last year, coming from behind in 13 of their 33 victories on the year thus far.

“No matter what inning it is, we trust our guys,” Taylor said.

“It puts a smile on our faces,” Lindor added. “There’s different ways of winning games and today was one of them. Going first to third, sac flies, good defense, the bullpen coming in and doing the jo -- whenever it seems like things aren’t clicking, things are clicking. It’s a good thing.”

The Mets walked off the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Monday afternoon at Citi Field.

Here are the takeaways...

- Adrian Houser struggled during his brief time with the Mets, and he was DFA'd after just 69.1 innings. As expected, though, the righty was spectacular while making his first outing back at Citi Field with the White Sox. He held New York to just two baserunners while striking out six the first two times through the order.

- Fortunately for the Mets, Clay Holmes did a good job of matching Houser early on. The right-hander found himself in immediate danger as the White Sox pushed a man into scoring position with a leadoff walk and a groundout in the first, but a diving stop from Pete Alonso helped end the threat.

Holmes then went on a stretch where he retired the next six batters in order, before Chicago struck in the fourth. After Mike Tauchman walked and Miguel Vargas doubled to leadoff the inning, the White Sox scratched across the games opening run on a sacrifice fly.

After a scoreless fifth, he returned for the sixth but couldn't finish the inning after the White Sox loaded the bases with two outs. José Butto entered and closed out the frame unscathed -- solidifying his final line with just the one run allowed on four hits and three walks.

Holmes was squeezed by home plate umpire John Libka, but he still finished just one out shy of putting together his fifth quality start in his last seven outings.

- Butto came back out for the seventh, but he was pulled after allowing a one out walk. After the runner advanced into scoring position on a stolen base, Huascar Brazoban was helped out by another diving play from Alonso to strand him there.

- With 88 pitches, Houser returned for the bottom of the seventh and allowed Juan Soto and Alonso to reach on a walk and bloop single before being lifted -- a two out walk to Tyrone Taylor loaded the bases, but Jeff McNeil struck out looking to end the inning.

- The Mets were finally able to strike in the eighth against lefty Cam Booser. Singles from Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez put runners on the corners with one out for Soto -- who lifted a two strike sacrifice fly to shallow left, evening the game at one.

Brett Baty had a chance to put them in front with the bases loaded and two outs, but he flew out to right.

- After Edwin Diaz put together an easy top of the ninth, the Mets quickly loaded the bases with a Tyrone Taylor double and two walks -- Francisco Lindor then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field, giving the Mets their fifth walk-off win of the season.

Game MVP: Francisco Lindor

The star shortstop just missed crushing a walk-off grand slam but settled for the sac fly.

Highlights

Pete Alonso makes the diving stop and Clay Holmes makes the stretch as the Mets save a run! pic.twitter.com/yykqK2KgBL

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

Francisco Lindor makes the backhand pick for the out 💪 pic.twitter.com/qGTXS27vWw

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

Juan Soto with a sacrifice fly, Luisangel Acuña scores and the game is tied in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/ZRMBWQT8Ej

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

A scoreless 9th for Edwin Díaz 🎺 pic.twitter.com/zVtY9yVDHx

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

What's next

The Mets and White Sox return to action on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Tylor Megill (3-4, 3.56 ERA) goes for New York and will be opposed by RHP Shane Smith (1-3, 2.36 ERA).

Former Dodgers utilityman Chris Taylor signed a one-year, major league minimum contract with the Angels on Monday.

Taylor will start in center field against the New York Yankees on Monday and bat eighth.

Angels prospect Kyren Paris, who was struggling at the plate in recent weeks — hitting just .190 — was optioned to triple-A Salt Lake City to make room for Taylor on the roster.

“He’s been through the wars,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Taylor, adding that the Angels plan to use him in the outfield and the infield. “He's a good piece for those young guys to talk to about how to handle a grind. He’s been in a grind over there with L.A., every day, winning, and we want that.”

Released by the Dodgers in the final year of his four-year, $60-million contract last week, Taylor was hitting .200 with seven hits in 35 at-bats before entering free agency. Washington is hopeful Taylor's reputation for being a quiet clubhouse leader will help revive an Angels team two games under .500.

“I'm excited to stay home — I get to live at home,” Taylor said. "The Angels have been playing really good baseball, so I'm excited to join the team and hopefully get on the field. That was one thing with the Dodgers this year, just my role, I wasn't getting on the field that much. So I'm really just looking forward to, like, getting consistent at-bats and playing time."

A career .250 hitter and a one-time All-Star, the 34-year-old Taylor has experience playing in the infield and all three outfield positions, adding versatility and depth to an Angels team waiting for outfielder Mike Trout’s return from the injured list (knee). Taylor said general manager Perry Minasian and Washington told him he’d be playing three to four times a week. Taylor believes he’ll be slotted into the lineup at center field Tuesday as well.

“First and foremost, I want to perform on the field,” said Taylor, who attributed his multi-season batting slump to swing mechanics. “I want to help this team win ballgames. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself. I haven't performed to how I feel I'm capable of playing the last couple seasons, and I kind of want to turn that around.”

Angels closer Kenley Jansen, who played alongside Taylor on the Dodgers from 2016 to 2021, learned of Taylor’s signing while on his way to Angel Stadium.

“It’s nice to have him back,” said Jansen, who said he spoke to Minasian about Taylor on Sunday. “I think once he gets more playing time here, I think, you know, it's going to be great for the organization and help us win ball games.”

Read more:Angels upbeat about their future despite dropping back-to-back games

When asked about Taylor’s release Wednesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said his former longest-tenured position player was looking for an opportunity to play more often rather than accepting a demotion to triple A.

“He wanted an opportunity, if it wasn't going to be here to play more, to play somewhere else,” Roberts said. “So that's kind of the thought behind how it played out, and I respect him for betting on himself and hopefully get an opportunity to play more somewhere else."

Taylor should get those opportunities with the Angels. As he put it, playing at Angel Stadium is a fresh start, an opportunity to regain his previous form in the batter’s box.

"It was emotional,” Taylor said of his Dodgers departure. “I've been on the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh, hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter. I'm excited to do that here.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Could the Mets add another piece to their bullpen later this season? 

Drew Smith is certainly hopeful. 

The right-handed reliever still faces a long road back in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but he told Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com that he’s optimistic he’ll be able to return in late September or October. 

Smith says he's on track to begin throwing bullpen sessions as soon as next month, a positive sign.

The 31-year-old underwent the season-ending hybrid surgery after suffering a torn UCL in his pitching elbow late last June -- and he’s expected to remain sidelined for the majority of this season.

Speaking to reporters during spring training, though, Smith said getting back down the stretch is the goal.

"We’ll see where I’m at by the end of the year," he said. "Everything is so unpredictable with TJ rehab and any rehab in general, but if I could come back by the end of the year that would be the best-case scenario.”

Smith has been a relatively steady contributor during his six years with the club -- pitching to a 3.48 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 196 innings.

Three times in the ninth inning last Friday night in New York, new Dodgers closer Tanner Scott made the same simplistic, save-blowing mistake.

In an inning that saw Scott blow a three-run Dodgers lead — forcing the team into a 13-inning marathon that, despite eventually winning, their overworked bullpen could ill-afford — Scott got to two strikes against a Mets batter, only to leave a mistake pitch over the plate.

To Starling Marte, it was a 1-and-2 fastball up and over the middle, resulting in a leadoff single.

After a one-out walk to Pete Alonso, Scott had Jeff McNeil 2-and-2 before throwing a belt-high heater on the inner half that was ripped for a two-run triple.

Another two-strike count followed to Tyrone Taylor, but Scott’s 1-and-2 slider hung up around the heart of zone, leading to a tying single that marked Scott’s fourth blown save in 14 opportunities this year and raised his ERA to 3.42 — hardly the numbers expected out of an All-Star left-hander signed to a $72-million contract this offseason.

“I think the stuff is still good,” manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “It's just right now, it just seems like when there is a mistake, they find some outfield grass or put a good swing on it.”

And lately, such mistakes have been coming in more abundance than usual for Scott, highlighting one early-season trend the Dodgers are now working to address.

“Right now, he’s just kind of living in the middle, the midline of the zone,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “You leave it in that spot, more than likely they’re gonna put a good swing on it.”

For a pitcher who struggled with command issues early in his career — before blossoming into one of the top left-handed relievers in the sport of the last several seasons — Scott is now seemingly suffering from the opposite problem.

So far this year, more than 58% of his pitches have been in the strike zone, a rate that is easily a personal career high (well up from his previous high mark of 52.4% last year) and ranks 18th among qualified big-league relievers.

On top of that, hitters have been on such offerings as well, making contact on 80% of swings against Scott’s pitches over the plate (compared to his 76% career rate) and averaging almost 92 mph of exit velocity on balls put in play (leaving Scott in the seventh percentile of MLB arms when it comes to batted ball contact).

The good news is that Scott has 25 strikeouts and only two walks. Even with his fastball playing a tick down velocity-wise (averaging 96.1 mph this year compared to 97 mph last year), he converted nine of his first 11 save opportunities, squandering only a pair of one-run leads while posting a sub-2.00 ERA through his first 21 appearances.

Read more:How Tanner Scott went from 'revolving door' to marquee Dodgers free-agent signing

This past week, however, Scott was knocked around twice: Giving up three runs on two homers to the Arizona Diamondbacks last week (in another game that necessitated extra innings before the Dodgers came back to win) before his ninth-inning meltdown at Citi Field on Sunday.

“He’s actually been pretty good for us,” Roberts said of Scott’s performance overall. “But the last couple, the last two of three, he’s obviously given up leads.”

Scott said his increased aggressiveness in the strike zone has not been by design.

“I don’t even look at it,” he bristled when asked about his rise in in-zone pitch percentage this weekend. “I don’t even look at it.”

Read more:Teoscar Hernández and Dodgers defeat Mets in 13 innings, but pitching issues loom large

But Prior acknowledged it is something on the coaching staff’s radar.

“Obviously, we want strikes; more strikes than balls,” Prior said. “But he gets in situations where he can get into counts, and I think we’re just leaving too many balls in the zone late in counts, instead of going for more miss.”

Friday’s blown save being Exhibit A.

“I’m not putting [guys] away,” acknowledged Scott, whose whiff rate has also dropped to 26.6% this season compared to his 34.7% career average. “I’m not getting the swing-and-miss, and I’m keeping the ball in the zone too much.”

To Prior, it’s even OK if Scott starts “to walk a few more guys,” he said, “[if] in turn he can get more chase out of the zone when you have leverage.”

“He’s still a really good pitcher,” Prior added. “So we’re going to bank on him.”

Right now, the Dodgers don’t have much of a choice.

Fellow high-leverage relievers Evan Phillips (forearm discomfort), Blake Treinen (forearm sprain), Kirby Yates (hamstring strain) and Michael Kopech (shoulder impingement) are all out injured. And while Kopech is on a minor-league rehab assignment, and Yates and Treinen are both beginning throwing programs, Phillips’ absence is starting to become “concerning,” Roberts acknowledged this weekend, with the team’s former ninth-inning fixture now going on three weeks without throwing because of an injury initially expected to keep him out for only the minimum 15 days.

“I’m getting a little kind of concerned,” Roberts said of Phillips, “but hoping for the best.”

It all makes Scott’s performance in save opportunities particularly crucial for the Dodgers right now.

Read more:Dodgers agree to terms with left-hander Tanner Scott in another splashy offseason signing

Given the team’s MLB-high bullpen workload this year, Roberts has been forced to be selective when it comes to the usage of the few high-leverage relievers still at his disposal. Having Scott blow games in which the team has already burned its best other relief bullets, and could potentially face the added burden of resulting extra innings, are all taxing side effects the Dodgers are not currently equipped to handle.

“To be quite fair,” Roberts noted of Scott, whose 23 ⅔ innings are only fourth-most in the bullpen, “the other guys have been used a lot more than he has.”

Thus, while Scott might only require simple adjustments, such as better locating his fastball up and out of the zone and more consistently executing his slider in locations that induce more chase, enacting such changes quickly is paramount.

After all, the Dodgers made him one of the highest-paid relievers in baseball this offseason to stabilize their bullpen. And lately, he’s instead been one more source of unneeded flux.

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 Mets have received good news on two of their injured players.

Left-hander Sean Manaea is officially set to face hitters for the first time since straining his right oblique during spring training, manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Manaea has been progressing well over the past few weeks, completing a handful of successful bullpen sessions and now he appears set to take the next step.

Among the group of hitters he'll be facing on Thursday will be injured outfielder Jose Siri.

Siri is recovering from a fractured tibia suffered fouling a ball off his leg back on April 12 against the Athletics.

The speedy outfielder is yet to mix running side-to-side into his progression, but the skipper says he's doing well and continues to make progress each day.

"The fact that he's gonna start facing some live pitching, that's good," Mendoza added.

Jesse Winker, on the other hand, is progressing a bit slower.

The left-hander hitting outfielder and DH has begun doing a little bit of running, as we saw pregame Sunday at Citi Field, but Mendoza says that he's still shut down from swinging and is "a ways away before he starts grabbing a bat."

Winker's initial timeline called for a six-to-eight week absence due to his right oblique strain.

The Mets play host to the Chicago White Sox for three games this week at Citi Field beginning Monday at 4:10 p.m. Here are five things to watch in the series, plus predictions. 

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5 Things to Watch

Polar Power surge?

There’s legit hope that Pete Alonso could spring into a homer binge after he gave the Mets the lead for good with a first-inning blast in their series-clinching victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday night.

The two-run homer snapped career-long power outages for Alonso – 65 at-bats and 16 games – and, manager Carlos Mendoza noted following the win, the Mets are hoping that one swing is a signal that there’s a splurge of home runs coming.

The home run was Alonso’s 10th this season, meaning he became the third Met ever to reach double-figures in homers in each of his first seven seasons. Not surprisingly, the others are Darryl Strawberry and David Wright, the only two players ahead of Alonso (for now) on the Mets’ career homer list. 

Yo, Adrian!

Adrian Houser, who is scheduled to start Monday for the White Sox, was a Met for roughly half of last season after he came over in the same trade with Milwaukee that brought Tyrone Taylor to Queens. Houser didn’t work out so well – he was released in July – but the 32-year-old righty just had a stirring ChiSox debut. 

Houser signed a one-year deal with the White Sox last week and then fired six shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners, who have the third-best offense in the American League. Houser had been released by the Texas Rangers after he recorded a 5.03 ERA in nine games for Texas’ Triple-A team. 

Houser won’t be the only familiar name to Mets fans – Mike Vasil, a highly-touted pitching prospect with the Mets, has been a valuable reliever for Chicago. He was the winning pitcher Saturday against Texas after throwing three scoreless innings and has a 2.30 ERA in 16 games. The White Sox plucked him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in March.

Epic RISP fail

The Mets and the White Sox both have low batting averages with runners in scoring position. How will that show up in their three-game series? 

Entering Monday, Chicago was batting only .211 in such situations, the lowest mark in the major leagues. It might have something to do with their 17-36 record, which is the worst in the American League.

The Mets have struggled with RISP, too, with a .214 average. They are tied for 26th in the category. Still, the Mets have generated offense overall, at least enough to average 4.36 runs. That’s just above the MLB average of 4.33. 

Can Brett Baty keep soaring?

Since his return to the majors May 7, Baty is batting .304 with a .986 OPS and five home runs in 16 games. His .652 slugging percentage over that span is 16th in MLB among players with at least 40 plate appearances. Baty also has continued to impress with his defense at third base. 

With the White Sox set to start three right-handers in the series, it could be another chance for Baty to help drive the Mets offense. He’s hit all six of his homers this year against righties and has a .793 OPS against them. 

It might be ancient history, but we, at least, find it interesting that Baty homered on back-to-back days against the White Sox in 2023. 

Home sweet home

Citi Field, obviously, has been a significant home field advantage for the Mets this season and that should continue against the struggling Sox. Is it the fully-formed “My Girl” singalong for Francisco Lindor’s walk-up music? The mascot race? Nah, those things are fun, but the Mets are just really good and they are exceptional at home. 

Sunday night’s victory over the Dodgers bumped their record to 19-6 in Queens this year, matching their franchise-best start at home (also 2015 and 2021). Their .760 home winning percentage is the best in the majors and Met pitchers are especially comfy at Citi Field, notching a 2.43 ERA. That mark is second in MLB to the San Diego Padres (2.36). 

The White Sox are 26th in runs per game (3.43) and last in MLB in OPS (.643). 

Predictions

Who will be the Series MVP? 

Pete Alonso

We believe in the theory that home runs come in bunches. Sunday started something.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start? 

Tylor Megill

Megill is matched up Tuesday with Shane Smith, the Rule 5 pick who has been excellent for the White Sox (2.36 ERA), and is coming off a short-ish, but sometimes-dominant outing against Boston.

Which White Sox player will be a problem?

Luis Robert Jr. 

He leads the majors with 20 stolen bases, so he’s a good test for the Mets’ improved defense against the running game. Plus, all eyes will be on him because he’s a potential trade target for every contender as the season goes on.

Here's what happened Sunday in Mets Land, in case you missed it...

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• After losing on Friday night in 13 innings, New York rebounded and took the next two against the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Sunday's 3-1 win, to win the series
• Kodai Senga played a big part in helping the Mets win the rubber game and "made huge pitches" when he needed to. The right-hander gutted through 5.1 innings of one-run ball against the Dodgers' potent lineup without having his best stuff
• The series win over Los Angeles, the reigning World Series champions and the team that knocked New York out of the NLCS last year, proved that the Mets have closed the gap against their NL West rival
• Tyrone Taylor made another great play, throwing out Mookie Betts at home plate on a catch that had all of his momentum going the other way, showing off why he's an "elite defender."
• The weekend wasn't all positive, though, as Mark Vientos (back in the starting lineup after abdominal soreness) made another error at third base. Manager Carlos Mendoza said his third baseman is "going through it" in the field right now. On the bright side, Pete Alonso snapped his homer-less skid, the longest of his career, with a two-run blast in the first inning

Giants' offense continues to struggle in quiet loss to Tigers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

To say the Giants’ offense is struggling right now, would be an understatement.

San Francisco (31-23), who is averaging just 2.2 runs per game over its last nine games, and scored just seven combined runs in its three-game series against the Washington Nationals over the weekend, struggled to get anything going offensively against the American League-best Detroit Tigers (35-20) on Monday at Comerica Park.

The pitching, per usual, held up for the most part, with Hayden Birdsong (L, 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) keeping the Giants in the game before departing in the bottom of the fifth with two runners on and one out, but San Francisco’s lineup was ice-cold against Tigers righty Keider Montero (W, 5 IP, H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K).

After three scoreless frames from both teams, Detroit got the scoring started against Birdsong in the bottom of the fourth on Dillon Dingler’s RBI single to left field that scored Colt Keith from second.

With Detroit leading 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Tigers center fielder Javier Báez was ejected after expressing his frustrations with a strike-three call by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi.

Javier Báez was not happy with this strike-three call 😳 pic.twitter.com/RUOOlBy0gC

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 26, 2025

Later that inning, after Birdsong departed, Giants left-handed reliever Erik Miller came in with the bases loaded and one out and surrendered a two-run single to Tigers left fielder Riley Greene that extended Detroit’s lead to 3-0.

San Francisco finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, when one-out hits from Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee were followed by an RBI-single off the bat of Wilmer Flores to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Wilmer gets the Giants on the board 🙌 pic.twitter.com/L4Jb9UEY36

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 26, 2025

The Giants’ bullpen pitched well after Detroit’s two-run fifth inning, with Spencer Bivens tossing two shutout frames in the sixth and seventh innings before Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

San Francisco’s offense went down quietly over the final three frames to cap off the 3-1 loss.

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