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Phillies pushing Luzardo and he's delivering — ‘Matches the flow of our team' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

DENVER — In Jesus Luzardo, the Phillies knew they were getting a lefty with upside who could miss bats and had the potential to pitch at the top of a rotation.

But 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA through 10 starts? After transitioning from a last-place team that draws under 10,000 fans per game to a club in win-now mode with as crazed a fanbase as you’ll find?

“I definitely thought it was possible but I know that it might come as a surprise to a lot of people,” Luzardo said after striking out 10 Rockies over six innings to help the Phillies improve to a National League-best 30-18.

“It’s been a struggle at times in my career but I think a little change of scenery at times is great. Just a breath of fresh air being around a good group of guys here. Nothing against the places I’ve been, it’s just a little different here.”

The Phillies banged out 17 hits for a second straight game to beat the Rockies, 7-4, on Tuesday night. Luzardo’s evening began with a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning but he threw 72 pitches over the next three innings.

A six-inning start appeared unlikely when he began the fifth at 82 pitches but Luzardo recorded the first out on one pitch and struck out the next two.

The lefty came back to the dugout at 94 pitches and told pitching coach Caleb Cotham he wanted to go another. It meant something to him and the team on a night like this.

“He saved some of our bullpen because there’s quite a few guys who if we had to use them, they wouldn’t be available tomorrow,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I love him. He’s not gonna give in. He’s gonna fight.

“We pushed him tonight. It’s not something I like to do because he’s coming back on regular rest for Sunday but just to save the bullpen, he did a great job.”

Luzardo threw 105 pitches, exceeding 100 for the fourth time in his last five starts. The most he’s ever done it in a season is five times.

The Phillies are testing him. They want to protect Luzardo after he missed the second half of 2024 with a back injury but they aren’t using kid gloves.

“Nothing that’s shown me he’s slowing down,” Thomson said.

Bryce Harper, who doubled twice, gushed about his first-year teammate.

“I can’t say enough how smart he is,” Harper said. “In the clubhouse, out there, he’s always thinking about what he needs to do.

“I’ve said it a million times, I’m glad he’s on our team. I faced him multiple times when he was in Miami and it was always a tough game for us.

“The way he goes out there, his demeanor, it matches the flow of our team.”

By going six, Luzardo enabled Thomson to use just two relievers, Jose Ruiz and Max Lazar. Jordan Romano warmed up during the bottom of the ninth as the Rockies scored two runs in Lazar’s second inning but Lazar recorded the final out after a mound visit from Cotham.

The Phillies have won their first two games at Coors Field while also resting Romano, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering each night. They’ll have a full bullpen ready Wednesday behind Taijuan Walker.

The offense is averaging nearly two hits per inning in the series, 34 in all. On Tuesday, six players had multiple hits and eight either drove in a run or scored. The Phillies lead the Mets by 1½ games in the NL East and have picked up 6½ games on them since being swept at Citi Field the third week of April.

“There’s a lot of hits in this ballpark,” Harper said of Coors Field, where the Phils play twice more this week before moving on to Sacramento to face the skidding Athletics.

“Our team, it’s a lot of fun when we’re hitting on all cylinders. I think we’re doing that right now.”

Bats jump all over Rockies, Luzardo finds second wind in Phillies' 5th straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

DENVER — They didn’t explode until the final three innings Monday but the Phillies took no time on Tuesday night, jumping out to a two-run advantage three batters into the game and leading wire-to-wire in a 7-4 win over the Rockies.

Bryson Stott singled to begin the game, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper followed with doubles and the Phillies quickly had all the run support Jesus Luzardo would need.

Stepping on the throat of a last-place team is always important to prevent it from building momentum or thinking it has a chance. In Monday’s series opener, the Phillies trailed until the eighth inning and spent most of the night down by two before scoring seven times in the final three innings.

Tuesday was much more comfortable.

The Phillies have collected 32 hits over the last 16 innings with a .418 batting average, six doubles, a triple and four home runs. They’ve made Coors Field look like Coors Field, which wasn’t a given even with how poorly the Rockies have played in 2025. The Phils entered the series having scored two runs or fewer in five of their last 12 games in Colorado.

It’s been a different story early this week. The Phillies have won five games in a row and own the best record in the National League at 30-18. They’re 1½ games ahead of the Mets, who have lost three straight and five of six. Since being swept at Citi Field in late April, the Phillies are 17-6 and the Mets are 11-13.

Luzardo had a winding night that began and ended strong. He opened with a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the first then struggled with control and needed 72 pitches over the next three innings. It looked like Luzardo might not finish five innings, much less six, but he got into one final groove after Stott snared a liner to begin the bottom of the fifth. From there, Luzardo struck out four in a row and ended the night with a groundout.

He whiffed 10 over six innings and allowed just two hits. A third of the way into his first season with the Phillies, Luzardo has exceeded all expectations. He’s 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA, second in the NL to Kodai Senga (1.43).

Every Phillie in Tuesday’s lineup except J.T. Realmuto had a hit and either drove in or scored a run. Six had multiple hits. It’s the first time since 2007 the Phillies have picked up at least 17 hits in back-to-back games.

Kyle Schwarber, who joked, “200 more and I can quit,” after launching his 300th career home run Monday, added No. 301 on Tuesday. It wasn’t a 466-footer off the facing of the third deck like the night before but this one traveled 430 feet and was, again, off of a lefty. He’s become lefty-proof, hitting .300 against them last season and .317 this season with a 1.250 OPS and nine of his 17 home runs.

The Phillies have avoided looking past or playing down to the level of their last two opponents, the Pirates and Rockies, winning all five games. They can win another series on Wednesday night when Taijuan Walker opposes left-hander Carson Palmquist in his second career start.

Melvin leans on electric young arms in Giants' win over Royals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — At the start of camp in February, it would not have been hard to imagine Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison pitching on consecutive days for six months. But Landen Roupp was the surprise winner of the Giants’ competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, and up until last week, the four veterans ahead of the three youngsters had been throwing just well enough — and had stayed healthy enough — to keep Bob Melvin from any moves. 

That changed when Jordan Hicks pitched himself out of the rotation, and as Melvin addressed the media Tuesday, there still was some question about whether Justin Verlander’s pec discomfort will dissipate in time for him to make his next start. The Giants know that at some point they’ll need their youth to get where they want to go, and it was there for them in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. 

Birdsong pitched five solid innings in his return to the rotation and Harrison looked comfortable in a new role, serving as a setup man on a night when the bullpen was a bit short. More than the results, though, was the way it looked. 

Birdsong’s command was spotty at times, but he hit 98.4 mph while striking out Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and continued to get strikes with a new kick-change that has become a weapon. Harrison was charged with a run in his 1 1/3 innings, but he breezed through the seventh while pitching in that situation for the first time, striking out a pair and filling the zone with 96 mph fastballs. 

This is not at all how either expected the first two months to go, but on Tuesday, both looked capable of helping to lead the way for the next four months. 

“There were some misses from [Birdsong] today that were kind of big, but when he needs to make a pitch he does. His velo was up, the breaking stuff was good — I thought he pitched well,” Melvin said. “[Harrison was] really good. He was [warming] up and then he had sit down and wait another inning after we got Randy [Rodriguez] up. That, to me, was most impressive and he kept the velo up. With the workload, we needed him to pitch an inning, maybe two. That’s what we were looking at. I thought he handled it really well.”

When the staff decided to remove Hicks from the rotation, there wasn’t any conversation about who was up next. Birdsong had been waiting for his shot, and in his first start of his sophomore year, he scattered five hits, walked none and struck out four. The only run was unearned, coming after he threw away a pickoff and then threw a wild pitch.

Birdsong said he was “antsy” in the morning, but excited. 

“It felt good,” he said. “I had more energy in the fourth, fifth than I thought I would. Obviously you’re still ramping up and they’re probably going to keep me somewhat at a pitch count for now and try to build me up again.”

The Giants tried hard over the first month-plus to keep Birdsong stretched out, knowing he was the next man up. When Hicks couldn’t make it out of the third last week, Birdsong threw 65 pitches in relief. He had a count in the 75-80 range Tuesday, and the next time out, he should be back to normal. 

For Harrison, things might get tricky. He was fully stretched out when he was called up to be the second lefty earlier this month, and he has thrown so well that it’s easy to imagine the Giants keeping him in that role short-term. They have just one other left-handed reliever — Erik Miller — and Melvin has been careful with his workload. 

Since returning, Harrison thrown 5 1/3 innings across four outings. The velocity uptick that started to return in late April has remained, and he looks like he can be a weapon out of the bullpen. It will be more difficult to keep him stretched out if this is his role, though. 

That’s a problem for down the line. Right now, the Giants are going game by game, and on Tuesday, Melvin planned to get as much as he could out of his two young pitchers. He is learning more about Harrison with every relief outing, and there’s no doubt in his mind about what’s ahead for Birdsong. 

“He showed last year what he’s capable of doing,” Melvin said. “We feel like he’s going to be a starter for the Giants for a long time.”

That’s exactly what Birdsong wants to hear. He was disappointed to miss out on a spot coming out of camp, but he thrived in a long and then short relief role, and on Tuesday, he looked like someone who won’t let this opportunity slip away. 

“I plan on it,” he said when asked about remaining in the rotation. “I’ll do what the team needs, but I plan on starting.”

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The Chargers welcomed Arctos as a limited partner Tuesday as NFL owners approved a sale that transferred some the team's shares to the Dallas-based private equity firm that already has ties to the Dodgers.

“Arctos’ track record in major professional sports speaks for itself," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement, "and we are grateful for their alignment moving forward during this time of tremendous growth for our organization.”

According to a league memo The Times obtained last week, Arctos acquired 8% of the team's shares. Spanos and his family will retain control of the Chargers organization with approximately 61% of the franchise.

Arctos now has stakes in two NFL teams less than a year after the league approved private equity ownership. The company acquired a 10% stake in the Buffalo Bills in January, adding to its portfolio that already included MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS teams. Arctos has ownership stakes in six MLB teams: the Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.

Read more:NFL owners vote to allow players to compete in flag football at 2028 L.A. Olympics

“We're honored to join the Los Angeles Chargers ownership group and are grateful to Dean and the rest of the management team for their partnership," Arctos cofounder and co-managing partner Doc O’Connor said in a statement. "We're excited to get to work and help the team achieve their vision however we can.”

Approaching a decade since their move to L.A., the Chargers have added two major ownership groups in the last year. Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores bought a 27% stake in the team in September, resolving a long-running dispute between Dea Spanos Berberian and her siblings as Gores and his wife bought Spanos Berberian’s share of the franchise.

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.

The Mets will look to even up their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, but prior to first pitch, skipper Carlos Mendoza offered a few injury updates on the club's recovering starting pitchers.

Here's what the manager had to say...

Sean Manaea

The left-hander will throw another bullpen session on Wednesday after previously throwing a bullpen on Thursday. Coming off of an oblique injury suffered in spring training, Manaea was shut down from throwing in early April after an MRI showed inflammation, but he continues to move in the right direction.

Frankie Montas

The veteran right-hander will throw live batting practice in Brooklyn on Wednesday, getting two "up-downs," per Mendoza. He previously threw a bullpen session on Brooklyn in Monday.

Montas, signed this offseason, is yet to make his Mets debut as he recovers from a spring training lat injury.

Paul Blackburn

Blackburn will make his sixth rehab start on Wednesday, with the goal being to get him to 80 pitches, per Mendoza. If all goes well in that start, the Mets will have a decision to make about what comes next for Blackburn, Mendoza said.

Blackburn, who has been recovering from a knee injury after a back injury limited him in 2024, has thrown a total of 16.0 innings during his rehab, allowing 10 earned runs on 14 hits.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some updates prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers...

Bellinger swinging a hot bat

Cody Bellinger has gotten back into a groove after a bit of a cold stretch at the plate.

The sweet-swinging lefty played a huge role during this weekend’s Subway Series victory -- recording seven hits in 11 at-bats including two doubles and two home runs while also driving in seven runs. 

He’s now batting .377 with four homers, four doubles, and a 1.129 OPS during his 13-game hitting streak. 

The two keys according to Boone: balance and pitch selection. 

“That’s what stands out to me,” he said. “He’s swinging at more of the right pitches, he’s had some big walks, and he’s on balance so he’s getting his swing off a lot. We’ve really been excited with the way he’s performed these last couple of weeks.”

Bellinger back doing his thing provides the Yanks with a huge boost behind Aaron Judge. 

Rice sliding to the hot corner?

Prior to Sunday’s Subway Series finale, Ben Rice was spotted taking grounders at third.  

The young slugger has only appeared at first, catcher, and DH to this point in his pro career -- while Boone liked what he saw from him at the position, it’s not a move the team is considering at the moment. 

“He’s done it a few times,” Boone said. “It’s just keeping them athletic and keeping them moving. I think there’s value in all of that athletically speaking -- I like how he moves over there, but it’s not much more than that right now.”

It’ll be interesting to see if the Yanks consider it a more likely option when slugger Giancarlo Stanton gets closer to returning from the injured list. 

Rice has been a tremendous piece for their lineup early on this season -- putting together a triple, nine homers, 10 doubles, and a .876 OPS through 41 games.

Devin Williams back as the closer? 

Williams got off to a rough start with the Yanks, but he’s finally finding his footing. 

After picking up the victory during Sunday’s Subway Series finale, the All-Star closer has now held the opponent off the board in eight of his last nine appearances. 

He’s given up just two hits over that span while walking four and striking out 12. 

Despite the success, Boone says there’s no plan right now to lock Williams back into the closers’ role but he’ll continue to be brought into high-leverage situations. 

“I feel like so many of our guys down there are throwing the ball really well,” he said. “Luke [Weaver] has done outstanding in the role, so we’ll just see as we go. I want to continue having him throw the ball like he is. 

"He’ll be in high-leverage spots -- that could be closing on any given day, but no plans to do it one way or the other right now."

Hey brother!

With the Rangers in town, there will be a familiar face in the opposing dugout. 

Aaron’s older brother, Bret Boone, was recently hired as Texas’ hitting coach. 

The long-time skipper admitted it’ll be a little odd seeing him in that capacity for the first time.

“We broke bread last night,” he joked. “It's good to have him here -- I’m sure I’ll peek over there at some point to see what his act looks like. We have two of his boys here and some of my kids coming so they’ll all hangout together, that’s the away from the game good things that come from this.”

What we learned as Birdsong shines, gets win in Giants rotation return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — The Kansas City Royals entered the night just one win behind the Giants, and it’s not hard to see how they have done it. They essentially are the Midwest version of the team that plays at Oracle Park every night. 

The Royals haven’t hit much in recent weeks, but they have good rotation depth and an excellent bullpen. The Giants figured this would be a tense, low-scoring series, and through two games that’s been the case. 

The second game went to the Giants, who got a strong return to the rotation from Hayden Birdsong and some tremendous defense, particularly from their Gold Glove catcher, as they won 3-2 to even this three-game set.

Birdsong took over for Jordan Hicks in the starting rotation and allowed just an unearned run in five innings. The Giants scored three runs for him in the middle innings, but they had to hold on late on a night when the bullpen was short. Here are three things to know … 

Sounded Good

Birdsong is as laid back as anyone on the team, but he probably was a bit annoyed by the third inning. He gave up a leadoff single and then whipped a pickoff throw down the right field line, allowing the runner, Drew Waters, to reach second. A wild pitch got him to third and a sacrifice fly brought him home. 

That was the only run on Birdsong’s line in his 17th career big league start. The Giants had him set for about 75 pitches and the 76th turned into a two-out double by Kyle Isbel in the fifth, but Birdsong got Jonathan India to fly out to strand the runner. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out four while showing the same velocity he had as a reliever. In the first, he struck out Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. on a 98.4 mph fastball at the letters. 

The Other Young Guy

There never was any doubt that it would be Birdsong who would take the open rotation spot. Manager Bob Melvin said last week that there wasn’t any conversation about whether Birdsong or Kyle Harrison was next, but Harrison will get his shot at some point. It might not be this year, though. 

The Giants worked to keep Birdsong stretched out, but Harrison was used in an interesting way Tuesday night. With some tired arms in the bullpen, Harrison was asked to protect a two-run lead in the top of the seventh. The 23-year-old looked comfortable with the added responsibility. 

Harrison struck out former teammate Mark Canha to start his night and also blew away Waters in a quick seventh inning. He came back out for the eighth and gave up a double before getting leadoff hitter Jonathan India to ground out. From there, Camilo Doval took over. 

Harrison averaged 96 mph with his four-seamer and topped out at 96.7. Seven of his eight fastballs were strikes and he mixed in eight sliders, getting five strikes. 

Patty Pop Time

Witt Jr. is in the 100th percentile in Sprint Speed and got down the line in 30.8 seconds — well into “elite” territory — on his infield single. But he was cut down by the man who is in the 100th percentile in Pop Time. 

Patrick Bailey threw a pair of runners out in a close game. He’s well on his way to a second Gold Glove, which would make him the first Giants catcher to win more than one. 

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Buehler, Cora ejected after heated exchanges with umpire originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Walker Buehler and Alex Cora returned to the Boston Red Sox for Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. Neither made it past the third inning.

Buehler, starting on the mound for the first time since April 26 due to a shoulder injury, was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with one out in the top of the third. An apparent strike against Mets slugger Juan Soto was ruled a ball, and Buehler let home plate umpire Mike Estabrook hear it.

“That was right down the (expletive) middle!” Buehler yelled at Estabrook, who promptly tossed the veteran right-hander out of the game.

That lured Cora out of the dugout, and the Red Sox’ manager was also ejected after a heated exchange with Estabrook.

Watch the entire sequence in the video below, via SNY:

Cora was replaced by bench coach Ramon Vazquez, who also covered for Boston’s skipper while he celebrated his daughter’s graduation on Monday.

Buehler’s ejection came at a less-than-ideal time for the Red Sox bullpen. The group was already taxed heading into the matchup after a collective effort in Monday’s win, but for the second straight night, Boston’s relievers stepped up. They kept the Mets off the scoreboard the rest of the way in a 2-0 victory.

Tuesday’s win brings the Red Sox back to .500 at 25-25. They will look to finish off a series sweep of the Mets on Wednesday.

Phillies encouraged by Painter's progress; Nola sore but improving originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

DENVER — The Phillies are encouraged by how Andrew Painter’s arm has responded after six minor-league starts and will extend him a bit farther on Wednesday night.

Painter’s limit will be five innings and 75 pitches just like it was last Thursday for the IronPigs, but this time they will send him back out for the sixth if his pitch count is below 75.

“He’s been really good, recovering great,” manager Rob Thomson said from Coors Field before the second of four games against the Rockies.

“He could get a sixth up. Last time was five innings or 75 pitches and he was 5-71. This time, it’s 5-75 and he could go back out for the sixth. It’s more about pitch count now than ups.”

(Ups refer to a pitcher ending one inning and coming back out for the next.)

Painter will also pitch on one fewer day of rest than he did in his first six minor-league starts, four of which came with Single A Clearwater. He had been pitching with six days in between starts but this will be five days.

“I would think for the time being he’ll stay on the sixth day,” Thomson said when asked if the Phillies might soon get Painter onto a big-league rotation schedule of pitching every fifth day.

Nola update

Aaron Nola was placed on the 15-day IL on Friday with a right ankle sprain and is still feeling some discomfort putting on a shoe.

“It kind’ve pinches his ankle. But he’s getting better,” Thomson said.

Nola has played catch but has not yet thrown off a mound since the injury. The Phillies are shooting for the weekend for him to throw a bullpen session but that’s not definite.

Nola was 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA when he went on the injured list. He was replaced for one start by Mick Abel, who struck out nine Pirates over six scoreless innings Sunday in one of the best starting pitching debuts in team history.

Abel was sent back to Triple A on Monday and will continue to start for Lehigh Valley, where he’s 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA in his last four starts. Taijuan Walker is now in Nola’s rotation spot and will start Wednesday.

Man charged with giving alcohol to fan who fell at Pirates game at PNC Park originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A man has been charged with providing alcohol to a Pittsburgh Pirates fan who was critically injured in a fall onto the field at PNC Park during a game against the Chicago Cubs last month.

Ethan Kirkwood, 21, faces criminal charges for “furnishing alcohol to a minor” who ultimately fell off a wall in the outfield of the park, Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday.

The incident occurred late last month, when Kavan Markwood was caught on video celebrating a play and flipping over a railing onto the home field.

The 20-year-old plunged two stories after celebrating Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hitting a two-run double that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead over the Cubs in the seventh inning.

Markwood appeared motionless on the field before being rushed to an area hospital in critical condition.

More than 11,000 people were in the stadium that Wednesday night, falling silent as players took a knee.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said the incident was accidental, not criminal.

In his first interview since the dramatic incident, Markwood told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he has “broken everything.”

“I’m all right,” he told the outlet on May 7. “I can’t really sleep. I have a lot of back pain.”

A GoFundMe set up by his girlfriend’s mother said Markwood broke his neck, clavicle and back.

“I think when I get home I’ll just put ice on it,” Markwood told the Tribune-Review, saying he would speak more once released from the hospital.

Markwood said he had not watched the horrifying video of his fall over the Roberto Clemente Wall, the Tribune-Review reported.

The update from Markwood himself came after his sister, Taryn Markwood, said in a statement on May 5 that her brother was breathing on his own, able to speak and squeeze her hand.

“To the Pirates and Cubs players, coaches, staff, and all who paused to take a knee in prayer during that tragic moment — your compassion did not go unnoticed,” Taryn Markwood said in her statement. “It brought a sense of unity and hope amidst the chaos.”

The South Allegheny School District said Markwood graduated in 2022 and was a football standout, with first-team all-conference honors and being named team MVP.

Alex Cora addresses missing game to celebrate daughter's graduation originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Alex Cora shouldn’t have to justify choosing family over baseball for one out of 162 games, but he was left answering questions about his decision on Tuesday.

The Boston Red Sox manager missed Monday’s home game against the New York Mets to celebrate his daughter Camila’s graduation from Boston College. Since the graduation occurred hours before the game’s 6:45 p.m. ET first pitch, Cora was criticized for his absence.

Here’s how he responded to that criticism:

“People have their own opinions,” Cora told reporters. “I bet those people have families, too, and at one point, they have to make decisions, too. I bet they made decisions for the best of the family. I made the best decision for my daughter.

“For those who don’t understand, I’m not gonna try to convince them. It is what it is. I made the best decision for my girl.”

While Cora enjoyed a memorable night with his family, bench coach Ramon Vazquez stepped in to manage against the Mets. His bullpen decisions after Hunter Dobbins’ 4.2-inning start helped Boston earn a 3-1 win in the series opener.

“Ramon did an outstanding job,” Cora said. “He has it in him. It’s just a matter of time. I truly believe that, and for him to have that experience, it’s great.”

The Red Sox’ win put them one game under .500 (24-25), a disappointing mark given their heightened preseason expectations. Had the club owned a winning record and a first-place spot in the American League East, it’s unlikely Cora would have been so scrutinized for missing a relatively inconsequential game in May.

Nonetheless, Cora will return to the Red Sox bench when they take on the Mets again Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET at Fenway Park.