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

The Mets open a three-game series with the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Monday at 9:40 p.m. on SNY.

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

---

Mets Notes

• Pete Alonso has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games
• Luisangel Acuña has nine hits in his last 24 at-bats
• Edwin Diazhas allowed just one earned run since April 11 -- a span of 7.1 innings over seven appearances
• Griffin Canning tossed 5.0 shutout innings against the Nats during his last start

---

---

What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 

• Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 

• Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

• Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here. 

The Dodgers had the right runner on base, but the wrong matchups at the plate.

And, in a sign of what’s perhaps been their biggest roster vulnerability early on this season, manager Dave Roberts had no way to alter the situation.

After trailing by four runs to the Atlanta Braves early on Sunday night, the Dodgers positioned themselves for a potential comeback in the top of the ninth.

With the deficit down to one, Andy Pages stayed alive in a two-strike count for a leadoff infield single. Rookie speedster Hyeseong Kim then entered the game as a pinch-runner and wreaked instant havoc on the bases, stealing second off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias before daringly dashing to third when a dropped third strike was being thrown to first.

Read more:Dustin May's struggles with his sweeper prove costly in Dodgers' loss to Braves

"That was great,” Roberts said of Kim’s speed on the bases. “That was exciting.”

In a 4-3 loss to the Braves, however, the Dodgers left him stranded 90 feet away.

Infielder Miguel Rojas came up and fanned on three straight changeups. In the next at-bat, backup catcher Austin Barnes chased a two-strike slider that was down and off the plate, ending the game with a strikeout as Shohei Ohtani loomed on deck.

It was a reminder that, for all the strengths the Dodgers have built with their $400-million payroll this year, the depth of their offense has thus far been a weakness.

Which is why, in the two most important at-bats of Sunday night’s game, Roberts had no other choice than to let Rojas and Barnes — in right-on-right matchups that were always unlikely to be successful — step up to the plate.

“We put ourselves in a great position,” Rojas said. “Kim did an amazing job coming off the bench, stealing that bag. And I couldn’t deliver.”

On the whole this season, the Dodgers’ lineup balance hasn’t been much of a problem. The superstars at the top of their order have gradually heated up after relatively slow starts. An offense that slumped through much of April now ranks third in the majors in scoring.

Still, the bottom half of the team’s batting order hasn’t been productive. Entering Monday, the team still had four hitters batting .200 or worse. Six were stuck with an OPS below .700. Even with recent improvements from the likes of Pages and Max Muncy, the club’s .211 batting average and .647 OPS from the Nos. 6-9 spots in the order ranked in the bottom third of the majors. And though they are seven-for-16 in pinch-hit situations, none of those knocks have come from a lefty.

In the big picture, it’s a problem the Dodgers will have to monitor this year.

Down the stretch of Sunday, they saw just how costly it could be.

Roberts first had to dip into his bench in the seventh inning, pinch-hitting Rojas for Michael Conforto as the Braves brought left-handed reliever Dylan Lee into the game.

Hitting for Conforto, the $17-million offseason signing the Dodgers were anticipating a bounceback season from, is something Roberts acknowledged he didn’t expect to do much this year. But after opening the season with a six-game hitting streak, the veteran slugger has been frozen in the deepest of slumps.

Since April 4, Conforto is batting a stunning .088, with as many hits (six, all singles) as double-play grounders. His two strikeouts earlier Sunday — both looking, a strangely common occurrence for him early this year — left him 0 for his last 29.

“He’s grinding,” Roberts said. “I just felt that Miggy had a better chance in that moment.”

That move worked, with Rojas capitalizing on the right-left advantage for his first home run of the season; and second pinch-hit homer from any Dodger this year.

But when Rojas’ spot came back up in a far less advantageous matchup against Iglesias in the ninth, Roberts had no more cards to play.

Entering the ninth, Roberts had one primary goal: Get starting catcher Will Smith, who was getting a scheduled day out of the starting lineup Sunday, to the plate with a chance to have an impact on the game.

After Pages’ leadoff single, Roberts pulled the trigger. Rather than wait for Barnes’ turn to come up later in the inning, he pinch-hit Smith for Kiké Hernández with one out.

Smith ultimately struck out, but not before Kim — who was called up for his MLB debut the previous day after signing out of South Korea this offseason — had scooted to the other corner of the diamond with his steal of second base and aggressive break for third.

“That’s an instinctual play,” Roberts said, praising Kim for reading catcher Drake Baldwin’s soft throw to first on a dropped third-strike that nearly changed the game.

“For him to get the jump that he did and then to get over there to third base … that just shows that he's got really good instincts."

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they couldn’t advance him all the way home.

As Rojas and Barnes came up, the only player left on the team’s bench was Chris Taylor, another right-handed hitter who has taken a grand total of 20 at-bats all season.

Roberts considered calling for a squeeze bunt from Rojas, but was wary of the Braves infield playing in.

Read more:'Big brother, little brother.' How Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages bond is helping Dodgers

“I just thought that Miguel could put the ball in play and give us a chance to tie the game up,” Roberts said.

He couldn’t. Neither could Barnes. And as the game ended, the Dodgers' offensive depth concerns became all the more clear.

Most nights, of course, this is all unlikely to matter. But on any given night, it could.

That’s why, as the Dodgers take stock of the first part of this season, lineup depth remains a primary concern. On Sunday, it cost them an opportunity to steal a win from the Braves.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Diamondbacks play a three-game series in Arizona beginning on Monday at 9:40 p.m. on SNY.

---

Preview

Will the hard luck end?

The Mets have hit a rough patch for the first time this season, losing four of their last five games.

Those four losses have come by a combined five runs, which includes one-run losses in both games of Sunday's incredibly frustrating doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Cardinals in St. Louis.

While New York hasn't been at the top of its game when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position, they've also been almost impossibly unlucky lately.

In Game 2 on Sunday, a Juan Soto blast to center field at 105.9 mph was about to sail over the fence for a three-run homer and 7-4 Mets lead in the fourth inning. But it was brought back by Victor Scott II. With two outs in the inning, Brandon Nimmo scalded a ball to right field at 107 mph that seemed destined to clear the bases, but Jordan Walker made a diving catch.

If just one of those balls lands, the Mets very likely win. They're 11 games over .500 instead of nine games over .500, and a series loss is a series win.

The Mets also had outs on Sunday on balls that were hit 108.1 mph, 112.7 mph, 102 mph, 101.6 mph, 105.2 mph, and 99.2 mph.

That doesn't excuse the Mets' struggles, but some perspective is needed, along with the understanding that New York won't hit into this kind of hard luck for much longer.

Is Kodai Senga feeling better?

During his last start, Senga didn't look like himself.

He gutted his way through 4.0 innings while limiting the D-backs to one run. Along the way, Senga allowed five hits, walked three, and struck out six, but he was laboring.

After the game, it was revealed that Senga was pitching through an illness, which helped explain why he seemed a bit off.

Senga will get the ball on Wednesday in the series finale, following six days of rest.

Jesse Winker's injury and the fallout

Winker suffered a side injury on Sunday that is expected to lead to an IL stint.

With Winker out, the Mets could theoretically turn to outfield prospect Drew Gilbert to take his place on the roster. But the more likely scenario is going to someone like Jared Young, who is already on the 40-man roster.

In Winker's absence, Starling Marte could get a more regular look at designated hitter.

The Mets could also opt to use Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil as DH options at times, which -- in the case of McNeil at DH -- would keep second base free for Luisangel Acuña.

An interesting alignment could be to use McNeil or Acuña in center field, flanked by Nimmo and Soto, with McNeil or Marte as the DH.

The D-backs have been struggling

Arizona is 4-7 over its last 11 games, but a series win over the Mets last week at Citi Field came during that span.

The Diamondbacks' offense has been very hot and cold, including a series loss to the Phillies over the weekend where they scored four total runs over the first two games before erupting for 11 in Sunday's victory.

Along the way, Corbin Carroll (slashing .281/.344/.575) has stayed hot.

Meanwhile, Geraldo Perdomo has picked things up, with eight hits in his last 16 at-bats.

No Corbin Burnes this time

Burnes limited the Mets to one run in 6.0 innings during his outing last Wednesday at Citi Field, but his start during this series will be skipped.

With Burnes dealing with shoulder inflammation, Ryne Nelson will start in his place on Monday.

Nelson, who had been working in relief, has a 5.82 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 17.0 innings over seven appearances this season.

Zac Gallen gets the ball on Tuesday, followed by Merrill Kelly on Wednesday.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Pete Alonso

Alonso has reached base in 16 straight games.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Kodai Senga

Senga brings a sparking 1.38 ERA and 1.16 WHIP into Wednesday's start.

Which D-backs player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Geraldo Perdomo

Perdomo burned the Mets last week in New York.

Red-hot Phils prospect Otto Kemp named Player of the Month at AAA originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Phillies prospect Otto Kemp has been on a tear since Opening Day for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and on Monday was named International League Player of the Month for April.

The right-handed-hitting infielder hit .330 with big power in April and has carried it over into May. Overall, Kemp is batting .344/.433/.703 in 150 plate appearances with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 32 games.

Kemp is 25 years old and was signed by the Phillies in August 2022 after going undrafted out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He’s played mostly third base in the Phillies’ system along with some work at second, first, and interestingly, two starts in left field this season.

“He’s played really well and he can play all over the diamond,” manager Rob Thomson said last weekend. “He’s got a lot of value, he really does.”

A late bloomer, Kemp is not on the Phils’ 40-man roster but the production has been impossible to overlook and he’d have to be added to the 40 before December’s Rule 5 draft anyway to protect him from being selected by another organization. Same with Gabriel Rincones Jr., another member of the 23-10 IronPigs.

Kemp leads the International League in slugging and OPS but this isn’t just a six-week hot streak. He also went 7-for-20 (.350) with four extra-base hits in big-league spring training and hit six homers with a .460 on-base percentage in the highly competitive Arizona Fall League four months earlier.

What Weston Wilson has been able to do for the Phillies as a platoon piece and pinch-hitter against lefties (.327, 1.033 OPS in 67 plate appearances) could be a template for Kemp if/when a need arises.

Another IronPig who’s starting to figure it out is right-hander Mick Abel, the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2020 who has had stops and starts with control and confidence. Abel is 4-2 with a 2.75 ERA and has allowed one or no runs in four of his seven starts, including three in a row.

The walk total is still too high with 17 in 39⅓ innings but it’s the lowest rate of his pro career.

The 23-year-old is making progress.

“He’s throwing the ball well, he really is. He’s pounding the zone,” Thomson said. “He’s always had good stuff, it’s just been a matter of consistency and so far he’s been pretty consistent.”

Red-hot Phils prospect Otto Kemp named Player of the Month at AAA originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Phillies prospect Otto Kemp has been on a tear since Opening Day for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and on Monday was named International League Player of the Month for April.

The right-handed-hitting infielder hit .330 with big power in April and has carried it over into May. Overall, Kemp is batting .344/.433/.703 in 150 plate appearances with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 32 games.

Kemp is 25 years old and was signed by the Phillies in August 2022 after going undrafted out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He’s played mostly third base in the Phillies’ system along with some work at second, first, and interestingly, two starts in left field this season.

“He’s played really well and he can play all over the diamond,” manager Rob Thomson said last weekend. “He’s got a lot of value, he really does.”

A late bloomer, Kemp is not on the Phils’ 40-man roster but the production has been impossible to overlook and he’d have to be added to the 40 before December’s Rule 5 draft anyway to protect him from being selected by another organization. Same with Gabriel Rincones Jr., another member of the 23-10 IronPigs.

Kemp leads the International League in slugging and OPS but this isn’t just a six-week hot streak. He also went 7-for-20 (.350) with four extra-base hits in big-league spring training and hit six homers with a .460 on-base percentage in the highly competitive Arizona Fall League four months earlier.

What Weston Wilson has been able to do for the Phillies as a platoon piece and pinch-hitter against lefties (.327, 1.033 OPS in 67 plate appearances) could be a template for Kemp if/when a need arises.

Another IronPig who’s starting to figure it out is right-hander Mick Abel, the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2020 who has had stops and starts with control and confidence. Abel is 4-2 with a 2.75 ERA and has allowed one or no runs in four of his seven starts, including three in a row.

The walk total is still too high with 17 in 39⅓ innings but it’s the lowest rate of his pro career.

The 23-year-old is making progress.

“He’s throwing the ball well, he really is. He’s pounding the zone. He’s always had good stuff, it’s just been a matter of consistency and so far he’s been pretty consistent.”

SNY's Joe DeMayo answers your Mets prospect questions...

---

Are there any prospects who were not on your preseason Top 30 that look like they could be Top 20 guys by the end of the season? - @beast8131

One name that stands out is 20-year-old outfielder/second baseman A.J. Ewing. Ewing was a fourth-round pick, No. 134 overall, in the 2023 MLB Draft. He was selected with the compensatory pick the Mets received when Jacob deGrom left as a free agent to the Texas Rangers.

Ewing had a pedestrian first two months with St. Lucie in his first professional season in 2024, but closed out August by posting a .908 OPS with three home runs and 12 RBI in 22 games. He started the 2025 campaign back with St. Lucie and hit .400 with a 1.122 OPS. He had three doubles, four triples, a home run, 20 runs batted in, and 14 stolen bases in only 18 games before the Mets promoted him to High-A Brooklyn -- where he has appeared in four games.

He is a plus athlete who has played center field, left field and second base, and has strong pitch recognition skills. With Low-A St. Lucie, Ewing had just a 16.9 percent whiff rate and a well-above average 17.5 percent walk rate. He also has good barrel control, showing consistent ability to find the sweet spot of the bat. Ewing is entering a difficult environment for left-handed hitters, but if he continues to build off what he did with St. Lucie, he is a prime candidate to jump up my list.

Is there a world where the Mets promote one of the top-rated starting pitchers and add them to the major league bullpen, specifically later in the season? - @gametime41

It absolutely is possible. When president of baseball operations David Stearns was with the Milwaukee Brewers, he did this with multiple future All-Star starting pitchers early in their careers:

- In 2018 and 2019, Corbin Burnes appeared in 62 games, with only four of them being starts

- In 2018, Brandon Woodruff appeared in 19 games, with only four of them being starts

- In 2019 and 2020, Freddy Peralta appeared in 54 games, with only nine of them being starts

Now, as Stearns has said on multiple occasions, there is quite a difference between the Brewers job and this Mets job. In Milwaukee he was not able to be as aggressive in acquiring external talent, making the utilization of internal young arms more prevalent.

With the Mets, he can make external additions with as much aggression as he sees fit to try to win a World Series. Just this past week the Mets re-signed left-hander Brooks Raley to a one-year deal with a team option as a likely second half bullpen contributor. If the season continues its trajectory, the trade deadline is likely to be a factor here, as there is always a bevy of relief pitchers moved from non-contenders.

However, looking internally, there are three notable candidates who could fit for this possibility:

The organization’s No. 1 prospect, right-hander Brandon Sproat,has found inconsistencies at the Triple-A level, but he still comes equipped with a pitch mix that could play up in short spurts, including a fastball that can touch triple digits. The Mets certainly view him as a long-term starting pitcher, and I do expect his big league debut to come this season, but could it start in the bullpen? I think that is possible.

Right-hander Nolan McLean, the No. 3 prospect,is currently pitching in Double-A Binghamton, and he is off to arguably the best start of any prospect in the Mets system, with a 1.37 ERA in 26.1 innings across five starts. A former college reliever, McLean would be no stranger to the role, where he could lean on his mid-to-upper 90s fastball and devastating sweeper, which is the best pitch in the Mets' system. A promotion to Triple-A shouldn’t be that far away.

No. 12 prospect, right-hander Blade Tidwell, who was called up for his big league debut on Sunday, has had a much better season than his baseline statistics (5.00 ERA in 27 innings this season with Triple-A Syracuse) would suggest. He has a 3.17 FIP while striking out over 12.0 batters per nine and maintaining a modest 8.5 percent walk rate. He has a fastball that is up to 99 mph, and he has generated plus swing-and-miss percentages on his slider, sweeper and changeup. At times, his control will take a step back as he gets later into outings. So if the Mets feel the need for him in the bullpen, he certainly has the stuff to fit in that role.

There is plenty of season left with twists and turns to come, especially on the pitching side, so it’s important to keep an open mind. The Mets see all three of the pitchers above as future starters, but if they are deemed big league ready and that opportunity exists in the bullpen, I don’t think they’d be opposed at all.

The Mets pounded out 20 his on Sunday, tallying 10 in each game of Sunday’s doubleheader in St. Louis. But while the hits were numerous (as were the walks, 13 in total), the big, timely knock never came as they left 22 men on base and went 6-for-26 with runners in scoring position in a pair of one-run defeats.

“We hit a lot of balls hard,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the Game 2 defeat. “Yeah, it’s frustrating, but it’s baseball, I guess. Didn’t go our way.”

The Cardinals, of course, also had 20 hits across the twin bill, and left 20 on base while going 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position. But the sweep eases any postgame agita.

To add to the Mets' frustration was the number of balls hit on the button that didn't result in hits, as they had just five hits (all singles) on 12 balls with exit velocities over 100 mph in Game 2. The other seven went for eight outs. 

“We had chances and hit balls hard, they just didn’t go our way,” Mendoza said. 

The notable hard-luck moments: Brandon Nimmo’s 107 mph lineout to right left the bases loaded in the fourth (.630 expected batting average). And Juan Soto getting a three-run home run pulled back by Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott earlier that same inning.

“I thought it was out,” Soto said of the 408-foot flyout. “Definitely hit it hard enough to go out.”

Before Scott's intervention, the ball would have been a homer in 13 of 30 big league parks, but not Citi Field. Soto just missed leaving the yard in the sixth when he took one the other way, but it was caught in the middle of the track for a 349-foot out. A dinger in seven parks, but not St. Louis.

“I think we did a really good job of getting guys on,” Soto said, “unfortunately, we couldn’t come through with the big base hit.”

“That’s how baseball goes sometimes,” Mendoza said. “It could be a little frustrating, but there’s nothing you could do about it. You gotta keep doing what we’re supposed to be doing, which is control the strike zone [and] hitting balls hard.

“Yes, we want to win series, we want to win games. WE gotta turn the page and be ready for a series in Arizona.” 

Starling Marte's (brief) right field debut

The only ball hit in Marte's direction during his four innings in right field landed well over his head in the Cardinals' bullpen for a two-run home run. So when he was removed from the second game of Sunday's doubleheader for the bottom of the fifth inning, there was concern.

But Mendoza said this was "part of the plan."

“He was only gonna go no more than five innings on defense after not playing since spring training,” he said. “We knew we wanted to get Soto off his feet and it was a good opportunity for Marte today, but he’s fine.”

While Marte in his first innings of the year in right field (with Soto serving as DH for the first time of the year) was a mere spectator, at the plate, he had two singles in his first two times up to bat, the second scoring a pair of runs in the Mets' four-run third. Marte also stole second base for his 357th career steal in the second inning.

He grounded out in his final at-bat to start the fifth to finish the day 2-for-3 with two RBI.

The club had been taking it slow with Marte throughout the year in an attempt to keep him fresh and healthy after he dealt with numerous injuries in his last three seasons.

The Mets lost Jesse Winker in Game 1 of the twin bill with a possible oblique injury. Winker, making his first start in left field of the year, apparently suffered the injury when he made a throw home in the bottom of the third.

Mendoza said after the Game 2 loss that Winker was returning to New York for additional testing and would likely land on the IL.

Edwin Diaz ends long layoff

The Mets didn’t have a chance for the closer to earn a save Sunday, but Mendoza still got Diaz into action in Game 2 to end a run of eight days of inaction for the right-hander.

Diaz surrendered a single on the first pitch he threw and a two-out double down the right field line, but kept the deficit at one run.

He threw 14 pitches to the five batters he faced, with a strikeout. He threw nine fastballs with an average velocity of 97.7 mph, which was 1.4 mph faster than his yearly average. His slider average velocity was also up 0.6 mph to 88.8. He had two whiffs and three called strikes.

Brett Baty toe update

Baty missed the last four games for Triple-A Syracuse as he’s dealing with a sore right big toe, Mendoza said.

“I was told he was going through his workouts [Saturday and Sunday],” Mendoza added. “We’ll see.”

Baty had two doubles and three RBI in his first game with Syracuse and has three hits in 10 at-bats with three strikeouts and a walk.

Dustin May knew how key his sweeper would be this season.

“It’s going to be huge,” the Dodgers right-hander said earlier this spring. “Being able to land that is probably going to be my biggest thing for the whole year.”

Lately, however, he’s learning there’s a flip side to that coin, as well.

For as good as May’s Frisbee-esque breaking ball looked, when he returned from a nearly two-year absence by giving up just two earned runs in his first three starts, the pitch has been more inconsistent in the three outings since, dragging May’s overall performance down with it.

In a 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Truist Park, it was two bad sweepers — both to Braves slugger Austin Riley — that sank May on a night the Dodgers saw their seven-game winning streak stopped.

Read more:'Big brother, little brother.' How Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages bond is helping Dodgers

In the first inning, May had two strikes against Riley before throwing a sweeper up and over the plate. Riley launched it to left for a two-run homer.

In the third, May tried his sweeper again against Riley, throwing it over the outer edge of the plate in a 1-and-1 count. But Riley was on it once more, belting another two-run blast that gave the Braves an early 4-0 lead.

“It's pretty frustrating,” May said. “Giving up two homers to him on kind of the same pitch, not really how I drew it up.”

Outside of those pitches, May was largely effective. He got through 5 ⅔ innings. He struck out six batters. He didn’t give up any other runs.

“I thought the execution was a little better tonight,” May said. “Being able to put the ball on the inner-half and outer-half of the plate.”

But for this new version of May — who, in search of better health after two major elbow surgeries, has dialed back on his fastball velocity and drastically dropped the arm angle of his already somewhat side-arm delivery — even a couple of misplaced mistakes can spell trouble.

“I mean, ideally, the first one [should have been] more off the plate, definitely not up,” May said. “The second one was OK, just too much plate.”

The Dodgers (23-11) still made it interesting at the end.

Max Muncy trimmed the deficit in half on a fourth-inning RBI double and a sixth-inning run-scoring groundout.

Miguel Rojas came off the bench in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for ice-cold outfielder Michael Conforto — who struck out twice and is six for 73 going back to early April — and hit a home run off left-handed reliever Dylan Lee to cut the score to 4-3. 

But in the ninth, the Dodgers couldn’t complete the comeback, stranding pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim at third base after he stole second off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias and boldly dashed to third when a dropped third strike was thrown to first base.

"That was great. That was exciting,” Roberts said of Kim’s aggressive baserunning, one of the tools that attracted the club to the South Korean utilityman in free agency. “Those are things that, as he plays more and we start to learn more [about him],  just shows that he's got really good instincts."

Still, for a banged-up Dodgers rotation looking for someone else to step up alongside staff ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, May’s recent regression has been the bigger disappointment.

In his last three outings, the 27-year-old has yielded 14 runs in 16 innings.

And each time, an inability to consistently land his sweeper has served as a source of frustration.

Two weeks ago, when an overall lack of command led to May getting knocked around at Wrigley Field by the Chicago Cubs, he was asked how difficult it is to be successful when that pitch isn’t working.

“I think you can see how important it is,” he said that night.

May remained dissatisfied after giving up three runs to the Miami Marlins last Monday.

“I still wasn’t executing very well at all,” he said then. “I just got away with some stuff.”

On Sunday against the Braves, it was a similar story — May looking frustrated with himself after two poorly executed sweepers, both of which were followed by Riley trotting around the bases.

“Ups and downs,” May said of his opening month, in which he has a 4.36 earned-run average in six outings. “Couple good moments. Couple really bad ones. Definitely need to be more consistent.”

Especially when it comes to executing his sweeper, and using it as a weapon to put hitters away.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.