Tylor Megill struggles, Mets' bats miss chances in 5-4 loss to Cardinals in Game 2 of doubleheader

The Mets had chances early, but couldn’t find the big hit and let an early two-run lead slip away for a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

Tylor Megill labored through five innings of work in his worst outing of the young season, as the Mets dropped two one-run games to close out the series in St. Louis. 

Missed opportunities early proved harmful: New York was 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position, left nine on base, and hit into two double plays in the first five innings. The Mets, after scoring all their runs in the third, had just one base runner in the final four frames.

Here are the key takeaways...

- The second game of the twin bill started with a pair of twin killings as Pete Alonso smashed a ball (112.7 mph) for a tough-luck 5-4-3 in the first and Brandon Nimmo bounced into an easy 4-6-3 in the second.

Alonso made up for it with a run-scoring single to left (his 31st RBI of the year) with one out in the third. The first baseman’s single was the Mets’ seventh ball hit harder than 97 mph of the game and their sixth hit off St. Louis starter Andre Pallante.

Nimmo, with the bases loaded, got beat by a Pallante up and in fastball for the second out. Starling Marte, on a 3-2 count, took a lazy breaking pitch the other way for a two-run single to put the Mets ahead. Francisco Alvarez tacked on another run by shooting the ball the other way for his seventh RBI of the season.

- Nimmo got another chance with the bases loaded in the fourth, and lined a shot to right, but Jordan Walker made a stumbling catch on the run to end the inning without a run. The 107 mph shot had an expected batting average of .630, per Statcast. Nimmo finished the day 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

- After a five-pitch first, Megill got beat with an infield single by Nolan Arenado on a slow roller to third before Alec Burleson took a fastball up and over the plate deep to right for a 402-foot two-run shot.

The right-hander bounced back, getting the next three batters with two strikeouts. But he walked Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn with one out in the third, and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner was out for a visit. Megill got a pair of grounders, but on the second one, Vientos’ throw was in the dirt and Alonso couldn’t scoop it. The play was ruled a second Arenado infield hit, but just as easily could have been ruled an error. Willson Contreras smashed a single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch to tie the game. On the 38th pitch of the frame, Megill got a grounder to second to end the jam.

His best inning of the night was his final one, working around a one-out hit-by-pitch to strike out the side in the fifth. Megill’s final line: 5 innings, four hits, four runs, three walks, and six strikeouts on 90 pitches (53 strikes).

- Max Kranick surrendered a run when Victor Scott hit a two-out gapper to right center, scoring Yohel Pozo from first. Luisangel Acuña and Francisco Lindor didn’t cut off Tyrone Taylor’s throw well, which denied them a shot at getting the slow-footed catcher at the plate.

Ryne Stanek allowed a one-out bloop single and another batter to reach on a strikeout-wild pitch in a scoreless seventh. Edwin Diaz, pitching in his first game in eight days, allowed a leadoff single and a two-out double, but kept St. Louis off the board.

- Juan Soto, serving as the DH for the first time on the season, smashed a single up the middle in the first. With runners on first and second and nobody out against a struggling Pallente in the fourth, Soto drove a deep fly to center, but Scott had time to get back to the wall and rob the slugger of a homer with a leaping catch. At 408 feet, it would have been a homer in 13 of 30 parks, but not Citi Field. 

Soto drove a ball to the warning track in left to start the sixth, but the 349-foot ball was only a fly out. It would have been a homer in seven parks, but not in Queens. He finished the game 1-for-5. 

- Lindor singled in the third and walked in the fourth before stealing second to put two in scoring position. He got an RBI chance with two out in the fifth, but went down swinging at a fastball above the zone to strand two. He finished the day 1-for-4.

- Vientos lined a first-pitch slider the opposite way to start the second with a single and walked his first two chances. He went down looking with the bases loaded in the fourth on a sweeper at the bottom of the zone on the inside corner. Vientos added a single to finish 2-for-4 with a walk and strikeout.

- Alonso finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.

- Alvarez had just two walks in 28 times up entering the game and walked twice in his first three times up. He finished the day 1-for-2.

- Acuña bounced out to end the second and third innings, stranding two runners on both occasions. He finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

- Taylor singled to start the third and fourth innings. He went 2-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch. 

- Marte got the start in right field, making his first appearance in the field of the season. He took a hanging slider to left for a single and stole second for his 357th steal of his career in the second. After grounding out to start the top of the fifth, Marte was not in right for the bottom of the inning with José Azócar replacing him. He finished the day 2-for-3. Manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game that it was "part of the plan" to limit Marte to just five innings.

Who was the game MVP?

Cardinals reliever Michael McGreevy entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning and put a halt to the Mets' offense. The right-hander surrendered one hit, one walk, and a hit by pitch but closed the game with 5.2 scoreless innings. He retired the final 10 batters he faced.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

New York heads to Arizona for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks.

Right-hander Griffin Canning (2.61 ERA, 1.387 WHIP in 31.0 innings) gets the start for the visitors. Righty Ryne Nelson (5.82 ERA, 1.176 WHIP in 17 innings) climbs the hill for the home side.

Yankees Notes: Will Warren still searching for command, top-heavy lineup sticks out

While the Yankees served as host to an annual Star Wars Day celebration, the on-field product that they doled out in the Bronx resembled anything but a fully operational Death Star.

Fans who sat through a 30-minute rain delay before first pitch on Sunday might've felt some spring training vibes, as a compromised lineup missing a handful of regulars couldn't muster enough offense in a 7-5 rubber-game loss to the division-rival Rays at Yankee Stadium.

The top-heavy lineup did include the punch of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt, who drove in three runs on as many hits. But notably absent were Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. due to injury, and Ben Rice and Austin Wells due to rest. It wasn't a split-squad camp game, but the energy undoubtedly existed.

There were late signs of life

With the Yankees trailing by five entering the eighth inning, Judge extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a leadoff double that sparked a rally. Following a walk to Bellinger, Judge scored on an RBI single from Goldschmidt, and just a few pitches later, Jasson Dominguez loaded the bases with a sharp liner that bounced off the right-field wall.

The stage was then set for backup catcher J.C. Escarra -- making his eighth major league start -- as the tying run with nobody out. But the momentum built up was quickly cut down when his soft comebacker to Rays reliever Edwin Uceta helped manufacture a 1-2-3 double play. New York's rally ultimately produced three runs, as Jorbit Vivas delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single for his first MLB knock.

After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked why he didn't use Wells or Rice as a pinch hitter for Escarra, and explained that he didn't want the move with no outs and a thinner bench. Boone also wanted to avoid Volpe as an option, as the Yankees' shortstop suffered a scary "day-to-day" injury to his left shoulder on a diving attempt in the field during Saturday's loss. Rice wound up walking as a pinch-hitter for Oswaldo Cabrera with two outs in the eighth.

"I'm choosing between Escarra and Vivas there, and just going to take the guy who's been here and more experienced," Boone said. "I knew I had one shot with Rice there. And then once the double play happened, I kind of shut that down a little bit. But then he was the tying run again with [Cabrera]... I can't shoot for both of them, because all I'd have is Escarra left. I've got to keep Escarra in the game, or then I can't shoot for Vivas either."

Warren struggles with command again

There's no doubt that the half-hour rain delay disrupted Will Warren's pregame routine, but the rookie right-hander didn't encounter new problems against the Rays. He once again grappled with command, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks across 4.2 innings.

Warren wasn't supported enough by his defenders, as a fielding error from Oswald Peraza and a catcher's interference call on Escarra extended jams. By the time he was pulled with two outs in the fifth, Warren had thrown a career-high 102 pitches with the Yankees trailing 5-0.

The silver lining is that he registered a career-best eight strikeouts, but the output could've been greater if he hadn't lost some hitters while ahead in the count. Of the seven hits he allowed, three of them came with two strikes. It was the second-shortest outing thus far for Warren, whose ERA now sits at 5.65 through eight starts (32.1 innings).

"I felt like the whole day was a little up and down," Warren said. "They kind of hit the ball where we weren't and then I had three free passes. They were taking advantage of every little thing we gave them. I don't know if I thought it was a grind, I was just trying to attack and execute pitches as much as possible... I wish I could've put the team in a better chance to win."

No. 200 for No. 35

There haven't been many highlights from Bellinger with one-fifth of the season now complete, but the veteran slugger delivered a milestone hit on Sunday. With one on and one out in the sixth, he crushed a fastball from Rays starter Taj Bradley that landed in the right-center field seats for his 200th career home run.

"It's definitely pretty cool [to hit 200]. You never knew as a kid what you'd do," said Bellinger, who managed to make a deal with a fan for the ball. "So I've just got to keep going and hopefully a lot more to come. I signed some balls and I'm grateful they were able to hand me the baseball. Got a little collection going on, so I'll just put it with the rest."

The Yankees are still waiting for Bellinger to bust out at the plate. While he provided a pair of homers this week, his season total sits at only four, and he's slashing an inadequate .200/.276/.364 through 31 games (110 at-bats).

Cubs’ Shota Imanaga leaves after straining his hamstring while attempting to complete a double play

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga left Sunday’s game at Milwaukee after straining his left hamstring, adding another injury to the banged-up rotation for the NL Central leaders.

Imanaga got hurt when he left the mound to cover first base on a potential double play during the Cubs’ 4-0 loss to the Brewers. He departed his previous start with cramping in each of his legs.

“We’ll probably do some imaging to see what’s going on,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s never had any lower body muscle strains, so he’s a little unsure of what the feeling means. But he felt something, for sure, so we’ll just get it checked out tomorrow and go from there.”

Counsell said the Cubs would need more information before determining whether Imanaga needed to go on the injured list. The Cubs already have left-hander Justin Steele out for the season with an elbow injury and right-hander Javier Assad on the IL with an oblique issue.

If Imanaga has to go on the IL, the Cubs could move Chris Flexen into the rotation. They also have Cade Horton at Triple-A Iowa, and off days coming up on Thursday and May 15.

Imanaga’s injury occurred in the sixth inning of a scoreless game.

The Brewers had runners on first and second with one out when Christian Yelich hit a grounder toward first baseman Michael Busch. Imanaga left the mound to try to complete a 1-6-3 double play, but he was in clear discomfort as he headed toward first base.

As Yelich beat the throw to first, Imanaga grabbed the back of his left leg. After Cubs officials checked on Imanaga and removed him from the game, the pitcher walked with a clear limp as he headed to the dugout.

Imanaga pitched five innings in Tuesday’s 9-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates before departing because of leg cramps. He was charged with two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers.

Imanaga noted that he felt “amazing” before Sunday’s game, so he isn’t sure what caused this latest problem.

“I’m at the point where I don’t know exactly what’s going on,” Imanaga said through a translator. “I don’t know what the damage is. We’ll have to see going into tomorrow.”

Imanaga, 31, is 18-5 with a 2.89 ERA since signing a four-year, $53 million contract with the Cubs in January 2024. The Japanese left-hander finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last season.

The Cubs got another scare in the ninth inning when star outfielder Kyle Tucker appeared to hurt himself sliding into second on a double steal. Tucker got checked out by Cubs officials, but he remained in the game and expressed optimism afterward that he would be available Monday when Chicago begins a series with the San Francisco Giants.

“He felt a little something in his right hip when we went out there, then he thought it went away,” Counsell said. “We’ll check on him tomorrow, but (we’re) pretty optimistic.”

The Brewers had their own injury issues.

Right fielder Sal Frelick departed in the fourth with left knee discomfort and was getting an MRI after the game. Right-hander Freddy Peralta left after throwing 89 pitches in six innings because his groin was bothering him, though he downplayed it after the game.

“I didn’t want anything to get worse or something like that, but it’s nothing that I think I have to be concerned about,” Peralta said.

Mets' Blade Tidwell reflects on MLB debut: 'I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid'

While Blade Tidwell may have had an uneven major league debut in Sunday's 6-5 loss in the St. Louis Cardinals -- the first game of a split doubleheader -- the highly touted prospect was still able to take in the moment that he's been thinking about for most of his life.

"It was awesome, indescribable, really. It was everything I hoped for and more," said Tidwell, who made his debut with the Mets in need of a sixth starter this time through the rotation.

A second-round pick of the Mets in 2022, Tidwell lasted 3.2 innings in his first game in the bigs, allowing six earned runs on nine hits, striking out two and walking three to go along with a hit-by-pitch.

Tidwell's potential is evident every time he takes the mound. His fastball touched 98 mph, and at times, he was able to spot it on the corners. And while the 23-year-old still has plenty of room to grow, that potential to be a true power arm is impossible to miss for Joe DeMayo's No. 12 overall prospect in the Mets' system.

"I think we saw flashes of his potential, especially the life on the fastball, but we also saw that there’s room for development, especially with the secondary pitches," Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "At this level, you’re going to need pitches to put hitters away, but also you’re going to need secondary pitches to get back in counts. I thought the changeup wasn’t there today with that many lefties [in the lineup]. He flashed a few sliders, a few sweepers, but then he left a couple on the middle of the plate.

"Again, those are some of the things that he’ll continue to work on, but again, we saw flashes of it."

Tidwell said he did briefly take a moment to soak things in during the game, though he got most of that out of the way during warmups.

"It was awesome. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid," Tidwell said. "Just to be able to come up here and try to help the team win means everything."

As expected, Tidwell was optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse prior to the second game on Sunday, making room on the active roster for reliever Dedniel Núñez.

When fans can expected to see Tidwell back in the majors is yet to be determined, but the right-hander will always have the memory of making his debut in St. Louis, with members of his family watching in the stands.

"They were all proud of me and gave me a hug," Tidwell said. "Told me to keep going."

Yankees' bats can't overcome Will Warren's command issues in 7-5 loss to Rays

The Yankees lost their second straight series to a division rival on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-5, at Yankee Stadium.

Here are the takeaways...

-- A pregame rain shower in the Bronx delayed first pitch by 30 minutes, and it's safe to assume that the wait time was a detriment to Yankees starter Will Warren. The rookie right-hander immediately struggled with command, working in and out of a first-inning jam that included a single and walk allowed. Warren's pitch count then climbed in the second, due to a fielding error from shortstop Oswald Peraza with two runners on and one out that loaded the bases. Tampa wound up drawing first blood on a fielder's choice groundout two pitches later.

-- Warren showed susceptibility to the homer during spring training, and he gave up his fourth long ball of the season in the third when Jonathan Aranda crushed a middle-zone fastball that landed in the Yankees' bullpen for a solo shot. His fourth inning was far more frustrating, however, as he yielded three singles and a walk for three more runs, pushing the Rays' lead to 5-0. A catcher's interference call on J.C. Escarra also contributed to Tampa's small-ball rally.

-- The good news for Warren was that he struck out a career-high eight while working through command issues. The bad news was, well, those command issues. Of the seven hits he allowed, three of them came ahead in the count with two strikes. The Yankees made Warren endure the growing pains, and ultimately took him out with two outs in the fifth and his pitch count up to a season-high 102. It was the second-shortest outing thus far for Warren, whose ERA now sits at 5.65 through eight starts (32.1 innings).

-- Rays starter Taj Bradley kept the Yankees at bay through the first five innings. He ran into trouble in the third, allowing a pair of singles that brought Aaron Judge to the plate as the go-ahead run with no outs, but managed to neutralize the threat by forcing the superstar slugger into a 6-4-3 double play. Bradley looked poised to complete six shutout innings on cruise control, but the Yankees finally inflicted damage with a leadoff single from Trent Grisham and a two-run homer from Cody Bellinger, cutting the deficit to 5-2. It was career homer No. 200 for Bellinger.

-- In relief of Warren, veteran lefty Tyler Matzek made his third appearance of the season, allowing four hits and recording four outs across nine batters faced. To start the seventh, the Yankees turned to veteran Carlos Carrasco, who was slated to start on Tuesday before the team pushed Clarke Schmidt into thespot. The veteran right-hander wasn't too effective as a bulk reliever -- he surrendered two runs on five hits with three strikeouts across three frames.

-- Judge entered the eighth inning 0-for-3, but a stand-up, leadoff double to right-center in his fourth at-bat extended his hit streak to 14 games and on-base streak to 30 games. The captain's knock sparked a rally, as Bellinger proceeded to walk and Paul Goldschmidt drove in Judge with a single to left. Jasson Dominguez then ripped a liner to right, loading the bases, but a double-play grounder off Escarra's bat cut down momentum. The Yankees managed to score two more before the inning ended, as Jorbit Vivas produced a two-run single for his first MLB hit.

-- The Rays tasked Pete Faibanks with facing the top of the Yankees' order in the ninth, and he wasn't the least bit fazed by the assignment. He recorded the save by striking out Grisham, Judge, and Bellinger on 15 pitches. Tampa's margin of victory should've been far greater -- they logged twice as many hits as New York (16 to 8) and left a whopping 16 runners on base.

Game MVP: Jonathan Aranda

While the Yankees allowed four Rays to collect three-plus hits -- Taylor Walls actually led the team with four in the No. 9 hole -- it was Aranda who drove in the most runs. His strong afternoon at the plate began with a solo homer off of Warren in the third, and his two-run single off of Carrasco in the seventh bumped Tampa's lead to 7-2. The five-run cushion was just enough.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees (19-15) will begin the second half of their six-game homestand on Monday night, with the first of three against the San Diego Padres. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

A pitchers' duel could unfold -- Carlos Rodón (4-3, 3.43 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite veteran righty Nick Pivetta (5-1, 1.78 ERA).

Mets' Jesse Winker exits Sunday's game at Cardinals with right side discomfort

Jesse Winkerwas removed from the first game of Sunday's split doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Mets later announced that Winker was forced to exit due to right side discomfort.

Winker started in left field for the first time this season and was replaced defensively by Jeff McNeil, who moved from second base to the outfield.

In the bottom of the third inning, Winker caught a fly ball and made a throw home. The runner was safe at the plate, but Nolan Arenado ended up getting caught in a rundown to end the inning.

Carlos Mendoza confirmed after the game that Winker hurt himself on that throw home, feeling something in "the oblique area."

"We’ll see what we’re dealing with here. He’s getting an MRI right now," Mendoza said.

"When you hear that area, those are tricky. I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but he’s getting an MRI.

Winker, who drove in a sac fly with an RBI in his only plate appearance before exiting the game, is hitting .239 with a .739 OPS this season, driving in nine runs to go along with one home run.

Blade Tidwell hit hard in debut, Mets drop first game of doubleheader against Cardinals

The Mets fell to the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 6-5 in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday.

Here are the key takeaways...

-Blade Tidwell’s major league debut didn’t exactly go to plan. While the right-hander showed off a 98 mph fastball and a nasty breaking ball, his command was a bit all over the place. Tidwell allowed a solo home run to Willson Contreras in the second inning, but things really didn’t start to spiral until the fourth. Tidwell allowed three hits, walked two, and hit another batter in the fourth, and a four-spot on the board ended his day.

Overall, Tidwell went 3.2 innings, allowing six earned runs on nine hits, striking out two, walking three, and hitting a batter.

-The Mets also dealt with an injury in this game, as Jesse Winker was forced to exit in the fourth inning due to right side discomfort. Making his first start in the outfield this season, Winker made a throw to the plate in the third, but it’s currently unclear as to whether or not that caused the discomfort.

With Winker forced out, Carlos Mendoza had to play some musical chairs, moving Jeff McNeil from second base to left, Luisangel Acuña from third to second, and bringing in Mark Vientos to play third.

-Pete Alonso remains completely locked in at the plate. He doubled in each of his first two at-bats, coming around to score in the first inning on a Brandon Nimmo RBI double. Alonso now has a 1.130 OPS on the season.

-Lefty Genesis Cabrera did a nice job of registering six outs for the Mets, getting out a of a first-and-third situation in the fourth after Tidwell was pulled. With another game coming up this evening, the Mets needed some length out of their pitchers, and Cabrera tossed two scoreless innings, allowing two hits.

-Trailing by three runs in the top of the eighth, the Mets built a rally against former Met reliever Phil Maton. Starting with a Luis Torrens walk, the Mets started passing the baton, and Francisco Lindor came through with the bases loaded, hitting a single up the middle to score a pair of runs and keep the chain moving.

With the bases loaded and JoJo Romero now on to pitch, Alonso was called out on strikes on a more than questionable 3-2 call from home plate umpire Jim Wolf, and Nimmo flew out harmlessly to center to keep the Cardinals up by a run.

In the ninth, the Mets moved the potential tying run to third base with two outs, but Acuña, who had three hits on the day, popped out on the infield to end the game.

Who was the game MVP?

Contreras, who homered and drove in three with three hits in the game.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

Game two of the split doubleheader is set for 6:15 p.m.

Tylor Megill will take the mound, opposite fellow righty Andre Pallante.

Ramírez returns to Guardians' lineup after missing time because of a sprained right ankle

TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star José Ramírez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.

The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramírez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.

Ramírez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.

Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.

In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramírez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.

Giants recall Kyle Harrison from Triple-A, designate Lou Trivino for assignment

Giants recall Kyle Harrison from Triple-A, designate Lou Trivino for assignment originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison is back in the big leagues.

The Giants recalled the 23-year-old a few hours after their 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

To clear a spot for Harrison on the 26-man roster, the Giants designated veteran reliever Lou Trivino for assignment.

Harrison was a key member of the Giants’ 2024 starting rotation but didn’t earn a roster spot this spring, losing the fifth starter competition to Landen Roupp.

The Giants had Harrison begin the 2025 season with Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a 3.46 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 26 innings over six starts.

San Francisco currently doesn’t have an open rotation spot, so Harrison could provide bullpen depth as the team heads on the road for three games against the Chicago Cubs and three more against the Minnesota Twins this week.

A day after Harrison started for the River Cats last week, Giants manager Bob Melvin was asked about the possibility of the Bay Area native joining San Francisco soon.

“I think he could be an option at any point in time, but what we have here is what we have,” Melvin told reporters last Thursday. “We’ve played pretty well, we’re trying to create an environment of some stability. Now obviously you’re going to want to get the best possible complement that you can here. But it’s good to see that the velocity is picking up, because for a guy like him, that’s important. More swings and misses. So it’s probably his best performance and we’ll see where we go from here.”

Trivino didn’t pitch poorly during his brief Giants tenure, but he gave up five earned runs in the Giants’ 11-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on April 22 and had pitched just twice since — April 29 and Sunday.

The Giants always have had high hopes for Harrison, and the dynamic lefty gets his first chance to help the big-league club this week.

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Phillies make spirited late comeback but can't overcome untimely mistakes

Phillies make spirited late comeback but can't overcome untimely mistakes originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies’ offense mounted a late comeback with seven runs in the sixth inning or later Sunday afternoon but a series of small moments prevented them from pulling out a sweep over the Diamondbacks.

There was Ranger Suarez’ inability to stop the bleeding in the third and fourth innings of his season debut. His start began as smooth as possible with a pair of 1-2-3 frames but he allowed three runs in the third and four in the fourth, both rallies beginning with a walk of eight-hole hitter Garrett Hampson, not much of an offensive threat.

There was Alec Bohm bobbling a difficult grounder that cost Suarez and the Phils at least one run, maybe two.

There was J.T. Realmuto’s split-second decision to try to take third on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the seventh. He was nailed on a perfectly applied tag by Eugenio Suarez for the final out with the tying run on base.

“You never want to make the third out at third base and he knows that,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He came in and was mad at himself.”

And there was the slow exchange on a potential inning-ending double-play ball hit by Corbin Carroll in the top of the ninth. Carroll is one of the fastest players in the majors and it would have required a perfect flip from Bryson Stott to Trea Turner and an even better rocket to first base. Stott’s toss was high and Turner never got a grip on the ball, throwing it into the dirt. The next pitch was hit by Randal Grichuk for an RBI double. It would have been difficult either way, but if executed perfectly, the Phillies end the top of the ninth trailing by one rather than two.

“Stotty had a tough time getting it out of his glove and then Trea had a tough time getting it out of his glove too,” Thomson said. “Normally that’s a double-play ball.”

The lineup — Bohm, Realmuto, Stott and Turner included — put together plenty of good at-bats, particularly late. Bryce Harper snapped a home run drought of 62 plate appearances in the first inning and Weston Wilson hit a three-run shot in the sixth when the Phillies trailed by five, his first big knock since coming off the injured list on April 23.

Realmuto singled in Harper in the seventh to bring the Phillies within a run. Kyle Schwarber did the same with a two-out home run off Shelby Miller in the ninth. Nick Castellanos, Realmuto and Bohm followed with singles to tie the game.

The Phillies extended Jose Alvarado to a second inning and Arizona scored three times to win, 11-9. Schwarber grounded out hard with two aboard to end it.

Harper reached base three times but was annoyed with himself after striking out looking in the ninth and flying out to center as the winning run in the 10th.

“It got in on me a little bit. Just frustrated I couldn’t come through right there,” he said. “Obviously a big moment, big opportunity right there and couldn’t get it done.

“I’m just frustrated on a bigger level. Just want to come through for the team and play well. I’ve been through bigger ruts in my career, gone through ups and downs worse than what I’m on right now. Just frustrated for the fans, frustrated for the team. That last moment there against (Jalen) Beeks, not coming through right there, super frustrated for that. Just wanna play better, gotta play better. Just gotta be a better ballplayer.”

Harper did hit two balls hard and walk Sunday so he might be working his way out of the 6-for-42 slump he was in entering the afternoon.

It has come from necessity but Alvarado is probably being used too much. Sunday was his 16th appearance in 34 games, putting him on pace for 76. The Phillies don’t want any of their relievers reaching 70. He has also made three appearances already of more than one inning after not doing it once last season.

“It does (concern me) with all the guys, really,” Thomson said. “If we have to give him a couple of days after that, we will. That’s what we did the last time.”

The bullpen work before him was terrific. Orion Kerkering, Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm and Joe Ross combined for 4⅓ scoreless innings after Suarez allowed seven runs over 3⅔.

Making his first start in the Phillies’ 34th game after missing two months with a back injury, Suarez retired six in a row to begin the afternoon, striking out four. He was locating his sinker, fastball, changeup, curveball and cutter through two innings, missing bats with four of them and pitching almost artfully, the way things look for Suarez when he’s in sync.

It all fell apart once he had to pitch out of the stretch. Four consecutive Diamondbacks hitters reached base in a three-run third inning and five straight reached in a four-run fourth.

As rough as Suarez’ second half was last season, he didn’t have an outing quite this poor. The only time in his career he allowed more runs was his second start in the majors back in 2018.

His stuff looked fine, he just failed to command his pitches with men on base. Suarez averaged 92 mph with his sinker and four-seam fastball, his usual range. His slow hook was effective early, and he did a good job of pairing the mid-70s curveball with his low-90s fastball, at one point striking out Eugenio Suarez on a 93 mph heater after a 73 mph curve. The Phillies will hope this was just a matter of shaking off rust.

“It just looked like he lost his command getting out of the stretch, leaving his breaking ball up, changeup up,” Thomson said. “I don’t think he had many baserunners in his rehab starts. But he’s better than that and he will be.”

Suarez said it was less about rust and more about overthrowing out of the stretch, which he’ll work on in between starts. He will pitch next on Saturday in Cleveland.

The Phillies won the series and have gone 6-3 since being swept by the Mets last week but still haven’t gotten on an extended roll in any phase — offensively, defensively or with full-game pitching performances. The flipside is they’re on pace for 91 wins without having played close to their best baseball.

“I thought we fought,” Harper said. “It’s what you want. We could’ve just laid down and said we won the series already and we didn’t do that. Just really good, hard-fought. I know we lost but fought to the end.”

The Phils are off Monday before playing three games in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ home for 2025 because of the devastation to Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo will pitch in the series. From there, the Phils head to Cleveland, which like Tampa Bay has a bottom-third offense in runs scored and OPS.

Phillies make spirited late comeback but can't overcome untimely mistakes

Phillies make spirited late comeback but can't overcome untimely mistakes originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies’ offense mounted a late comeback with seven runs in the sixth inning or later Sunday afternoon but a series of small moments prevented them from pulling out a sweep over the Diamondbacks.

There was Ranger Suarez’ inability to stop the bleeding in the third and fourth innings of his season debut. His start began as smooth as possible with a pair of 1-2-3 frames but he allowed three runs in the third and four in the fourth, both rallies beginning with a walk of eight-hole hitter Garrett Hampson, not much of an offensive threat.

There was Alec Bohm bobbling a difficult grounder that cost Suarez and the Phils at least one run, maybe two.

There was J.T. Realmuto’s split-second decision to try to take third on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the seventh. He was nailed on a perfectly applied tag by Eugenio Suarez for the final out with the tying run on base.

And there was the slow exchange on a potential inning-ending double-play ball hit by Corbin Carroll in the top of the ninth. Carroll is one of the fastest players in the majors and it would have required a perfect flip from Bryson Stott to Trea Turner and an even better rocket to first base. Stott’s toss was high and Turner never got a grip on the ball, throwing it into the dirt. The next pitch was hit by Randal Grichuk for an RBI double. It would have been difficult either way, but if executed perfectly, the Phillies end the top of the ninth trailing by one rather than two.

The lineup — Bohm, Realmuto, Stott and Turner included — put together plenty of good at-bats, particularly late. Bryce Harper snapped a home run drought of 62 plate appearances in the first inning and Weston Wilson hit a three-run shot in the sixth when the Phillies trailed by five, his first big knock since coming off the injured list on April 23.

Realmuto singled in Harper in the seventh to bring the Phillies within a run. Kyle Schwarber did the same with a two-out home run off Shelby Miller in the ninth. Nick Castellanos, Realmuto and Bohm followed with singles to tie the game.

The Phillies extended Jose Alvarado to a second inning and Arizona scored three times to win, 11-9. Schwarber grounded out hard with two aboard to end it.

It has come from necessity but Alvarado is probably being used too much. Sunday was his 16th appearance in 34 games, putting him on pace for 76. The Phillies don’t want any of their relievers reaching 70. He has also made three appearances already of more than one inning after not doing it once last season.

The bullpen work before him was terrific. Orion Kerkering, Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm and Joe Ross combined for 4⅓ scoreless innings after Suarez allowed seven runs over 3⅔.

Making his first start in the Phillies’ 34th game after missing two months with a back injury, Suarez retired six in a row to begin the afternoon, striking out four. He was locating his sinker, fastball, changeup, curveball and cutter through two innings, missing bats with four of them and pitching almost artfully, the way things look for Suarez when he’s in sync.

It all fell apart once he had to pitch out of the stretch. Four consecutive Diamondbacks hitters reached base in a three-run third inning and five straight reached in a four-run fourth.

As rough as Suarez’ second half was last season, he didn’t have an outing quite this poor. The only time in his career he allowed more runs was his second start in the majors back in 2018.

His stuff looked fine, he just failed to command his pitches with men on base. Suarez averaged 92 mph with his sinker and four-seam fastball, his usual range. His slow hook was effective early, and he did a good job of pairing the mid-70s curveball with his low-90s fastball, at one point striking out Eugenio Suarez on a 93 mph heater after a 73 mph curve. The Phillies will hope this was just a matter of shaking off rust.

Suarez’ next start will be Saturday in Cleveland. He took the place of Taijuan Walker, who had been assuming a rotation spot in Suarez’ stead. Walker had a 2.54 ERA (plus five unearned runs) in six starts and is now the long man in the bullpen. He probably will find his way back into the Phillies’ rotation at some point given the fragility of starting pitching.

The Phillies won the series and have gone 6-3 since being swept by the Mets last week but still haven’t gotten on an extended roll in any phase — offensively, defensively or with full-game pitching performances. The flipside is they’re on pace for 91 wins without having played close to their best baseball.

The Phils are off Monday before playing three games in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ home for 2025 because of the devastation to Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo will pitch in the series. From there, the Phils head to Cleveland, which like Tampa Bay has a bottom-third offense in runs scored and OPS.

Monster game from red-hot Adames fuels Giants' win vs. Rockies

Monster game from red-hot Adames fuels Giants' win vs. Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Willy Adames was at the center of the Giants’ offensive outburst on Sunday at Oracle Park.

The star shortstop blasted not one, but two home runs, while collecting three total extra-base hits and driving in three runs in five at-bats in San Francisco’s 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, who fell to 6-28.

Adames’ first homer, a solo shot in the bottom of the first, was his first at Oracle Park as a Giant. He followed it up with a second solo homer in the bottom of the third.

Adames’ third hit of the game was an RBI double that hit off the top of the center-field wall and scored Mike Yastrzemski from second base, extending San Francisco’s lead to 5-1.

After struggling mightily to begin the 2025 MLB season, Adames has turned it on as of late. Over his last 15 games, Adames is batting .296/.391/.500 with 16 hits, three home runs and nine RBI.

Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt and Rod Brooks on “Giants Postgame Live,” Adames was asked how it felt to hit his first Oracle Park home run.

“Great, obviously we got the win, that’s the most important thing,” Adames told Britt and Brooks. “But it definitely felt really good to hit that one out of the park here. It’s been a minute. It was much needed.”

Adames was asked about his recent hot stretch and what has changed after his slow start to the season.

“I feel like for me, it was more getting my confidence back and let the game come to me and not try to force anything,” Adams explained. “I feel like in the first few weeks, for me, I was trying too much, trying to force everything to happen.”

Giants manager Bob Melvin certainly agrees.

“It’s just really calm at-bats now,” Melvin said postgame about Adames’ success at the plate. “His bat’s really getting through the zone, and when he tends to get going, he gets going pretty hot … every game now it just seems his at-bats are better. Couple home runs today, it feels like he’s off to the races now.”

The Giants (22-13) started the season hot despite Adames’ slow start, and now that he’s producing consistently at the plate, the lineup certainly feels deeper heading into the summer stretch.

And that is very good news for a San Francisco team in the thick of both the NL West and wild-card races.

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Tommy John surgery recommended for Mets LHP Danny Young

The Mets transferred left-handed reliever Danny Young to the 60-man injured list on Sunday morning, as the 30-year-old could be headed for Tommy John surgery.

According to manager Carlos Mendoza, the procedure has been recommended by team doctors, but the Mets are waiting to see what course of action Young will take.

Young, like A.J. Minter, has been a valuable lefty reliever for the Mets this season, pitching to a 4.32 ERA in 8.1 innings. Young also appeared in 42 games last season for New York, posting a 4.54 ERA.

Dealing with a forearm issue for a few weeks, per Mendoza, Young has not pitched in a game since April 27.

Meanwhile, Dedniel Núñez has joined the team, and expects to be active for the second game of Sunday's scheduled doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, with game one starter Blade Tidwell likely being optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse.

"Physically, I feel like I'm prepared for any situation," Núñez said.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Lucas Giolito and Tyler Stephenson return to action

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.

For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Tyler Stephenson - C, CIN (40% rostered)
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER UPSIDE)

Tyler Stephenson made his season debut on Friday night after missing the first month of the year with an oblique injury. We know that Stephenson is a strong hitter for a catcher, and he was routinely drafted among the top 8-10 players at the position in all league types. He's a .260-ish hitter with .20+ home run power in a great home ballpark and good lineup. The Reds have said they will play him at 1B/DH as well, so he should be in the lineup for around 80% of the Reds' games. That's enough for me to roster Stephenson in one-catcher formats if I don't have a stud at the position. In two-catcher leagues, you can still add Edgar Quero - C, CWS (2% rostered), who is hitting .327 with seven RBI in his first 15 games. The comes with no home runs and no steals in a bad lineup, which is the primary concern with rostering Quero, who was the 62nd-ranked prospect in baseball and the 6th-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization. I would rather add Dillon Dingler - C, DET (6% rostered), who is playing most every day in Detroit with Jake Rogers hurt. Dingler is hitting .269 in 20 games over the last month, but has three home runs and 10 RBI over that span as well. He was a top prospect in the Detroit system, so he's worth a shot if you're hurting with your second catcher.

Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL: 36% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)

I bought in on Rhys Hoskins in spring training because he talked about being fully healthy after ACL surgery in 2023 and had also changed his stance to quiet his head and improve his contact. The results didn’t come right at the start of the season, but we're starting to see them now with Hoskins going 22-for-76 (.289) over his last 25 games with three home runs and 11 RBI. We know he's not going to be a major batting average asset, but he likely won't be a drain either. I like his ballpark, and I like his lineup, so I have no problem adding Hoskins anywhere he's available right now. A deep league option for power is Rowdy Tellez - 1B, SEA (1% rostered), who is 7-for-25 (.280) over his last 10 games with two home runs and eight RBI. He will only play against righties, but the Seattle lineup has been heating up lately, and Tellez is still making a lot of quality contact.

Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 33% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK COMING)

Manzardo has been here for the last two weeks because I've been highlighting that his quality of contact is really strong, and the surface-level results are going to start to catch up to that. Over the last 12 games, he's gone 10-for-40 with four home runs and eight RBI. That's solid production from a corner infield spot. I think he's a .260+ hitter with 25+ home run power in a solid lineup. If you don't care as much about power, you can still add Ty France - 1B, MIN (9% rostered), who has continued to hit all season long. He's hitting .271 with three home runs on the season and has gone 12-for-29 (.414) with six RBI over the last week. He's going to play every day in Minnesota, so the average and RBI should be solid but not spectacular.

Sal Frelick (OF, MIL: 33% rostered
(EVERYDAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

Frelick is playing every day in Milwaukee and hitting .307 in his 33 games with seven steals and 16 runs scored. He hasn't been running as much over the last week or so, but I don't believe that's a long-term concern for his stolen base output. He hits fifth or sixth in the Brewers' lineup, which should lead to decent counting stats as the season goes on, but he's unlikely to hit more than five home runs this season. This play is essentially about batting average and speed, but if you need those two things, Frelick is a solid option for you.

Victor Scott II - OF, STL, 32% rostered
(EVERY DAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

You can add Victor Scott II for the same reasons you'd add Frelick. This week, I posted an article about hitters who could be worth adding/trading for based on their contact rates and swing rates. Scott popped for me in that article. There's more detail in the article, but I like a lot of what he’s doing in terms of his swing decisions, and he's hitting .273 on the season with 11 steals while playing every day. I need him to focus more on line drives and hard groundballs, and I think we could see a strong stretch of production in the coming weeks.

Roman Anthony - OF, BOS: 28% rostered
(PROSPECT STASH, POWER UPSIDE)

The Red Sox will need to clear up some space in the outfield for Anthony, but he's off to a strong start in Triple-A. Realistically, he should be up soon, especially if Ceddanne Rafaela continues to struggle to make consistent contact. Rafaela could move into a super utility role with Jarren Duran in CF and Anthony in LF. If the Red Sox consider moving Rafael Devers to 1B with Triston Casas out then that would free up the DH spot to be used for an extra outfielder, which means Anthony could come up and they could rotate the outfielders around. Nothing is imminent, but it feels like the time could be coming. The same could be said for Jordan Lawlar - SS, ARI (29% rostered), who is tearing up Triple-A. The Diamondbacks have started to play him at 3B recently, which means they could call him up, move Eugenio Suarez to DH, and create a LF platoon with Pavin Smith and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. That might be the smartest decision for the team.

Jordan Beck - OF, COL: 26% rostered
(POST-HYPE PROSPECT, POWER UPSIDE)

Beck had no home runs this week after hitting five last week, but that's to be expected. He didn't produce in 55 MLB games last year and then failed to produce early this season, and was demoted for Zac Veen. Beck has the potential to be a solid fantasy contributor, and he plays his home games at Coors Field, which is going to be a major boost for him, but he also has a 17% swinging strike rate and 34% strikeout rate with poor contact rates. His aggressive approach will lead to lots of hard-hit pulled baseballs, but he is going to remain inconsistent. You can expect similar inconsistency from Trent Grisham - OF, NYY: 22% rostered, who has been playing more regularly for the Yankees after hitting .235 over his last eight games with four home runs and five RBI. He plays good defense in the outfield, and Jasson Dominguez has been struggling, especially against lefties, so Grisham may continue to produce decent power numbers when he plays. We just never know when he will play.

Kyle Stowers - OF, MIA: 26% rostered
(POST HYPE BREAKOUT?, POWER UPSIDE)

When I started writing this article on Saturday morning, Kyle Stowers was 12% rostered in Yahoo formats. Then he went and hit two home runs, including a game-winning grand slam, and his roster rate has more than doubled. This week alone, Stowers went 7-for-15 with four home runs and 10 RBI. That's unfortunate because we've had Stowers on here for a couple of weeks as a low-cost add, and now the price is going to skyrocket above what you probably want to pay. Yes, Stowers has power with a 20% barrel rate and 91.3 mph average exit velocity; yet, he also has an 18% swinging strike rate and just a 67% contact rate overall. He is swinging out of the zone less this season, which is nice, and Stowers is aggressive enough in the zone that he can make up for some of that swing and miss, but he's also sporting a career low 31% fly ball rate. He sprays the ball all over the field, which should help keep the batting average high, and the low fly ball rate could be solid in a pitcher-friendly park, but this feels more like a .250 type of hitter who will be limited to 15-20 HRs due to park and approach. A cheaper but less explosive deep-league outfield option is Eli White - OF, ATL (3% rostered), who continues to get consistent playing time as Ronald Acuna Jr. remains out in Atlanta. Since coming to Atlanta, White has cut his fly ball rate by over 10% and gotten more aggressive with his swing rates. Focusing on groundballs and line drives seems to have helped because the swinging strike rate is down significantly from his early-career numbers, and the overall contact rates have pushed up near 80%. Pairing that with a 10% barrel rate is kind of nice. It's not going to lead to plenty of fantasy juice, but White could continue to post a solid batting average while hitting in a good Atlanta lineup, and that could be worth something if you need an outfielder.

Connor Norby - 2B/3B, MIA: 15% rostered)

(EVERY DAY JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Connor Norby has been off the IL for almost two weeks now, but his roster rates remain pretty low. He's gone just 11-for-50 (.220) in 14 games with one home run, two steals, and 10 runs scored, but he's playing every day for the Marlins, and we know there is some power and speed in there. He's chasing out of the zone a lot, and his swinging strike rate was high last season as well, so he's highly unlikely to be a batting average asset, but if you want a 20/10 type of player who will play every day, then Norby is for you. Another Marlins hitter of note is Eric Wagaman - 1B/3B/OF, MIA (7% rostered), who came up for me on a random search of players who are making solid swing decisions, making a lot of contact, and making authoritative contact. He’s always made a fair amount of contact and doesn’t lift the ball a lot, which will limit his home run upside, but his strong understanding of the strike zone means he gets his pitch often and has the chance to run a decent batting average with 15 HR power. He’ll just need to hit to keep getting at-bats. With Jonah Bride now gone and Griffin Conine injured, Wagaman has a chance to carve out some playing time at 1B/3B/DH. I’d only take gambles in deep leagues, but it might be worth a shot.

Zack Gelof - 2B, ATH: 12% rostered
(IMPENDING RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)

Zack Gelof is at Triple-A for his rehab assignment after offseason surgery on his wrist. He's only had 12 plate appearances coming into today, and the A's have said they wanted him to get 35 before being activated, so he's unlikely to return from the IL this upcoming week, but should be back the week after. Adding him now would likely save you some FAAB. Even in a down season last year, Gelof hit 17 home runs and stole 25 bases, so if he can go back to being even a .230-.240 hitter, you're looking at a guy who could easily go 15/15 in the remaining games this season. That's without even factoring in what playing in a minor league ballpark in the middle of the hot summer months in Sacramento could do for Gelof's power. I've already stashed him in a few places, and I'll try to add a few more.

Hyeseong Kim - 2B/SS, LAD: 11% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE?)

With Tommy Edman landing on the IL, the Dodgers finally called up Hyeseong Kim. However, Chris Taylor started Saturday's game at second base, and Miguel Rojas also started two games at second base this week before Kim was called up, so just keep that in mind when you set your bids tonight. Kim is the exciting new player, but he was hitting just .252 in 131 plate appearances at Triple-A with a 12% swinging strike rate. His overall contact rate of 75% at Triple-A is fine, but suggests there will be some swing and miss at the big league level, and even though he had a few huge home runs that we saw on Twitter, his average exit velocity at Triple-A was 87.3 mph. The 13 stolen bases are very real, and I think that's going to be the majority of Kim's value at the big league level this season, but I'd rather stash Gelof if you're choosing between the two.

Javier Baez - 3B/SS/OF, DET: 11% rostered
(EVERY DAY PLAYING TIME, NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS)

Yes, it's the year 2025, and I'm recommending adding Javy Baez. The veteran has now homered in three straight games and has gone 24-80 (.300) over the last month with three home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 runs scored. We know he had surgery in the off-season, so much of this could just be that he's healthy again; however, we should also acknowledge that he has the lowest chase rate and swinging strike rate of his career. In fact, his 12.8% swinging strike rate is WAY below his career 18% mark. He's swinging at the lowest rate he ever has and posted his highest zone contact rate and overall contact rate. He has not all of a sudden become an elite contact hitter, but he has made clear improvements to his approach. When he does swing, he's pulling the ball more than he ever has and hitting it on the ground a decent amount, which is helping that batting average. Given that he's playing nearly every day in center field and playing really good defense out there, I'm inclined to believe that a lot of this value is real. Just keep an eye on his plate discipline stats because if he starts getting overly aggressive again, a cold streak is coming. Another multi-position infielder is Brooks Lee - 2B/SS/3B - MIN (4% rostered), who has turned it on a bit of late, going 13-for-44 (.295) in his last 13 games. The downside is that he only has one home run and three RBI with no steals over that stretch. He's not much of a power/speed threat, so I think he's a better real-life player than a fantasy player, but he could produce a solid batting average in regular at-bats, and that's worth something in deeper formats. Just keep in mind that Royce Lewis is likely back on Monday, and we don't know what that will do to Lee's playing time.

J.P. Crawford - SS, SEA: 11% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE ASSET, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)

As I mentioned last week, Crawford may be a boring veteran, but he's a solid option as a player who could help your batting average. He's hitting .287 on the season but has gone 16-for-40 (.400) with three home runs and 13 RBI over his last 10 games. He's being a little more aggressive this season, which is fine for Crawford because he has an 84% contact rate for his career. He's expanding the zone a bit more this season, but is still making elite levels of contact, and the batting average bump of late feels partially real. Chase Meidroth - 2B/3B/SS, CWS (4% rostered) returned from the IL this week and has gone 4-for-12 with four runs scored and an RBI in three games. He's going to hit leadoff and play shortstop for the White Sox every day. The power isn't great, and the counting stats will be impacted by the poor lineup around him, which is why he's mainly a deep league option.

Daulton Varsho - OF, TOR: 10% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)

Varsho came off the IL this week and had two good games against the Red Sox, but is 3-for-14 overall with two home runs, three RBI, and a steal. He also has seven strikeouts in five games. Varsho is a career .225 hitter, and while he has 20/20 upside in a full season, you're likely getting that with a worse batting average than somebody like Gelof would give you. It's a solid profile for a player who's on the wire in a lot of formats right now, but you're not adding a "league winner" or somebody who is going to drastically impact your standings.

Coby Mayo - 3B, BAL: 8% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, POST HYPE BREAKOUT?)

With Ramon Urias battling a hamstring injury, the Orioles finally called up Coby Mayo. Mayo is hitting .255/.353/.539 with six homers in 27 games at Triple-A this season, but has been swinging a hot bat lately. There remains plenty of upside in Mayo's bat, but there are a few concerns. For starters, Urias and Jordan Westburg don't figure to be out more than a couple of weeks, so how long will the Orioles keep Mayo up? His overall contact rates remain below average, but he's been crushing lefties (.529/.579/1.471 slash with four HRs), BUT HE DIDN'T EVEN START ON SATURDAY AGAINST A LEFTY! At this point, I just don't trust the Orioles to make the right decisions with their roster construction, which is an odd thing to say.

Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN: 7% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)

I wrote about Larnach a few times in the off-season as a post hype player I was targeting in deeper formats since we knew he'd be on the bench against lefties. He got off to a slow start to the season, but has gone 14-for-51 (.275) over his last 13 games with three home runs and 10 RBI. He's beholden to the whims of Rocco Baldelli and won't play against lefties, but his overall batted ball profile is interesting enough in deeper formats if you need an outfielder. A player in a similar situation is Max Kepler - OF, PHI (4% rostered), who the Phillies said would be their everyday left fielder but is still sitting against lefties this year. Kepler has three home runs this week and has gone 13-for-41 (.317) over his last 12 games with six RBI. He's in a great lineup, in a good home ballpark, makes a good amount of contact, and is not striking out a lot. That will lead to decent results in that lineup.

Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, CWS: 3% rostered
(MINI HOT STREAK, POTENTIAL BREAKOUT COMING)

Like Victor Scott II,Miguel Vargas appeared in my article this week on hitters to add based on their plate discipline and contact rates. Vargas is chasing at a super low rate, making 83% contact overall and rarely swinging and missing. He's pulling the ball slightly less this season and has focused less on lifting the ball, which is a good change. He doesn't smoke the ball, but a 90.3 mph average exit velocity is pretty good, and he's playing every day in Chicago. Another multi-position option for deeper formats could be Romy Gonzalez - 1B/2B/3B/SS, BOS (1% rostered). Now that Triston Casas is out for the season, it seems that Romy, Abraham Toro -2B/3B, BOS (0% rostered), and Rob Refsnyder - OF, BOS (0% rostered) will primarily split the reps at 1B. With Refsnyder mainly playing against lefties, I think Gonzalez will get the first chance at 1B. It's a small sample size, but he does have a 93.3 mph average exit velocity and 9.1% barrel rate this season. He also has career-high pull and fly ball rates, and while he's making less contact than he has before, his approach could be intriguing at Fenway Park. I just can't imagine he's the first baseman for that long.

Jon Berti - 3B, CHC: 1% rostered
(STARTING JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Berti has been the regular third baseman for the Cubs with Matt Shaw in the minors. He's hitting .288 on the season with seven steals and 10 runs scored in 58 plate appearances. We know who he is at this point in his career, but the 3B spot is such a dump in fantasy right now, so the fact that Berti has his stolen base upside and is playing regularly in Chicago is worth noting for deeper formats. Another deep league infield option is Jorbit Vivas - 2B, NYY (0% rostered), who looks to be the regular second baseman with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the IL. I recorded a video on Jazz Chisolm and Vivas this week, so I'd encourage you to check that out for more of my thoughts.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Ranger Suarez - SP, PHI: 40% rostered
Suarez is set to come off the IL today. We know who Suarez is at this point in his career, but he's a valuable pitcher in the midst of all this chaos, so just check your waiver wire. Another pitcher nearing a return to MLB action is Ryan Weathers - SP, MIA (9% rostered), who threw 62 pitches at Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday. He's set for one more rehab assignment this week, where the Marlins can get him up over 70 pitches, and then he's likely to return the week of May 12th. The only issue is that he'd likely line up for a first start against the Cubs, which you're not using him for.

Griffin Canning - SP, NYM: 38% rostered
I spoke to Canning last week about the changes he’s made since coming to the Mets, and I don't think this early hot start is 100% flukey.

Tony Gonsolin - SP, LAD: 34% rostered
Tony Gonsolin made his return to the Dodgers' rotation this week and struck out nine batters in his six innings. It was against the Marlins, so take that into consideration, but it's nice to see Gonsolin back and going six innings. He is not likely to miss bats at this rate, but he has always been a solid ratio started,r and the team context is obviously great, so he's worth a bid in most formats, but I think he's just a streamer in 12-team leagues.

Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET: 32% rostered
I guess people don't want to add Kahnle because he doesn't throw hard and the Tigers mix and match their late-inning relievers, but Kahnle has looked good so far, and Detroit has no problem running out a closer who doesn't have elite strikeout upside or a big fastball. Kahnle has five saves and a 0.71 ERA in 12 appearances so far this year, so I'm scooping if he's available. However, just note that the Tigers like to use Kahnle in high-leverage situations, which will also mean save opportunities for Will Vest - RP, DET (11% rostered), who is worth an add if you need saves as well. I know Vest blew an opportunity this week, which made him one of the most dropped players in Yahoo formats, but he has allowed just four runs on eight hits in 13 innings this season. He'll still be back in high-leverage innings and will get some save chances.

Matthew Liberatore - SP, STL: 32% rostered
I covered Liberatore in detail in my Starting Pitcher News article, so check that out for a more detailed breakdown, but I think Liberatore is a fine option for decent ratios and a low strikeout total.

Brayan Bello - SP, BOS: 30% rostered
Bello has been good in his return to the Red Sox rotation, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 17.2 innings across three starts. The slider has looked good at times, and I like that he's been attacking with the sinker more and using the four-seam fastball upstairs to try and get swings and misses. However, the command of his slider and changeup remains inconsistent, which has hurt him in two-strike counts and has made him a bit frustrating. I still see Top-40 upside in that arm, but he's not putting it together right now.

Shelby Miller - RP, ARI: 25% rostered
I spoke to both Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel - RP, ARI (7% rostered) this week before the Mets game and wrote up my thoughts on the Arizona bullpen situation here. I would be prioritizing Miller on the waiver wire, but I'll have bids in for Ginkel too. Also, just remember that Justin Martinez's MRI came back clean, so we're not dealing with a major injury here. There's a chance Martinez is back in a few weeks and pitching like himself after a brief reset.

Gunnar Hoglund - SP, OAK: 23% rostered
I watched Hoglund's debut, and I came away thinking it was solid. The four-seamer is only 92 mph, but he gets elite extension on it and has good vertical movement, which allows him to get whiffs up in the zone. He also features a solid sinker with tons of arm-side run and a changeup that's seven mph slower than the sinker and darts low and out of the zone. He had no problem throwing the changeup to righties and lefties, but I didn't love either the cutter or the slider. My worry is that this isn't a package that will lead to many strikeouts when he's not facing the Marlins, but I liked the foundation of it enough to add him and see how this pans out.

Lance McCullers - SP, HOU: 19% rostered
I felt the need to cover McCullers here because he's a big name and is making his season debut today, but I can't tell you to run out and grab him right now. We have no idea how effective he'll be or how long Houston will let him pitch in games. I could easily see a situation where he's piggybacked with Ryan Gusto so the Astros don't strain McCullers too much.

Lucas Giolito - SP, BOS: 14% rostered
Giolito returned to the mound for the Red Sox this week, and I think he looked better than Bello, which is why I made that direct one-for-one swap in a few leagues. He was pretty good for the first half of the season in 2023 before the White Sox traded him across the country, and the wheels fell off. I think we've written his obituary too early. His four-seam fastball had more juice again, and the fastball/changeup combination is a good one. The Red Sox are clearly working to re-shape his slider back to his older version, and if he can unlock that too, you might get a great season from Giolito. As is, he's a solid Top-50 arm. You could also roster his teammate, Hunter Dobbins - SP, BOS (4% rostered), who seems likely to hold down a rotation spot as long as Walker Buehler is sidelined. Dobbins has seen velocity gains this year, turned his splitter into a splinker that he can command, and separated his slider into a slider and a sweeper. That has given him a six-pitch mix with decent command. I kind of like Dobbins, and I'm not worried about his start against the Royals this week.

Porter Hodge - RP, CHC: 14% rostered
Another option who I think scared people off because of one horrible outing against Arizona last week. Ryan Pressly has looked average in Chicago and had fluid drained from his knee last week, which is not ideal. Hodge is a solid reliever who posted an elite 1.88 ERA last season. He's the guy if Pressly is hurt, and the Cubs are a really good team, so you're going to want whoever is closing games for them.

Luis L. Ortiz - SP, CLE: 12% rostered
This guy is always going to pull me back in. The Guardians have made some clear changes to try and get more swing-and-miss into Ortiz's pitch mix, and while that has led to inconsistency, it has presented some clear long-term upside for him as well. He is utilizing his changeup far more than he has before and has switched up the locations on his cutter to get more swinging strikes. I'm still expecting inconsistency as he gets comfortable with the changes, but I love the roadmap here.

Ben Casparius - RP, LAD: 8% rostered
I covered Casparius in detail in my Starting Pitcher News article this Wednesday, so check that out for more detail.

PLAYERS TO DROP

I was asked last week if I could mention some players that I think it might be time to move on from in shallower formats, so below are a few players I would be cutting in 10-12 team leagues. Most of the names will be hitters because I believe those fringe SPs should always be on and off your roster in shallower formats based on their upcoming matchups.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, ARI: 46% rostered: He hasn't been hitting, and I'm starting to think the only way the Diamondbacks can call Jordan Lawlar up is to play him at 3B, move Eugenio Suarez to DH, and make Gurriel and Pavin Smith a platoon in LF. It makes the most sense for the team. Lawlar can't stay in AAA much longer.

Jonathan India - 2B/3B/OF - KC: 42% rostered: I was never a huge fan, the ballpark is going to take all of his power away, so you're looking at a .260 hitter with minimal speed and no power in a fairly average lineup. That's just not for me.

Carlos Correa - SS, MIN: 33% rostered: He doesn't run, he's clearly playing through an injury, and he just might not be healthy until they put him on the IL.

Alec Burleson - 1B/OF, STL 32% rostered: He just barely plays for St. Louis anymore. He's starting two, maybe three, games a week, and I can't hold him until he starts to play and produce again.

Luis Rengifo - 2B/3B, LAA: 27% rostered: His value was in his speed, but he's had multiple soft tissue injuries this season and is not running.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

(ranked in loose order)

Week of 5/5

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%Opponent
Michael Wacha32%vs CWS
Tony Gonsolin34%at MIA
Matthew Liberatore32%vs PIT
AJ Smith-Shawver6%vs CIN, at PIT
Lucas Giolito14%vs TEX, at KC
Shane Smith15%at KC, vs MIA
Edward Cabrera3%at CWS

Fairly Confident

Steven Matz5%vs PIT
Miles Mikolas3%vs PIT
Jefferey Springs22%vs SEA
Grant Holmes29%vs CIN
Luis Severino42%vs SEA, vs NYY
Matthew Boyd36%vs SF, at NYM
Griffin Canning38%at ARI, vs CHC
Jose Soriano26%vs TOR
Tyler Anderson24%vs TOR
David Peterson34%at ARI
Jake Irvin29%vs CLE
Brayan Bello20%at KC
Hunter Dobbins4%at KC
Jordan Hicks13%at MIN
Cade Povich3%at MIN, at LAA
Luis L. Ortiz12%at WAS, vs PHI
Ben Lively7%at WAS
Sean Burke4%at KC, vs MIA

Some Hesitation

Justin Verlander36%at CHC
Landen Roupp24%at CHC, at MIN
Jose Quintana31%at TB
Gunar Hoglund18%vs SEA
Jameson Taillon24%at NYM
Nick Martinez17%at HOU
Colin Rea25%vs SF
Quinn Priester11%vs HOU
Lance McCullers19%vs CIN
Emerson Hancock4%at ATH
Will Warren7%at ATH
Patrick Corbin4%at DET
Michael Soroka1%vs CLE
Bryce Elder2%at PIT

Mets at Cardinals game one: How to watch on May 4, 2025

The Mets (22-11) play the first game of a split doubleheader against the Cardinals (14-19) in St. Louis on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. on PIX11. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • Blade Tidwell, the Mets' second-round pick in the 2022 draft, makes his major league debut
  • LHP Danny Young has been transferred to the 60-Day Injured List, and RHP Austin Warren has been optioned to Triple-A and appointed as 27th Player for both doubleheader games
  • Brandon Nimmo is heating up, posting a 1.110 OPS with 12 RBI in his last seven games
  • Pete Alonso leads the National League with a .664 slugging percentage and is second in RBI with 33
  • Cardinals starter Erick Fedde has a career 6.51 ERA in 17 career games (12 starts) against the Mets


METS
CARDINALS

Francisco Lindor, SS

Lars Nootbaar, RF

Juan Soto, RF

Alec Burleson, DH

Pete Alonso, 1B

Brendan Donovan, LF

Brandon Nimmo, DH

Nolan Arenado, 3B

Jesse Winker, LF

Willson Contreras, 1B

Luis Torrens, C

Nolan Gorman, 2B

Jeff McNeil, 2B

Pedro Pages, C

Luisangel Acuña, 3B

Victor Scott, CF

Jose Azocar, CF

Jose Barrero, SS


How can I watch the game online?

To watch Mets games online via PIX11, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider and live in the New York City metro area. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser.

To get started on your computer, go to the PIX11 live stream website and follow the site's steps. For more FAQs, you can go here.