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Suarez set for 2025 big-league debut against Diamondbacks  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ranger Suarez has a big-league green light. 

Following a bullpen session Wednesday ahead of the Phillies’ 7-2 win over the Nationals, Suarez was formally cleared to make his 2025 major league debut. 

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Suarez will pitch Sunday vs. the Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies will open the series Friday with Jesus Luzardo on the hill and start Aaron Nola on Saturday. 

Suarez was brilliant to begin 2024 and named an All-Star. He went 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA over his first 10 starts, but back trouble popped up and Suarez struggled in the second half. The 29-year-old lefty had a 6.54 ERA over his final 11 outings.

In mid-March, Suarez was sidelined by lower back stiffness. He made four rehab starts — two for Single A Clearwater, two for Triple A Lehigh Valley — and threw 16 2/3 total innings. Suarez allowed just two runs, struck out 24 hitters and walked five. 

Thomson said Tuesday the Phillies are discussing the possibility of turning to a six-man rotation. Taijuan Walker will get his sixth start of the season on Thursday against Washington. Entering that game, he sits at 1-2 with a 2.78 ERA in Suarez’s absence. 

Cristopher Sanchez started Wednesday’s victory, returning from a left forearm issue. He tossed five innings, conceded two runs and watched the Phillies’ bullpen handle the rest. 

“Looked a little rusty,” Thomson said of Sanchez. “It’s been a week since he’s pitched. The command was off a little bit, but the stuff was really good. The changeup looked normal, the slider looked normal, the fastball velocity was good. I’m pleased with it.”

Sanchez said he felt “great” and expressed no lingering concern about his forearm. 

“That’s what I was looking forward to today, feeling like my best self, as I always do,” he said. “And just go out and compete.” 

With the Lakers, Clippers and Kings all one loss from summer vacation, the sporting eyes of Los Angeles turn to the Dodgers.

If you’ve been busy watching the NBA and NHL playoffs, let us catch you up on the Dodgers. After a start so good that folks giddily wondered if the Dodgers could win every game, and after a couple of runs so bad that the Dodgers twice fell into third place in the National League West, the opening month is over and the verdict is in: The Dodgers are who we thought they are.

They are in first place, in the toughest division in the major leagues. They have 21 victories, the most by any Dodgers team at the end of April since their streak of annual postseason appearances started in 2013. They are on pace to win 110 games, and their odds of making the playoffs stand at 98.3%, according to Baseball Prospectus.

There are 29 major league teams that start the season hoping to advance to the playoffs, and then there are the Dodgers, who start planning for October in March. For all the angst about the Dodgers’ injured pitchers, well, that is all part of the plan.

Read more:Tony Gonsolin shines in his first game since 2023 as Dodgers win fifth straight

The Dodgers awoke Wednesday with 13 pitchers on the injured list, the most of any major league team, matching the combined total of the rest of the NL West. They have 32 pitchers under control: on the active roster, on a minor league option, on the injured list, or on two-way status (Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to resume pitching later this season).

They do not try to find five starting pitchers and ride them all season. They do try to end up with five healthy and effective starters for the postseason, and they try to maximize their chances to do that by collecting as many pitchers as they can, with the support of an ownership group willing to pay players to rehabilitate.

No one pitched more innings last season than Gavin Stone, at 140. In 2013, Clayton Kershaw pitched 259 innings, including the postseason.

However, as the Dodgers have become acutely aware of managing the workloads of their starting pitchers, they have not prioritized managing the workloads of their key position players.

The Dodgers have the oldest group of position players in the majors, and the sustained success means extra weeks on the schedule every year.

Over the past five years, Mookie Betts has 205 postseason at-bats and Freddie Freeman 175. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has 119 and, among NL West rivals, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks has 66 and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres has 48.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team has discussed that issue, but mostly in regard to catching. Will Smith had 105 at-bats last April and 76 this April; backup Austin Barnes had 21 at-bats last April and 32 this April (and he is batting .250 this April, 27 points above his career average).

Among other position players, Roberts said, “I don’t know if that tax of playing an extra month is necessarily a disadvantage for the following season.”

The Dodgers’ renowned research and development department has not done a deep dive into that question, according to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.

“So much of our focus is on pitching,” Friedman said, “and, after a long season, what the offseason program looks like, what the ramp-up looks like, what the season looks like. I don’t worry about it that much on the position player front.”

While “load management” is established in the NBA lexicon, Roberts said he is less concerned in baseball because the postseason features more off days than the regular season, including nearly a week off after the regular season if your team is one of the top two seeds in each league.

“They’re actually more antsy and rested than we would actually like,” Roberts said. “It’s a tricky one.

“To give Freddie Freeman off days to say that you’re managing his workload, I think it just makes some people feel better that they’ll be ready for the postseason. There’s no correlation. And it’s not an exact science.”

Read more:Matt Sauer saves the Dodgers' bullpen in rout of Marlins

Freeman said the Dodgers do manage his workload, but not always with days off. On Tuesday night, with the Dodgers enjoying a big lead, Freeman was removed after six innings.

“They do such a good job of load management here,” said the 35-year-old Freeman, “and I’m reluctantly to starting to get on board with it as I get older.

“I ingrained in myself that I get paid to do a job and I do my job. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around, ‘You’re not doing your job today.’ ”

On Wednesday, Freeman homered, singled and drove in two runs. The Dodgers again ran up the lead, and again they removed him after six innings.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In less than a week, the Mets' bullpen has lost a pair of lefty relievers to injuries.

While the status of A.J. Minter's recent lat strain remains unclear and ominous, the team shared additional disconcerting news on Wednesday afternoon by placing Danny Young on the 15-day injured list with an elbow sprain.

Hours later, following the Mets' loss to the Diamondbacks, manager Carlos Mendoza said that Young had been dealing with a forearm issue for a few weeks, and an MRI on Wednesday morning showed the ligament sprain. When asked about the severity of the injury, Mendoza noted that Tommy John surgery "is on the table."

Young addressed the injury after the game, revealing that second opinions will soon be conducted and admitting that he doesn't "really know much" about the sprain. In the meantime, he's taking a day-to-day approach and not assuming the worst. The issue stemmed from irregular recoveries from recent outings.

"I usually bounce back fine, something was just kind of abnormal for me," Young said. "We're just going to sit around and see what we get back from other doctors... That's about as bad a timing as you can get, huh? It's unfortunate. [Minter] goes down, I obviously want to pick up that slack. It's just the situation we're in now."

The roster move was retroactive to April 27, a day after Young made his last appearance. It wasn't the strongest month for the 31-year-old, as he logged a 4.32 ERA across 8.1 innings (10 games) with 13 strikeouts. His most recent performance was productive, though -- he worked around a walk by striking out three in one inning against the Nationals.

Young's stint as the lone southpaw in the bullpen was brief, and after lefty Brandon Waddell completed 4.1 innings of bulk relief on Wednesday night, the Mets may only have right-handed relievers at their disposal for the foreseeable future.

In a corresponding move, the Mets recalled righty Chris Devenski from Triple-A Syracuse and transferred lefty Brooks Raley to the 60-day injured list.

The Dodgers repeatedly have proved they cast a wide net when constructing a starting rotation, seemingly with no financial constraints. Japan, South Korea, Latin America, via trades or free-agent signings, they'll go anywhere and do anything to ensure that each game they can hand the ball to a seasoned, well-compensated pitcher.

Yet inexplicably, the best-laid plans continually fail, and they are forced to hand said ball to unproven rookies. Witness Tuesday with Jack Dreyer and Matt Sauer adding their names to a fleetingly familiar group that includes Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski and Ben Casparius.

Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, huge signings the last two offseasons, are on the injured list. The Dodgers already have used 22 pitchers with the calendar lipping into May. Granted, that includes comedic stints by position players Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernández, but that only proves how empty the cupboard can get.

Read more:Matt Sauer saves the Dodgers' bullpen in rout of Marlins

How refreshing it was Wednesday to turn to a homegrown solution, albeit one who has endured his own litany of injuries. Tony Gonsolin, a 2016 Dodgers draft pick out of St. Mary's College, pitched for the first time since August 2023 and shone in a 12-7 win over the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium, their fifth victory in a row.

Gonsolin, fully recovered from 2023 Tommy John surgery and a sprained ankle in March, mostly sailed through six innings, striking out nine while walking none, throwing 58 strikes in 77 pitches. The only batter he couldn't fool was left-handed Kyle Stowers, who crushed a two-run homer in the fourth, a run-scoring double in the sixth and a single. Stowers added another homer off Yoendrys Gomez in the ninth inning.

To everyone else, Gonsolin was masterful. His four-seam fastball sat at 94 mph, his slider at 88, and the bottom dropped out of his his devastating splitter a lot like it did in 2022 when Gonsolin went 16-1 with a 2.14 earned-run average, started the All-Star Game and achieved fame for his love of cats.

Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruehle has a long memory, playing a "meow" sound effect after each strikeout Wednesday. Gonsolin displayed his uncanny ability to finish with a W next to his name in the box score, the victory improving his lifetime record to a sparkling 35-11.

"It feels good to be back on the mound for sure," he said. "Just to go out there and do my job and have fun. I thought I had a lot of fun today. I think that was the ultimate goal."

He thoroughly enjoyed watching his teammates put crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

"Just knowing that they're gonna go out there and put together quality at-bats and score runs," he said. "And it's gonna be really hard to keep this offense down."

Manager Dave Roberts was understandably thrilled to get a healthy Gonsolin on the mound.

"He has a different brain," Roberts said. "I think he’s just very confident in who he is now as a person, as a ballplayer, the moment isn’t gonna get too big for him. It wasn’t like this first outing in however long. He just took it in stride and really looked good today.

"There was no let-up. He pitched fantastic."

Gonsolin and another homegrown starter the Dodgers grabbed in the 2016 draft, Dustin May, should be key rotation pieces during a brutal stretch of 19 games in 20 days that begins Friday with a 10-game trip to Atlanta, Miami and Arizona. May has gone at least five innings in each of his five starts, getting roughed up in only one while posting a 3.95 ERA.

Read more:Tommy Edman delivers a walk-off sigh of relief in Dodgers' win over Marlins

Coming off an 18-hit barrage in a win over Miami on Tuesday, the Dodgers cooled only slightly, settling for 17 in the series finale. Yet they found solace early when slumping Max Muncy hit his first home run on the last day of April to give them a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

"I've still got to clean some things up and be better in certain situations," Muncy said. "It's a work in progress. We keep rewatching my at-bats and rewatching my swings and the back body has been good, it's just getting the ball to go forward."

Forward, ho, the Dodgers adding three runs in the third and four in the sixth with Mookie Betts driving in four on a single and a triple. Freddie Freeman followed Betts' triple in the sixth with his fifth home run. Muncy tripled in the seventh on a charitably scored fly ball to right field that Stowers misplayed, and scored on a single by Hernández.

The onslaught continued in the eighth with the Dodgers tacking on three more runs highlighted by a triple from Shohei Ohtani, doubles by Rojas and Teoscar Hernández and a single by Kiké Hernández. The Marlins scored four in the ninth against Gómez but it couldn't take away from the optimism the Dodgers took with them on their flight to Atlanta.

"It was a real good, feel-good victory," Roberts said.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Cubs-Pirates game delayed after fan falls onto field from bleachers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Wednesday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates was temporarily halted after a fan fell 21 feet to the field from the bleachers.

In the moments after Andrew McCutchen put the Pirates ahead on an RBI double in the seventh inning, play was halted and trainers from both teams rushed onto the field after a fan fell from the top of the wall and landed on the warning track of the stadium.

The incident occurred in the right field bleachers at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, with those seats perched on a 21-foot-high wall over the playing surface.

Video of the horrifying fall quickly began circulating on social media, with the broadcasts for the game declining to show the medical response to the incident.

After a short time, the fan was immobilized on a bodyboard and was carted off the field, and players from both teams knelt in stunned silence.

The Pirates released a statement after the incident:

 “Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play. Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

A statement from Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed the city’s Violent Crimes Unit was investigating the incident, adding that the man was hospitalized in critical condition.

Pittsburgh Police VCU detectives are investigating after a male fell ~20 feet from the bleachers at PNC Park onto the field of play during the @Pirates game.

Pittsburgh EMS field medics treated him on scene until he could be transported to the hospital in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/fjDHHrfTHy

— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) May 1, 2025

Play was ultimately resumed, with the Pirates holding on for a 4-3 victory.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he and the team are thinking about the man’s family, calling the incident “obviously scary.” He was seen on the broadcast pointing out the man to umpires, who immediately halted the game, but Counsell told media he did not see the fan fall.

“We didn’t know what we saw,” he said after the game. “All we saw was somebody laying on the warning track, and you know that’s not good. I hope the gentleman’s OK. Thinking about his family and him right now.”

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson reacted to the incident after the game.

“I didn’t see anything happen, but I saw (Counsell’s) face when he came out on the field, and I could tell that it was a very scary moment,” Swanson said. “All we could do was just pray for a good, strong recovery for him and his family. I have never been part of something like that before and I hope I am never part of something like that again.

“It’s a humble reminder of the gratitude we should all have to play this game. Folks obviously come out to support us, and they are a big reason why we are able to do what we do. It’s obviously tough. At a time like that, you want (the fans) to know you love them.”

We will update this story with details as they become available.

Cubs-Pirates game delayed after fan falls onto field from bleachers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Wednesday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates was temporarily halted after a fan fell 21 feet to the field from the bleachers.

In the moments after Andrew McCutchen put the Pirates ahead on an RBI double in the seventh inning, play was halted and trainers from both teams rushed onto the field after a fan fell from the top of the wall and landed on the warning track of the stadium.

The incident occurred in the right field bleachers at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, with those seats perched on a 21-foot-high wall over the playing surface.

Video of the horrifying fall quickly began circulating on social media, with the broadcasts for the game declining to show the medical response to the incident.

After a short time, the fan was immobilized on a bodyboard and was carted off the field, and players from both teams knelt in stunned silence.

The Pirates released a statement after the incident:

 “Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play. Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

A statement from Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed the city’s Violent Crimes Unit was investigating the incident, adding that the man was hospitalized in critical condition.

Pittsburgh Police VCU detectives are investigating after a male fell ~20 feet from the bleachers at PNC Park onto the field of play during the @Pirates game.

Pittsburgh EMS field medics treated him on scene until he could be transported to the hospital in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/fjDHHrfTHy

— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) May 1, 2025

Play was ultimately resumed, with the Pirates holding on for a 4-3 victory.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he and the team are thinking about the man’s family, calling the incident “obviously scary.” He was seen on the broadcast pointing out the man to umpires, who immediately halted the game, but Counsell told media he did not see the fan fall.

“We didn’t know what we saw,” he said after the game. “All we saw was somebody laying on the warning track, and you know that’s not good. I hope the gentleman’s OK. Thinking about his family and him right now.”

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson reacted to the incident after the game.

“I didn’t see anything happen, but I saw (Counsell’s) face when he came out on the field, and I could tell that it was a very scary moment,” Swanson said. “All we could do was just pray for a good, strong recovery for him and his family. I have never been part of something like that before and I hope I am never part of something like that again.

“It’s a humble reminder of the gratitude we should all have to play this game. Folks obviously come out to support us, and they are a big reason why we are able to do what we do. It’s obviously tough. At a time like that, you want (the fans) to know you love them.”

We will update this story with details as they become available.

Phillies' winning streak hits 4 with much smoother night vs. Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Routine wins work just fine, too. 

The Phillies followed up a series-opening rollercoaster by earning a far less stressful victory Wednesday night vs. the Nationals. 

A 7-2 win at Citizens Bank Park was the Phillies’ fourth in a row. They’re 17-13 overall. 

Cristopher Sanchez won his first start since exiting early last Tuesday against the Mets because of left forearm tightness. He threw 87 pitches over five innings and gave up five hits and two runs. Sanchez struck out six batters and walked three. 

Kyle Schwarber lifted Sanchez to a quick lead by bashing a first-inning home run for the second straight night. He punished Jake Irvin’s 0-2 curveball and trotted home with Bryson Stott and Trea Turner. 

Sanchez maintained the advantage and didn’t show anything worrisome on the velocity front; the lefty’s sinker was right on his season average of 95.7 mph. The Nationals took 11 swings at Sanchez’s changeup and whiffed on seven. 

He never shifted into true cruise control, in part because of uneven command. Sanchez walked two Nats and plunked CJ Abrams in the third inning. Nathaniel Lowe’s two-out RBI double cut Washington’s deficit to 3-1. Nick Castellanos’ path was a tad twisting, but he extinguished the threat with a jumping catch of Josh Bell’s fly ball to the right-field wall. 

The Phillies tacked on a run apiece in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto both ripped dingers.

Every player in the lineup reached base besides Edmundo Sosa, who started at third instead of Alec Bohm. Sosa had been 4 for 9 in his career against Irvin before Wednesday. 

“Trying to get Sosa a few more consistent at-bats,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said pregame. “He’s had good numbers against Irvin. (Bohm) will be back in tomorrow.”

The Phillies’ bullpen fared very well. The trio of Jose Ruiz, Tanner Banks and Carlos Hernandez allowed zero base runners and locked down the win without any unwanted fireworks.

Rehab updates 

Brandon Marsh’s rehab stint seems to be back on track after the 27-year-old outfielder’s right hamstring cramp Sunday.

Marsh is scheduled to play for Triple A Lehigh Valley on Thursday and Friday against the Rochester Red Wings, and “then we’ll see where we’re at,” Thomson said. 

Thomson had no pregame news on whether Ranger Suarez is ready to enter the Phillies’ rotation or will make another rehab start, though he expected more info soon. Suarez threw a bullpen session Wednesday. Taijuan Walker will start the series finale Thursday and the Phils’ rotation for their weekend series vs. the Diamondbacks remains TBD.

Phillies' winning streak hits 4 with much smoother night vs. Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Routine wins work just fine, too. 

The Phillies followed up a series-opening rollercoaster by earning a far less stressful victory Wednesday night vs. the Nationals. 

A 7-2 win at Citizens Bank Park was the Phillies’ fourth in a row. They’re 17-13 overall. 

Cristopher Sanchez won his first start since exiting early last Tuesday against the Mets because of left forearm tightness. He threw 87 pitches over five innings and gave up five hits and two runs. Sanchez struck out six batters and walked three. 

Kyle Schwarber lifted Sanchez to a quick lead by bashing a first-inning home run for the second straight night. He punished Jake Irvin’s 0-2 curveball and trotted home with Bryson Stott and Trea Turner. 

Sanchez maintained the advantage and didn’t show anything worrisome on the velocity front; the lefty’s sinker was right on his season average of 95.7 mph. The Nationals took 11 swings at Sanchez’s changeup and whiffed on seven. 

He never shifted into true cruise control, in part because of uneven command. Sanchez walked two Nats and plunked CJ Abrams in the third inning. Nathaniel Lowe’s two-out RBI double cut Washington’s deficit to 3-1. Nick Castellanos’ path was a tad twisting, but he extinguished the threat with a jumping catch of Josh Bell’s fly ball to the right-field wall. 

The Phillies tacked on a run apiece in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto both ripped dingers.

Every player in the lineup reached base besides Edmundo Sosa, who started at third instead of Alec Bohm. Sosa had been 4 for 9 in his career against Irvin before Wednesday. 

“Trying to get Sosa a few more consistent at-bats,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said pregame. “He’s had good numbers against Irvin. (Bohm) will be back in tomorrow.”

The Phillies’ bullpen fared very well. The trio of Jose Ruiz, Tanner Banks and Carlos Hernandez allowed zero base runners and locked down the win without any unwanted fireworks.

“I thought it was a complete game today,” Thomson said. “I thought we played well in all facets. We didn’t strikeout. I didn’t think we got out of the zone. We controlled it on both sides of the ball, for the most part. Stole a couple bases. Hit three home runs. … Sanchy was good, bullpen was excellent. Those three guys were really, really good. And the defense was solid. That was a really good game and now we’ve got to do it again.”

Rehab updates 

Brandon Marsh’s rehab stint seems to be back on track after the 27-year-old outfielder’s right hamstring cramp Sunday.

Marsh is scheduled to play for Triple A Lehigh Valley on Thursday and Friday against the Rochester Red Wings, and “then we’ll see where we’re at,” Thomson said. 

After the game, Thomson announced that Ranger Suarez needs no further rehab. He’s set for his season debut Sunday vs. the Diamondbacks.

The Phils plan to start Taijuan Walker in the series finale Thursday vs. the Nats. Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola will be their two starters in the Arizona series.

Phillies' winning streak hits 4 with much smoother night vs. Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Routine wins work just fine, too. 

The Phillies followed up a series-opening rollercoaster by earning a far less stressful victory Wednesday night vs. the Nationals. 

A 7-2 win at Citizens Bank Park was the Phillies’ fourth in a row. They’re 17-13 overall. 

Cristopher Sanchez won his first start since exiting early last Tuesday against the Mets because of left forearm tightness. He threw 87 pitches over five innings and gave up five hits and two runs. Sanchez struck out six batters and walked three. 

Kyle Schwarber lifted Sanchez to a quick lead by bashing a first-inning home run for the second straight night. He punished Jake Irvin’s 0-2 curveball and trotted home with Bryson Stott and Trea Turner. 

Sanchez maintained the advantage and didn’t show anything worrisome on the velocity front; the lefty’s sinker was right on his season average of 95.7 mph. The Nationals took 11 swings at Sanchez’s changeup and whiffed on seven. 

He never shifted into true cruise control, in part because of uneven command. Sanchez walked two Nats and plunked CJ Abrams in the third inning. Nathaniel Lowe’s two-out RBI double cut Washington’s deficit to 3-1. Nick Castellanos’ path was a tad twisting, but he extinguished the threat with a jumping catch of Josh Bell’s fly ball to the right-field wall. 

The Phillies tacked on a run apiece in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto both ripped dingers.

Every player in the lineup reached base besides Edmundo Sosa, who started at third instead of Alec Bohm. Sosa had been 4 for 9 in his career against Irvin before Wednesday. 

“Trying to get Sosa a few more consistent at-bats,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said pregame. “He’s had good numbers against Irvin. (Bohm) will be back in tomorrow.”

The Phillies’ bullpen fared very well. The trio of Jose Ruiz, Tanner Banks and Carlos Hernandez allowed zero base runners and locked down the win without any unwanted fireworks.

“I thought it was a complete game today,” Thomson said. “I thought we played well in all facets. We didn’t strikeout. I didn’t think we got out of the zone. We controlled it on both sides of the ball, for the most part. Stole a couple bases. Hit three home runs. … Sanchy was good, bullpen was excellent. Those three guys were really, really good. And the defense was solid. That was a really good game and now we’ve got to do it again.”

Rehab updates 

Brandon Marsh’s rehab stint seems to be back on track after the 27-year-old outfielder’s right hamstring cramp Sunday.

Marsh is scheduled to play for Triple A Lehigh Valley on Thursday and Friday against the Rochester Red Wings, and “then we’ll see where we’re at,” Thomson said. 

After the game, Thomson announced that Ranger Suarez needs no further rehab. He’s set for his season debut Sunday vs. the Diamondbacks.

The Phils plan to start Taijuan Walker in the series finale Thursday vs. the Nats. Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola will be their first two starters in the Arizona series.

Giants hope key regulars break out in May after sweep at Petco Park originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN DIEGO — The signs are there, particularly with Mike Yastrzemski, who played the two games at Petco Park with stubble on his chin. The next time Yastrzemski and the Giants take the field, it will be Mustache May, and some in the lineup are desperate for the calendar to turn. 

April was a good month for the Giants, a surprise contender early on, but it wasn’t kind to everyone. 

The Giants essentially have nine regulars in their lineup, and they all have been healthy. But not many of them can say they’re happy about where they’re currently at. Jung Hoo Lee is turning into a star and Yastrzemski has turned back the clock. But as the Giants head home after a two-game sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres, they’re the only starters with an OPS over .800

At times, manager Bob Melvin has seen a third or fourth join the party, and that was the case in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss, but too often, the load is not evenly distributed. 

Heliot Ramos hit a loud homer Wednesday, but it was his first in 26 games. Three of the other four hits came from Lee and Yastrzemski, who hit his fifth bomb of the season. The Giants can’t match the star power of a Tatis, Machado, Merrill trio, but they anticipated having a strong one-through-nine attack this season. It hasn’t shown up often, though.

Willy Adames looked like his old self in San Diego, but finished April with a .592 OPS. That still puts him well clear of LaMonte Wade Jr. and Patrick Bailey, who are under .500. 

“It is what it is. I think the at-bats are better [lately] with some of the guys, certainly LaMonte,” Melvin said. “We have faith that they’re going to get going.” 

Wade has been moved down in the order and now is seventh, one spot ahead of Bailey. But on Wednesday it was the heart of the order that faltered. Matt Chapman twice came up as the tying run in the late innings and struck out twice on elevated fastballs. He’s among the league leaders in walks but is 5-for-39 over his past dozen games. 

“They were probably both not strikes and [he’s] maybe trying to do a little bit too much,” Melvin said of the strikeouts. “I think both of those were up out of the zone. He’s obviously trying to get something up and drive one, but maybe too far out of the zone.” 

For the last three weeks, the key right-handed hitter who had been expanding was Ramos. He said he was over-thinking, but some loud contact Tuesday snapped him back into place. 

“It can take one hit, one pitch,” he said. “Even if it’s an out.” 

The hope is that others soon experience that, and it’s not like the sweep was entirely or even mostly on the lineup. Logan Webb gave up five runs Tuesday, and Landen Roupp was charged with four earned Wednesday. That meant the Giants were always playing from behind, and while they have plenty of comebacks this season, the sledding was much more difficult against a good Padres pitching staff. 

Melvin is hopeful that some regulars break out in May. Perhaps a few mustaches will help, or perhaps they’ll just find a fix during BP one day and take off from there. It’ll need to happen, because there’s no margin for error in this division. 

The Giants were in first place when they flew to San Diego. After 18 disappointing innings, they dropped to third.

“It was basically kind of the same game, where we didn’t do enough early in the game to put some pressure on their starter and [the Padres] did,” Melvin said. “We had to do our work against their relievers — which we did, we had the tying run up a couple times late in the game. It’s tough to do it off those guys but it’s early in the game that we didn’t put enough pressure, and we gave up too many runs in the first half of the game, as well.” 

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Cubs-Pirates game delayed after fan falls onto field from bleachers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Wednesday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates was temporarily halted after a fan fell 21 feet to the field from the bleachers.

In the moments after Andrew McCutchen put the Pirates ahead on an RBI double in the seventh inning, play was halted and trainers from both teams rushed onto the field after a fan fell from the top of the wall and landed on the warning track of the stadium.

The incident occurred in the right field bleachers at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, with those seats perched on a 21-foot-high wall over the playing surface.

Video of the horrifying fall quickly began circulating on social media, with the broadcasts for the game declining to show the medical response to the incident.

After a short time, the fan was immobilized on a bodyboard and was carted off the field, and players from both teams knelt in stunned silence.

The Pirates released a statement after the incident:

 “Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play. Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

A statement from Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed the city’s Violent Crimes Unit was investigating the incident, adding that the man was hospitalized in critical condition.

Pittsburgh Police VCU detectives are investigating after a male fell ~20 feet from the bleachers at PNC Park onto the field of play during the @Pirates game.

Pittsburgh EMS field medics treated him on scene until he could be transported to the hospital in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/fjDHHrfTHy

— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) May 1, 2025

Play was ultimately resumed, with the Pirates holding on for a 4-3 victory.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he and the team are thinking about the man’s family, calling the incident “obviously scary.” He was seen on the broadcast pointing out the man to umpires, who immediately halted the game, but Counsell told media he did not see the fan fall.

“We didn’t know what we saw,” he said after the game. “All we saw was somebody laying on the warning track, and you know that’s not good. I hope the gentleman’s OK. Thinking about his family and him right now.”

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson reacted to the incident after the game.

“I didn’t see anything happen, but I saw (Counsell’s) face when he came out on the field, and I could tell that it was a very scary moment,” Swanson said. “All we could do was just pray for a good, strong recovery for him and his family. I have never been part of something like that before and I hope I am never part of something like that again.

“It’s a humble reminder of the gratitude we should all have to play this game. Folks obviously come out to support us, and they are a big reason why we are able to do what we do. It’s obviously tough. At a time like that, you want (the fans) to know you love them.”

We will update this story with details as they become available.