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Justin Verlander feels love from Giants fans in home debut despite rough outing

Justin Verlander feels love from Giants fans in home debut despite rough outing originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Having pitched at Oracle Park nearly 13 years ago when he was with the Detroit Tigers, Justin Verlander had an idea of what to expect when he made his first home start with the Giants on Friday in their home opener.

It turned out to be everything that the three-time Cy Young Award winner expected and then some.

On an afternoon when the 42-year-old pitcher was far from peak form, a sellout crowd of 40,000-plus serenaded Verlander with thronging cheers as he walked off the field after retiring only seven batters.

It was the type of ovation Giants fans usually save for big-time players when they make big-time plays.

Verlander didn’t have any big-time moments against the Mariners but was still treated like royalty by Giants fans when manager Bob Melvin removed the right-hander after he allowed four consecutive Mariners to reach base with one out in the third.

It was somewhat reminiscent of when Verlander pitched here in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series. That was the game when Pablo Sandoval clubbed out three home runs, two of them off Verlander, who was cheered by Giants fans then as he walked off the mound.

“I’ve experienced this from the other side, obviously in some big moments,” said Verlander. “You know how great these fans are. A lot of the guys told me how special opening day is here for SF. It really was. The atmosphere was wonderful.”

Verlander didn’t get to see much of the Giants’ walk-off 10-9 win against the Seattle Mariners in the 11th. He spent the final three hours of the game in the Giants’ clubhouse watching the game on television.

While he didn’t last long on the mound in his first home start for San Francisco, Verlander definitely got work in. Probably more work than he or Melvin wanted in such a short span.

The Mariners were calm at the plate and patiently worked Verlander’s pitch count up. He threw 65 pitches and landed only 44 of them for strikes. That included a 13-pitch walk to Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh in the third. Raleigh got the walk after fouling off seven consecutive pitches.

“They just made him work really hard,” Melvin said. “He only walked two but they made him throw a ton of pitches. He gave up some hits. At that point in time, I wasn’t going to let him throw 40 pitches in an inning.”

When Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million deal in the offseason, Giants fans’ eyes glazed over at the thought of having one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history toeing the rubber for the home team at Oracle.

This version of Verlander, however, is different. He’s pitched beyond the fifth inning only once in his last 11 starts dating to 2024. Instead of just blowing his fastball by hitters, Verlander needs to be more crafty and creative with his arsenal.

Even on a bad day, though, Verlander found a silver lining with the way he was welcomed by the Giants’ faithful.

“I would have liked to have done better,” Verlander said. “I appreciate the fans cheering me on the way off the field. The atmosphere was great.”

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Luzardo dominant vs. Dodgers as Phillies' rotation continues to excel

Luzardo dominant vs. Dodgers as Phillies' rotation continues to excel originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If Jesus Luzardo is going to throw 97-98 mph all season …

Making his second start as a Phillie on Friday night against the vaunted Dodgers in a premium early-season matchup, Luzardo continued an excellent start to the year for himself and the rotation.

He blew fastballs by good hitters, induced weak contact and finished the Dodgers off with four different pitches: a fastball that averaged 97 and maxed out at 99, a slider, his new sweeper and a changeup.

Healthy after missing more than half the 2024 season with a back injury, Luzardo’s velocity is in the same range as 2023, when he struck out 208 over a career-high 178⅔ innings. If he stays healthy, he has a chance to make this his career year.

Not only was Luzardo effective on Friday against perhaps the majors’ best lineup, he was also hyper-efficient in the Phillies’ 3-2 win, beginning the seventh inning at 72 pitches. The Dodgers test you with power, patience, bat-to-ball skills and speed. They’re a complete offense. Luzardo was in complete control of them on Friday night, though, encountering zero difficulty until there were two outs in the seventh inning and Teoscar Hernandez blooped a tough-luck double into no-man’s land in shallow right field. He walked the next batter, Will Smith, but struck Kiké Hernandez out swinging at a low slider with the tying run 90 feet away to end his evening.

Through two starts, Luzardo has allowed two runs in 12 innings with 18 strikeouts and four walks.

“”Probably one of the most well-executed starts I’ve had in my career,” he said. “Making the pitches when I needed, moving the ball around. I didn’t shake once, basically trusting J.T. (Realmuto).”

The Phillies’ rotation as a whole has a 2.16 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 56 strikeouts and nine walks through seven games. The starter has pitched well in six of them, with only Aaron Nola struggling in the third game of the year at Nationals Park. Nola starts on Saturday opposite Japanese rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki.

The quality of the first two offenses the Phillies played was not strong. The Nationals could be a bottom-third offense and the Rockies could lose 105 games. But the Dodgers, even after losing Freddie Freeman to the injured list, have so many threats in their lineup: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Smith, Tommy Edman, Hernandez, Michael Conforto. They all had quick, unsuccessful at-bats against Luzardo with only Hernandez reaching base.

“A lot of talent, a lot of experience, a lot of veteran guys with superstar power,” Luzardo said. “You have to take it pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat. You can’t get overwhelmed and take it as a whole.”

The Phillies aligned their rotation with Luzardo pitching the day in between Zack Wheeler and Nola. The start after Nola belongs to Cristopher Sanchez, which lets the Phillies follow their two right-handed workhorses with high-velocity lefties. Luzardo has the fastest average four-seam fastball among left-handed starters in MLB this season and Sanchez has the fastest sinker.

When you assemble a rotation like this and don’t have a lackluster offense or bullpen, you’re going to be favored in most games. The Phillies’ clearest strength is their group of five starters, and they don’t even have Ranger Suarez (or Andrew Painter) yet.

The widespread offseason stance that they did not do enough may have overlooked the impact of a healthy Jesus Luzardo.

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Mookie Betts will join teammates for Dodgers' White House visit: 'This is not about me'

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts arrives at an event to honor the 2020 World Series champion Dodgers baseball team at the White House, July 2, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Mookie Betts attended the Dodgers' last visit to the White House in July 2021 following the team's World Series championship in 2020. Betts said Friday he plans to go to the White House on Monday for the team's visit in honor of their 2024 title. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts announced Friday he will accompany the team on its visit to the White House next week, when President Trump will recognize the club’s World Series title.

There had been uncertainty over Betts’ decision, given he declined to go with the Boston Red Sox in 2019 during Trump’s first term. He went with the Dodgers in 2021, when President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed the club after its 2020 championship.

When the Dodgers announced this visit last month — they will go to the White House on Monday before their series opener against the Washington Nationals — Betts said he was undecided about whether he would participate.

In the end, Betts emphasized to reporters Friday, his choice to go was not political, but rather because of his desire to be there for the team.

Read more:Hernández: Dodgers visiting Trump's White House goes against everything they represent

“No matter what I say or what I do, people are gonna take it as political,” Betts said. “But that’s definitely not what it is. This is about what the Dodgers were able to accomplish last year.”

Betts called it a “regret” that he didn’t join the Red Sox for their visit, which also was skipped by Boston manager Alex Cora and pitcher David Price, among others. Betts felt like his absence distracted from that team’s accomplishment and made the news cycle about him, something he felt in hindsight was “selfish.”

“This is not about me; I don’t want anything to be about me,” Betts said. “This is about the Dodgers. Because these boys were there for me.”

That was especially true early last October when he started the National League Division Series 0 for 6, making him 0 for 20 in the playoffs dating to 2022.

Betts was visibly frustrated and referred to that period Friday as “dark times.” He credited his teammates’ support for aiding his eventual turnaround, as he hit .321 with four home runs and 16 RBIs over the rest of the playoffs.

“These boys rallied around me, to help me so much through the playoffs last year and just my well-being as a person,” Betts said. “So for me to be able to look in the mirror at night and for me to be happy with the person I’m looking at, I need to be there with my boys to celebrate this accomplishment. All the fight, all that we did last year, that was hard. And I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror if I wasn’t there with them.”

Read more:Arellano: The Dodgers should meet with Trump. In No. 42 Jackie Robinson jerseys

While other Dodgers were asked whether they would go — including Dave Roberts, Kiké Hernández and Shohei Ohtani, all of whom said they planned to attend — Betts’ decision had been a bigger question.

“It is what it is,” said Betts, the only Black player on the roster. “It comes with the territory, being Black in America in a situation like this. It’s a tough spot to be in. No matter what I choose, somebody is gonna be pissed. Somebody is gonna have their own opinion. But again, this is not about me. This is not about politics. This is about the Dodgers. It’s about my loyalty to these boys, this clubhouse. And that’s all it is for me.”

With Betts on board, Roberts said he was expecting 100% attendance, though he reiterated that the team would have been OK with any players who declined to go.

“It wasn’t about putting pressure on any particular person,” Roberts said. “We still feel it’s a baseball thing for us. It’s tradition. And we’re doing it unified. So I’m excited about that.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Willy Adames' fitting walk-off in Giants' home opener follows script perfectly

Willy Adames' fitting walk-off in Giants' home opener follows script perfectly originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — There was no other way. The baseball gods wouldn’t allow it. 

The Giants returned home with a sense that the chemistry, vibes, talent and, most importantly, winning that showed all spring was no fluke, that the first year of the second Buster Posey Era at Oracle Park could be something special. On what might be the most beautiful day in San Francisco all summer, they alternated good baseball with an ugly brand that would have fit in just fine the previous three seasons. 

A sellout crowd cheered and groaned in equal measures during the first four-hour Giants game since the pitch clock was instituted. It went 11 innings, and when it was finally over, rookie starter Hayden Birdsong was the only pitcher left in either bullpen.

In the center of it all, for four hours and three minutes, was Willy Adames, the star who was given the largest contract in franchise history shortly after Posey took over. Of course, it would all come down to him. There was no other way. 

“I love being in the middle of everything,” Adames said, smiling. 

That much has been clear since the first day he put on orange and black. Adames has never been an All-Star, and yet he has a way of becoming the centerpiece of any room he walks into. The Giants signed him nearly as much for the chemistry and leadership as for the power and dependable glove, and when the rest of the league starts trying to figure out how they’re exceeding expectations, many in the room will give a big slice of the credit to Adames.

That was true even before he came up in the bottom of the 11th, but it doesn’t hurt to add highlights to your reel. With two outs, two on and the Giants trailing by a run, Adames poked a cutter into right field. Luis Matos scored easily and Tyler Fitzgerald raced home ahead of the throw, clinching a 10-9 win over the Seattle Mariners. 

It was the highest-scoring opener in Oracle Park’s history, and that also felt appropriate on Friday. Before the game, the Giants celebrated the 25th anniversary of the park, bringing members of the 2000 team out to help usher in a new season. 

That team won 97 games and the National League West. This group faces the daunting task of trying to stay within shouting distance of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost for the first time Friday, but at the very least, the Giants have shown through a week that they’re fully intent on surprising. 

Adames said the Giants are in a “great place” when it comes to clubhouse vibes, energy and chemistry. And then there’s another intangible. 

“They’re a bunch of dogs, man,” he said of his teammates. “They’re going to go out there and fight.”

Every last punch was needed Friday, because the Giants played a lot of baseball that would have led to sleepless nights had it not been for the final single, the 32nd combined hit of the game. There were missed opportunities on both sides, including the Giants’ failure to score the winning run from third with no outs in the ninth. 

Adames was part of that sequence, popping up to second. He was also seemingly part of every grounder or line drive for about an hour in the middle of the marathon. Adames leapt into the air to steal a single from close friend Julio Rodriguez, who later demanded that he buy him a meal on Saturday. He smiled and exchanged playful gestures with Rodriguez, and that continued when Adames was later on second base as a runner. 

The leap was followed by a series of rockets that Adames couldn’t get in front of, though. He said the hard dirt on a sunny day surprised him, but he also felt he should have made more plays.

“Man, they were trying to kill me today,” he said, laughing. “I felt like every groundball was hit to me like 155 (mph)! I was obviously trying to make the plays, unfortunately, it didn’t happen a few times. But obviously, I always want the ball hit to me.”

Adames shook the sequence off, the smile rarely leaving his face as he took in his first home game at Oracle Park. But there’s a commitment to his craft, too, and it’s no fluke that Adames is coming off a 112-RBI season. Manager Bob Melvin calls him an “RBI guy,” and with the winning run on second, Adames had his chance. 

The Mariners called a mound meeting around righty Carlos Vargas, who had just struck out LaMonte Wade Jr. with a nasty cutter, right after a walk of Fitzgerald, who took an impossibly close 3-2 slider that could have gone either way. 

Adames thought Vargas would throw a sinker on his hands. He told himself to make contact and give his runners a chance, and when he got a first-pitch cutter, he served it into right field. Within seconds, he was part of his first walk-off celebration in San Francisco.

It was the first opener at Oracle Park with more than 18 total runs, and it came on the heels of a trip during which the Giants mostly won with pitching and strong defense. They could have been charged with two or three errors Friday, and starter Justin Verlander was knocked out in the third inning of his own Oracle Park debut. 

But a win is a win, and 6-1 is 6-1. Good teams, Verlander said, find different ways to win.

“Like I said in the spring, this team has something special,” he said. “I thought we were overlooked. It’s early, but I think you can see that this team is pretty good.”

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Red Sox put new ‘Wally' HR celebration to use in 13-run home opener

Red Sox put new ‘Wally' HR celebration to use in 13-run home opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Gone is the laundry cart. So too are Masataka Yoshida’s inflatable dumbbells. But there’s a new prop in the Boston Red Sox’ dugout at Fenway Park, and it got multiple uses in the team’s first home game of the season Friday.

After Trevor Story launched a three-run home run over the Green Monster in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, teammate Jarren Duran presented him with a furry green Wally the Green Monster head in honor of Boston’s mascot.

After the very next batter, Wilyer Abreu, laced a homer to right field, the Wally head came right back out.

So, whose idea was it to celebrate home runs in 2025 with a helmet-sized version of Wally, and how did it get in the dugout? It turns out Duran was the mastermind, with help from Red Sox assistant general manager Raquel Ferreira.

“She told me [not to get my hopes up],” Duran said after Boston’s 13-9 win, via MLB.com. “And then yesterday, Wally actually presented it to me. So it was kind of a cool thing to happen.

“… I knew we had the Masa dumbbells and then we had the Boston Marathon medal. And it was just kind of like, ‘Man, what are we gonna do this year?’ At first, I was gonna use Wally’s head. I’m like, ‘There’s no way we’d be able to fit that in the dugout.’

“So I just asked Raquel, ‘Is there way we can get, like, a miniature Wally head?’ And she made it happen. So praise to her.”

The Red Sox actually posted a video of the moment when Wally and the team’s female mascot, Tessie, presented the furry helmet to Duran inside the Green Monster.

The Red Sox didn’t hit any more homers after the first inning, but they had no problem scoring, mashing their way to 13 runs on 16 hits to secure the victory in their home opener.

Boston clubbed 194 home runs last season (ninth-most in Major League Baseball) and should have an even more potent offense this season, so expect to see plenty more of the Wally head in 2025 — with manager Alex Cora’s blessing.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, no way,'” Cora said, via MLB.com. “But it’s all fun. We’re in in the entertainment business, and people like it. So if they want to do it, they’ve got the green light.”

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Wilson's big hits spark Athletics' extra-inning win vs. Rockies

Wilson's big hits spark Athletics' extra-inning win vs. Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With two outs in the 11th inning against Rockies righty Angel Chivilli, Jacob Wilson delivered a single to right to break a 3-3 tie and give the Athletics a 5-3 lead and ultimately a 6-3 win in snowy Colorado on Friday.

Chivilli threw an 87-mph slider for a ball before regrettably throwing a 95-mph four-seam fastball that Wilson squared up.

The top prospect’s go-ahead hit, which enabled the Athletics to snap their four-game losing streak, came 10 innings after he launched an 89-mph slider from Rockies right-handed starter Ryan Feltner 414 feet to left-center for the second home run of his 2025 MLB season and big-league career.

The Athletics squandered a 3-2 lead in the eighth and momentum was on the Rockies’ side. Wilson and his team, though, stepped up when it mattered most.

“Obviously, the four-game [losing streak] is unfortunate,” Wilson prefaced on NBC Sports California’s “Athletics Postgame Live” with Dallas Braden and Jenny Cavnar. “But we came out today – obviously it’s pretty cold – but we woke the bats up late in the game there; a bunch of guys got on base and had good bats. And pitching came in to do their thing.

“I definitely love them, for sure” Wilson added about big moments.

The Athletics (3-5) and Rockies (1-6) had 11 hits apiece, with Lawrence Butler,JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers having two hits each, too. But Wilson’s two-RBI single and the ensuing RBI double from Gio Urshela couldn’t have been more timely; before those two, the Athletics didn’t have a hit since a Miguel Andújar double in the fifth.

Wilson’s 2-for-5 outing shouldn’t be a surprise despite coming in the snow and chilly 35-degree weather. 

The 23-year-old entered riding a seven-game hitting streak and now stands as the first Athletics player since Billy Butler, who hit safely over the first 12 games of the 2012 campaign, to collect a hit over the Athletics’ first eight games of a season. Wilson is up to nine hits this year.

“I talked about him continually this offseason and into spring training, he’s got one of the better bat-to-ball skills,” four-year Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters postgame. “He’s on display right now. He can turn on a pitch, that was a breaking ball he drove out to left. And to get the base hit to put us ahead there in the 11th, [he] hit the ball the other way.

“He’s swinging the bat really well right now; it’s fun to watch.”

And as Wilson mentioned, the Athletics were dialed on the mound, which surely is a relief for the club after it allowed the Chicago Cubs to score 35 runs over three games in the frustrating Sutter Health Park debut series in West Sacramento. 

Athletics righty Osvaldo Bido formidably allowed two runs and six hits while collecting five strikeouts over five innings against the Rockies. 

“He controlled the baseball today,” Kotsay told reporters postgame. “Today, he was smooth, the ball was coming out of his hand. It’s a cold day, but for him to maintain the ability to throw strikes was most important, and he did a nice job getting us five innings.”

Five relievers – Justin Sterner, Tyler Ferguson, José Leclerc, Noah Murdock and All-Star closer Mason Miller – finished the job by allowing one run over the final six innings. Miller collected his second save of 2025 after shutting down Colorado in the 11th.

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Mets' Juan Soto on Citi Field debut: 'This fanbase is amazing'

The months-long wait to see Juan Soto in a full Mets uniform at Citi Field is finally over.

During lineup introductions before the Mets' home opener against the Blue Jays on Friday afternoon, Soto received a rousing ovation from fans in attendance. The superstar slugger's moment was only made sweeter with longtime Mets voice Howie Rose behind the microphone for the announcement.

His thrilling introduction to the Mets' lineup can be seen below, along with him taking the field and the crowd cheering ahead of his first at-bat in his new home.

After the game was over, a 5-0 win for the home team, Soto was asked if Citi Field felt like home.

"Yeah it feels great, this fanbase is amazing," Soto said. "I didn't realize how many fans they have, how passionate they are. It's really cool."

Soto gave the Citi Field crowd more to cheer for when he came up in the sixth inning with a chance to do damage. With Francisco Lindor on first, Soto drove a double off a left-hander -- brought in specifically to face him -- to score his teammate.

"It’s great when you break the other team’s plans. They bring the lety to face me get a groundball or something, and when you come through in a big situation like that it’s great," Soto said of the moment. "I’m glad I was able to put the ball in play and give a chance to Lindor to score."

Soto signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in early December. The 26-year-old slugger has arrived home slashing .238/.407/.429 with one home run and double apiece through six road games this season.

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What we learned as Willy Adames delivers walk-off hit in Giants' home opener win

What we learned as Willy Adames delivers walk-off hit in Giants' home opener win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Willy Adames hit a two-run walk-off single in the 11th inning, ending a long, frustrating afternoon as the Giants rallied to beat the Seattle Mariners 10-9 on Friday at Oracle Park.

The Giants had plenty of offense throughout the afternoon, collecting 17 hits. But most of those baserunners were stranded as San Francisco fell short in several key situations.

It didn’t look good either after reliever Spencer Bivens allowed the go-ahead run to score on a wild pitch in the top of the 11th.

Instead of wilting, the Giants rose up and came back to win.

Luis Matos was the runner at second to begin the 11th and advanced to second on Tyler Fitzgerald’s one-out walk. After LaMonte Wade Jr. struck out looking, Adames delivered the game-winner.

Before all of that, it was an afternoon filled with mixed results for Adames and the Giants’ other newest star in their first home game in San Francisco.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander got knocked around by the Mariners and failed to make it past the third inning, leaving the mound after retiring only seven batters and allowing three runs.

The day began on a good note when the Giants brought out several former players to celebrate 25 years of Oracle Park. That elicited a huge cheer and countless memories for those in the crowd.

Verlander surrendered a home run to Julio Rodriguez on his fourth pitch of the afternoon, a 96 mph four-seamer that the Mariners star crushed 390 feet with an exit velocity of 108 mph.

The Giants tied the game in the bottom of the first, then took a brief lead with two runs in the second before the Mariners stormed back to chase Verlander before continuing to tack on against San Francisco’s bullpen.

LaMonte Wade Jr. doubled twice, tripled and drove in two runs for the Giants, who improved to 6-1 after beginning the season with a 5-1 road trip. Matt Chapman added his second home run of the season and had two RBIs.

After the Mariners scored three unearned runs off former closer Camilo Doval in the top of the sixth to take a 8-6 lead, the Giants tied it following Chapman’s solo home and an RBI groundout by Patrick Bailey.

Then the game went into extras.

Here are the takeaways from Friday’s home opener:

Quick hook again

Verlander’s home debut lasted slightly longer than the pre-game celebration of Oracle Park’s anniversary.

Verlander, who lasted five innings in his Giants debut against the Cincinnati Reds on March 29, was knocked out of the game against Seattle after recording only seven outs and throwing 65 pitches, only 44 of which landed for strikes.

Verlander was charged with three earned runs, but his fast exit has been a trend dating back to last season. The 42-year-old right-hander has made it past five innings just once in his previous 10 starts.

Small-ball second inning

The Giants ditched their power swing and returned to basics during their two-run second inning.

After Wilmer Flores led off the frame with a sharp single, Patrick Bailey bunted down the third base line and reached on an infield hit. It was just the fourth bunt hit of Bailey’s professional career.

Tyler Fitzgerald followed and appeared to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Mariners pitcher Luis F. Castillo bobbled the ball for an error to load the bases. Wade then slapped a two-run single to left to give the Giants a lead they never relinquished.

Flashing the fancy glove

Adames has never won a Gold Glove during his seven MLB seasons, but he sure looked like one briefly against the Mariners.

The 6-foot shortstop made a leaping catch of Rodriguez’s sharp line drive leading off the fifth inning, a critical play during an inning when Seattle scored twice.

In the seventh inning, Adames missed a chance at another web gem on Ryan Bliss’s grounder but made up for it two batters later when Seattle had runners at second and third with one out. Playing in, Adames snagged Victor Robles’ one-out grounder and threw to first for the out while the runners stayed put.

Adames also broke out of his mini-slump at the plate, giving more justification to the seven-year, $182 million deal he signed with the Giants in the offseason.

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Mets Notes: Juan Soto getting first Citi Field ovation, emotions high for home opener

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke ahead of Friday's highly-anticipated home opener against the Blue Jays.

Here are the most important notes...

Juan Soto ready for a new Big Apple ovation

At long last, Juan Soto will hear his name introduced at Citi Field, nearly four months after signing a record-breaking $765 million contract to play in Queens. The ovations he received in Port St. Lucie throughout spring training came first, but the reception from a home crowd with nearly six times more fans will be unrivaled.

Soto's first road trip with the Mets was average, considering his superstar standards. The slugging outfielder hit .238 in 27 plate appearances, but collected his first home run and double while also walking six times.

It's safe to assume that Soto will enjoy the home cooking, even while getting settled into his new digs in a new borough. The 26-year-old has thrived at Citi Field in his career, slashing a laudable .333/.466/.709 with 12 homers, six doubles, and 26 RBI in 35 games. Mendoza realizes what Friday means to Soto and the fans.

"It's special, especially after the offseason and all the rumors," Mendoza said. "'Where is he going to go? Finally, he's a Met.' Getting to play in front of the home fanbase for the first time is going to feel real now, even though we're already six games into it. Coming home and getting that ovation today is going to be pretty special, and I'm sure the fans can't wait."

Citi FIeld should also give Pete Alonso a warm welcome. After months of stalled free-agent negotiations between the Mets and veteran slugger, there were moments when a reunion seemed doubtful.

But through six games, Alonso appears eager to live up to the two-year, $54 million prove-it contract he signed in mid-February. With a pair of clutch homers against the Marlins in Miami, he's delivered some swagger to a Mets lineup that's still trying to find its groove.

The consensus is that Soto will hear the loudest ovation during warmups, but Alonso brought the team back home with some much-needed momentum. Regardless, the incessant cheers won't only belong to them.
"The good thing is we can say the same thing about a lot of the guys here," Mendoza said. "What's the ovation going to be for Lindor? What about Nimmo? What about Pete? Because we didn't know what was going to happen and it happened late. The way he's been playing the past six games, the fact that he's back and what he means to this team and this fanbase. You can make a case for a lot of players here, and that's a good feeling."

Yes, there's no place like home

The Mets returned to the Big Apple on Thursday after completing a six-game road trip to begin the 2025 campaign, and when they take the field against the Blue Jays on Friday afternoon, they'll be vying for a ninth home-opening win since 2015.

Mendoza is plenty familiar with Opening Day atmospheres. Before taking over as Mets skipper in 2024, he spent six years in the Yankees' dugout as their bench coach. He's comfortable with heightened season expectations and raucous New York crowds, but the traditional pregame introductions and festivities for a home opener stir special emotions.

"It's always great to be home again, playing in front of your fanbase. Packed house, loud, very exciting," Mendoza said. "It's a unique atmosphere. The way the fans are into every pitch. They're right there behind you. It's a really good feeling, it's coming from a really good place. It's fun. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's such a special place here...

"Last year, I don't think we had a sold-out crowd. I think we're going to be sold-out today. It's a little different than last year, I think we got rained out. Going through the playoffs and feeling it, even though this is the home opener, it's pretty similar. It means a lot. It's a privilege, nothing we can ever take for granted."

Progress on the injury front

Mendoza shared encouraging updates on a few injured players who are in attendance for the home opener. Francisco Alvarez, who's still recovering from a fractured left hand, is scheduled to catch a bullpen thrown by Kodai Senga on Friday. The Mets catcher is also swinging the bat and handling cage work.

Alvarez participated in receiving drills with soft baseballs last week, while using his surgically-repaired left hand. He broke his left hamate bone on March 8 during live at-bats in camp, and the latest news suggests that he's still on track to return in late April, on the shorter end of the initial six-to-eight week recovery timeline.

As for Jeff McNeil, still working his way back from a mid-March oblique injury, he's taking swings off a machine in the cage, according to Mendoza. His return to the active roster still remains unknown. Mendoza also mentioned that lefty Paul Blackburn, who's on the injured list with a knee issue, is scheduled to throw a bullpen on Saturday. His season debut could arrive in a few weeks.

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Fantasy baseball two-start pitchers: Garrett Crochet headlines the intriguing options for week of April 7

Hello and welcome to the second edition of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.

I'll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.

Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.

This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along. Without further ado, let's dig into the options for the week of April 7.

Aaron Judge
2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge lead Top 300 rest of season ranks
Mookie Betts has bounced back from illness, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is in a great spot with the Yankees.

Going Twice…

Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, April 4, and are subject to change.

American League

Strong Plays

Garrett Crochet (vs. Blue Jays, @ White Sox)

This one is probably the biggest no-brainer on the board this week. Crochet was drafted as a top-three starting pitcher by the end of draft season and he has posted a minuscule 1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a 12/3 K/BB ratio over 13 innings through his first two starts. He gets a decent matchup ag home against the Jays and then gets to battle the hapless White Sox in Chicago. He’s perhaps the top overall starting pitcher on the board this week and should be started with confidence in all formats.

Cole Ragans (vs. Twins, @ Guardians)

Ragans was drafted to be the ace of your fantasy staff in most circumstances (possibly as a strong SP2 in others), so you’re starting him almost every week without question. His first two-start week is no exception to that rule, especially since neither matchup is very frightening. He should pile up 10+ strikeouts on the week with a very good chance at earning his first victory of the season.

Logan Gilbert (vs. Astros, vs. Rangers)

Another one that you shouldn’t overthink. Gilbert was drafted to be your ace in most fantasy leagues and he should be started every week in nearly all formats. His matchups aren’t overly imposing and he gets the added benefit of both starts being at Safeco Field in Seattle. He should be started with full confidence.

Casey Mize (vs. Yankees, @ Twins)

The former top overall pick looked very impressive during Grapefruit League play with his revamped splitter and he carried that over to an outstanding season debut against the Mariners this past week. The matchup against the Yankees isn’t ideal, but getting to face them in the spacious confines of Comerica Park helps to mute the home run risk. There’s nothing scary about taking on the Twins right now. It may be aggressive ranking him as a strong play after only one good performance, but I’m starting Mize with complete confidence in all formats this week.

Pablo Lopez (@ Royals, vs. Tigers)

Lopez is another starter that you’re going to be using nearly 100% of the time this season, so in his first two-start week in a couple of very strong matchups, you’re obviously going to be starting him. He gets a couple of tough matchups in opposing pitchers though, battling Cole Ragans and Casey Mize, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go through the week without earning a victory. Still, he should pile up strikeouts and is worth using in all leagues.

Carlos Rodon (@ Tigers, vs. Giants)

The 32-year-old southpaw has had one great start and one decent start to open the 2025 season, compiling a 3.97 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 12/6 K/BB ratio across 11 1/3 innings. He starts off his two-start week with a terrific matchup against the Tigers at Comerica Park and finishes up by taking on a powerful Giants’ offense at Yankee Stadium. There’s ratio risk involved with that second start, but overall they are strong matchups for Rodon for the upcoming week. The strikeouts should certainly be there with decent enough win equity that you should be comfortable starting him in all leagues.

Shane Baz (vs. Angels, vs. Braves)

Baz was brilliant in his 2025 season debut, amassing a career-high 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings against the Pirates, looking like he’s finally going to deliver on his long-held promise. He draws a strong matchup to start the week, taking on the right-handed heavy Angels at home before welcoming in a struggling Braves’ offense. If he’s on your pitching staff, he should be started for what on paper looks like a terrific two-start week.

Nathan Eovaldi (@ Cubs, @ Mariners)

Eovaldi has certainly looked the part of an ace through his first two starts of the season. He racked up nine strikeouts over six innings of two-run ball against the Red Sox before delivering the season’s first complete game shut out his last time out against the Reds in Cincinnati. You shouldn’t even worry about any fatigue from that last outing as he threw only 99 pitches in that outstanding performance. Taking on the Cubs at Wrigley isn’t ideal, but finishing the week with the Mariners in Seattle is. Decent shot at a win, plenty of strikeouts and limited ratio damage, all point to Eovaldi being a terrific play for his two-start week.

Decent Plays

Zach Eflin (@ Diamondbacks, vs. Blue Jays)

Eflin has delivered quality starts in each of his first two outings to kick off the 2025 season, though he has amassed only seven strikeouts in those outings. He draws a difficult matchup in that first start, having to take on the Diamondbacks (and Zac Gallen) in Arizona before finishing up the week by battling the Blue Jays at home. He’s fine, and in 15-teamers you don’t think twice about rolling him out there. In 12’s though, it’s possible that you have more worthwhile options that you’d want to use instead.

Shane Smith (@ Guardians, vs. Red Sox)

It’s only been one start, but I like what I have seen so far from the 25-year-old rookie right-hander. Wins are going to be difficult to come by pitching for the White Sox, though his pitching matchups aren’t bad in this one – taking on Logan Allen and Tanner Houck. I think you can expect him to get somewhere between eight and ten strikeouts for the week and the ratio risk feels muted with one of those starts coming against the light-hitting Guardians. He may not be worth it in 10 or 12 teamers, but I’d start Smith with confidence in 15-team leagues.

Logan Allen (vs. White Sox, vs. Royals)

Sometimes the matchups almost mean more to me than the pitcher themselves. Allen struggled badly in his first start of the season, giving up four runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Padres in San Diego with only one strikeout. He should be set up for success this week though, drawing a pair of terrific matchups at home in the White Sox and the Royals. The chances of earning a win in that second start will be muted as he opposes Cole Ragans, but he should be a favorite in the first start. If you’re looking to add a start to the mix this coming week by streaming a double, Allen should be a viable option.

Tanner Houck (vs. Blue Jays, @ White Sox)

While he gets the same matchups as his rotation-mate Garrett Crochet, Houck hasn’t pitched quite as well in the early going, so he’s not an absolute must-start for me. Assuming that he gets both of those starts – especially the weekend tilt against the White Sox – he’s probably worth trotting out in all 15-team formats and isn’t a bad option in 12’s either, just be aware that there is some ratio risk involved with this one.

Hayden Wesneski (@ Mariners, vs. Angels)

Wesneski is another player that I was very high on coming into the season and that hasn’t changed after one start. While he allowed three runs in a loss to the Giants, it came with a 1.00 WHIP and six punchouts over five innings. He draws two very good matchups taking on the Mariners in Seattle and the Angels at home and I’m starting him without hesitation in all leagues.

Simeon Woods Richardson (@ Royals, vs. Tigers)

Woods Richardson is the type of pitcher that will be streamed for most of his two-start weeks on the season but will rarely be used for single starts. That’s just the nature of the game sometimes. This week though, he gets a terrific draw taking on the Royals in Kansas City and then a home date against the depleted Tigers’ offense. He punched out five batters over four innings in his first start of the season and should challenge for 10+ strikeouts in this double dip. He’d be one of my top targets for the week if available on the waiver wire.

At Your Own Risk

Luis Severino (vs. Padres, vs. Mets)

I’ll be honest, this one scares me quite a bit. Severino dominated on Opening Day against the Mariners in Seattle, but gave up five runs in a loss against the Cubs his next time out. It’s a small sample, but we have seen the A’s new ballpark in West Sacramento function as one of the top offensive environments in the league so far, and welcoming in a pair of very strong offenses doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. If you need the strikeouts, maybe you could roll the dice here, just understand that Severino is unlikely to be a favorite to win in either of these starts and the potential for him to blow up your ratios is very real.

Michael Lorenzen (vs. Twins, @ Guardians)

Despite the decent matchups, I have concerns over trying to stream Michael Lorenzen this week. He struggled in his first start of the season against a slumping Brewers’ offense in Milwaukee, posting a 5.06 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 5 1/3 innings, though he did record seven strikeouts. If I absolutely felt like I needed to add starts in a 15-team league, I could see myself looking his way further down my bid lists, but he won’t be a player that I’m actively looking to acquire for next week.

Kyle Hendricks (@ Rays, @ Astros)

Hendricks is one of those pitchers who always seems to be available to pick up for his two-start weeks, while no fantasy managers ever trot him out for a single start regardless of matchups. He actually looked sharp in his first start, allowing two runs on seven hits with a 4/0 K/BB ratio over six frames against the Cardinals. The matchup against the Rays doesn’t scare me, though I cringe thinking what the Astros could do to him with their short porch in left field. I can understand why you may want to gamble here in deeper leagues, I’ll most likely be staying away though.

Jose Berrios (@ Red Sox, @ Orioles)

Berrios has flashed extreme inconsistency through his first two starts of the season, which is pretty much what we have come to expect from him throughout the years. It’s not going to get any easier in his two-start week though, taking on a pair of very strong offenses on the road – both of which are divisional opponents who are very familiar with his work. Personally, if I have anything close to a better option, I’d probably sit this one out and avoid blowing up my ratios even further to open the 2025 campaign.

Easton Lucas (@ Red Sox, @ Orioles)

Lucas pitched very well in his first start with the Jays, firing five innings of shutout baseball in a victory over the Nationals. If the matchups were stronger, I’d be all aboard rolling him out for this two-start week, but the opponents matter. Taking on two very strong offenses on the road in hitter’s parks isn’t ideal. There’s also the added risk of the Jays shifting their rotation around and Lucas potentially missing his second start of the week or having it pushed back. If you want to try to ride the wave of his strong first start, be my guest. It’s too risky for my blood though.

National League

Strong Plays

Chris Sale (vs. Phillies, @ Rays)

The reigning National League Cy Young award winner hasn’t looked like an ace through his first two starts – allowing three earned runs over five innings in each – though his 12/1 K/BB ratio has been terrific and he has taken on two of the top offenses in the league (Padres and Dodgers) both on the road. He’s going to be just fine and this looks like a great week for him to start to get those ratios back in line. He should be started in all formats without question.

Zac Gallen (vs. Orioles, vs. Brewers)

Fresh off of a brilliant outing against the Yankees on Wednesday night, Gallen gets his first two-start week of the season. While the Orioles are a strong offense, getting to face them at home isn’t quite as scary, and the Brewers have been in a major funk to begin the 2025 campaign. You drafted Gallen to be a large part of your starting rotation, so you have to roll him out for two start weeks – especially when the matchups aren’t anything to shy away from.

Zack Wheeler (@ Braves, @Cardinals)

You almost certainly drafted Wheeler to be your ace in most fantasy leagues and you are starting him every week if he’s healthy. There’s nothing in the risk profile this week to suggest that you should do anything differently. Enjoy the extra strikeouts and the greater win equity from having a two-start week from your horse instead of a single start.

Hunter Greene (@ Giants, vs. Pirates)

I admittedly wasn’t very high on Greene entering fantasy drafts this season, as I’m worried the extreme velocity that he throws at is going to eventually lead to injury. While he’s healthy though, fantasy managers should start him with confidence most weeks. This first two-start week is no exception, as he draws strong matchups against the Giants in San Francisco and then the Pirates at home. He has been brilliant through his first two starts, posting a 2.25 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and a 16/2 K/BB ratio over 12 frames yet he’s still in search of his first victory. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t get into the win column this week.

Dustin May (@ Nationals, vs. Cubs)

May was brilliant in his first start of the 2025 season, striking out six batters over five shutout innings in a no-decision against the Braves. His win equity is through the roof pitching on the Dodgers, so it would be surprising if he didn’t come away with at least one victory this week. The way that the Cubs have been swinging the bats makes the second start somewhat concerning from a ratio perspective, but it’s a risk that’s definitely worth taking. Start May with confidence in all formats next week.

Kodai Senga (vs. Marlins, @ Athletics)

When he has been healthy, Senga has provided nothing but strong results during his time with the Mets, so there’s no reason to expect anything otherwise when he’s actually taking the hill. This week specifically though, he draws two of the best possible matchups that you can get – taking on the Marlins at home and then the Athletics in Sacramento. He should be considered an elite option this week and should be started in every single format.

Michael King (@ Athletics, vs. Rockies)

Another pitcher that should be a no-brainer every week. King was drafted to be a major part of your fantasy squad’s rotation and he should be started without question for most weeks (maybe sitting for a single start against the Dodgers). It’s simply an added bonus that the matchups are strong this week. Start him with full confidence and reap the rewards this week.

Decent Plays

Freddy Peralta (@ Rockies, @ Diamondbacks)

I know that you should always start your studs and not overthink it, but these matchups for Peralta this week should at least have you considering alternatives in shallower leagues. While he has been great through his first two starts on the season, taking on the Rockies at Coors Field and the Diamondbacks in Arizona is about as tough as it can get for a two-start week. He’ll still give you the strikeouts either way, and even at Coors Field he’s going to be a favorite to earn a victory in that first start on Tuesday. I’m still starting him in 15’s and probably would in 12’s as well, just understand that the risk for ratio damage is higher this week than it normally would be for the Brewers’ ace.

Logan Webb (vs. Reds, @ Yankees)

For most weeks, Webb should be a staple in fantasy lineups. There’s at least some reason for pause this week, as he draws a couple of very difficult matchups. The Reds’ offense can be frightening at times – even though they have struggled for their last three games. Battling the Yankees and their torpedo bats at Yankee Stadium has been a recipe for disaster for many starting pitchers already this season. In most leagues, you’re not going to have enough better options to be able to sit Webb for a tough two-start week. Just know that he’s not positioned as well for success as he normally is and the risk of a blowup in either of those two starts is present. I’d still start him, but I’d be hoping for good results rather than expecting them.

Matthew Liberatore (@ Pirates, vs. Phillies)

One of my favorite starts of the week, and a player that I targeted last week to pick up for his two-start week, is Matthew Liberatore. The talented 25-year-old southpaw posted a quality start in his first start of the season against the Angels, posting a 1.00 WHIP and striking out four over his six frames. He draws a terrific matchup to start the two-step, battling the Pirates in Pittsburgh before welcoming in the Phillies in his final start. At least for that one, his handedness mutes the overall power potential for Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. If he’s available on the waiver wire in your league, he makes for a strong streaming option for this two-start week.

At Your Own Risk

Justin Steele (vs. Rangers, @ Dodgers)

If you would’ve told me before the season started that I’d have trepidation over starting Justin Steele for his first two-start week of the season, I doubt that I would have believed you, but here we are. Despite being 2-1 through his first three outings he holds a troublesome 6.89 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 13/3 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 innings while serving up a league-leading five home runs. If the matchups were strong, I’d have more confidence in using him, but the Rangers are a powerful offense that could give him trouble at Wrigley Field and we’ve already seen what the Dodgers did against him in the Tokyo Series. In deeper leagues you can try it if you don’t have better options, just know that there’s ratio risk involved.

Kyle Freeland (vs. Brewers, @ Padres)

I would have liked to move Freeland up to the decent start section given how well he has pitched in his first two outings (2.13 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 10/0 K/BB ratio over 12 2/3 innings), but the matchups prevented me from doing so. As poor as the Brewers’ offense has been in the early going, having to battle them at Coors Field doesn’t seem ideal. That second start on the road against the Padres is also a bit terrifying. There’s a chance that he continues his early-season success and winds up with a victory, eight strikeouts and decent ratios this week, but there’s plenty of risk involved. If you’re a gambler and want to roll the dice though, be my guest.

Connor Gillispie (@ Mets, vs. Nationals)

The 27-year-old right-hander has surprisingly pitched well through his first two big league starts, compiling a 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 10/4 K/BB ratio over 10 innings of work. Can that continue through his first two-start week of the season? I’m skeptical. For starters, he’s getting by with an average fastball velocity of just 92.2 mph. He has produced an opponent’s xBA of only .184 through his first two starts, and I have to think that regresses towards the mean this week. There’s a blow up coming in the near future, and you don’t want it to happen while he’s in your fantasy lineup. Also, if it comes during that first start against the Mets, he could easily get bumped from that second start.

Thomas Harrington (vs. Cardinals, @ Reds)

This one is working under the assumption that Harrington draws another start for the Pirates on Monday – which has yet to be confirmed. After getting lit up in his first career start, there’s always a chance that they send him back to Triple-A Indianapolis for more seasoning. They could also roll Paul Skenes on regular rest on Monday, which would give him the two-start week instead. That’s not even taking into account the extreme ratio risk that Harrington would provide if he does indeed get the two-step. I’d save myself the headache and just avoid the situation entirely.

Trevor Williams (vs. Dodgers, @ Marlins)

This is a tough one for me. I actually like Trevor Williams and drafted him in a couple of leagues this spring. I think he’s underrated and worth using for most two-start weeks. Taking on the Dodgers in that first start is about as bad as it gets though, though he gets redemption with a start against the Marlins in Miami to finish the week. Williams struggled against the Blue Jays in Toronto in his first start of the season, so I understand why fantasy managers wouldn’t want to take the gamble on the scary two-start week that’s on tap. I just can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to stay away in some 15-teamers where I’m light on starters and need the volume.

Streamer City

Here are a couple of my hand-picked streaming options for the upcoming week that are readily available in most fantasy leagues. I’ll track these results throughout the season so you can see how my recommendations have performed.

American League

Carlos Carrasco (@ Tigers - Tuesday 4/8)

I'm going to continue to pick on my hometown squad with the depleted offense that they're rolling out right now, especially when they are at home. Carrasco pitched decently in his first start against a tough Diamondbacks lineup and he has racked up seven strikeouts through his first 7 1/3 innings on the season. He's rostered in just 1% of all Yahoo leagues and looks like a decent streamer — with the possibility to stick around for a two-step the next week.

National League

Erick Fedde (@ Pirates - Wednesday 4/9)

Fedde was outstanding in his first start of the 2025 campaign — and most of the 2024 season — yet he still gets very little respect from the fantasy community. He could get blown up on Friday which would make me feel worse heading into next week's single, but I'm rolling him out against the Pirates in any place that I have him. He's rostered in only 27% of all Yahoo leagues.

Last Week’s Review

Jonathan Cannon (@ Tigers – Friday 4/4)

Nothing to review here yet, Cannon is taking on the Tigers in their home opener on Friday afternoon. Will be back to update once that one is completed.

Landen Roupp (@ Astros – Tuesday 4/1)

The right-hander had allowed just one run through his first four innings, but ultimately surrendered three runs in four-plus innings of work in a no-decision. He did rack up eight strikeouts though, which are still helpful for fantasy purposes. Apologies for the ratio damage though.

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Michael Soroka goes on the 15-day IL after injuring his pitching arm in his Nationals debut

WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka went on the 15-day injured list with a strained biceps in his pitching arm after hurting himself in his first start with the club.

The 27-year-old Soroka left his start against the Toronto Blue Jays with what he called “a feeling that shouldn’t be there” after spiking a slider in the sixth inning.

Soroka gave up four runs and took the loss in Washington’s 5-2 setback that day, part of a 1-5 start to the season for the Nationals entering a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This is the latest in a long string of health issues for the pitcher, who finished second behind New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves.

Soroka tore his right Achilles tendon in 2020, then later injured the same tendon while walking into Atlanta’s ballpark. He missed the entire regular season in 2021 and 2022.

After going 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 79 2/3 innings across 25 appearances for the Chicago White Sox last season, including nine starts, Soroka signed a one-year contract for $9 million with Washington.

To take Soroka’s spot on the roster, Washington recalled right-hander Jackson Rutledge from Triple-A Rochester. Rutledge was a first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft and began this season in Rochester’s bullpen.

He made three appearances for the Nationals in 2024, including one start.

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How 'torpedo' bats became the fascination of baseball — even for ex-Dodger Eric Gagné

In his playing days, Eric Gagné’s objective was simple.

“My job was to break bats,” the former Dodgers closer, and 2003 Cy Young Award winner, joked with a laugh.

Which makes his current occupation, as the CEO of Quebec-based bat company B45, a little more than ironic.

“Now my job is to make sure the bats don’t break anymore, make sure the ball goes farther,” Gagné said in a phone interview this week. “That was my enemy back in the day.”

Where Gagné was once a hitter’s menace, collecting 161 of his 187 career saves with the Dodgers from 1999-2006, the retired 49-year-old right-hander is now one in the business of helping them hit.

Read more:Freddie Freeman to miss at least a week after being placed on injured list

Ten years ago, he helped front an ownership group that bought B45, long among the more innovative manufacturers in the world of bat-making. And, a little more than a year ago, it put him on the cutting edge of the sport’s newest hitting creations.

Last spring, B45’s pro sales rep, Kevin Young, was making an annual tour of Major League Baseball’s spring training complexes to visit clients. During his stop at New York Yankees camp, Young was approached by team analyst Aaron Leanhardt, a former MIT-educated physics professor who had come up with a distinctly original idea.

“He was like, ‘Hey, do you guys do this?’ ” Young recalled.

In Leanhardt’s hand was an early prototype of the so-called torpedo bat.

Originally conceived of by Leanhardt while working in the Yankees’ front office, the bowling-pin-shaped torpedo model eschews the typical characteristics of traditional bat designs. The fattest part of the barrel is actually closer to the handle, with the idea of redistributing more mass to an area where some hitters make more frequent contact. The rest of the lumber is rounded into a more tapered shape at the end.

Former Dodgers reliever Eric Gagné throws out a first pitch at a game at Dodger Stadium last season.
Former Dodgers reliever Eric Gagné is the CEO of the Quebec-based bat company B45, which produces torpedo bats. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

In the early days of this year’s season, torpedo bats have become all the rage for big-league hitters. They burst into the public consciousness after a torpedo-heavy Yankees lineup mashed 15 home runs in their season-opening series. And now, they are showing up in almost every big-league clubhouse.

“They had 100 different bat models [already], shaped this way, shaped that way,” said veteran Dodgers slugger Max Muncy, one of many MLB hitters who placed an order for his own torpedo bat this week. “But nothing’s ever been as drastic as what this is.”

In the baseball world, however, such innovations require the help of equipment companies to gain a foothold.

And while torpedo bats might just now be making their first public splash, Gagné’s company has been manufacturing them ever since Leanhardt first approached Young last spring.

“It looks a little awkward … but it makes total sense,” Gagné said. “When you do make contact in the sweet spot, you want the best results. And when you’re hitting two circular things together at 100 mph, you want to make sure that impact zone is greater.”

B45 is no stranger to cutting-edge bat design.

Two decades ago, the Canadian company was the first to bring birch-made bats to what was then a maple- and ash-dominated market; using yellow birch lumber harvested in Quebec to design bats that lasted longer and, thanks to the physical characteristics of the wood type, would actually get firmer over time, resulting in fewer breaks and long-lasting barrel strength.

“We were the first company to start [making bats with] yellow birch,” said Olivier Lépine, the company’s longtime production manager. “If we can improve the game a little bit, we’re always willing to do something like that.”

Gagné entered the picture in 2015, joining a group of investors to buy the company as he looked for opportunities to remain involved with baseball in his post-playing career.

Read more:Plaschke: Who says the Dodgers can’t go 162-0? Dramatic win over Braves extends a perfect start

Now, as he described it, he’s an “ideas guy” within the B45 operation, using his knowledge of getting hitters out over a 10-year MLB career to innovate improvements to what they swing at the plate.

“I always thought the extension of us [players] was our equipment,” Gagné said. “I wasn’t really interested in the business side of it. I was just more interested as a player in: What fits right? What’s cool? What’s not cool?”

And right now, nothing is cooler than the newfangled torpedoes.

“I think guys will try it. I mean, how do you not, right?” Dodgers co-hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said, noting how the offensive outburst from the Yankees — whose list of torpedo-bat hitters includes Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm and Cody Bellinger among others — immediately captured the attention of the rest of the league.

“You see those kinds of outcomes, of course,” Van Scoyoc added.

Behind the scenes, however, the rise of the torpedo bat has been a long time coming. As far back as last spring, companies like B45 have been putting them into production.

Using measurements and design specifications provided by Leanhardt, B45 crafted the awkwardly shaped barrels with the use of computer-programmed automatic knives. They shipped the bats to their Yankees clients, but were unsure if the idea would catch on in baseball’s mainstream.

“The [initial] feedback was good, but after that, we didn’t hear anything,” Lépine said. “We didn’t know if players would like it or not.”

That’s why, this year, Young brought torpedo samples with him on his spring training tour to showcase to a wider range of players. For many, it was the first they’d heard about the idea — even before the Yankees’ season-opening home run explosion.

“I was one of the first guys going through spring training with torpedo bats,” Young said. “So everywhere I went, people were like, ‘Oh shoot, what is this?’ They had a lot of questions about it.”

Read more:Shohei Ohtani hits walk-off homer on his bobblehead night to keep Dodgers undefeated

Now, Young said, more than 50 of B45’s big-league hitters have placed orders for their own torpedo-bat models.

And while B45 doesn’t have any current Dodgers clientele, several members of the team’s lineup have received torpedo shipments from their personal manufacturers.

“We’re gonna learn about it and study it,” Van Scoyoc said. “All the players want hits, so they’re gonna do anything they can to get a hit.”

It still remains to be seen just how game-changing the torpedo model proves to be. Dodgers personnel have emphasized that a hitter’s technique remains the biggest factor in success at the plate. Lépine echoed those sentiments, noting that, “I doubt that a 25-home run guy is gonna become a 40-home run guy because of the bat, or if a .225 hitter will become a .300 hitter or something like that.”

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy hits a two-run double in the eighth inning to tie the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy hit a two-run double to tie Wednesday's game against the Braves in the eighth inning with his old bat after using a torpedo bat for his first three at-bats. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Muncy, the first Dodgers player to use a torpedo bat during Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, needed only three at-bats to learn the new design wasn’t for him, switching back to his standard model before hitting a game-tying double in the eighth inning.

“I felt like the bat was causing me to be a little bit off-plane, a little bit in and out of the zone,” said Muncy, who noted he usually hits the ball closer to the end of the barrel, and might have been thrown off by the torpedo bat’s different weight distribution. “This is something that takes the weight out of the end of the bat, so maybe it's just not for me.”

But as long as some players find the torpedo bat to suit their swing, companies like B45 will continue to make them — hopeful the sport has found at least one innovative breakthrough to help hitters counter-balance the sport’s significant recent advancements in pitching development, with increases in pitching velocity and movement on breaking balls putting a drag on offense in the modern game.

“The technology, the data, has been really a huge advantage for pitchers, for sure,” said Gagné, now on the other side of the hitter-pitcher dynamic through his work with B45. “So we’re trying to create the bat that makes [hitters] feel good at the plate, that they can trust. It’s really an extension of their own body. So we’re trying to make it where they’re comfortable with it.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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The Reds have lost 1-0 in each of their last three games. No team had done that since 1960

MILWAUKEE — The Cincinnati Reds’ re-creation of the dead-ball era has them doing something that hadn’t happened in the major leagues in 65 years.

Cincinnati has lost 1-0 in each of its last three games. According to Sportradar, no team had lost by that score three straight times since the Philadelphia Phillies did it in May 1960.

It’s only occurred six times in MLB history, and four of those instances were over a century ago. Nobody has ever lost 1-0 in four straight games.

The other teams to lose 1-0 in three consecutive games were the Brooklyn Superbas in 1908, the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators in 1909 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917.

“Nobody’s happy with what’s happened the last three games,” Reds manager Terry Francona said after the string of 1-0 losses continued in the opener of a four-game series at Milwaukee. “We’ll figure It out together. I feel strongly about that.”

Cincinnati’s lineup showcased its potential in a 14-3 victory over the Texas Rangers, but the Reds haven’t scored since.

Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi outdueled Carson Spiers. Jack Leiter and four Texas relievers combined for 10 strikeouts as the Reds wasted a brilliant performance from Hunter Greene.

Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo gave up four hits and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings, but he took the loss because the Reds mustered just two hits.

“It’s part of the game, you know?” Lodolo said. “I’ll be honest with you. Obviously I want us to score, but I’m not really thinking about it. I’ve got to do my job at the end of the day, regardless. We’ll turn it around. I guarantee that.”

That’s the attitude Francona wants to see from his pitchers as Cincinnati’s hitters try to break out of their slump.

“We’re not going to have a situation where it’s ‘us’ when we win and it’s ‘they’ when we lose,” Francona said. “We’ll do this together.”

Francona said there’s no common thread between the games that explains his lineup’s struggles. The Reds have faced different styles of pitchers each time.

Eovaldi is a veteran right-hander who went the distance while allowing four hits and no walks. Leiter’s a hard-throwing rookie right-hander. Cortes, a veteran left-hander, doesn’t have the velocity of Eovaldi or Leiter but effectively mixed his cutter and changeup with his fastball.

Cincinnati’s struggles may have been particularly frustrating because Cortes looked so awful in his last start, a 20-9 loss to the New York Yankees. Cortes allowed homers on each of his first three pitches that day and ended up yielding eight hits and five walks in two innings of a game that drew attention to the Yankees’ use of “torpedo bats.”

The Reds made Cortes look like an entirely different pitcher.

“It was embarrassing, what happened to me last time,” Cortes said. “I think, as a starter, you’ve got 30 or 32 of these. There’s going to be a lot of bad ones throughout the way. You’ve just got to learn how to brush them off and go to the next one. That’s what I did.”

The Reds’ lone hit off Cortes came from Jose Trevino, who delivered a one-out double in the third off his former Yankees teammate. Cincinnati’s only other hit was a single by Jeimer Candelario off Elvis Peguero in the seventh.

Cincinnati has a combined nine hits, three walks and 27 strikeouts during the skid.

“To be totally honest, you see this all the time throughout a baseball season,” Trevino said. “Pitchers will pick up the hitters and the hitters will pick up the pitchers. It will all switch at some point. We’re going to need them. They’re going to need us. And at some point, we’re all going to be together. That’s just how the baseball season goes.

“Right now, our pitchers are doing really well and our hitters, we’re grinding. It’s not like we’re out there trying to give outs away. We’re out there putting some good at-bats together. We’re going to turn this thing around. I have full confidence in this team.”

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Mets' Mark Vientos eager to finally play in first home opener: 'It's super emotional'

Mark Vientos is no stranger to the Citi Field atmosphere. The 25-year-old slugger has played 101 games at the ballpark since making his big league debut with the Mets in 2022, and his 2024 breakout season featured some clutch moments that unfolded before raucous postseason crowds.

But there's still one early-career milestone that Vientos is eager to check off the list. The starting third baseman will finally play in his first home opener with the club on Friday afternoon, facing the Toronto Blue Jays.

Most of the sights, sounds, and smells of Citi Field will be plenty familiar to Vientos. But the festivities and atmosphere for a home opener are always special. The excitement of a long-awaited homecoming is what the players and fans deserve every spring.

"This is sick, I'm so excited to be back here," Vientos said ahead of Friday's game. "I think we do a lot of this work, a lot of the grind and a lot of the passion, for the fans. They bring it to the field every game... What is it, a week and a half waiting for this moment?

"I've been anxious and I'm about to do it right now... This is my first home opener over here. I haven't experienced it. I can only imagine [the atmosphere] because of the playoffs last year. I feel like it's super emotional, just to sit back and realize what you're doing..."

As long as the emotions are in check, wearing the home uniform may give Vientos the jolt he need at the plate. The Mets' season-opening road trip consisted of only six games, but he's currently hitting a measly .083 with two doubles and two walks across 26 plate appearances.

Of course, the consistency and power will come for Vientos, who delivered 27 home runs, 22 doubles, and 71 RBI in 111 games last season.

The annual home opener is also meaningful to the coaching staff. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been in the dugout for several in his career, and he expects his second with the club to be just as thrilling as his first.

"It's always great to be home again, playing in front of your fan base," Mendoza said. "It's a unique atmosphere. The way the fans are into every pitch. They're right there behind you. It's a really good feeling, it's coming from a really good place. It's fun. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's such a special place here."

The Mets have a recent history of success playing Game 1 of 81 at Citi Field, as they've won eight of their last 10 home openers.

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Yankees designate veteran RHP Adam Ottavino for assignment, reinstate Devin Williams from paternity list

It was a short-lived return to The Bronx for reliever Adam Ottavino, as the Yankees designated him for assignment on Friday, the team announced.

In a corresponding move, the team reinstated closer Devin Williams from the paternity list.

Ottavino, 39, signed a deal with New York on April 1 and pitched in two games. The right-hander allowed no hits, struck out two, and walked two over 1.1 innings of work.

The veteran was released by the Boston Red Sox after failing to make the roster out of spring training.

Ottavino first played for the Yanks from 2019 to 2020, owning a career-best 1.90 ERA in 2019. He then spent the 2021 season in Boston, followed by three years with the Mets from 2022-2024, pitching to a 4.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 60 appearances during the 2024 season.