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How Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained costly decision vs. Orioles originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox concocted a plan before their series against the Orioles and stuck to it, manager Alex Cora said after a frustrating 4-3 loss at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

Red Sox pinch-runner Nick Eaton stood at third base as Boston trailed Baltimore 4-3 with one out in the 11th inning. With the speedy Eaton representing the game-tying run, Roman Anthony hit a 265-foot fly ball to center field. Fans watching at home surely figured it would at least turn into a play at the plate, and perhaps another clutch RBI for the rookie slugger. However, just after Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser hauled in the pop fly and unleashed an off-line throw which ended up between third base and home plate, Eaton returned to the bag after pump-faking a sprint to the dish.

Alex Bregman then stepped into the batter’s box and popped up to shortstop for the game’s final out.

Cora explained the questionable decision after Boston’s third consecutive loss.

“That’s an impact arm in centerfield,” Cora said of Cowser, the runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year last season. “We prepare before the series and we decide who we’re going to challenge and not. So, we didn’t challenge him.”

When pressed on whether it was Eaton’s decision or that of third base coach Kyle Hudson, Cora sternly responded: “We prepare before the series, and that’s an impact arm, and we decided not to challenge him.”

Hudson told MassLive’s Christopher Smith it was his decision to hold Eaton. Hudson said Cowser’s arm and where he caught the ball led him to believe he had a “good chance” to make the throw to the plate.

The Red Sox left 13 runners on base and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position during the contest.

The Red Sox, who have lost three straight after dropping two to the Orioles, trail the Yankees by one game for the top wild-card spot. Boston travels to New York for a pivotal four-game series at Yankee Stadium starting Thursday night.

The Yankees smashed nine home runs in their 13-3 rout of the Rays in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.

With the win, New York extended its winning streak to four games, and after the Mariners and Red Sox lost earlier in the evening, the Yankees (68-57) are now alone atop the AL wild card race. 

Here are the takeaways...

-After nearly a two-hour weather delay, the Yankees sluggers brought the thunder when the game started. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton went back-to-back-to-back with one out in the first inning to give New York an early 3-0 lead off of starter Shane Baz.

The power display didn't end there. Jose Caballero launched a two-run shot in the second inning, his first with the Yankees. The blast came minutes after the Rays showed a tribute video to Caballero in between innings.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. joined in the homer party, launching a solo shot to right field in the third inning.

Entering Tuesday's game, the most home runs Baz allowed in a game was three. The Yankees put up five off the young starter, but it didn't end when Baz was pulled. Against the bullpen, the Yankees would smash two more homers in the fourth inning. Stanton's three-run blast and Ben Rice following with a solo shot put New York up 10-2 and put the home run counter to seven.

Bellinger launched his second blast of the game with his two-run shot in the sixth. The Yankees' power display finished with Caballero going yard a second time in the ninth inning to set the final home run count to nine. The Yankees have hit eight-plus homers four times in their history, and two have come this season. Their nine homers tie a franchise record, which was set this season on March 29 against the Brewers.

-Carlos Rodon had a bit of trouble with control thanks to the heat in Tampa. Rodon, a notorious sweater, could not get a good grip on the ball. He was constantly wiping his pitching arm on his pants leg. The rain in the area made it much more humid than it was earlier in the day, but Rodon worked through it, getting out of a two-baserunner jam in the first. 

Rodon's control issues continued in the second inning as the Rays batters barrelled up his pitches in the zone for hits. Three straight singles pushed across Tampa's first run. Chandler Simpson's fielder's choice got the Rays another run before Rodon picked up the third out, still leading 5-2.

But that's all the Rays would get on Rodon, who gutted through six innings (102 pitches/64 strikes), allowing two runs on five hits, two walks and striking out five. 

-The combination of Mark Leiter Jr., Yerry De Los Santos and Tim Hill picked up the final nine outs, but after Leiter pitched a clean seventh, De Los Santos struggled in the eighth. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk. Hill allowed one hit in an otherwise clean ninth inning to finish the game.

-Stanton, starting his first game since the homestand last week after feeling general soreness from playing right field on multiple days, showed how important he is to the Yankees lineup. Starting in right field, Stanton finished 2-for-3 and a walk with two blasts while driving in four runs. It's his first multi-homer game since June 2023.

Manager Aaron Boone would pull Stanton after his fourth at-bat to give his slugger the rest of the game off his feet. Jasson Dominguez would replace him and go 0-for-1 in his lone AB.

Bellinger had his second multi-homer game of the season. The first was his three-homer game against the Cubs back in July. He finished 4-for-5.

Game MVP: The Yankees offense

Hard to give it to one batter.

Highlights

Aaron Judge’s 40th homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/4OUkadorC8

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Cody Bellinger goes back-to-back with Aaron Judge! pic.twitter.com/pEOfywhhAy

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

GIANCARLO STANTON!

Back-to-back-to-back homers in the first for the Yankees! pic.twitter.com/qhNh9ariX3

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

José Caballero’s first Yankees homer! pic.twitter.com/M7dLAkNt0i

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the Yankees fifth homer of the night! pic.twitter.com/NzO7du4kun

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Giancarlo Stanton with his 2nd of the night! pic.twitter.com/xl7OV57tT0

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

BEN RICE!

The Yankees’ SEVENTH home run of the night! pic.twitter.com/QO4pheZR9h

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Cody Bellinger’s second of the night and the Yankees’ 8th of the game! pic.twitter.com/fcb29lsudT

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

José Caballero with his second homer of the night and the Yankees’ 9th of the game, tying a franchise record! pic.twitter.com/7ISGbLAejA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Rays finish their brief two-game set on Wednesday night. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m.

Cam Schlittler (1-2, 3.94 ERA) will take on Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.60 ERA).

Mookie Betts was the first Dodgers position player out on the field Tuesday, walking to a spot near the third-base foul line and kneeling on a mat before a coach, who began hitting soft ground balls to his right and left.

It’s a drill Betts does regularly to improve his defense. Betts’ defense, however, really isn’t a problem for the Dodgers.

A six-time Gold Glove winner in right field, Betts moved to shortstop full-time this season, turning his old position over to Teoscar Hernández. And his defense has been a problem. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he isn’t planning any changes to his lineup for the time being.

“Are we playing our best defensive lineup? No,” Roberts said. “But I would say there's very few teams in the big leagues playing their best defensive lineup every night. Even in a postseason race, you’ve still got to score.”

The Dodgers are definitely in a postseason race and Hernández absolutely helps them score, ranking second on the team in home runs (20) and RBIs (75) after going two for five with a run and an RBI in Tuesday’s 11-4 rout of the Colorado Rockies. He also made two nice running catches.

But then the Dodgers didn’t need much defense Tuesday, pounding out 18 hits with every player in the lineup reaching base as least once. Newcomer Alex Call led the way with a career-high four hits, including a home run and a double, scoring three runs and driving in two others while falling a triple shy of the cycle.

“I wasn't thinking about it. I was really just trying to get on base another time,” Call, who struck out in his final at-bat in the eighth, said of the cycle. “But everybody else in the dugout was like, ‘if you hit this ball, you better keep running.’ It would have been fun to find a gap and see what would happen.”

Read more:Dave Roberts says Dodgers haven't discussed moving Mookie Betts to right field

The homer, a 453-foot blast in the second, was the longest by a Dodger this season. Yet Call still managed to get the ball back as a souvenir.

“I actually had some some friends in the stands that flew out from Wisconsin, and they tracked down the ball for me,” he said.

The homer helped Call break out of terrible slump. He entered the game hitting .174 since coming over from Washington at the trade deadline, which wasn’t the kind of introduction he had hoped to have with this new team.

“I wanted to make a good impression. But I think you make a good impression by just showing how you work and showing how you play the game and just trusting in yourself to do what you do,” he said. “I would tell myself, ‘I'm just calibrating.’

“There's a lot of moving parts, a lot of new things going on. New coaches, new teammates, new situation, new city. You can go on. So it's a lot.”

Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Betts and Miguel Rojas joined Hernández and Call with multiple hits for the Dodgers, who scored eight of their 11 runs with two outs.

“Really, really pleased with tonight,” Roberts said. “You saw a different ballclub tonight.”

And a different Call as well.

Read more:Mookie Betts meets with Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman after Dodgers' loss to Rockies

“It's certainly a big adjustment, especially when you walk into a clubhouse like ours,” Roberts said. “Coming from the Nationals, a bunch of young players, and you see our ballclub in contention and trying to kind of figure out where you where you stand, right? He's likable the way he plays, practices, and it was good to see him have some success.”

The Dodgers led 7-0 before the Rockies had their second baserunner, with one of those runs coming on Shohei Ohtani’s 44^th home run of the season. That made it easy for starter Emmet Sheehan (4-2), who matched a career high by going six innings, striking out a season-best seven batters to earn the win.

“We just got on the board early,” Freeman said. “When you score runs, you want to keep it going as an offense.

“[But] I don't think anybody's going to think about how good we did today, tomorrow. Every day is a new day. We'll go out there and give it all again.”

Yates makes rehab appearance

Reliever Kirby Yates walked one and struck out one in a one-inning rehab appearance for Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He threw 21 pitches, 13 for strikes. Yates went on the injured list Aug. 1 with lower back pain.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mark Vientos hasn't lived up to his potential as a key lineup fixture this season, but his daily approach to game preparation is helping him produce on the field when the Mets' roulette wheel of platoon players lands on his number.

Just hours after manager Carlos Mendoza expressed a need for contributions from Vientos as the NL playoff race intensifies, the slugging infielder answered the call, delivering a welcome two-run home run in the Mets' 8-1 beatdown of the Nationals on Tuesday night at Nationals Park. He finished the night 1-for-4 with a walk.

Vientos, who produced a four-RBI effort in Sunday's win over the Mariners, demolished a hanging two-strike curveball from Nationals starter Jake Irvin in what became a five-run third inning. The ball traveled 419 feet into the left field seats with a 35-degree launch angle, and it was his second straight game with a homer. 

"I was just trying to capitalize on the situation," Vientos said after the win. "We were hitting well on [Irvin] that inning and I was staying ready for a pitch in the zone. Luckily, I was ready and put a good swing on it... [I stay ready] with practice, honestly. Showing up every day like I’m starting and going about my business like I’m playing that day. Working hard, talking to my coaches, staying ready..."

While his role remains fluid -- he batted sixth as the designated hitter on Tuesday and played third base as the eighth hitter on Sunday -- Vientos' mentality as a regular starter is paying off. He's constantly in communication with Mendoza, who fully endorses the be-ready attitude that can only do good.

"I know it's there. We saw it last year," Mendoza said of Vientos' mettle. "He's a really good player, and it's been hard for him. I said it before the game, we're going to need him. He stepped up again today. He'll continue to get opportunities... For him to continue to put together some really good at-bats, I thought he hit the ball hard a few times today."

Call it a regular season to forget for Vientos, who's slashed an underwhelming .232/.278/.381 with only 23 extra-base hits across 85 games. But the ending to his 2025 story isn't required to match the beginning, and the team-first mindset that he's embraced only makes the latest personal success sweeter.

"I’m just focusing on winning," Vientos said. "I just want to win and whenever I get my opportunity, to help in whatever way. As long as we’re winning, I’m happy."

MARK VIENTOS DRIVES A TWO-RUN HOMER!

He's homered in back-to-back games and the Mets have put up a 5 spot in the 3rd! pic.twitter.com/pVfqKVigns

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza knew what he wanted to see from David Peterson before the night even arrived. He summoned his most reliable starter to attack Nationals hitters in the zone, all while keeping the ball on the ground and limiting the walks that plagued him in his shortest outing of the season last week.

A demanding task, but by no means a challenge that Peterson couldn't conquer. And much to the Mets' delight, the dependable southpaw excelled, completing eight dominant innings of one-run ball with a season-high 10 strikeouts in an 8-1 win on Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

"Hell of a job. That's where it starts -- when he's throwing strikes, using all of his pitches, basically competing in the strike zone," Mendoza said after the game. "The changeup was really good. The curveball, the slider, the sinker. He got groundballs. 

"For him to go eight [innings] was really good. Solid, in complete control -- which was good to see, especially after his last outing. For him to bounce back that way... It was nice, not going to lie."

If he broke a sweat during the first four innings, Peterson didn't show it. He faced the minimum through those frames on a career-best 41 pitches, and after escaping a jam in the sixth inning, he registered his ninth outing of six-plus innings over the last 60 games (since June 8). No other Mets starter has even achieved this feat once.

Peterson was given a rather comfortable lead, as a five-run rally in the third provided him ample cushion to pitch with conviction. After retiring the Nationals in order in the seventh, the Mets trusted him for an eighth inning of work. And while his shutout bid was ultimately lost after allowing a leadoff triple, he recovered to walk off the mound with double-digit punchouts.

"Being aggressive, getting ahead early in the count, and staying on the attack," Peterson said. "I honestly felt like we had a really good feel for [the changeup] and [Luis Torrens] was all over it with the calls on it. Being able to get some swing and misses, some soft contact, being ahead in the count helps with that."

It wasn't Peterson's best performance of the season -- first place still belongs to his home start against the Nationals on June 11, when he delivered his first-career shutout. But Tuesday's rebound effort in the nation's capital checked off all the boxes. If only he could face that lineup 30-plus times a year.

"[My last start] felt pretty uncharacteristic to me. So, it was just kind of flushing it and getting on to the next one," Peterson said. "I kind of knew exactly what I didn't do well and needed to work on... I go out there and try to give the team a chance to win. Try to be efficient. Being on the attack, getting ahead in the counts helps that."

Peterson now owns a 3.18 ERA this season, and remains the only Mets starter to throw a pitch in the eighth inning this season.

The Mets extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday night, as dominance from David Peterson and home-run power throughout the lineup lifted them to an 8-1 road win over the division-rival Nationals. 

Here are the takeaways...

-- While the Mets' first round of at-bats against Nationals starter Jake Irvin didn't inflict any damage, their second round of looks at the plate left a sizable dent. After a one-out double from Francisco Lindor and a walk from Juan Soto in the third inning, Brandon Nimmo broke the ice with an RBI single to left-center that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Then, with two outs and two runners in scoring position, Jeff McNeil stretched the lead to three with a sharp double down the right-field line.

-- Mark Vientos hasn't resembled an everyday player this season, but for a second straight game, he provided some welcomed pop. Behind in the count, he extended the Mets' third-inning rally to five runs by clobbering a hanging curve into the left field seats for a two-run homer. The 419-foot blast was No. 9 on the season for Vientos, who's driven in six across his last eight at-bats.

-- David Peterson sought to prove that his implosion last week was an aberration, and by all accounts, he did just that. The Mets' left-hander pounded the zone early, facing the minimum through the first four innings with four strikeouts. He also needed just 41 pitches to complete those frames, making it the most efficient start to an outing in his career thus far. Peterson maintained his groove in the fifth, inducing two groundouts and a punchout to put his pitch count to an economical 52.

 -- Brett Baty, manning the hot corner, increased the Mets' lead to 6-0 in the sixth with a mammoth first-pitch, leadoff homer off Irvin that traveled 428 feet and landed in the second deck in right-center. Then, in the seventh, Soto joined the homer party with an opposite-field blast to left off reliever Konnor Pilkington that bumped the Mets' cushion to seven. It was Soto's 51st career dinger at Nationals Park, and he's now hitting .281 with 10 RBI across his last 15 games.

-- Peterson was at risk of losing a streak of 23.1 scoreless innings against the Nationals in the sixth, when he allowed a leadoff double and a one-out single that set up runners on the corners. But the Mets' southpaw left the mound unscathed, striking out budding slugger James Wood and getting young star CJ Abrams to fly out to center. Over the Mets' last 60 games, Peterson has registered nine starts of six-plus innings -- no other rotation arm has even achieved this feat once.

-- After retiring the Nationals in order in the seventh at 80 total pitches, the Mets allowed Peterson to come back out for the eighth and continue his shutout bid. But a leadoff triple from Dylan Crews and a walk to Andres Chaparro doomed his 25.1 scoreless streak, as the Nationals wound up scoring their first run on a double-play groundout. Peterson still completed the frame, producing a season-high 10 strikeouts and nine groundouts on 96 pitches. 

-- McNeil placed the Mets back ahead by seven in the ninth, smacking a solo shot to right-center off reliever Jackson Rutledge. The bottom half of the inning belonged to Ryne Stanek, who induced a groundout, flyout, and popout to put a bow on the Mets' well-rounded performance.

Game MVP: David Peterson

Peterson couldn't produce a second complete-game shutout against the Nationals this season, but he once again shoved as the Mets' most reliable starter. He also remains the only rotation arm to throw a pitch in the eighth inning this season.

Highlights

A pair of first inning strikeouts for David Peterson pic.twitter.com/fsfrqPuDpU

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

Francisco Lindor rips a double! pic.twitter.com/NXgi3MRNK1

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

Brandon Nimmo brings home the first run of the game with an RBI single! pic.twitter.com/dMfhy4y4v4

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

Jeff McNeil rips a double to bring home two more!

3-0 Mets! pic.twitter.com/2RfJaHOBZN

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

MARK VIENTOS DRIVES A TWO-RUN HOMER!

He's homered in back-to-back games and the Mets have put up a 5 spot in the 3rd! pic.twitter.com/pVfqKVigns

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

Brett Baty destroys one to the second deck at Nationals Park! pic.twitter.com/Yh9zFV1oPP

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

David Peterson escapes the jam to keep the Nationals scoreless through 6 innings pic.twitter.com/iIUpC2qRre

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 20, 2025

Juan Soto with his 51st career home run at Nationals Park! pic.twitter.com/2XiJu2gLxz

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 20, 2025

2 more strikeouts for David Peterson in the 7th inning and he's up to 9 for the game! pic.twitter.com/jequxw9Lnk

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 20, 2025

Jeff McNeil with his 10th homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/wfeZUqsyF3

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 20, 2025

What's next

The Mets (67-58) will look to extend their winning streak to four games on Wednesday, with first pitch in D.C. scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

RHP Kodai Senga (7-4, 2.35 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite RHP Brad Lord (3-6, 3.26 ERA).

Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat bounced back from one of his worst starts in Triple-A this season on Tuesday night with Syracuse.

In his last start, Sproat allowed six runs (five earned) on three hits and three walks. It was a very different story for Sproat, who dominated Indianapolis hitters, striking out seven batters across five innings (83 pitches/54 strikes). He allowed one run on two hits and one walk.

The young right-hander got off to a hot start, striking out the side in the first inning. He then struck out three more batters in the second inning, sandwiching a two-out triple to put his punchout total to six. Indianapolis would get to Sproat in the third inning.

After a leadoff walk and a wild pitch, Sproat allowed a double to push across Indianapolis' first run of the game. Sproat would settle down, getting the next three batters out, including his seventh strikeout of the game to end the threat.

Sproat would cruise through the final three innings without much doing from Indianapolis, working around a fielding error to keep the score tied 1-1 after six.

Brandon Sproat strikes out the side in the first inning for Syracuse pic.twitter.com/RK0F1Bs91j

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 19, 2025

Brandon Sproat strikes out 3 more in the second!

6 strikeouts in the first 2 innings! pic.twitter.com/M4l38OrcPL

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 19, 2025

Lots of magic in Phillies' 6-4 win over Mariners originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Maybe the Seattle Mariners should challenge the Phillies in a game of Quidditch, because through two games with them in baseball this series, they haven’t had much success.

Cristopher Sánchez showed off his pitching wizardry once again on Harry Potter night and J.T. Realmuto’s go-ahead home run propelled the Phillies to a 6-4 win over the Mariners.

Sánchez was wonderful. He went 7 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts, two walks and six allowed hits. Of the 27 batters he faced, he threw a first pitch strike on 26 of them.

After getting his last strikeout of the night to begin the seventh, Sánchez walked nine-hole hitter Dylan Holmes on his 96th pitch. Manager Rob Thomson then called for Orion Kerkering out of the bullpen and he proceeded to walk the next two batters on eight pitches to load the bases.

A groundout by Julio Rodriguez made it 4-2 before Eugenio Suarez tied it with a double down the left-field line. Then quickly, a Sánchez win disappeared.

It was the seventh time in his career that Sánchez struck out double-digit batters and the fourth time he has done it this season. He left to a thunderous standing ovation, shortly taken over by boos after Kerkering’s effort.

“I think it was just about calming down the emotions during the game and calming myself down, and also to execute our game plan that we had,” said Sánchez, who allowed a leadoff baserunner in four of the seven innings he started. “I think (my slider) is just feeling better overall with every start and tonight wasn’t the exception. I just think that it’s a pitch that’s getting better when I go on the mound.

“That’s just a part of the game and I’m always going to have my team’s back. If the next guy up performs well or doesn’t, I always got his back. It’s just a part of it.”

Home runs were prominent for the Phillies again Tuesday. Kyle Schwarber opened the scoring in the first with his 44th homer. In the third, Bryce Harper drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and J.T. Realmuto added an RBI single. Bryson Stott then crushed one off the right-field scoreboard in the fourth for a 4-1 lead — one that looked safe until Kerkering’s rough seventh inning ended his streak of seven scoreless appearances.

Then came the Realmuto heroics. Harper led off the eighth with a single to left. Then on the first pitch from Mariners right hander Matt Brash, Realmuto launched a no-doubter deep into the left-field seats for the winning runs. David Robertson got the win by pitching a perfect eighth and Jhoan Duran picked up his sixth save as a Phillie in the ninth.

“Just trying to get a pitch in the heart of the plate, honestly,” said Realmuto on his ninth homer of the season. “He’s got really good stuff, got a wipeout slider. I was just trying to get something in the middle of the plate to swing on and he gave me one.

“That one was exciting. That’s a really good team over there. That was a pretty intense game with them coming back and tying the game on us. The emotions were definitely high after that swing.”

They’ve been high for a few days now after the announcement that Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with a blood clot near his right shoulder. It’s been a reality check that life comes first, and baseball a distant second. But the game does have to go on, and if it does, winning is a pretty good distraction.

“Not at all,” said Sánchez of the thought of replacing Wheeler. “I think that no one can fill Zack’s shoes on the mound. He’s just one of the best pitchers, not just on this team, but in the whole game. I don’t think anyone would argue that.

“Very sad. He is one of my favorite pitchers and I really felt bad for him. We talked a little, we texted each other. Hopefully everything goes well.”

It did for the Phillies on Tuesday. Magical, some would say.

The Mariners were bound to face a 100-mile-an-hour reliever in this one, as the team activated Jose Alvarado earlier in the day after he completed his 80-game suspension for PEDs. He probably would have seen action if the margin of the game was wider. As it was, Seattle got to see closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth and he did what he does – throw extreme heat and save games. He did just that with a perfect inning that included a three-pitch strikeout on Cal Raleigh.

All three pitches were 102 MPH fastballs that Raleigh couldn’t catch up to.

That prompted Realmuto to give the line of the night about the team’s new closer.

“I know with how hard it is to catch, it can’t be fun to hit.”

Giants' fizzling lineup continues to struggle vs. fastball as strikeouts pile up originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants had a clear approach to the MLB draft this year, and that continued at the trade deadline. At every turn, they are trying to add hitters who are into bat control and limit strikeouts. 

It will take a while, though, to change the makeup of the big league roster, and right now this is a group that’s big on swing-and-miss. It’s a major reason why their season has spiraled in recent weeks. 

The lineup struck out 12 times in Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, reaching double-digits for a fifth consecutive game and the eighth time in the last nine games. They have exactly 100 strikeouts over those nine games, and it’s not because they’re working deep counts or playing a “three true outcomes” brand of baseball. They have 16 walks during that span.

Manager Bob Melvin found it jarring last Monday when Yu Darvish opened his night with nine consecutive fastballs. The trend has continued, and thus far, the Giants haven’t found an answer.

Asked about it late Tuesday night, Melvin pointed out that the lineup is without Matt Chapman, who has the highest walk rate of any of the regulars who have been here all year. The Giants also traded away Mike Yastrzemski, who struck out a fair amount, but countered that by drawing plenty of walks. 

With Yastrzemski gone and Chapman (hand) and Willy Adames (side soreness) both out Tuesday, Melvin had just one player (Rafael Devers) in his lineup who has walked in more than 9 percent of his at-bats this season. 

“It’s a little bit different in the personnel right now,” Melvin said. “We’re trying to catch up to some fastballs and get ahead a little bit earlier and you try to hit the fastball. So it doesn’t look as good as far as the walks go.”

For a team that is trying to adjust on the fly, Nick Pivetta was just about the exact opposite of who they needed to see on the mound Tuesday. The right-hander has tremendous carry on his fastball and gets good extension. His four-seamer ranks as the second-best in the big leagues by Run Value, and he used it 48 times Tuesday. Six of his 10 strikeouts came on a fastball.

The Giants once hoped to use these two August series against the Padres as a way to get back into the MLB playoff race. Instead, they’ve dropped four of five to the division rival, striking out 50 times.

“This team does have a lot of guys that throw hard, and they throw at the top of the zone and they know where the top is,” Melvin said. “That’s something we have to solve, is when you go after it up there and when you don’t. [It was] 24 vert today from Pivetta — I don’t know that I’ve seen that before. We’ve seen some 21s, 22s … It looks good at certain levels, and when you have that kind of vertical [break] it’s easier said than done to stay on top of it and get it.”

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