After two straight hitless games, Juan Soto broke out with a clutch RBI-single to tie Friday's game in the fifth inning
New York relievers have combined to post a 2.10 ERA this season (third-best in the majors) with Max Kranick (1.35 ERA) and Ryne Stanek (0.00 ERA) both throwing scoreless outings in Friday's win
Mark Vientos homered for the second straight game (the first time of his career), extending his hitting streak to six games (tied for second-longest of career)
CARDINALS
METS
Lars Nootbaar, RF
Francisco Lindor, SS
Willson Contreras, 1B
Juan Soto, RF
Brendan Donovan, LF
Pete Alonso, 1B
Nolan Arenado, 3B
Mark Vientos, 3B
Alec Burleson, DH
Starling Marte, DH
Thomas Saggese, SS
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Nolan Gorman, 2B
Luis Torrens, C
Yochel Pozo, C
Luisangel Acuña, 2B
Victor Scott II, CF
José Azócar, CF
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Angels teammates Zach Neto, left, and Jo Adell celebrate after a 2-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Angel Stadium. Neto has proven to be a difference-maker for the Angels. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
This is Star Wars weekend at Angel Stadium, and on Friday the Angels activated their best player from the injured list, so the graphics on the video board pretty much wrote themselves: “Return of the Neto.”
That would be Zach Neto, not Mike Trout. It could be Trout again, but for last year and again in his season debut Friday, the Angels’ best player was Neto.
For Ron Washington, the Angels’ manager, young players earn their stripes, then they earn them all over again. On Friday, Neto batted seventh.
“When you have a superstar like Mike, when he gets going, he’s the type of guy who can carry the team,” Washington said. “We’re not expecting Neto to carry this team.”
There is nothing controversial in that statement. Trout is bound for Cooperstown, a three-time most valuable player. The idea that a third-year shortstop would be the guy on which Angels fans were waiting did not sit well with Neto.
“I'm not the savior,” Neto said. “I'm just here to do my job.”
He might be a savior, if not the savior. As Neto completed his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, the replacement shortstops in Anaheim batted .159 with a .372 OPS. In 2021, the last season before the adoption of the universal designated hitter, Angels pitchers batted .150 with a .377 OPS.
Zach Neto hits a two-run double against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning Friday. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)
You may have heard of the two players immediately behind Neto: Texas shortstop Corey Seager (5.0), winner of a World Series championship with the Dodgers and another with the Rangers; and ex-Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker, now with the Chicago Cubs, who could be the winner of a half-billion dollars in free agency in the coming winter.
“If what he did last year is his ceiling, we’re in trouble,” Washington said of Neto, “meaning that there’s a lot more.”
In his first at-bat of the season, against San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb, Neto rocketed a 106-mph one-hopper that sent Giants shortstop Willy Adames staggering.
As the ball headed into the left-center field alley, Neto raced around first base and dove headfirst into second. The hustle double drove in Nolan Schanuel with the game’s first run, and Neto subsequently scored the game’s second run on an error by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman.
The Angels had returned home dragging a four-game losing streak, and Trout said Neto was just what the doctor ordered. For the past week, as Neto completed his minor league rehabilitation assignment, Trout said Neto repeatedly texted him.
“He was bugging me to go to the front office and tell them to bring him back,” Trout said.
“His energy, you can feed off that. The last couple games, the energy has been down a little bit, unlike the first week and a half of the season. We’ve got to pick it up. He’s got some talent, and he knows it.”
Said Neto: “Everybody has a bad road trip. Every team is bound to have one. The Dodgers had one. And unfortunately, it was our turn. So, you know, we're just here to come back in the homestand, kind of get back on the winning side of it. And keep everything rolling.”
The season is 19 games old, far too soon to draw any conclusions, but the early signs for Trout have leaned toward the unfavorable. Of the nine players in Friday’s lineup, Trout was the only one who finished the game with a batting average below .200.
He leads the team with six home runs. But he is batting .171, and he struck out in all three at-bats Friday. In his last six games, he has two hits — both singles — with one walk and 13 strikeouts in 22 at-bats.
The Angels lead the AL in attendance, with a fireworks show and Star Wars giveaway item on deck Saturday. They are one game above .500, in second place in a division in which every team has given up more runs than it has scored.
As former major league pitcher Joaquin Andujar once said, “You can sum up the game of baseball in one word: You never know.” We don’t yet know about these Angels, but we know their chances are better with Neto.
We asked for your views on whether Barry Ferguson should remain Rangers manager beyond this season.
Here's what some of you said:
Robert: Barry is a Rangers legend but the job is far too big for him. I hope the takeover happens and we get a massive overhaul on players, especially top defenders, as we need it.
Wullie: Yes, keep Barry as manger or in some role at the club, Rangers need a Rangers man there. The other side across the city have done this with John Kennedy for years and it seems to have worked with them.
Frazer: Barry should get the job, time and again Rangers have made the wrong decision in terms of management. When you watch Barry and the staff, you just see that touchline oozing passion. Whether we're 2-0 up or 2-0 down, the staff are driving that Rangers energy into the players and I've been pleased with their game management. I'd much rather that spirit than a fancy CV. I think that they know the Scottish game better than most that we can bring in, they just need time and investment.
Chris: Ferguson isn't fit to be the manager. His previous experience is pathetic so how does he even get a chance at this job? Inexperienced and inept and will lean on his past to try and get the job. Serious retrograde step if he was appointed.
David: Ferguson hasn't exactly had a stellar career as a manager. This Rangers team were already somehow getting it together in Europe before he came along, so not much of it is down to him. He was brought in to appease the supporters at a difficult time, that shouldn't be the basis for a permanent position.
NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor homered off Ryan Fernandez leading off the ninth inning, and the New York Mets survived a late blown lead to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Friday night.
Brendan Donovan had homered off Huascar Brazobán (1-0) starting the the top of the ninth, tying it at 4 with a drive off the netting of the right field foul pole.
Lindor drove a cutter on the third pitch from Fernandez (0-2) into the right field second deck for his 250th homer and his first walk-off homer with the Mets.
Torrens had tied the score with an RBI double in the eighth, his fifth hit in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
St. Louis batters struck out 15 times.
Juan Soto, in a 3-for-31 slide, capped a two-run fifth with a tying RBI single that drove in Tyrone Taylor, who had tripled in the Mets’ first run.
Nolan Arenado’s RBI single put the Cardinals back ahead 3-2 in the sixth but Vientos tied the score against Kyle Leahy when he homered for the second straight night.
Opposite-field run-scoring singles to right by Pedro Pagés and Jordan Walker had built a 2-0 lead.
Mets starter David Peterson allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas lowered his ERA from 9.00 to 7.64, giving up two runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Donovan extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest in the major leagues this season.
Brandon Nimmo entered in a 1-for-15 slump, was dropped as low as sixth in the order for first time since April 5, 2021.
Key moment
Arenado, the Cardinals’ 10-time Gold Glove third baseman, made a diving tag on Luisangel Acuña for the first out of the eighth. Acuña overslid the base on Brandon Nimmo’s grounder to him.
Key stat
Pete Alonso hit his eighth career triple, his first since July 22, 2023, and was stranded in the first.
Up next
Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 3.93) and Mets RHP Kodai Senga (2-1, 1.06) start Saturday.
It was a special night at Citi Field on Friday, and Francisco Lindor made it historic with his walk-off homer that sent Mets fans home happy.
Yes, the longball catapulted the Mets to a 5-4 win after a seesaw battle with the Cardinals, but the home run was history-making in its own right. Not only was it Lindor's first walk-off homer as a member of the Mets, but it was his 250th career home run. In doing so, he became the 254th player in major league history to reach that milestone, but he was the first to accomplish the feat with a walk-off.
"That’s why he’s an elite player and a special player," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "A moment is not too big for him. He lives for those moments and he came through for us again."
"I gave it everything I had," Lindor said of his home run before calling Friday's game a "fantastic team win," crediting everyone from starter David Peterson to the bullpen to the guys who put runs on the board (Tyrone Taylor, Juan Soto and Luis Torrens).
But while Friday showed how so many pieces helped the Mets win, the night was about Lindor.
"It’s a great number. It’s a number I never thought I was going to get to, as a little kid who just wanted to play baseball on TV so my mom and dad can watch me," Lindor said. "It's really cool. I’m blessed..a lot of good teammates that I had helped me and hitting coaches that helped me along the way. And to my dad that, who never thought I could hit. It's good, it's good."
"It takes a lot [to get to 250]. He’s been in the league for a long time, having success. It’s not easy, especially playing a premium position at an elite level," Mendoza said of the accomplishment. "On top of that, you add the offense. Not just batting average, or hitting doubles but hitting for power. Not too many shortstops in the history of the game, there are only a few of them. We’re witnessing a special player and a special career here."
Lindor is just the 19th active player to have 250-plus home runs, but to Mendoza's point, he's just the fifth shortstop EVER to reach that mark (minimum 60 percent of career games at shortstop).
Although his walk-off homer had Citi Field rocking and made history, Lindor says he didn't even see it land. He just wanted to see his teammates.
"I kept my face in the dugout, with the guys," he said. "Everyone was running wild like we’re all little kids."
That selfless and team-first attitude is why he's the unofficial captain of the Mets. And his career will be defined not just by his accomplishments on the field, but off of it.
"There’s a lot that defines him. Not only moments like this but as soon as he gets to the ballpark, he influences people in a positive way," Mendoza explains. "His presence, his interactions. The way he pushes people, encourages people. And not just players, but coaches, support staff, everyone in this building. His presence, you can feel it every time he’s around. I’m glad I have him."
Juan Soto entered Friday's matchup with the Cardinals in a bit of a slump.
The outfielder, who signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets this offseason, was hitting just .221 with an OBP of .361 and just three home runs in his first 19 games in Flushing. But it's not just the statline he hasn't been able to cash in on.
We've seen him strike out with men on base, ground into inning-ending double-plays with the bases loaded, and so forth. It hasn't always been pretty, but Mets fans showed support for their newest slugger on Friday night.
After Soto grounded out in his first two at-bats, he came up in the fifth inning with a chance to tie the game. After Tyrone Taylor's triple plated Brett Baty, Francisco Lindor flew out to shallow right, failing to get Taylor home. Soto came up next with one out and the potential to do something positive. As the slugger made his way to the batter's box, the Citi Field crowd got on its feet and gave Soto a standing ovation.
Soto took a first-pitch curveball for a ball, and then lined an 84 mph changeup from Miles Mikolas to right field to tie the game, sending the Mets faithful into a frenzy.
The Citi Field crowd rose to its feet as Juan Soto came to the plate.
The RBI single snapped a 0-for-12 skid and gave the Mets new life, which they parlayed into a 5-4 win.
"That’s who we are, that’s who the Mets fans are. We feel it and the other team feels it. I’m sure Juan felt it," manager Carlos Mendoza said of the moment. "He’s a really good player. We’ve seen it so many times here, especially when they’re struggling.
"We saw it last year with Lindor and he took off. I’m not going to say that’s going to happen every time... It’s good to have that kind of support."
As Mendoza alluded to, Friday was a scene reminiscent of what the Citi Field crowd did a calendar year ago with another MVP-caliber player. Lindor was mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, batting just .098 through his first 51 at-bats of 2024.
The fans embraced their shortstop, and by the end of the year, Lindor was the NL MVP runner-up and helped lead the Mets on an improbable run into the postseason.
"The crowd is embracing Soto, and I love that," Lindor said. "He’s going to be with us for a very long time, he’s a fantastic player. I know at any point he’s going to make something happen. Every at-bat, he’s in the moment. You kind of expect it, he’s that good…I’m glad he was able to come through today.
"He picked me up. That at-bat, I popped up and he singled…RBI. It’s passing the baton. I’m happy the fans are embracing him and showing love. He deserves it."
Despite Soto's struggles, he is still getting on base and helping his team. He finished 1-for-3 with that RBI single and a walk on Friday, making it the ninth game this season where he had at least one hit and one walk. That's tied with Aaron Judge for the most such games in the majors.
While Soto isn't putting up numbers like he did a season ago when he finished third in AL MVP voting, he's still contributing and the Mets are winning. And the Mets fans know those MVP-type numbers will come -- they are willing to wait for them.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn't willing to label Carlos Rodón as a feast-or-famine pitcher. He dismissed that notion and conjecture on Friday afternoon, arguing that ample dominance from the veteran left-hander should be acknowledged more than the back-breaking pitches that have spoiled his recent outings.
The pregame message from Boone couldn't have reached Rodón prior to his first pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the comments were undoubtedly validated. In spite of profuse sweat on his uniform and some slippage on the mound, Rodón delivered six shutout innings with a season-high nine strikeouts in the team's 1-0 win at Steinbrenner Field.
By no means was Rodón's performance clean. He struggled with control throughout the night due to sweat and footing issues, and received a mid-inning towel break that helped dry his left arm and hand. But the southpaw overcame inconveniences, generated enough whiffs, and buckled down for his first quality start of 2025.
"I thought it was a little bit of a grind for him, actually, tonight," Boone said of Rodón after the win. "His last two [starts] were actually better -- they just put two swings out of the ballpark. He kind of grinded his way through. His stuff was good. But I just liked how he kept moving -- next pitch, next pitch. Some command issues at times with him, but he was able to make a big pitch, it seemed like, all night long."
While the main theme of Rodón's shortcomings has been his propensity for the untimely home run, walks have also been a huge concern. He entered Friday with the fifth-highest walk percentage in the league, and his outing on Friday began with a four-pitch walk.
But he didn't allow the two-on, no-out jam in the first inning to overwhelm him. With a four-pitch mix centered around his slider and changeup, Rodón induced three straight strikeouts to escape trouble. He allowed another leadoff walk in the second and a leadoff double in the fifth, but the Rays were unable to build rallies.
It was a gutsy effort -- both physically and mentally -- from Rodón, who let out a scream after throwing his 102nd and final pitch. The 32-year-old lowered his season ERA, raised his strikeout percentage, and, for at least a week, silenced doubters questioning his reliability.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the fourth inning of a 3-0 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday. Yamamoto threw seven shutout innings. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
One of the starting pitchers Friday night has won two Cy Young Awards.
The other is making an early case to win one of his own.
For years, Jacob deGrom has (when healthy) been the gold standard of major league pitching. He has a career ERA of 2.54. He is a four-time All-Star and two-time strikeout king. In 2018 and 2019, he won back-to-back Cy Young honors.
Although deGrom gave up just one run over seven strong innings, Yamamoto spun seven scoreless innings at Globe Life Field. Where deGrom struck out seven and walked a batter, Yamamoto had 10 strikeouts and no free passes.
It helped the Dodgers win this series-opening matchup between the last two World Series champions, even though they were without Shohei Ohtani, who went on the paternity list in anticipation of the birth of his first child.
And it further cemented one of the most promising early storylines of this Dodgers season — continuing to affirm Yamamoto, in just his second MLB season, as someone who could be competing for hardware this fall.
Friday presented a new challenge for Yamamoto, who entered the game with a 1.23 ERA in his first four starts. His fastball didn’t have its usual life, sitting a tick lower than normal at 95 mph. His splitter, while still wicked, was a little wilder than typical.
So, the 26-year-old Japanese star dug deeper into his bag of tricks. What he came up with kept the Rangers off balance.
A rare area of weakness for Yamamoto early this season had been his curveball. Though manager Dave Roberts last year called it one of the best he’s seen from a right-hander, opponents entered the night batting .429 against it. Yamamoto hadn’t registered a strikeout with it once.
On this night, though, Yamamoto snapped off a flurry of big-bending curves to the Rangers. It generated four whiffs on 11 swings. It accounted for two of his strikeouts, including one to Joc Pederson that stranded runners at second and third in the third. And of the seven that Texas put in play, only two fell for hits.
As Yamamoto worked deeper into the game, he also mixed in his rarely used slider, giving Rangers hitters a different look the second and third time through.
He fanned Jake Burger with one to end the fourth, stranding yet another runner at second. He used it again on his 102nd and final pitch, recording a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double-play to complete seven innings for only the third time in his MLB career.
Yamamoto’s splitter was still effective, totaling seven whiffs (four of them strikeouts) on 17 swings. And with his four-seamer playing down, he incorporated more sinkers and cutters into his arsenal.
It all served as a reminder that Yamamoto — whose 0.93 ERA is now best in the National League — is much more than a two-weapon pitcher. That, after brief flashes of brilliance last year, he is starting to put all the pieces together for a breakout sophomore season.
On the backside of his career at age 36, deGrom was almost as good in what turned into a vintage pitcher’s duel. He yielded just three hits, and retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. But back in the first inning, he threw an elevated fastball to leadoff man Tommy Edman (who was filling in for Ohtani at the top of the batting order). Edman whacked it for his NL-leading seventh home run.
It proved to be deGrom’s only real mistake.
But the way Yamamoto was dominating, it was one too many.
Francisco Lindor hit his first Mets walk-off home run in the team's 5-4 win over the Cardinals at Citi Field on Friday night.
It was Lindor's 250th career homer.
The Mets (13-7) have now won consecutive games after losing two stright for the first time this season.
Here are the takeaways...
-Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas held the Mets' offense down for the first four innings, allowing just four baserunners in that span. However, the Mets' bats woke up in the fifth with Brett Baty's leadoff double and Tyrone Taylor's RBI triple. AfterLindor's shallow fly ball failed to bring Taylor home, the Citi Field crowd gave Juan Soto a standing ovation in hopes of urging their new star to drive in the tying run. The left-hander slugger obliged, pulling a single into right field to tie the game, 2-2.
Soto snapped an 0-for-12 skid and finished 1-for-3 with a walk on the night.
-With the Mets down 3-2 in the sixth, Mark Vientos found the seats for the second straight night with a solo shot. He turned on the eighth pitch of the at-bat -- a 95.4 mph fastball up and in -- depositing it 371 feet into the left field seats. According to MLB's Sarah Langs, Vientos’ home run came on a pitch 4.14 ft above the ground, which is the third-highest pitch a Mets player has homered on in the pitch-tracking era (2008), behind:
8/27/17 Amed Rosario: 4.17 ft
9/22/20 Robinson Cano: 4.16 ft
-The bottom of the eighth was a wild one. After Vientos' leadoff single, Luisangel Acuña pinch-ran and stole second. Brandon Nimmo hit a chopper to third base and the young infielder tried to get a jump to third, but Nolan Arenado hadn't thrown the ball to first yet and it created a foot race for third. Acuña initially beat the tag, but he slid off the bag and the Gold Glover put the tag on to get the first out, which was confirmed by replay.
With Nimmo on first, former Met reliever Phil Maton threw to keep the veteran outfielder on but it hit Nimmo, allowing him to get to second. Luis Torrens then made the Cardinals pay with a double down the left field line, giving the Mets their first lead of the night.
-David Peterson was effective on Friday night, but the Cardinals were able to use small ball to get to the talented lefty. Three singles, which were hit softly but not where fielders were, allowed the Cardinals to score the first run of the game in the second. They then pushed across another after Brendan Donovan took second on a passed ball. Jordan Walker then scorched a liner toward first base that Pete Alonso knocked down but trickled into the outfield.
Peterson would continue to overcome this scrappy Cardinals team and rack up the strikeouts, but St. Louis would push their third run across thanks to a leadoff double from Willson Contreras and a single by Arenado.
Carlos Mendoza pulled Peterson with one out in the sixth and called on Max Kranick to limit the damage. And as the right-hander had done for most of the season, he left ducks on the pond to keep the score 3-2.
Peterson was dominant in spurts, but the Cardinals were able to string hits together in three separate innings. The left-hander went 5.1 innings on a season-high 99 pitches, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and a season-high nine punchouts.
-With Edwin Diaz unavailable due to pitching consecutive games, Huascar Brazoban was called to get the final three outs, but on the second pitch, Donovan launched a game-tying homer off the netting on the right-field foul pole. Brazoban bounced back, however, striking out the next three batters to send it to the bottom of the ninth.
-Baty continued to look good at the plate, picking up his first walk of the season in his first at-bat and then swiping second for the third stolen base of his career. He doubled in his second at-bat and finished 1-for-3 with the walk and run scored.
Baty now has a five-game hitting streak.
-Nimmo hit in the No. 6 hole on Friday, his lowest place in the lineup since 2021. He looked good, too, despite his 1-for-4 night.
-After going hitless in Thursday's series-opener -- his last hitless game came on April 13 --Alonso got on the board with a first-inning triple. It was his first three-bagger since 2023. The slugger went 1-for-2 with two walks.
Game MVP: Francisco Lindor
In a back-and-forth affair, Lindor's walk-off sent the crowd home happy and is the logical choice.
The Yankees extended their winning streak to five games on Friday night, as they outlasted the division rival Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0, at Steinbrenner Field.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Carlos Rodón entered Friday with the fifth-highest walk percentage in the league, and fittingly walked Rays leadoff batter Yandy Díaz on five pitches before allowing a single to Junior Caminero four pitches later. But the veteran southpaw managed to escape the two-on, no-out jam in the first inning by striking out three straight with his slider and changeup. Rodón needed 28 pitches to work out of the early trouble.
-- It didn't take too long for the Yankees to draw first blood against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen. After a leadoff single from Paul Goldschmidt and a one-out walk from J.C. Escarra in the second, Trent Grisham smacked a two-out RBI single to shallow center, giving them their lone run. The backup outfielder was also robbed of extra bases in the fourth, when his slicing fly to deep left was snagged on a terrific diving catch by Christopher Morel.
-- Anthony Volpe was no match for Rasmussen in their first two matchups -- he whiffed on three straight pitches in both at-bats. But his woes at the plate didn't disrupt his defensive groove and range. In the bottom half of the fourth, the Yankees' shortstop took an infield single away from Curtis Mead with an impressive across-the-body throw deep in the hole that was nicely scooped up by Goldschmidt at first.
-- Before the game, Aaron Boone insisted that Rodón -- who's developed a knack for back-breaking mistakes -- hasn't resembled a feast-or-famine pitcher this season. The comments were validated, as the left-hander wound up completing six shutout innings with nine strikeouts on 102 pitches. Rodón also overcame profuse sweat and footing issues -- he threw a few wild pitches and received a mid-inning towel break.
-- Mark Leiter Jr. entered in relief of Rodón in the seventh, and nearly gave up a leadoff triple to Jose Caballero. But the deep fly off the center field wall induced a stellar relay between Grisham and Volpe that ended with Oswaldo Cabrera securing the tag at third. The Rays' baserunning blunder shifted momentum -- Leiter settled down after the huge play, striking out two.
-- Cabarello somehow made up for his mistake in the eighth, as he robbed Ben Rice of a two-run home run to right with a stunning leaping catch at the wall. The line drive had a 105 mph exit velocity and a 74 percent chance of becoming a hit, but if not for the clear robbery, Rice easily would've had his sixth homer of the season. He was as shocked as everyone else in the ballpark.
-- The Yankees relied on Fernando Cruz and Luke Weaver to record the final six outs, and neither right-hander disappointed. Cruz logged a pair of strikeouts with his nasty splitter and fastball, while Weaver produced a 1-2-3 ninth with two punchouts for his second save. It was yet another clutch performance from the bullpen, which had to complete 7.1 innings in Thursday's win.
-- Grisham's second-inning RBI single was the only blemish on Rasmussen's record -- Tampa's right-hander lowered his ERA to 0.87 by striking out seven across a season-high 5.2 innings. While the Yankees nearly added two runs on Rice's deep lineout, they struggled overall to muster offense. The only player who found success was Goldschmidt, who produced three of their five total hits and is now tied with Aaron Judge for the team lead in knocks (28).
-- It was another forgettable night at the plate for Jazz Chisholm Jr. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, lowering his season average to .160. The Yankees' second baseman will most likely be forced to sit on Saturday, as MLB issued him a one-game suspension and fine for actions that followed his ejection from Thursday's game. Chisholm appealed the league's ruling on Friday afternoon.
Game MVP: Carlos Rodón
While the sweat on his uniform and arms caused some disruptions on the mound, Rodón delivered his strongest start of the season thus far. He struck out a season-high nine batters, walked four, and gave up two hits. His ERA now sits at 4.34 through five starts.
TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was suspended for one game and fined by Major League Baseball on Friday following his ejection during a game at the Tampa Bay Rays and violation of MLB’s social media policy.
MLB senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill announced the decision.
Chisholm appealed, delaying any penalties until after a resolution. He was in the starting lineup for the second game of the four-game series.
Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning on Thursday night by plate umpire John Bacon when Chisholm argued after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low. It was his fifth career ejection and first with the Yankees.
Chisholm then posted on his X account, “Not even ... close!!!!!” with a profanity mixed in, then deleted the post.
MLB’s regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”
“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.
“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool,” he added. “I got to be better than that. ... I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”
Giants ace Logan Webb pitched very well, recording double-digit strikeouts and no walks.
But San Francisco lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because almost the exact same script played out in last week’s 2-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park.
It’s not a new phenomenon for Giants fans, who affectionately refer to it as “getting Cained.”
On April 7, Webb’s stat line read seven innings, four hits, no runs and 10 strikeouts; he was credited with a no decision after departing a 0-0 ballgame.
Eleven days later, Webb tied a career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings of work and again allowed four hits. But this time, he gave up two runs (only one earned) to earn his first loss of the 2025 MLB season.
“It feels like a wasted pitching effort the way he pitched tonight,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said postgame of his star right-hander. “That’s a really good performance. We’re seeing him with the added pitches being able to strike some guys out, too. So, kind of next-level stuff for him. …
“He pitched great — good enough to win a game.”
Bob Melvin feels that Logan Webb's stellar outing tonight was a "wasted pitching effort" with the Giants taking a shutout loss pic.twitter.com/GHy7PpIVtw
Webb has shown off a new-look pitch mix this spring, but it was ol’ reliable — his world-class changeup — that was particularly effective on Friday. Webb used his changeup as the knockout pitch for six of his 12 strikeouts.
“Yeah, super excited about the changeup,” Webb told reporters after the game. “That’s probably the most confident, the best I’ve felt in a long time on that pitch.”
If there’s any solace for Webb, tonight’s outing put him in elite company among Giants pitchers. Only Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum and Juan Marichal have as many games with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks in franchise history, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.
Logan Webb now has 4 career outings with 10+ strikeouts and no walks
Only other Giants with 4+ in at least last 125 seasons:
Madison Bumgarner: 12 Tim Lincecum: 5 Juan Marichal: 4
“I grew up in the area, and I grew up watching those guys,” said Webb, a Rocklin native who looked up to Lincecum and Bumgarner. “Anytime you’re on a list with those guys, I think you’re doing alright.”
Unfortunately for Webb, none of those players — or anyone in Giants franchise history — ever struck out at least 12 batters without a walk while also being on the hook for the loss.
So perhaps it was apt that Webb’s postgame interview in the clubhouse was interrupted by, well, a stinky deed.
"Farts are always funny, not going to lie."
Someone farted in the background of Logan Webb's postgame presser, and he couldn't hold it together 💨 🤣 pic.twitter.com/bKpABOpOJi
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is introduced before the team's home opener against the Detroit Tigers on March 27. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Shohei Ohtani has had plenty of milestone moments on the field in the last year.
This weekend, he’s about to have one off of it.
The Dodgers slugger and reigning National League MVP was placed on the paternity list, the team announced, in anticipation of the birth of his first child this weekend.
Ohtani stayed back in Los Angeles with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, according to manager Dave Roberts, and was replaced on the roster during the Dodgers' series against the Texas Rangers by veteran outfielder Eddie Rosario, who was called up from triple A.
“I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby,” Roberts said. “But obviously they are together in anticipation.”
Ohtani can stay on the paternity list for up to three days — which means he would be back for the team’s series next week against the Cubs at Wrigley Field at the latest — but Roberts said it’s possible he could rejoin the team later this weekend in Texas.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Rosario, the Dodgers transferred reliever Edgardo Henriquez to the 60-day injured list.
Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat appears to have found his stride in Triple-A.
The young right-hander has now recorded three consecutive strong outings after putting together six efficient innings of work in Game 1 of Friday afternoon’s doubleheader with the Buffalo Bisons.
Sproat allowed leadoff singles in each of the first two innings, but he used a double play to erase the threat both times. He was then helped out by a caught stealing and worked around a two-out walk in the top of the third.
The 24-year-old began cruising from there, retiring the next eight batters before allowing Jonatan Clase to reach on a two-out infield single in the sixth. Sproat then retired the next batter to end his day on a high note.
Overall, he allowed just four hits and a walk while striking out one across six shutout innings.
He touched 99.5 mph with his fastball and leaned heavily on his sweeper, throwing it 38 percent of the time.
Sproat was knocked around toward the end of last season with Syracuse, but he's settled in at the new level, allowing just two runs while striking out nine in 14.1 innings over his last three appearances (1.26 ERA).
While the Mets likely want to see him continue this stretch of strong pitching, he's certainly knocking on the door.
According to reports, he was among the options New York was considering as a spot starter against the Cardinals before Griffin Canning was scratched Wednesday due to an illness. Justin Hagenman came up instead.
If Sproat can continue pitching like this, it likely won't be long before he receives the call too.
Brandon Sproat threw six shutout innings for Triple-A Syracuse today 💪
