Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Duran feels ‘like nothing happened,' Bohm almost back, Castellanos sits vs. Nats originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — Jhoan Duran’s pain subsided quickly. 

A day after Duran took a line drive to the ankle and left the field in the Nationals’ bullpen cart, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said the closer is “good to go” if there’s a Saturday save situation. 

How does Duran feel?

“Good,” he said pregame. “A hundred percent. I don’t feel nothing. It’s crazy … like nothing happened.”

Duran received clean X-ray results Friday night and the Phillies’ concern soon evaporated. 

“They feel like it hit his ankle, hit a nerve, and he got kind of dead foot,” Thomson said. “He actually walked out to the bus pretty good (last night), and then he came in normal today.”

Bohm likely back for series finale 

Two Phillies appear set to return from rib injuries on Sunday.

Aaron Nola will start against the Nationals and Alec Bohm’s rehab assignment is over.

“We’ll probably activate him tomorrow,” Thomson said. “He’ll be flying in here today.”

Bohm’s last MLB appearance came on July 18. He hit 3 for 21 for Triple-A Lehigh Valley with one walk and two strikeouts. Bohm homered on Wednesday and tripled on Thursday. 

Slumping Castellanos sits 

Over the Phillies’ last eight games, Nick Castellanos has reached base once.

The 33-year-old right fielder has gone 1 for 33 with zero walks and nine strikeouts. His season OPS has fallen under .700. Castellanos’ 88 OPS+ would be the worst in his career for a full season.

Thomson’s lineup Saturday did not include Castellanos. Max Kepler got the start in right field, Harrison Bader in center, Brandon Marsh in left. 

“It was pre-planned,” Thomson said. “He swung the bat pretty good last night; he was a lot better. He was lofting some balls to center field, hit a couple of balls hard. Makes a great throw. 

“He’ll be back in there tomorrow. … Moving forward, I’m trying to get a good mix of getting all those guys in there, because Nick’s going to get hot at some point and I want to make sure that I know when that is. And those other guys are swinging the bats well, too.”

When asked Thursday about Castellanos’ struggles, Thomson said he’s “just been off balance a little bit.”

“Not letting the ball travel,” Thomson said. “When he’s scuffling, that’s usually what he’s doing. We all know he’s a streaky guy and he’ll get it back. It’s just a matter of when.”

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Citi Field on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on PIX11.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Top pitching prospect Nolan McLeanwill make his MLB debut. The 24-year-old owns an 8-5 record with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts over 21 minor league games
• Francisco Lindor hit his seventh lead-off home run of the season in Friday's loss, tying Curtis Granderson (2015 and 2016) for the all-time Mets single-season record
• Juan Soto has reached base in each of NY's 13 games in August, batting .280 with 12 runs, five homers, eight RBI, nine walks, four stolen bases and a .980 OPS. so far this month

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How can I watch the game online?

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

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

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

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• Mets stunned in 11-9 loss to Mariners after bullpen's late meltdown
• With New York "not clicking," team still believes in turnaround: "We control our own destiny"
• Mets’ Nolan McLeancaught off guard by promotion, but ready for "dream come true" debut
• Mets designating Paul Blackburn for assignment to clear space for McLean
• Top prospect Jett Williamscontinues hot start in Triple-A with another multi-hit game
• WATCH: Francisco Lindor, Sean Manaea and Brooks Raley comment on another frustrating Mets loss
• WATCH: Carlos Mendoza on Mets bullpen struggles, Manaea's outing
• WATCH: Can top pitching prospect McLean give the Mets a much-needed boost?
• WATCH: Mets Prospect Jonathan Santucci Highlights
• WATCH: David Wright discusses his secret to stealing bases on The Mets Pod
• WATCH: Gary, Keith, and Ron meet the Mets fans and their dog at their house

Lately, the only thing the Dodgers excel at is losing games they should win. When they hit they can’t pitch and when they pitch they can’t hit. They can’t move runners over or get a clutch hit and, of course, the relievers still can’t throw strikes. It all adds up to a good year ... for the Padres.

Alan Abajian
Alta Loma

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To paraphrase the old adage, you can put lipstick on the Dodgers — for example, so and so is coming back ... or recovering.

But any team that has played as inconsistently as they have at the plate, in the field, and on the pitcher’s mound is very unlikely to survive in multiple playoff short series. It’s virtually certain that type of team will get tripped up along the way. Especially one predicted to win 120 games.

Kip Dellinger
Santa Monica

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Mr. Plaschke is saying that the Dodgers' failure to trade for bullpen help is the problem with the bullpen. Maybe he should point the finger at the guy (mis)using them.

John Vitz
Manhattan Beach

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Re: Bill Plaschke’s column on Dodgers at trade deadline — The Dodgers didn’t have an “inability” to improve their bullpen, it was an “unwillingness.” With the talent in their system, the Dodgers could have easily put together a package to get Mason Miller, David Bednar or similar. Impossible to know if there was any meaningful undisclosed trade talk to get better bullpen help, but it sure looks like the Dodgers simply decided not to do it. It also looks like it could be a big mistake.

John Merryman
Redondo Beach

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Truth be told, the story was about the incredible Angel comeback/sweep of the Dodgers. Once again the columnist focuses on the Dodgers' injuries instead of the Angels' mind-blowing bottom of the ninth rally. Will the "Summer Bummer" continue when the Padres invade Dodger Stadium?

Patrick Kelley
Los Angeles

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Who ARE these people and what have they done with our Dodgers?

Sarah Tamor
Santa Monica

Kershaw finding a way

Most of Clayton Kershaw's career he has been a very successful power pitcher. As he has aged, and his velocity has dipped, Kershaw has become more of a crafty left-hander. Whichever version pitches on the mound, I'm just glad that Clayton Kershaw continues to have success and win for the Dodgers.

Chris Sorce
Fountain Valley

How about winning more games?

In response to Ben Bolch's suggestions on how to increase Bruin football attendance, many fans will say, "just win, baby." Our alumni group of eight purchased season tickets in 1976, the same year that Geof Strand began his magical cheerleading run. For a generation, every home game, win or lose, was pure fun. Eight-claps punctuated the fall afternoon days with "every man, woman, and child" on their feet. The Bruin Marching Band provided the music, no amplified DJ production required. It is nearly impossible to return to the past, but hopefully Martin Jarmond, et al., will give Mr. Bolch's ideas serious consideration.

Dave Sanderson
La Cañada

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Ben Bolch's analysis for the lack of attendance was very good and covered most points; the long drive, helping the students and fans with costs, and the late start times and late setting of start times all have an influence, but there is one other BIG problem, the seats are extremely uncomfortable. They are 100 years old. I am under 6 feet and when I go I have to sit sideways. There is no room for my knees with the seat in front of me. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE!. Also a comment on the start time for the games. Ben was right on that one too. Games with a 7 p.m. start time and we get no coverage on the East Coast, not even on the late news there. It hurts recruiting and image. Start the games no later than 4 p.m.

Marty Meltzer
Reseda

Indicator of success?

Ryan Kartje writes that college football preseason polls are useless. That may be true for teams in the middle and below in the rankings but not at the top. In the 11-year history of the College Football Playoff no team outside the preseason top six has won the championship.

Gerry Swider
Sherman Oaks

Bad luck or no luck

Just the Chargers’ luck. Constructing a top-10 offense takes a big hit with Rashawn Slater going down for the season. What’s next?

Mitchell W. Cohen
East Windsor, N.J.

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The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In the standings, all is right again in the Dodgers’ world. Clayton Kershaw was, well, Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers won.

In the box score, all was not well. As you already have guessed, the bullpen: Five relievers were needed to cover the final three innings, in which the San Diego Padres put potential tying and/or go-ahead runs on base in each of those innings.

And, on Day 1 of Life Without Muncy 2.0, the Dodgers managed four hits.

With 40 games to play, the Dodgers and Padres are tied atop the National League West. If Max Muncy can play in even a handful of those games, the Dodgers will be grateful.

Read more:Dodgers slay their recent demons by beating Padres to regain tie for first in NL West

The Dodgers put their third baseman on the injured list Friday afternoon because of a strained oblique muscle. When Muncy went on the injured list last month because of a knee injury, the Dodgers led the majors in runs. He missed 25 games, in which the Dodgers ranked last in runs.

Of the Dodgers’ four hits on Friday evening, three were delivered by the bottom three batters in the lineup. That means Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages went a combined 1 for 17.

“Max just has that balance in the lineup, as far as another left-handed (hitter),” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “but also handles left-handed pitching and has the ability to get on base.

“He’s a threat. Now, without him, other guys have got to step up.”

The Dodgers’ left-handed bats, as of Friday: Ohtani, Freeman, outfielder Michael Conforto (.189) and backup catcher Dalton Rushing (.202).

It should go without saying that Ohtani and Freeman remain imposing. It should also go without saying that opponents might well line up right-handers against the Dodgers, including the Padres throwing Dylan Cease against them Saturday and Yu Darvish on Sunday.

“We’re going to see a slew of right-handed pitching,” Roberts said. “There are going to be right-handers coming out of the pen.

“Our right-handers have got to be better.”

On that score, the most encouraging development for the Dodgers on Friday was Hernández hitting what turned out to be the decisive home run.

“Teo came to life with a big homer,” Roberts said.

Hernández hit 33 home runs last season, when his OPS was at least .762 in each month of the season. His OPS has been below .762 in each month this season except the first one.

In the Dodgers’ first 29 games, he hit nine home runs. In the 93 games since then, he has hit 10.

“Some days, it's good. Some days, it's bad,” Hernández said. “Some days, it's in between. Hitting is not easy. But I'm going to continue to keep working and try to be consistent for the month and a half, and hopefully in the playoffs.”

Read more:Plaschke: The 'legend' Clayton Kershaw is legendary again for Dodgers

The pennant stretch comes first, and Roberts has faith in Hernández.

Said Roberts: “It’s an easy bet that, when the stakes get higher, Teo is going to really show up for us.”

Muncy does that, in getting on base and in circling the bases. In October, when the pitching can rise to the occasion, so can Muncy.

His OPS is higher in the playoffs than in the regular season. He walks way more often. He can elevate the Dodgers’ lineup in October, if the rest of the lineup can step up and help get him there.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Even now, Clayton Kershaw.

After all these years, Clayton Kershaw.

When the Dodgers are reeling and roiling and losing their grip on a long hot summer, who is the one player who can stop the fall and calm the nerves and, oh yeah, kick some San Diego Padre butt?

Still, still, still, Clayton Kershaw.

He’s 37 with a battered 18-season body and a fastball the speed of a Zamboni and yet there he was Friday night, carrying an entire worried Dodger nation on his weary shoulders into the opener of a three-game series against the cocky rivals who had just stolen first place.

Final score: Dodgers 3, Padres 2

Final line: Six innings, two hits, one run.

Final verdict: He’s still All That.

“We had the right guy on the mound tonight, I think we all know that,” said manager Dave Roberts, smiling for what seemed like the first time in a week. “What he did for us tonight, not only just the compete, but the stuff ... getting us through six innings was huge, setting us up for the rest of the series ... Clayton set the tone ... big, big outing by him.”

Read more:Dodgers slay their recent demons by beating Padres to regain tie for first in NL West

It was a blast from the past, only it’s been happening in the present, Kershaw behaving like the staff’s second-best starter, improving his record to 7-2 while lowering his ERA to 3.01 and, as crazy as this once sounded, making an early case for inclusion in the postseason rotation.

“It was a good night,” Kershaw said.

Understated as usual. For all this game meant, it was a great night.

Since July 4 the Dodgers had been worse than even the Colorado Rockies, with a 12-21 record while losing 10 games in the standings to the Padres in a span of 40 days, surrendering first place just two days ago, and set to play the Padres six times in the next two weeks.

They desperately needed somebody to stop the bleeding. And before the game, Roberts claimed that Kershaw was “the perfect guy” to do it.

Perfect prediction. Almost perfect performance.

Read more:'Super grateful' Clayton Kershaw, Dodger teammates bask in glow of 3,000th strikeout

There was Kershaw, spinning and steering and surfing the ball past the Padre bats with apparent ease, his only mistake a hanging curve that Ramón Laureano hit 400 feet.

There was Kershaw, deftly making plays from the mound, demonstrably pleading for every close strike call, proudly stalking from the mound into a dugout filled with hugs and high-fives.

And there was Kershaw, after his maligned bullpen danced through danger and barely survived, admitting that maybe this game meant a little more.

“When you play everyday, things can spiral pretty quick,” he said. “So maybe just coming home, having an off day to reset, and playing good games ... it just takes one to get going. Hopefully this was it tonight for us.”

Before the game, Roberts acknowledged that the Dodgers just play harder, and with more urgency, when Kershaw is pitching.

“He had a way of elevating people’s focus and play,” Roberts said.

Sure enough, a team that had seemingly forgotten to do the little things did every little thing, from great defensive plays at the corners from Alex Freeland and Freddie Freeman to the eighth-inning sweeper from Blake Treinen that fooled Manny Machado into stranding two runners with a popout.

This is a team that devoutly follows Kershaw ... when they’re not sitting back and admiring him.

“He’s built for these big moments,” said Teoscar Hernández, whose seventh inning homer eventually proved to be the difference. “He is a legend.”

Kershaw was at his best when the Dodgers' best was needed, and in doing so he brought sanity back to the National League West and old-fashioned hardball back to a series that had become cheap and unseemly.

In these two teams’ seven previous meetings this season, the Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit three times, Shohei Ohtani was hit twice, and Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt engaged in a brief shoving and shouting match.

The stage was set for more bad blood, but Kershaw, who entered with a career 23-11 record and 2.19 ERA against the Padres, quickly put an end to that. He retired the Padres on a three-up-three-down first inning and efficiently dominated them from there.

“It's a game in August, obviously, it’s not that huge a deal,” Kershaw said. “But the way we were going, it felt like a big game for us and, thankful that we got a win.”

The only possible controversy emerged when Kershaw was removed from the game after just 76 pitches, surprising fans who didn’t have time to give him the proper standing ovation while leaving the game in the shaky hands of the bullpen.

Get used to it. The Dodgers are smartly going to protect the midseason Kershaw in hopes of maximizing the October Kershaw.

“I just think we’ve got to take care of him,” Roberts said. “For Clayton to give us six strong innings of one-run baseball, he did his job, there was no reason to push him more.”

Before the game, Roberts was asked if his struggling team held a players-only meeting. He said that, no, the transparent results of the next week would be the equivalent of any meeting.

“I don’t like to be embarrassed, I don’t think our players do, so this series I’m expecting high intensity and high performance,” Roberts said. “I think in itself, the schedule over the next week, will suffice in lieu of a meeting.”

In an opener that pulled the two teams into a first-place tie, the early results were clear.

High intensity? Check.

High performance? Check.

Clayton Kershaw? Still.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On a night the Dodgers had a stadium-wide giveaway promotion for the anime show "Demon Slayer," the club slayed a few recently troublesome demons of its own.

In the opening game of this season’s biggest series to date, they finally found a way not to trip over themselves.

By beating the San Diego Padres 3-2 at Dodger Stadium, the club moved back into a tie with the Padres for first place in the National League West.

They got six strong innings from Clayton Kershaw; plus, in a refreshing change of pace, plenty of crisp, clean defense behind him.

Read more:Dodgers' Max Muncy to miss several weeks because of oblique strain

And though a lineup that lost Max Muncy to the injured list with an oblique strain before the game was largely contained by the Padres (who had to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Michael King was shelved with a shoulder injury), the Dodgers still managed to break their four-game losing streak thanks to their biggest weakness of late.

For the first time in what felt like several weeks, a scuffling bullpen finally didn’t cough up a late, narrow lead.

The Dodgers (69-53) came into this weekend’s rivalry series reeling in a way that once seemed impossible for this year’s $400-million team.

Since July 4, they were just 12-21. What had been a nine-game division lead then was transformed into a one-game deficit to the Padres, who came to Los Angeles riding high thanks to a monster trade deadline and a recent 14-3 streak.

More dark clouds formed a few hours before first pitch when Muncy (who missed Wednesday’s game with side soreness) was placed on the injured list with a Grade 1 oblique strain, sidelining him for at least the next several weeks.

And though the Dodgers had taken five of seven games from the Padres (69-53) earlier this season, they suddenly felt more like an underdog now, searching for answers to their recently inconsistent offense, unsound fundamentals and untrustworthy bullpen (which had squandered five games in the past two weeks).

“I don't like to be embarrassed. I don't think our players do [either],” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “So this series, I'm expecting high intensity and high performance.”

The Dodgers delivered on both.

Kershaw set the tone, displaying a vintage demeanor even with his ever-diminished stuff. Before the game, he marched through the clubhouse and hunched over his locker, leafing through a scouting report while teammates carefully tip-toed around him. Between innings, he quietly paced in the dugout while avoiding almost any human contact. And when he was atop the mound, he pounded the strike zone and executed pitch after pitch, yielding his only run in the second inning when Ramón Laureano (one of several sizzling San Diego deadline acquisitions) clipped the outside of the left-field foul pole to open the scoring.

“There's just no one more intense or focused than Clayton,” Roberts said. “He has a way of elevating people's focus and play.”

It certainly appeared that way. Defensively, the Dodgers helped Kershaw out by turning several tough plays around the infield — from Freddie Freeman picking a ball in the dirt the second inning, to Alex Freeland and then Kershaw himself making tough plays in the third and fifth, respectively.

At the plate, the Dodgers also managed to capitalize on a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the third, after singles from Michael Conforto and Freeland were followed by a popped-up Miguel Rojas bunt that Padres third baseman Manny Machado couldn’t catch with a dive.

The Dodgers didn’t get another hit in the inning, but Shohei Ohtani drove in one run by beating out a potential double-play ball. Mookie Betts then added a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

The score remained 2-1 until Teoscar Hernández belted an opposite-field homer in the seventh, producing a massively important insurance run.

Then, it was up to the bullpen, which was asked to protect the kind of slim late-game lead they’ve squandered all too often during the team’s recent skid.

Ben Casparius pitched a scoreless seventh inning, stranding a two-out double from Jackson Merrill.

Alex Vesia created a jam in the eighth by hitting two batters and loading the bases on a walk. But the Padres only managed one run, with Vesia getting Luis Arraez to hit a sacrifice fly before Blake Treinen came on and retired Manny Machado on a first-pitch pop-up.

In the ninth inning, surprisingly, Roberts didn’t stick with Treinen — who they’ve been wary of using for multiple innings as he continues to work his way back from an early-season elbow injury.

The move might’ve been questionable. But, at long last, the result didn’t backfire.

Alexis Díaz and Jack Dreyer pitched around a single from Merrill in the ninth.

The Dodgers finally held on to a late lead. And after spending the last 48 hours in second place, the team climbed back to the top of the division standings, exorcising the close-game demons that had so dauntingly haunted them over the last several weeks.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It's been a tumultuous season for the Yankees, who sit precariously as the final wild card team even after their win Friday night against the Cardinals.

The same Yankees that were in the World Series less than a year ago, and have kept the same core of players, have underachieved in 2025 and many believe it falls on manager Aaron Boone's shoulders. But Brian Cashman doesn't.

The longtime GM of the Yankees spoke to the media, including The Athletic, prior to Friday's game in St. Louis, and was asked numerous questions, including what he thinks of the job Boone is doing in 2025 and how he's handling the ups and downs of the season.

"The best he can," Cashman said. “I don’t know how any manager, let alone a manager in a big market like New York, speaking of Aaron Boone, I’ve told him many times, how he does the pre- and postgame and navigates that on a daily basis, that’s not easy. It takes a talent in its own right to try to walk through that without losing your cool or getting emotional. He has stayed level-headed and even-keeled. 

"He knows how tough this sport is. He’s invested in these guys heavily, as we all are. Trying to explain away a difficult play or a bad performance for some time while the storm is upon us is not an easy task to navigate or deal with and remain cool, calm and collected. He’s obviously done an amazing job of working through that."

Cashman said he wouldn't be able to do what Boone does in dealing with the media, but in addition to defending Boone with how he handles the large New York market, is how he also manages the players. 

“I’m not an advocate of becoming Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage or John Cena from WWE and providing a power drive to finish off the victim — the victim being someone struggling at the plate, struggling defensively, struggling on the mound," he said. "And now you’re hearing it externally, and their family and friends are all hearing it. Then internally, now, they’re getting piled on also. In many cases, you’ve got to understand what the atmosphere is like.”

Cashman said players require more support in a market like New York and that Boone has the skills to help players get through struggles at the plate or on the field. 

But the Yankees GM is not overlooking the team's struggles over the last few months, which include losing their grasp on the AL East and fighting for their playoff lives. The Yankees are just 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians after Friday's games. 

And while that's good to get into the postseason, Cashman is not delusional about how the team is playing and that they need to right the ship sooner rather than later.

“We’re the defending American League champs trying to re-defend that,” Cashman said. “Obviously, right now, we’re not in control of the division. Our first goal is try to win the American League East and automatically punch the ticket that way. If not, we’ll be fighting to punch a ticket a different way. We have a lot of time on the clock, but not enough time at the same time. I don’t want to misrepresent (that) there’s not urgency, because there is.”

It's gone from bad to worse for the Mets after their latest loss on Friday night.

Now having lost 14 of its last 16 games, with each loss more disappointing than the last, New York has hit a crossroads -- one that requires the players to look themselves in the mirror and decide how they want to finish the season.

For how discouraging the Mets' recent play has been, it's been equally puzzling. After all, this is a team that is littered with talent, has a $339 million payroll and just went all-in at the trade deadline to push them over the top.

What's even more concerning is that the losses lately are not for a lack of effort. Talk to anybody on the team and they'll say everybody is putting in the work and doing the right thing. In fact, it was stressed by nearly every player who spoke after the game, as well as manager Carlos Mendoza.

"At the end of the day, everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do; it’s just the other teams are outplaying us," said Francisco Lindor. "We are all trying to win ballgames and all I can think of right now is that we’re not clicking at the same time and the other team is outplaying us."

How could that be? How is it possible that a team so talented that's putting in the work on a daily basis is getting consistently outplayed, oftentimes by inferior competition?

"It’s tough. We’ve all asked that question and it’s tough to point at one thing," Lindor said.

Consider this: over their last seven games, the Mets have blown leads of six runs, five runs, four runs, two runs (twice) and one run (seven times). They are 1-6 during that stretch.

And on Friday, even with Lindor, the team's catalyst, hitting two home runs, it still wasn't enough.

"I know baseball is weird sometimes and stuff just happens," said Sean Manaea. "At the end of the day, no one’s gonna feel sorry for us, so we just gotta figure it out. This is not where we wanna be and I know we’re way better than this."

After the latest loss, New York is now only six games above .500, six games back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East title and just 0.5 game up on the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final wild card spot.

It's been quite the fall from grace and if the Mets want to keep playing baseball in October this season, things need to change in a hurry with just 40 games left in the regular season.

"It’s part of the mountain," Lindor said. "You got to climb the mountain and right now we’re in a very steep part of it. And if we don’t get ourselves together and we don’t push ourselves to be better day in and day out, the mountain is gonna be tough to climb.

"It doesn’t feel good to lose, but we’re staying together and having the conversations. At the end of the day, we spend a lot more time here than we do in our houses, so this is when teams come together and good teams, they turn it around and they go far."

New York still has time to figure things out and because the team played so well earlier in the season, it's allowed them to remain in playoff position despite such a horrendous run.

However, it's no longer just a bad stretch. The sample size is large enough to be concerning.

And if the players that the Mets traded for continue to fail them, talent alone won't be enough to carry them over the finish line.

"As much as this sucks, I feel like guys have been in the league long enough," Manaea said. "It’s part of the game, you grow from it, you learn from it, but at the same time, nothing is given to us. We control our own destiny. It’s not gonna come easy, but we just gotta figure it out."

"We’re still in a place where we can continue to climb and put ourselves in a much better position," Lindor added. "It’s been tough to point at that one thing. At the end of the day, it just comes down to execution."

Meanwhile, Brooks Raley offered a glimmer of hope and is excited to see this season through.

"When [we] come out of this, I mean I know our hair’s gonna be on fire and we’re gonna be ready to go," he said. "We’ll be fired up to win some games in a row and kind of streak some things together... We’ve got lots of baseball left and when it turns, I know it’s gonna be a lot of fun."

With Nolan McLean gearing up for his MLB debut on Saturday, the Mets were forced to make a corresponding move and they've made it, designating Paul Blackburn for assignment following Friday night's loss to the Seattle Mariners, the team announced.

Blackburn dealt with a lot this season, which started with him on the IL with right knee inflammation. 

The right-hander didn't make his season debut until June 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which he pitched five scoreless innings. From there, things went downhill for the 31-year-old.

After a slew of ineffective outings, Blackburn went back on the IL with a right shoulder impingement, which he had been rehabbing for the last month. 

Healthy once again but with few spots available after the Mets fortified their bullpen at the trade deadline, the veteran was activated on Aug. 13 and pitched that day against the Atlanta Braves.

In what would end up being his final appearance for New York, Blackburn went five innings in what was a blowout loss to save the rest of the bullpen.

In seven games (four starts), the right-hander went 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA.

Joining the Mets at last season's trade deadline, Blackburn only made 12 appearances during his time in New York after spending eight seasons playing for the Athletics. 

In his career, the veteran owns a 4.96 ERA in 452 innings.

Meanwhile, McLean said Friday he was "surprised" to get the promotion, but is ready for his MLB debut. He's pitched to a 2.45 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 113.2 innings in the minors this season. The 24-year-old made five starts in Double-A before heading to Triple-A, where he owned a 2.78 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 16 outings.

Luis Gil was solid in his third start this season and Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s two-run blast proved to be the difference as the Yankees held on to defeat the Cardinals, 4-3, on Friday night in St. Louis.

The Yankees' win coupled with the Guardians' loss earlier in the day, increased their lead for the final wild card spot to 1.5 games.

Here are the takeaways...

-Manager Aaron Boone went with a different-looking lineup for Friday's game. With Aaron Judge occupying the DH spot, Giancarlo Stanton was relegated to the bench with Jose Caballero getting the start in right field. Jasson Dominguez and Trent Grisham rounded out the outfield. Cody Bellinger got the start at first base with Ben Rice behind the plate, and it was Rice who set the Yankees up early in this one.

Rice doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs in the first inning. Judge grounded out but drove in Grisham from third. After a Bellinger flyout, Chisholm hit a laser into the right field stands for a two-run shot off starter Andre Pallante to put the Yankees up 3-0.

-Gil was on the mound and was effective despite seemingly nipping at the corners early. He would induce inning-ending double plays in each of his first three innings. Gil was cruising until the fifth inning when he started to lose the zone. The Cardinals got runners on the corners with no outs. But Gil got the next three batters in order (flyout, strikeout, groundout) to get out of the jam.

The same would not be the case in the sixth inning as Gil allowed back-to-back, one-out doubles as the Cardinals got on the board, and was the end of Gil's night. 

Mark Leiter Jr. came in, and after a walk, the right-hander got another inning-ending double play, and put a bow on Gil's night.

Gil was economical heading into the sixth, but had to be pulled after tossing 83 pitches (50 strikes) across 5.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters.

-The Yankees bullpen was a bit shaky. After Leiter, Camilo Doval was on for the seventh and allowed two runs on one hit, one walk and a HBP in just 0.2 innings pitched. Luke Weaver was called to close the door on the innings, but an 0-2 changeup in the dirt went through Rice's legs and allowed another Cardinals run to score (both charged to Doval) on the wild pitch. Weaver did get the strikeout to end the frame but the Yankees' lead was just 4-3 after seven.

Doval has allowed at least one run in three of his seven outings since being acquired by the Yankees. It's also the third time he's recorded fewer than three outs.

Weaver pitched in and out of trouble in the eighth after a two-out single and his own throwing error put the tying run in scoring position. Weaver got Nolan Gorman to strike out to end the frame.

David Bednar got the Cardinals 1-2-3 in the ninth to pick up his second save as a Yankee.

-After the Yankees went up 4-0, the offense completely went to sleep. They consistently had traffic on the bases but couldn't scratch across any more runs, and the ninth inning was the worst culprit. After Ryan McMahon walked and Caballero singled to lead off the inning, Grisham tried to bunt them over but failed, as McMahon was thrown out at third on the force out. Rice struck out and Judge walked to load the bases for Bellinger. But the slugger popped out to end the threat.

The Yankees were 3-for-17 with RISP and left nine men on base.

-Dominguez, getting his first at-bat since Aug. 10, finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts but delivered with an opposite-field single in the third inning to drive in the Yankees' fourth run of the game.

Caballero went 2-for-3 with a walk and one strikeout, while Rice finished 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Judge went 0-for-4 with a walk and an RBI groundout. He's now 5-for-29 since returning from the IL. 

-One piece of good news for the Yankees was that Paul Goldschmidt came in to play first base in the eighth inning for defensive purposes. It looks as if the veteran slugger will avoid an IL stint. 

Game MVP: Yankees bullpen (not named Doval)

The combination of Leiter, Weaver and Bednar got nine outs without allowing a run

Highlights

Aaron Judge gets the Yankees on the board first pic.twitter.com/CFWcTcoVm1

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 16, 2025

Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a two-run shot to right! pic.twitter.com/DMH96LSPno

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 16, 2025

Jasson Dominguez swings on 3-0 and makes it 4-0! pic.twitter.com/phy3AsQrbe

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 16, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Cardinals play the middle game of their weekend series on Saturday evening. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m.

Max Fried (12-5, 2.94 ERA) will take the mound against Sonny Gray (11-5, 4.06 ERA) in what will could be a pitcher's duel.

The image is iconic — Kobe Bryant letting out a roar while tugging on his gold Lakers jersey after scoring 49 points during a playoff win over the Denver Nuggets on April 23, 2008.

It has been used in numerous murals around Southern California, including one that is being painted in larger-than-life form on the side of a future Eat Fantastic restaurant on the 700 block of North Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach.

This particular painting, however, is a little different from the others, and from the original image itself. Bryant's intensity is still there. His pose is exactly the same. He is still wearing a No. 24 jersey.

But in this version, that jersey is not gold with "Lakers" spelled across the chest in purple letters.

It's white, with "Dodgers" across the chest in blue letters.

The altered version of the iconic image is just one portion of a sprawling mural paying tribute to the Dodgers' 2024 World Series championship. It's on the north-facing side of a former Carl's Jr. building that will open later this year as part of the growing Eat Fantastic chain in the Los Angeles area.

The mural was conceived by artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. and Eat Fantastic owner Efthemios Alexander Tsiboukas. It features some of the key figures from the Dodgers' title run — players Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani (with his beloved dog Decoy) and rapper Ice Cube, who is shown riding in a classic Dodger blue convertible as he did when he performed before Game 3 of the World Series.

And then there's the late Lakers legend Bryant, whose inclusion in the piece was a must, Zermeño said.

Read more:Want to visit Kobe Bryant murals? Here are 24 in Los Angeles and 8 in Orange County

"Each [Eat Fantastic] location has a Kobe mural, at least the ones that have a good wall," said Zermeño, who is a huge fan of both the Dodgers and Bryant. "And for this location, [Tsiboukas] wanted to create something for the Dodgers' championship team. That's why Kobe has the Dodger jersey on, you know, staying on theme with the locations having a Kobe mural."

Zermeño said the original idea was to paint Bryant wearing a Dodgers baseball jersey, as he did while attending the team's games over the years before his shocking death in January 2020.

"So we looked up a bunch of images," Zermeño said. "A lot of them are obviously cool images, but either they were very pixelated, or just didn't have what we wanted, that really aggressive Mamba-mentality feel.

"So we found this image. And you know, this image has been done before in several murals. But with the Dodger jersey, we wanted to throw a twist on it."

Tsiboukas said: "That's my favorite picture of him. I have the exact same one [painted at the restaurant location] in Arcadia. He's wearing the real jersey, though, the yellow one. So I wanted a replica of that same one I did in Arcadia, and do it in a Dodger jersey, because of the Dodger dynasty right now."

The purple and gold may have been removed from the jersey, but Zermeño said he purposefully incorporated them into the sunset depicted behind Bryant as a nod to the Lakers.

Zermeño started working on the mural Aug. 7 and expects to have it completed next week, ahead of Bryant's Aug. 23 birthday. The portion featuring Bryant is already done — and it has garnered mixed reactions.

"For the most part, I've gotten a pretty positive reaction over it," Zermeño said. "You know, a lot of Laker fans are also Dodger fans, so I think that overlap is pretty consistent throughout L.A. But yeah, man, you're always going to have some haters. I think a lot of it is more like playful taunting. ...

Read more:North Hollywood mural lauds Dodgers' Kiké Hernández 'for standing up for what is right'

"A couple of people driving by — I think they're just trying to be funny, making a joke, like yelling 'He didn't play for the Dodgers!' or like, 'He was a Laker!' And then some people are just curious why I made that change. I think the people that are curious are older, some of the older crowd that, I guess, doesn't understand why I would switch it, you know?"

Tsiboukas said he has seen a lot of online discussion about it, including on the popular kobemural Instagram page.

"Maybe 70% love it, and 30% are like, 'That looks like a Clipper jersey,'" Tsiboukas said. "It's causing a lot of friction back and forth, but it's good topic. It's raising awareness. It's keeping Kobe's legacy alive."

Zermeño said he doesn't mind the discourse over his artwork.

“It just, it sparks that conversation," he said. "So regardless of whether people like it or not, I think it kind of breaks the ice for people to come up and ask questions and learn more about why we created it, and the process of putting it together. ...

“It's art, you know, and art's meant to kind of create some type of conversation. And if we were to put him with a regular jersey, people would have been like, ‘Oh, that's cool, but it's been done X amount of times,' you know? I've seen that photo in at least five different murals. So, yeah, I think switching it up definitely — I don't want to say it elevated the piece, but it definitely created more conversation than there would be if we just kept the original jersey.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Ahead of their biggest series of the season, the Dodgers suffered another significant injury blow.

Third baseman Max Muncy was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a Grade 1 right oblique strain ahead of the team’s pivotal divisional matchup against the San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers are hopeful Muncy’s injury — which manager Dave Roberts said was similar to, but more mild, than the oblique and rib problem that sidelined him for much of last year — won’t be season ending.

However, Muncy will be out for at least several weeks, with Roberts offering no firm timetable beyond that.

"I don't think anyone knows right now, but certainly beyond the 10 days,” Roberts said. “I think that's a safe bet."

In a corresponding move, the Dodgers claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.

The last time the Dodgers lost Muncy, to a knee injury in early July that kept him out for about a month, their offense cratered.

Before that point, the team had led the majors in scoring, with 25 more runs than any other club. But over the 25 games he missed, they ranked last, averaging 3.5 runs per game while other star hitters endured slumps.

That sequence served as a reminder of Muncy’s importance to the team. Even after a slow start this year, he was hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs in 89 games.

"It's certainly a tough loss," Roberts said. "I think it's just, guys got to continue to perform to their abilities. It's hard to kind of backfill Max, what he brings as far as the plate discipline, the slug, the on-base, all that stuff. I feel good about our lineup, the guys that we have, and they've just got to go out there and take good at-bats. That's kind of all we can do right now."

Muncy’s injury comes amid other key injuries to the lineup.

Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández (the team’s primary backup options at third base) are unlikely to return before September. Because of that, the club had already dug deep into its minor-league depth, including calling up highly touted prospect Alex Freeland — who has hit just .176 since arriving, but got the start at third base Friday.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.