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Mookie Betts flexed his arms and began to shout. Max Muncy simply looked to the sky and strolled slowly out of the batter’s box.

In the eighth inning Wednesday night, both hitters erased some recent frustrations in the Dodgers’ 9-3 win over the Athletics, delivering the key hits in a five-run rally that turned a close game into a laugher.

With one out, and Kiké Hernández standing at second base after being bunted over by Miguel Rojas following his leadoff single, the Athletics decided to intentionally walk Shohei Ohtani. They wanted right-handed Tyler Ferguson to face Betts instead.

After showing some improvements with his slumping swing on last week’s road trip, Betts entered the at-bat back in another cold spell, stuck in a 0-for-7 rut to start this homestand that included a fly out that left two runners stranded in his previous at-bat in the sixth.

Read more:Dodgers call up catcher Dalton Rushing, designate Austin Barnes for assignment

This time, however, Betts crushed a double in the right-center gap. A 4-3 lead suddenly blossomed to a 6-3 cushion. And as Betts pulled into second, he turned toward the first-base stands (the same direction as the A’s dugout) and screamed with an animated celebration.

Three batters later, Muncy put the game away, clobbering a three-run homer that was a no-doubter off the bat. It was just Muncy’s second home run of the season, and snapped his own 0-for-8 skid to begin this homestand. As the ball sailed around the right-field foul pole, Muncy gave it a long look, admiring the kind of swing that has eluded him for much of the opening two months of the season.

In the bullpen, closer Tanner Scott took a seat. In a game that had been close for eight innings, his services wouldn’t be needed.

The Dodgers had broken a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning, when Miguel Rojas drove Michael Conforto home from first with a pinch-hit double.

Moments before that, Andy Pages had run into an out on the bases, getting overaggressive on a Conforto single by trying to go first-to-third. Thus, when Rojas hit his line drive the other way, it briefly seemed like the blunder would come back to cost the Dodgers a chance to go in front.

Instead, A’s center fielder JJ Bleday had trouble getting a grasp.

As Bleday booted his cut-off attempt, the ball bouncing off his glove as he slid along the outfield grass, Dino Ebel immediately put his arm in helicopter mode, the third base coach giving Conforto — chugging hard all the way from first — a green light to race to the plate.

Conforto beat the delayed relay. The Dodgers had their first lead since the third inning. And with their full stable of high-leverage relievers available (the ones currently not on the injured list, anyway), they never looked back again.

The Dodgers (28-15) did all of their early scoring the same way Wednesday, hitting three leadoff home runs in three innings against Athletics rookie starter Gunnar Hoglund.

Ohtani got things started in the first, belting his 13th homer of the season (and third to lead off a game) on a scorching line drive that carried over the right field wall.

The next inning, Pages walloped one the other direction, lifting his seventh blast of the season to the left-field bullpen.

In the fifth, Hyeseong Kim got his first MLB big fly, lofting a wallscraper to right for career home run No. 1.

The Athletics (22-21) got to Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto with their own long ball, Tyler Soderstrom hammering a two-run blast with two outs in the third when Yamamoto tried to steal a first-pitch strike with a curveball over the plate.

Outside that, however, Yamamoto was effective in a six-inning, three-run outing that left his ERA at 2.12 on the season. The only other score he allowed came in the fourth, when a leadoff walk to Shea Langeliers set up Miguel Andujar for an RBI double.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

For the first time since Game 5 of the World Series last fall, Juan Soto will play a game at Yankee Stadium.

During the weekend’s Subway Series, the ex-Yank will run out to right field in front of The Bronx’s Bleacher Creatures for the bottom of the first with the Mets. And he’s excited about making his return.

What excites him most? “The crowd,” he said after Wednesday’s game at Citi Field, via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

Even if the Yankees fans boo? “I don’t mind,” Soto answered.

Manager Carlos Mendoza anticipates the slugger, who was given the finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates off ahead of Thursday’s off day, will experience “a lot of emotions.”

"He’s going back, he’s gonna go in there and [remember] good memories,” Mendoza said. “He had a really good year with them, went to the World Series with them, it'll be exciting."

As a team, Mendoza said they are “ready to go.”

“It will be an exciting series, two teams playing well, two really good teams, pretty sure it will be fun,” he said.

After a Yanks-Mets matchup during spring training, Soto let slip what he anticipates happening. “You know, Yankees fans, they can surprise you with anything, so I'm expecting the worst," he said with a laugh.

After signing with the Mets in December, Soto thanked Yankees fans for showing him “all the love” in his lone season in The Bronx during his introductory news conference at Citi Field.

“They were there day in, day out. They really have a spot in my heart at the end of the day,” he said. “Tough we couldn’t get it together and try to be back, and stuff like that, but always going to appreciate what they did for me in 2024.”

Blame it on the rain?

The rain was always going to play a factor on a wet Wednesday at Citi Field. Unfortunately for Clay Holmes, the biggest cloudburst of the game came at a critical moment.

After a nine-pitch first frame, Holmes got two quick outs to start the inning before Isiah Kiner-Falefa yanked a sweeper on the outside corner to left for a single. And that is when the rain went from falling lightly to a bit steadier. Back-to-back sweepers landed in the zone to get ahead of Matt Gorski, before the intensity of the rain increased again.

On the next two pitches, the rain was not the issue, but home plate umpire Carlos Torres called a slider that appeared to be entirely in the zone a ball, and a 1-2 sweeper that was a bit higher was called out of the zone, as well.

“Two calls that we didn’t get there,” Mendoza said. “A full ball in the strike zone and we didn’t get that one, and then another one that clipped the strike zone and we didn’t get that one.”

“Some tough hops here,” Holmes said. “Losing grip on the ball there, trying to make pitches.”

The heavens opened up before Holmes could throw his next pitch. And when he did, the righty uncorked a fastball that went over the batter’s head and hit the backstop on the fly, bouncing all the way back to him. 

“At that point, it’s in the umpire’s hands, it's nothing we could do there,” Mendoza said about getting the game stopped. “Other than create the awareness and get it to their attention, but… it's their call.”

And after fouling off a sweeper toward the corner, Holmes hung his second 3-2 slider and it was clocked for a 407-foot home run to left through the driving rain.

“I think I went to the slider too many times there, but I thought it was probably the best thing I could control. I ended up getting beat with it,” Holmes said.

“He lost the feel for the ball there,” the manager said. “I’m not trying to make excuses here for him.”

To add insult to injury, after Holmes got the final out, the field was in such a state that the grounds crew needed 10 minutes of work to fix the infield and mound before the home half of the second could begin. 

“It was one of those things where you gotta compete through and try to make pitches,” Holmes said. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t make one there.”

Clay Holmes surrendered a pair of two-run home runs, and the Mets' bats got blanked by the Pirates in a 4-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

On a dreary, rainy spring night, Holmes never really looked comfortable on the hill, and his teammates couldn’t pick him up in the batter’s box as New York went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.

The Mets (28-16) took two of three from the Pirates (15-29) and had chances to make the visitors sweat, but managed just six singles in their fifth home loss out of 22 games. This was the second time they had been shut out this year.

Here are the takeaways...

-Holmes, making his first start on four days' rest of the year, retired the first five he faced before allowing a bloop single to left in the second. And after getting ahead 0-2 to Matt Gorski, the rain went from falling lightly to a downpour. Holmes, who was leaving some offspeed pitches up in the inning, had a 3-2 sweeper hang right over the plate and Gorski cranked it 407 feet to left for a two-run homer.

In addition to the rough luck on pitching through a tremendous cloudburst of rain, Holmes may have gotten squeezed by home plate umpire Carlos Torres on two off-speed pitches at the top of the zone to Gorski. 

Holmes rebounded for a streak of six-straight retired before a pair of two-out singles in the fourth brought Gorski to the plate. But Luisangel Acuña was able to make a fine play at second on a slow roller up the middle to end the threat.

Pittsburgh doubled the lead in the fifth on Ji Hwan Bae's beautifully executed drag bunt (38.9 mph off the bat) and Jared Triolo smacking a sinker that was up in the zone to left for a two-run shot (104.7 mph). A bloop single and walk gave them two on with one away, but Holmes got Joey Bart to bounce into a 5-4-3 twin-killing to avoid further damage.  

Holmes saved his best inning for last, getting a pair of strikeouts in a perfect sixth. His final line: 6.0 innings, four runs, seven hits, one walk, four strikeouts on 90 pitches (60 strikes). His average velocity was down on his sinker by nearly a mph, and his spin rate was down on his slider and sweeper.

- The Mets had chances to get the starter a cushion early off Pirates starter Bailey Falter as Mark Vientos singled and Pete Alonso worked a 10-pitch walk with one out. Starling Marte worked an eight-pitch walk with two outs to load the bases, but on the left-hander’s 32nd pitch of the inning, Luis Torrens went down swinging on a high slider.

New York, down pair, had the chance to get back into it with singles by Brandon Nimmo and Torrens in the fourth. And after Acuña worked a two-out walk, the bases were loaded again. New Pirates skipper Don Kelly summoned right-hander Chase Shugart from the bullpen and Carlos Mendoza decided to stick with José Azócar rather than an early pinch-hitter. Azócar hit a first-pitch lazy fly to center to leave ‘em loaded again.

- Alonso yanked a ball to left with two down in the fifth and was smelling a double, but while he beat the throw, he slid off the bag and Adam Frazier maintained the tag to end the inning. He finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

- Génesis Cabrera notched two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 seventh, getting five whiffs on eight swings. The eighth inning was less easy as a leadoff walk and back-to-back one-out singles loaded the bases. But he blew a fastball past Isiah Kiner-Falefa and got Gorski to pop out to second. 

Dedniel Núñez needed 13 pitches (seven strikes) for a clean ninth with a strikeout.

- Brett Baty entered as a pinch-hitter for Tyrone Taylor, who is in a 0-for-9 funk, to start the seventh and lined a ball 106.1 mph directly into the glove of Pittsburgh reliever Tanner Rainey. It was that kinda night.

Jeff McNeil, pinch-hitting for Azócar with two down in the inning, rocketed the Mets’ fifth hit (all singles) through the right side of the infield, but moved no further. 

As a result of those moves, Acuña moved out to center for his first taste there in the majors after playing there 35 times in the minors. Of course, he did not get tested by anything hit his way. (Baty went to second, and McNeil to right.) 

- In the last of the ninth, Marte pulled a leadoff single to left, but after Torrens popped out in foul territory to first, Baty clobbed a ball two steps in front of the wall in center and Acuña hit one to the warning track to end the game with a pair of loud outs. 

Baty’s drive (401 feet, 105.9 mph) would have left seven ballparks. Acuña’s (391 feet, 104.8 mph) would have left just one.

- Vientos, the night after an adventure at third, was back on the horse and made a good play cutting across Lindor and making a running throw in the first, and dealt with the wet conditions very well, handling several balls hit to the hot corner.

He finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout at the plate.

- Juan Soto was given the day off to give him an added day of rest ahead of the Weekend’s Subway Series game in The Bronx. Azócar got the start for him in right, worked a walk his first time up, but got picked off by the lefty. He finished the day 0-for-1

- The start of the game was delayed 15 minutes by rain, and rain fell throughout the game. The bottom of the second was delayed by nearly 10 minutes as the grounds crew tried to remove numerous wet spots on the infield from a deluge during the top half of the inning.  

What's next

The Mets have Thursday off before they open up the first Subway Series of the season on Friday night in The Bronx.

Right-hander Tylor Megill (3.10 ERA, 1.254 WHIP in 40.2 innings) gets the ball for the visitors and left-hander Carlos Rodon (3.29 ERA, 0.970 WHIP in 54.2 innings) will start for the Yankees.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run to lead off the seventh and Aaron Judge a homer to lead off the eighth as the Yankees completed a comeback win over the Mariners, 3-2, on Wednesday afternoon in Seattle. 

New York improved to 25-18 on the year and took two out of three in Seattle (23-19).

Here are the takeaways...

- The Yanks got traffic on Mariners starter Luis Castillo with a Judge single and Cody Bellinger double with two down in the first and a pair of singles in the third. But New York would strand all four runners as the Seattle starter got five big strikeouts, including Judge and Bellinger in the third. 

Castillo settled into a solid groove and kept the Yanks out of creating anything until there were two outs in the fifth when Anthony Volpe cracked a double off the wall in right on a 3-2 fastball up and over the plate. Jasson Dominguez put the Yanks on the board by blistering a first-pitch double just over first baseman Rowdy Tellez's glove for an RBI double. Batting as a lefty, he took the down and in slider and rocketed 112.1 mph off the bat.

- Goldschmidt came on as a pinch-hitter to start the seventh and launched the first pitch thrown by Mariners reliever Gabe Speier to tie the game. The lefty's 94 mph fastball was in the perfect spot for Goldschmidt to turn on and drive 377 feet down the line in left (107 mph off the bat). He added a single in the ninth to finish 1-for-2 off the bench, raising his average to .346 on the year.

- Judge singled on a line drive his first time up, but went down swinging the next two times against Castillo. Carlos Vargas wasn't so lucky as his 1-1 slider went right down the plite and Judge clobbered it: 444 feet and 117.7 mph off the bat for his 15th home run and 41st RBI of the year to put the Yankees ahead for the first time of the day. With the 2-for-4 day, Judge boosted his slash line to .412/.497/.782 for a 1.279 OPS.

- Will Warren, coming off his best start of the season, looked in fine form, retiring seven of the first eight batters he faced with six strikeouts. But an error and a one-out single to right led to a third-inning mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake. The righty got a swinging bunt for the second out, but walked the bases loaded on four straight out of the zone to the dangerous Jorge Polanco. 

Unfortunately, Julio Rodriguez laced a first-pitch sinker on the outside corner down the right field line for a two-run double on a ball that just stayed fair. Cal Releigh hit the next pitch even harder, but it just hung up on center for Trent Grisham to end the inning.

Warren found the groove again, retiring five of the next six with three more strikeouts to give him a new career-high. A two-out single by Polanco led to another visit from Blake as Rodriguez dug in. The Mariners’ star put a charge into a 3-2 sweeper that hung over the plate, but Dominguez camped under the high fly to make the catch on the warning track for a 374-foot out.

His final line: 5 innings, two runs (both unearned), three hits, one walk, one HBP, and nine strikeouts on 92 pitches (53 strikes).

- Out of the bullpen, Tyler Matzek put himself in a spot of bother, allowing a leadoff walk and a one-out four-pitch walk in the sixth. But, after Blake paid a visit, the lefty got Leody Taveras swinging before Ian Hamilton closed the inning. The righty added a pair of strikeouts in a clean seventh.

Fernando Cruz, the first Yankee to pitch with a lead on the day, got the eighth, and allowed a one-out single that one-hopped the wall in right that Bellinger played well to hold Raleigh at first. And after getting ahead of Randy Arozarena 0-2, he hit him with a 2-2 sinker to put the go-ahead run on base. But, after another Blake mound visit, a first-pitch sinker to Dylan Moore resulted in a room service 6-4-3 inning-ender.

Luke Weaver, who threw 21 pitches over two innings on Tuesday night, needed just 15 to strike out the side and earn his fourth save of the season.

- DJ LeMahieu got the start at second and was charged with a throwing error in the third, but wasn’t really at fault. He threw right to the bag, but confusion between Ben Rice and Warren about who was covering led to neither catching the ball. 

He finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk.

- Grisham, who hit two homers in the first game of the series, made a bid for a leadoff shot and had it over the wall in center, but Rodriguez ranged back and, with a leap, pulled the ball back in play for a 397-foot out. (It would have been a homer in 13 ballparks, but not Yankee Stadium.) He finished the day 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.

Game MVP: Yankees pitchers

New York's quintet totaled 15 strikeouts and limited the hosts to just five hits as they went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.

Highlights

Will Warren is rolling early 🔥 pic.twitter.com/E6IUG30yZT

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 14, 2025

Jasson Dominguez hits an RBI double to put the Yankees on the board pic.twitter.com/U56dL1g5oQ

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 14, 2025

Paul Goldschmidt homers to bring things even! 💣 pic.twitter.com/PUEdfF99Um

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 14, 2025

AARON JUDGE HOMERS TO PUTS THE YANKEES AHEAD! pic.twitter.com/9ZLtOLvoIK

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 14, 2025

What's next

The Yankees have a day off on Thursday as they get ready for a Subway Series in The Bronx against the Mets starting on Friday night.

The Yanks are set to throw Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Max Fried.

The boys from Queens are set to start Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, and David Peterson.

The series finale between the Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field is delayed due to inclement weather.

Originally a 7:10 p.m. start time, the Mets announced a new tentative 7:25 p.m. first pitch.

Mets starter Clay Holmes has been great in his first season as a starter in Queens, pitching to a 2.74 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 42.2 innings over eight starts. Wednesday will be Holmes' first start on regular rest since he made the transition from closer to starter.

The Pirates are looking to salvage a game in this series, and they'll have Bailer Falter on the bump to try and do so. The left-hander has pitched to a 2-3 record and a 4.36 ERA across eight starts this season.

New York will look to sweep this series ahead of an off day on Thursday and before they start a highly-anticipated three-game set against the Yankees this weekend in The Bronx.

Prior to Thursday’s series final with the Pittsburgh Pirates (weather permitting), Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns held his usual once-a-homestand news conference.

With the Mets owning a 28-15 record and holding a 2.5-game lead in the NL East, Stearns touched on the state of the team, as well as some of the organization’s top prospects.

Here’s what Stearns had to say…

On the state of the team just past the quarter-mark of the season

“I think we’re a pretty balanced team,” said Stearns. “We can always get better. We’re far from a perfect team and there are absolutely ways we can improve. I think some of that improvement comes internally. I think we can play better defense, and that’s an area where we can get better, and I think the players that we have are capable of playing better defense.

“In terms of external acquisitions, we’re always monitoring, but sometimes it takes a little bit deeper into the season to find the right fit, and I don’t see any specific glaring spot on the team right now that maybe we had last year at this time that we feel like we need to be extremely proactive about. But if there are areas where we feel like we can get better and players available, we’re certainly going to make a deal.”

On improving the team defense

“I think we have a variety of different players who are good defenders – very good defenders in certain cases – who have made some mistakes this year,” Stearns said. “That’s going to happen, and it gets magnified in smaller samples like we’ve had in the first six weeks of the season, but I would expect us to be a better defensive team over the next 4.5 months of the season than we have over the first month and a half.”

On Brett Baty’s MLB resurgence

“If you go to catch a week of Brett Baty at Syracuse, you could very easily just run into a week like we’ve just seen here in the big leagues,” said Stearns. “So why are we seeing it now at the big league level? I don’t know that I have the definite answer for that. If I had the definitive answer, we probably would have implemented that a long time ago to help get him to this point. He’s clearly seeing the ball well, he’s gotten some pitches that he can handle and he hasn’t missed them.”

On the plan for Ronny Mauricio when he completes his rehab

“Ronny continues to progress. He’s still in Double-A. We’ll get him up to Triple-A here pretty soon, and then it’s just play all three [positions] on the infield, continue to build up volume,” Stearns said. “He’s still got, I think, a little ways to go to get – he’s a healthy player, but to get back into that true baseball shape, ready to compete art a high level at the big leagues, I think we’ve still got a little bit of a ways to go. So, it’s continue to get him at-bats, continue to get him reps in the minor leagues.

“He’s a player who has options, so he’s going to stay in the minor leagues until we have a need.”

On Nolan McLean’s rise through the system

“I think the first thing with Nolan is he’s done a tremendous job in pro ball so far, and now he’s got his next challenge ahead of him, and that challenge is Triple-A,” said Stearns. “So, I’m not gonna start getting into timelines to a major league arrival quite yet. I think we’re going to let him perform at Triple-A. His first start was great, that was great to see, and looking forward to watching him continue that.”

On Matt Allan’s progress

“This is a special arm, so I think as long as he stays healthy, he’s a prospect,” said Stearns. “That’s why he was thought of as an amateur the way that he was. That’s why his draft stock was so high. That’s why this organization was so excited about him before he got hurt. So I absolutely look at him as a prospect.”

The Dodgers are making a major midseason shuffle to their roster.

On Wednesday, top prospect Dalton Rushing was called up from the minor leagues and longtime backup catcher Austin Barnes was designated for assignment, the team announced, closing the book on Barnes’ two-time title-winning tenure in Los Angeles while opening a new one on Rushing’s highly anticipated MLB career.

It’s no surprise that Rushing, a 2022 second-round pick out of Louisville, is getting a crack at the majors. Over four minor-league seasons, the catcher slugged his way through the farm system by batting .277 with 54 home runs, 185 RBIs and a .931 OPS. With triple-A Oklahoma City this season, he was hitting .308 in 31 games and ranked seventh in the Pacific Coast League with a .938 OPS. Even this spring, manager Dave Roberts said Rushing’s bat was big-league ready.

Read more:Dodgers prospect Dalton Rushing sowing seeds of trust as he awaits his MLB debut

But the Dodgers’ decision to effectively part ways with Barnes represents more of a surprise — albeit, understandable — decision.

Barnes, 35, was the longest-tenured position player on the roster, his time with the Dodgers going back further than everyone except friend and battery mate Clayton Kershaw. He was in his 11th season with the team, after they picked up his $3.5-million club option in the offseason. And he was a two-time World Series champion — behind the plate for their drought-snapping 2020 title — with veteran expertise at calling games, and above league-average metrics for framing pitches and blocking balls in the dirt.

However, Barnes was also batting just .214 this season, with a .514 OPS that ranked ahead of only Chris Taylor among Dodgers hitters with at least 20 at-bats. His arm had become a liability behind the plate, throwing out just one of the 14 runners who attempted a steal against him. And unlike the left-handed-hitting Rushing, he didn’t form an ideal platoon partner with starting catcher Will Smith, with both backstops batting from the right side.

Read more:Hernández: Roki Sasaki's shoulder issue leaves Dodgers in a familiar and problematic position

The 10-year, $140-million contract extension Smith signed with the Dodgers in March 2024, of course, left Rushing’s long-term future with the Dodgers in some question.

With the starting catcher’s job seemingly locked up for the next decade, the Dodgers experimented with Rushing at first base and left field last season.

But, while Rushing has continued to play those other two positions occasionally with Oklahoma City, the Dodgers’ front office made it clear they still saw his future foremost as a catcher — so much so, they had him lead catcher’s meetings during spring training, in what was a preview of what he’ll now experience with the Dodgers’ meticulous game-planning process.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What's next for Hicks after Giants pitcher's rough start? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — This is Jordan Hicks’ second season as a starting pitcher, but still, this is all new to him. 

When Hicks started to struggle last year, the Giants didn’t have any conversations about the big-picture implications. He had been a godsend for a banged-up rotation, and the Giants knew he would run out of gas at some point in his transition from bullpen life. When it happened, it was what they had planned for. 

But this, a 6.55 ERA through nine starts, is not what they expected. And as they head to an off day after their fifth loss in six games, it seems time for a serious conversation within the walls of Third and King.

After an 8-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Bob Melvin wasn’t ready to go there, at least not publicly. 

“The game is just over,” Melvin said when asked about Hicks. “I thought his stuff was pretty good again. It’s hard groundballs that find some holes. At some point in time you’d think they would be hit at somebody, and then [Hayden Birdsong] came in and he didn’t have his best stuff, either.”

If Wednesday’s game was the start of a shift, it wasn’t a clean one. Birdsong, the next man up, warmed up in the second as Hicks put himself in a bind, but the veteran limited the damage. When the first two runners reached in the third, Melvin came out with the hook.

Birdsong immediately gave up a three-run homer, with two of the runners belonging to Hicks, who was charged with five earned. Another homer put three runs on Birdsong’s line in his three innings of work.

For Hicks, it was the fourth time in nine starts that he allowed at least five runs. But he said he’s not worrying about his spot in the rotation. 

“At the end of the day I’m just going to go out there every time and put my best foot forward. That’s really all I can do,” Hicks said said. “Shut the page, shut the book on the bad outings and then grow from the good ones. I take the positive from the bad games. I feel like there was a high percentage of groundballs today and that is ideal for me as a groundball pitcher — it just didn’t find the guys. 

“You’ve just got to live with it and move on.”

That’s been the story of the season for Hicks, who is fourth in the majors in groundball rate. He has been hurt by a high .344 batting average on balls in play, and he’s not fully equipped to get more swing-and-miss to try and limit the damage. On Wednesday, there was just one whiff on 28 sinkers. That’s a pitch that’s meant to induce weak contact. 

“I got a lot of groundballs. There was a lot of finding holes, obviously that’s not ideal,” Hicks said. “That’s unfortunate. That’s how baseball goes sometimes.”

Hicks said he doesn’t dive into advanced stats, but if he did, he would find reasons for optimism. His expected ERA based on batted ball data is about three runs lower than his actual ERA. His FIP is 3.48. 

There are reasons for the Giants to believe much better days are ahead. But it was hard to focus on them when Melvin had to get his bullpen — which includes two starting pitchers — going with no outs in the top of the second. 

That led to a disappointing loss on a day when the lineup put up a late charge. The Giants trailed by six at one point, but Jung Hoo Lee’s homer got them within a pair and a bases-loaded walk put the winning run on second in the ninth. The comeback fell short, though. 

“We’re not getting our timing right,” Melvin said. “You think you score seven runs, you have a chance to win the game, but we gave it up early.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

On the Mets’ recent trip to Arizona, Francisco Lindor made a buzzworthy play at second base in the ninth inning, slapping an eye-popping tag to nab a Diamondbacks runner trying to steal second base in a tight game. It was a moment made for a social media clip, an example of Lindor’s wonderful hand-eye coordination and baseball savvy.

But the result of the play, a caught-stealing, also underscored what’s become an important part of the Mets’ defense this season – suppressing the running game. 

The Mets used to be an easy mark for opposing teams looking to swipe a base – they gave up the fifth-most steals in MLB last season and the fourth-most in 2023. Now, at a time when recent rule changes make it easier than ever for runners to steal, the Mets have made themselves much tougher on basepath crime, thanks to an emphasis by Carlos Mendoza and his coaching staff and efforts to improve by both their pitchers and catchers.

Entering Wednesday’s games, no team had thrown out a higher percentage of runners attempting a stolen base than the Mets, who have caught 14 of 33 would-be bag burglars (42.4 percent). The MLB average is 22 percent. Two years ago, the Mets caught just 13 percent of runners trying to steal. They were at 20 percent in 2024, a season that started with a series in which the Brewers stole with abandon, embarrassing the Mets.

Only the Royals have allowed fewer stolen bases per game (0.18) than the Mets (0.44) this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And the Mets have, by far, the largest decrease in steals-per-game in MLB from 2024-25.

“Mendy, from last year, he was really on this,” said Francisco Alvarez, who has thrown out 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) this season. “Like, ‘We gotta get better throwing people out.’ So we feel like we’re doing a pretty good job now and the pitchers, they’re doing a pretty good job, too.” 

“The running game is definitely something that can get overlooked,” added reliever Ryne Stanek. “Obviously, with trying to figure out pitch shapes and the execution of pitching, in the moment, with the pitch clock, things happen fast. So I think having an actual, intentional focus on the running game is good. 

“And I think it really helps that we have two catchers who can throw the hell out of the ball.” 

Alvarez has certainly improved after he threw out only 17.5 percent of runners last season. This year, his average “pop time” (1.88 seconds) to second base and his average velocity on throws are both in the top 10 in MLB, according to MLB’s Statcast. He recently threw out Pete Crow-Armstrong, an elite runner, and the pop time on his throw to nab Alek Thomas in Arizona – the Lindor tag play – was measured at 1.82 seconds -- the fastest of Alvarez’s career, according to SNY contributor and MLB's Sarah Langs.

Alvarez says he’s worked on transferring the ball from mitt to hand and he’s gotten encouragement and help from everyone from catching instructor Glenn Sherlock to Luis Torrens, his catching partner.

“We talk,” Torrens said. “Now he enjoys that part of the game. He has a really good arm and he always throws over 85, 86 (miles per hour) and that’s impressive. He feels proud of being a catcher for the New York Mets.”

“He’s a great thrower,” Alvarez said of Torrens.

Indeed. Since 2024, Torrens has thrown out 48.8 percent of runners trying to steal, the best mark in MLB among catchers with at least 200 innings behind the plate. This year, he’s thrown out 53.8 percent (7 of 13) and recently nabbed Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, who has 94 steals since the start of 2023.

“I’ve said it and I want to keep saying it – once we got Luis last (May), we started seeing the difference,” Mendoza said. 

Hayden Senger, a talented defensive catcher who backed up Torrens while Alvarez was on the Injured List earlier this season, threw out 3 of 5 runners trying to steal and remains a darling of the Statcast leaderboard even though he’s back in the minors.

All the early success might even be discouraging some runners from going, Torrens said. “You can prevent them by throwing people out and, also, then they don’t run on you, right?” Torrens said. 

The pitchers have been doing plenty to deflate opposing running games, too. One scout from another organization who watches the Mets noted that their pitchers have improved their slide-step moves to first base. They are also regularly changing their rhythms on pitch deliveries, which can disrupt the timing of runners looking to snag a bag. 

“I think that’s a big part of their improvement,” the scout said. 

Added a scout from a different club: “When pitchers know they have strong-armed catchers back there, they become more confident and look to help them even more by cutting down their release times to the plate.” 

“For us, it’s just giving the catchers a chance with good leg times, varying our picks and holds, so that runners can’t just pick a spot,” added David Peterson. “It’s mixing it up and giving the catchers a chance to throw guys out when they do go.” 

“We work a lot with the catchers and Glenn Sherlock and he takes a lot of pride in the running game as our catching coach and he's all over it. They’ve got somebody good helping them out.”

The pitch clock, bigger bases and limits on pickoffs have all helped runners who have larceny in their souls. The rate of stolen bases per game is at its highest since 1987, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and the 2024 season saw the third-most stolen bases in history, according to MLB, and the most since 1915.

“When I first came into the league (2017), hardly anybody ran because they saw it as a way to give away outs,” Stanek said. “Every rule change comes in to increase offense – there’s no real changes to help pitching, ever. So we just have to do our job better and make everything a bit more intentional.” 

There’s still work for the Mets to do, of course. Runners have taken advantage of closer Edwin Díaz in the past – they were successful on 28 of 29 attempts (96.5 percent) in 2024 with him on the mound, including 6-for-6 in the postseason. This year, runners have stolen four bases in seven tries with Díaz pitching, including two by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning Tuesday night, so there’s been improvement so far.

That’s something the Mets wanted from everyone involved, from the pitchers who deliver the ball and hold runners to the catchers who throw to bases to the infielders applying tags. Both Torrens and Alvarez made sure to point out that Lindor and Luisangel Acuña have excelled around second base on steal attempts.

“Nowadays, this is an important part of the game,” Mendoza said of defending against the steal. “You know how aggressive teams are, especially in the National League. There’s a lot of teams with speed and they're going to put pressure, they’re going to try to take that extra 90 feet, and we have to be able to control that. 

“It’s never going to be perfect, but we have to stay on top of it.” 

Now pitching for the Dodgers, Kaj Betts!

Wait, strike that ...

Now running away with the baseball, Kaj Betts!

The 2-year-old son of Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts threw out the ceremonial first pitch on his dad's bobblehead night on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium — but not before making a break for right field with the ball.

Read more:Mookie Betts overcame illness early in the season. Why his swing took time to catch up

Wearing a replica of his father's No. 50 jersey, Kaj had the ball in hand while walking near the third base line and home plate. Betts was jogging into place to be on the receiving end of his son's ceremonial pitch, which was supposed to be thrown from just in front of the plate.

Kaj had other ideas. He took off in a full toddler sprint, with a look of determination on his face as he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Cutest first pitch we've ever seen? 🥹

Mookie Betts' son throws out the first pitch on his dad's bobblehead night ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6vG42JNtsH

— MLB (@MLB) May 14, 2025

At one point, his 6-year-old sister Kynlee nearly caught up with him, but Kaj turned on the jets and eluded her. He made it all the way to the basepath before pausing just long enough for his mom, Betts' wife Brianna, to scoop him up and deliver him back to his designated spot.

From there, Kaj delivered an on-target pitch/roll to Betts, who brought the ball back to his son. The adventure-seeking tyke immediately turned and took a step toward the outfield before his pops quickly gathered him for some photos.

The adorable antics were probably the most entertaining aspect of the night for L.A. fans, who then had to watch their team get clobbered by the Athletics 11-1. Betts went 0 for 3 but drove in the Dodgers' only run of the night. In the third inning, Betts hit a ground ball to A's shortstop Jacob Wilson, who bobbled the ball to allow Betts to reach first and Chris Taylor to score from third.

It's Mookie Betts Bobblehead Night presented by Security Benefit! pic.twitter.com/Wg4EeA5xCU

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 14, 2025

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.