Phillies make spirited late comeback but can't overcome untimely mistakes

Phillies make spirited late comeback but can't overcome untimely mistakes originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies’ offense mounted a late comeback with seven runs in the sixth inning or later Sunday afternoon but a series of small moments prevented them from pulling out a sweep over the Diamondbacks.

There was Ranger Suarez’ inability to stop the bleeding in the third and fourth innings of his season debut. His start began as smooth as possible with a pair of 1-2-3 frames but he allowed three runs in the third and four in the fourth, both rallies beginning with a walk of eight-hole hitter Garrett Hampson, not much of an offensive threat.

There was Alec Bohm bobbling a difficult grounder that cost Suarez and the Phils at least one run, maybe two.

There was J.T. Realmuto’s split-second decision to try to take third on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the seventh. He was nailed on a perfectly applied tag by Eugenio Suarez for the final out with the tying run on base.

And there was the slow exchange on a potential inning-ending double-play ball hit by Corbin Carroll in the top of the ninth. Carroll is one of the fastest players in the majors and it would have required a perfect flip from Bryson Stott to Trea Turner and an even better rocket to first base. Stott’s toss was high and Turner never got a grip on the ball, throwing it into the dirt. The next pitch was hit by Randal Grichuk for an RBI double. It would have been difficult either way, but if executed perfectly, the Phillies end the top of the ninth trailing by one rather than two.

The lineup — Bohm, Realmuto, Stott and Turner included — put together plenty of good at-bats, particularly late. Bryce Harper snapped a home run drought of 62 plate appearances in the first inning and Weston Wilson hit a three-run shot in the sixth when the Phillies trailed by five, his first big knock since coming off the injured list on April 23.

Realmuto singled in Harper in the seventh to bring the Phillies within a run. Kyle Schwarber did the same with a two-out home run off Shelby Miller in the ninth. Nick Castellanos, Realmuto and Bohm followed with singles to tie the game.

The Phillies extended Jose Alvarado to a second inning and Arizona scored three times to win, 11-9. Schwarber grounded out hard with two aboard to end it.

It has come from necessity but Alvarado is probably being used too much. Sunday was his 16th appearance in 34 games, putting him on pace for 76. The Phillies don’t want any of their relievers reaching 70. He has also made three appearances already of more than one inning after not doing it once last season.

The bullpen work before him was terrific. Orion Kerkering, Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm and Joe Ross combined for 4⅓ scoreless innings after Suarez allowed seven runs over 3⅔.

Making his first start in the Phillies’ 34th game after missing two months with a back injury, Suarez retired six in a row to begin the afternoon, striking out four. He was locating his sinker, fastball, changeup, curveball and cutter through two innings, missing bats with four of them and pitching almost artfully, the way things look for Suarez when he’s in sync.

It all fell apart once he had to pitch out of the stretch. Four consecutive Diamondbacks hitters reached base in a three-run third inning and five straight reached in a four-run fourth.

As rough as Suarez’ second half was last season, he didn’t have an outing quite this poor. The only time in his career he allowed more runs was his second start in the majors back in 2018.

His stuff looked fine, he just failed to command his pitches with men on base. Suarez averaged 92 mph with his sinker and four-seam fastball, his usual range. His slow hook was effective early, and he did a good job of pairing the mid-70s curveball with his low-90s fastball, at one point striking out Eugenio Suarez on a 93 mph heater after a 73 mph curve. The Phillies will hope this was just a matter of shaking off rust.

Suarez’ next start will be Saturday in Cleveland. He took the place of Taijuan Walker, who had been assuming a rotation spot in Suarez’ stead. Walker had a 2.54 ERA (plus five unearned runs) in six starts and is now the long man in the bullpen. He probably will find his way back into the Phillies’ rotation at some point given the fragility of starting pitching.

The Phillies won the series and have gone 6-3 since being swept by the Mets last week but still haven’t gotten on an extended roll in any phase — offensively, defensively or with full-game pitching performances. The flipside is they’re on pace for 91 wins without having played close to their best baseball.

The Phils are off Monday before playing three games in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ home for 2025 because of the devastation to Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo will pitch in the series. From there, the Phils head to Cleveland, which like Tampa Bay has a bottom-third offense in runs scored and OPS.

Monster game from red-hot Adames fuels Giants' win vs. Rockies

Monster game from red-hot Adames fuels Giants' win vs. Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Willy Adames was at the center of the Giants’ offensive outburst on Sunday at Oracle Park.

The star shortstop blasted not one, but two home runs, while collecting three total extra-base hits and driving in three runs in five at-bats in San Francisco’s 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, who fell to 6-28.

Adames’ first homer, a solo shot in the bottom of the first, was his first at Oracle Park as a Giant. He followed it up with a second solo homer in the bottom of the third.

Adames’ third hit of the game was an RBI double that hit off the top of the center-field wall and scored Mike Yastrzemski from second base, extending San Francisco’s lead to 5-1.

After struggling mightily to begin the 2025 MLB season, Adames has turned it on as of late. Over his last 15 games, Adames is batting .296/.391/.500 with 16 hits, three home runs and nine RBI.

Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt and Rod Brooks on “Giants Postgame Live,” Adames was asked how it felt to hit his first Oracle Park home run.

“Great, obviously we got the win, that’s the most important thing,” Adames told Britt and Brooks. “But it definitely felt really good to hit that one out of the park here. It’s been a minute. It was much needed.”

Adames was asked about his recent hot stretch and what has changed after his slow start to the season.

“I feel like for me, it was more getting my confidence back and let the game come to me and not try to force anything,” Adams explained. “I feel like in the first few weeks, for me, I was trying too much, trying to force everything to happen.”

Giants manager Bob Melvin certainly agrees.

“It’s just really calm at-bats now,” Melvin said postgame about Adames’ success at the plate. “His bat’s really getting through the zone, and when he tends to get going, he gets going pretty hot … every game now it just seems his at-bats are better. Couple home runs today, it feels like he’s off to the races now.”

The Giants (22-13) started the season hot despite Adames’ slow start, and now that he’s producing consistently at the plate, the lineup certainly feels deeper heading into the summer stretch.

And that is very good news for a San Francisco team in the thick of both the NL West and wild-card races.

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Tommy John surgery recommended for Mets LHP Danny Young

The Mets transferred left-handed reliever Danny Young to the 60-man injured list on Sunday morning, as the 30-year-old could be headed for Tommy John surgery.

According to manager Carlos Mendoza, the procedure has been recommended by team doctors, but the Mets are waiting to see what course of action Young will take.

Young, like A.J. Minter, has been a valuable lefty reliever for the Mets this season, pitching to a 4.32 ERA in 8.1 innings. Young also appeared in 42 games last season for New York, posting a 4.54 ERA.

Dealing with a forearm issue for a few weeks, per Mendoza, Young has not pitched in a game since April 27.

Meanwhile, Dedniel Núñez has joined the team, and expects to be active for the second game of Sunday's scheduled doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, with game one starter Blade Tidwell likely being optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse.

"Physically, I feel like I'm prepared for any situation," Núñez said.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Lucas Giolito and Tyler Stephenson return to action

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.

For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Tyler Stephenson - C, CIN (40% rostered)
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER UPSIDE)

Tyler Stephenson made his season debut on Friday night after missing the first month of the year with an oblique injury. We know that Stephenson is a strong hitter for a catcher, and he was routinely drafted among the top 8-10 players at the position in all league types. He's a .260-ish hitter with .20+ home run power in a great home ballpark and good lineup. The Reds have said they will play him at 1B/DH as well, so he should be in the lineup for around 80% of the Reds' games. That's enough for me to roster Stephenson in one-catcher formats if I don't have a stud at the position. In two-catcher leagues, you can still add Edgar Quero - C, CWS (2% rostered), who is hitting .327 with seven RBI in his first 15 games. The comes with no home runs and no steals in a bad lineup, which is the primary concern with rostering Quero, who was the 62nd-ranked prospect in baseball and the 6th-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization. I would rather add Dillon Dingler - C, DET (6% rostered), who is playing most every day in Detroit with Jake Rogers hurt. Dingler is hitting .269 in 20 games over the last month, but has three home runs and 10 RBI over that span as well. He was a top prospect in the Detroit system, so he's worth a shot if you're hurting with your second catcher.

Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL: 36% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)

I bought in on Rhys Hoskins in spring training because he talked about being fully healthy after ACL surgery in 2023 and had also changed his stance to quiet his head and improve his contact. The results didn’t come right at the start of the season, but we're starting to see them now with Hoskins going 22-for-76 (.289) over his last 25 games with three home runs and 11 RBI. We know he's not going to be a major batting average asset, but he likely won't be a drain either. I like his ballpark, and I like his lineup, so I have no problem adding Hoskins anywhere he's available right now. A deep league option for power is Rowdy Tellez - 1B, SEA (1% rostered), who is 7-for-25 (.280) over his last 10 games with two home runs and eight RBI. He will only play against righties, but the Seattle lineup has been heating up lately, and Tellez is still making a lot of quality contact.

Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 33% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK COMING)

Manzardo has been here for the last two weeks because I've been highlighting that his quality of contact is really strong, and the surface-level results are going to start to catch up to that. Over the last 12 games, he's gone 10-for-40 with four home runs and eight RBI. That's solid production from a corner infield spot. I think he's a .260+ hitter with 25+ home run power in a solid lineup. If you don't care as much about power, you can still add Ty France - 1B, MIN (9% rostered), who has continued to hit all season long. He's hitting .271 with three home runs on the season and has gone 12-for-29 (.414) with six RBI over the last week. He's going to play every day in Minnesota, so the average and RBI should be solid but not spectacular.

Sal Frelick (OF, MIL: 33% rostered
(EVERYDAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

Frelick is playing every day in Milwaukee and hitting .307 in his 33 games with seven steals and 16 runs scored. He hasn't been running as much over the last week or so, but I don't believe that's a long-term concern for his stolen base output. He hits fifth or sixth in the Brewers' lineup, which should lead to decent counting stats as the season goes on, but he's unlikely to hit more than five home runs this season. This play is essentially about batting average and speed, but if you need those two things, Frelick is a solid option for you.

Victor Scott II - OF, STL, 32% rostered
(EVERY DAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

You can add Victor Scott II for the same reasons you'd add Frelick. This week, I posted an article about hitters who could be worth adding/trading for based on their contact rates and swing rates. Scott popped for me in that article. There's more detail in the article, but I like a lot of what he’s doing in terms of his swing decisions, and he's hitting .273 on the season with 11 steals while playing every day. I need him to focus more on line drives and hard groundballs, and I think we could see a strong stretch of production in the coming weeks.

Roman Anthony - OF, BOS: 28% rostered
(PROSPECT STASH, POWER UPSIDE)

The Red Sox will need to clear up some space in the outfield for Anthony, but he's off to a strong start in Triple-A. Realistically, he should be up soon, especially if Ceddanne Rafaela continues to struggle to make consistent contact. Rafaela could move into a super utility role with Jarren Duran in CF and Anthony in LF. If the Red Sox consider moving Rafael Devers to 1B with Triston Casas out then that would free up the DH spot to be used for an extra outfielder, which means Anthony could come up and they could rotate the outfielders around. Nothing is imminent, but it feels like the time could be coming. The same could be said for Jordan Lawlar - SS, ARI (29% rostered), who is tearing up Triple-A. The Diamondbacks have started to play him at 3B recently, which means they could call him up, move Eugenio Suarez to DH, and create a LF platoon with Pavin Smith and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. That might be the smartest decision for the team.

Jordan Beck - OF, COL: 26% rostered
(POST-HYPE PROSPECT, POWER UPSIDE)

Beck had no home runs this week after hitting five last week, but that's to be expected. He didn't produce in 55 MLB games last year and then failed to produce early this season, and was demoted for Zac Veen. Beck has the potential to be a solid fantasy contributor, and he plays his home games at Coors Field, which is going to be a major boost for him, but he also has a 17% swinging strike rate and 34% strikeout rate with poor contact rates. His aggressive approach will lead to lots of hard-hit pulled baseballs, but he is going to remain inconsistent. You can expect similar inconsistency from Trent Grisham - OF, NYY: 22% rostered, who has been playing more regularly for the Yankees after hitting .235 over his last eight games with four home runs and five RBI. He plays good defense in the outfield, and Jasson Dominguez has been struggling, especially against lefties, so Grisham may continue to produce decent power numbers when he plays. We just never know when he will play.

Kyle Stowers - OF, MIA: 26% rostered
(POST HYPE BREAKOUT?, POWER UPSIDE)

When I started writing this article on Saturday morning, Kyle Stowers was 12% rostered in Yahoo formats. Then he went and hit two home runs, including a game-winning grand slam, and his roster rate has more than doubled. This week alone, Stowers went 7-for-15 with four home runs and 10 RBI. That's unfortunate because we've had Stowers on here for a couple of weeks as a low-cost add, and now the price is going to skyrocket above what you probably want to pay. Yes, Stowers has power with a 20% barrel rate and 91.3 mph average exit velocity; yet, he also has an 18% swinging strike rate and just a 67% contact rate overall. He is swinging out of the zone less this season, which is nice, and Stowers is aggressive enough in the zone that he can make up for some of that swing and miss, but he's also sporting a career low 31% fly ball rate. He sprays the ball all over the field, which should help keep the batting average high, and the low fly ball rate could be solid in a pitcher-friendly park, but this feels more like a .250 type of hitter who will be limited to 15-20 HRs due to park and approach. A cheaper but less explosive deep-league outfield option is Eli White - OF, ATL (3% rostered), who continues to get consistent playing time as Ronald Acuna Jr. remains out in Atlanta. Since coming to Atlanta, White has cut his fly ball rate by over 10% and gotten more aggressive with his swing rates. Focusing on groundballs and line drives seems to have helped because the swinging strike rate is down significantly from his early-career numbers, and the overall contact rates have pushed up near 80%. Pairing that with a 10% barrel rate is kind of nice. It's not going to lead to plenty of fantasy juice, but White could continue to post a solid batting average while hitting in a good Atlanta lineup, and that could be worth something if you need an outfielder.

Connor Norby - 2B/3B, MIA: 15% rostered)

(EVERY DAY JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Connor Norby has been off the IL for almost two weeks now, but his roster rates remain pretty low. He's gone just 11-for-50 (.220) in 14 games with one home run, two steals, and 10 runs scored, but he's playing every day for the Marlins, and we know there is some power and speed in there. He's chasing out of the zone a lot, and his swinging strike rate was high last season as well, so he's highly unlikely to be a batting average asset, but if you want a 20/10 type of player who will play every day, then Norby is for you. Another Marlins hitter of note is Eric Wagaman - 1B/3B/OF, MIA (7% rostered), who came up for me on a random search of players who are making solid swing decisions, making a lot of contact, and making authoritative contact. He’s always made a fair amount of contact and doesn’t lift the ball a lot, which will limit his home run upside, but his strong understanding of the strike zone means he gets his pitch often and has the chance to run a decent batting average with 15 HR power. He’ll just need to hit to keep getting at-bats. With Jonah Bride now gone and Griffin Conine injured, Wagaman has a chance to carve out some playing time at 1B/3B/DH. I’d only take gambles in deep leagues, but it might be worth a shot.

Zack Gelof - 2B, ATH: 12% rostered
(IMPENDING RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)

Zack Gelof is at Triple-A for his rehab assignment after offseason surgery on his wrist. He's only had 12 plate appearances coming into today, and the A's have said they wanted him to get 35 before being activated, so he's unlikely to return from the IL this upcoming week, but should be back the week after. Adding him now would likely save you some FAAB. Even in a down season last year, Gelof hit 17 home runs and stole 25 bases, so if he can go back to being even a .230-.240 hitter, you're looking at a guy who could easily go 15/15 in the remaining games this season. That's without even factoring in what playing in a minor league ballpark in the middle of the hot summer months in Sacramento could do for Gelof's power. I've already stashed him in a few places, and I'll try to add a few more.

Hyeseong Kim - 2B/SS, LAD: 11% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE?)

With Tommy Edman landing on the IL, the Dodgers finally called up Hyeseong Kim. However, Chris Taylor started Saturday's game at second base, and Miguel Rojas also started two games at second base this week before Kim was called up, so just keep that in mind when you set your bids tonight. Kim is the exciting new player, but he was hitting just .252 in 131 plate appearances at Triple-A with a 12% swinging strike rate. His overall contact rate of 75% at Triple-A is fine, but suggests there will be some swing and miss at the big league level, and even though he had a few huge home runs that we saw on Twitter, his average exit velocity at Triple-A was 87.3 mph. The 13 stolen bases are very real, and I think that's going to be the majority of Kim's value at the big league level this season, but I'd rather stash Gelof if you're choosing between the two.

Javier Baez - 3B/SS/OF, DET: 11% rostered
(EVERY DAY PLAYING TIME, NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS)

Yes, it's the year 2025, and I'm recommending adding Javy Baez. The veteran has now homered in three straight games and has gone 24-80 (.300) over the last month with three home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 runs scored. We know he had surgery in the off-season, so much of this could just be that he's healthy again; however, we should also acknowledge that he has the lowest chase rate and swinging strike rate of his career. In fact, his 12.8% swinging strike rate is WAY below his career 18% mark. He's swinging at the lowest rate he ever has and posted his highest zone contact rate and overall contact rate. He has not all of a sudden become an elite contact hitter, but he has made clear improvements to his approach. When he does swing, he's pulling the ball more than he ever has and hitting it on the ground a decent amount, which is helping that batting average. Given that he's playing nearly every day in center field and playing really good defense out there, I'm inclined to believe that a lot of this value is real. Just keep an eye on his plate discipline stats because if he starts getting overly aggressive again, a cold streak is coming. Another multi-position infielder is Brooks Lee - 2B/SS/3B - MIN (4% rostered), who has turned it on a bit of late, going 13-for-44 (.295) in his last 13 games. The downside is that he only has one home run and three RBI with no steals over that stretch. He's not much of a power/speed threat, so I think he's a better real-life player than a fantasy player, but he could produce a solid batting average in regular at-bats, and that's worth something in deeper formats. Just keep in mind that Royce Lewis is likely back on Monday, and we don't know what that will do to Lee's playing time.

J.P. Crawford - SS, SEA: 11% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE ASSET, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)

As I mentioned last week, Crawford may be a boring veteran, but he's a solid option as a player who could help your batting average. He's hitting .287 on the season but has gone 16-for-40 (.400) with three home runs and 13 RBI over his last 10 games. He's being a little more aggressive this season, which is fine for Crawford because he has an 84% contact rate for his career. He's expanding the zone a bit more this season, but is still making elite levels of contact, and the batting average bump of late feels partially real. Chase Meidroth - 2B/3B/SS, CWS (4% rostered) returned from the IL this week and has gone 4-for-12 with four runs scored and an RBI in three games. He's going to hit leadoff and play shortstop for the White Sox every day. The power isn't great, and the counting stats will be impacted by the poor lineup around him, which is why he's mainly a deep league option.

Daulton Varsho - OF, TOR: 10% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)

Varsho came off the IL this week and had two good games against the Red Sox, but is 3-for-14 overall with two home runs, three RBI, and a steal. He also has seven strikeouts in five games. Varsho is a career .225 hitter, and while he has 20/20 upside in a full season, you're likely getting that with a worse batting average than somebody like Gelof would give you. It's a solid profile for a player who's on the wire in a lot of formats right now, but you're not adding a "league winner" or somebody who is going to drastically impact your standings.

Coby Mayo - 3B, BAL: 8% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, POST HYPE BREAKOUT?)

With Ramon Urias battling a hamstring injury, the Orioles finally called up Coby Mayo. Mayo is hitting .255/.353/.539 with six homers in 27 games at Triple-A this season, but has been swinging a hot bat lately. There remains plenty of upside in Mayo's bat, but there are a few concerns. For starters, Urias and Jordan Westburg don't figure to be out more than a couple of weeks, so how long will the Orioles keep Mayo up? His overall contact rates remain below average, but he's been crushing lefties (.529/.579/1.471 slash with four HRs), BUT HE DIDN'T EVEN START ON SATURDAY AGAINST A LEFTY! At this point, I just don't trust the Orioles to make the right decisions with their roster construction, which is an odd thing to say.

Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN: 7% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)

I wrote about Larnach a few times in the off-season as a post hype player I was targeting in deeper formats since we knew he'd be on the bench against lefties. He got off to a slow start to the season, but has gone 14-for-51 (.275) over his last 13 games with three home runs and 10 RBI. He's beholden to the whims of Rocco Baldelli and won't play against lefties, but his overall batted ball profile is interesting enough in deeper formats if you need an outfielder. A player in a similar situation is Max Kepler - OF, PHI (4% rostered), who the Phillies said would be their everyday left fielder but is still sitting against lefties this year. Kepler has three home runs this week and has gone 13-for-41 (.317) over his last 12 games with six RBI. He's in a great lineup, in a good home ballpark, makes a good amount of contact, and is not striking out a lot. That will lead to decent results in that lineup.

Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, CWS: 3% rostered
(MINI HOT STREAK, POTENTIAL BREAKOUT COMING)

Like Victor Scott II,Miguel Vargas appeared in my article this week on hitters to add based on their plate discipline and contact rates. Vargas is chasing at a super low rate, making 83% contact overall and rarely swinging and missing. He's pulling the ball slightly less this season and has focused less on lifting the ball, which is a good change. He doesn't smoke the ball, but a 90.3 mph average exit velocity is pretty good, and he's playing every day in Chicago. Another multi-position option for deeper formats could be Romy Gonzalez - 1B/2B/3B/SS, BOS (1% rostered). Now that Triston Casas is out for the season, it seems that Romy, Abraham Toro -2B/3B, BOS (0% rostered), and Rob Refsnyder - OF, BOS (0% rostered) will primarily split the reps at 1B. With Refsnyder mainly playing against lefties, I think Gonzalez will get the first chance at 1B. It's a small sample size, but he does have a 93.3 mph average exit velocity and 9.1% barrel rate this season. He also has career-high pull and fly ball rates, and while he's making less contact than he has before, his approach could be intriguing at Fenway Park. I just can't imagine he's the first baseman for that long.

Jon Berti - 3B, CHC: 1% rostered
(STARTING JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Berti has been the regular third baseman for the Cubs with Matt Shaw in the minors. He's hitting .288 on the season with seven steals and 10 runs scored in 58 plate appearances. We know who he is at this point in his career, but the 3B spot is such a dump in fantasy right now, so the fact that Berti has his stolen base upside and is playing regularly in Chicago is worth noting for deeper formats. Another deep league infield option is Jorbit Vivas - 2B, NYY (0% rostered), who looks to be the regular second baseman with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the IL. I recorded a video on Jazz Chisolm and Vivas this week, so I'd encourage you to check that out for more of my thoughts.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Ranger Suarez - SP, PHI: 40% rostered
Suarez is set to come off the IL today. We know who Suarez is at this point in his career, but he's a valuable pitcher in the midst of all this chaos, so just check your waiver wire. Another pitcher nearing a return to MLB action is Ryan Weathers - SP, MIA (9% rostered), who threw 62 pitches at Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday. He's set for one more rehab assignment this week, where the Marlins can get him up over 70 pitches, and then he's likely to return the week of May 12th. The only issue is that he'd likely line up for a first start against the Cubs, which you're not using him for.

Griffin Canning - SP, NYM: 38% rostered
I spoke to Canning last week about the changes he’s made since coming to the Mets, and I don't think this early hot start is 100% flukey.

Tony Gonsolin - SP, LAD: 34% rostered
Tony Gonsolin made his return to the Dodgers' rotation this week and struck out nine batters in his six innings. It was against the Marlins, so take that into consideration, but it's nice to see Gonsolin back and going six innings. He is not likely to miss bats at this rate, but he has always been a solid ratio started,r and the team context is obviously great, so he's worth a bid in most formats, but I think he's just a streamer in 12-team leagues.

Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET: 32% rostered
I guess people don't want to add Kahnle because he doesn't throw hard and the Tigers mix and match their late-inning relievers, but Kahnle has looked good so far, and Detroit has no problem running out a closer who doesn't have elite strikeout upside or a big fastball. Kahnle has five saves and a 0.71 ERA in 12 appearances so far this year, so I'm scooping if he's available. However, just note that the Tigers like to use Kahnle in high-leverage situations, which will also mean save opportunities for Will Vest - RP, DET (11% rostered), who is worth an add if you need saves as well. I know Vest blew an opportunity this week, which made him one of the most dropped players in Yahoo formats, but he has allowed just four runs on eight hits in 13 innings this season. He'll still be back in high-leverage innings and will get some save chances.

Matthew Liberatore - SP, STL: 32% rostered
I covered Liberatore in detail in my Starting Pitcher News article, so check that out for a more detailed breakdown, but I think Liberatore is a fine option for decent ratios and a low strikeout total.

Brayan Bello - SP, BOS: 30% rostered
Bello has been good in his return to the Red Sox rotation, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 17.2 innings across three starts. The slider has looked good at times, and I like that he's been attacking with the sinker more and using the four-seam fastball upstairs to try and get swings and misses. However, the command of his slider and changeup remains inconsistent, which has hurt him in two-strike counts and has made him a bit frustrating. I still see Top-40 upside in that arm, but he's not putting it together right now.

Shelby Miller - RP, ARI: 25% rostered
I spoke to both Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel - RP, ARI (7% rostered) this week before the Mets game and wrote up my thoughts on the Arizona bullpen situation here. I would be prioritizing Miller on the waiver wire, but I'll have bids in for Ginkel too. Also, just remember that Justin Martinez's MRI came back clean, so we're not dealing with a major injury here. There's a chance Martinez is back in a few weeks and pitching like himself after a brief reset.

Gunnar Hoglund - SP, OAK: 23% rostered
I watched Hoglund's debut, and I came away thinking it was solid. The four-seamer is only 92 mph, but he gets elite extension on it and has good vertical movement, which allows him to get whiffs up in the zone. He also features a solid sinker with tons of arm-side run and a changeup that's seven mph slower than the sinker and darts low and out of the zone. He had no problem throwing the changeup to righties and lefties, but I didn't love either the cutter or the slider. My worry is that this isn't a package that will lead to many strikeouts when he's not facing the Marlins, but I liked the foundation of it enough to add him and see how this pans out.

Lance McCullers - SP, HOU: 19% rostered
I felt the need to cover McCullers here because he's a big name and is making his season debut today, but I can't tell you to run out and grab him right now. We have no idea how effective he'll be or how long Houston will let him pitch in games. I could easily see a situation where he's piggybacked with Ryan Gusto so the Astros don't strain McCullers too much.

Lucas Giolito - SP, BOS: 14% rostered
Giolito returned to the mound for the Red Sox this week, and I think he looked better than Bello, which is why I made that direct one-for-one swap in a few leagues. He was pretty good for the first half of the season in 2023 before the White Sox traded him across the country, and the wheels fell off. I think we've written his obituary too early. His four-seam fastball had more juice again, and the fastball/changeup combination is a good one. The Red Sox are clearly working to re-shape his slider back to his older version, and if he can unlock that too, you might get a great season from Giolito. As is, he's a solid Top-50 arm. You could also roster his teammate, Hunter Dobbins - SP, BOS (4% rostered), who seems likely to hold down a rotation spot as long as Walker Buehler is sidelined. Dobbins has seen velocity gains this year, turned his splitter into a splinker that he can command, and separated his slider into a slider and a sweeper. That has given him a six-pitch mix with decent command. I kind of like Dobbins, and I'm not worried about his start against the Royals this week.

Porter Hodge - RP, CHC: 14% rostered
Another option who I think scared people off because of one horrible outing against Arizona last week. Ryan Pressly has looked average in Chicago and had fluid drained from his knee last week, which is not ideal. Hodge is a solid reliever who posted an elite 1.88 ERA last season. He's the guy if Pressly is hurt, and the Cubs are a really good team, so you're going to want whoever is closing games for them.

Luis L. Ortiz - SP, CLE: 12% rostered
This guy is always going to pull me back in. The Guardians have made some clear changes to try and get more swing-and-miss into Ortiz's pitch mix, and while that has led to inconsistency, it has presented some clear long-term upside for him as well. He is utilizing his changeup far more than he has before and has switched up the locations on his cutter to get more swinging strikes. I'm still expecting inconsistency as he gets comfortable with the changes, but I love the roadmap here.

Ben Casparius - RP, LAD: 8% rostered
I covered Casparius in detail in my Starting Pitcher News article this Wednesday, so check that out for more detail.

PLAYERS TO DROP

I was asked last week if I could mention some players that I think it might be time to move on from in shallower formats, so below are a few players I would be cutting in 10-12 team leagues. Most of the names will be hitters because I believe those fringe SPs should always be on and off your roster in shallower formats based on their upcoming matchups.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, ARI: 46% rostered: He hasn't been hitting, and I'm starting to think the only way the Diamondbacks can call Jordan Lawlar up is to play him at 3B, move Eugenio Suarez to DH, and make Gurriel and Pavin Smith a platoon in LF. It makes the most sense for the team. Lawlar can't stay in AAA much longer.

Jonathan India - 2B/3B/OF - KC: 42% rostered: I was never a huge fan, the ballpark is going to take all of his power away, so you're looking at a .260 hitter with minimal speed and no power in a fairly average lineup. That's just not for me.

Carlos Correa - SS, MIN: 33% rostered: He doesn't run, he's clearly playing through an injury, and he just might not be healthy until they put him on the IL.

Alec Burleson - 1B/OF, STL 32% rostered: He just barely plays for St. Louis anymore. He's starting two, maybe three, games a week, and I can't hold him until he starts to play and produce again.

Luis Rengifo - 2B/3B, LAA: 27% rostered: His value was in his speed, but he's had multiple soft tissue injuries this season and is not running.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

(ranked in loose order)

Week of 5/5

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%Opponent
Michael Wacha32%vs CWS
Tony Gonsolin34%at MIA
Matthew Liberatore32%vs PIT
AJ Smith-Shawver6%vs CIN, at PIT
Lucas Giolito14%vs TEX, at KC
Shane Smith15%at KC, vs MIA
Edward Cabrera3%at CWS

Fairly Confident

Steven Matz5%vs PIT
Miles Mikolas3%vs PIT
Jefferey Springs22%vs SEA
Grant Holmes29%vs CIN
Luis Severino42%vs SEA, vs NYY
Matthew Boyd36%vs SF, at NYM
Griffin Canning38%at ARI, vs CHC
Jose Soriano26%vs TOR
Tyler Anderson24%vs TOR
David Peterson34%at ARI
Jake Irvin29%vs CLE
Brayan Bello20%at KC
Hunter Dobbins4%at KC
Jordan Hicks13%at MIN
Cade Povich3%at MIN, at LAA
Luis L. Ortiz12%at WAS, vs PHI
Ben Lively7%at WAS
Sean Burke4%at KC, vs MIA

Some Hesitation

Justin Verlander36%at CHC
Landen Roupp24%at CHC, at MIN
Jose Quintana31%at TB
Gunar Hoglund18%vs SEA
Jameson Taillon24%at NYM
Nick Martinez17%at HOU
Colin Rea25%vs SF
Quinn Priester11%vs HOU
Lance McCullers19%vs CIN
Emerson Hancock4%at ATH
Will Warren7%at ATH
Patrick Corbin4%at DET
Michael Soroka1%vs CLE
Bryce Elder2%at PIT

Mets at Cardinals game one: How to watch on May 4, 2025

The Mets (22-11) play the first game of a split doubleheader against the Cardinals (14-19) in St. Louis on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. on PIX11. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • Blade Tidwell, the Mets' second-round pick in the 2022 draft, makes his major league debut
  • LHP Danny Young has been transferred to the 60-Day Injured List, and RHP Austin Warren has been optioned to Triple-A and appointed as 27th Player for both doubleheader games
  • Brandon Nimmo is heating up, posting a 1.110 OPS with 12 RBI in his last seven games
  • Pete Alonso leads the National League with a .664 slugging percentage and is second in RBI with 33
  • Cardinals starter Erick Fedde has a career 6.51 ERA in 17 career games (12 starts) against the Mets


METS
CARDINALS

Francisco Lindor, SS

Lars Nootbaar, RF

Juan Soto, RF

Alec Burleson, DH

Pete Alonso, 1B

Brendan Donovan, LF

Brandon Nimmo, DH

Nolan Arenado, 3B

Jesse Winker, LF

Willson Contreras, 1B

Luis Torrens, C

Nolan Gorman, 2B

Jeff McNeil, 2B

Pedro Pages, C

Luisangel Acuña, 3B

Victor Scott, CF

Jose Azocar, CF

Jose Barrero, SS


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.

'Big brother, little brother.' How Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages bond is helping Dodgers

LOS ANGELES, CA. APRIL 27, 2025 - Andy Pages celebrates hitting a two-run homer with Teoscar Hernandez in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Robert Hanashiro / For The Times)
Andy Pages celebrates hitting a two-run homer with Teoscar Hernández in the fifth inning of last Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hernández had homered to lead off the inning, the 200th of his career. "Two hundred, that's a big one," Hernández said. "But I was more excited for him." (Robert Hanashiro / For The Times)

When the Dodgers called up Andy Pages to the majors early last season, one of the first things co-hitting coach Aaron Bates did was seek out veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernández.

That spring, Bates had watched a relationship blossom between Pages, a then 23-year-old prospect who had bounced back miraculously fast from a labrum surgery the previous season, and Hernández, an All-Star veteran who had signed with the club that winter at age 31 in search of a bounce-back performance.

All camp, Pages and Hernández were among the first to arrive at the batting cages each morning. They became almost attached at the hip in the clubhouse and on the backfields, constantly discussing the state of their games.

It was, as Bates and several others around the team have since described it, the start of a “big brother, little brother” relationship between the two sluggers.

Read more:Yoshinobu Yamamoto stellar once again for Dodgers in rain-delayed win over Braves

Thus, once Pages joined the big-league roster a couple weeks into the regular season, Bates encouraged Hernández to help reinforce the coaching staff’s message to the newly recalled rookie — and to, more important, be a guiding voice as he took Pages under his wing.

“As a hitting coach, you can go to a veteran player if you want him to get a message across to a younger guy, if it’s coming off better or might land a little bit better with the veteran player telling him,” Bates said. “So as Andy was coming up to the big leagues, Teo was a big asset to us to get stuff across to Andy. And Andy is super coachable. You can tell him yourself. But Teo can see it from his vantage point.”

“Their relationship,” Bates added, “kept going [from there].”

One year later, few Dodgers teammates are closer than Hernández and Pages.

They talk almost daily in their shared corner of the team’s clubhouse. They’ll watch one another during batting practice, and coordinate defensively in outfielders’ meetings. After most home games, they’ll leave the stadium side-by-side (more than once this year, Hernández has waited in the clubhouse hallway, playfully shouting for Pages to hurry up to leave). And the more their bond has strengthened, the more they’ve each benefited from the partnership — leaning on one another while becoming integral pieces of the Dodgers’ offense.

“We’ve always been really close,” Pages said through an interpreter. “We talked through a lot of things. We’ve been talking through a lot of difficult times. A lot of the good times. Obviously, he has a lot of experience in the big leagues, so I utilize him for some of these difficult times. But we’ve had a close relationship since the beginning.”

When Hernández first arrived in Dodgers camp last spring, Pages wasn’t the only young Latin American player that gravitated toward him.

Miguel Vargas — who, like Pages, was signed as an amateur out of Cuba — was transitioning full-time to the outfield. Jose Ramos, a double-A prospect originally signed out of Panama, had also earned an invite to big-league spring training.

“Because they were working in the outfield, we built a good relationship,” said Hernández, a Dominican native who was once in their shoes while trying to break into the majors with the Houston Astros in 2016. “I was trying to teach them some of the things I went through when I came to the big leagues. Trying to make them feel better when things are not going right.”

Teoscar Hernández congratulates Andy Pages after Pages leapt at the centerfield wall to rob Michael Busch of a homer
Teoscar Hernández congratulates Andy Pages after Pages lept at the center field wall to rob the Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch of a homer during a game at Dodger Stadium last month. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

In Pages specifically, though, Hernández found something of a kindred spirit.

Pages is not as outwardly animated as Hernández, whose “happy-go-lucky” personality, as Bates described it, is evident every time he showers his teammates with sunflower seeds to celebrate home runs. But Pages did have the same persistent work ethic, having spent the 2024 offseason making a rapid recovery from his 2023 shoulder surgery. And he had the same steady demeanor, helping him earn his first big-league promotion in mid-April of last year.

“We all knew he was gonna get to the big leagues last year,” Hernández said. “When you see a good player, you’re gonna see it right away. You’re gonna see the guy has talent. You’re gonna know right away if he can play in the big leagues.”

That’s why, once Pages did join the Dodgers, Hernández helped him hone the mental side of his game.

Read more:Why the Dodgers' Max Muncy has started wearing glasses in games: 'Anything that can help'

In the good times, like when Pages hit over .300 in his first 20 games, Hernández reinforced his confidence. In bad stretches, like when Pages was demoted after a 33-game run through July and early August in which he batted .226 with just one home run and 28 strikeouts, Hernández tried to foster positivity.

“This game is hard,” Hernández told him. “You’re gonna fail more times than you have success.”

All players know that when they arrive in the majors. But understanding it is different. And only with experience, Hernández had learned, came the ability to navigate such adversity.

“When you realize that as a player, and you get it, everything becomes easier to handle,” Hernández said.

A similar dynamic was at play early this season.

Despite returning to the majors late last year and exploding for a two-homer game in the National League Championship Series, Pages entered this season on the fringes of the Dodgers’ MLB roster. And even though he made the team coming out of camp, he felt pressure to try and entrench his place permanently in the big leagues.

That strain beget a slump, Pages batting .159 through the season’s first three weeks.

But Hernández continued to support him, both in public comments to reporters and private chats between the two, aiming to simply “keep his mind positive.”

“We’re not talking about what he’s doing wrong, or the slump he’s in,” Hernández said. “Just trying to tell him: ‘OK, let’s try this. Or that. Whatever it is for you to feel good with what you’re doing on the field.’”

Part of the slump, Pages felt, came from adjustments he had while primarily batting in the nine-hole — feeling the need to be overly selective in hopes of getting on base for leadoff man Shohei Ohtani.

So, recently, Dodgers hitting coaches encouraged Pages to get back to his typical aggressive approach at the plate. Hernández, who in another parallel to Pages is a free swinger himself, once again backed up that message.

“I think having someone like that to look up to, and model himself as far as what he wants to be, is great,” Bates said.

Pages not only heeded the advice, but has seen his results improve almost immediately. Over his last nine games entering Saturday, Pages is batting .500 with three doubles, four home runs, nine RBIs and only five strikeouts.

Hernández has been almost as good in that same stretch, snapping out of an early slump by batting .410 with five doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs (giving him an MLB-high 32 runs driven in on the season) since April 22.

Manager Dave Roberts doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence.

“I think that there is some type of commonality to Andy and Teo’s success [happening] together,” Roberts said this week. “They certainly have a big brother, little brother relationship. And Teo obviously has established himself as an All-Star and has been a mentor to Andy … But I do think that those guys are continuing to push each other, which is fun to watch.”

No sequence was more joyful than last week’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when both Hernández and Pages homered in the same inning.

Hernández’s long ball was a milestone moment, marking the 200th home run of his MLB career.

Read more:Tony Gonsolin shines in his first game since 2023 as Dodgers win fifth straight

But his reaction to Pages’ big fly later in the inning was noticeably more gleeful, with Hernández flying out of the dugout and pelting Pages with an overhand chuck of sunflower seeds at the top step.

“I was happy, yes. Two hundred, that’s a big one,” Hernández said. “But I was more excited for him.”

To those who have watched Hernández and Pages up close over the last year, that was hardly surprising to hear.

“Teo, he likes those numbers, but I don’t think he plays for that reason,” Bates said. “He just plays to love the game. And I think he’s happier when he sees a younger player like that, that he can help.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Scales backs Idah amid harsh criticism – gossip

Celtic defender backs forward team-mate, Steven Gerrard trumpeted for Rangers return and Hamilton plan to stay full-time...

Liam Scales believes criticism of Celtic and Republic of Ireland team-mate Adam Idah is harsh and the defender backs the striker to shine against Rangers on Sunday. (Sun)

Scales, 26, enjoys fishing in Scotland as it is "good for keeping your mind clear". (Record)

James Forrest, 33, plays down the notion that he will take a penalty should Celtic be awarded one before the end of the season to maintain his streak of scoring in successive seasons dating back to the 2010-11 campaign. (Glasgow Times)

Mohamed Diomande, 23, admits there's going to be "a lot of regret" at Rangers come the end of the season. (Herald - subscription required)

Former Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack backs Steven Gerrard to return as Ibrox manager. (Record)

Gerrard, 44, is the leading candidate for the Rangers vacancy. (Football Insider)

Luka Elsner, who has managed nine clubs across Europe, emerges as a candidate for the Hearts manager's job. (Herald - subscription required)

Hamilton Academical plan to remain full-time following their relegation to Scottish League 1. (Sun)

Dodgers wait out the rain and Roki Sasaki escapes danger for seventh straight win

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers against the Atlanta Braves.
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers in the first inning of a 10-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. Sasaki earned his first MLB win. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)

The national anthem had been sung. A sold-out crowd was in its seats. The field was raked, chalked and ready for baseball.

More than three hours later, the first pitch was finally thrown.

What was scheduled as a 7:15 p.m. local start at Truist Park in Atlanta on Friday didn’t actually kick off until 10:21 p.m., with the Dodgers and Braves getting delayed by a thunderstorm that rolled in shortly after the game was supposed to begin.

Read more:Dodgers call up utilityman Hyeseong Kim, put Tommy Edman on injured list

The three-plus hour delay could have been enough to force a cancellation, and trigger a doubleheader on Sunday. But the Braves and Dodgers instead were asked to “hunker down,” as manager Dave Roberts quipped before the game, and wait.

“For us, decisiveness is probably better,” Roberts said. “Versus waiting around all night and ultimately not playing.”

The Dodgers ultimately did play, and rolled to a 10-3 win, as well, looking unfazed by the weather, the conditions or a late night that stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning before their seventh straight victory was finally complete.

Despite the long delay, Roki Sasaki survived his latest big-league test, dancing in and out of danger in a five-inning, three-run start for his first MLB win.

Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman both hit home runs; Ohtani to break an early 1-1 tie in the third, Freeman to put the game out of reach in the eighth.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Braves on Saturday.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Braves on Saturday. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)

And a Dodgers team (23-10) that spent most of the opening month trying to get synced up on the mound and at the plate — despite still posting the best record in the majors — continued to round into increasingly dominant form, inching ever closer to hitting their tantalizing top gear.

Few sequences better exemplified the Dodgers’ recently improved play than the crooked numbers they posted in the third and fourth innings.

In the third, the Dodgers played both long-ball and small-ball to produce two runs. Ohtani led off with his eighth home run, launching a towering solo blast to straightaway center field. Then, Betts hit a single, took second base on a hit-and-run play that likely would’ve resulted in a double-play grounder otherwise, and scored when Teoscar Hernández snuck a ground ball through the infield — giving Hernández his 33rd RBI to tie Aaron Judge for the MLB lead.

In the fourth, their offense went station-to-station in a four-run rally, all of the runs coming with two outs. Ohtani roped a single to center to get the threat started. Betts followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, marking his fourth-straight multi-hit game. Freeman then chased Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach (who entered with a sub-3.00 ERA) with an RBI single to left, Betts staying on his feet all the way home to score just ahead of a tag at the plate.

With the clock ticking toward midnight, Aaron Bummer entered the game for the Braves (14-18) and immediately turned into a pumpkin.

His first batter, Hernández, hit a dribbler up the first-base line that Bummer initially fielded, but then dropped while trying to transfer the ball to his throwing hand for a flip to first base. Bummer quickly retrieved the ball again, and turned toward home with Freeman taking a wide turn around third. But his throw there was off-line, sailing over catcher Sean Murphy’s head to allow Freeman to score with ease.

Hernández also took second on the play, setting up Will Smith for an RBI single in the next at-bat.

It was late Saturday night baseball, at its sloppily, messy finest.

Sasaki didn’t make life easy on himself in the seventh start of his rookie season.

He had to strand two runners in the first, the latter of which reached on a two-out walk. He hung a slider to Ozzie Albies for a leadoff single in the second, then gave up a run when Eli White hit a half-swing double the other way to right. Another two-out walk created more stress in the third. And despite taking the mound with a 7-1 lead in the fourth, he gave up a leadoff homer to Albies and a one-out RBI double to Nick Allen, prompting a mound meeting from pitching coach Mark Prior.

But, as he has made a habit of during his up-and-down campaign, the 23-year-old right-hander managed to limit damage. Despite hitting a batter in the fourth, he escaped without yielding another run. In the fifth, he finally posted a 1-2-3 inning, having just enough gas in a season-high 98-pitch outing to qualify for his first victory.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

With dad on hand, Kody Clemens homers in 1st game at Fenway Park to lead Twins past Red Sox 4-3

BOSTON (AP) — Kody Clemens hit a two-run homer in his first game at Fenway Park — with his famous father in attendance — and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Saturday.

With former Red Sox ace Roger Clemens watching from a luxury box along the first-base line, his son drove an 0-1 slider from Hunter Dobbins (2-1) over the short wall in the right-field corner to push Minnesota ahead 3-1 in the sixth inning.

Jarren Duran had an RBI triple and a double for Boston, which has lost three of four. Romy Gonzalez, expected to get the bulk of the playing time at first base after Triston Casas ruptured a tendon in his left knee, had three singles.

Clemens’ homer came during a three-run sixth that gave the Twins a 4-1 edge.

Bailey Ober (4-1) pitched six innings, holding the Red Sox to a run and seven hits. Jhoan Duran got three outs for his third save.

Jarren Duran hit his RBI triple in the seventh before scoring on Rafael Devers’ single that sliced it to 4-3.

The game was delayed by rain for 72 minutes in the seventh.

Key moment

With runners on first and second in the ninth, Jhoan Duran retired left-handed hitter Wilyer Abreu for the final out after walking Alex Bregman intentionally.

Key stat

Ober has allowed just one run five times in his six starts since giving up eight during his first start of the season.

Up next

Twins RHP Chris Paddack (0-3, 5.60 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against LHP Garrett Crochet (3-2, 2.05).

Mets Prospect Roundup: Drew Gilbert homers for Triple-A Syracuse, Nate Dohm dominates with St. Lucie

Here's the latest on some of the Mets' young talent down in the minor leagues...


Drew Gilbert hits first 2025 Syracuse homer

Gilbert is known for his power but hadn't gone yard for the Syracuse Mets this season... until Saturday.

Going up against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Gilbert took Yerry De los Santos -- the reliever who started the season in the majors with the Yankees -- deep, launching an 85 mph changeup 369 feet. The outfielder went 1-for-2 but walked three times.

Gilbert had two home runs with Port St. Lucie this season before he returned to Syracuse in mid-April. In 13 games with the Triple-A affiliate, Gilbert is slashing .275/.426/.425 with an .851 OPS.

Former Mets outfielder Rafael Ortega had the big blast in Saturday's 8-2 win, launching a three-run shot to put Syracuse up 5-0 in the first inning.

Nate Dohm dominates with St. Lucie

Dohm, the 22-year-old right-hander, dominated his latest start for the St. Lucie Mets on Saturday. Dohm pitched 5.1 innings while allowing one unearned run on four hits, two walks and striking out six batters. It's the second consecutive start Dohm has not allowed an earned run.

Across six starts in Single-A, Dohm is 2-2 with a 2.22 ERA and has not allowed more than two earned runs in any start this year. In fact, since allowing four runs in his first two starts, Dohm has allowed just two earned runs across his last two. He's also struck out 30 batters in 24.1 innings pitched.

Yankees Notes: Ryan Yarbrough gives New York length, Jazz Chisholm Jr. surprised by severity of injury

Following the Yankees' 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon, manager Aaron Boone and some players spoke about a number of topics...

Ryan Yarbrough gives Yanks what they needed

With the sudden scratch of Clarke Schmidt on Saturday, Yarbrough was tasked with being the team's opener against the Rays. The bulk reliever is used to pitching multiple innings, but Boone was very happy with the results.

The left-hander allowed just one run on one hit and three walks in four innings. It was a season-high four innings for Yarbrough, who had a sac fly from Taylor Walls in the second inning to thank for the lone run allowed.

"I tried to convince [Boone] to get me into the fifth there, especially with a bullpen game," Yarbrough said after the game. "Just really giving those guys some time off, especially when you have a day that you don't really necessarily expect early on. We were there to pick each other up and just tried to go as deep as I could."

"I thought he did great," Boone said. Walked a couple of leadoff hitters, which wasn’t ideal, had a few walks in there. But going into the day, if you said four innings, one run. Sign us up, all day long. He gave us exactly what we needed. Gave us a chance and put us in a good position to win a game. Unfortunately, just couldn’t get to the finish line today."

New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (56) delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium
New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (56) delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium / Tom Horak - Imagn Images

Mark Leiter Jr. gives up lead

The Yankees were up 2-1 heading into the eighth inning when Leiter Jr. came in. The hard-throwing right-hander was a bit unlucky in that inning. After allowing a leadoff hit to Christopher Morel -- on a play that was just out of the reach of Anthony Volpe -- Brandon Lowe walked. Leiter Jr. struck out Junior Caminero before a Curtis Mead bloop single tied the game and then a Volpe error pushed across the go-ahead run.

Boone, after the game, applauded the Rays' hitters, especially Lowe and Mead for getting to Leiter Jr.'s well-executed pitches.

"I thought he threw the ball alright. Just a couple of balls that had eyes," Boone said.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. surprised by MRI

Chisholm was placed on the IL on Friday with a high-grade oblique strain. Boone expects Chisholm to be out 4-6 weeks, but when the infielder was asked how he felt in the Orioles series earlier in the week, he believed he would be back in a few days.

“I’m very surprised [by the results], just depending on how my body feels and how I feel personally," Chisholm said after Saturday's game. "This is the second time I had an oblique. This feels completely different from the first one. So, for me, I was super surprised when I saw the results."

Chisholm revealed that there were three different tears in his oblique, which made him more surprised.

"That’s why I’m really surprised by what [the tests] said," he explained. "It doesn’t feel like three, doesn’t feel as bad as when I tore my oblique two years ago."

Chisholm is having an up-and-down 2025 with the Yanks. He has launched an impressive seven homers, but his batting average (.181) and OBP (.304) remain low.

Nola works through pregame neck injury to deliver 6 scoreless

Nola works through pregame neck injury to deliver 6 scoreless originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Aaron Nola felt his neck tighten up about 45 minutes before first pitch Saturday night.

It put manager Rob Thomson, pitching coach Caleb Cotham and catcher J.T. Realmuto on high alert, and the Phillies even activated Ranger Suarez from the injured list pregame, a day early, in case he was needed for an emergency start.

There was no emergency because Nola felt good enough to pitch. And he didn’t just toe the slab, he delivered six scoreless innings against a Diamondbacks lineup that can hurt you with power and with speed.

“They said we’ll see what we get out of him tonight, essentially,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “We were a little worried, we didn’t know how much he was going to be available but obviously his neck felt good enough.

“I was on high alert in the bullpen just trying to watch his pitches and see if anything was moving differently or his stuff was different, but it was just as sharp as it normally is. Once the game started, I didn’t even really think about it again.”

Nola didn’t have his best command early but found a groove after ending the second inning by inducing a 4-6-3 double play. His velocity was up for a second consecutive start and averaged 92.2, more than 1 mph above his season average. He also had his cutter working for a second straight start and had one of his better curveballs, the pitch he utilized most to beat the D-backs in a 7-2 Phillies win.

“It says a lot,” Realmuto said. “He’s a competitor so if there’s a way for him to go out there and pitch, he’s gonna do it. He showed that tonight.”

Nola is not worried about the neck tightness and expects it to subside quickly. He felt it during the game on a few occasions but is fortunate that it’s the right side of his neck, not the left. The left side is the direction to which a right-handed pitcher like Nola cocks his head before delivering a pitch out of the stretch or when peering over to first base.

“Everything was normal. I felt it a little bit but it didn’t get any worse during the game,” Nola said. “I don’t think it’s gonna be any long-term, lingering kind of thing.

“Felt like it needed to pop and wouldn’t pop. Just a little tight on a couple of different movements but luckily it wasn’t to my left where I have to look toward the plate. If it was on the left side, it might have been a little bit different.”

Nola received seven runs of support, more than the Phillies had provided him all season. He has lowered his ERA in his last two starts from 6.43 to 4.61. His command is sharpening and he’s generating more finish to his pitches. All but one of his 18 outs Saturday night was a strikeout or groundout.

“I feel pretty good, all my pitches feel pretty good right now,” Nola said. “Getting ahead of the hitters better than I was the first few starts and putting ’em away when I need to.”

His next one will be Friday in Cleveland. The Phillies will start Ranger Suarez on Sunday to finish up the Diamondbacks series, then have Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo going in Tampa. Taijuan Walker has been moved to the bullpen, where he’ll be used as a longman or reliever who can pitch one-plus inning.

Red Sox 1B Triston Casas out for rest of season after rupturing left knee tendon​

Red Sox 1B Triston Casas out for rest of season after rupturing left knee tendon​ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a ruptured tendon in his left knee and is out for the remainder of the season, the team said on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Casas ruptured his patellar tendon running to first on a slow roller up the line and fell awkwardly in Boston’s victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. After laying on his back in pain — not moving the knee — he was carted off on a stretcher before being taken to a Boston hospital.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Casas, who remains in the hospital, will have surgery, but the date has not been determined.

“I talked to him last night,” Breslow said in a press conference discussing the injury outside Boston’s clubhouse. “We exchanged text messages (today). We all care deeply about just his overall wellbeing.”

Manager Alex Cora said Casas worked hard during the offseason to play every day after missing a large amount of last year with torn cartilage in his rib cage.

“He did an outstanding job in the offseason to put himself in that situation. It didn’t start the way he wanted it to,” Cora said of Casas’ struggles. “He was going to play and play a lot. Now we’ve got to focus on the rehab after the surgery and hopefully get him back stronger than ever and ready to go next year.”

Casas batted just .182 with three homers and 11 RBIs, but Breslow said his loss will be felt, especially with the team’s lack of depth at the position.

“He certainly struggled through the first month of the season but that didn’t change what we believe his production was capable of being,” Breslow said. “It’s a big loss. In addition to what we think we were going to get on the offensive side, he was kind of like a stabilizing presence on the defensive side of the field — also a big personality and a big part of the clubhouse.”

During spring training, Casas talked about how his focus at the plate this season was being more relaxed.

“You really want it until you don’t,” he said, explaining his thoughts while standing at his locker. “Then you can’t want it that much.”

Now, he’ll have to focus on his recovery plan for next season.

Casas, a left-handed batter, was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with infielder/outfielder Abraham Toro selected from Triple-A Worcester.

Cora said Toro — a switch-hitter — will split time at first along with Romy Gonzalez. who bats right-handed.

Breslow said the team might be exploring a long-term replacement.

“This is unfortunately an opportunity to explore what’s available,” he said. “We’ll look both internally and outside as well.”

Cora said there are no plans to move Rafael Devers, who was replaced at third by offseason, free-agent acquisition Alex Bregman, and moved to DH.

“We asked him to do something in spring training that in the beginning he didn’t agree with it and now he’s very comfortable doing what he’s doing,” Cora said. “Like I told you guys in spring training, he’s my DH.”

Mets-Cardinals game postponed by weather, will be made up in Sunday doubleheader

ST. LOUIS — The game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets scheduled for Saturday was postponed because of rain and will be made up as part of a split doubleheader Sunday.

The Mets have a nine-game winning streak in the series after beating St. Louis 9-3 on Friday night. New York swept a four-game set at Citi Field last month, and Sunday’s games are the last two in the season series.

The Mets announced that prospect Blade Tidwell would make his major league debut in the first game against St. Louis right-hander Erick Fedde (1-3, 4.68 ERA). Tidwell, a 23-year-old righty, is 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA in six starts for Triple-A Syracuse this season. He has struck out 37 in 27 innings.

In the second game, Andre Pallante (2-2, 4.13) will start for the Cardinals against Tylor Megill (3-2, 1.74), who had been scheduled to start Saturday opposite Fedde. Both Pallante and Megill are righties.

Earlier Saturday, the Cardinals recalled right-hander Michael McGreevy from Triple-A Memphis to add depth to a bullpen that already was taxed because of a doubleheader Wednesday in Cincinnati and a rain delay in Thursday’s game that cut starter Matthew Liberatore’s start short.

McGreevy had been scheduled to start Memphis’ game on Saturday. He is 3-1 with a 4.08 ERA in Memphis last year, and he was 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four games, including three starts, for St. Louis last year.

Reliever Roddery Muñoz was optioned to Memphis to make room for McGreevy.

Yankees' Anthony Volpe gets 'good news,' considered day-to-day following injury scare

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has avoided the worst after suffering an injury scare during Saturday's game against the Rays.

With the Yankees up 2-1 in the eighth, Volpe ranged to his right on a grounder hit in the hole between short and third base. Volpe dove for the grounder, but his left shoulder slammed into the ground on the attempt. The third-year infielder stayed on the ground for a noticeably long time as manager Aaron Boone and the trainers came out to tend to him.

On Sunday, though, Boone told reporters that X-rays and an MRI showed "good news" for Volpe, who's now considered day-to-day and not in Sunday's lineup.

“Definitely a little cranky in the shoulder today," Boone said of Volpe's status.

"Just felt like a pop in my shoulder," Volpe explained after Saturday's loss. "It happened quick and it was scary, but after that, I felt okay and had my strength."

"I’ve never been in this situation, so it’s scary," he added. "My movements feel good, just a weird play."

Volpe finished the game, but the shortstop was in the spotlight for another reason in that eighth inning. The Rays had already tied the game at 2-2, but with runners on the corners and one out, Jose Caballero hit a grounder up the middle. Volpe ranged to his left and was in position to scoop up the ball, but it bobbled and all runners were safe, allowing the Rays' winning run to score.

"Just trying to make the play without securing the ball," Volpe said.

"With Caballero running, that’s a game you got a chance to potentially turn a double play, but you got to be fast with it," Boone said of Volpe's error. "And probably a half step behind to really be able to turn the double play, probably just rushed trying to make it to the bag. I don’t think he’s going to turn it anyway, but I think that’s what happened when looking back at it."