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Castellanos now a part of the Phillies' outfield platoon originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

MILWAUKEE — Since the Phillies acquired outfielder Harrison Bader at the trade deadline, the question of platooning Bader, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Weston Wilson has been a popular talking point.

Well, now it appears Nick Castellanos can be added to the list.

Manager Rob Thomson created his own deadline for deciding on an “everyday” outfield when Bader was gotten, saying he was going to go six days of platooning before any decision was made. That was back at the end of July and now, the rotation seems as unknown as ever.

Castellanos was out of the lineup again Thursday against the Brewers, despite getting two hits and scoring two runs in Wednesday’s 6-3 loss. Thomson’s outfield Thursday consisted of Marsh in left, Bader in center and Kepler in right. It’s the sixth time Castellanos has not started in the past 18 games.

“Yeah, well, I mean the other three are so hot right now,” Thomson said. “So I was staying with that, to tell you the truth.”

When asked about the platoon back at the trade deadline, Thomson called Castellanos an everyday player. He’s also said that matching up players against opposing pitchers is a big factor in deciding who plays. For his career, Castellanos is 7 for 19 (.368) with four doubles and five RBI against Thursday’s starter Freddy Peralta. For comparison, Bader is 4 for 19 (.211) with a homer, three RBI and eight strikeouts and Marsh 0 for 4.

“Well, it looks that way,” Thomson said on if Castellanos is now part of the platoon. “I mean, you can call it whatever you want, but at this point in the year, I’m going to put out what I think is the best lineup on any given day to win a ballgame. Yeah, there’s still a bit of a rotation, if you want to call it that. If you want to call it a platoon, doesn’t matter to me.”

Since joining the team, Bader has hit .310 with nine extra base hits, nine RBI and 13 runs in the 27 games. Kepler has hit .288 with six extra base hits, nine RBI and 11 runs over his last 14 games and Marsh is hitting .303 over his last 97 games, including 10 for his last 19.

Asked how Castellanos, who is hitting .253 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI, is handling the situation, Thomson said, “Yeah, he hasn’t said a word. He’s been good. I think he’s being a pro and understands that he’s ready to help the club whenever it’s needed.”

Painter update

Top prospect Andrew Painter struggled in his Wednesday outing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, as he gave up 10 hits, six earned runs, three walks and two home runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. He now has a 5.62 ERA.

“Basically, the same kind of stuff,” Thomson said. “But he did get 17 whiffs, so that was good. The velocity was good. I didn’t see it this time, but just from the report, two walks in the first inning, a walk later on, kind of cruised for a bit. But, you know, it’s just a little bit of inconsistency with fastball command and I think that’s normal.”

Thomson said he hasn’t heard anything about shutting Painter down for the season, his first back from Tommy John surgery.

“There was a time earlier in the year that he was getting frustrated,” Thomson said. “And I’m sure there’s still some frustration there, because he’s always had a lot of success. But I think, overall, he’s handled it well. I know that it’s always good to end a season on a good note, especially in his case.”

Right-handed pitching prospect Brandon Sproat is coming up to make his major league debut against the Reds this weekend.

SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino was first to report earlier Thursday that Sproat was in "strong consideration" for a start this weekend.

The belief is that Sproat will start on Sunday.

Sproat, 24, is coming off one of his best starts of the season for Triple-A Syracuse, where he fired 7.0 shutout innings while allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out nine.

Since making a change ahead of his start on June 28 -- basically deciding to be more aggressive and let it fly -- Sproat has a 2.44 ERA in 59.0 innings.

He's also been missing bats at a higher clip, racking up eight or more strikeouts on five occasions since then after not doing so at all over his first 15 games of the season.

While he relies heavily on a four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and touches 100 mph, Sproat also has a sinker, sweeper, gyro slider, and changeup.

The Mets' rotation is in a bit of flux, with the team waiting to see if Kodai Senga will accept a temporary assignment to the minors -- where he would be able to work on his mechanics and other things that have ailed him during his recent rough stretch.

David Peterson will start Friday's series-opener against the Reds in Cincinnati, while Jonah Tong gets the ball on Saturday in what will be his second big league start.

After facing the Reds over the weekend, the Mets head to Philadelphia for a four-game series against the Phillies before returning home to open a three-game series against the Rangers on Friday, Sept. 12.

If the Mets reach the playoffs, Sproat can easily be added to the roster if he's deemed to be a fit despite not being on the 40-man roster by Sept. 1.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Reds play a three-game series in Cincinnati starting on Friday at 6:40 p.m. on SNY.

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5 things to watch

The return of Francisco Alvarez

Alvarez, who last played on Aug. 17 -- when he sprained the UCL in his right thumb while sliding into second base -- is expected to be activated from the IL ahead of Friday's series-opener.

The backstop, who will need surgery after the season for his thumb injury, is also playing with a broken left pinky that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch last week during his rehab assignment.

Alvarez not only played through the pain during his rehab stint but excelled, blasting a grand slam for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday night.

Manager Carlos Mendoza recently said that Alvarez's throwing from behind the plate since hurting his thumb has been fine, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on after he returns -- especially if opposing teams attempt to take advantage of Alvarez's injury by running wild.

Before getting injured, Alvarez had been a force at the plate following his brief stint in the minor leagues. In 71 plate appearances over 21 games from July 21 to Aug. 17, he slashed .323/.408/.645 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored. If Alvarez can pick up where he left off, he'll add even more punch to a lineup that has been running on all cylinders over the last month or so. 

Brandon Sproat's big league debut

As the Mets wait to see if the struggling Kodai Senga will accept a minor league assignment, the rotation is in flux.

David Peterson will start on Friday, with Jonah Tong getting the ball on Saturday, but the club hasn't yet named a starter for Sunday.

That's because Sproat is getting called up from Triple-A Syracuse, with the expectation being that he'll make that start.

Sproat, 24, is coming off one of his best starts of the season for Triple-A Syracuse, where he fired 7.0 shutout innings while allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out nine.

Since making a change ahead of his start on June 28 -- basically deciding to be more aggressive and let it fly -- Sproat has a 2.44 ERA in 59.0 innings.

Jonah Tong's second big league start

Tong was strong in his major league debut last Friday at Citi Field, limiting the Marlins to one earned run over 5.0 innings while allowing six hits, walking none, and striking out six. 

But it was a bit of a weird outing since there were two instances where Tong had to sit in the dugout for roughly a half hour while the Mets put a hurting on Miami. That led to a game that was a blowout in the Mets' favor early, which took a bit of the starch out of the excitement of Tong's debut.

And while he pitched well as his fastball topped out at 97.7 mph, Tong generated only seven swings and misses.

Tong relied mostly on his fastball (which he threw 59 times) and changeup (24 times), while also mixing in his curve 13 times. He threw his slider -- the newest pitch in his arsenal -- just once.

It will be interesting to see how Tong looks his second time out and how he deploys his pitches, especially if the game remains close.

The Reds are reeling while the Giants are surging

The belief about a week ago was that this series would be a huge one when it comes to who nabs one of the last two Wild Card spots in the National League.

And while the Reds could still stake their claim if they play well, they'll enter Friday's tilt trailing the Mets by 5.0 games for the third Wild Card spot. That's because Cincinnati went 3-7 over its last 10 games as the Mets went 6-4, creating some serious separation while also pulling to within 1.0 game of the Padres for the second Wild Card spot.

In the meantime, the Giants went on a 10-1 clip, pulling ahead of the Reds in the standings and clawing to within 4.0 games of the Mets. 

What could be important if San Francisco continues to surge is that the Mets own the tiebreaker over them after winning four of six games during this year's season series. 

Hunter Greene has been elite

Greene, who gets the start on Sunday, has a 2.70 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 101 strikeouts in 83.1 innings over 15 starts this season.

The right-hander is coming off a strong start against the Blue Jays, where he limited Toronto to one run on five hits in 6.1 innings while walking one and striking out seven.

Since returning from a groin strain on Aug. 13, Greene has a 2.66 ERA in 23.2 innings over four starts. 

Cincinnati's rotation schedule is a bit fluid due to Nick Lodolo missing his last start due to illness. Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer are currently listed as the starters for Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

Soto has been on an absolute heater, hitting .301/.463/.710 with 12 homers, 28 RBI, 30 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 26 games since Aug. 6.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

David Peterson

Expect Peterson to have a strong bounce back outing after his season-worst performance against the Marlins on Aug. 30.

Which Reds player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Noelvi Marte

The 23-year-old is having a breakout campaign, slashing .292/.332/.512 with 12 homers and 17 doubles in 70 games. 

It was a frustrating night for the Yankees after they blew a late three-run lead in their 8-7 loss to the Astros on Wednesday night.

But while both teams traded blows in what felt like a playoff preview, the game will be remembered by the meltdown eighth inning by the Yankees, which was pushed to Houston's favor by what the team called an "inconsistent" strike zone from homeplate umpire Brian Walsh.

With the score tied at 4-4, Devin Williams was called upon to keep Houston down when he allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Correa. But a walk to Jesus Sanchez, with two questionable ball calls in the at-bat, put Williams in a bind. The right-hander then bounced back by striking out Yainer Diaz before walking Christian Walker to load the bases. Ramon Urias struck out swinging, bringing Taylor Trammell to the plate as the game-defining at-bat. 

Trammell worked the count to 2-0, but Williams seemingly dotted the inside corner for a strike that Walsh called a ball, setting up a 3-0 count. Trammell would eventually walk on five pitches, pushing across the go-ahead run.

Manager Aaron Boone pulled Williams afterward and the reliever said a few words to Walsh as he walked back to the dugout. What Williams said prompted the first ejection of Williams' career.

"I already looked at [the replays]," Williams said after the game. "[Walsh] definitely missed four [pitches] and I told him, and he threw me out for it." 

Boone would also be ejected after the skipper chirped at Walsh while walking back to the dugout.

Aaron Boone gets ejected from tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/HJD6Fr4ezk

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 4, 2025

Camilo Doval relieved Williams, and he allowed a single before balking in a run and throwing a wild pitch that plated another as the inning got out of hand.

Boone called the eighth "tough" and said there were some close pitches but gave credit to the Astros for putting together good at-bats against starter Will Warren and the bullpen in the second half of the game as the reason the game got away from the Yankees.

When asked about Walsh's strike zone, the Yankees skipper agreed that it was inconsistent but again credited Houston for the comeback.

"I thought it was maybe a little inconsistent. This is more we had a lead, had a couple of chances to add on and the Astros put some good at-bats together," he said. "They were squaring up good pitches against us in the second half of the game. Outslasted us." 

Austin Wells was asked after the game whether the strike zone changed as the game went on, and the Yankees backstop took a beat but was candid.

"Yes. I would say yes," he said.

That wasn't more evident than in the ninth inning. After Cody Bellinger's three-run shot cut the Astros' lead to 8-7, Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out looking on a pitch that seemed to be a bit outside to end the game. Chisholm had some words with Walsh after the game was over.

Williams understands that missed calls are a part of the game and pitchers are supposed to push past it, but admitted that it's difficult to accept when it "changes outcomes."

"When you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat," Williams said. "Correa hit the double, so I had my back against the wall right away. made some really good pitches to Sanchez, which he missed two in that at-bat. I competed but…I don’t know. 

"It’s just ridiculous to have the inning that I had and then Jazz got the bat taken out of his hands on a pitch that was a lot further from the zone than pitches I was making.”

"He had the right to be frustrated. Felt like there was definitely some calls that we would have loved to go our way," Wells said of Williams. "The game, mistakes, is what it is. We go back, watch video, try to get better. I hope that those guys are going to do the same."

It was a pivotal moment, in a pivotal game, in what’s become a pivotal week for the Dodgers in the National League West standings.

Which, rather predictably given their recently floundering form, meant they found a new way to mess it all up.

In the top of the second inning on Wednesday night at PNC Park, the Dodgers appeared to be in optimal position.

Earlier in the day, the second-place San Diego Padres had been swept by the woebegone Baltimore Orioles, opening the door for the Dodgers to extend their 2½-game lead in the division. And despite trailing by a run in their own showdown against a last-place team, the Dodgers had the Pittsburgh Pirates on the ropes, loading the bases with no outs for a chance to take the lead.

The task, at that point, was simple.

Get the ball in play. Manufacture some early scoring. And, at the very least, set a positive tone for a night in which the NL West lead could grow.

“That’s a situation where you get shorter with your swing, use the big part of the field and you’ve got to drive in a run,” manager Dave Roberts said.

That approach, however, never materialized.

Over the rest of an inexplicable 3-0 loss to the Pirates, what happened next would instead loom large.

First, second-year outfielder Andy Pages came up, worked another full count against Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft … then went down swinging chasing a slider that would’ve been ball four.

Next, rookie infielder Alex Freeland again ran the count full, got an elevated slider up in the zone to hit … but kept the bat on his shoulder as the umpire rung him up for a called third strike.

A Kiké Hernández flyout would ultimately end the inning. But it was the first two at-bats that had Roberts fuming afterward.

“You never want to say that one inning kind of win or loses a game,” Roberts said. “But the second inning, bases loaded, nobody out — I just felt that we had two bad at-bats and didn't come away with anything.”

“That flipped the game,” Roberts later added. “It flipped the momentum.”

Read more:‘Want to see that edge.’ How Dodgers hope Teoscar Hernández turns around difficult season

Indeed, on a night the Dodgers (78-61) failed to score any of their 11 baserunners or record a hit in seven at-bats with men in scoring position, no sequence was more frustrating than their second-inning fizzle.

It was the latest epitome of the team failing to produce in a clutch situation. Another example of their roster flunking some basic fundamentals.

“We've got to collectively get all of us on board understanding the magnitude of each at-bat, each situation,” Roberts bemoaned from his office postgame. “I sound repetitive [about how] it's got to get better. But I do believe that having the right approach, the right mindset, the right urgency in a particular at-bat lends itself to better results."

This has been a recurring theme for the Dodgers during the second half of the season; the kind of fine-margin miscues that have haunted them during a perplexing 22-29 stretch since July 4.

Sometimes, it’s their big-name superstars that falter. In other cases, it’s younger contributors like Pages and Freeland who fail to execute when required.

The only constant: Every time the Dodgers seem to be turning a corner, they find another way to trip themselves up.

“I do believe that the guys that we have in the room are capable of putting together consistent team at-bats of urgency from the first pitch on,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day — and I'm sure our players are echoing the same message — we just got to get it done.”

This week’s series at PNC Park (the fourth straight the Dodgers have dropped here over the last four years) has exemplified the club’s maddening current rut in other ways.

One night, they explode at the plate for seven runs … only for their pitching staff to give up nine as it did in Tuesday’s loss.

The next, they piece together a decent pitching effort (even after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start because of an illness) … only for the offense to squander every single opportunity they had to take control of the contest (and lose catcher Will Smith along the way to a bruised hand he suffered on an errant foul ball, though postgame X-rays came back negative).

“We haven’t really put it together at all for a while now,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We need to start playing better.”

On Wednesday, the Pirates jumped in front in the first inning, when Bryan Reynolds homered in the 12th pitch of his at-bat off spot starter Emmet Sheehan. Andrew McCutchen doubled the lead in the second, adding to the sting of the Dodgers’ squandered bases-loaded opportunity with a line-drive home run in the game’s very next at-bat.

After that, “we just really couldn't put anything else together,” Roberts said.

Or, more precisely, they failed to finish any other chances off.

Read more:What's behind Clayton Kershaw's pitching revival in his 18th season? 'The bowl'

The Dodgers loaded the bases again with two out in the third, before Alex Call hit a dribbler up the first-base line to retire the side.

The team had two runners aboard again in the fifth and seventh, but continued to come up empty each and every time.

“We had guys on, we just didn’t get the hit,” said Freeman, who rolled into a fifth-inning double-play to extinguish that threat. “Frustrating night.”

The only saving grace right now is that the Padres (who have lost four in a row while dealing with a string of deflating injuries) haven’t made up ground against them.

“I’m very much aware of that,” Roberts said. “But they’re feeling the same thing we are. We’ve got to control what we can control. And we’re certainly not.”

A different approach in Wednesday’s second inning might have changed all that. Instead, it served as another regrettable failure, turning a potentially pivotal chance to stretch the division lead into one of the season's most dispiriting losses.

Smith update

Smith exited Wednesday's game after the second inning, when a foul tip bounced off the dirt and hit his right throwing hand as it was hanging behind his right thigh.

Because Smith's X-rays came back negative, Roberts said the club was hopeful he could avoid the injured list. However, given the swelling and soreness he was feeling postgame, the team was still planning to call up a third catcher on Thursday for more roster insurance.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Francisco Alvarez is getting closer to a return to the Mets, and in his potentially final rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse, the backstop showed his prodigious power.

After flying out in his first at-bat against Buffalo on Wednesday, Alvarez came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. Stepping to the plate against CJ Van Eyk, Alvarez was down 0-2 in the count when a fastball was left up in the zone. Alvarez got around the pitch and launched the ball 405 feet -- at 105.6 mph -- for the grand slam. The blast gave Syracuse a 7-0 lead.

GRAND SLAM FRANCISCO ALVAREZ! pic.twitter.com/eycs2CCSbK

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 3, 2025

Alvarez finished 1-for-4 with a walk but caught all nine innings of Syracuse's 8-2 win on Wednesday. In five games with Triple-A, Alvarez is 4-for-19. 

In addition to Alvarez, the Mets had Jose Siri rehabbing with Triple-A. In his second game with Syracuse, Siri went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Siri was the DH in Tuesday's game, but played center field on Wednesday for seven innings before he was pulled. In two games, Siri is 2-for-9 with two RBI and four strikeouts.

In the prospect department, Jett Williams went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. His big hit came in the eighth, a two-run shot that went 384 feet. 

Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford went a combined 0-for-8 with a walk and an RBI, and four strikeouts. 

Kevin Parada made his Triple-A debut after his promotion and started as the team's DH. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. He also stole a base.

Two-run homer for Jett Williams! pic.twitter.com/cmPYLjKFft

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 4, 2025

Big first inning dooms Phils in 6-3 loss to Brewers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

MILWAUKEE – It was Bark at the Park Night at Milwaukee’s American Family Field on Wednesday and canines were plentiful throughout the stands.

Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola got dogged for five runs in the first inning as the Brewers beat the Phillies, 6-3.

Just ten batters in, Nola had allowed a walk, hit a batter, gave up two singles, a triple, a home run and those five runs as the Phillies fell to 80-59 on the season but kept their lead in the National League East at five games as the New York Mets also lost.

In his previous outing last Thursday, Nola allowed three hits, two walks and three runs in his first inning. Not really what anyone wanted to see from Nola, especially after Zack Wheeler was lost for the season.

“My command was off to start out,” said Nola, who fell to 3-8. “They did a good job of putting the bat on it and putting it where we weren’t. I just kind of felt off, especially in the first. Felt like I settled in a little bit.

You saw it out there in the first. I wasn’t that crisp. I just got to make pitches. I think the first inning is kind of biting me in the butt the past couple of times. I feel like it’s been all year, even before I was hurt. Usually through the game it’s that one inning that’s kind of given me trouble.”

Milwaukee star outfielder Christian Yelich was a late scratch to the lineup with a lower back strain. It didn’t seem to matter much to his teammates, especially in the big first inning.

Brice Turang started it off with a walk before Jackson Chourio, who filled in for Yelich, was hit by a pitch. A William Contreras single loaded the base before Sal Frelick singled to center in front of Harrison Bader, scoring Turang. The Phillies centerfielder’s throw to third skipped past Alec Bohm and allowed Chourio to also score. Isaac Collins then smashed his second home run of the series to right field for a 5-0 lead.

In his last start, Nola was aided by his teammates who scored 19 runs and belted 20 hits, including seven home runs, four by Kyle Schwarber.

He didn’t get that support on Monday.

After Milwaukee (86-54) got their sixth run on an RBI double by Turang in the fourth, the Phillies countered with a run in the fifth. Nick Castellanos and Edmundo Sosa singled to start the inning and Castellanos scored on a single by Trea Turner. But Schwarber struck out and Bryce Harper hit into a fielder’s choice to end any threat of a bigger comeback.

“We have to figure that one out where he comes out and he’s got his command,” said Thomson of Nola. “In the first inning he was getting behind in the count and almost like he’s trying to make that perfect pitch and getting further behind in the count. We’ll figure that one out. But after that he settled in and gave us five innings and he was better. Not quite Nola-like but he was better.

Does Thomson have the confidence that Nola will become Nola-like before the playoffs?

“Full confidence, really,” he said. “I think in ’22 or ’23, one of the years we were coming into the playoffs he wasn’t throwing all that well. As soon as the playoffs started he got it going. I always have confidence in him because he’s always prepared and he competes. The bright lights don’t affect him.”

Weston Wilson hit a 444-foot bomb to left in the seventh, his fourth of the season, with Castellanos on first to cut the lead to 6-3. But that was all the bark the Phillies had left in them as they’ll try to win this three-game series Thursday afternoon.

“I think it shows we’re resilient,” said Wilson, who collided with Harrison Bader in left center as the two were chasing a double in the gap. “I think even though we get down early it’s not over for us. We’re going to play baseball and just try to grind our way back.”

Having used six relievers in Monday’s wild win, manager Rob Thomson had to have Nola eat up some innings, and he did after the woeful first. Nola went five innings and allowed six hits, six earned runs, walked two and struck out six. Going into the game, Nola had a 7-2 record with a 2.64 ERA in 14 starts against the Brewers since 2016.

Milwaukee starter Jose Quintana improved to 11-5 as he was pulled after Wilson’s home run. In his six and one/third innings, he gave up seven hits, three earned runs and struck out six.

The Phillies had nine hits on the night but left eight on base. Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Castellanos each had two hits.

Mets reliever Ryan Helsley had another rough outing in Wednesday's loss to the Tigers, giving up a three-run home run in the seventh inning to put Detroit up for good, 6-2.

The former two-time All-Star closer's ERA has ballooned to 11.45 over 14 appearances with New York since being acquired at the trade deadline from St. Louis. Overall, he's given up 14 earned runs in just 11.0 IP.

It's hard to make sense of Helsley's performances since joining the Mets, as he was pitching to a 3.00 ERA over 36 appearances with the Cardinals. Even manager Carlos Mendoza is confused by the poor outings, but the team will continue to look for answers to solve the right-hander's struggles.

"Yeah, I mean that's the frustrating part here," Mendoza said. "This is a guy, you look up and it's 102 [mph] and they continue to take some really good swings. Then the way they're taking the breaking ball, too. And I don't think it's tipping-related; he's made some adjustments.

"Talking to Hef [Jeremy Hefner], how do we help this guy? Because right now we're not doing it. When you got that type of stuff and they keep hitting it, something's going on here."

Mendoza pointed out that some of Helsley's issues come from not getting the right amount of elevation on his fastballs. The home run to Kerry Carpenter was a 100 mph fastball low and inside, allowing the lefty to turn on it with a 106.3 mph exit velocity and send it into the right field stands.

"I think for me, that's the biggest thing, his ability to elevate the fastball," Mendoza said. "We saw it again today, that homer there is a fastball in the power zone for the lefties. When he's effective, when he's at his best, he's able to elevate the fastball and right now we're not doing that."

Helsley said it's tough to figure out what's wrong when "everything's falling," but he knows he has to keep working when given the chance to pitch.

"Just trying anything and everything," Helsley said. "Feels like [I] make a good pitch and it gets hit and then mistakes obviously get hit as well. Seems like everything's falling. Obviously can't walk guys and got to compete out there. Just keep trying to get after it when I'm out there."

The reliever then noted that he needs to "get back to the basics" to improve his pitch execution.

"Yeah, I would say it's been OK, could probably be a little better," Helsley said. "Feels like guys are swinging at 100 like it's 91 right now, so when you feel like you got to be perfect out there, it's not a good thing. Just trying to get back to the basics and start at square one. Try to get back to form and be myself and help the team win."

Helsley was also asked about changes he's made to his delivery to avoid tipping pitches, saying they've gone well and he'll become more comfortable with those adjustments over time.

"A few things, I'm trying to work on it all," Helsley said. "Obviously, the hands have changed and the positioning has changed. It's felt pretty good, honestly, overall. I didn't love it at first and I think obviously the more I do it, the more I get comfortable with it."

Mendoza thought today's situation, with the Mets down 3-2 in the seventh, would have been a good spot for Helsley to right his previous outings. He still believes in him going forward and shot down any notion that pitching in New York has anything to do with his issues.

"I wouldn't say New York, this guy is a closer," Mendoza said. "Closers, especially when you're that good... Whether it's New York, St. Louis, whatever the case might be, big league players are going to go through stretches where it's hard. But I wouldn't put it on New York, this guy's built for it."

Starter Clay Holmes, who also struggled over 4.2 IP on Wednesday, spoke from experience as a closer about Helsley's rough stretch and expressed his and the team's belief in him.

"I've been traded midseason, I've been a closer, I've had a lot of success there, had some failures there," Holmes said. "I mean, there's a lot that goes with all this stuff. Especially moving teams, moving roles. You're in a playoff chase. There's a lot that goes on there. The game's never as easy as it is. When you add some of those things, there are times you may not be your best.

"I think we all have a lot of confidence in Ryan. Obviously, his stuff's still there, he has the makeup, he has the work ethic. You've got to keep moving forward and keep believing in yourself and finding ways to get better... Like I said, he has the makeup, he's putting the work in, he wants it. Guys like that, you can see him coming out the other end really good. It's just times like this can get rough."

Matt Chapman puts suspension appeal aside with multi-homer game in Giants' sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There was no doubt about it: despite picking up a one-game suspension hours prior to first pitch, Giants infielder Matt Chapman was going to do whatever it took to play on Wednesday night at Coors Field.

An appeal later, Chapman was eligible to play, which he did in grand style, hitting two home runs that powered San Francisco to a 10-8 win and a sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

In other words, it was Chapman’s revenge game. 

“It’s obviously unfortunate that I have to get suspended probably, but I wanted to appeal it to see what we can do,” Chapman told reporters after the Giants’ win. “I want to be out there and help this team no matter what. 

“Every game is super important for us, so the fact that I was able to be out there and make an impact is huge.” 

"I want to be out there and help this team no matter what."

Matt Chapman reflects on the decision to appeal his one-game suspension pic.twitter.com/txEswfxXWG

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

The impact was felt early on. Chapman gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the second with a 450-foot shot to center field off Germán Márquez.

Chappy suspends a ball 450 feet 💥 pic.twitter.com/MidFFl0OAZ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

Chapman’s second home run came after San Francisco had retaken Colorado’s 5-4 lead. It was his second multi-home run game this season and the 14th of his career.

You CAN'T stop Matt Chapman 😈 pic.twitter.com/n2gqMnDQs8

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

The Giants, now four games behind the New York Mets in the National League wild-card race, have homered in a San Francisco era-record 17 straight games.

Finally, the bats undeniably are hot for Chapman and Co.

“It’s good. Better late than never, I guess, right? It’s been a lot of fun,” Chapman added. 

“We obviously hit a rough patch, but I feel like we’re coming into our own right now and playing good baseball. We’re just trying to keep it rolling.” 

A final verdict on Chapman’s suspension has yet to be made, but in the meantime, there’s no doubt the Giants will need him as they look to keep their postseason dream alive.

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Jordan Hicks' Red Sox tenure goes from bad to worse in ugly outing vs. Cleveland originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jordan Hicks had a rough couple of months to start the season with San Francisco. He switched coasts in the Rafael Devers trade, yet the change of scenery didn’t help. In his first month with his new team, the right-handed reliever had a 4.91 ERA a 1.636 WHIP.

Yet Hicks felt encouraged after something clicked in Houston. He told reporters that he’d “take some ownership, throw the pitch I know is right and have that conviction.”

Nearly a month later, that new approach has not helped.

Hicks was called upon to replace Brennan Bernardino with two outs in the top of the first on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, a planned bullpen game for Alex Cora’s team after winning the first two games of the series against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. With Cleveland already up 1-0 and with a runner on first base, Hicks actually came through with a strikeout to end the inning, needing just three pitches to retire Jhonkensy Noel.

It was a positive step, but the good feelings were short-lived.

With Hicks being sent back out for the second inning, Bo Naylor led off with a double before No. 7 hitter Gabriel Arias sent a 414-foot homer flying over the left field wall.

Can’t stop climbing The Monster.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/gyo9oJ53Lw

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 3, 2025

C.J. Kayfus then followed that one with a ground-rule double to right, and then No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio singled.

Both of the runners left on base by Hicks scored, giving him the ugliest of final lines: four hits, four runs (all earned) in just 1/3 of an inning.

(Of note: Cleveland entered the game with an MLB-worst .224 team batting average, scoring the fourth-fewest runs in baseball this season while ranking second-to-last in team OPS.)

On a night when the Red Sox could have used an emotional lift after learning that Roman Anthony is likely out of the rest of the season with an oblique strain, Hicks’ outing ensured that the team — and the home fans — would be in for a long, painful evening. After taking a 7-1 lead in the second inning, the Guardians went on to win 8-1.

Hicks entered the game with a 6.38 ERA since joining the Red Sox. That ERA is now up to 8.20. His WHIP with the Red Sox is at 1.982.

Including his 13 appearances with the Giants, his ERA sits at 6.95 on the year.

Clearly, the “dominant late-inning reliever” that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow welcomed back in June has not panned out for the Red Sox.

To a large extent, that should have been expected. Despite elite velocity, Hicks has never fulfilled the dreams that numerous GMs have had for him in the big leagues. From 2018-23, he made 212 appearances and posted a 3.85 ERA with a 1.299 WHIP. His strikeout totals were high, but so were his walk totals.

Regardless, the Giants gave Hicks a four-year deal in free agency in 2024, reportedly outbidding Boston for the reliever’s services. Yet just a year later, after Hicks had compiled a 5-12 record, 4.83 ERA and 1.478 WHIP, the Giants were comfortable shipping him to Boston in the Devers deal.

It’s most likely his inclusion in that franchise-altering trade and the two years left on his contract that have kept Hicks on the roster to this point. He hasn’t pitched like a big league pitcher, and as the season has gone on, he’s made it increasingly clear that Alex Cora can’t trust him in any big moments … or even, apparently, in the second inning of a 1-0 game.

The Dodgers have had an illness running through their clubhouse lately.

And on Wednesday, it forced an alteration in their pitching plans.

While Shohei Ohtani was in the Dodgers’ lineup as designated hitter for their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two-way star was scratched from his scheduled pitching start at PNC Park after feeling “under the weather” the past few days, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“When you’re sick and potentially dehydrated, the tax of pitching in a game wasn’t worth it,” Roberts said.

Read more:‘Want to see that edge.’ How Dodgers hope Teoscar Hernández turns around difficult season

Instead, Emmet Sheehan will take the mound for Wednesday’s game, while Ohtani’s next pitching appearance will be pushed to “sometime this weekend” against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Just to give him a few more days to recover,” Roberts said.

Ohtani’s sickness certainly didn’t seem to hamper him at the plate Tuesday, when he had two doubles and a career-high 120 mph exit velocity on a solo home run — his 46th of the season and 100th as a Dodger.

However, Roberts said Ohtani’s pregame catch play on Tuesday was cut short, and that the risk of overexerting the reigning National League MVP by having him make a full-length start Wednesday wasn’t worth it.

“The toll of taking four or five at-bats versus pitching five innings, there’s no comparison,” Roberts said.

Ohtani’s symptoms have included chest and sinus "stuff" as well as “a deep cough,” Roberts added.

Several other Dodgers players have dealt with similar issues recently. Max Muncy was so sick last week, the team sent him home to rest and delayed the start of his minor-league rehab assignment to this week.

“We’re trying to manage it,” Roberts said. “But there are guys that are just not feeling great right now.”

Roki Sasaki unlikely to rejoin Dodgers this season

When rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki began a rehab assignment last month, in an attempt to return from a shoulder injury that cost him most of his debut MLB season, Roberts said the calculus would be simple for the Japanese phenom.

If he performed like one of the Dodgers’ best 13 pitchers, they’d find a spot for him on the big-league roster. If not, they wouldn’t.

After four triple-A outings, the latter has become the somber reality for the 23-year-old right-hander. And now, his chances of rejoining the big-league roster this season look all but dashed.

On Tuesday, Sasaki once again underwhelmed with the club’s Oklahoma City affiliate, giving up four runs (on a pair of first-inning two-run homers) in a five-inning, two-walk, two-strikeout performance. His fastball, which was advertised as a 100 mph weapon when he signed with the Dodgers this offseason, dipped back down to a 94.4 mph average. Overall, he now has a 7.07 ERA during his recent rehab stint. And on Wednesday, Roberts said there are no plans for Sasaki to rejoin the major-league team for now.

“The performance, the stuff hasn’t been there," Roberts said. "Against triple-A hitters, you would expect more."

Sasaki, of course, still figures to be a key piece in the Dodgers’ long-term pitching plans.

Because he signed as an international free agent, the team was able to secure him for six seasons of control at the cost of only a $6.5 million signing bonus. In time, they remain hopeful he can realize his potential as a possible MLB ace.

This year, however, has become a lost cause.

In eight MLB starts at the beginning of the season, Sasaki suffered from a lack of velocity and wild command while posting a 4.72 ERA in 34 1/3 innings. The theory then was that his nagging shoulder injury was partially to blame. But lately, Sasaki has continued to struggle even after returning to what Roberts said was 100% health.

“Roki has gone through a lot this year, and he still has a ton of talent,” Roberts said. “We just want to see more.”

The Dodgers certainly don’t need Sasaki to make a World Series run. They currently have six starting pitching options on the big-league roster, and a bullpen that is getting closer to full health thanks to this week’s activation of Michael Kopech and the expected returns of Alex Vesia (who will begin his own rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Wednesday) and Brock Stewart later this month. Brusdar Graterol could also be a late-season option after missing all of this year recovering from shoulder surgery, but his outlook remains unclear.

Read more:'We’ve got to find ways to win.' Inconsistency haunts Dodgers again in loss to Pirates

“The bar is high right now, because we’re in a pennant race,” Roberts said.

Still, when Sasaki arrived as a much-hyped (albeit still-developing) prospect in the offseason, the idea was that he could immediately contribute in the big leagues.

Instead, his fastball is still lacking life, his performances remain inconsistent, and his plan for the rest of this season is up in the air. Roberts said the organization is set to “huddle together and figure out what’s best for Roki and how we can get the most out of him."

“To warrant pitching on our staff right now, there’s got to be urgency on his part and really dominant performance,” Roberts added. “That’s the level of where we’re at.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What we learned as Matt Chapman homers twice to give Giants sweep vs. Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — Given how historically bad the Colorado Rockies have been this year, every series at Coors Field has felt like a borderline must-sweep for MLB playoff hopefuls. But for the Giants this week, there was no doubt. 

They needed to take all three in Denver to keep their playoff hopes alive and they did, capping an energetic and surprisingly interesting series with a 10-8 win on Wednesday.

The Giants have won 10 of 11 and they crept a game closer to the postseason race a few hours after the New York Mets lost in Detroit. They have won four consecutive series for the first time all season, choosing a hell of a time to do so. 

The charge in the finale was led by Matt Chapman, who homered twice on the same day he found out that he has been suspended for one game for his role in Tuesday’s benches-clearing incident. Chapman is appealing and likely will try to kick that can down the road as long as possible. Right now, the Giants are playing like a team that’ll need him through the final game of the season.

You CAN'T stop Matt Chapman 😈 pic.twitter.com/n2gqMnDQs8

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

Chappy suspends a ball 450 feet 💥 pic.twitter.com/MidFFl0OAZ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

They’ll head to St. Louis just four games behind the Mets in the wild-card race, although New York does hold the tiebreaker, so it’s essentially a five-game deficit with 22 to go. They’re also just five games behind the slumping San Diego Padres, although again, the Giants would need to finish a game up because they don’t own the tiebreaker. 

Stranger things have happened, and right now the Giants certainly are feeling dangerous. Here are three things to know from the final night at Coors this season … 

Unlikely Record-Breakers

If you look at the lineup, it’s not necessarily a huge surprise that this group became the first in San Francisco Giants history to homer in 17 consecutive games. Rafael Devers already has 30 homers and Willy Adames looks like he’ll be next. Chapman’s two got him to 20 and Heliot Ramos could get there, too. There’s a good amount of power out there every day.

But … if you remember July and early August, this makes absolutely no sense. 

The Giants put themselves in a deep hole by going 2-13 over a span of 15 home games right before and after the MLB trade deadline, and over that stretch they homered in back-to-back games just once. For weeks, they had trouble just scoring a second run most nights, and now they’re taking turns rounding the bases. During this streak, they’ve gotten homers from 12 different players. 

The Giants are just two games away from tying the franchise record, set by the 1947 club in New York. That group got a 51-homer season from Hall of Famer Johnny Mize and had three other players hit at least 29. 

Tip Your Cap

During the Farhan Zaidi years, the Giants gained a reputation for finding gold where others saw a pile of rocks. But the reality is that they were doing a great job with minor league free agents and older flyers long before Zaidi was hired. They have continued to do well in the first year under Buster Posey and Zack Minasian, who formerly headed their pro scouting department, giving him an intimate knowledge of other organizations. 

Dom Smith is the best example this year, but recently, the Giants have gotten good work from Joel Peguero, a 28-year-old who signed in the offseason. Peguero recorded four outs Wednesday and has thrown nine scoreless innings since debuting in San Diego last month. He topped out at 101.5 mph in the thin Denver air. 

JT Brubaker contributed two scoreless innings on Wednesday — helping to settle things down after the Rockies rallied — before running into trouble with one out in the ninth. Ryan Walker entered to finish it off.

It’s a team effort when you find unexpected help, and Posey and Minasian lean heavily on assistant GM Jeremy Shelley, who has a strong reputation when it comes to digging up unlikely contributors. The analytics and pro scouting groups deserve a lot of credit, too.

Rough for Ray

Left-hander Robbie Ray started to walk off the mound in the bottom of the fifth, thinking a strikeout had held a 4-1 lead. He didn’t get the call and he ended up not making it out of the inning. 

Ray was charged with five runs — four earned — in 4 2/3 innings. Coors, man. 

He struck out eight, which moved him back into the top 10 in the NL. Teammate Logan Webb currently ranks second in the league in strikeouts to Zack Wheeler, who is done for the year.

Ray dealt with tough luck, but he should still be relatively happy with the night. His fastball velocity had been down in recent starts but he maxed out at 95.8 mph on Wednesday. 

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The Mets (75-65) fell to the Detroit Tigers (81-60) by a score of 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Clay Holmes allowed an early unearned run thanks to a Hayden Senger catcher's interference call that extended the second inning, but the right-hander was mostly effective, if not efficient. Holmes had some good swing-and-miss stuff, striking out six Tigers, but he ran his pitch count up to 85, and his afternoon ended after his second walk of the fifth inning. Lefty Gregory Soto was called upon to try to get out of the jam, but a wild pitch and two-run single by Riley Greene gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

Holmes went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out six and walking three.

-- It was a good day at the dish for Pete Alonso. After grounding a single in his first at-bat, Alonso put the Mets on the board in the third inning thanks to a two-out RBI double to right-center -- his 35th two-bagger of the season. Alonso ended up with three hits on the afternoon, the only Met with multiple base knocks.

-- Starter Casey Mize limited the Mets to one run over 5.0 innings, but the visiting squad had a prime opportunity against the Tigers' bullpen in the top of the sixth. A Juan Soto walk and Alonso's third hit of the game put two runners on with nobody out, and Mark Vientos would cash in with an RBI single to left off of Tommy Kahnle to cut the lead to one run. But with the bases loaded and one out, Starling Marte went after the first pitch he saw, grounding into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play. 

-- Ryan Helsley's nightmare tenure with the Mets continued in the bottom of the seventh. After allowing a leadoff single and walk, Helsley, while struggling with his command, grooved a fastball to Kerry Carpenter, who lined a three-run homer just over the wall in the right, making it a four-run game. 

Helsley has now given up 14 earned runs in 11.0 innings since being acquired at the trade deadline. 

Game MVP

Carpenter, whose three-run blast broke the game open and killed any momentum the Mets had been building.

Highlights

 

Jeff McNeil gets Spencer Torkelson trying to advance! pic.twitter.com/tVPubOIabw

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2025

Pete Alonso's 113th RBI of the season ties the game at 1! pic.twitter.com/EmrKT0nbPX

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2025

Two strikeouts for Clay Holmes in a 1-2-3 third inning 💪 pic.twitter.com/vGeXBBENFR

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2025

Mark Vientos gets the Mets within a run after an RBI single pic.twitter.com/92rYTFD9fA

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2025

Upcoming Schedule

The Mets are off on Thursday before beginning a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati on Friday at 6:40 p.m. on SNY. 

David Peterson will face fellow lefty Andrew Abbott.