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Some legit early concern over Phillies' top bullpen addition originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Jesus Luzardo has been electric through two starts and Joe Ross has pitched well enough to enter the mix for late-inning leverage situations.

As for the Phillies’ other offseason pitching addition … it’s been ugly thus far.

Jordan Romano blew his second save and made it three poor performances out of his five as a Phillie by allowing three runs in the top of the seventh inning Sunday to turn a two-run lead into a one-run deficit.

Romano has been behind in the count, slow to the plate and pitched with diminished velocity in the early going. He was tasked Sunday with dealing with nine-hole hitter Andy Pages ahead of the top of the Dodgers’ order. It was an ominous sign when Pages singled on a 1-2 count ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, who walked and doubled. All three scored and Romano left the mound to boos after failing to retire a hitter.

The Phillies came back to win and have actually won all three times Romano has struggled despite him giving up seven runs in just two innings of those close games.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see manager Rob Thomson next use Romano in a lower leverage spot to try to gain him confidence without the game being on the line. Orion Kerkering has already rose ahead of him on the trust tree and the Phillies could use Ross or Jose Ruiz as the second leverage righty for a few days, a week or however long it takes Romano to recapture his velocity.

In 2023, his last healthy season in Toronto, Romano averaged 96.8 mph with his fastball. On Sunday, he was 92-94. And some of the misses have been uncompetitive, particularly early in the count. To make matters worse, his high leg kick affords baserunners ample freedom to run, similar to Craig Kimbrel. That’s a recipe for disaster in the latter innings of close games when one single or walk can be the difference.

“I’m used to being 96, around there the whole time,” Romano said after Sunday’s comeback win. “I don’t know what’s going on right now but I need to figure it out.

“I’ve got to get the velo up because when the velo’s right, it helps the slider too. When the velo’s down, it’s easier to take the slider. I’m going to look at some video, try to dive in and figure this out really quick.”

The Phillies signed the 31-year-old former Blue Jays closer over the winter to replace Jeff Hoffman as either a closer or right-handed setup man. Romano didn’t pitch much in 2024 because of an elbow injury, but the Phillies liked his medicals enough to sign him to a one-year, $8.5 million contract while at the Winter Meetings.

The bullpen picture will be much different if Romano proves to be unreliable. The early returns have not been good, but it’s only five appearances and nine games in total. There’s a lot of time for Romano to turn things around.

“On any team, you want to come in and contribute to wins,” he said. “When you don’t do that, it doesn’t feel good.”

On the bright side for the Phillies, Matt Strahm retired the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth inning Sunday to maintain his team’s momentum, looking more like the elite reliever of the last two seasons. Strahm hasn’t allowed a run in five appearances after missing most of camp with a shoulder injury. 

Red Sox trade recently-acquired pitcher Quinn Priester to Brewers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Quinn Priester’s tenure with the Boston Red Sox lasted all of about eight months.

The Boston Red Sox have traded the right-handed pitcher to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league outfielder Yophery Rodriguez, a Competitive Balance Round A pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, a player to be named later and cash considerations, the team announced Monday.

The Red Sox acquired Priester from the Pittsburgh Pirates last July ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline, parting with talented infield prospect Nick Yorke in the deal. So, why did they move the 24-year-old right-hander so soon?

It’s worth noting that Priester had yet to pitch for the Red Sox this season despite the team’s lack of rotation depth with Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito on the injured list. Boston turned to nine-year veteran Sean Newcomb (two starts) and 25-year-old prospect Richard Fitts to make starts over Priester, and even gave right-hander Hunter Dobbins his first MLB start Sunday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The fact that Newcomb, Fitts and Dobbins got the ball while Priester remained at Triple-A Worcester hints at where the Red Sox may have had Priester on their pitching pecking order, and could explain why they were willing to part ways with him. Priester also didn’t have the best spring training, posting a 4.82 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP over 9.1 innings in four starts.

In Rodriguez, the Red Sox get Milwaukee’s seventh-ranked prospect, per MLB.com. The 19-year-old spent the majority of last season at Single-A, where he slashed .250/.343/.383 with seven home runs and 60 RBI in 110 games.

Boston also acquires a Competitive Balance Round A pick, which falls between the first and second rounds of the MLB Draft.

President Trump congratulates Dodgers on World Series title in White House visit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

President Trump congratulated the World Series champion Dodgers and offered his take on the team’s hot start Monday when staff and players visited the White House in a decades-old baseball tradition during the Los Angeles’ East Coast road trip.

After dropping two of three games in Philadelphia over the weekend, the Dodgers’ White House visit coincides with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals as they look to build on a 9-2 start. The team participated in an East Room ceremony in honor of the 2024 World Series victory, entering the room to a rendition of Randy Newman’s “I love LA.”

Pitcher Clayton Kershaw presented the president with a No. 47 Dodgers jersey with “Trump” on the back.

“After seeing how successfully you’ve begun the season, you can plan on being back here. I hope you’re going to be back here next year,” Trump said.

Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young winner, spoke on behalf of the team.

“As a spectator for a championship run, I was in awe of this group,” Kershaw, who was injured during the postseason, said. “Their unwavering confidence coupled with a selfless pursuit for team excellence was an inspiration.

“Moving forward, I hope the 2024 Dodgers can serve as an inspiration to many as they were to me, not just in sports, but in life, remembering to put others before ourselves and move the team and society forward.”

Trump called Kershaw the “heart and soul” of the pitching staff.

“Unbelievable,” Trump said. “I’m glad to meet him.”

The Dodgers confirmed in a social media post lasts month that “in keeping with long-standing baseball tradition,” President Donald Trump invited them to the White House and team accepted. The Dodgers last visited the White House as World Series champions in July 2021 when Joe Biden was president.

“We’re very please to participate in the tradition of bringing champions to the White House,” team Chairman Mark Walter said Monday.

Manager Dave Roberts called the visit an honor that each World Series champion gets to experience. Roberts said the decision to go to the White House was not a formal conversation involving players and coaches.

The White House tradition dates back decades with a visit by the 1925 Washington Senators during the administration of President Calvin Coolidge, according to the nonprofit White House Historical Association. Coolidge and first lady Grace were passionate baseball fans.

Trump shook hands with several players, including superstar Shohei Ohtani after praising the National League MVP, who became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.

“He looks like a movie star,” Trump said. “An accomplishment unparalleled.”

Trump asked if Ohtani was that good, and Roberts responded, “He’s only getting better.”

Roberts said Friday he expected 100% participation at the ceremony and that it was “good we have full representation.”

Shortstop Mookie Betts told reporters Friday he would join the team on the visit. Betts declined to join the Boston Red Sox on their visit in 2018 during President Trump’s first term.

Betts was among several Dodgers, including NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, who shook hands with Trump during the ceremony.

“I’m happy he’s going,” Roberts said. “I’m happy we’re all going to go together just to celebrate our 2024 championship.”

Betts told reporters in Philadelphia that his choice to go was not political, but rather because of his desire to be there for the team. Betts said he regrets not joining the Red Sox in 2018. Boston manager Alex Cora and pitcher David Price also skipped the Red Sox visit. Betts said he felt like his absence distracted from that team’s accomplishment.

“No matter what I say or what I do, people are gonna take it as political,” Betts said. “But that’s definitely not what it is. This is about what the Dodgers were able to accomplish last year.”

The NHL’s reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers became the first team to visit Trump in his second term when they were honored during a ceremony in the East Room in early February.

The White House also said recently the NFL’s Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles accepted their invitation for April 28.

“It’s a baseball thing for us,” Roberts said. “It’s tradition and we’re doing it unified. So I’m excited about it.”

How Mike Yastrzemski fulfilled promise to daughter in Giants' win over Mariners originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski channeled his “dad strength” to make good on a promise to his young daughter, Quinley, in Sunday’s win over the Seattle Mariners.

Yastrzemski hit his first home run of the season Sunday, giving the Giants a 4-2 lead with a three-run opposite field shot in the bottom of the fourth.

Following San Francisco’s eventual 5-4 walk-off victory, which pushed their record to an MLB-best 8-1, Yastrzemski joined “Giants Postgame Live,” where he credited Quinley for the long ball.

“Today I got to give a shout-out to my daughter Quinley, honestly, because she asked for a home run and so I promised her I’d get her a home run,” Yastrzemski told Laura Britt and Rich Aurilia. “So Quinny, I love you and miss you.”

Yastrzemski is off to a solid start this season, collecting eight hits in 24 at-bats, with one homer and four RBI. He has a .942 OPS through eight games.

And if Yastrzemski keeps fulfilling Quinley’s pregame wishes, he might be headed for the best season of his MLB career.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Well Mets fans, you can officially close the door on a potential Vladimir Guerrero Jr. pursuit. 

According to numerous reports, the four-time All-Star first baseman reached an agreement with the Blue Jays on a 14-year, $500 million contract extension on Monday night.

Despite reports of a spring training deadline for negotiations, the two sides continued talking into this week, and now they’ve officially come to terms on a pact that will keep the slugger in Toronto for the remainder of his career.

The contract doesn't include any deferrals, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, giving Guerrero in present value the second-largest guarantee in major-league history, only behind Juan Soto's historic pact with the Mets.

The Mets, of course, engaged with the Blue Jays this offseason in talks for the 26-year-old before they decided to bring back Pete Alonso on a two-year deal with an opt-out after the 2025 season.

While those discussions went nowhere, there had been some buzz about New York giving Guerrero a look over the winter if he were to reach free agency and Alonso were to exercise that opt-out.

However, that route is no longer on the board.

Guerrero has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in the power department this season, but he's coming off one of the best years of his career in which he popped 30 homers and drove in 103 runs in the middle of Toronto's lineup.

New York's pitching staff did well to keep him in check this weekend, limiting him to just four hits and one RBI.

Here's how some of the Mets' top prospects fared on the mound Sunday afternoon...

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Former top prospect back on mound

Matt Allan’s pro career hasn’t quite gone as planned thus far. 

The young right-hander was once viewed as the Mets’ top pitching prospect -- but he’s been plagued by numerous different arm issues over the past couple of seasons and hasn’t taken the mound since 2019. 

But after working his way back this offseason, Allan is finally healthy and ready to roll. 

He made his first appearance in nearly six years on Sunday afternoon with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and fared extremely well -- allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out five across 2.2 innings of work. 

The 23-year-old threw 28 of his 44 pitches for strikes and touched 97 mph. 

The biggest thing will be for Allan to stay healthy -- but if he can continue putting together strong performances like this one, he might be able to work his way through the system relatively quickly given his age. 

Nolan McLean picks up where he left off

McLean is one of the more intriguing Mets prospects to keep an eye on. 

He came into the organization as a two-way player out of Oklahoma State, but opted to transition into a full-time pitcher last season, and pitched to a strong 2.36 ERA over his final seven starts.

After working all offseason many believe that 2025 will be a breakout year for the 23-year-old, and Sunday's outing was certainly a strong start.

McLean was phenomenal across four scoreless innings of work with Double-A Binghamton, allowing just three hits while striking out eight and generating 15 swing-and-misses. 

He threw 54 of his 70 pitches for strikes, and his 70-grade sweeper was on full display.

McLean is the Mets' third-ranked prospect on Joe DeMayo's updated Top 30 list heading into this season, and he could quickly find himself in Triple-A if he's able to build off his stellar season debut.

Nolan McLean today in his first start of the year with Double-A Binghamton:

4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K pic.twitter.com/xSZV9wftLV

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 6, 2025

How Dedniel Núñez fared in Syracuse

Núñez has looked good with Syracuse since being sent down at the end of spring training -- but he finally put together his first rough outing on Sunday afternoon.

The right-hander entered in relief of Luis Moreno in the top of the seventh and immediately allowed the next two batters to reach as Ismael Mungia singled and stole second before scoring on an Everson Pereira two-run homer to right-center.

He bounced back to retire the next batter, bringing his outing to an end.

Núñez has now pitched to a 7.36 ERA across three minor league outings, but manager Carlos Mendoza said earlier in the day that they weren't too concerned about the results.

“We just want him to continue to take the baseball. We’re not looking at results right now,” Mendoza explained. “I think it’s just more building him up. I think it’s twice that he’s gone multiple innings, and that’s what we want to see, his ability to recovery.

“I think it’s just the recovery. Are you going to be able to take the baseball two days after you throw two innings? Are you going to be able to bounce back, you throw one inning, and not necessarily back-to-back, but what about two out of three? That’s what we’re preparing him for.”

The Yankees have designated Adam Ottavino for assignment for the second time in the last week.

The move was made in order to make room for reliever Ian Hamilton on the active roster following his return from the IL.

Ottavino was first DFA'd last week when closer Devin Williams was reinstated from the paternity list, but re-signed with the Yanks on Sunday.

The 39-year-old made two appearances prior to being cut loose from the Yanks for the first time, walking two and striking out two across 1.1 scoreless innings of work.

Following his initial signing, Aaron Boone told reporters he thought there's still "a lot left" in the tank for Ottavino.

“He’s kinda been on our board a little bit," the skipper said. "I know the front office [has] been talking about him the last couple weeks as a potential. Felt like what he was doing back end of spring training was in line with who Otto is."

Guerrero, Blue Jays agree to a $500 million, 14-year deal that starts in 2026, AP source says originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $500 million, 14-year contract that starts in 2026, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, a deal that removes what would have been the biggest star from next offseason’s free-agent market.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity early Monday because the agreement had not been announced.

Guerrero’s deal does not include any deferred money, the person said.

Guerrero agreed in January to a $28.5 million, one-year contract that avoided arbitration and the four-time All-Star first baseman had said he wouldn’t negotiate after he reported to spring training in mid-February. Still, talks continued well into the regular season.

Guerrero got the third-largest contract in total dollars behind outfielder Juan Soto’s $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets that started this season and two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers that began last year and is heavily deferred.

Guerrero’s $35.71 million average annual value under the new deal ranks eighth among current contracts behind the agreements of Ohtani ($70 million), Soto ($51 million), Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge ($40 million), Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom ($37 million), Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell ($36.4 million) and Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole ($36 million).

Here are some key notes following the Mets' win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon...

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Peterson’s fine after leaving early 

Not everything went as planned for the Mets on Sunday. 

They did have a bit of a scare during the top of the fifth when left-hander David Peterson was forced to leave the game after appearing to have injured himself during an at-bat against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. earlier in the inning. 

While there was some speculation that Peterson may’ve potentially tweaked something, manager Carlos Mendoza clarified postgame that that was not the case. 

“Physically fine, he was just feeling nauseous there,” the skipper said. “He went out and said he felt like he got punched in the stomach and got a little bit of blurry vision but that was it -- physically he is fine.”

The southpaw was checked out by team doctors and felt fine afterwards. 

Peterson fell into trouble when the blurry vision developed during that inning, but prior to that he was cruising, as he worked around three hits and a two walks across four scoreless innings of work.

“I felt good up until that point,” he said. “It felt like [Hayden] Senger and I were on the same page — we had a good gameplan and I feel like we were attacking those guys, getting a lot of groundballs and the defense was amazing behind me.”

Minter’s up and throwing

With Peterson forced to leave, the Mets had to lean heavily on their bullpen again.

While the group was a bit shorthanded, they were tremendous -- and one of the arms who helped bridge the gap to Edwin Diaz was A.J. Minter, who put together arguably one of his best appearances of the young season. 

After his slow buildup in spring training, Minter has looked stronger each time he’s taken the mound -- striking out five over his last two showings -- but he still feels there’s some room to improve moving forward. 

“Fastball felt pretty good today,” he said. “Still feel like I’ve got something more in the tank -- not quite where I want to be, but I’m definitely trending in the right direction and it was encouraging to see some of the stuff today for sure.”

Most importantly, Minter feels healthy and he’s confident he’ll get to where he wants to be. 

The 31-year-old has taken the Citi Field mound plenty in his big-league career, but this weekend presented his first opportunity to do so in the orange and blue rather than for the division-rival Braves. 

“It lived up to the hype for sure,” he said. “Super pumped to get out in front of these fans -- it’s good to be on this side of the fans now. It was definitely really exciting and I can’t wait for more.”

The Mets’ bullpen continues to be a weapon early on this season. 

With the starting rotation failing to work deep into games they’ve stepped up tremendously -- and that was again the case during Sunday’s series finale with the Blue Jays, in which David Peterson was forced to leave in the top of the fifth. 

While there was some concern around the southpaw at the time, manager Carlos Mendoza clarified postgame that there was no physical issue and he was simply dealing with some stomach problems. 

But with him sidelined, the bullpen was required to take on another big workload to help secure the series sweep and they did a tremendous job kicked off by Max Kranick, who is quickly developing himself into a long-relief weapon. 

The starter turned reliever was tossed into a bases loaded jam for the second time over the first two weeks of the season, and he showed no fear yet again — as he fell behind in the count but got Alejandro Kirk to pop out to end the threat.

After putting together a perfect top of the seventh, the 27-year-old has now retired 21 of the 22 batters he’s faced across seven scoreless innings of work to begin the year. 

“Max has come up really big,” Brandon Nimmo said.

“I know he’s had a long road dealing with injuries,” Pete Alonso added. “For him to come back and have the electric stuff that he’s had it’s really awesome and we’re super stoked for him. The way he’s throwing the ball right now is awesome.”

Max Kranick gets the Mets out of a bases loaded jam again! pic.twitter.com/kmCZP4aBW2

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025

And it wasn’t just Kranick on Sunday -- as Reed Garrett put together his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance, A.J. Minter had arguably his best outing to this point, and then Edwin Diaz worked around a pair of HBP’s to lock up his second save of the season. 

As a group, they combined to allow one hit while striking out five in 4.1 scoreless innings of work.

That continued a terrific weekend on the mound -- as the bullpen allowed just one earned run (Jose Butto on Saturday night) during the three-game sweep of Toronto to help lower their ERA on the year to a league-leading mark of 1.29.

“They’ve been a huge reason behind our success,” Nimmo said. “They have amazing stuff. We have a few different weapons that can matchup well with the other side -- it’s not just one guy, we have different guys in different positions in order to get it to Diaz. 

"That's what you want," Minter added. "The hitters are going to go through streaks, they'll come up big and it's just one of those games where you really need the bullpen to step up. That's what really matters and the pitching staff did an amazing job this weekend."

The Yankees missed a chance to earn their second series sweep of the early season when they suffered a 5-4 loss at the Pittsburgh Pirates in Sunday's 11-inning finale.

Takeaways

1. Ex-Yankee Andrew Heaney outdueled Will Warren, whose second start of 2025 saw him hit a fourth-inning wall after retiring his first eight batters. Warren's two-out walk to ex-Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the third inning -- Warren's first and only free pass of the afternoon -- spiraled into a 2-1 swing for the Pirates after Ke'Bryan Hayes' single and Bryan Reynolds' two-run double. The Pirates added two more runs in the fourth inning, which Warren finished but not before allowing a cumulative four runs on six hits while striking out five. The Gerrit Cole-less Yankees (6-3) need more than four innings from pitchers in their starting rotation, and Warren failed to meet the bar while pitching with an initial lead.
2. Heaney, meanwhile, dominated the Yankees in a seven-inning gem. He allowed one run on five hits, struck out 10 and walked one against his former team -- the Yankees acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels in a July 30, 2021 trade that did not age well and ultimately led to a late-season DFA -- while helping the Pirates (3-7) back into the win column.
3. Jazz Chisholm struck out three times but scratched across the Yankees' only run of the game until the ninth-inning rally with a two-out double in the first inning that scored Cody Bellinger, who followed Paul Goldschmidt's leadoff strikeout swinging with an infield single. Through nine games, Chisholm -- who batted cleanup Sunday -- has nine hits and nine RBI.
4. The Yankees' three-run ninth inning sent the game into extras before Tommy Pham's game-winning RBI single in the 11th walked the Pirates off. Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez each reached base with one walk apiece, but they were the only Yankees to go hitless in a pair of 0-for-4 efforts.

Who's the MVP?

Heaney, who shoved for six straight scoreless innings after allowing a run in the first and got enough support from the Pirates' offense to defeat his former team.

Highlights

Jazz Chisholm Jr. with an RBI double puts the Yanks on the board! pic.twitter.com/IYl4PuoP3y

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 6, 2025

Trent Grisham’s two-RBI single ties the game in the 9th!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/g6M1kTiLWm

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 6, 2025

What's next

The Yankees continue their six-game road trip with a three-game series at the Detroit Tigers. New York LHP Carlos Rodón (1-1, 3.97 ERA) and Detroit RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 0.00 ERA) are set to start Monday's 3:10 p.m. opener.

On a windy, wet and dreary afternoon at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, the Dodgers twice watched a lead slip frustratingly from their grasp.

It first happened in the third inning, when a steady drizzle, slippery ball and muddy mound caused Tyler Glasnow to come unglued in a six-run implosion.

It happened again in the seventh, when the Dodgers stormed back in front with five unanswered runs only to let a sloppy inning of defense cost them their first series defeat of the season.

Such were the lapses that decided the Philadelphia Phillies' 8-7 win in Sunday’s series rubber match; reminding a Dodgers team that won eight straight games to start the season that they’re also capable of beating themselves.

Read more:Dodgers place starting pitcher Blake Snell on injured list

“Two evenly matched teams, good series,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We just didn't do some fundamental things well today.”

The Dodgers’ problems began almost as soon as the rain did, derailing what had been a promising start from Glasnow.

Over his first two innings, the veteran right-hander was cruising through his second start of his second Dodgers season, seemingly picking up where he left off after his scoreless five-inning season debut the week before.

He stranded a walk in the first. He worked around a single in the second. And when he took the mound for the third, he was working with a two-run cushion, thanks to an opposite-field first-inning blast from Teoscar Hernández — the first of two home runs he hit in a five-RBI performance.

At the start of the third, however, a steady drizzle had begun to descend from low overcast clouds.

And within moments, the impact it had on Glasnow became abundantly clear.

First, Glasnow began kicking mud from his cleats between almost every pitch. Then, he repeatedly dried his hand by wiping it on his pants and tried to get a grip with repeated grabs of the rosin bag.

At one point, pitching coach Mark Prior came out for a visit alongside a trainer, ensuring that Glasnow wasn't battling any physical limitations beyond the rain-soaked mound.

None of the remedies, however, could get the pitcher back into a rhythm. Glasnow walked the first three batters he faced in the inning. And as the pressure mounted, he failed to find a way to settle himself back down.

“Once I had a couple poorly gripped balls, I think I lost my aggression and rhythm,” Glasnow said, wishing he "could have just eliminated the thought a little bit more about the mound and the conditions, and just tried to get out of my head."

"I think I just lost some feel and then that kind of compounded into a bad inning," he added. "I was just thinking about other stuff."

Read more:Roki Sasaki shows glimpses of his future star potential in Dodgers' win

Granted, pitching in such conditions has been a rarity in Glasnow’s career. Over the last eight years, sunny Dodger Stadium and Tampa Bay’s domed Tropicana Field have been his home stadiums.

But, Glasnow noted, “there's not really any excuses. I just kind of have to go out and find a way to execute next time."

In agreement, Roberts added: “He just couldn't reset and regroup to kind of slow the game down, and it just went sideways on us."

Indeed, after an RBI bloop single and run-scoring wild pitch tied the score, Roberts replaced Glasnow with left-handed reliever Alex Vesia — who promptly surrendered a grand slam on his first pitch to Nick Castellanos.

In all, Dodgers pitchers issued 11 walks in what was easily their worst performance of the young season. The Phillies, who got a 5⅔ innings of four-run ball from left-handed starter Cristopher Sánchez, yielded only two.

“The weather, it's a factor, but every pitcher that took the mound today had to deal with it,” Roberts said. “You've still got to find a way to reset and try to minimize some damage and put the ball in play. But we just couldn't do that today."

Read more:Dodgers suffer their first loss after ninth-inning rally sputters vs. Phillies

Despite being down 6-2 at that point, the Dodgers didn’t go away quietly.

Hernández almost single-handedly dragged them back within striking distance, launching another opposite-field home run off the right-field foul pole in the fourth inning before lining an RBI double inside the third-base bag in the fifth.

“I was trying to get a little bit more space between home plate and the batter’s box, just so I can get more space to get the sinker,” Hernández said, noting his three-hit game was aided by an adjustment he made to his stance in preparation for facing Sánchez.

“I got some [pitches] out over the plate," Hernández added, "and I was just ready for it.”

It helped set the stage for the Dodgers’ three-run go-ahead rally in the seventh.

Mookie Betts had the key hit that inning, belting an RBI double to center. Hernández hit a sacrifice fly that tied the score, giving him his fifth RBI on the day (one shy of his career high) and 13th of the season (second-most in the National League).

Then, Will Smith narrowly missed a two-run home run by only a few feet off the top of the right-field wall, settling instead for an RBI double that pushed the Dodgers in front 7-6.

However, the Phillies (7-2) responded in the next half-inning. And once again, the Dodgers did themselves no favors.

The inning began when Andy Pages misread a 107-mph missile from Bryce Harper in the outfield, taking a few steps into the left-center field gap before retreating too late and letting the ball get over his head.

Blake Treinen then gave up a walk and score-tying RBI single, before Edmundo Sosa outraced a bouncing throw to first base from Tommy Edman that negated a potential inning-ending double-play and allowed the go-ahead run to score with two outs.

“We kept competing and gave ourselves a chance to win,” Roberts said. “But yeah, we put ourselves behind the eight ball today.”

As a result, the Dodgers dropped a winnable series against a rival World Series contender — failing to overcome their own self-inflicted mistakes, as well as their host's typically sloppy early-April weather.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets hung on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 2-1 on Sunday, completing the three-game sweep.

Here are the key takeaways...

-David Peterson held the Blue Jays scoreless over 4.2 innings, but his afternoon ended on an ominous note. In the top of the fifth, Peterson walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and looked to be in some pain. However, after a visit from Jeremy Hefner and the training staff, the tall lefty stayed in the game, at least momentarily. Peterson then walked Anthony Santander and hit Andres Gimenez with a pitch, forcing in the Jays' first run and forcing Carlos Mendoza out of the dugout.

Peterson allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out three and walking five, and after the game, Carlos Mendoza clarified that Peterson was "nauseous but physically fine," saying the lefty was experiencing stomach issues.

-Pete Alonso entered the game with a team-leading 10 RBI, and he added to that total in the third inning. With a couple of runners on, Alonso sat back on a Bowden Francis curveball, sending it up the middle to score Hayden Senger for the first run of the day. Brandon Nimmo would then provide a sac fly for what would ultimately be the winning run.

Alonso had a pair of hits on the afternoon.

-Max Kranick had another great outing in relief. After getting Alejandro Kirk to pop out in foul territory with the bases loaded to end the fifth, Kranick ended up giving the Mets 1.1 scoreless innings. He has now faced 22 batters this season and retired 21 of them.

-And it wasn't just Kranick. The entire bullpen was terrific, as Kranick, Reed Garrett. A.J. Minter, and Edwin Diaz combined to shut the Jays down. Diaz hit a pair of batters in the ninth, but he got Guerrero to ground into a force-out to shortstop to end the game.

Who was the game MVP?

The bullpen crew, who went 4.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit.

Highlights

Pete Alonso opens the scoring! pic.twitter.com/DHiitPYVZG

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025

A Brandon Nimmo sac fly gives the Mets a 2-0 lead pic.twitter.com/REWxkGLjeb

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025

Mark Vientos starts the 5-4-3 double play! pic.twitter.com/MIFWMFcsIQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025

After initially remaining in the game, David Peterson is taken out after hitting Andres Gimenez with a pitch

He appeared to tweak something after walking Vladimir Guerrero Jr. earlier in the inning pic.twitter.com/AsKSwHMVXU

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025

AND THE BALLGAME IS OVER!

The Mets have swept the Blue Jays! pic.twitter.com/ILIoE1Jwm6

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Mets stay home for a three-game set against the Miami Marlins.

First pitch on Monday is set for 7:10 p.m. on SNY. Kodai Senga will start for the Mets, while Miami has not announced a starter.