Category: Baseball

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (12-10)

Worcester 7, Syracuse 6 (BOX)

Starter Brandon Waddell had a slow start to the game, allowing three first inning runs. He would settle down in his next two frames, handing off a 3-0 deficit to the bullpen. The score stayed 3-0 until the fifth, when Ji Hwan Bae doubled home two to make it 3-2. Jackson Cluff hit a three run home run in the sixth to make it 5-3 Mets. Both clubs traded runs in the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eight, giving Syracuse a 6-4 lead heading into the eighth inning.

The eighth inning saw the bullpen start to fall apart, as they surrendered a run in the eighth. Eventually, they would blow the game completely, getting walked off in the bottom of the ninth.

• RF Nick Morabito: 0-2, R, 3 BB, K, 2 SB
• DH Ji Hwan Bae: 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI
• 3B Ronny Mauricio: 0-4, BB, K
• LF Ryan Clifford: 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K
• SS Vidal Bruján: 1-4, R, BB, K, E (4)
• CF Cristian Pache: 2-4, R, 2B, BB, SB (5)
• 2B Jackson Cluff: 2-4, 2 R, HR (3), 3 RBI, BB, K, SB (2)
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K
• C Onix Vega: 1-4
• LHP Brandon Waddell: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• REHAB ALERT: LHP A.J. Minter: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (1)
• RHP Ryan Lambert: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, H (4)
• RHP Alex Carrillo: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, L (1-1), H (1)
• RHP Daniel Duarte: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, BS (2)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (6-10)

Erie 8, Binghamton 1 (BOX)

Will Watson, the 2024 seventh round pick who burst onto the scene with a 2.60 ERA across three levels last year, continued his slow start to the 2026 campaign. He surrendered a three run home run in the second, another run in the third, and it was academic from there for Erie.

The two bright spots on the day for the Rumble Ponies are Eli Serrano, who pushed his season OPS to .942 and drove in their only run with a double, and Jacob Reimer, who has struggled mightily this year, but went 4-4 on the day.

• CF A.J. Ewing: 0-4, K
• SS Marco Vargas: 0-4, 2 K
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 4-4, R, 2B
• C Chris Suero: 1-4, K
• LF Eli Serrano III: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K
• RF Jose Ramos: 0-4, K
• DH Kevin Parada: 1-3, BB
• 1B Nick Lorusso: 0-4, 3 K
• 2B Wyatt Young: 0-3, 2 K
• RHP Will Watson: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, L (0-3)
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP
• RHP Zach Peek: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (4-12)

Hudson Valley 4, Brooklyn 3 (BOX)

Brooklyn continued to struggle in 2026, dropping their 12 game over their first 16. They actually led this game 2-0 after one, with Corey Collins and Ronald Hernandez driving in the runs with a sacrifice fly and double respectively. Hudson Valley slowly but surely chipped away at the small lead, and eventually led the game themselves by a score of 3-2 after four. A John Bay single would tie it in the sixth, and that score would hold until the ninth inning, when Bryce Jenkins would surrender a walk off home run.

• 2B Mitch Voit: 0-3, R, BB, 2 SB (3, 4)
• SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, 2 R, 2 K
• 1B Corey Collins: 0-3, RBI, K
• C Ronald Hernandez: 1-4, 2B, RBI, K, E (3)
• CF John Bay: 1-4, RBI, K
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-3, BB, K
• RF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-3, BB, K
• LF Kevin Villavicencio: 0-3, K, E (2)
• RHP Noah Hall: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP
• RHP Parker Carlson: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Cristofer Gomez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, L (0-1)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (9-8)

St. Lucie 5, Palm Beach 2 (BOX)

A win! The only win in the organization besides THE METS WHO SNAPPED THEIR 12 GAME LOSING STREAK(!!!).

St. Lucie actually trailed 2-0 after a two run home run in the second inning, but starter Frank Camarillo settled down from there to deliver five innings of two run ball. The Mets tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with RBI singles by JT Benson and Branny De Oleo. Julio Zayas gave tgem the lead with a double in the seventh, AJ Salgado added a run with a sacrifice fly, and Sam Biller added another insurance run with a double of his own. The St. Lucie pen was nearly perfect surrendering just two hits and a walk.

• SS Elian Peña: 1-3, R, 2 BB, K
• 2B Sam Robertson: 0-4, R, 2 K
• 1B Randy Guzman: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• DH Julio Zayas: 2-4, 2B, RBI, K
• RF AJ Salgado: 0-3, R, RBI, 2 K, SB (2)
• CF JT Benson: 1-4, R, RBI, SB (3)
• C Chase Meggers: 0-1, R, 3 BB, K
• LF Sam Biller: 1-2, 2B, RBI, BB, K, SB (5)
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 1-4, RBI, 2 K, E (2)
• RHP Frank Camarillo: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• LHP Nate Lavender: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Elwis Mijares: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (2-0)
• RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WP (1), S (1)

Rookie: FCL Mets (0-0)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jacob Reimer

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Nick Lorusso

Hello, friends.

The Orioles have escaped Kansas City with a series win after pulling off a comeback to get an 8-6 victory in yesterday’s game, bringing themselves back within a game of .500. The Royals broke a long losing streak with their win on Tuesday but remain in the basement of the American League. You could maybe say that it would have been better if the O’s really embarrassed the worst team, which they didn’t do. Still, they won two of three, and they showed some resilience in doing it, so that’s something. Check out Paul Folkemer’s recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.

One thing I think that we can hope for coming out of that series is that the signs of life from Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo at the plate continue. Mayo, in particular, had a pair of three-run homers over the course of the series. Struggling outfielders Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser had two hits apiece in Wednesday’s game as well. The problems that the team has had so far will seem a lot easier to overcome if these guys are able to start hitting at least decently.

Less positive is the continuing struggle of this year’s edition of the veteran starting pitcher signing, Chris Bassitt. The team spotted him a five-run lead yesterday after scoring six runs in the top of the sixth inning and Bassitt still couldn’t get through the bottom of the inning without making things way more interesting. He gave up a home run to the first batter he saw after the big O’s offensive outburst. In all, Bassitt gave up five runs in 5.1 innings to raise his season ERA to 6.75 after five starts.

It’s not quite Charlie Morton territory. Morton had a 10.89 ERA after the same number of games, after which he got dumped from the rotation. With each of Cade Povich and Brandon Young starting off well for Triple-A Norfolk, I understand the impulse to do the same for Bassitt. I doubt that the Orioles will, at least not unless this drags out for a longer at this level of bad results. Maybe another five starts. At least we don’t have to worry about him for a few more days.

There’s a little Orioles injury news that will probably hang in limbo over the off day today. Jackson Holliday was sent back to Baltimore yesterday for an MRI on his hand after his latest rehab stint was shut down following an uncomfortable swing in Norfolk. There was no news about it after yesterday’s game and there probably won’t be in the off day either. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out if there are any updates to be had there – or with any of the other injured O’s who might be back any day now or might just keep on lingering.

The Orioles will next be in action on Friday night at home against the Red Sox starting at 7:05. As of this writing, there is not a scheduled starter for the Orioles. If they don’t use the off day to skip Dean Kremer’s turn, then it will be Kremer who would be on turn to make the start. The Red Sox will send out Brayan Bello, who’s struggled to begin the 2026 season. This does not necessarily mean anything where the enigmatic Orioles offense is concerned.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

Orioles place Helsley on family leave/bereavement list, recall Espada (Baltimore Baseball)
There was a roster move ahead of yesterday’s game, with the closer leaving for a few days for the family medical or bereavement leave list. The team did not announce the specific circumstances. If it is a medical situation, I wish the best for it turning out well. If it’s bereavement, condolences to the family.

Jeremiah Jackson is getting his hacks in (FanGraphs)
The folks at FanGraphs have taken notice of the strong start by an unlikely Oriole. Now that Jackson’s BABIP luck has reached a more stable place, what might he do the rest of the way?

How Tyler Wells’s new mental approach is helping with life in the bullpen (The Baltimore Banner)
Wells had a great outing yesterday, with 1.2 innings scoreless. That’s heading in the right direction.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Today in 1994, future Hall of Famer Lee Smith picked up his ninth save of the season in the 16th game played by the Orioles. This was a new MLB record for fastest to nine saves. The Orioles beat the Mariners, 4-3, as Smith got his save. He did not allow a run over 12 April appearances that year.

In their 25th game one year ago, the Orioles lost to the Tigers, 4-3, in the first game of a doubleheader, to fall to 10-15 on the season. Jordan Westburg, Ryan O’Hearn, and Ramón Urías all had three hits in the losing effort for the O’s. For the time being, the 2026 edition of the team is doing two games better than those guys.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2022 pitcher Louis Head, 2009 pitcher Sean Henn, and 1957 infielder Buddy Peterson.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: playwright William Shakespeare (1564), 15th president James Buchanan (1791), physicist Max Planck (1858), baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn (1921), actress Shirley Temple (1928), musician Roy Orbison (1936), wrestler/actor John Cena (1977), comedian/host John Oliver (1977), baseball Hall of Famer Andruw Jones (1977), and gold medal snowboarder Chloe Kim (2000).

On this day in history…

In 1014, the Irish, led by High King Brian Boru, repelled a Viking invasion in the Battle of Clontarf, though Brian Boru himself was killed in the battle.

In 1635, the Boston Latin School was founded. Still in operation continuously on through today, this school is recognized as the first public school in what is now the United States.

In 1985, Coca-Cola released New Coke, a change to its formula. Within three months, they brought back the previous Coca-Cola formula. New Coke survived as Coke II through 2002.

In 2005, the first YouTube video was posted. One of its co-founders released a video titled “Me at the zoo”.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 23. Have a safe Thursday.

The Phillies have been bad and unlucky to start the season. Now they can officially add “injured” to that list of grievances, as J.T. Realmuto was placed on the injured list with back spasms, joining the likes of Jhoan Duran, Jonathan Bowlan, and Zach Pop who were already on the IL. Get ready for a whole lot more Rafael Marchán and some Garrett Stubbs.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• More on the fallout of Realmuto’s injury from Matt Gelb, who was first to report that the catcher was heading to the IL. ($)
• The Phillies secured $85M in public funding to conduct renovations to their spring training ballpark and facility in Clearwater, Florida. ($)

MLB news:

• Lingering free agent Lucas Giolito has found a home, agreeing with the San Diego Padres on a one year-deal with a mutual option for 2027.
• Juan Soto returned from the injured list for the Mets last night as the team looks to its star player to help save them from their own putrid start to the season.
• Yankees players have apparently lobbied the team to allow them to wear alternate jerseys on the road for the first time in their history. ($)
• Mariners pitcher Logan gilbert inadvertently did something very weird yesterday when he accidentally caught a line drive with his shirt.

The Yankees have stormed Fenway and taken their first series meeting with the Red Sox, and now they stand on the precipice of opening the season series up with a sweep. Their pitching has kept the Sox shut down thus far, tossing a shutout in the first game and allowing a single run in the ninth inning of game two. While the two teams have been on different trajectories to start the year, this matchup has only furthered the gap with a chance to punt them further down into the cellar of the AL East.

Now the baton passes over to Cam Schlittler to get the job done, and while it’s nowhere near the same scenario as the last time he lined up against them there’s a familiar vibe to this start. Schlittler was the man most responsible for ending Boston’s season last year, pitching eight shutout innings in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series and striking out a dozen batters in the process. This time around the Sox aren’t dead in the water if they lose, but a poor April can doom a team in this division especially when you tip the season series heavily in the favor of a team that you know you’ll be chasing all year. They certainly can’t be thrilled that they’re facing the young phenom here in this moment, even if the thought of revenge is on most of their batters’ minds.

That outing was by far the highlight of Schlittler’s 2025 season, as he delivered a generational postseason performance for the Yankees’ staff. He was excellent in his regular season starts, earning his way into the circle of trust for an October outing in the first place despite debuting midway through the year, but no one could have expected him to go out and carve up Boston. Now the expectations have heightened considerably for him in his sophomore season, and he’s somehow managing to deliver. He’s the owner of a sparkling 1.95 ERA thus far, but his FIP is even more outstanding at 0.87 — that’s the kind of potential that the Yankees haven’t seen out of a pitching prospect in ages, and it’s coming closer to fruition with each successful start. Add onto that how down-trodden the Sox currently look offensively, and there’s a perfect storm building for the brooms to kick up a lot of dust as they get brought out.

Baseball rarely plays to expectations, though. The better a team plays, the more surprising the random pitfalls that they go through become. And even the best teams are going to drop dozens of games that make you scratch your head and wonder “how did they lose that?” So with the stage set for Schlittler to take it to his hometown team once more, will he live up to that hype? Can he manage to beat it even? Or will the Sox protect their pride and answer back, adding another page into this chapter of the rivalry?

Today on the site, we’ve got a full schedule leading up to the series finale. Peter starts us off by looking at Luis Gil’s recent stellar outing against the Sox for the Sequence of the Week, and then I’ll handle the Rivalry Roundup. Jeff wishes newly-minted Hall of Famer Andruw Jones a happy birthday and reminisces on his playing career, John muses on the modern bullpen building methods that the Yankees have deployed, Kento considers the recent wave of early extensions that teams have been handing out and how it tempers the ability to rely on free agent retooling, and Peter returns to examine the resurgence of the sinker in the Yankee organization.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Time: 6:10 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, NESN+, FS1

Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Will Stein and Nick Mingione have been working in tandem to map out just how 4-star quarterback Matt Ponatoski can play baseball and football at Kentucky.

There is just one massive, unavoidable hurdle standing in the way of getting Ponatoski, who has already signed, to campus: the MLB Draft.

The generational profile of Matt Ponatoski

Ponatoski’s resume is the stuff of legend. He was named Mr. Football in Ohio for the 2024 season and was a finalist again in 2025. He also swept the Gatorade Player of the Year awards in both baseball and football for the 2025 season.

He signed early with Kentucky once Will Stein replaced Mark Stoops, locking him in as a possible QB of the future. But when you possess the kind of raw talent Ponatoski does, the lure of turning professional straight out of high school is incredibly strong.

Just how elite is his baseball profile? When he stepped onto the diamond for a recent Perfect Game showcase, scouts tested his arm strength across the infield. Ponatoski unleashed an absolute heater that was clocked at 101 MPH. For context, that is the type of arm strength usually reserved for elite MLB superstars like the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, except Elly is 24 years old, and Matt is just 18.

The mindset and the money

Currently, MLB scouts are weighing the risk of Ponatoski’s football commitment against his undeniable baseball ceiling. In a recent ESPN mini-mock draft from April 17, Ponatoski was projected to go at No. 69 overall. Factoring in compensation and competitive balance additions, that projection places him as a borderline second-round pick.

For Ponatoski, the decision is a win-win scenario, but it requires serious deliberation.

“I’m going to be fully prepared to go to school and go be at Kentucky and enroll and go compete for a quarterback battle when I get there,” Ponatoski recently said regarding his thought process. “But at the same time, like going and putting my best foot forward to these MLB teams and showing them like I have what it takes for you to draft me.”

“It’s one A and one B,” he continued. “I’m going to go have a great career at Kentucky, or I’m going to go be a professional baseball player. It’s like you can’t draw it up much better.”

Financially, the playing field is surprisingly level. A second-round slot value in the MLB Draft usually guarantees a signing bonus between $1 million and $2 million. In the modern NIL landscape, a 4-star SEC quarterback of his caliber will command a very similar valuation if he decides to honor his commitment to Kentucky.

The timeline

Ultimately, the decision will come down to how MLB front offices evaluate him. If a team falls in love with his 101 MPH arm and he creeps into the first round, the guaranteed money will likely pull him to the minor leagues. If he remains a second or third-round evaluation, returning to Lexington makes all the sense in the world.

The stakes are high because of MLB Draft eligibility rules. If Ponatoski enrolls at a four-year university like Kentucky, he is locked into the college ranks and cannot enter the MLB Draft again until after his junior year or until he turns 21, whichever comes first.

He is currently not on campus and plans to join the football team in the fall if he chooses the collegiate route. The MLB Draft takes place from July 11-12 in Philadelphia. After being selected, Ponatoski will have to choose to either sign or go to college. He may also let teams know ahead of time that he is going to college, so no one drafts him. Either way, we will finally know if Kentucky’s dual-sport dream will become a reality soon.

The Detroit Tigers managed to bounce back in the second game of their weekday series against the Milwaukee Brewers, earning a 5-2 win behind a strong outing by Casey Mize and Spencer Torkelson’s first home run of the 2026 campaign.

Kenley Jansen made things a bit too exciting in the final frame, giving the fans some José Valverde vibes, but alas, the Motor City Kitties tied things up, setting up Thursday’s rubber match at Comerica Park.

Looking to clinch the series win, Detroit has left-handed ace Tarik Skubal taking the mound. The twice-consecutive Cy Young Award winner last faced Milwaukee on April 14, 2025, throwing seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out nine in a 9-1 win.

Opposite him is second-year hurler Brandon Sproat, a right-hander who has only thrown 37 2/3 MLB innings so far in his young career, putting up a 5.73 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and a 4.36 FIP over that stretch. Thursday night’s start will be his first-ever appearance against the Tigers.

Take a look below at how the two match up.

Detroit Tigers (13-12) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (13-10)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Brew Crew Ball
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 26: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.08 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Sproat (0-1, 6.88 ERA)

SKUBAL

SPROAT

It has been Max Scherzer’s extraordinary talent, work ethic and health that have put him in rarified air, but it was a simple piano session that has enabled him to go where only 10 men have ever gone in baseball history.

Scherzer, scheduled to start Friday for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Cleveland Guardians, needs just one strikeout to become only the second pitcher to eclipse 3,500 strikeouts in the past 24 years. He is just 11 strikeouts shy of passing legendary Walter Johnson to crack the top-10 in baseball history.

“The cool thing is I really appreciate the history of this game, and it’s been played for over 100 years," Scherzer, 41, told USA TODAY Sports. “When you can kind of connect the eras, and have an accomplishment that only so many guys have gotten to that number, it’s humbling.’’

While Nolan Ryan is the all-time strikeout leader with 5,714, the only player to eclipse the 3,500-strikeout barrier since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in 2002 is Scherzer’s former Detroit Tigers and New York Mets teammate, Justin Verlander. He accomplished the feat last September with the San Francisco Giants, and has 55 more strikeouts than Scherzer while pitching 92 more innings.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) Yankees players are lobbying their organization to let them wear their batting practice jerseys as an alternate road jersey, a move which would break with the team’s tradition of utilizing only one home and one road jersey. No reason has yet been given publicly for the request, which would likely need to be approved by owner Hal Steinbrenner. The BP jerseys in question feature “New York” across the chest in gray letters and numbers with white trim alongside the ubiquitous Starr Insurance sleeve patch.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Congratulations are in order for the Weathers family, after Thayer, the wife of Ryan, gave birth to their son Paul David on Wednesday. The new father landed on the paternity list in advance of Wednesday’s game, with reliever Jake Bird called up from Triple-A to take his place on the active roster. Weathers, who announced with his wife that they were expecting a child in December, had his best outing as a Yankee his last time out, going 7.1 scoreless innings to earn his first victory with the team. Bird broke camp with the Yankees but was demoted after posting a 7.71 ERA through eight appearances.

MLB.com | Max Ralph: A couple of big names are slated to arrive in Fishkill this week. Carlos Rodón will commence his rehab assignment with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades on Friday, a day after Gerrit Cole is scheduled to make his second rehab start. Rodón last threw batting practice on Saturday and is stretched out to 60 pitches. For his part, Cole threw 44 pitches in 4.1 innings during his last start with Double-A Somerset.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Giancarlo Stanton was the hero Tuesday, knocking in three to snap a 1-for-21 skid. He attributed the outburst, at least in part, to playing at Fenway Park, where he’s hit .316 over his career. In other housekeeping news, Anthony Volpe played in his third rehab game Tuesday, notching two hits, including a 378-foot home run. With his return on the horizon and Jasson Domínguez hitting .333 in 19 games at Triple-A, Randal Grichuk’s roster spot could soon be imperiled.

Mark Vientos went from goat to hero in a matter of two innings in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday night that ended a 12-game losing streak.

First, Vientos made an eye-popping baserunning mistake, running through third base coach Tim Leiper’s stop sign on a Marcus Semien double to the gap in the sixth inning of a tie game.

He was thrown out by a considerable margin to end the inning.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Vientos delivered the go-ahead single, a flare to right that scored Brett Baty.

“I’m glad he got that hit,’’ Carlos Mendoza said with a smile.

Vientos made no apologies for his gaffe on the bases.

“My instinct was once the ball was off the wall, I was gonna score,’’ Vientos said.

Vientos, part of a lineup that has floundered for much of the season, said he saw Leiper put up the stop sign but ignored it.

“We want to make the right play, but I’m always gonna be aggressive,’’ Vientos said. “I’m not gonna play passive on the field. I’d rather make a mistake aggressively than [passively].’’

After flopping as the closer for the Yankees a year ago, Devin Williams looks to be doing the same thing on the other side of town this season.

But even after a three-appearance stretch in which he allowed seven runs, four walks and six hits in just 1 ¹/₃ innings while blowing a save and taking the loss in another, Mendoza said Wednesday he is not considering pulling Williams from the role.

“I know he’s going through it right now, but as I’m sitting here, we haven’t had that discussion,’’ Mendoza said prior to the Mets win.

Williams, who had pitched twice in three days, was unavailable Wednesday, so Luke Weaver got the final four outs.

Asked why he remains confident that Williams — who was pulled from the ninth-inning job in late April with the Yankees and then again in August — can overcome his current struggles, Mendoza said, “He’s done it before.”

Still, after Williams was yanked as closer in the second half of last season and had some success in a setup role, he didn’t get it back.

But Mendoza hasn’t given up on Williams, who signed a three-year, $51 million deal in the offseason even after his rough showing in The Bronx.

“It’s the nature of the business,’’ Mendoza said of Williams’ recent poor results. “You’re gonna go through stretches when it’s hard and you find a way to get back on track. There’s gonna be adversity, [there’s] gonna be stretches you’re not at your best and he’s done that before a few times. That’s what gives me confidence he’ll get there again.”

A.J. Minter continued his rehab assignment Wednesday with his first appearance with Triple-A Syracuse, as the lefty comes back from lat surgery that cost him most of 2025.

He allowed three hits and a run in his one inning and didn’t strike out or walk any batters.

Mendoza said Tuesday that the 32-year-old would likely need two more weeks of rehab games to get accustomed to pitching on back-to-back days again.

Austin Warren was still stunned Wednesday about the odd reaction he got from the small number of fans that remained at Citi Field in the ninth inning of Tuesday night’s loss, when the right-hander replaced Williams with the bases loaded and left them stranded by striking out the next three batters.

The crowd repeatedly chanted “MVP” as Warren piled up the strikeouts and kept it a two-run game.

“I was absolutely [surprised],’’ Warren said. “I’m sure everyone heard all the boos and I’m glad I could go in there and flip the switch a little bit and keep them on our side.”

The cheers began as soon as the threw a strike to Royce Lewis.

“I was like, ‘What’s going on?’’ Warren said. “I’m glad it went well and I could strand runners for Devin.”

The 30-year-old right-hander is in his second year with the Mets after being claimed off waivers from the Giants prior to last season.

“I feel I proved some people wrong with that kind of game,’’ Warren said. “I’ve always been an up-and-down [to the minors] guy since my debut. It sucks losing, but it feels good to do that.”

This season, outside of a couple hiccups, has gotten off to an excellent start for the D-Backs. After a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers to open season, the team has reeled off a 13-7 record and lost consecutive games just once to the major league leading Atlanta Braves. But these last two games have been pretty ugly – particularly on the pitching side as they allowed 21 runs and the starters pitched less than five innings total while allowing 16 runs. Even for an offense that has shown an ability to score runs in bunches with a joyful dynamism, that kind of run differential is difficult to overcome. It’s also forced the team’s bullpen to cover an absurd number of innings as a result. So the D-Backs were hoping to reverse both of those trends against a (nominally) weaker opponent in the White Sox, but instead the pitching continued to struggle to contain a surprisingly feisty Chicago offense and instead had to be bailed out by an excellent offensive output.

Eduardo Rodriguez has been a particular bright spot in a pitching staff that has been surprisingly resilient so far. Of course, the bar to clear for the veteran is essentially underground given his combined 5.02 ERA and 1.534 WHIP since signing as a free agent before the 2024 season. But ever since his excellent World Baseball Classic run with Team Venezuela, Rodriguez has been on another level, working to a 1.96 ERA and 1.217 WHIP through his first four starts. There were definitely some worrying signs underneath those surface numbers – including a 4.22 FIP and 4.19 expected ERA – but I was willing to overlook them as long as he limited the baserunners and home runs. Unfortunately, neither of those results were meant to be on Wednesday evening as he walked three batters and gave up two home runs, limiting his outing to just five innings and looking much more like the pitcher who struggled through the last two seasons than the one who dominated in the WBC.

In fairness, it was not a banner day for any of the pitchers on the field today. The two offenses combined to score 18 runs on 28 hits, secured 11 walks, and struck out just 13 times for the game. In the entire game, there was exactly one half inning (the visiting half of the second) that didn’t feature at least one baserunner. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that tonight’s matchup was the team’s second game of the season to stretch over three hours in duration and it felt like it. Every time one of the fanbases might have internally asked for a clean inning, they were quickly thwarted with any of the extra base hits that seemed to be falling for everyone in both lineups. There were just three starters on each team respectively that failed to secure at least one hit in the game.

Thankfully for Rodriguez and the pitching staff, the Arizona bats did not come to play around today. After Rodriguez’s rough first inning, the D-Backs quickly built a rally off a leadoff walk to Jose Fernandez, a Nolan Arenado single, and Ildemaro Vargas’ second three-run homer in as many nights. It was the first of three straight innings when the home team would score, eventually building a lead out to 8-4 going into the sixth inning. Those RBIs included another Vargas home run for two runs and a run-scoring single for Nolan Arenado – part of an incredible four-hit day with three RBIs.

Even after Rodriguez left the game, the White Sox consistently showed an impressive level of working counts and find ways to take good pitches either into the stands or for soft contact that extended the innings. There was little relaxation to be had as both Taylor Clarke and Ryan Thompson failed to keep the South Siders off the board and keep the game from becoming a laugher. Michael Soroka has been the (nearly) undisputed ace of the staff so far this year and should have an excellent opportunity to pick up his fifth victory on the young season.

Mark Vientos saw the stop sign. He admitted as much later, though, to hear him discuss the sixth-inning play on which he was thrown out at home by several feet in a tie game, the fact that he saw third base coach Tim Leiper hold his hands up did not strike Vientos as an admission at all.

“I was just following my instincts. Once I saw [Marcus Semien’s double] was hit off the wall, I was like, I’m gonna go score on that,” Vientos said. “Leip gave me the stop sign, but I followed my instincts and went home.”

As it happened, Vientos’ instincts did not doom the Mets, in large part because with runners on first and second and two out in the eighth, he wrestled an inside pitch into short right field to score Brett Baty with the eventual winning run.

“I’m glad he got that hit and redeemed himself,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said with a chuckle that felt appropriately nervous, given that Vientos made clear he would probably make the same choice again.

“Obviously, depending on the situation, we want to make the right play. But I’m always going to be aggressive. I’m not going to play passive on the baseball field,” Vientos said. “I’d rather make a mistake aggressive than passive.”

In some ways, the 2026 New York Mets are an example of that same philosophy: If the 2025 team sputtered out with the same old names, David Stearns was determined not to replicate last year’s failures this year. What the Mets must discern – now that their shoulders are free of that unfathomable losing streak -- is what parts of their current roster might eventually look like aggressive mistakes.

Wednesday night’s win did not happen because the Mets made drastic changes. Juan Soto’s return certainly helped, though it was quickly undermined by the departure of Francisco Lindor, who appeared to suffer nearly the same injury that sidelined Soto while scoring in the fourth.

It happened because the Mets, led by their manager, emphasized the need to trust track records as the present spiraled.

“You feel like you’re doing the right things. You evaluate things. You look around. People are doing what you should be doing,” Clay Holmes said after throwing seven strong innings. “You kind of really want to reach for something to do, but you’re already doing those things. Sometimes, that can be a little harder. You have to double down on the belief in yourself.”

Holmes, for example, tripled down on his sinker Wednesday, using it 73 percent of the time – almost as he might have in his days as a reliever. The righty is pitching to a 2.10 ERA in five starts this season.

But no one has been more stubborn than the Mets lineup, which has changed in terms of personnel even as it has committed to being aggressive through its slump. Mendoza said Wednesday that even though his lineup compiled the lowest on-base percentage in baseball, he was not clamoring for patience.

“It’s hard to get behind in counts here,” Mendoza said. “You have to be able to stay on the attack with good pitches in the strike zone.”

Quite obviously, little has changed because the Mets won Wednesday’s game 3-2. They still have the worst on-base percentage in baseball. Only two teams are swinging more frequently than they are. Only three are swinging at a higher percentage of pitches out of the zone. But last year’s team was baseball’s fifth-most patient and look where that got them. This year’s team will not make the same mistake.

Exactly what mistakes it will make now, after the baseball gods finally permitted them a win, remains to be seen. If Lindor is out for a significant period – and it is important to remember that Soto received what was considered a best-case diagnosis for a calf-related injury and still missed nearly three weeks – the Mets will have to wait even longer to see what the intended version of their lineup can produce.

But in the meantime, they will cross their fingers that Bichette can swing his way into a hot streak, that Vientos can turn a bloop into an offensive blaze, that two walks from Baty on Wednesday mean he is seeing the ball better…that everyone keeps doing what they would normally be doing in the hopes that better results must somehow follow.

“You have to stay positive. You can’t come to the ballpark expecting the worst, even if you’re going through a very rough stretch,” Mendoza said. “You come to the ballpark expecting good things to happen. And yes, it doesn’t matter how hard it is and how things are unfolding. Your mindset has to be expect something good to happen for us.”

No one should expect anything less than good things from the Mets, in whom Steve Cohen invested roughly $380 million this year. But when he chatted with reporters this week, he was careful to describe himself as “calm but concerned” in the only on-the-record comments he would offer, wary not to seem too worried nor too relaxed.

His roster is set. This team is in place. If a 12-game losing streak in April would be interpreted by some as a stop sign for championship dreams, the Mets seem resigned to ignore it. They are trusting their instincts, and those instincts are telling veteran members of their clubhouse that they are better than they have shown -- or at least, that if they are not as good as some believed, their best chance is to run past the red flags anyway.

On Tuesday, we talked about Cainings. The San Francisco Giants introduced Los Angeles Dodgers ace and international superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the concept, with the most common type of Caining in existence. Call it the Standard Caining. In the Standard Caining, a pitcher has a very good game, but their offense doesn’t do enough. Because they had merely a very good game, rather than a great one, they’re rudely handed a loss when their incompetent offense fails to do their job.

Matt Cain, to pick a random name to use as an example, received a losing decision on 26 different occasions in which he pitched at least six innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs. Yamamoto’s impersonation was quite admirable, as the reigning World Series MVP pitched seven mostly-dominant innings but, thanks to a three-run first and a lifeless offense, received a notch in the L column.

Today, we talk about a less common variant of the Caining, one that the Giants introduced to Dodgers ace and international superstar Shohei Ohtani. Let’s call it an Advanced Caining. In the Advanced Caining, a pitcher goes above and beyond with not just a good game, but a great one. But the offense is, once again, inept. And eventually, the pitcher is forced to leave the game, leaving a bullpen to wear the blame when the magic runs out.

Matt Cain, to once again pick a random and arbitrary name to use as an example, had 17 different instances in which he pitched six or more innings, gave up zero or one runs, handed the bullpen a tie or a lead, and then watched, arms dangled over the railing, as the bullpen lost the game, and the offense did nothing to keep that outcome from occurring.

Ohtani now is intimately acquainted with an Advanced Caining which, admittedly, has an added flair to it when the pitcher getting Advanced Cained is also the designated hitter anchoring the offense doing the Advanced Caining. It’s a vicious cycle being both the Cainer and the Cainee. You’re not sure whether to feel victimized or guilty.

The two-way sensation had a game that, Giants fans will be loathe to admit, lived up to the hype. He struck out the side in the first inning, albeit working around two singles. He set down the side in order in the second, and then again in the third, and then once more for old time’s sake in the fourth. He cruised through the fifth.

It wasn’t until the sixth inning that Ohtani appeared to be in any sort of danger, and even then he dismissed of it easily. The Giants waited until there were two outs to try any sort of shenanigans, with Matt Chapman reaching on an infield single, and Rafael Devers smacking a double, his second hit of the day.

But Ohtani, still hitting triple digits even as his night neared an end, overpowered Casey Schmitt and ended the inning with emphasis.

It was his seventh strikeout of the game, which paired well with his zero walks. He’d thrown 23 pitches in excess of 99 mph. He’d given up just five hits. He hadn’t allowed a runner to score, earned or otherwise.

And none of it mattered. Because the Dodgers bullpen couldn’t maintain what he had accomplished. Because the Dodgers offense couldn’t match what he had thrown.

Because Tyler Mahle pitched better than Shohei Ohtani.

Because Patrick Bailey hit better than Shohei Ohtani.

A Caining requires a worthy adversary on the mound, and the Giants — despite what you would think entering the series — have provided that worthy adversary, first in the form of Landen Roupp, and next in the form of Mahle.

Mahle was excellent on Wednesday. He was beyond excellent. He was so good that someone in the comment section will be mad at me for mentioning Ohtani’s name five times before ever getting to Mahle’s, and that person will be right.

The veteran, whose debut season with the Giants had been a debacle prior to this game, not only matched Ohtani, but surpassed him. He threw the same number of pitches (91) as his opponent, but made it through seven innings, instead of six. He gave up the same number of baserunners (five), but none of them were extra-base hits. He faced a runner in scoring position in just two innings, and one was because Drew Gilbert took a truly atrocious route to a routine fly ball and instead let it fall for a single.

He had his help, mind you: Devers, Willy Adames, and Luis Arráez in particular had some standout defensive plays to keep the outs coming. But all great performances require a supporting cast, and Mahle’s showing was exactly that: greatness, with a fantastic supporting cast. And when you do that against the Dodgers, you earn some fans.

See, here’s Adames proving my point:

And here’s Arráez proving my point:

And ahh, what the hell, here’s Devers proving my point:

Pretty, ain’t it?

And so, as Mahle walked off the mound for the final time, as fans stretched and sang, we had been treated to two of the three components of the Advanced Caining: a great performance by a pitcher (Ohtani), and a great performance by an opposing pitcher (Mahle) in response.

All that was left was the third and final component: an offense eager to face anyone other than the star pitcher, and a bullpen prepared to waste a great start. And if it wasn’t clear to you until now, that offense was the Giants’, and that bullpen was the Dodgers’.

Southpaw Jack Dreyer replaced Ohtani, taking the mound for the bottom of the seventh inning in a scoreless game.

After two pitches, Jung Hoo Lee — who is not just heating up, but quietly starting to look a lot better against lefties — had started a rally with a leadoff single.

After two more pitches, Heliot Ramos — who, it seems, is fully back — knocked his second single of the day, putting runners at first and second with no outs.

Gilbert came to bat, and Bailey came onto the on-deck circle. As the camera cut to Bailey in-between pitches, you could see him look back at the dugout. You imagined he was wondering if his game would continue or not.

With Daniel Susac on the Injured List, pinch-hitting for Bailey is less straightforward, but I assumed the situation was simple: should Gilbert advance the runners, Bailey — who, despite being mired in the slump of all slumps, is reliably putting the ball in play and not striking out — would hit. Should Gilbert leave the runners where they are, Jerar Encarnación, with his high power but higher strikeouts, would enter the game.

Thankfully for Bailey, Gilbert did his part, laying down a smooth bunt that easily advanced Ramos to second and Lee to third. And with that, Bailey stepped to the plate, needing to just put the ball relatively halfway deep into the outfield to give the Giants the lead.

He took a first pitch slider for a strike, then watched as Dreyer spiked one in the dirt. A slider found the plate, and Bailey fouled it off. A second slider found the plate, and Bailey again fouled it off.

A third slider found the plate, and Bailey launched it into the bleachers.

It was a healing swing of the bat for someone who entered the game with zero extra-base hits, one run batted in, and three million calls to KNBR complaining about his lack of offense. A swing of the bat that reminded himself, his teammates, and his fans that he’s a better hitter than what we’ve seen over the first month of the season.

With a lead secured, the only thing left to do to complete the Advance Caining was to have the winning bullpen learn from the losing bullpen’s failures. And so Caleb Kilian took the mound for the eighth inning and worked around a leadoff single, retiring Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, and Will Smith. And Ryan Walker jogged out for the ninth, looking for his second dramatic save in as many days.

Walker got Freddie Freeman to fly the ball lazily to left for the first out. He got Teoscar Hernández to lift one to center, where it fell into Gilbert’s glove for the second out. He walked Max Muncy on four pitches, because why not.

And then, always with a love of theatrics and style points, Walker induced a weak chopper from Andy Pages, and played his own defensive hero for the third — and 27th — out.

Despite what the media may lead you to believe, Shohei Ohtani is not the only baseball player on the planet. There are other players, you know. Numerous others, if you can believe it. Players like Tyler Mahle. Players like Patrick Bailey. Players like Ryan Walker.

And those players won, 3-0.

Plenty of power. Not nearly enough pitching. That’s the story.

The White Sox jumped out exactly how you’d want them to do. Back-to-back singles from Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas in the top of the first set the tone, and even after Munetaka Murakami went down looking, the pressure didn’t let up. Everson Pereira and Edgar Quero worked consecutive walks to push across the first run, and Colson Montgomery followed with a productive at-bat. It wasn’t a hit thanks to a stellar play by Ketel Marte, but it plated Vargas for his 17th RBI of the season. Two runs without a ball leaving the yard. Sox up 2-0.

Montgomery flashed the glove in the bottom half, too, making a clean play on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grounder to strand a Geraldo Perdomo triple and keep Anthony Kay out of immediate trouble. It was a reminder of just how steady he’s been defensively, already sitting near the top of the league in Outs Above Average amongst shortstops alongside names like Bobby Witt Jr. and Masyn Winn.

That was about where the control ended.

Kay never really found the zone, and the second inning unraveled quickly. A leadoff walk followed by a single set the table, and after another deep count, Arizona pounced. Ildemaro Vargas turned a 2-0 pitch into a three-run homer, flipping the game in one swing. The damage didn’t stop there, with a double, an RBI single from Corbin Carroll, and a run-scoring bunt by Perdomo stretched the lead and completely sucked the air out of Chicago’s early momentum.

To their credit, though, the bats kept swinging. Our Vargas continued his power surge in the third, launching a 428-foot homer for his third straight game, going deep.

But every answer the Sox had, the Diamondbacks matched and exceeded. Another blast from Arizona pushed the lead right back out, and while Eduardo Rodríguez had his moments of vulnerability, the Sox couldn’t fully capitalize.

Montgomery did his part, though. The shortstop stayed scorching hot in the fourth, crushing a 423-foot homer to right-center. It was his fourth straight game leaving the yard as he cut the deficit to 6-4, briefly making it feel like a game again.

Then came more pitching problems. Kay’s night effectively ended in the bottom of the fourth after a sequence that summed up his outing: a single, chaos on the bases from Carroll, and a balk that brought home a run. Jordan Hicks didn’t stop the bleeding, walking José Fernández and surrendering an RBI knock to Nolan Arenado to make it 8-4.

The Sox had chances, but they just couldn’t string enough together. Back-to-back singles from Murakami and Pereira in the fifth went nowhere. A manufactured run in the sixth, sparked by a Tristian Peters pinch-hit triple, and an Andrew Benintendi ground out, chipped into the lead slightly. But the South Side hurlers immediately gave back every inch gained.

Lucas Sims entered in the sixth and promptly allowed a two-run homer to Arenado. Sean Newcomb followed in the seventh and gave up back-to-back triples to Carroll and Perdomo.

The highlight, though, was another ridiculous showing from Murakami. The rookie crushed a 451-foot two-run homer in the seventh — his fifth straight game going deep, tying a franchise record — and later added a single in the ninth. He now sits at 10 home runs on the season and looks every bit like the real deal. Extend him NOW!

Unfortunately, in the end, it didn’t matter.

Down multiple runs all night, the Sox never fully threatened late. A small flicker in the ninth with Murakami reaching and Quero walking, bringing Montgomery to the plate with a chance to make it interesting. Instead, a 368-foot flyout to the warning track ended it.

The offense showed up. The power is real. There’s legitimate life in this lineup right now.

The pitching? That’s a different conversation entirely, and until it changes, games like this are going to keep slipping away.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about different aspects of the team snapping their 12-game losing streak after their 3-2 win over the Twins

Juan Soto's first game back

The Mets' lineup got a massive boost on Wednesday. They activated Soto from the IL and inserted him in the two-hole as the DH. 

He finished 1-for-3 with a walk, but the at-bats were Soto-like. 

In his first AB, he launched a 96 mph fastball to deep center field. It sounded good off the bat -- after replay, it seemed he got just under it -- and went just 387 feet, but he was on top of the fastball. His second at-bat saw him hit a sharp liner to right field that went off his bat at 104.3 mph. Two at-bats, two loud outs. He'd take a walk on six pitches in the fifth inning, and then led off the eighth with a single. 

"That ball, that first at-bat, was going to be gone. During the summer, I think that’s out of here," Mendoza said of Soto's at-bats. "The quality overall, he looked really good."

Soto would get picked off at first in the eighth, but as the Mets skipper said, Soto didn't look rusty at the plate. 

Clay Holmes provides another quality start

Lost in the victory was how good Holmes was for the Mets.

The right-hander allowed just two runs across seven strong innings, giving his team a chance to win on Wednesday night.

“He was very good tonight,” Mendoza said. “That sinker put them on the ground, kept getting ground balls. He was pitch efficient, you look up and he got strike one, kept attacking, gave us seven innings and a pretty solid outing by him.”

For the Mets, the win to snap the losing streak was important, even if Holmes got a no-decision. But the Mets starter is relieved, like the rest of the locker room, that they got over the hump.

"Winning's fun," Holmes said. "There was a tough stretch there. It's a crazy thing. Things start spinning, and there's a lot going on. Just to feel a win again and see everyone smiling. It's a good feeling.

“It’s not easy losing games, especially when you get that type of starting pitching, which we had, but good teams find a way to win games like that," Mendoza said. "I’m confident that we will start doing that here pretty soon, especially with the way our starters are continuing to throw the baseball. But it was good to have that one today.”

In five starts this season, Holmes has not allowed more than two runs and has gone seven innings twice. His ERA now sits at 2.10.

Shortstop options without Francisco Lindor?

Aside from the win, the news from the game was that Lindor exited with calf tightness. Although Lindor will undergo an MRI on Thursday before a decision on his availability is made, it seems the Mets are preparing to lose their shortstop for some time.

Bo Bichette moved over to shortstop with Lindor out, and that's the first-year Mets' natural position. Mendoza was asked whether Bichette will be the shortstop without Lindor, and the Mets skipper wouldn't commit to it, but it's more probable that they'll keep Bichette at third base and call someone up.

"We’ll see. Again, we gotta wait and see what we got with Lindor. If it’s an IL, we’ll make a move," Mendoza explained. "Who that person will be? I have to talk to David [Stearns] to see what we got with Lindor, then we’ll go from there. I won’t hesitate if I need to play Bo there, but I think we’ll bring someone here that is capable of playing the position as well."

Mendoza has experimented with different lineups in recent weeks and Wednesday saw Bichette hit leadoff. He was asked if we should expect a similar lineup -- without Lindor, of course -- Thursday and Mendoza said there are factors that determine it like the pitcher they are facing and the state of the opponent's bullpen, but he'll continue to experiment.

"I’m going to have to get creative," he said. " I want consistency when everyone’s healthy. Right now, we can call it like that. I like Bo anywhere, and if I like Bo hitting there, I will."