Welcome to the Morning Commute

Today we’re yet again talking about how Mizzou Baseball doesn’t seem to be able to not win at this point in time.

After some early struggles in their weekend series against UIC, the Tigers figured things out on the mound and in the box, run-ruling UIC during the final two games of the series and rolling to their 11th and 12th consecutive wins in style.

Across the last three games, Mizzou has scored 29 unanswered runs and held opponents scoreless for 22 straight innings.

Lefty Brady Kehlenbrink enjoyed a career day on the hill, working six scoreless innings while only allowing three Flames to reach base. The Ballwin, Mo., native punched out a career-high 11 batters while improving to 3-0 on the season (4.29 ERA).

Look, no one is pretending the Tigers are out here downing the 2025 LA Dodgers, but they’re winning games (and lots of them) which is something they haven’t been able to do under Kerrick Jackson much during his time in Columbia. Winning is habitual, and the best thing Missouri can do right now is teach themselves how to win before the more intense competition heats up.

Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+

• In which Mizzou doesn’t have quite enough to flip the home tilt with Arkansas:

Mizzou’s margins have been thinner than we want all season, but the butter is made. There’s nothing left to churn. They are who they are. The improvement they can make will come in April and May, not now. Now you’re just hoping to extend what you have as long as you can.

At least the Tigers have seemingly done enough to secure a spot in the Tournament, regardless of what they’ll do in the SEC Tournament… though an extra win or two would be nice!

• In which Mizzou Baseball’s long weekend ends withvictory after victory after victory after victory:

Mizzou Baseball didn’t just finish a sweep on Sunday. It finished a statement. Behind six scoreless innings from left‑hander Brady Kehlenbrink and a four‑homer afternoon from the lineup, Missouri rolled past UIC 10–0 in seven innings at Taylor Stadium, closing out a four‑game sweep and extending its winning streak to 12 games.

Mizzou is off to easily it’s best start under Kerrick Jackson, and they’ll look to keep the momentum rolling in the mid-week against Southern Indiana.

• In which Mizzou Softball’s struggles continue:

The poetry was the final hit that allowed star outfielder Taylor Shumaker to reach home plate for the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th. The game-winning hit came from Mizzou’s home run leader from just a year ago: Madison Walker.

That’s the kind of thing that hurts a lot worse when you look at Mizzou’s lineup and think, “God, we could’ve used her this season.”

• Over at Rock M+, Watkins is keeping a close eye on the bubble to see if Mizzou should feel worried, it’s Champ Week, and we’ll keep posting spring football camp notes as we’re able to get our team to media availabilities.

(** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Jasson Domínguez left field experiment has had decidedly mixed results, which is among the reasons he’s likely headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the season. 

But there has been some growth, as he displayed Sunday in a 10-4 loss to the Mets at Clover Park. 

For a second straight game, Domínguez made a nice running catch, this time on a sinking liner by A.J. Ewing in the bottom of the fifth, and Domínguez followed it up with a strong throw home, where he threw out Vidal Bruján. 

“It was a busy afternoon out there,” said Domínguez, who also had a ball hit by Tyrone Taylor get by him in the gap, but neither he nor Aaron Boone thought he could have gotten to it. “It was good to throw the guy out at home.” 

It came after Boone said Domínguez, who has struggled for the most part since shifting from center to left, made some poor decisions with his throws last week. 

“He’s made excellent throws the last two days,” the manager said of the plays he made Sunday against the Mets and Saturday versus Miami. “He’s playing a lot. He’s worked a lot. One of the best parts about this trip [to the east coast of Florida, with most regulars staying back or in the World Baseball Classic] is that we saw his athleticism.” 

When he was coming through the Yankees system, Domínguez was said to have an elite arm, but that has not been on display much. 

“I’ve always had a pretty good arm, it just hasn’t shown as much,’’ Domínguez said. “My arm wasn’t the problem. Maybe I’m more aggressive now getting to the ball and am in better position to make throws. Compared to last year, I’m a lot more comfortable [in left].” 

Boone said the team hasn’t “even really begun discussions” on the final roster spots. 

“We’ll continue to let that play out and let guys get their reps,” the manager said Sunday. 

They’ve got decisions to make regarding the last arms in the bullpen, as well as deciding between perhaps a backup shortstop or third catcher. 

Ben Rice hasn’t caught in a game, but Boone noted that he caught Carlos Rodón’s bullpen session Saturday. 

With Anthony Volpe sidelined and José Caballero expected to start at shortstop, Boone said the backup shortstop situation is “up in the air.” 

Boone didn’t rule out Ryan McMahon playing there in the future or going with a “super-utility” player for the final roster spot. 

And with Randal Grichuk expected to make his Grapefruit League debut Monday in Tampa, the Yankees will get a better read on what the veteran outfielder can potentially contribute after signing with the team on a minor league deal. 

“That’s what the next two-plus weeks will be about,” Boone said of the decision-making process. 

One standout during a live batting practice at Steinbrenner Field: Ocean Gabonia.

The righty reliever from Hawaii completed two “ups,” allowed no hard contact and struck out Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger consecutively.

The 24-year-old, who pitched to a 3.27 ERA in 31 games with High-A Hudson Valley last year, received fist bumps from Stanton and Bellinger walking off the field. 

Cade Winquest gave up a run on a walk and a hit as he tries to make the team as a Rule 5 pick. 

“There’s definitely some pressure,” said the right-hander, who will be sent back to the Cardinals if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster and stay there the entire season. “They drafted me for a reason and I can just do what I do.” 

He allowed a run on a walk and a hit in two-thirds of an inning Sunday. 

— Additional reporting by Mark W. Sanchez in Tampa 

PORT ST. LUCIE — The idea of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing together in the same outfield is an intriguing proposition to Mets officials. 

On Sunday, for the second time in three days, the team got that look.

Benge started in center field with Ewing in left against the Yankees.

Both contributed to the Mets’ 10-4 exhibition victory at Clover Park. 

Benge, a top prospect competing for the starting right field job, finished 2-for-3.

Ewing, who also rates among the organization’s top prospects, delivered a two-run single against lefty Ryan Weathers. 

“They have the ability to impact the game in so many different ways,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It wasn’t an easy matchup there with left-on-left with Weathers and the way he was throwing the ball. A couple of two-strike approaches when they put the ball in play and just make things happen. The way they run the bases, the way they play defense, it’s just good baseball from them so far.” 

Benge started in center just to receive a taste of the position in camp, according to Mendoza, with Luis Robert Jr. scheduled for his first Grapefruit League game in a Mets uniform on Thursday. 

“I felt like I was on time with everything,” Benge said of his plate appearances against Weathers. “I saw him well, he had really good stuff, but I felt like I stuck to my plan and did my job.” 

Robert Stock will undergo surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

The right-hander, who had discomfort after pitching three scoreless innings for Team Israel against the Marlins in a WBC scrimmage, said he could be back pitching before the season concludes. 

Brandon Waddell was scratched from his scheduled Monday start because of shoulder fatigue, according to Mendoza, and will now pitch later in the week.

Zach Thornton will be summoned from minor league camp to start against the Marlins at Clover Park. 

Mendoza is keeping tabs on his WBC pitchers from afar.

A day after Clay Holmes pitched three scoreless innings for Team USA against Great Britain, the Mets manager watched video of Holmes’ outing. 

“He was pretty dominant,” Mendoza said.

New York Post | Mark W. Sanchez: As he recovers from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, shortstop Anthony Volpe addressed reporters this week. At the moment, the former top prospect, who may have suffered the injury last May, has progressed in his rehab from simply fielding grounders to diving, has yet to face live pitching, and has no current timeline for his return to game action. When he does, he will face competition for the starting job for the first time since he won the position battle with fellow prospect Oswald Peraza in 2023, as the Yankees — not to mention their fans — are high on José Caballero.

SNY | John Flanigan: Ever since watching the 2017 World Baseball Classic ahead of his rookie season, Aaron Judge has been eager to join Team USA for the international tournament. When asked about the experience, this year’s Captain America stressed the “lack of egos” in the group, noting that the roster is filled out with ace pitchers, closers, and star hitters willing to play supplemental roles. So far, this collection of All-Stars have worked out, as Team USA won their first two games and are currently all-but-guaranteed to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

MLB.com: We’re still a few weeks out from Opening Day, but that doesn’t mean it’s not time to think about the Opening Day lineups are going to look like. As is usual, the MLB.com projections are fairly cookie cutter — the Yankees’ projected lineup and rotation have absolutely no surprises — but the collection of all 30 teams in one place does provide a nice way to get up to speed on news throughout the league all in one spot.

On Sunday, the Braves lost to the Rays 9-8 in a game that was no too enjoyable if you like good pitching. Bryce Elder was rocked from the start, while Joey Wentz left the game due to a knee injury (early indications are it is not serious.)

Overall, the Braves have got good production from their pitching this Spring, including Wentz and Elder. However, today was an all too familiar sight. The need for the Braves to add to the rotation remains clear as day, And with the additional money in place after Jurickson Profar’s suspension, the lack of urgency to strengthen the staff as the season draws closer is odd. Hopefully, at some point this week, common sense will prevail and a move will be made to strengthen the staff.

Braves News

Mauricio Dubon was elated to talk with Chipper Jones and responded with some great production at the plate.

A lot of fun moments in the WBC this weekend.

MLB News

Zach Littell signed a one year deal with the Nationals.

TAMPA — Arguably the greatest strength of the Yankees this decade is their bullpen, which is consistently excellent in part because of the organization’s talent in identifying and maximizing talented arms who had failed elsewhere. They found Clay Holmes and Lucas Luetge in 2021, Ian Hamilton and Luke Weaver in ’23 and Tim Hill and Jake Cousins in ’24. 

The discoveries largely halted last season, which helps explain why their bullpen was the 21st most valuable, according to FanGraphs, and not good enough in the postseason. 

For the Yankees’ relief corps to bounce back this year, they would love to stumble across a difference-maker.

Perhaps that will be Dylan Coleman. 

Coleman is a 29-year-old in camp as a non-roster invitee who has a big arm that can touch 100 mph and has been a quality major league reliever: In his first two seasons, 2021-22, the 6-foot-5 righty pitched to a 2.66 ERA in 74 ¹/₃ innings with the Royals. 

But he had a poor 2023 campaign then was traded to the Astros for the 2024 season, struggled at Triple-A and was released in August.

He popped up with the Orioles last season, was ineffective in 11 minor league games and was cut in May. 

The turning point, Coleman believes, occurred next.

He stepped away from organized baseball and spent a few weeks with Mason Feole, who runs a pitching instruction company in Rhode Island.

In his last outing in the Baltimore organization, Coleman said he was throwing 93-94 mph and touching 95 mph. 

“Went up there [to Rhode Island] after I got released,” Coleman said. “Five days later, I was like 99, 100 or so.” 

The couple of weeks were encouraging enough for Coleman to then spend a couple of months training with Feole over the offseason, making small tweaks to feel and look like the pitcher he wanted to be. 

They worked on small mechanical things that added up to big things: getting Coleman’s arm and body in sync, releasing the ball with ideal timing, and cleaning up the direction of his delivery—ensuring he moves straight to the plate rather than falling toward the left, a habit he had to kick. 

“When my direction is good,” Coleman said, “the throw takes care of itself.” 

He also added a sinker that he hopes can record quick outs to a repertoire that already included a hard four-seamer plus a sweeper and cutter.

The Yankees found him and took a flier on an impressive arm with a respectable résumé and one who can be optioned to the minor leagues. 

In a pair of Grapefruit League games, Coleman has pitched two scoreless innings while allowing three hits and a walk and striking out two.

More importantly, Coleman is happy with how he feels, believes his mechanics are sound and is seeing the velocity begin to tick up. 

“I’m in a way better spot than I’ve been in a while,” Coleman said after throwing a live batting practice at Steinbrenner Field on Sunday.

Following a rough day yesterday, the Athletics flipped the script today, winning both games of the spring training split-squad double-header to end the weekend on a positive note. The A’s in Arizona came back from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Las Angeles Dodgers 11-7, while the other half of the team beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-4, splitting the two-game preseason series in Las Vegas.

A’s vs Dodgers

Making his first start of the spring, A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez did not have his best performance, yet that was expected as he is getting back into the groove and likely had to shake off some rust. Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages hit a two-out solo home run off Lopez in the first inning and then Lopez allowed Nick Senzel and Ryan Ward to hit back-t0-back RBI doubles the next inning.

In the fourth inning, the Dodgers added to their lead, scoring three more runs off of A’s pitchers Matt Krook and Kenya Huggins. Up 7-0, it seemed like the Dodgers would coast to another Cactus League victory. However, the A’s top prospect, 19-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries, said not so fast. The best prospect the A’s acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Mason Miller trade singlehandedly willed the A’s comeback against the defending champions, with the caveat that it came against Dodgers minor league pitchers.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, De Vries hit his first homer in an A’s uniform, a two-run blast to right field. An inning later, he came up again, this time with the bases loaded and two outs. De Vries made more noise, hitting a grand slam over the right field fence to trim the A’s deficit to one.

It is hard to believe that the Padres traded this rising star for a reliever. That leaves them without a successor should their starting shortstop 33-year-old Xander Bogaerts start declining as he ages.

De Vries got the A’s back in the game and then his teammates picked up the slack to take the lead and secure the victory. Third baseman Andy Ibàñez’s RBI double tied the game in the sixth inning and then the A’s put up a four-spot in the eighth inning to take their first lead of the game. Minor league outfielder Clark Elliot’s single scored the go-ahead run and then Colby Thomas capped off the scoring with a two-run double. Ibàñez had another run-scoring hit in that inning, finishing the game an impressive 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.

Meanwhile, A’s pitching prospects Zane Taylor and Steven Echavarria shut down the Dodgers for the game’s final three innings. With all the attention on the lefties Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold, do not sleep on these two right-handers as they also have the talent to make waves in the A’s minor leagues this season.

A’s vs Angels

Taking the mound for the second time in an A’s uniform, offseason acquisition Aaron Civale put forth a solid performance. He accumulated four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings pitched. Civale’s lone blemish was Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s two-run home run in the fourth inning. O’Hoppe’s home run gave the Angels the lead, erasing the A’s 1-0 advantage which came courtesy of third base prospect Tommy White’s second home run of the spring in the second inning.

Angels starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz pitched well, only allowing White’s home run in his four inning outing. Once the Angels ended his day, the A’s took advantage, tying and then taking the lead against Angels relievers. The A’s tied the game in the fifth thanks to doubles by Henry Bolte and fellow prospect Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. Bolte, who finished the game with four hits in four at-bats, came up with another big hit later in the game. His two-run home run in the seventh inning gave the hosts a lead that they would not relinquish.

White added his third hit and second home run of the game an inning later to give the A’s a three-run cushion going into the ninth inning.

Relievers Wander Suero and Nick Hernandez protected the A’s late lead in this game, only allowing one run over the final three innings. While they are likely to start in Triple-A, it would not be surprising to see at least one of them with the MLB club this season, especially given the relative dearth of experienced bullpen arms on the A’s roster.

The fact that the A’s won two games today despite getting limited contributions from their core offensive starters bodes well, even if these are just meaningless spring training games. Tomorrow, the team coalesces back into one unit as they travel to Goodyear, AZ to take on the Cincinnati Reds. It will be a matchup of promising young right-handed pitchers with Jack Perkins to start for the A’s and Rhett Lowder for the Reds. Can the A’s make it three in a row or will their week get off to a losing start? Tune in tomorrow to find out.

Observations from Yankees spring training on Sunday:

Third Time’s the Charm

George Lombard Jr., already considered good enough defensively at shortstop to play in the majors, showed off his versatility by playing third base in a 10-4 loss to the Mets at Clover Park. He also tripled as he tries to show he can hit well enough to get to The Bronx.

You Can’t Go Home Again

Ex-Mets prospect Dom Hamel, in Yankees camp as a non-roster invitee after finally breaking through to the majors last year with the Mets, allowed three runs — two earned — and made a throwing error in 2 ²/₃ innings in a disappointing return to Port St. Lucie.

Caught My Eye

Spencer Jones is known mostly for his power, but scouts also praise his speed, and he stole another base Sunday, his third of the spring.

Monday’s Schedule

Max Fried will take the mound for his spring training debut when the Yankees return to Steinbrenner Field to face the Pirates.

Carson Benge -- No. 2 in Joe DeMayo's ranking of the Mets' top 30 prospects for the 2026 season -- impressed during Sunday's 10-4 spring training win over the Yankees.

"It's exciting," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the young players, including Benge's 2-for-3 afternoon at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "Again, I've been saying it for a few days now that their ability to impact the game in so many different ways. There wasn't an easy matchup there, left on left, with (Ryan) Weathers with the way he was throwing the ball. A couple two-strike-approach (hits) there where they're putting the ball in play and just make things happen. The way they run the bases, how they play defense. It's just good baseball from them so far."

Starting in center field and batting sixth, Benge had a pair of singles -- the first a second-inning knock that scored Francisco Alvarez and put the Mets on the board, 2-1 -- and made the most of his latest opportunity.

"For me, I don't really care -- if you throw it in the zone, I'm going to try to hit it, try my best to hit it," Benge said. "So, it doesn't really matter who's throwing -- I just look at it that way."

Through seven games this spring, the 23-year-old is slashing .350/.381/.350 with three runs, an RBI and a stolen base, and embracing what he can learn from his veteran teammates along the way.

"Definitely -- all of 'em, I'd say," Benge said. "Everyone -- Tyrone Taylor, (Juan) Soto, all the outfielders, even (Marcus) Semien a lot -- ut I'd say all those guys have been really kind to me."

Observations from Mets spring training on Monday.

In a Pinch

Jonathan Pintaro provided 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in relief for the Mets in their 10-4 exhibition victory over the Yankees at Clover Park. The right-hander allowed three hits and two walks over that stretch, but recorded three strikeouts to escape trouble.

Slow Go

Jorge Polanco finished 0-for-3 with a strikeout and is batting only .143 in the exhibition season. Polanco started at first base.

Caught My Eye

Hollywood legend Ron Howard was on the field near the Mets dugout before the game and struck up conversations with players and staff.

Monday’s Schedule

Zach Thornton will be on the mound for the Mets against the Marlins at Clover Park.

The Texas Rangers have claimed outfielder Dairon Blanco off waivers from the Royals. Blanco had been designated for assignment earlier this week to make room for the signing of free agent Starling Marte.

The 32-year-old Blanco was the sixth-oldest player on the 40-man roster, despite not yet being arbitration-eligible. He had a late start to his career after defecting from Cuba and was acquired by the Royals in 2019 in a mid-season trade with the Athletics for pitcher Jake Diekman. In parts of four seasons with the Royals, he hit .257/.312/.416 with seven home runs. Speed was his calling card, and he was frequently called on as a pinch-runner, stealing 59 bases, despite just 66 career hits. Blanco appeared in just nine games with the Royals last season, and hit .253/.332/.405 with eight home runs and 32 steals in 77 games for Triple-A Omaha.

Blanco had blazing speed, but for one day, he hit like Babe Ruth. On August 17, 2024, against the Reds, Blanco had a career night with two home runs and 7 RBI, tying a club record. He used a yellow crayon bat for Players’ Weekend, choosing yellow because it was his mom’s favorite color.

Blanco could be erratic at times in the outfield despite his speed. But he wasn’t totally bereft of power like many speedsters, and could be a threat offensively at times. The decision to part ways with a potential base-stealing weapon instead of an outfielder like Drew Waters probably won’t matter much, but it is a bit curious.

The Dodgers on Sunday afternoon made their second round of roster cuts in spring training, sending a dozen players to minor league camp, including top prospect Josue De Paula.

Ryan Ward and pitcher Ronan Kopp, each of whom were added to the 40-man roster in November, were optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The other 10 players cut were non-roster invitees sent to the minor league side of camp — pitchers Carlos Duran, Carson Hobbs, Garrett McDaniels, Jackson Ferris, Wyatt Mills, Jordan Weems, and Lucas Wepf; catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell, plus outfielders De Paula and Kendall George.

These are the first cuts since 11 players were sent to minor league camp on March 2.

De Paula is tied for the Dodgers’ lead this spring with 15 games played, playing every day but once since the Cactus League schedule started on February 21, including the exhibition against Team Mexico last Wednesday. He had nine hits, including a double, in 27 at-bats this spring, with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Wepf is the only player sent down on Sunday who has yet to play in a game yet this spring.

After these roster moves, the Dodgers have 51 players remaining in minor league camp, including 26 pitchers and 25 position players.

TAMPA — Among the competition for the last spot on the Yankees bench is an excellent, flexible defender with a bat perhaps capable of more than it has shown. 

Max Schuemann played six positions just last year for the A’s.

He is a natural infielder who most often manned second base but is capable at shortstop, which is part of why he is in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

The 28-year-old brings a strong glove to each position and can be a backup to José Caballero while Anthony Volpe recovers. 

The path to a spot and playing time would be much wider if Schuemann, playing in a different organization for the first time and enjoying life and technology with the Yankees, can hit more than he has in the past. 

With the A’s, Schuemann hit like, well, a utility player, sporting a .212 average and .603 OPS in 234 games the past two seasons. 

With the A’s last season, Schuemann played his home games at a minor league ballpark without modern luxuries.

A tool such as the Trajekt machine — which is basically a robot that mimics any pitcher’s delivery and repertoire — was not available because the A’s didn’t have one. 

“That’s been fun to use,” Schuemann said Sunday from Steinbrenner Field, where he has played with the machine just about every other day. “Whether it benefits me or not, I’m not really sure. But I do feel like it’s helpful for timing going into a game. 

“I mean, you’re basically facing a pitcher before you actually face him.” 

The machine is universally praised by hitters who have access and is standard prep for Yankees hitters.

For a hitter like Schuemann — who has shown a strong knowledge of the strike zone, rarely chases or strikes out but has not hit the ball hard in his short career — it can’t hurt, and the way-too-early returns have been nice: 5-for-12 with seven walks plus two steals in 19 Grapefruit League plate appearances. 

The different minds around the team can help, too.

Schuemann had been with the former Oakland franchise since being drafted in 2018 until the trade last month in which the Yankees gave up minor league righty Luis Burgos.

The Yankees do have a strong history with infielders from Michigan. Schuemann was born in Kalamazoo. 

“I have my fair share of [Derek] Jeter memorabilia,” Schuemann said with a smile. “He was definitely a role model of mine.” 

Schuemann has several minor league options so he will be with the organization regardless, but continuing his strong camp would give the Yankees plenty to think about in constructing their roster.

Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario will be on the bench, and Randal Grichuk is the leading candidate for another spot as a righty-hitting outfielder.

If the Yankees do not believe Ryan McMahon can ably fill in at shortstop and if Oswaldo Cabrera is still recovering, perhaps Schuemann becomes the 26th man rather than, say, J.C. Escarra. 

Such decisions and concern over those decisions are for another day. 

“Really just trying to get my feet on the ground, basically, and show [the Yankees] that I can play all the positions that I’m set to play,” Schuemann said. “My goal in camp is just check as many boxes as possible.”

Box Score

Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn both had two extra-base hits, Ethan Murray channelled his inner Barry Bonds, and Kyle Harrison struck out over half of the batters he faced to earn Milwaukee their fourth straight spring victory.

The only batter to reach base for either team in the first inning was Jake Bauers, who laced a one-out double into right off of Mariners starter George Kirby. In the top of the second, a passed ball by Jeferson Quero allowed Patrick Wisdom to reach on a strikeout. The next batter up was Leo Rivas, who hit a 441-foot home run to give Seattle an early 2-0 lead.

Aside from the Rivas home run, Harrison — Milwaukee’s starting pitcher — pitched incredibly well today. Harrison struck out eight Mariners in just three innings of work, with four of those strikeouts coming in the second inning. He walked two batters, but only allowed two hits — the other a double off the bat of Lazaro Montes in the second.

Milwaukee finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth.

Andrew Vaughn led off with a ground-rule double, prompting Mariners manager Dan Wilson to remove Kirby in favor of Troy Taylor. Taylor got David Hamilton to fly out for the first out, but Blake Perkins ripped a single into right field to score Vaughn from second. Perkins advanced to second on the throw home, giving Milwaukee another runner in scoring position with only one out. After Brock Wilken popped out for the second out, Quero walked on a 3-2 count to keep the inning alive. That brought up prospect Ethan Murray, who crushed a monster 477-foot home run (110-mph exit velocity) to give the Brewers a 4-2 lead.

The scoring didn’t stop there, either.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bauers homered off of Josh Simpson for his second hit of the game. The next batter, Christian Yelich, worked a walk, and Vaughn doubled again to knock him in. Vaughn then advanced to third on a wild pitch — still with nobody out. Unfortunately, despite a two-out walk by Brock Wilken, Simpson was able to bear down. Hamilton, Perkins, and Quero all struck out to end the inning with the score 6-2 Milwaukee.

Jacob Misiorowski gave up a home run to Brennan Davis to start the top of the sixth, but the scoring would end there as the Brewers picked up their fourth straight win.

Harrison and Misiorowski (3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6K) both looked ready for the season. Jared Koenig, Jesús Broca, and Will Childers all held the Mariners scoreless in their appearances. Vaughn and Bauers both had multiple extra-base hits. Murray only had one hit, but his moonshot was probably the highlight of the game.

The Crew will look to make it five straight tomorrow in an NLCS rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CT.

PORT ST. LUCIE — The power has always been there for Ryan Weathers. 

Where the hard-throwing lefty has had issues in the past is in pitching effectively and staying healthy. 

He was not at his sharpest on Sunday against the Mets, but the 26-year-old, expected to be an important new piece to the rotation, said he’s still getting used to being in game competition at this point in the spring. 

For a pitcher who’s never started more than 18 games in a major league season, just staying healthy is key. 

“He has immense talent,’’ pitching coach Matt Blake said Sunday. “The biggest thing is supporting him to keep his routine together to help keep him on the field.” 

Blake has a good understanding of what kind of potential the 26-year-old has. 

Part of Blake’s job when he worked in player development with Cleveland before the Yankees hired him to be their pitching coach prior to the 2020 season was to be involved in the draft process. 

It was when Blake was in that role when he first encountered Ryan Weathers, then a top prospect at Loretto High School in Tennessee. 

“He was a baseball player, not just a pitcher,’’ Blake said Sunday, before Weathers started at Clover Park. “He had a good feel for the game. And you wouldn’t necessarily think he was a great athlete, you watch him on the mound and he moves really well. He handles himself and has good instincts.” 

Aaron Boone talked about the 26-year-old’s athleticism and power. 

But the lefty has yet to put it all together in the majors after San Diego made him the No. 7 overall pick in 2018. 

“I saw him there and then watched him ascend from San Diego to Miami,’’ Blake said. “It’s hard to know, especially when they come out of high school, what direction they’re gonna go in. You think they can improve their body and throw harder, but it takes a guy to commit to the process. Young guys like that can get chewed up in the minors, but he got up there quickly and has had to go through some ups and downs and fight to stay on the field.” 

If that happens, the Yankees believe the results will follow. 

Sunday was not a great example of that, as Weathers was knocked around for six runs — five earned — in two innings over a 59-pitch outing. 

He routinely hit 99 mph on the radar gun, but allowed seven hits and a pair of walks as he rushed his delivery, especially with runners on base and when he was trying to finish off at-bats. 

“What I didn’t do well, because it’s been so long since I’ve been in that game-type atmosphere where there’s traffic, is I’ve got to do a better job of slowing down and not trying to do too much,” Weathers said. 

Boone, who remains confident Weathers can be a “front-line starter,” agreed. 

“I think he has a lot of room to grow,’’ the manager said. “These are good situations to be in right now.” 

Blake said they are working with Weathers — the son of former Yankees reliever David Weathers — to alter his workout routine in an effort to avoid injuries. 

He spent time on the IL with a strained lat and a flexor strain a year ago. The Yankees are counting on more than that. 

“He’s really impressed everyone,’’ Aaron Boone said. “His stuff is real. The big thing for him is getting out there and going to the post. I think he’ll do special things. He’s a beast.”