Category: MLB

MIAMI — They have zero interest talking politics.

They are quite familiar with the unrest in Venezuela, but sorry, they’re not about to go near the subject.

Instead, they are hoping they can help with the healing, and provide a sense of national pride, going where no Venezuelan baseball team has gone before.

Venezuela, for the first time in its history, will play for the World Baseball Classic championship on Tuesday night against the USA at 8 p.m. ET at LoanDepot Park in front of a partisan, sold out crowd after beating Italy, 4-2, on Monday night.

The ballpark was packed with 35,382 fans, with about 35,000 of them rooting for Venezuela in a Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area where about 250,000 Venezuelans reside.

“This is a dream come true for me,’’ Venezuela manager Omar Lopez said. “What could I do to give some joy to my country? In Venezuela we have over 30 million people that are willing to see Venezuela winning, and I'll find a way to do that together with my people.’’

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: As spring training nears an end, these are some interesting observations or storylines to follow. Due to a minor setback, Cam Schlittler’s buildup time was pushed back a little, so while he’ll probably only be able to throw 70 or so pitches come Opening Day, the Yankees can leverage a piggyback situation for his season debut since they won’t need a fifth starter the first time through the rotation. Outside of that, Carlos Lagrange and Kervin Castro are names to watch. While the former will likely continue to build up as a hard-throwing starter in the minors, both could make an impact out of the bullpen at some point this year.

New York Post | Mark Suleymanov: Following the United States’ victory over the Dominican Republic on Sunday night, Aaron Judge spoke to reporters about the atmosphere that he’s been a part of during the World Baseball Classic. Captain America compared the atmosphere of the tournament to the World Series we don’t talk about and said that it’s “been bigger.” It makes sense though as fans get to cheer for their countries here and display national pride, and right now his team’s winning as they get ready to play Venezuela in the final tonight.

FanGraphs | Davy Andrews: It’s everyone’s favorite time of year — Power Rankings Season! Between now and Opening Day, FanGraphs will be going around the diamond and doing a positional power ranking to see how teams stack up against each other. They start with catchers and the Bombers come in just outside of the top five in sixth place. Though Austin Wells is coming off a down year in 2025, he’s still projected to be a solid lead backstop for The Bombers and legitimate power threat who can really be an asset at home plate. This ranking also factors Ben Rice into the catching mix, even though he’ll likely see little-to-no playing time there, barring an emergency, but they’re also still high on J.C. Escarra.

FanGraphs | Eric Longenhagen: When MLB is considering any drastic rule changes, they first pilot them in the minors to see how players adapt to them and see what kind of results they produce. So it’s always interesting to see what rule changes MLB is trying out in the minors, as they announced their latest set of experimental rules. Granted none of these are locks to make it to the majors, but still fun to see and think about. Some of the more interesting ones include rules to allow a starting pitcher to re-enter a game after being removed and introducing a “Check-Swing Challenge” to go along with the ABS system. Outside of that, they’re experimenting further tinkering with rules around mound visits, pitch clocks, batter disengagements, and the position of second base.

A couple of notes ahead of the recap, first — today’s transactions:

Brooke Fletcher helped break down today’s moves with insight as to where some players will land to start the season.

With very little action in the first, Lenyn Sosa picked up a walk in the second, but the White Sox failed to do anything. Josh Jung tripled in the bottom of the second and crossed the plate when Danny Jansen doubled, putting the Rangers on the board.

In the top of the third, Tristan Peters was hit by a pitch, and with one out, Derek Hill singled on a bunt. With two outs, Everson Pereira drew a walk to load the bases for Jarred Kelenic, prompting a pitching change for the Rangers. Josh Hejka stepped in. Naturally, Kelenic grounded out to end the inning.

In the fourth, LaMonte Wade Jr. picked up a four-pitch walk with one out and stole both second and third, but was caught in a rundown on Curtis Mead’s grounder. Mead made it to second base on the rundown and got to third on a wild pitch, but it was all in vain when Korey Lee struck out.

After giving up a walk and hit by pitch in the bottom of the fifth, Sean Burke was pulled and replaced by Ben Peoples. Thankfully, Peoples got Jake Burger to line out and end the inning. After giving up that run in the first, Burke settled down pretty well, going 4 ⅔ innings with three hits, three walks and four Ks.

[Quick World Baseball Classic update: Sam Antonacci showed off his White Sox skill set by leaving the bases loaded for Italy while watching his third strike fly by in the sixth inning.]

Back to Arizona, where Jordan Leasure came in to face the Rangers in the bottom of the seventh and immediately gave up a double to Ezequiel Duran. With one out between plays, Wyatt Langford walked, putting runners in the corners. Burger ended the threat after being called out on strikes.

In the mix of the inning, there was a really great catch from Hill:

In the eighth Alejandro Osuna singled with one out, and Cooper Johnson picked up a walk. Jansen managed his second RBI double of the night, making it 3-0. Those two insurance runs would loom large in mere minutes …

… because just as I was writing the team off with a funny comparison of cold bats and the city of Chicago’s cold front, the White Sox scored two late runs. Dustin Harris hit a one-out double, and Oliver Dunn brought him in with a home run to make it 3-2.

Alas, the ninth-inning rally would be fruitless after William Bergolla Jr. lined out, and Lee struck out swinging. Lee would end up with a golden sombrero, whiffing all four times up to the plate. Come back soon, Kyle Teel!

It was a battle of the relative underdogs in this semifinal, Venezuela appearing in this round for the first time in 17 years after eliminating tournament favorites and defending champions Japan in the quarters, while Italy made its first ever appearance this late in the tournament. Italy rode their patient, disciplined approach this far in the tournament, but could never come through with the big hit tonight against a transcendent Venezuela bullpen, allowing Arepa Power to come from behind in the seventh and punch their ticket to the World Baseball Classic Championship Game against Team USA.

Semifinals Game 2: Venezuela 4, Italy 2

Michael Lorenzen was supposed to start this game for Team Italy, but manager Francisco Cervelli had a last minute flash of inspiration and switched to Aaron Nola, hoping the Phillies veteran’s experience could carry the day against the dangerous Venezuela lineup. Maikel Garica was the game’s first baserunner, reaching on a one-out bunt single in the first, but he was doubled off at first by a cannon throw from center fielder Jakob Marsee on a Luis Arraez fly out. A more conventional double play ground ball ended the bottom half after Jon Berti reached with a one-out single.

Venezuela starter Keider Montero was on a strict 45-pitch limit after pitching twice over the previous five days, and it became clear in the second why his manager had such a short leash. He gave up a one-out single to Zach Dezenzo and then walked the next three batters he faced, putting Italy on the board, 1-0, and ending his outing at just 34 pitches. Therefore, it was up to a Venezuela bullpen taxed by their efforts against Japan in the quarterfinals to pitch the final 7.2 innings of this game. Dante Nori then rolled over a grounder to the right side resulting in Italy’s second run to score on a fielder’s choice out at second.

Eugenio Suárez signed a one-year deal to return to the Reds this offseason and he finally stamped his mark on this tournament. His 325 home runs are third-most all time for a Venezuelan player behind Miguel Cabrera and Andrés Galarraga, and he did what he does best in the fourth inning, pulling an 0-1 knuckle curve from Nola into the seats in left to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

The game slowed to a relative lull for the next two innings, neither team managing more than a single here, a walk there, a hit batsman there. In the sixth, Italy created their best chance to score since the second, loading the bases on a Dezenzo single, J.J. D’Orazio intentional walk, and Nori single. However, Venezuela reliever Angel Zerpa — yet to give up a run in four relief appearances this tournament — struck out Sam Antonacci to leave all three ducks on the pond.

Originally scheduled Italy starter Lorenzen did come on in relief of Nola after the fourth, and Cervelli’s decision to flip-flop his pitchers appeared paid off with a scoreless fifth and sixth. That is, until there were two outs in the seventh. He issued a leadoff walk to Gleyber Torres but then tallied a quick pair of strikeouts to pull close to escaping the jam. However, he surrendered a pair of ground ball singles to Jackson Chourio and Ronald Acuña Jr., the latter plating pinch-runner Andrés Giménez as the tying run. That prompted Cervelli to emerge from the Italy dugout, but it appeared that Lorenzen managed to talk his manager into staying in the game after a lengthy mound visit, and that’s a decision he and his manager instantly regretted. Lorenzen yielded another pair of two-out singles to Garcia and Arraez to give Venezuela their first lead of the game, 4-2.

From there, the credit belongs to Venezuela’s heavily-used bullpen. Things looked like they could get out of hand after Montero was chased from the game having recorded just four outs. However, Ricardo Sánchez, Luinder Avila, Zerpa, Eduard Bazardo, Andrés Machado, and Daniel Palencia issued a relief gem, tossing 7.2 scoreless frames with just three singles and two walks allowed. Palencia in particular was untouchable, striking out the final two hitters on 99 mph fastballs to lock down the victory, 4-2.

Box Score

Just like that, we have our WBC Championship Game set, and what a matchup it’s shaping up to be. Both lineups for Team USA and Venezuela are packed with All-Stars, both teams possessing bona fide game-winners. Team USA has the distinct advantage of a day’s rest after downing the Dominican Republic, 2-1, on Sunday, while Venezuela’s bullpen is taxed after two heavy usage elimination games in three days.

USA manager Mark DeRosa selected Mets sophomore pitcher Nolan McLean to start the game despite the hard-throwing 24-year-old having given up three runs in three innings on a pair of home runs in his team’s 8-6 loss to Italy in the final game of pool play. Venezuela will turn to former Red Sox/current Diamondbacks southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez, who could be in for a stern test against Aaron Judge and the rest of the Team USA offense. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EDT with the broadcast on FOX.

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets play the Marlins on Tuesday in Jupiter, but all eyes will be on Miami later in the evening — and slightly further south.

Nolan McLean will take the mound for Team USA in the final of the WBC as the 24-year-old looks to build on what’s been an encouraging spring.

And even as McLean has opened eyes with the Mets both in the spring — as well as down the stretch last season after being called up to the majors — Carlos Mendoza said this will be a type of environment the rookie has never seen before.

Most importantly, the manager hopes McLean finishes the game unscathed.

“I have mixed feelings,” Mendoza said Monday at Clover Park before the Mets faced the Nationals. “I’m not gonna lie.”

The biggest fear among organizations is that an important player will be lost to injury in the tournament, as the Mets know well after Edwin Díaz was knocked out for the 2023 season when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee while celebrating a win for Team Puerto Rico in that year’s WBC.

But Mendoza also knows how much McLean can gain from pitching in that type of game.

“You’re representing your country and you’ve got the whole world watching you,” Mendoza said. “In this case, he’s got ‘USA’ on his chest, playing with and against the best players. It’s going to be intense. That doesn’t mean the intensity is not the same at the big league level. The big leagues are the big leagues, but this is something different. It’ll be definitely different than what he experienced last year.”

With that comes the concern that he tries to do too much at this point of the spring.

“That’s on the back of the mind of people and organizations,” Mendoza said. “I’m pretty sure the Pirates felt the same way with [Paul] Skenes pitching. … You hold your breath.”

In the end, though, Mendoza is confident McLean is up for the challenge.

“As far as him pitching in that environment, he’s wired, he’s built for moments like that based on what we saw last year,” he said. “I’ve been around him and said the moment is never too big for him. It’ll be fun and I’ll be watching.”

Watching, and one other thing: “We’ll be praying.”

Francisco Lindor felt good Monday, according to Carlos Mendoza, after playing Sunday in his first Grapefruit League game since he underwent left hamate bone surgery last month.

The shortstop was a full participant in Monday’s drills. If he doesn’t report any setbacks, Mendoza said Lindor would play Tuesday in Jupiter and then begin playing back-to-back days following Wednesday’s team off-day.

Carson Benge is still trying to land a spot on the Opening Day roster and started Monday’s game in right field.

Mendoza and the front office have declined to tip their hand about the top prospect’s chances of making the team out of spring training.

“He needs to continue to play his game,’’ Mendoza said. “There’s a lot that can happen by Opening Day. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He doesn’t have to do anything extra. Just let us make the decision.”

Carlos Mendoza had a conversation with Mark Vientos on Sunday. 

The Mets' skipper just wanted to sit the 26-year-old slugger down amid his continued spring training struggles at the plate to remind him that he already has a place on this team.

Mendoza didn’t necessarily get the sense that Vientos needed to hear that, but he felt it was important for him.

“It’s the human-element,” he said. “They are competitors going out there, they want to see results -- I think the past couple of years he comes into camp trying to make the team, and we know he is part of this team moving forward.

“I thought it was just important for him, like we’re not looking for results here we’re just looking for quality at-bats and as long as you’re seeing the ball well and swinging it good, that’s all that matters right now.”

Vientos responded by going 0-for-4 again on Monday night. 

He is now hitless in three games since returning from a sluggish World Baseball Classic. 

While the infielder did strikeout for the sixth time this spring during his second plate appearance, he did also hit into another tough luck out before that. 

After youngster Carson Benge opened the bottom of the first with a seven-pitch walk, Vientos dug in and scorched an up and in slider from Nationals left-hander Zach Penrod for a 106.4 mph liner.

It was the eighth-hardest hit ball of the night, unfortunately it was directly at the left fielder, which has been the story of his spring to this point. 

There's no denying Vientos is struggling, but he has been hitting the ball hard, which gives Mendoza confidence he can find his way out of it.

“We’re not putting too much into results right now,” the skipper emphasized. “The biggest thing for him is just continue to see the ball well, continue to make hard contact, and continue to work hard defensively.

“He’s going to be a big player for us. He’s going to be a big bat, and we’re counting on him. I’m pretty confident that we’re going to get a really good version of Mark Vientos.”

Observations from Mets spring training on Monday.

Alvarez is all right

After being hampered by injuries early last year, Francisco Alvarez continued his solid spring with a double, impressing Carlos Mendoza with his rhythm at the plate. 

Hit or miss

Maybe Mark Vientos is saving his hits for the regular season. He’s 1-for-25 for the Mets after another hitless night.

Mendoza said he spoke with the slugger. “He’s fine,” the manager said. “I told him, ‘You’re on the team. You’re not trying to make the team. Continue to get hard contact, and work defensively. He’s gonna be a big player for us.” 

Caught my eye

Christian Scott has shown flashes of promise in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, but he struggled against Washington, allowing a homer and a double to the DH. 

Tuesday’s schedule

Sean Manaea takes the mound against the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. at 1:10 p.m. in a spring in which the left-hander’s velocity has been down.

Welcome back to another week at BCB After Dark: the hippest hot spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit wit us. No matter if the weather is hot or cold out there, the vibe in here is cool. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last week I asked you what was Team USA manager Mark DeRosa’s biggest mistake in the loss to Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Forty-four percent of you said that DeRosa never should have started rookie Nolan McLean. Another 25 percent thought that starting Paul Goldschmidt over Bryce Harper was his biggest boner.

Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You can skip that if you want. You won’t hurt my feelings.

Tonight we’re featuring a classic performance from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers from 1958. Lee Morgan is on trumpet, Benny Golson on saxophone, Jymie Merritt on bass and Bobby Timmons on pianto.

This is “Whisper Not.”

So the Academy Awards were last night and One Battle After Another won Best Picture. Unless you worked on the film. I’m telling you that you should not care. I’ve seen way too many arguments about it online today.

Tonight I’m continuing my series of offering my thoughts of the top ten films in the 2022 BFI Sight & Sound critics poll of the greatest film of all time. Of all such polls, this is the one that is considered the most “canonical.” Although none of them won an Oscar for Best Picture or Best Foreign Film, which ties into my previous paragraph. But even with the the BFI list, I don’t agree with all of the top ten picks in the poll and I imagine that literally no one does. We all have our own opinions and that’s fine. Like the Oscars, have fun with this but don’t take it too seriously.

My plan was to do two short pieces on each film at a time, but once again I got too involved in writing up Beau Travail that I’m going to put off Mulholland Drive until next time. In any case, it would have been a major feat for me to not go on and on about Mulholland Drive, so me writing a little too much on Beau Travail tonight is probably a good thing.

7. Beau Travail (1999). Directed by Claire Denis. Starring Denis Lavant, Michel Subor and Grégoire Colin.

Beau Travail (“Nice Work”) is director Claire Denis’ re-imagining of the Herman Melville novella Billy Budd. The setting of this psychological drama is changed from a Royal Navy ship during the French Revolutionary Wars to the modern-day French Foreign Legion in Djibouti. The entire story is told in flashback by a former Legionnaire with very little dialogue. The film is quiet, deliberate and poetic. Denis grew up in French Colonial Africa and she definitely has an eye for the continent’s beauty. 

I’ve never read Billy Budd, but I have seen the 1962 Peter Ustinov-directed film version that starred Terence Stamp, Robert Ryan and Ustinov, so I’m somewhat dangerously basing some of my thoughts on that. Denis makes some clever adjustments to the Melville story. For one, rather than focusing on the characters played by Stamp (Budd) and Ustinov (Captain Vere), Lavant plays Galoup, which is the equivalent of the Ryan role, who is the villain of the Ustinov film. So the villain of Billy Budd becomes the protagonist, although definitely not the hero, of Beau Travail. It’s an interesting switch. Certainly in the Ustinov film, we’re supposed to identify with the unfair abuse that Billy is subjected to. That’s just not that interesting to Denis. What’s more interesting are the rather inscrutable motivations of the abuser.  

Also, by setting Beau Travail in the modern day also takes the death penalty off the table, so Denis had to come up with a creative way to work that in anyways.

Galoup is our narrator, who tells us of his time in the French Foreign Legion in Djibouti. He has a local girlfriend, whom he goes dancing with at the clubs. He loves his service in the Legion and admires his commanding officer Forestier (Subor). His entire concept of his own self is tied up in his image of himself as a Legionnaire. He loves the self-discipline and order that comes with being in the Legion.

Galoup’s world is shook when a new recruit, Gilles Sentain (Colin), joins the unit. Galoup instantly takes a strong dislike to Sentain. Galoup believes that Sentain is a malignant force in the unit and in particular, he dislikes the interest that Forestier is taking in him. To be clear, Sentain has given Galoup no particular reason to hate him. He’s been nothing but a quiet soldier who does his job. This is something carried over from Billy Budd, or at least the Ustinov film version. (Reading a summary of the novella, Melville posits that Claggart envies Billy’s good looks.) Galoup warns Forestier of the malign force that he believes Sentain represents, but his warnings are ignored by Forestier because there is nothing behind them. Eventually, there’s a confrontation between the two men which changes the lives of both of them.

There isn’t much dialogue in Beau Travail and the story is pushed along by Galoup talking about his memories after he returned to France. Denis luxuriates in the beauty of the East African desert and honestly, the men. If you’re the type who enjoys a film featuring lots of buff, shirtless men sweating while working and exercising in the hot African sun, this is the movie for you. There’s a definite homosexual subtext to the entire film, but it never bubbles to the surface. Maybe sexual attraction is the reason that Galoup hates Sentain so much, but we’re given no reason to think either one is gay and Galoup did have a native girlfriend whom he clearly misses after he returned to France.

In fact, much of what makes Beau Travail a good film is how much is left unsaid. Denis lets the images of the men, the desert and the battle between the two do most of the talking. It’s a beautiful and wistful series of images that tell a compelling tale.

Would I put it in my top ten? Here’s where the film loses me. Were I Siskel or Ebert back in the nineties and asked my opinion of Beau Travail, I’d give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. But as one of the ten greatest films of all time? No way. Denis was the assistant director on director Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire (she was the one to brilliantly suggest Peter Falk for the film) and I think Wings of Desire is the clearly better film. That film is a candidate for my list of the greatest ten films of all time. I could probably name close to a hundred films that I would vote for before I’d consider Beau Travail. So while I agree that the film should be acclaimed and that it should be somewhere in the BFI Sight & Sound Top 250, I think number seven is way too high. But you shouldn’t take that as criticism. You should still watch it.

Here’s a trailer from the 4K restoration of Beau Travail.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Ben Brown has a new sinker. (Baseball Prospectus sub. req. although if you subscribe to Apple News, it’s also here.) Ben Brown is looking very impressive in Spring Training with is new sinker.

We’ve heard this story before. Brown was a very promising pitching prospect that the Cubs got from the Phillies in 2022 for David Robertson. He made his major league debut in 2024 and between that year and last year, he’s been bouncing between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He’s been quite poor (5.26 ERA) over the course of his career as a starter. He’s been just “below average” as a reliever in his career with a 4.79 ERA.

Brown has struggled in his career despite some nasty stuff, an excellent strikeout rate and solid control. In that Baseball Prospectus article, Maddie Landis argues that Brown’s problem is that he’s been a two-pitch pitcher. Despite his fastball being around 96 miles per hour, it’s very hittable because, among other reasons, he catches too much of the plate with it too often. His knuckle-curve should be elite, but she argues that with only two real pitches, it’s too predictable. When major league hitters can guess what you’re throwing, even elite stuff is hittable.

Should this sinker turn out to be a real weapon for Brown, Landis argues that Brown has number-two starter upside. With a good third pitch, hitters will no longer be able to guess on the other two pitches and be right at least half the time. (Brown also has a changeup, but he rarely throws it because it’s not very good.)

The problem with Brown starting this year is that the Cubs already have a full starting rotation. Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Shōta Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are already written down as the rotation to start the season. Justin Steele looks to be ready to go by Memorial Day.

So Brown will almost certainly start the season in the bullpen. But will he stay there? Pitchers get hurt. Also, Jameson Taillon hasn’t looked great in Spring Training. Nor was he great in the World Baseball Classic for Canada. We’ve talked about Imanaga’s struggles at the end of last season. If either one of them continue to struggle and Brown is pitching well out of the bullpen, then the Cubs will have to consider making a move to put Brown in the rotation.

Of course, this all assumes that Brown’s is as successful against regular season hitters as it is against the ones in Spring Training. It also assumes that Brown can go deep into games and throw 90 to 100 pitches every fifth day instead of 15-20 two or three times a week.

So do you think Brown will be more of a reliever or a starter in 2026? I asked in what role will he throw the most innings, because it’s hard to compare appearances as a reliever to appearances as a starter.

Thanks so very much for stopping by. We hope you’ve enjoyed yourself. Please get home safely. We want you to stop by again. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.

Francisco Alvarez continued his strong spring on Monday night. 

After youngster Carson Benge led off the bottom of the first with a walk, the slugger quickly drove him in, lining an RBI double down the left-field line for the Mets’ first run of the game. 

Alvarez walked on five-pitches two innings later, then struck out swinging in the bottom of the fifth, and flew out in the seventh to end his night 1-for-3.

Reaching two more times in the loss, though, the right-hitting backstop is now up to a stellar .381 average, .440 on-base percentage, and 1.017 OPS through 21 spring games.

He’s also driven in four runs, and half of his hits have gone for extra-bases. 

With Opening Day drawing closer and closer, Carlos Mendoza think he’s in a really good position. 

“I like the rhythm at the plate,” the skipper said. “When he’s on time for the fastball he’s a dangerous hitter. There’s been some really good takes, and overall physically he feels good -- that’s where it starts, with him being healthy -- so I like where he’s at offensively, and we have to keep it that way.”

This version of Alvarez is the one that the Mets saw when the former top prospect made his return from the minors down the stretch last season. 

He hit .276 with 18 XBH’s, 21 RBI, and a .921 OPS during the second-half. 

The 23-year-old keeping himself healthy and carrying over that form would be a huge boost for New York’s revamped lineup heading into the regular season. 

PORT ST. LUCIE — Cristian Pache started in center field against the Nationals on Monday at Clover Park, but his future seems destined for Triple-A Syracuse, where the Mets hope to unlock some tools on offense, as Pache has already proven himself as a stellar defensive outfielder. 

His prowess in center is no surprise, considering his history. 

Pache, 27, signed with the Braves out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 and went on to wear No. 25 in the majors with Atlanta in 2021. 

The decision to wear that number was easy for Pache — who spent all of last season with Arizona’s Triple-A Reno affiliate. 

“When I was young, my dad was a big fan of Atlanta and used to have me watch a lot of Andruw Jones videos,” Pache said recently through an interpreter. “From a defensive standpoint, I took after him.” 

As far as models go, that was a pretty good choice, as Jones is headed to Cooperstown largely because of how well he played center over a 17-year major league career spent mostly with the Braves. 

After signing with the Braves and coming up through the minor league system, Pache got to work with Jones, who was an instructor with Atlanta following his playing career that ended with the Yankees in 2012.

Jones will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. 

“After I met him, we had a good relationship, so I figured I’d wear his number,” Pache said. 

“In my first spring with the Braves, he was there and gave me advice and told me how to work on skills and tricks to help improve my ability on defense.” 

He signed a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp in December and has so far looked good with his new team. 

Pache entered Monday 11-for-25 with three extra-base hits in 11 Grapefruit League games, as the Mets remain hopeful he has the tools to become a player in the majors. 

With Juan Soto in left field, Luis Robert Jr. in center and Carson Benge potentially the future in right, there might not be room for Pache in Queens. 

But he’s still managed to impress. 

“He’s an elite defender,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Offensively, we’ve seen him hit the ball hard up the middle and run the bases. There are a lot of tools there. It’s good to see him getting results.”

In a see saw game on Monday night at Clover Park, the Mets fell 12-6 to the Nationals thanks to Washington’s six-run eruption in the ninth inning. It was the Mets’ ninth loss of the spring to go along with their 11 wins and one tie. The Mets return to action tomorrow afternoon as they travel to Jupiter to face the Marlins. Sean Manaea will take the ball in that game as he looks to secure his spot in the team’s rotations ahead of Opening Day.

• David Peterson started for New York and had an uneven outing. He allowed two runs in the first and two runs in the fourth. He was charged with four earned runs on five hits, with two walks and two strikeouts over four innings.
• The Mets got a pair back in the bottom half of the frame against Zach Penrod. Carson Benge led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Francisco Alvarez drove Benge home on a double down the left field line, and then came around to score on a Ronny Mauricio two-out double.
• Cristian Pache launched a solo home run in the second to give New York their first lead of the night. The Mets extended their lead in the third, as Mauricio singled home Jared Young.
• Washington’s Riley Adams singled home two runs in the top of the fourth to knot the game up at four apiece.
• After Peterson’s outing was complete, Devin Williams took the ball and hurled a scoreless fifth inning. The Mets’ closer struck out one and walked one as he lowered his ERA on the spring to 1.80
• Cristian Scott came in and pitched three-plus innings for New York, allowing three earned runs on five hits. Scott struck out four and did not walk a batter.
• Washington went ahead in the sixth when CJ Abrams led off with a triple and came around to score on a wild pitch. They added a run in the seventh on a James Woods leadoff home run.
• The Mets pulled even on a Christian Arroyo two-run home run in the eighth, his first of the spring for the Mets.
• The wheels came off for New York in the ninth inning, ultimately leading to their demise in this one. Woods doubled off Scott to lead off the inning, which ended the right-hander’s night. Douglas Orellana came in to try and hold the Nationals off the scoreboard, but he immediately allowed a double to Joey Weimer, which brought the pinch runner Luis Arias home. Later in the inning, Orellana threw a wild pitch, which brought home the eighth Washington run. Viandel Pena drove home two runs with a single past the third base bag, and another run came home on a Murphy Stehly run-scoring single.
• That spelled the end of the night for Orellana, who could not escape the ninth inning. Gregori Louis came in and allowed another run-scoring hit, which made it six runs in the inning for Washington as they batted around. He recovered to retire Luis Arias for the final out of the nightmarish ninth.
• Benge had another great night, going 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. He raised his spring average to .406 and his OPS to .972.
• Alvarez and Mauricio each had good nights for New York. Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and a one driven in, while Mauricio had two hits in four at-bats while driving in two of New York’s six runs.
• Pache also had a two-hit night, with a double to go along with his home run.
• On the flip side, Mark Vientos had another brutal showing, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. His average has now fallen to .040 on the spring, which isn’t counting his tough stint with Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic.

The Mets were defeated by the Washington Nationals 12-6 on Monday night at Clover Park.

Here are some takeaways...

- Carson Benge continues to solidify his case for the Mets' Opening Day RF spot. The youngster reached safely in all four of his plate appearances on the night -- walking in the first, lining an opposite-field double in the second, walking again in the fourth, then lacing a 107.6 mph single in the seventh. 

Benge is riding a six-game hitting streak, helping bring his average to .406 on the spring. 

- It was a good night for two of the regulars in the Mets' starting lineup, as well. Francisco Alvarez reached twice with a first inning RBI double and a five-pitch walk in the third, and Ronny Mauricio laced a pair of opposite-field run scoring knocks, both of which came from the right-side against left-handed pitchers. 

Mauricio is now hitting .313 on the spring, and Alvarez is up to a 1.107 OPS. 

- Cristian Pache also continued his strong spring at the plate, reaching twice including a solo homer. The 27-year-old hasn't found much success to this point in his big-league career, but he'd give the Mets quality depth if he can continue this offensive surge to begin the season in Syracuse. 

Pache, a career .181 hitter, is hitting .464 with a 1.302 OPS on the spring. 

- Mark Vientos, on the other hand, continues to struggle and run into some tough luck offensively. He laced a 106.4 mph lineout right at the left fielder in the bottom of the first, broke his bat and softly lined out to third in the third, flew out to the warning track in the fourth, and struck out with a man on in the seventh. 

The slugger remains hitless since returning from the WBC, and is hitting just .040 in camp. 

- David Peterson endured a bit of an up-and-down outing. Washington made him pay in the first, turning two walks and two hits into a pair of runs, before he settled into a groove. The left-hander retired the next nine hitters he faced before the Nats turned three fourth-inning singles into two more two-out runs. 

Peterson's spring ERA is now 5.63 after allowing four runs on five hits and two walks over four innings. 

- Devin Williams continues to look in mid-season form. The Mets' new closer worked around a leadoff walk and stolen base in the top of the fifth, striking out one, as he put together his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance since allowing a homer on his very first pitch he threw this spring.

Williams has now struck out six and is down to a 1.80 ERA in Grapefruit League play.

- Christian Scott was hit around a bit in his third outing back. The righty gave up a triple to the first batter he faced in the sixth before allowing him to score on a wild pitch. James Wood then jumped him for a homer leading off the seventh. Wood would lace a leadoff double in the ninth to end Scott's night. 

Scott gave up three runs on five hits and struck out five while stretching out to 56 pitches. 

- Infielder Christian Arroyo evened things up with his first homer of the spring in the bottom of the eighth, before Washington regained command with six runs against Douglas Orellana in the top of the ninth.

Highlights

Francisco Alvarez with the double to drive in Carson Benge! pic.twitter.com/h6ufDMGp06

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 16, 2026

Ronny Mauricio with a double of his own! pic.twitter.com/qjX8ju7TGq

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 16, 2026

Cristian Pache hits his second home run of the spring! pic.twitter.com/kEyEYBVq7V

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 16, 2026

Carson Benge lines one the other way for a double pic.twitter.com/z91Kdxuko1

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 16, 2026

Ronny Mauricio gets his second hit and RBI of the day pic.twitter.com/UMxbuxdVWB

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 16, 2026

Carson Benge with his second hit of the night! pic.twitter.com/b1T7V2w8As

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 17, 2026

What's next

Sean Manaea gets the St. Patrick's Day start, as the Mets head to Jupiter to take on the Miami Marlins at 1:10 p.m.

Jose’s shoulder is ok, that’s all that matters. Here’s today’s lineup:

Halpin LF

Martinez CF

Manzardo DH

Hedges C

Kayfus 1B

Jones RF

Brito 2B

Kieboom 3B

Tolentino SS

The Athletics put forth arguably their best pitching performance yet this spring, shutting out the Los Angeles Angels 3-0. This afternoon marked the first time the team kept its opponent off the scoreboard in this year’s Cactus League.

A’s left-hander Jeffrey Springs put together his best performance and now seems ready for the season to start. He threw 84 pitches over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, only allowing three hits while striking out four. Springs found himself in trouble early as the Angels loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning on two hits and a walk. He escaped that jam by getting Angels’ catcher Logan O’Hoppe to fly out to left. Following that early scare, it was mostly smooth sailing for Springs until he was removed for reliever Nick Anderson after allowing Mike Trout’s fourth double of the spring with two outs in the fifth inning.

Returning to the first inning, buoyed by the Angels leaving the bases loaded, the A’s offense struck first against Los Angeles pitcher George Klassen. Following Nick Kurtz getting hit by a pitch and a Shea Langeliers single, Tyler Soderstrom grounded into a double play, which nearly killed the rally. Fortunately, Brent Rooker hit a two-out RBI single to score Kurtz who had moved to third base on the previous play. Rooker stole second base and then scored on Jacob Wilson’s single to right field.

Klassen and the three Angels relievers did a good job of subduing what was a red-hot A’s offense. The A’s finished the game with only four hits. Their only other run came courtesy of Max Muncy’s fourth Cactus League home run, a solo shot to right field in the fourth inning.

Out of all of the team’s candidates to play third base, Muncy seems to have the most offensive upside and has been getting the most playing time at the position, which suggests he will likely start there Opening Day in Toronto. Muncy has the offensive ability to further strengthen an already stellar lineup, although he will hopefully not make too many crippling defensive errors if given the chance to play third base daily.

With the team up 3-0, it was down to the A’s relievers to protect their team’s slim lead. Right-handers Nick Anderson, Mark Leiter Jr., Michael Kelly and A.J. Causey did their job and more, combining to keep the Angels from inching closer.

Anderson, who curiously was not reassigned alongside fellow non-roster invitees Wander Suero and Nick Hernandez, got the last out of the fifth inning and then worked around allowing a leadoff double the next inning. Free-agent acquisition Leiter Jr. will likely pitch in many high-stress, late-game moments this season for the A’s. This afternoon, he worked his way out of a first-and-third, one-out situation in the seventh inning, striking out Mike Trout for the second out and then getting the next Angels hitter to ground out to end the inning.

Kelly also worked out of trouble the next inning and then Causey, who has a shot to make his MLB debut this year, slammed the door in the ninth, collecting his first save in an A’s uniform.

All spring, the A’s have been winning games by simply outscoring their opponents, so today it was nice to see the team win thanks to strong pitching and defense. Speaking of defense, Zack Gelof caught every ball hit his way in right field. If anyone was at the game, how does he look in the outfield and is it a realistic possibility to see him out there in the regular season? Share in the comment section below.

Here’s how the box score looked today:

The Athletics will try to make it two wins in a row tomorrow as they travel to Glendale, Arizona to play the Chicago White Sox. Luis Morales will start for the A’s, looking to build on his solid performance in his last outing and cement his spot as one of the A’s five starting pitchers in their season-opening rotation. At the moment, the White Sox have yet to list their scheduled starter for that Cactus League matchup between two teams looking to take a step forward this season.