Category: MLB

Three years later, the quote still resonates.

When it comes to the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, late Padres owner Peter Seidler framed the dynamic best.

“The Dodgers are the dragon up the freeway we’re trying to slay,” Seidler said back in August 2022, during an in-game interview with ESPN as the two teams played a Sunday Night Baseball game at Chavez Ravine.

“We have a lot of respect for them, obviously. But our goal, and San Diego knows this as well, is to win a championship.”

And from that pursuit, one of baseball’s most heated modern rivalries has sprouted.

Read more:Contentious Dodgers-Padres series ends with benches clearing and managers ejected

To the rest of the baseball world, the Padres have been a plucky feel-good story over the last half-decade. They’re a small-market team that has become an annual postseason contender. They have an aggressive front office, a roster full of big personalities, and an ever-pulsing current of emotion and intensity reverberating from the dugout through their frenzied home crowds.

In Los Angeles, however, the perspective couldn’t be more different. The Dodgers have long been the ruling power in the National League West, champions of the division 11 times in the last 12 years. The Padres, on the other hand, are the rebels who won’t surrender, the barbarians at the door trying to steal away their crown.

“I just think that it starts with them wanting to overtake us,” manager Dave Roberts said this week, ahead of the Padres' latest visit to Dodger Stadium on Friday. “I think that we've clearly dominated the division in the last decade … But I think that they're trying to overtake us. I think that with that, that certainly brings out emotion.”

While the Dodgers have quelled similar challenges during their decade-long reign in the division, the Padres have proved to be a different kind of foil — coupling a contrast in style and culture with enough staying power to fuel increasingly contentious bouts.

“It’s just two contrasting styles,” third baseman Max Muncy said, “that have just grown into this beast.”

There was the Dodgers’ sweep of the Padres in the 2020 NL Division Series, then the Padres’ payback in a postseason upset two years later. Last fall, a tight division race came down to the last week of the season. When their paths again crossed in October, yet another NLDS went all the way to a decisive fifth game.

This year, more tinder has been added to the fire, thanks to a flurry of hit batters and a benches-clearing melee during a series at Dodger Stadium in June.

And this week, ahead of a 10-day stretch in which the clubs will play their final two regular-season series, the Padres provided another plot twist, erasing what once felt like an insurmountable nine-game deficit in the standings to arrive in Los Angeles with a stunning NL West lead.

The dragon, of course, hasn’t been slayed yet. The Dodgers are still the defending World Series champions, even if their recent middling form has complicated their title defense.

Still, the conquest that Seidler — who died after the 2023 season at age 63 — long envisioned has never seemed so attainable.

The threat posed by the Padres has never felt so real.

“I feel like we’ve just been facing each other in [a lot of] big spots,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “Ever since that [playoff] series in ‘22, this team took it a little bit personal over the next couple years. Obviously last year, going through them to go all the way to the World Series was a big part [of our run]. But it feels every time we face each other, even in the regular season, it’s a big spot.”

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While the Dodgers and Padres have shared a division ever since the latter’s founding in 1969, much of their co-existence featured very little shared history.

For most of the Padres’ first half-century, the club was mired in perpetual mediocrity. Before 2020, they’d made the playoffs only five times. Where the Dodgers boast eight World Series titles, the Padres own the distinction of the league’s oldest team to have never won it once.

There was one close division race between the clubs in 1996, when the Padres swept the Dodgers in the final series of the season to claim the NL West by one game. In 2006, they tied atop the standings but both flamed out in the playoffs.

Read more:Dodgers Must Gwynn, Bear It : Former Dodger Chris Gwynn Leads Padres to Division Title

After that, the Dodgers ascended to annual contender status. The Padres, meanwhile, searched for an identity amid a 13-year playoff drought.

At the start of 2019, one finally arrived.

While Manny Machado was productive during his brief Dodgers tenure at the end of 2018, helping the club win a second straight NL pennant, his style of play was an awkward fit with the team. He wouldn’t always hustle, and wouldn’t always apologize for it. He burnished his reputation as an occasionally dirty player, and never seemed too interested in trying to change it.

The Dodgers never really planned to bring him back as a free agent. But they also didn’t expect him to wind up in San Diego, where he signed a $300-million deal with the Padres ahead of the 2019 season.

"It's about bringing a championship to San Diego," Padres general manager AJ Preller said the day Machado was introduced. "A lot of people over the last few years have been very patient as we've tried to build something that's going to stand up long term. Obviously, it's an exclamation point here today with the signing of Manny."

And in the six years since, the Padres have been crafted in his fiery image; built around similarly unabashed stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar and Joe Musgrove.

That ascent began in 2020. The Padres embraced their "Slam Diego" moniker, adopting a noticeable, fiery edge. They weren't afraid to flip bats or talk smack or taunt fans. Their brand of baseball, at least in the eyes of that dragon up the freeway, was rooted in their persona as much as anything; a sharp juxtaposition to the Dodgers’ more subdued, even-keeled approach.

“When you look at what the Padres have become, it’s a team that plays with very high energy, very high emotion. And they’ve created an atmosphere down there that drives off that,” Muncy said. “We are almost the opposite. We play on very little emotion. And I just think those two styles contrast very differently. You started seeing that in the games.”

The Dodgers’ perpetual perch atop the standings stoked San Diego, too, making the Padres' performance in the long-dormant rivalry a manifestation of their championship ambitions.

“When I was there, we always wanted to beat the Dodgers,” said Blake Snell, who played for San Diego from 2021 to 2023 and will face them for the first time since joining the Dodgers on Saturday in Los Angeles. “Because that’s the team you gotta go through to get to the World Series.”

That dynamic was evident in the 2022 playoffs, when the underdog Padres conjured an intensity the Dodgers couldn’t match.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani focused 'on the field,’ not distraction of Hawaii real estate lawsuit

It was at the forefront of last year’s October rematch, too, when the Padres ran away with a Game 2 victory punctuated by Machado throwing a ball toward Roberts in the Dodgers’ dugout, and the Chavez Ravine crowd showering trash near Padres players on the field.

“What I got out of it was a bunch of dudes that showed up in front of a big, hostile crowd with stuff being thrown at them and said, ‘We're going to talk with our play; we're not going to back down,’” Padres manager Mike Shildt said that night.

“That is kind of part of their game,” Muncy countered ahead of Game 3. “Trying to get under your skin and trying to have the emotion come out and get you to do something that you're not normally doing.”

This time, the Dodgers responded, prevailing in a five-game series that Roberts compared to a “street fight.” On the verge of a potential slaying, his team instead breathed fire back.

"I just felt last year, where they were going, how they were kind of feeling, and our mindset and psyche, we needed to kind of match their intensity,” Roberts said.

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The fight is no longer confined to press conference taunts. This year, the rivalry boiled over into physical clashes. And at the center were the two respective managers.

Over the years, there’s been plenty of pettiness imbued into Dodgers-Padres games, from a scoreboard graphic of a crying Clayton Kershaw at Petco Park, to Will Smith’s description of the since-departed Profar as “kind of irrelevant” last year.

But this June, the antagonism was ratcheted up, after the teams combined for 11 hit batters — and not-so-veiled accusations of intentionality — over seven games played in a 11-day stretch.

The Padres took exception to three different plunkings of Tatis. The Dodgers were dubious of two balls that pelted Shohei Ohtani. By the time Tatis was hit in the hand in the final game of the latter series, Shildt had seen enough, shouting in Roberts’ direction as he walked onto the field to check on his star player.

Roberts responded in kind, racing out to meet Shildt with a slight, but nonetheless surprising, shove. Suddenly, the benches had cleared. Roberts and Shildt continued jawing through it all.

“After a while, enough’s enough,” Shildt said afterward. “Intentional, unintentional, the fact of the matter is we took exception with it. I responded.”

“I felt that he was trying to make it personal with me,” Roberts countered in his postgame press conference. “Which then, I take it personal.”

Machado delivered the most memorable quote of the night, cautioning the Dodgers to “set a little candle up for Tati” and “pray” he hadn’t suffered a serious injury (X-rays on Tatis’ hand came back negative).

But in the aftermath, all the attention centered on Roberts and Shildt, who were each suspended by the league for one game.

“It’s ultimately about the defense of our team,” Shildt said the next day when asked about Roberts. “And anybody that is going to take the steps that I feel are inappropriate against our team, then I will take action. I’m not a personal guy. I’m not a grudge guy. But I am a foxhole guy.”

Roberts snapped back when asked about Shildt (whom he said he has spoken with since the incident) this week.

"It definitely added to the intensity of the series, when you've got two managers going at it,” Roberts said. “And I never want to make it about me, I really don't. I just took offense to his response towards me. I thought it was directed at me. But for me, I just want to go out and play good baseball. That's kind of where my head's at."

Given the Dodgers’ struggles of late, simply stacking wins has never been a bigger priority. Over the next week and a half, they could reclaim a division lead they have so clumsily squandered, or enter the final month of the season with substantial ground to make up.

“We can’t make it more than what it is,” Mookie Betts said. “It’s another series in August. Obviously, we all know it’s big and X, Y and Z, but we can’t make it that way. We have to just look at it as the same game as today and play our game and not try to get too high or too low.”

Still, the Dodgers won't feign passivity this time. Not as long as the Padres continue to lean into their trademark intensity.

"They told me right away, obviously, we don't like those guys a whole lot," newly-acquired Padres reliever Mason Miller said on Foul Territory last week, of the message he received from his new teammates upon being traded to San Diego at the deadline. “I haven't really [experienced] a rivalry to that extent.”

Roberts wasn’t surprised to hear it.

“We think about whoever we're playing,” he said. “I do think it's one of those things where, they're very hyper-focused on us. But I guess it's a compliment. Still, we've got to match their intensity. Because they want to beat us more than anything."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Five ways Giants can make most of current situation in season's final stretch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — At 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Giants manager Bob Melvin was asked if it might be time to start playing some younger guys over veterans who might not be part of the 2026 mix.

“Not yet,” Melvin said. 

He admitted that every day that went by changed the math a little, but added that hopefully the final game against the San Diego Padres would be the one where the Giants would “break out of it.” 

At 3:30 p.m., the messaging had changed a bit. 

“We might be at the point here pretty soon where we give some guys some days off and look at some other guys,” he said after the blowout. “I still hate to admit that we’re at that point.”

In the hours between Melvin’s media sessions, his team lost 11-1 and played some of the ugliest baseball of the season. Losers of 13 of their last 14 home games, the Giants are three games under .500 and five out of the final NL playoff spot. 

The New York Mets, who seemingly take a gut punch every night, are single-handedly keeping the Giants alive, although their postseason odds have dipped to 3.5 percent, per FanGraphs. Managers in this situation like to say that their team is one good week away from being back in it, and that’s fair, but right now it’s hard to see how the Giants might put that week together over the final quarter of the season. 

They still have 41 games to play, though, and there are things they can accomplish other than trying to get back above .500. Here are five ways they can make the most of this finishing stretch, one that, as Melvin hinted, might include a lot of new faces: 

Bryce watch

The biggest question this August and September will be whether the Giants let top prospect Bryce Eldridge get used to life in the big leagues. There are key decision-makers in the front office who would prefer to see him continue to learn in Triple-A and sharpen his skills at first base, but there has been increased talk internally in recent weeks about the possibility of calling him up. 

Eldridge still has some holes in his game — that’s the case with any 20-year-old — but even Giants people who believe he could benefit from finishing the Triple-A season rave about his makeup and work ethic. He has done nothing but impress, and even if the strikeouts might be high — he’s at 33 percent in Triple-A — there’s little doubt within the organization that the power would immediately translate. 

A few Eldridge homers in September would go a long way in terms of energizing the fan base, and if the Giants believe Eldridge is going to be on the 2026 Opening Day roster regardless, they might benefit from getting any initial hoopla and jitters out of the way now. 

Ultimately, this is up to president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, who has a unique perspective. He was a superstar prospect himself, and he didn’t feel he benefited much from his September cameo in 2009. He poured cold water on Eldridge rumors after the deadline, but that’s getting harder and harder to do. 

Figure out who they are

The Giants discussed a Marco Luciano promotion when they needed a right-handed-hitting outfielder on Tuesday but instead went with Tyler Fitzgerald. Luciano’s defense in Triple-A has continued to be an issue, and it’s entirely possible the Giants have just decided that ship has sailed. Luciano, now an outfielder, hasn’t played a single game in the big leagues this season. 

He is part of a group that debuted under Farhan Zaidi but never stuck, joining Luis Matos and Wade Meckler, in particular. They’re all running out of options and taking up 40-man spots, and the Giants need to make some final evaluations. This is a good time to do that. 

Grant McCray is further behind in terms of minor league options, but he’s also part of that class that has plenty of experience at Triple-A at this point. With Casey Schmitt’s emergence, Fitzgerald’s future looks like it’ll come in a utility role, and if that’s the case, he should get more experience in the outfield. 

Schmitt is the one member of that 2023-24 group of call-ups that looks locked in. He had four hits when he was moved up to the No. 2 spot against a lefty on Tuesday, and he has earned the right to continue hitting in front of some of the veterans in the lineup. 

The newcomers 

Blade Tidwell has 16 strikeouts through two Triple-A starts. The right-hander, acquired in the Tyler Rogers trade, should probably be the one to get the call the next time a rotation spot is needed. 

The Giants already are taking a look at Drew Gilbert, who has started all but one game since being called up from Triple-A. Gilbert is 1-for-17 but looks comfortable in right field, and he can play center, too. 

Jesus Rodriguez, acquired in the Camilo Doval trade, has been limited to DH duty because of shoulder soreness, but if he’s capable of catching later this season, he should join Patrick Bailey at the big league level. The 23-year-old is a .307 career hitter in the minors and, as a right-handed hitter, is an obvious partner for Bailey next spring. 

Protect the arms

It’s impossible to be positive right now, but the 2026 Giants actually will have a nice head start in their bid to get to the postseason.

Logan Webb is still in his prime and All-Star Robbie Ray is under team control for one more season. Landen Roupp was better than anyone on the staff in the weeks before he got hurt, and if he goes into next spring healthy, that’s a strong top three. 

But there are reasons for the Giants to be careful with all three over the next six weeks. 

Webb has earned the right to choose his own adventure, and he has made it clear he would like to reach 200 strikeouts — he’s 32 away — for the first time. If he wants to lead the league in innings for a third straight season, it shouldn’t be hard to win the race. There’s no reason, though, for the Giants to keep pushing him quite this hard. He has thrown 317 pitches over his last three starts.

Ray threw 113 pitches — his most since Tommy John surgery — on Tuesday but felt strong at the end. Afterward, Melvin admitted that the recent workloads have been in part because the Giants are desperate to win behind their aces and in part because their bullpen lost two key arms at the deadline. 

But what’s done is done. 

It’s time to save some of the co-aces’ bullets and also be careful with Roupp, who has doubled his 2024 big league workload. He will return to the rotation Friday and there are no longer concerns about where his innings total will end up since he missed a few starts and got a chance to rest, but the Giants need to make sure he’s in a good spot heading into 2026. The same is true for relievers Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller, who should play huge roles next year. 

Find a way to entertain

The Giants have looked lifeless on this homestand, and that’s perhaps the most disappointing aspect. They drew 180,000 fans over the five-game losing streak and those who continue to fill the ballpark are absolutely desperate for reasons to stand and cheer. They gave Justin Verlander a nice ovation when he reached 3,500 strikeouts on Sunday and did the same for Gilbert’s first hit on Monday. 

The offense has been horrible, but there are ways to at least try to manufacture some more excitement. For example, would it kill the Giants to at least attempt to run a little bit more?

They’re last in the National League in stolen bases, and when pushed about it, Melvin points out that they don’t get many baserunners most nights and don’t want to kill those rare potential rallies. But the numbers tell a different story.

They haven’t been caught trying to steal since June 25, but over the 41 games since, they have just nine attempts. Nine! And they’re nine-for-nine! Sure, they’re not reaching base at the desired clip, but they still have 216 singles and 122 walks over those 41 games. There have been plenty of opportunities to take off. 

They should consider this another way to get a head start on 2026. At some point, a team that plays 81 games a year at Oracle Park needs to actually commit to playing a more athletic brand of baseball. 

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After their shocking loss on Wednesday, the Mets had Thursday's game all mapped out perfectly for them.

Starter Kodai Senga pitched into the sixth inning -- a rare feat of late -- and they had Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley and Edwin Diaz set up to close out the win. Well, as has often been the case this season, the plan didn't work and the Mets could not hold down another late lead.

Sure, Rogers allowed an inherited runner to score and tie the game in the sixth, but with another one-run lead in the eighth, Helsley allowed two runs in the Mets' eventual 4-3 loss to the Braves. The loss clinched a series win for Atlanta and the Mets' fifth consecutive series loss, tied for their longest such streak this season. They've also lost three straight home series and are 2-13 over their last 15 games dating back to July 28, their worst record in any 15-game span since May/June of 2018. 

"Obviously, we’re not playing well but too much talent. We’re going through a really tough time now," manager Carlos Mendoza said of his team after Thursday's loss. "There’s a lot of good players there. We just have to get through this. We can’t look at the standings. We know where we’re at, not playing well, but right in the thick of things. We have to find a way."

"There are a lot of guys doing good things and then there are a couple of guys that are not. Sticking together is the most important thing," Francisco Lindor said after the game. "It’s tough. You have to be put in a situation where no matter what happens, we stick together, fight for each other, play for each other. It’s a test we’re going through. Big adversity. Everyone here has a sense of urgency to win and try to win."

Lindor had his best game in a while on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a home run and being the catalyst for the Mets' offense. But, again, it wasn't enough. 

They got the starting pitching they desperately needed, and just enough offense to hand the lead to their rebuilt bullpen. But the Mets couldn't put it all together.

"Today we got starting pitching, got timely hitting, just couldn’t close it out," Mendoza said. "When you go through stretches like this, overall, we haven’t been able to put it together."

"Obviously, if we lose it’s a little bit gloomier; if we win it’s a little more cheerful," Senga said of the mood surrounding the team via an interpreter. "I think the reason why we're not able to come out on top at the end is because we're all missing a little bit, that one little bit to put us on top. And I think that starts with the preparation. If we can all prepare as best we can and go into tomorrow and the next day, we have a better chance of winning."

That "little bit" could mean any number of things. In Thursday's loss, Cedric Mullins took an awkward route on a liner from Michael Harris II that tied the game. A better route could have kept Harris at first base and not in scoring position for Ozzie Albies' go-ahead double. Or Juan Soto throwing to second to try and get Albies on said double instead of hitting the cutoff man to try and catch Harris, who was running back to second to try and tag up, at home plate.

Or, as Senga pointed out, the fastball Albies smashed to tie the game at 1-1. A fastball thrown to a hitter looking for a fastball. 

All of those little things are contributing to the worst stretch of the Mets' season. They have blown nine different leads over their last six games, and lost 13 of their last 15 games. New York's record now stands at 64-57, just seven games over. 500, their lowest watermark since April 19 when they were 14-7. 

A recurring theme between Mendoza and the players during this stretch is that they are too talented not to play better and turn their season around. While that may be true, it's getting dicey with fewer than 40 games to go in the season. The loss has allowed the Reds to be just 0.5 games behind them for the final wild card spot, with the Mariners, who hold an AL wild card slot, coming to town for a weekend series.

The Mets lost their 13th game in their last 15 contests on Thursday night, falling 4-3 to the Atlanta Braves. New York scored early and took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning, but, as they've experienced a lot recently, that lead was not safe.

Ryan Helsley, one of David Stearns' trade deadline acquisitions to bolster the bullpen, entered in the eighth inning and Atlanta took advantage. Helsley allowed a one-out walk to Marcell Ozuna and then left a slider over the middle for Michael Harris II to drive a double to center field and tie the game at 3-3. Two pitches later, the right-hander gave up a line drive double to Ozzie Albies as the Braves went up, 4-3.

It's the second straight save Helsley has blown. He previously allowed one run in the eighth inning to the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 10, in what ended up being a 7-6 loss. After the loss, manager Carlos Mendoza noted how Helsley is having issues with his slider and the team is trying to sort that out so he can be the piece in the bullpen they envisioned.

"The fastball's been getting hit, and it's a plus-plus fastball, right, but I think he's leaving that slider in the middle of the strike zone, Mendoza said. "That's kind of like the big difference for me. You see that pitch today to Harris, that slider. They're going to get ready for 100 (mph), and when that slider stays right there in the middle of the zone, good hitters are going to make him pay for it.

"We just got to get him to continue to finish those pitches, especially the breaking ball, the slider in this case. So that way the fastball when he throws it, he can use it effectively. This guy's elite, man, we just got to get him back on track."

Since coming over from St. Louis, Helsley is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA, allowing seven runs (three earned) over 5.0 IP. The veteran acknowledged that he's been throwing lots of hittable pitches and is hoping to make adjustments to his slider so it can be better located.

"Leaving too good of pitches [over the plate]," Helsley said. "The pitch to Michael Harris, you know right down the middle, breaking ball, and he put a good swing on it. The pitch to Albies was actually a ball, a couple balls below the zone, and he put a weird swing on it but ended up a good result. Just got to keep working and try to figure it out."

"Just leaving it up," Helsley added about his slider. "Feels good, the shape's there. Just got to change the sights a little bit, I think, to get it in a better location."

Helsley was asked if it's been a bit of an adjustment for him in his new role with the Mets, and said he's still "trying to figure out" pitching in the eighth inning as the set-up man to Edwin Diaz, instead of his traditional closer role.

"Just trying to figure out that role and that routine to be ready when my name's called. I just haven't been good," Helsley said. 

He added, "For everybody else to do their job and you not to do yours, it sucks. You never want to be that guy and be the reason the team loses. All of the guys did a great job tonight, offense did a good job, just wasn't able to pull through."

The Mets (64-57) have now lost each of their last seven one-run games and are 32-30 in one-run games this season. They'll hope to save their season before it's too late, but it'll be a tough task at hand with the hot Seattle Mariners (67-55) coming to town for a three-game series this weekend.

The Mets and Braves played the final game of a three-game series on Thursday night at Citi Field.

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Here are the takeaways...

- With the Mets leading, 3-2, in the eighth inning, Ryan Helsley coughed up the lead. After getting Drake Baldwin to fly out to lead off, Helsley walked Marcell Ozuna before serving up back-to-back run-scoring doubles -- the first to Michael Harris II, the second to Ozzie Albies -- as Atlanta went ahead, 4-3.

- The Mets didn't muster much after falling behind, with Lindor's one-out single in the eighth the only time they reached base the rest of the way.

- Francisco Lindorbroke a scoreless tie in the third, smoking a solo homer to center field off Braves starter Bryce Elder to give New York a 1-0 lead. It was Lindor's 22nd home run of the season.

- The inning after being staked to a lead, Kodai Senga gave up a game-tying homer to Albies with two outs in the fourth. 

It was a very strong performance for Senga overall, though, as he allowed two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out seven in 5.2 innings. The second run scored after Senga exited with runners on first and third and two outs in the sixth.

Facing Albies, Tyler Rogers allowed a run-scoring single to left field before ending the inning by inducing a dribbler in front of the plate.

- New York responded immediately in the bottom of the frame, almost entirely on the legs of Lindor. With one out, Lindor roped a single to left-center. He promptly stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Drake Baldwin.Following a Juan Soto walk, Brandon Nimmo ripped a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Lindor with the tying run. 

Soto then stole second base and came around to score on a single by Pete Alonso to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. It was Alonso's 99th RBI on the season.

Meanwhile, the stolen base by Soto was the Mets' 36th straight attempt without getting caught, which set a new franchise record.

Game MVP: Francisco Lindor

Lindor did all he could in defeat, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two singles, a stolen base, and two runs scored. 

Highlights

A 7-game hitting streak for Juan Soto pic.twitter.com/2822jmX886

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 14, 2025

Two strikeouts on forkballs for Kodai Senga in the 2nd pic.twitter.com/pyGcsgPS2b

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 14, 2025

Kodai Senga started off Jurickson Profar with a 66 mph curveball

He then dialed it up with a 97 mph fastball to strike him out pic.twitter.com/Y3ZITLSqoJ

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 14, 2025

Francisco Lindor drives his 22nd homer of the year to put the Mets on the board first! pic.twitter.com/8qvEAk2oSM

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 14, 2025

Francisco Lindor steals second and it's the Mets' 35th consecutive stolen base without being caught, tying a franchise record pic.twitter.com/kqc6uUBJTR

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 15, 2025

Juan Soto with his 19th stolen base of the season and it's the Mets' 36th consecutive stolen base without being caught, a new franchise record pic.twitter.com/V6wmMcyB57

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 15, 2025

Pete Alonso singles and gives the Mets the lead with his 99th RBI of the season! pic.twitter.com/dBzG1RhCmq

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 15, 2025

What's next

The Mets open a three-game series with the Mariners at Citi Field on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Sean Manaea gets the start for New York, opposed by Luis Castillo for Seattle.

Metsprospect Brandon Sproat made his 23rd start of the season for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, but it became a night to forget.

The right-hander allowed five earned runs on three hits over 3.1 innings, striking out six Rochester Red Wings and walking three.

Sproat tossed a 1-2-3 first inning with two strikeouts before allowing two runs in the second inning. He bounced back for another 1-2-3 frame in the third inning, but things fell apart in the fourth inning. 

The 24-year-old walked the first two batters he faced and allowed a two-run double as Rochester took a 4-2 lead. Sproat then got a ground out before another run crossed the plate due to Luisangel Acuña's fielding error. Richard Lovelady replaced Sproat and ended up allowing a two-run homer, tacking another run onto Sproat's scorecard.

Sproat's season ERA now sits at 4.40 after the rough outing. The five earned runs are the most he's allowed in a game since he gave up six earned runs in back-to-back starts on May 14 and May 20.

He was named International League Pitcher of the Month for July after pitching to a 0.67 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP and 33 strikeouts over 27.0 innings.

Despite Thursday's game, the righty may not make many more starts at Triple-A. Mets top pitching prospect Nolan McLeanis being called up to make his debut Saturday against the Seattle Mariners with Frankie Montas moving to the bullpen. Sproat could possibly join McLean in the bigs before the season and help New York during their postseason push.

Yankees pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Fernando Cruz began rehab assignments with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday night, and it was a mixed bag for the two.

Yarbrough started the RailRiders' game against Indianapolis and got off to a good start. After stranding a runner in the first inning, Yarbrough made his one mistake in the second. He got the first two batters out -- one on a pop out and the other called out on strikes -- before Alika Williams smashed a 1-1 fastball over the plate for a solo shot. Williams' blast went 419 feet with an exit velocity of 101.6 mph.

That would be the only run Yarbrough would give up, and he finished his night with a 1-2-3 third inning, all on ground outs.

Yarbrough allowed one run on three hits and no walks across three innings (37 pitches/25 strikes) while striking out three batters.

When Yarbrough went down with an oblique strain in mid-June, the southpaw was a part of the team's rotation, but his spot may not be there when he returns. The Yankees' rotation is currently comprised of Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, the recently-returned Luis Gil and promising rookie Cam Schlittler. The team could conceivably option Schlittler back to the minors to limit his innings down the stretch to get Yarbrough back in the rotation, or use him in the bullpen like they did the first month of the season.

In 16 games (eight starts), Yarbrough has pitched to a 3.90 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP.

Cruz relieved Yarbrough to start the fourth inning and was in immediate trouble. After giving up a leadoff single, Cruz got a fly out before walking the third batter he faced. A stolen base followed by a single from Williams gave Indianapolis its second run of the game. 

After just four batters, Cruz's night was over. Sean Boyle allowed a single in relief of Cruz as the second run charged to the Yankees reliever crossed home plate.

Cruz tossed just 21 pitches (10 strikes) in his 0.1 inning of work, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk.

The Yanks placed Cruz on the IL back in late-June with an oblique strain, and the right-hander was finally in game action for the first time in over a month. Despite his bad outing, the Yankees need Cruz back in the bullpen as he was one of their best before the injury.

In 32 appearances, Cruz pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 54 strikeouts across 33 innings pitched in his first season in pinstripes. He also closed two games.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series starting on Friday...

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Preview

Will Giancarlo Stanton play right field on the road?

Stanton has been the Yankees' hottest hitter for weeks now, and it's helped New York's offense while Aaron Judge was on the IL and relegated to DH duties when he returned. 

A big part of that is Stanton's ability to play right field. Of course, it's not too much to ask of Stanton to man right in Yankee Stadium, but now that the team is on the road, how will the Yankees utilize their slugger?  The Yankees are much better when Stanton and Judge are in the lineup but if Judge isn't ready, will Aaron Boone risk having Stanton play in the outfield?

The Aaron Judge of it all

Judge continues to scuffle since returning from the IL. In eight games since getting back in the lineup, Judge is 5-for-25 with eight strikeouts and just one extra-base hit. Granted that one hit was a home run back on Aug. 12, so perhaps the issues with the flexor strain haven't completely sapped his power.  It's something to monitor as the Yankees hit the road, but even more pressing is whether he can get back on the field.

The Yankees need Judge to play right field because he's a good fielder and, as previously stated, allows Stanton to play DH and give them that dual-threat. Boone said there's a possibility Judge can play in the outfield in St. Louis, but we'll see if that's the case when the series starts on Friday.

Can Max Fried find his mojo again?

Fried has not been the same since the blister on his throwing hand popped up before the All-Star break. The left-hander has made four starts since the Midsummer Classic and he has been inconsistent, pitching to a 1-2 record while allowing 14 runs across 22 innings. 

In his last start, Fried allowed four runs on eight hits over just five innings against the Astros in what would be a series-clinching win for Houston last Sunday. The start before that, he allowed four runs over five innings, again, to the Rangers. 

If the Yankees are going to make the postseason, they'll need their best pitcher to pitch at his best and he'll need to be when he takes the mound on Saturday. Fried is scheduled to pitch against Sonny Gray (11-5, 4.06 ERA), so runs could be hard to come by, especially if the Yankees lineup is going to remain inconsistent.

With the way Carlos Rodon and Will Warren have been pitching of late, Fried returning to peak form for the stretch run could be exactly what the Yankees need to clinch a wild card spot or better. 

Will Paul Goldschmidt land on IL?

Following the Yankees' loss to the Twins on Wednesday, it was revealed that Goldschmidt is dealing with a knee sprain and could be placed on the IL. Now, the veteran first baseman believes he avoided the worst and some time off is all he'll need to avoid being placed on the IL but the Yankees still have a decision to make.

If Goldschmidt is unable to at least be a pinch-hitter like he wasn't on Wednesday, the options for first base are limited. Ben Rice has become Goldschmidt's backup, and while Cody Bellinger is also capable, the bench is down too many bodies who hit right-handed, including Austin Slater and Amed Rosario. Rosario could be activated this weekend, and could be Goldschmidt's replacement if the Yankees decide to put him on the IL but that still leaves the Yankees without a viable right-handed bat. 

It's a situation to monitor when the series starts on Friday.

Lineup/Bullpen changes

As the race to make a postseason spot continues, Boone has begun to favor certain hitters over others. Trent Grisham is having a career year and that has taken playing time away from Jasson Dominguez. Austin Wells' slump that has lasted all summer has made Rice the No. 1 catcher at the moment. There's no reason that Boone will revert to using Wells and Dominguez in the starting lineup this weekend but if Rice or Grisham start to slump, it could happen.

And then there's the bullpen. Ryan Yarbrough and Fernando Cruz had rehab outings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday evening, and if both come out of it feeling healthy, they could be in play to return to the team soon. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Aaron Judge 

This will be the series Judge finally awakens offensively. He needed to get his first home run out of the way, and now that he has, he can get back to what he does best.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Max Fried

It's hard to bet against Fried, it's even tougher to bet that Fried will have three consecutive bad starts.

Which Cardinals player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?

Willson Contreras

The veteran right-hander seems to hit home runs in bunches and after missing a game due to being hit in the foot by a pitch, he should be fully rested.

Phillies' night sours in 7th inning of series-opening loss to Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — For the first time since being swept in late June by the Astros, the Phillies have a true losing streak.

They fell to a third consecutive defeat Thursday night at Nationals Park, dropping a 3-2 game to Washington in the opener of a four-game series. 

The 69-52 Phillies have totaled three runs during the three-game streak. The team is now 4-3 on its 10-game road trip. 

“Just probably trying to do a little bit too much,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of his club’s recent struggles pushing across runs. “We’ve got to get back to using the entire field, doing the little things. Big things will happen.

“It’s not like they’re not working at it. You can hear a bunch of hitters in the cages right now. We’ve just got to fight through it.”

Starter Jesus Luzardo dipped to 11-6 on the season. He went six-plus innings and allowed four hits and three runs. Luzardo struck out seven and walked three. 

Luzardo’s sweeper was especially sharp in the early going. He notched five strikeouts over the first two innings, four on sweepers.

The sweeper is a new pitch for Luzardo this season and it’s been elite. Entering Thursday, batters had a .189 average and 43.8 percent whiff rate against it, according to Baseball Savant.

“Being able to land that thing has been big all year,” Luzardo said. “Just being able to throw it for strikes, throw it for chase, throw it in big counts, leverage counts — maybe 3-2 or 2-2 counts where most guys are looking for the fastball. … I think I went through a rough stretch where I didn’t have a really good feel for it, but lately it’s been a good weapon for me again.”

The Phillies didn’t need any loud contact against Nationals righty Brad Lord to take the lead in the third inning. Bryson Stott led off by squibbing a double over the third-base bag and Trea Turner followed with an infield single. After Kyle Schwarber struck out, Bryce Harper tapped an RBI ground ball to shortstop. 

Washington tied it up an inning later. Paul DeJong cracked a first-pitch Luzardo fastball just over the left-field wall. 

The Phils bounced right back with two outs in the fifth. 

Turner picked up another infield hit, and this one came with a shattered bat. Schwarber then clubbed a 3-1 heater off the right-center wall and Turner scored the go-ahead run. He added a third infield knock in the seventh inning. 

Luzardo’s seventh was not smooth at all.

DeJong walked, Riley Adams doubled and Daylen Lile walked. Luzardo exited and Orion Kerkering entered with no outs and the bases loaded.

“I thought I threw the ball well, felt really good going into the seventh,” Luzardo said. “Just frustrated with the way it ended, obviously, walking two guys. … The hit happens, but the walks are kind of what rubs me the wrong way about the outing.

“But besides that, I think the first six were great. We got through a good lineup, just kind of mixed and matched, kept them off balance.”

Kerkering couldn’t escape the inherited trouble. Jose Tena ripped a one-out hit to left-center through the Phillies’ drawn-in infield and the Nationals went on top.

The Phillies threatened to even the game in the top of the ninth but couldn’t manage it. 

Max Kepler singled and Edmundo Sosa got him to second base with a sacrifice bunt on a 3-1 count.

“Just the fact that we wanted to tie it up, because I felt like we had more bullpen than they did,” Thomson said of the bunt decision. “And win it in extra innings if we didn’t score two in the ninth.”

Bryson Stott grounded out to first and the game ended with Turner waving at a Cole Henry sinker in on his hands. 

Bohm’s rehab stint 

Alec Bohm went 2 for 5 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s Thursday night game. That puts him at 3 for 17 overall with a homer and a triple in four rehab outings as he works his way back from a fractured left rib. 

How much longer will Bohm’s rehab assignment last? 

“Through tomorrow for sure, and then we’ll see,” Thomson said pregame. 

Pitching plans 

The scheduled starters Friday night are the Phils’ Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.68 ERA) and the Nats’ MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.09 ERA). 

With the Phillies moving to a six-man rotation for the time being, Taijuan Walker will start Saturday and Aaron Nola will return Sunday. Ranger Suarez is set to pitch Monday in Philadelphia against the Mariners. 

Phillies' night sours in 7th inning of series-opening loss to Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — For the first time since being swept in late June by the Astros, the Phillies have a true losing streak.

They fell to a third consecutive defeat Thursday night at Nationals Park, dropping a 3-2 game to Washington in the opener of a four-game series. 

The 69-52 Phillies have totaled three runs during the three-game streak. The team is now 4-3 on its 10-game road trip. 

Starter Jesus Luzardo dipped to 11-6 on the season. He went six-plus innings and allowed four hits and three runs. Luzardo struck out seven and walked three. 

Luzardo’s sweeper was especially sharp in the early going. He notched five strikeouts over the first two innings, four on sweepers.

The sweeper is a new pitch for Luzardo this season and it’s been elite. Entering Thursday, batters had a .189 average and 43.8 percent whiff rate against it, according to Baseball Savant.

The Phillies didn’t need any loud contact against Nationals righty Brad Lord to take the lead in the third inning. Bryson Stott led off by squibbing a double over the third-base bag and Trea Turner followed with an infield single. After Kyle Schwarber struck out, Bryce Harper tapped an RBI ground ball to shortstop. 

Washington tied it up an inning later. Paul DeJong cracked a first-pitch Luzardo fastball just over the left-field wall. 

The Phils bounced right back with two outs in the fifth. 

Turner picked up another infield hit, and this one came with a shattered bat. Schwarber then clubbed a 3-1 heater off the right-center wall and Turner scored the go-ahead run. He added a third infield knock in the seventh inning. 

Luzardo’s seventh was not smooth at all.

DeJong walked, Riley Adams doubled and Daylen Lile walked. Luzardo exited and Orion Kerkering entered with no outs and the bases loaded.

He couldn’t escape the inherited trouble. Jose Tena ripped a one-out hit to left-center through the Phillies’ drawn-in infield and Washington went on top.

The Phillies threatened to even the game in the top of the ninth but couldn’t manage it. 

Max Kepler singled and Edmundo Sosa got him to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Bryson Stott then grounded out to first and the game ended with Turner waving at a Cole Henry sinker in on his hands. 

Bohm’s rehab stint 

Alec Bohm went 2 for 5 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s Thursday night game. That puts him at 3 for 17 overall with a homer and a triple in four rehab outings as he works his way back from a fractured left rib. 

How much longer will Bohm’s rehab assignment last? 

“Through tomorrow for sure, and then we’ll see,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said pregame. 

Pitching plans 

The scheduled starters Friday night are the Phils’ Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.68 ERA) and the Nats’ MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.09 ERA). 

With the Phillies moving to a six-man rotation for the time being, Taijuan Walker will start Saturday and Aaron Nola will return Sunday. Ranger Suarez is set to pitch Monday in Philadelphia against the Mariners. 

Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza met with reporters ahead of Thursday's rubber game with the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.

Here's what the second-year manager had to say...

Frankie Montas available out of the bullpen

Mendoza confirmed that Thursday night's game will mark the first time that starter-turned-reliever Frankie Montas will be available to pitch out of the bullpen, given the fact that he would be pitching on his standard four days rest. 

And while the club anticipates using him in a Paul Blackburn-esque role as a long man, Mendoza made it clear that life in the bullpen isn't always that straightforward. 

"That’s the one thing when we were talking to him, we’ll do our best to give him more time to get loose, but life in the bullpen, things happen fast," Mendoza said. "Right now, his spot is in the bullpen and whenever we call his name, we’re counting on him. So, he’s going to play a big role for us up there, and he’ll step out."

"He’s on regular rest," Mendoza said later. "…Probably a multi-inning guy, like the long man out of the bullpen, but you never know. Things happen, and who knows if we play extra innings and he’s pitching because of where we’re at. As of right now, I see him more in the Blackburn role, length, but there are going to be days that, depending on where we’re at bullpen-wise, he might be asked to pitch multiple innings."

Nothing changing with Clay Holmes' role

With Clay Holmes' season innings count now at 126.0, the righty is closing in on doubling his previous career best of 70.0 innings in 2021. And while there was never a doubt that Holmes would blow past his previous innings numbers, given that this is his first full season as a starter, some signs of fatigue are beginning to show. 

Holmes has pitched to a 5.79 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP over his last seven starts, and he has not made it past the sixth inning since June 7. 

Still, Mendoza believes that Holmes is in a good place physically, noting that he checks in with he training staff after every outing, as does every other starter.

"He continues to check those boxes, and in talking to him, he keeps saying he’s fine," Mendoza said. "The numbers and everything keep saying that he’s in a good place. We will continue to monitor it, but nothing differently."

So Holmes will remain in the starting rotation?

"Yeah," Mendoza said. "I mean, he’s going to keep getting opportunities."