Category: MLB

From milestone blasts to walk-offs to October clouts that will live forever in Mets lore, Pete Alonso has hit a ton of home runs, more than anyone in Flushing history.

But which round-trippers are his best ever? We engaged a crack team of homerologists to come up with a list of Alonso’s Top 5. They used everything from tape measures to Statcast to their deep feel for baseball (and Mets) history to determine which of Pete’s nukes really stand out. 

Bet you can guess No. 1 on this list, which is meant to celebrate the home run that broke Darryl Strawberry’s previous Mets career record of 252. (That’s why No. 253 itself isn’t on here). Of course, Alonso might replace all of the rockets on this countdown if he keeps slugging away. 

So read on, beginning with No. 5. 

5. Alonso’s first career home run 

You’ve got to start somewhere, and Alonso did on April 1, 2019. It was a delight that the Mets took him on the big league roster out of spring camp instead of trying to manipulate his service time and, zowie, did it pay off. After going homer-less in his first three MLB games, Alonso gave the baseball world an idea of what to expect when his bat meets ball. With the Mets up by a run in the ninth inning in Miami, he smashed a three-run homer off righty Drew Steckenrider to give the Mets a cushion in what eventually was a 7-3 win. The drive went 112.8 mph off the bat and traveled 444 feet to center field. 

4. Pete punishes pinstripers

Alonso seems to have a flair for big moments, so it’s hard not to choose his first walk-off career home run, which came on Sept. 3, 2020 and doomed the Yankees. With the score knotted at 7 in the bottom of the 10th inning at Citi Field, Alonso powered a 404-foot shot down the left-field line off Albert Abreu, clobbering Abreu’s 97.5-mph four seamer. Since Dom Smith started the inning on second base – he was the Manfred Man – the Mets won the game by a 9-7 score. Weird nugget: The “fans” in the stands were cutouts, since it was the pandemic season.

3. The one where we cheat

The 2019 season was milestone mania for Alonso, who set the MLB rookie record for homers and the Mets’ club mark for a single season, too, by blasting 53. We can’t leave any of these record-breakers out! We refuse. So we are going to recognize them all, starting with his 27th homer that year, which came off Cole Hamels at Wrigley Field and broke Strawberry’s Mets record for rookie homers in a single season. When he hit No. 40 roughly two months later, it broke Cody Bellinger’s mark for an NL rookie. When he slugged No. 42 on Aug. 27, he set the Mets single-season record, passing Todd Hundley and Carlos Beltran. And when he hit his 53rd on Sept. 28 off Mike Foltynewicz of the Braves, he broke the MLB rookie record Aaron Judge had set two years earlier. What a season.

2. Postseason Polar (Bear) power

The Mets were facing elimination in Game 5 of the 2024 NLCS against the Dodgers, but Alonso gave them a first-inning jolt that helped spur a 12-6 win and push the series to six games. Facing Jack Flaherty, who had shredded the Mets in Game 1, Alonso reached down and golfed a Flaherty offering over the center field fence, a three-run drive that traveled 432 feet. According to MLB.com, it was the longest postseason homer by a Met in the Statcast Era (since 2015), topping Travis d’Arnaud’s 431-foot shot off the Home Run Apple in 2015. 

1. Duh

One day, Alonso may hit a bigger home run than our list-topper. That would be incredible, because what Alonso did on Oct. 3, 2024 was historic. It saved the Mets season – maybe saved Alonso’s Mets career, too, considering he was heading into free agency off a down (for him) season. In the ninth inning of Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Brewers, the Mets were down, 2-0, with two on and one out in the ninth inning. Their superlative closer, Devin Williams, was on the mound. Fairly bleak, right? But Alonso hit a three-run homer and the Mets went on to win, 4-2. Alonso’s home run was the first ever go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of a winner-take-all postseason game hit while the player’s team was trailing. That’s a bit of a mouthful; simply put, it’s one of the great clutch swings in MLB history.

Honorable mention(s)

We can’t stop ourselves. And we’d be remiss if we did not mention July 17, 2019, when Alonso hit the longest home run of his career, a 489-foot mash off Matt Magill in Minnesota. Then there’s the day in 2024 (Aug. 8) when he slugged two homers off Austin Gomber at Coors Field that went 471 feet and 454 feet, respectively. That’s 925 feet worth of homers! In the 2021 Home Run Derby, Alonso was credited with a 514-foot shot in Colorado. Man, imagine if Alonso played his home games at Coors Field? One last one – Alonso got plenty of national buzz after his performance in the 2018 MLB Futures Game when he smacked a 415-foot homer, kind of like he was saying, “Hello, baseball world, I’m the future Mets club leader in home runs.” 

Giants' farm system makes largest jump in MLB's latest post-deadline ranking originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants’ organization took a significant step forward in recent weeks.

At the minor-league level.

San Francisco, by trading relief pitchers Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski before MLB’s July 31 trade deadline, received eight players (seven prospects) that appear to have significantly improved its farm system in the eyes of some experts.

MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo released their updated ranking of all 30 farm systems, and the Giants are on the rise.

18. San Francisco Giants

2025 preseason rank: 28
2024 midseason rank: 23
2024 preseason rank: 17
2023 midseason rank: 14

Top 100 Prospects: Bryce Eldridge, 1B (No. 13)

“The most improved system since our March rankings — up 10 spots from No. 28 — the Giants are loaded with young talent and poised to continue to climb,” MLB.com wrote. “Eldridge is raking in Triple-A at age 20, but many of their best prospects have starred in Rookie ball this year, including shortstops Josuar Gonzalez and Jhonny Level and right-handers Argenis Cayama, Keyner Martinez and Alberto Laroche.

“Outfielders are becoming a strength of the system, led by Bo Davidson (signed as a nondrafted free agent) and Dakota Jordan.”

While MLB.com has one Giants prospect (Eldridge) on its top-100 list, Baseball America has three San Francisco prospects (Eldridge, Gonzalez and Davidson) on theirs.

While the Giants continue to struggle mightily at the major-league level, their farm system at least is trending upward as the team continues to look toward the future.

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Giants option top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt amid roster shuffle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants saw enough out of Kai-Wei Teng last Friday to give him another shot, and because the San Diego Padres are so balanced at the top of their lineup, they’ll let the right-hander start on Wednesday instead of following a left-handed opener. Two days later, Landen Roupp will return from an elbow scare. 

The rotation, at least for now, is full again, and on Tuesday that led to the Giants optioning top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt when they needed a roster spot for Tyler Fitzgerald. Whisenhunt had an up-and-down first stint in the big leagues, allowing eight runs in 14 1/3 innings, but also mixing in a strong start in New York against the Mets. 

Manager Bob Melvin said the three starts were a learning experience for the 24-year-old. 

“The first time at the big league level, you learn some things pretty quickly about yourself. It happens a little bit quicker here,” Melvin said. “He had a tough first inning and recovered in his first outing. Pitched pretty well after that and had a good start in New York and then had an on-and-off one (over the weekend). You realize kind of what plays here and whatnot. He’s going to be better for it when he goes down. 

“I think you trust your instincts a little bit more when you feel what happens here at the big league level. He’s going to be better for it. We’ll see him again at some point.”

The main lesson for the lefty involved the two pitches he used most often. Whisenhunt has an elite changeup, but it was inconsistent in the big leagues, and hitters were ready for it. There’s so much data and video now that prospects aren’t able to sneak up on anyone, and Whisenhunt allowed a .273 average on his changeup. 

He responded by leaning heavily on his sinker, which he commanded well in New York. When he left a few over the plate on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, he allowed three homers. 

Whisenhunt struck out 12 in his three starts but also walked seven. He allowed five homers, three on his sinker and two on his changeup. 

“I think he found out pretty quickly that he needs to be able to locate his fastball,” Melvin said. “And when he does, it makes his off-speed stuff — especially his changeup — that much better.”

The run in the big leagues was perhaps shorter than Whisenhunt hoped, but the Giants view him as a big part of their plans going forward. Melvin said they saw enough to be confident the lefty “can perform here.”

Company In Triple-A

Whisenhunt returns to a River Cats rotation that’s filled with pitchers waiting for a return to the big leagues. 

Hayden Birdsong has made three starts since being optioned and has shown improved command, walking four in 12 1/3 innings. He has allowed 17 hits and seven earned runs, but the Giants mostly wanted to see him get back in the strike zone and get some confidence back. They feel he’s headed in the right direction, although a return to the big leagues isn’t imminent. 

“He is throwing strikes,” Melvin said. “I know he gave up a few runs, but we’ll see where it goes.”

The Giants also are eager to take a look at right-hander Blade Tidwell, acquired in the Tyler Rogers deal. He has made two starts since the deadline and allowed just two earned runs, with 16 strikeouts in 10 innings. Tidwell has shown a nasty breaking ball and 98 mph fastball. He could be next in line when the Giants need another starter. 

One Is All It Takes

Dominic Smith got just one at-bat Tuesday, but he took advantage. Smith pulled a two-strike fastball from David Morgan into right field, loading the bases in the bottom of the sixth. He was hitting for Fitzgerald and he was immediately replaced by pinch-runner Drew Gilbert. 

The single extended Smith’s hitting streak to 15 games, and it was the third time that he kept the streak going as a pinch-hitter. According to Sportradar, Smith became just the second Giant to have three pinch-hits during a streak of at least 15 games. Hall of Famer Bill Terry had three pinch-hits during his own 15-game hitting streak for the New York Giants in 1936. 

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The Dodgers finally had their storybook moment.

Until the Angels rewrote it with a walk-off ending.

In the top of the ninth inning at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night, Shohei Ohtani lifted the Dodgers to the verge of a badly needed win, breaking a tie score with the kind of moment that could have jump-started the stretch run of their season.

With former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen on the mound, and a split crowd in Anaheim rising to its feet, Ohtani blasted a go-ahead home run deep to right field. He flipped his bat. The Dodgers’ dugout went wild. After so many recent blown leads and late-game meltdowns in recent weeks, the team was three outs away from finally turning the tide.

Instead, the Dodgers found yet a new way to crumble.

Once again, they let a winnable game go meekly by the wayside.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Angels tied the score after Alex Vesia gave up a leadoff single, a walk and an eventual Nolan Schanuel sacrifice fly.

Read more:More bad news for Dodgers' bullpen: Brock Stewart goes on the IL

In the bottom of the 10th, they sealed their fifth-straight victory over the Dodgers this season on Jo Adell’s big-bouncing, walk-off RBI single.

A 7-6 loss for the Dodgers, that sent their spiraling season to a new dismal low.

Now, the Dodgers have lost three in a row and 20 of 32 since July 4. Now, what was once a nine-game lead in the National League West has been completely obliterated. The Dodgers and San Diego Padres are tied atop the standings. The Padres will come to Dodger Stadium this weekend with all the momentum, where a scuffling Dodgers club will await them.

Tuesday featured many more deflating subplots for the club.

Emmet Sheehan gave up five runs in a five-inning start. The team erased one early two-run deficit, only to go down two runs again. The lineup left the bases loaded with the score tied to end the top of the fifth inning. Ohtani lined into a soul-crushing triple-play with two aboard in the sixth.

But nothing will sting like the final two innings — when a potential turning-point moment instead resulted in more familiar heartache.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It was a great win for the Mets on Tuesday night. Not only did they snap their seven-game losing streak, but Pete Alonsobroke the franchise home run record. However, it didn't turn into a laugher until after starter Clay Holmes was out of the game.

Holmes did not factor into the decision after going just 3.2 innings and allowing five runs, and that's after being staked to a 5-1 lead. It was going smoothly for Holmes at first, too. He allowed one run through the first three innings, but then he imploded in the fourth inning, and as quickly as the Citi Field crowd was excited for Alonso's record-breaking blast, they were silenced after the Braves scored four runs to tie the game.

"Fourth inning, a couple of guys got on, walk to load the bases. Just getting into bad counts," Holmes explained after the game. "The sinker had been working, got a couple of groundballs, and in a situation where you have to trust it. Probably starting getting a little too fine and [Nacho Alvarez Jr.] hit the double. Situations, looking back, I just have to keep going. If they want to hit five singles in a row, let them do it. Can’t put myself in bad counts and help them out. That inning, I wasn’t able to stop it because I was shying away from the contact."

Manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged Holmes' struggles on Tuesday, saying the right-hander had trouble landing the sinker for strikes and missing pitches arm side, which the Braves took advantage of in the form of five walks allowed. 

For a team with World Series aspirations, the starting rotation continues to be a problem and Holmes perpetuated that on Tuesday. He continued the team's inability to get length from starters not named David Peterson and Holmes, who is a converted reliever, did not do his team any favors. Mendoza said when he pulled his starter in the fourth inning, he didn't know how he'd piece together the rest of the game because the team didn't have four arms in the bullpen because of their usage over the weekend in Milwaukee -- thankfully, Justin Hagenman provided four shutout innings to close the game.  

Holmes' performance put his team in a bad spot, and it's no surprise considering his recent downward trajectory.

He hasn't recorded an out in the sixth inning since mid-July and allowed 19 runs (16 earned) in 29.1 innings in July. So far in August, he's allowed seven earned runs in just 8.2 innings pitched. 

Could Holmes be hitting a wall with the number of innings he's pitched this season? Including Tuesday's start, Holmes has pitched 126 innings, almost doubling his previous career high of 70 innings back in 2021. 

When asked whether Holmes' workload is contributing to his recent performance, Mendoza couldn't say one way or the other.

"When you have a night like tonight, you will always start questioning," Mendoza said. "He’s coming off an outing where [he pitched] five innings, [threw] 75 [pitches]. Pitch-efficient. He keeps saying he’s fine and we see the sinker is 96 mph, we’re seeing the movement, he just had a hard time throwing that pitch for strikes. We’ll continue to check on him. We’ll continue to make sure we’re not missing anything, but he’s a big part of this team."

Before the trade deadline, the Mets didn't feel it necessary to move Holmes to the bullpen. Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns have maintained that stance since, but changed course with another arm in the rotation.

The team decided to move Frankie Montas to the bullpen before Tuesday's game and could call up one of their pitching prospects (Nolan McLean/Brandon Sproat) to start on Saturday. Could the same happen with Holmes if his struggles continue? 

It's unclear, but it's a situation to monitor after every Holmes start from here on out.

 

Carlos Rodon bounced back from a rough first inning to give the Yankees seven innings and the offense launched three homers in their 9-1 win over the Twins on Tuesday night.

With the win, the Yankees clinched a series win after losing five of their last six series.

Here are the takeaways...

- It was a rough start for Rodon. The first pitch he threw, his spikes got stuck on the mound and he looked uncomfortable ever since. A hit, walk and HBP loaded the bases with no outs for rookie Luke Keaschall. The second baseman struck out swinging and got Royce Lewis to ground into a fielder's choice after beating out the double play attempt, which pushed across a run, and then struck out Kody Clemens to get out, just allowing one run, but he threw 31 pitches.

The southpaw would settle down in a big way, retiring 16 straight Twins at one point and pitching seven innings. Rodon is the first Yankee starter to go at least seven since he pitched eight innings against the Cubs on July 11. 

Rodon threw 96 pitches (61 strikes) through seven innings, allowing one run on one hit, two walks and striking out five batters.

- Aaron Judge hit his first home run since returning from the IL, his 38th homer of the season and got the Yankees even. Anthony Volpe will put the Yankees in front in the second with a three-run shot. It's the shortstop's eighth home run since the All-Star break.

Giancarlo Stanton launched a 447-foot blast to left-center field to put the Yanks up 5-1. It's Stanton's 441st career home run, surpassing Jason Giambi for 44th all-time. It's Stanton's 12th home run since July 2; only Kyle Schwarber has more.

- The Yankees continued to put pressure on the Twins throughout. They loaded the bases with one out in the third inning and forced starter Travis Adams out of the game. Paul Goldschmidt struck out and Ryan McMahon grounded out to end the threat. It was a recurring theme for the Yankees on this night, they were 1-for-11 with 10 left on base in the seventh when Cody Bellinger walked with the bases loaded before Stanton lined a two-run single to put the Yanks up 8-1. 

J.C. Escarra hit a single to drive in Jazz Chisholm Jr. -- who led off the inning with a triple -- to cap off the offensive onslaught. The Yankees finished 3-for-14 with RISP and left 12 on base.

Not only did Stanton finish 4-for-5 -- his first four-hit game since 2023 -- with three RBI, he also played a competent right field. He pushed his batting average to .300 on the season.

- The combination of Tim Hill and Yerry De Los Santos struck out three batters in the final two innings.

Game MVP: Carlos Rodon

The offense (and Stanton especially) were great, but if Rodon implodes in the first inning, it could have been a very different game.

Highlights

What's next

The Yanekes and Twins complete their three-game series on Wednesday night. First pitch is for 7:05 p.m.

Cam Schlittler (1-2, 4.38 ERA) takes the mound with Joe Ryan (11-5, 2.79 ERA) on the bump for the Twins.

Solo homer for Aaron Judge gets the Yankees on the board! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/P1WlcHR122

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 12, 2025

Anthony Volpe launches a 3-run homer 🚀

pic.twitter.com/KrOazvDqUa

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 12, 2025

Giancarlo Stanton sends it 447 feet 💣 pic.twitter.com/OqpfWATuRF

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 13, 2025

Cody Bellinger draws a walk with the bases loaded to bring in another run! pic.twitter.com/RAj7Sp1W6b

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 13, 2025

Pete Alonso and the Mets should savor this, the longball that put the Polar Bear atop the Mets' all-time homer list. Alonso has broken Darryl Strawberry’s club record with his 253rd career blast, and it’s a grand accomplishment for a remarkable Met, one of the best in franchise history.

The big blow came in the bottom of the third on Tuesday night, as Alonso crushed a 95 mph first pitch fastball from Braves right-hander Spencer Strider 394 feet the other way into the bullpen.

Amidst relishing Alonso’s milestone, however, it’s hard not to think about his future in Flushing, too. He can opt out of the two-year, $54-million deal he signed before spring training this year and take what should be a more satisfying swig from the free agent chalice than last winter, when he lingered on the market.

The Mets shouldn’t let that happen. This record has only strengthened already-deep bonds between Alonso, the Mets, and Mets fans and the club should do what it takes to keep Alonso in Queens long-term.

Make him a Forever Met.

There is something about nurturing a franchise icon. The Mets’ past is littered with divorces from their boldface names, including the previous record-holder in home runs, Strawberry. Tom Seaver should never have worn another uniform. Ever. The club got it right with David Wright and the Mets enjoyed a great feel-good day last month when Wright’s No. 5 was retired and that was just a slice of what Wright being an Only Met brings the franchise.

Alonso deserves something similar. If he sticks around for the rest of his playing career, he’ll probably put the franchise’s homer mark out of reach for everyone, maybe even Juan Soto, who’s going to be around for another 14 years.  

Alonso’s power credentials are impeccable. It’s only right that he holds the career home run record for the Mets, since he has many of their other big fly marks, too.

Most in a single season? Yep – he hit 53 in 2019 to set the club record and the MLB record for home runs by a rookie. Mets to homer in the All-Star Game? Check – Alonso did it this year in Atlanta to join Lee Mazzilli (1979) and Wright (2006) as the only Mets to homer in the Midsummer Classic.

He’s the first Met to have five 30-homer seasons. Every single season he’s completed as a Met, Alonso has led the team in home runs. In his six full seasons prior to this one, here are his ranks among the National League home run leaders: first, third, third, second, third, fifth.

He was the fifth player in MLB history to have three 40-homer seasons in the first five years of his career, joining Ralph Kiner, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols and Eddie Mathews.

Any list he’s on is a who’s who of brawn. After his second season – remember, 2020 was shortened by the pandemic – he had 69 career home runs. Only five players had more after their first two seasons and all of them played many more games than Alonso in that span. The players? Four Hall-of-Famers (Joe DiMaggio, Kiner, Mathews and Pujols) and a former MVP (Ryan Braun).

Alonso has always seemed to “get” New York. He’s embraced being a Met and embraced the city, from his goofy phrasemaking – “The boys are hot” – to his 9/11 cleats. It hasn’t all been perfect, nothing is. He even fell out of favor with some Met fans toward the end of last season, which was not his most productive campaign. Some were anticipating him going elsewhere in free agency and were fine with it.

Then he crushed the Brewers’ souls with that dramatic home run in the finale of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee. It’s one of the biggest hacks in franchise history and it was the calling card of a big postseason in which Alonso had a .999 OPS, four home runs and 10 RBI in 13 games. Fans who were ambivalent about Alonso warmed up to a return.

The real conversations about Alonso’s future may not take place until the winter. Hopefully, Alonso, the Boras Corporation and the Mets can work it out. Both sides have to want it.

But, from the Mets’ standpoint, this should not be about “winning” the transaction. This is not about roster construction or siphoning value out of an under-appreciated part of the player market.

Yes, Alonso is on the wrong side of 30 (he’ll be 31 in December) and he is not the kind of versatile, athletic, youthful player that makes front offices swoon nowadays. So what? There are qualities beyond value that can bolster an organization. The Steve Cohen Mets have the kind of money and the willingness to spend it that they can gamble on Alonso wanting to be great into his mid-30s. And maybe beyond.

Barely anyone in the Majors has the kind of power Alonso does. Only Aaron Judge (269 home runs entering play Aug. 5) and Kyle Schwarber (252 entering play Aug. 5) have hit more home runs since Alonso entered the majors.

And give Alonso credit for something else he’s done this year – in a season where few Mets are producing with runners in scoring position, which has held the team back, he is batting .328 with a 1.164 OPS in such situations (entering play Aug. 5).

Alonso has been a great Met for years and him grabbing Strawberry’s record is a reminder that there’s a looming decision for Alonso, for both sides. A new deal in Queens would not just be paying him for what he’s done in the past. Power can age well, too. What if Alonso has five more 40-homer seasons in his bat?

There’s plenty of value in retaining a franchise icon. Historically, the Mets have missed some big chances. They’ve got an opportunity now to keep one in Alonso.

Do it.

The Dodgers announced that starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin underwent season-ending elbow surgery on Tuesday — and that wasn’t even the most troubling injury update of the day.

Instead, in what manager Dave Roberts described as the latest “big blow” to the club’s reeling bullpen, right-hander Brock Stewart was placed on the injured list with what Roberts said was shoulder inflammation.

The Dodgers are hopeful that they caught Stewart’s injury early. Both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressed confidence he would be back for the stretch run of the season.

Still, Stewart was acquired at the trade deadline less than two weeks ago in order to bolster a struggling relief corps already missing Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Brusdar Graterol. Now, just four outings into his return to the organization, Stewart represents yet another question mark for a team that has been short on answers amid a recent 12-19 skid.

“Obviously, he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do,” Roberts said. “So to not have him available hurts.”

According to Roberts, Stewart had been dealing with shoulder soreness over the last four days, coinciding with his most recent outing last Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Read more:Dodgers welcome deadline additions, hopeful arrival ‘raises the floor for our ballclub’

Stewart is scheduled to be more thoroughly examined Wednesday, but Friedman noted that initial manual testing on his shoulder was encouraging.

"Sounds like we caught it at the very front end,” Friedman said. “So from our standpoint, we felt like, let's be smart here, take him off line. We're optimistic that he'll be back.”

Hard-throwing right-hander Edgardo Henriquez was called up in Stewart’s place.

Stewart, who began his career as a starting pitcher with the Dodgers from 2016-2019 before reinventing himself as a hard-throwing reliever with the Minnesota Twins over the last three years, represented the Dodgers’ only bullpen upgrade at the deadline.

At the time, the lack of further action felt like a risk for a club that ranks 21st in the majors in reliever ERA this season (4.23).

But in Stewart, who was acquired at a relatively low cost, with only outfielder James Outman going back to Minnesota in return, the Dodgers’ hoped they’d not only found a right-handed replacement for Evan Phillips, who is out for the season because of a Tommy John surgery, but someone capable of shoring up one of the biggest weak spots on the roster.

"I think so much of this is about knowing the person you're acquiring,” Friedman said. “And the history we had with Brock, obviously, was really helpful with that.”

Read more:Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on the injured list

However, Stewart took a loss in his second game with the team, giving up a tie-breaking run in the ninth against the St. Louis Cardinals last week. He was tagged for another run his next time out. And though he bounced back with a scoreless inning against the Blue Jays over the weekend, his shoulder flared up, marking the third time since the start of last year that shoulder troubles have forced him onto the injured list (he twice went on the 60-day IL last year because of shoulder injuries).

“From our standpoint, we felt like the upside, and hopefully we still have the chance to realize that, far outweighed the risk,” Friedman said when asked how much concern the team had over Stewart’s injury history before acquiring him. “But yeah, definitely came with some risk. That's where betting on the person helps. It doesn't guarantee an outcome, but it at least increases your chances. We're optimistic we'll still get there."

Indeed, the Dodgers are expecting Stewart, Kopech (who is eligible to return from the 60-day IL in about two weeks), Yates (who will throw a live batting practice Wednesday), Scott (who will throw a live BP on Thursday) and Graterol (who is still expected back from offseason shoulder surgery in September) will all be back before the end of the season.

But having so many guys battling injuries, Roberts conceded, is “an added layer of uncertainty.”

Stewart’s arrival was supposed to help quell concerns. Now, his injury has only added to their troubles.

Gonsolin out for year

In the other big injury news Tuesday, Friedman said that Gonsolin underwent an internal brace and flexor tendon surgery that will sideline him for at least the next eight to 10 months.

Out since early June because of elbow discomfort, Gonsolin was already a long shot to return this season. And given the relative health of the current rotation (as well as Roki Sasaki’s impending return from a shoulder injury), he was unlikely to factor heavily into their postseason plans.

Still, it represents yet another setback for the former All-Star right-hander, who missed the end of 2023 and all of last season with a Tommy John surgery.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets snapped their losing streak with a 13-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Mets' offense absolutely exploded to end the losing skid at seven games. They chased Braves starter Spencer Strider after just four innings and then forced them to turn to a position player on the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning -- scoring 13 runs on 16 hits and six homers.

- The biggest blast of the night came in the bottom of the third when Pete Alonso crushed a first-pitch fastball from Strider over the right-center fence for a two-run shot, giving him 253 for his career and officially passing Darryl Strawberry's franchise record.  

It didn't take the big man very long to extend that record, as he lifted a solo shot for No. 254 in the sixth -- Alonso has now gone deep three times over the last three games, and he's tied for the team lead with 28 long balls on the year. 

- Alonso wasn't the only Met to enjoy a multi-homer night, Francisco Alvarez did as well. He had an opposite-field two-run shot in the second and then a solo shot to deep right in the sixth, the latter of which Brett Baty followed with an oppo blast of his own.  

Alvarez also had a run-scoring double, giving him three hits and four RBI on the night. 

- The other homer was a much-needed big hit delivered by Brandon Nimmo. The Braves rallied to even things up in the fourth, but in the bottom half of the inning, Francisco Lindor beat out a bunt single and Juan Soto drew a walk, before the slugger lifted a three-run shot to put the Mets in front for good.

Nimmo had two hits -- both he (0-for-20) and Lindor (0-for-21) snapped dreadful stretches.

- Clay Holmes struggled with his command as he worked through another up-and-down outing. He escaped a second and third nobody out jam in the first, allowing just one run to score, and then worked around two second-inning hits thanks to a 4-6-3 double play. 

Holmes issued a leadoff walk in the third, and this time was helped out by some bad fundies on the bases. Things caved in on him in the fourth, though, as Atlanta broke through for four runs to tie things up and chase him from the ballgame. 

Holmes finished with a final line of five runs on six hits and five walks while striking out four in 4.2 innings, bringing his ERA up to 3.71 for the year.

- Behind him, Gregory Soto stranded a pair in a scoreless inning of work, then with the game out of hand Justin Hagenman did a tremendous job of eating the final four innings, allowing just one baserunner.  

- Cedric Mullins put together a big night at the ballpark with a single, double, and two runs scored. After a bit of a slow start following the trade from the Orioles, he now has five hits and three RBI over his last three games.

- New York scored all 13 of their runs with two outs on the night. 

Game MVP: Pete Alonso

There were plenty of MVPs in this one, but it's hard not to pick the record-breaker. 

Highlights

Clay Holmes gets back-to-back strikeouts to end the first inning and avoid further damage pic.twitter.com/7Bm29dXb3Z

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 12, 2025

McNeil ➡️ Lindor ➡️ Alonso for the double play! pic.twitter.com/7CRvAmPBGm

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 12, 2025

Cedric Mullins brings home Pete Alonso to tie the game! pic.twitter.com/wID5FiA64P

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 12, 2025

Francisco Alvarez gives the Mets the lead with a two-run blast! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8tYC1ngQTN

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 12, 2025

BAD FUNDIES BY THE BRAVES.

The Mets turn two! pic.twitter.com/gUe0Oaiatf

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 12, 2025

PETE ALONSO IS THE METS' ALL-TIME HOME RUN KING!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/YzATzLUGtq

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 12, 2025

Pete Alonso gave the fans at Citi Field a tip of his hat after they gave him an extended ovation after his record-breaking home run pic.twitter.com/ECM89ePYlq

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2025

BRANDON NIMMO PUTS THE METS BACK IN FRONT WITH HIS 20TH HOME RUN OF THE YEAR! pic.twitter.com/Wxk0kDglF5

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2025

CAREER HOME RUN NO. 254 FOR PETE ALONSO! pic.twitter.com/kjtgVz5tQg

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2025

FRANCISCO ALVAREZ'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT!

The Mets have scored all 12 of their runs with two outs! pic.twitter.com/EldAdy0myG

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2025

BRETT BATY AND FRANCISCO ALVAREZ GO BACK-TO-BACK! pic.twitter.com/OADGd9pJrY

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2025

What's next

David Peterson (7-5, 2.98 ERA) takes the ball against old friend Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 6.18 ERA) as the Mets and Braves continue their series at Citi Field at 7:10 p.m.

Pete Alonso stands alone in the record books. 

The slugger crushed his 253rd career home run in the bottom of the third on Tuesday night, officially passing Darryl Strawberry for the Mets franchise record. 

Alonso tied Strawberry’s mark this weekend in Milwaukee, and he didn’t waste any time jumping in front of him back in the home ballpark. 

Strawberry took a minute to congratulate the big man in a video shared on the team’s social media pages. 

“I just want to say congratulations on breaking the home run record,” he said. “You have worked hard, you have stood up in the pressure of New York City, and you have played well -- it is well deserved, you are a homegrown player.

“Again, congratulations and continue to have great success.”

Darryl Strawberry congratulates Pete Alonso on breaking his Mets home run record 🤝

(via @Mets) pic.twitter.com/ly8rDtYl6G

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 13, 2025

Frustration gets the best of Suarez as Phillies see winning streak come to end originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CINCINNATI — It wasn’t just one pitch that threw off the night for Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez, though it certainly did seem to play a big part.

After striking out Matt McLain to start the third inning, Suarez allowed consecutive singles before getting TJ Friedl to bounce into a fielder’s choice. After going 0-2 on Spencer Steer, Suarez appeared to freeze him with a sinker. The pitch appeared to be in the strike zone, so much so that Suarez made his way to within about 10 feet of catcher Rafael Marchan and home plate umpire Will Traynor.

Three pitches later, Steer hit a two-run double to plate the Reds’ first runs in what would become a 6-1 loss for the Phillies at Great American Ballpark.

That lack of a strike call may have started a bad night for Suarez, who again jawed with Traynor in the sixth, but it wasn’t the only thing that was wrong with the left-hander on this night.

In fact, things haven’t been going well for quite some time for Suarez. In his last six starts, which have composed of 35 1/3 innings, Suarez has given up 46 hits and 24 earned runs for a 6.11 ERA during that span.

“I think I could have gotten out of those innings with way less damage than we did,” Suarez said. “I think I just mentally blocked at that point and I just stopped trying to execute those pitches. I think I was just throwing the ball.”

His manager didn’t like the reaction from his pitcher too much, either.

“You got to shut that down. If it did (affect Suarez), you can’t let that happen,” Rob Thomson said. “You got to stay focused, stay composed and keep pitching. Those things are going to happen. The iPad on the bench, it just barely ticked that, but who knows how those boxes are. I don’t know if they’re accurate or not. But, that’s something you can’t control and you’ve just got to keep pitching.

“Because of his last few outings, I think he wants to do well and maybe he’s just off a little bit. But he’s got to shut that down.”

Before the game, Thomson was answering a question about the possible availability of starter Aaron Nola. Thomson said they’d have to wait on how Nola pitched and felt after starting Tuesday in Lehigh Valley, then said the organization would “have to see where Ranger is at after tonight’s game.”

Suarez insisted that he’s fine.

“I felt good,” he said. “I felt better than last time out. Overall, I felt better and look what happened. I missed a couple, that’s the game. I wouldn’t say it’s fatigue. I feel good, actually. I know I’ve had a couple of rough starts and I realize wondering if it could be fatigue, but it’s not. I just think about it as having to look back at those pitches that were missed, that I missed, and getting better at that point.”

And Nola appears ready, if not just about ready, to rejoin the team after being out since May 14. Tuesday against Buffalo, Nola pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits, two earned runs. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out 11.

“He says he’s fine and he was really good the first two innings,” Thomson said of Suarez. “And then his command was off. The rest of his outing, really, he was getting ahead the first two innings. The third through the sixth, he was a lot of behind in the count, then he’s got to come in with too many pitches in the middle of the plate and he paid for it.”

The loss snapped a four-game win streak by the Phillies, with all the wins coming at the beginning of this 10-game road trip. The only thing that slowed down Cincinnati was a 28-minute rain delay following the sixth.

After getting through the first seven batters of the game without a hitch, Suarez allowed 12 of the next 21 batters to get on base via hits or walk. There was a home run, a bunch of singles, a couple of doubles, a hit batter, a pair of walks. Pretty much any way there was to get on base, the Reds did it off Suarez, who fell to 8-6 and had his ERA climb to 3.28, the first time it’s been that high since his fourth start of the season.

“Other than fatigue, I don’t think so, because he hasn’t complained of anything,” Thomson said of what could be behind Suarez’s struggles. “That’s the only thing I can really attribute it to. We’ll see.

“Nola had a good game tonight so we’ll see how he’s feeling tomorrow. Punched out the side in the first, third and fifth. Really threw well, 84 pitches so we’ll see how he is tomorrow. We’ll go to a sixth man, or bump him (Suarez), or something.”

There’s been a lot of news surrounding the Phillies’ pitching staff of late. It was revealed last week that Zack Wheeler was having shoulder soreness, though he and the team insist he’s fine. They picked up closing sensation Jhoan Duran at the trade deadline. Veteran David Robertson made his debut with the team on Monday. Reliever Jose Alvarado will come back from his suspension in about a week and Nola seems to have completed his rehab. And now they will have to figure out what is going on with Suarez.

After winning eight of their last 10 and playing such good baseball, a dud was bound to happen at some point. That’s somewhat expected in a 162-game season. But the supposed red flag on Suarez put a damper on what was already a damp night all around. A Bryce Harper home run in the ninth, his 18th of the year, saved the Phillies from being shut out.

“I think it’s mostly about getting on track on my starts and trying to replicate whatever we did during the first half of the season,” Suarez said. “As far as the mentality, it’s more about throwing those bad starts away and trying to start fresh and be better. I feel good.”