Category: MLB

Paul Goldschmidt’s pinch-hit solo home run put the Yankees ahead in the seventh inning, and the much-maligned bullpen pitched four innings of scoreless relief to end a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon in Arlington.

With the win, just their eighth in 19 games since the All-Star break, the Yanks improved to 61-54 on the season. The Rangers, who entered the game just 0.5 game behind New York for the final Wild Card spot, fell to 60-56.

Here are the key takeaways...

- Looking for a spark in a tie game, Aaron Boone went to the bench in the seventh against left-handed reliever Robert Garcia. Amed Rosario (batting for Ryan McMahon) tapped out to third, but Goldschmidt (batting for Austin Wells) had better luck, taking an 0-2 up-and-in fastball and clobbering it 395 feet to left (109.3 mph off the bat) for a solo home run to put New York up 3-2.

Goldschmidt has been eating southpaws alive; he is now batting .410 (43-for-105) on the year with 13 doubles, seven home runs, and 16 RBI.

After Ben Rice reached on a two-out infield hit, Bruce Bochy went to the bullpen, but Shawn Armstrong allowed a single and a walk to give Jazz Chisholm Jr. a bases-loaded chance. But Chisholm managed just a flyout to the warning track in left.

Through the series' first 26 innings, the Yanks had left 19 runners on base and were 4-for-21 with runners in scoring position.

- Tim Hill, pitching with a lead in the seventh was the second man out of the 'pen, got the first out before a single and catcher's interference by Rice put two aboard. The lefty got CoreySeager swinging and Boone summoned Yerry De los Santos, who walked the first man he faced. But a good sinker in on the hands got a fly out to center to leave the bases loaded. 

- After De los Santos got the first out of the eighth, Boone called on David Bednar, who walked the first guy he faced, but struck out the next two. 

In the ninth, Bednar got pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez swinging at a high fastball and Sam Haggerty to wave at a splitter. Seager looked at a 3-2 pitch that appeared to just catch the corner but was judged a ball, giving the Rangers life. Marcus Semien slashed a single through the right side of the infield to put the go-ahead run on base. Boone came out for a visit and after a conversation, allowed Bednar, who was already at 35 pitches (a season high), to face Adolis Garcia. And the righty got Garcia to swing through a 2-2 splitter on the seventh pitch of the at-bat to end the game. 

The Yanks held the Rangers to 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, with 11 runners left on base and turned three double plays. 

- Carlos Rodon allowed two singles and a walk, but no runs in his first two innings of work. The Rangers pushed the game’s first run across when a Rodon changeup over the middle got smashed by Ezequiel Duran for a double off the left field wall to start the third, and Haggerty slapped a single the other way.

The left-hander walked Seager on a full count, after getting squeezed on a 2-2 sinker that caught the outside corner to put two men on, but a 5-4-3 double-play and flyout saw him safely out of further damage.

Rodon was in a spot of bother with one out in the fifth after a swinging bunt single, walk, and Seager bloop single to center loaded the bases. The lefty was able to escape with minimal damage, a Semien sac fly to tie the game, getting Adolis Garcia to ground out to short to leave two men on. 

The lefty walked Wyatt Langford to start the sixth and Boone went to the bullpen in a tied game, but Mark LeiterJr. got a flyout and a double play to close Rodon’s line: 5.0 innings two runs on six hits, four walks, three strikeouts on 93 pitches (58 strikes) raising his ERA to 3.35 on the year.  

- In the top of the fourth, Anthony Volpe had a big chance with runners on first and second and one out after a couple of walks, and tied the game yanking an inside fastball into left for an RBI single off Texas starter Jack Leiter. The Yanks used their speed to take the lead when the runners took off, and catcher KyleHigashioka's throw to third was low and bounced away, allowing Jasson Dominguez to score and Volpe to reach third.

After McMahon walked to put runners on the corners, the Yanks failed to score off lefty reliever Hobby Milner, as Wells tapped into a fielder's choice (Volpe caught off third, 1-5-2) and Trent Grisham tapped out to Milner, as well.

Since the All-Star break, Wells is 5-for-46 with just one extra-base hit, three walks, and 11 strikeouts. McMahon went 1-for-1 with a walk and is batting .297 in 12 games with the club. Volpe finished 1-for-4, including bouncing into a double play.

- Judge, who threw in the outfield before Wednesday’s game, looked overeager his first time up when he popped out on the infield swinging at a 3-0 fastball coming in on his hands from Rangers starter Jack Leiter.

The slugger came up in a big spot with runners on first and second and two out in the third, but was caught looking at a 2-2 changeup at the knees on the outside corner. 

Judge got his first hit since his return, lining a two-out single in the seventh. He went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts and one walk in his first two games back.

- Rice went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts and hit into a double play. He is now 9-for-46 (.196) with eight walks and eight strikeouts since the All-Star break.

- Chisholm finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He is now batting .208 (15-for-72) with just four extra-base hits, eight RBI, and 24 strikeouts since the break.

- Bellinger went 0-for-2 with a walk and grounded into a double play. The outfielder went 3-for-22 with two walks and two strikeouts during the six-game road trip.

- Dominguez 0-for-2 with two walks, now has 12 hits in his last 57 at-bats.

- Grisham, who singled to start the game, went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout and is batting .217 (13-for-60) since the break.

Game MVP

The Yankee bullpen allowed two hits and walked three batters, but got 12 outs without allowing a run and struck out six, including five by Bednar, who earned his 18th save of the year.

Highlights

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe turn two! pic.twitter.com/I08h2OMeKl

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 6, 2025

Anthony Volpe gets the Yankees on the board! pic.twitter.com/FvMNLEjtaU

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 6, 2025

Jasson Domínguez steals third and comes home on the wild throw to give the Yankees the lead 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gGkwRESTW5

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 6, 2025

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT HOMERS TO GIVE THE YANKEES THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/4mvuZAvbxZ

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 6, 2025

Upcoming schedule

After taking Thursday off, the Yanks open a three-game series in The Bronx against the Houston Astros, starting on Friday at 7:05 p.m.

New York is scheduled to start with Cam Schlittler (4.58 ERA, 1.678 WHIP in 19.2 innings) on Friday, with Luis Gil and Max Fried following. Houston is set to counter with righty Hunter Brown (2.47 ERA, 0.985 WHIP in 131 innings) on Friday with lefty Framber Valdez on Saturday. No Astros starter has been named for Sunday.

In many ways, Wednesday afternoon’s 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians felt like a low point for the 2025 Mets. 

While David Peterson was solid but not spectacular on the mound, the entire lineup looked listless at the plate, as Guardians starter Gavin Williams carried a no-hitter through 8.1 innings.

With the loss, the Mets have now lost eight of their last nine games, remaining 2.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies, who also lost on Wednesday afternoon.

“You’ve got to give him credit,” manager Carlos Mendoza said about Williams. “Obviously, he was really good today using all of his pitches, but we also know that we’re better than that. They know they’re better than that. We just couldn’t make any adjustments. A lot of empty at-bats there.

“Yes, as good as he was, I feel like he gave us a few pitches to hit and we missed them.”

Williams struck out six Mets on the afternoon, but even when the Mets did put the ball in play, it was mostly weak contact, outside of a Francisco Lindor liner back to the mound in the first inning and a Mark Vientos flare in the seventh that forced C.J. Kayfus to make a diving catch.

The Mets finally scratched across a hit with one out in the ninth, as Juan Soto homered to straight-away center. But it was too little, too late.

“I really don’t know what is going on,” Soto said after the game. “We definitely have the talent and the guys who are capable to do damage here, so I think one day it’s going to turn around.”

“We have to be better,” Soto added later. “As a group we have to come through better and we have to do the adjustments. Nobody said it’s going to be easy to go all the way, but it’s a challenge. We’ve just got to go out there and take it from them. Nobody’s going to bring the trophy over here and give it to us, we gotta go out there and take it.”

Things don’t get any easier for the Mets in the immediate future, as the club has an off day on Thursday before starting a three-game series in Milwaukee against the Brewers, who have the best record in baseball at 69-44.

Mendoza isn’t losing confidence in his club, but he knows it’s time to get things turned around.

“I think the number one thing is just understanding that we’re going through it right now, but at the same time, we’ve got to find a way to turn the switch here,” Mendoza said. “We know you’re good, we know we’re good here, but we’ve got to go out there and do it. We’ll continue to have those discussions. We believe in those guys, obviously. It’s been a rough stretch here for a quite a bit now, and I know they’re working really hard. The messaging, obviously we have to be better. We have to continue to work hard, and we have to go out there and do it.”

The Mets fell to the Cleveland Guardians by a score of 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon, and have now lost eight of their last nine games.

Here are the takeaways...

-- The story of the day was Guardians starter Gavin Williams, who carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning.

After not recording a hit over the final four innings of Tuesday's loss, the Mets were left searching for answers against Williams, as the right-hander had his fastball sitting in the high-90s and induced plenty of weak contact. While he only struck out six hitters, he kept his pitch count relatively low, though he was up to 111 pitches through eight innings. 

In the ninth, Williams struck out Francisco Lindor swinging to start things off, but Juan Soto ended the no-no, homering to center field on Williams' 117th pitch of the game. Williams issued a walk later in the inning, and his afternoon ended after 8.2 innings and 126 pitches. Hunter Gaddis came in and recorded the final out, and Williams' final line read 8.2 innings, one run, one hit, six strikeouts, and four walks.

-- It seems like in every potential no-hitter situation, there's always one or two stellar defensive plays that keep it going. Lindor, the first batter of the game, lined one right back to Williams which knocked his glove off his hand, but Williams recovered to get the out at first. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Mark Vientos flared a ball to shallow right field and C.J. Kayfus laid out to make the grab, keeping the no-no alive for the time being.

-- David Peterson has been the only Mets starting pitcher to give them any length of late, and while he pitched deep into the game once again, he didn't receive any run support and was tagged for a couple of home runs. The lefty allowed a solo home run to David Fry in the top of the second, and fell victim to the long ball again in the third, when Angel Martinez lined a two-run shot to left.

Gabriel Arias later lined a two-out, RBI triple to right-center to extend the Guardians' lead to 4-0 in the sixth. That was the final frame for Peterson, who went 6.0 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking two.

-- While it was a game to forget for the offense overall, Brandon Nimmo reached base three times on three walks.

Game MVP

Williams, who came within two outs of recording the first no-hitter in the majors this season.

Highlights

Gavin Williams is through 8 no-hit innings against the Mets pic.twitter.com/IaHcUbk4Qj

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 6, 2025

Juan Soto breaks up Gavin Williams' no-hit bid with a 9th inning home run pic.twitter.com/LhM253BPjt

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 6, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Mets are off on Thursday before beginning a three-game series in Milwaukee against the red-hot Brewers on Friday at 8:10 p.m. on SNY. 

Kodai Senga is scheduled to face Brandon Woodruff.

Aaron Judge, already back in the Yankees lineup as a DH, took a big step in his return to the outfield ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers. 

Judge threw from about 60 feet while playing catch with Giancarlo Stanton on the outfield grass and came out feeling positive about his progress from the flexor strain in his right arm.

“Felt good to get out there. We’ll see what I can do tomorrow,” Judge said, via Newsday. “You’ve got a flexor strain. Like a hammy, the first time you run on a hammy, it’s going to be sore. But I didn’t feel like I did when I hurt it.”

The slugger went hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts in his first game back from the 10-day IL on Tuesday -- his first action since sustaining the injury on July 22 in Toronto. 

When asked if the soreness would be something he will have to manage for the remainder of the season, Judge said he anticipates it will eventually subside.

“I think for a little bit, and then eventually it will get better and we’ll be good to go and forget about it in a couple of weeks,” Judge said. “We’ll see. I’ve never had this. 

“Would be easier if I had a quad or a hammy or oblique, I could kind of give you a better estimate of what we’ve got.”

In that regard, Judge equated the injury to “any muscle injury” when it comes down to playing despite any lingering pain.  

“You pull a hammy, you have to be smart,” he said. “You just can’t blow it out. We’ll be smart with it.”

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. took his time.

The Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter didn't swing at the first two pitches he saw from San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller — a fastball that registered at 102 miles per hour for a ball and an 89-mph slider — with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night in Phoenix.

The Cuban-American batter then fouled off the next four pitches, three of which were fastballs thrown between 101 and 104 mph. Miller's seventh pitch of the at-bat was another scorcher, but Gurriel made contact and this time kept the ball in fair territory.

104 MPH IN
107.1 MPH OUT

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ties it! pic.twitter.com/l6KNSIooSK

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2025

It traveled 439 feet and landed in the left-field stands for a two-run home run. Miller's pitch was clocked at 103.9 mph, making it the fastest pitch to be hit for a home run since MLB started pitch tracking in 2008.

"It’s something that just happened,” Gurriel said after the game through an interpreter.

Miller said of the pitch: “Location could have been better, for sure. Ultimately, the result is what it is. I’m not going to sit here and regret what pitch I threw. Just got it out over the plate, a little bit high.”

Gurriel's blast, which left the park at 107.1 mph, tied the game at 5-5. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, they couldn't keep up the momentum against their National League West rivals and eventually lost 10-5 in 11 innings.

Read more:Hernández: Mookie Betts sounds depressed, but he isn't giving up on snapping his hitting slump

“The real meaning was in the time of the game and what it meant to the team to tie the ballgame. That was the most important thing,” Gurriel said of his historic homer. “I mean, unfortunately, it didn't turn into a win, but that was the most exciting thing.”

It was Gurriel's second home run of the game — he also hit a two-run homer off Padres starter Yu Darvish in the first inning — and his 14th of the season. Before Tuesday, Gurriel had not hit a home run since July 1.

Gurriel is the ninth player known to hit a home run off a ball thrown at 102 mph or faster and only the second player to do so off a pitch thrown faster than 103 mph. In September, Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs went yard off a 103.2-mph pitch.

Read more:Parking at a Padres game was a bargain. Now the cost rivals that of Dodger Stadium

That pitch also happened to be thrown by Miller, who was with the Athletics at the time before being acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline last week. In his second appearance for San Diego, Miller pitched one inning, giving up one hit and a walk with two strikeouts. One of his pitches was clocked at 104.2 mph, the fastest ever tracked for a Padres pitcher.

“It’s a weapon,” Miller said of his fastball after Tuesday's game. “But you still need to put together an at-bat for the guy, and work with him, as far as his swings and his approach in there."

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Two of the Mets’ top prospects took home some hardware following their incredible performances over the past month: Brandon Sproat was named International League Pitcher of the Month, while outfielder Carson Benge was named Eastern League Player of the Month.

Sproat, who is knocking on the door of getting called up to the majors, made five starts in July, pitching to a miniscule 0.67 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP and 33 strikeouts over 27.0 innings of work.

The 24-year-old Sproat got off to a bit of a rough start this season, but thanks to his terrific July he has lowered his season ERA from 5.43 on June 28 to  where it currently stands at 4.07.

As for Benge, the 2024 first-round pick has been destroying the ball since his promotion to Double-A Binghamton. In 27 games as Rumble Pony, Benge has slashed .356/.446/.644 with eight home runs and 20 RBI.

In July, Benge slashed .397/.482/.726 with seven big flies while driving in 17 runs.

In Joe DeMayo's updated midseason Top 30 Mets prospects list, Benge checked in at No. 3, while Sproat wasn't far behind at No. 5.

Parking at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, is a distinctly different experience than parking at Dodger Stadium.

It's about to be similar, however, when it comes to price.

City crews installed about 400 signs in downtown San Diego last week to let drivers know about new street parking-meter rates taking effect Sept. 1, calling it a special event zone. The hourly rate will increase from $2.50 to $10 starting two hours before games or concerts at the stadium, and will remain at that rate for six hours.

Getting to the stadium an hour before a three-hour game and perhaps enjoying a drink or meal at one of the establishments in the Gaslamp Quarter a short walk from the stadium can lift the cost of parking from $15 to $60.

And it could get worse. The variable parking rate policy change that the San Diego City Council approved in June allows the city to charge as much as $20 an hour, but officials are starting with $10.

Read more:Hernández: Dodgers look vulnerable, and Padres and rest of their competitors know it

The Padres were taken by surprise by the city's action and objected to the increase, complaining that it was implemented without significant input from the team.

“We look forward to better understanding the city’s plan,” Padres spokesperson Vanessa Dominguez said.

Watching the kerfuffle must be amusing for Dodgers officials, who long have taken it on the chin for seemingly exorbitant parking fees and an enormous, barren parking lot that has all the charm of, well, an enormous, barren parking lot.

Parking at Chavez Ravine is not nearly as fun as at Petco Park, where the dozens of nearby restaurants, bars, shops and music venues make it akin to attending a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

General admission parking at Dodger Stadium is $35 if prepaid and $40 at the gate, but it's a long hike to the seats. Preferred parking — translation: a shorter walk — is $60, the same as the six-hour meter charge will be at Petco.

Read more:Hernández: Mookie Betts sounds depressed, but he isn't giving up on snapping his hitting slump

Dodgers fans have their complaints about parking — primarily a postgame snarl to get out of the Stadium that makes navigating the 405 seem like a breeze — and drama too often colors the experience.

A tailgating ban is enforced so diligently that fans can't even enjoy an El Ruso taco leaning over the trunk of their car without being scolded by a security officer. Safety is difficult to ensure as well: Fans have been beaten senseless walking to or from their cars.

And through no fault of the Dodgers, a procession of vehicles identified as federal agents attempted to enter the stadium on June 19, a day immigration raids capped two weeks of roundups by arresting "30 illegal aliens in Hollywood ... and nine illegal aliens in San Fernando and Pacoima,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

Federal officials said the gathering of vehicles was to conduct a briefing, and the Dodgers denied the vehicles entry into the stadium.

Parking near Petco Park is relatively safe, with well-lit lots and streets part of the fabric of a neighborhood packed with revelers. And Padres fans don't require a metered street spot to park. The team runs several lots a few blocks from the stadium where parking can be reserved ahead of time. Rates range from $10 to $40.

The quadrupled special-event metered rate changes near Petco were included in a sweeping package of new parking rules throughout San Diego designed to increase revenue.

Read more:Dodgers-Padres lives up to the rivalry hype as L.A. prevails in 10th inning

No more free parking on Sundays. Soon, no more free parking at the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and Mission Bay Park. Free beach parking will be a perk of the past.

The city doubled meter rates to $2.50 an hour in most places. And meter hours around the city will be extended by at least two hours later this summer. The increase is expected to bring in about $4 million through the remainder of the fiscal year, and at least $9.6 million annually starting next fiscal year, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.

“This city is a playground for folks,” San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said at a recent meeting. “It is really important to me that San Diegans not be subsidizing the vacations of tourists who have the financial capability of coming here and enjoying this city.”

Most Padres fans are San Diego-area residents, although when the Dodgers visit the city to their south the crowd is noticeably peppered with folks wearing Dodgers gear. As the rivalry between the teams has grown in recent years, Petco has become a favorite destination for Dodgers fans.

Groups like Pantone 294 — the Dodgers official blue-tone color is listed as Pantone 294 — organize "takeovers," with hundreds of Dodgers fans purchasing tickets in the same section of an opposing ballpark. For the short trip to San Diego, fans can join others on tour buses or drive their own cars.

When it comes to parking those cars, fees will have risen. Savvy fans who don't mind taking the time can reduce the cost by parking near a San Diego trolley or MTS bus station: The fare remains $2.50.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Of all the prominent Rangers, the one who's toughest to figure is Adam Fox. Think – you Rangers fans – for a moment about the noble fellow.

1. He wanted so much to be a Ranger that he stiffed – call it an insult if you will – the Calgary Flames who drafted him in 2016. (And, no, they haven't forgotten.) His rationale: His Dad was a MSG season ticket-holder, and Adam grew up a Blueshirt fan.

2. His devotion to the Rangers was evident from the get-go on the ice, from a sparkling rookie season, going forwardl

3. His annexation of the Norris Trophy in 2021 suggested more prizes to come as his game matured and improved. 

4. By all rights, this Met Area native seemed a natural for the Rangers captaincy after Jacob Trouba became a discarded Blueshirt.

But that seems so long ago and far away, doesn't it?

Fox's 2024-25 record (10-51-61) looks good on paper but it actually was his lowest full season average since his rookie year. At age 27, he should be at his career peak. Should be, but we can't tell. Can you?

What better proof than this: neither The Maven nor the citizens of Rangerville have the vaguest idea of what kind of Adam Fox the 2025-26 model will be like.

"If he can somehow find his Norris game and energize the power play," says The Old Scout, "real good possibilities are there. But there are areas that need fixing; that's for sure."

Leadership? Forget about it. He's obviously is not considered character-strong enough a personality, otherwise management would have named him captain by now. 

Pressing Rangers Questions And Answers When a club like the Rangers finishes in the NHL's subterranean depths, it raises questions that must be answered before the autumn leaves start to fall. (Now don't be a wise guy and tell me that they're falling already.)

Another Norris? No way. He's slipped so far down the NHL Top 50 list he figures to be somewhere between Braden Schen and Brady Skjei.

Spirit? That's what Joe Micheletti said was missing from this past season's team. Fox's spirit is fairly concealed, wouldn't you say?

Maybe this will change for the better under Mike Sullivan. One would hope so. 

But all we can say now about Adam Fox is that he remains an enigma – with greatness-in-waiting! Conclusion: Wait 'til next season.

Phillies have an afternoon of missed opportunities in series finale loss to Orioles  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies were hoping for a sweeter day at Citizens Bank Park in their last game before embarking on a 10-game road trip.

They fell short of sweeping the Orioles, dropping the series finale by a 5-1 score Wednesday afternoon.

The Phils went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

“We had chances, we just didn’t come through,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

Ranger Suarez threw 6 and 1/3 innings, conceding five runs and nine hits. He had three strikeouts and zero walks.

Orioles starter Trevor Rogers limited the Phillies to one run over his six innings. Rogers allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked two.

The Phillies threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Trea Turner picked up a one-out triple after Dylan Carlson made a fruitless dive in center field. An inside-the-park home run wasn’t out of the question, but third base coach Dusty Wathan held Turner. 

Turner entered the day 4 for his last 38. He hadn’t recorded a hit greater than a double since July 25. 

The Phils failed to push him home. With the Orioles’ infield in, Kyle Schwarber struck out. Jackson Holliday then handled Bryce Harper’s grounder to second with a nice backhand play. 

Suarez’s outing soured in the fourth inning. Following Gunnar Henderson’s opposite-field single and Adley Rutschman’s infield hit, Jeremiah Jackson ripped a double down the left-field line. 

Coby Mayo smashed the next pitch, a heart-of-the-plate changeup, for a three-run homer to put the O’s up 4-0.

The Phils cut their deficit in the fifth inning. Weston Wilson walked, Rafael Marchan singled and Turner flared an RBI base hit to center. 

Rogers wriggled out of the inning, largely thanks to effective changeups at the bottom of the zone. The lefty struck out Schwarber again and got ground balls from Harper and Nick Castellanos. 

He navigated through the sixth, too. Harrison Bader flew out to the left-field warning track, Otto Kemp and Wilson singled, and Edmundo Sosa worked an 11-pitch at-bat. The Phils still came up empty. Marchan ended the inning by grounding out to shortstop on Rogers’ 104th pitch. 

Suarez started the seventh but couldn’t finish it. Holliday gave Baltimore a bit more breathing room with a one-out RBI knock. 

Turner kicked off the bottom of the inning by cracking a leadoff double for his third hit of the afternoon. He was a home run shy of the cycle.

“I’ve been tinkering with things just to try to find something that feels good,” Turner said. “The frustrating part is, talking with the coaches, it feels like, ‘Oh, good swing, good swing, good swing.’ After a little while, you hate hearing that. You want to see results.

“I think the Detroit series and the first two games of this series, I hit some balls hard, just kind of right at people. … Try to separate that a little bit. But today I made a little adjustment. We’ll stick with that and see where it goes.”

The Schwarber-Harper-Castellanos trio remained quiet in the seventh. All three struck out.

The 65-49 Phils begin their trip Friday night against the Rangers. Cristopher Sanchez will start instead of Zack Wheeler, who’s been moved to Sunday because of shoulder soreness.

Patience with Painter   

Thomson acknowledged pregame that top pitching prospect Andrew Painter is not guaranteed to join the big club late this season and seize a major role.

Painter had a subpar start Tuesday night for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowing five runs in four innings and walking four batters. His ERA rose to 4.88 in 15 Triple-A starts. 

“It’s always about him pitching well and being healthy,” Thomson said. “Last night, his fastball command … lot of arm side, up arm side. Velocity was good. He’s got to be pitching well.”

Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in July of 2023. The Phillies don’t want to rush the 22-year-old up. 

“Coming back from this injury takes a while; a lot of times it’s two years,” Thomson said. “Look at (Sandy) Alcantara, a number of guys. It’s usually the second year that it comes together. We just have to wait and see.” 

Phillies have an afternoon of missed opportunities in series finale loss to Orioles  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies were hoping for a sweeter day at Citizens Bank Park in their last game before embarking on a 10-game road trip.

They fell short of sweeping the Orioles, dropping the series finale by a 5-1 score Wednesday afternoon.

The Phils went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Ranger Suarez threw 6 and 1/3 innings, conceding five runs and nine hits. He had three strikeouts and zero walks.

Orioles starter Trevor Rogers limited the Phillies to one run over his six innings. Rogers allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked two.

The Phillies threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Trea Turner picked up a one-out triple after Dylan Carlson made a fruitless dive in center field. An inside-the-park home run wasn’t out of the question, but third base coach Dusty Wathan held Turner. 

Turner entered the day 4 for his last 38. He hadn’t recorded a hit greater than a double since July 25. 

The Phils failed to push him home. With the Orioles’ infield in, Kyle Schwarber struck out. Jackson Holliday then handled Bryce Harper’s grounder to second with a nice backhand play. 

Suarez’s outing soured in the fourth inning. Following Gunnar Henderson’s opposite-field single and Adley Rutschman’s infield hit, Jeremiah Jackson ripped a double down the left-field line. 

Coby Mayo smashed the next pitch, a heart-of-the-plate changeup, for a three-run homer to put the O’s up 4-0.

The Phils cut their deficit in the fifth inning. Weston Wilson walked, Rafael Marchan singled and Turner flared an RBI base hit to center. 

Rogers wriggled out of the inning, largely thanks to effective changeups at the bottom of the zone. The lefty struck out Schwarber again and got ground balls from Harper and Nick Castellanos. 

He navigated through the sixth, too. Harrison Bader flew out to the left-field warning track, Otto Kemp and Wilson singled, and Edmundo Sosa worked an 11-pitch at-bat. The Phils still came up empty. Marchan ended the inning by grounding out to shortstop on Rogers’ 104th pitch. 

Suarez started the seventh but couldn’t finish it. Holliday gave Baltimore a bit more breathing room with a one-out RBI knock. 

Turner kicked off the bottom of the inning by cracking a leadoff double for his third hit of the afternoon. The Schwarber-Harper-Castellanos trio remained quiet, though. All three struck out.

The 65-49 Phils begin their trip Friday night against the Rangers. Cristopher Sanchez will start instead of Zack Wheeler, who’s been moved to Sunday because of shoulder soreness.

Patience with Painter   

Phillies manager Rob Thomson acknowledged pregame that top pitching prospect Andrew Painter is not guaranteed to join the big club late this season and seize a major role.

Painter had a subpar start Tuesday night for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowing five runs in four innings and walking four batters. His ERA rose to 4.88 in 15 Triple-A starts. 

“It’s always about him pitching well and being healthy,” Thomson said. “Last night, his fastball command … lot of arm side, up arm side. Velocity was good. He’s got to be pitching well.”

Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in July of 2023. The Phillies don’t want to rush the 22-year-old up. 

“Coming back from this injury takes a while; a lot of times it’s two years,” Thomson said. “Look at (Sandy) Alcantara, a number of guys. It’s usually the second year that it comes together. We just have to wait and see.”