Category: MLB

On Thursday afternoon, the Rays were hoping to wrap up their four-game series against the Blue Jays with a sweep. To get the job done, they had Casey Legumina working the opener role, up against Shane Bieber for the Blue Jays.

The Rays went 1-2-3 to start the first inning. In the home half, Ernie Clement got a two-out single, then George Springer drew a walk. Alejandro Kirk then singled, bringing Clement home and putting the Jays on the board first. Legumina got out of the inning without any additional runs scoring.

The Rays once again went down in order in the second. David Schneider got a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning but was quickly eliminated in a force-out off the bat of Luis Urias. A pop out ended the inning no harm done.

In the third, the Rays finally got something going. With one out, Hunter Feduccia doubled. Yandy Diaz then hit a liner to right, allowing Feduccia to score and tie up the game. Legumina was done after two, replaced by Ian Seymour. Yohendrick Pinango doubled to start the inning. Then, with two outs, Springer singled to score Pinango and retake the lead. Once again, the Jays only managed a single run, but one run can still win or lose a game.

Jonny DeLuca got a two-out single in the fourth, but the Rays weren’t able to bring him home. The Jays, thankfully went down in order in the home half.

Another 1-2-3 inning for the Rays in the fifth didn’t do much to help the score. In the bottom of the inning the Jays just managed a two-out single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr, no runs scored.

Things continues to be sluggish for the Rays’ offense in the sixth as they went three-up, three-down. They were running out of at-bats to stage a comeback. Springer hit a leadoff single for the Jays in the bottom of the inning, but three outs followed to keep things status quo.

Once again though, the Rays’ bats were silent in the seventh. Myles Straw got a one-out walk in the home half, then with two outs he stole second. Guerrero Jr. then singled, bringing Straw home and bumping the score up to 3-1.

Bieber’s day was done after seven outstanding innings of trade value-boosting work. He was replaced by Tyler Rogers. Rogers continued the agonizing trend of getting the Rays out in order. The Jays weren’t able to get a baserunner in the home half, though.

The Jays went back to their bullpen again in the ninth for Louis Varland, who got the Rays out three-up, three-down to end the game and keep them from sweeping the series.

Final: Jays 3, Rays 1

None of the San Francisco Giants three rookie ball teams were in action on Wednesday, but their A-ball affiliates played five total games, thanks to a doubleheader. Here’s everything that happened on the farm on Wednesday.

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

AAA Sacramento (53-42)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 7-1
Box score

The excitement for the River Cats was that designated hitter Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) left the yard with a 2-run blast in the 1st inning, which traveled 405 feet and left the bat at 103 mph.

Harber finished the day 2-5 with 4 runs batted in and 2 strikeouts, and while I initially wrote that his home run — which came in his 5th game since getting promoted to Sacramento — was the first of many that he will hit in AAA, I’m not so sure that’s true. There’s a good chance that Harber’s stay in the highest rung of the Minor League ladder is short and sweet, before he’s off to test his talents against the best pitchers in the world. We’ll see.

Either way, it’s been a smashing success for Harber. He’s hit safely in all 5 games with the River Cats, including 3 straight multi-hit games. In total, he’s 8-21 with 2 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. There will (probably) be an adjustment period at some point, but my goodness has he ever hit the ground running!

It’s been a little bit of a slower adjustment for left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL), which is pretty understanding, given that Davidson played his college ball at a JUCO, while Harber was at a big-name Division 1 school. Davidson may have flown to AAA and he may be one of the top prospects in the organization, but he’s still a relative baby in terms of facing high-end talent, and a little more grace is warranted with adjusting to new levels. He went 1-5 with a strikeout in this game, and is now 6-25 with no extra-base hits, no walks, and 8 strikeouts since getting promoted. Needless to say, these things usually take a little bit of time! But it’s worth mentioning — as I’ll do probably every day — that Davidson still hasn’t played center field for Sacramento. It remains unclear why the Giants made such a stark shift from everyday center fielder to exclusively corner outfielder as soon as he got promoted, but my theory is that they want him comfortable at all 3 outfield positions for whenever he debuts (there’s a decent chance that he debuts later this year after Harrison Bader has returned from injury, and that would force him to a corner, which isn’t something you want to learn at the MLB level).

The biggest day arguably belonged to someone who began the year as Harber and Davidson’s teammate in AA Richmond, but got an earlier call to AAA: right fielder Scott Bandura. It was a blissful day for the 2023 7th-round pick, who turns 25 in about a week. The Princeton lefty hit 3-5 while smashing a 2-run home run and striking out once.

Pertinent to the aforementioned adjustment period at a new level, Bandura took his time adapting to AAA, but now is absolutely taking off. Just check out his splits:

First 30 games: 27-115, 1 home run, 1 triple, 5 doubles, 6 walks, 27 strikeouts
Next 21 games: 29-75, 3 home runs, 1 triple, 5 doubles, 18 walks, 12 strikeouts

That’s called figuring it out, folks! In total, even with the tough start, it’s an .806 OPS and a 114 wRC+ for Bandura, who really is excellent at controlling the strike zone and limiting strikeouts. Add in the strong defense that I think could play at all 3 positions in the Majors, and some good baserunning (he has 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts across the 2 levels this year), and it sure feels like there’s an MLB player in there. If he keeps improving like this, Bandura will have to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, which means he’d be a prime candidate to come up for a debut later in the season.

A funny game on the mound for RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), who is auditioning to join San Francisco’s rotation when the trade deadline passes and the already poor rotation gets gutted. Tidwell really struggled with the strike zone in this game, throwing just 54 of 90 pitches for strikes, which resulted in 4 walks and a hit batter in 5 innings of work. When he was in the zone, however, he was very hard to hit, as he gave up just 3 hits (all singles) on the day, while striking out 5 batters in a potent Comets lineup.

It’s just been a slightly odd season for Tidwell, who shows a lot but hasn’t quite been able to put it together. He’s striking out 10.2 batters per 9 innings, which is very nice, but he’s also allowed almost exactly a hit per inning, and more than a home run per 9 innings, while also walking 4.5 per 9. He did give up just 1 run in this game, which lowered his ERA to 4.21, though that number (and the accompanying 4.85 FIP) tells the story of a pitcher who isn’t quite there yet.

Still, Tidwell is 25 and is just about at the 250 innings mark in AAA. It might be time to see what he can do in a Major League rotation, or make the decision to push him to the bullpen full-time. He’s got enough heat to survive, and possibly even thrive in that role.

He was followed by a pair of recently-optioned MLB veterans, RHPs Ryan Walker and Spencer Bivens, who each threw 2 scoreless innings. Walker gave up a hit while striking out 2, while Bivens allowed 2 hits and 2 walks without a strikeout, but still kept runs off the board.

AA Richmond (55-35)

Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 6-5 (7 innings) [box score]
Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Hartford Yard Goats 5-3 (7 innings) [box score]

The big news in Richmond is, of course, the trio of top position player prospects that were promoted to the level after the All-Star break, replacing the duo of top prospects (Davidson and Harber) who departed. And my goodness was Wednesday a blissful day for that trio!

We’ll take them in order, as they occupied the top 3 spots of the lineup in both games. Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) is finding his rhythm following a hitless first 2 games at the level. Last year’s 3rd-round pick had a pair of great games, hitting 3-7 with a triple, a walk, and no strikeouts. He only has a .579 OPS and a 53 wRC+ in the 5 games since getting promoted, but he also has struck out just 1 time in 23 plate appearances. Add in the defense that has really blossomed (especially as he’s seeing more time in the center of the grass), and the 22-year old lefty really is starting to look like a player who could move through the top levels of the Minors very quickly.

Behind him was shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), who has had the smoothest transition to AA. He hit 2-5 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout, bringing him up to a 1.020 OPS and a 159 wRC+. Talk about fitting in at his new home! And like Cohen, Kilen has shown of his fantastic bat-to-ball skills, as his strikeout in the 2nd game of this doubleheader is the only K he’s had at the level. Talk about someone who could move quickly, especially if the Giants end up moving Casey Schmitt and have a hole at second base going forward.

Rounding out the trio was right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who had a delightful pair of games, hitting 3-8 with a double, a strikeout, and 2 stolen bases. Jordan’s numbers are behind Kilen’s (we’re dealing with a 5-game sample size, though), but an .859 OPS and a 135 wRC+, with just 3 strikeouts in 22 plate appearances (and 3 stolen bases in as many attempts), represents a wildly successful debut week in AA for someone with arguably the loudest tools in the entire organization. The Giants have to be thrilled with how well Jordan and Kilen are assailing themselves to the level.

Interestingly, as with Davidson in AAA, Jordan is playing less center field in AA, as he’s started to defer to Cohen there after being the primary option in Eugene. It seems likely to be a timeshare between the pair, but it was a little surprising seeing Cohen get center field reps in all 14 innings yesterday.

Speaking of debuting players, catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) made his AA debut in the 2nd game of the doubleheader, and hit 1-3 with an error. Welcome to AA, Jancel! A very well deserved promotion for someone who has quickly become the clear-cut best catching prospect in the system other than the trio of rookies in the Majors.

Good days for a pair of other hitters, second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) and left fielder Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL). Velasquez was an on-base machine, hitting 3-4 with a double and 2 walks, while Sio went 1-3 with a solo home run, the Squirrels only big fly. Velasquez, a 22-year old switch-hitter with an .818 OPS and a 124 wRC+, has really been taking off lately: in his last 20 games, he’s hit a remarkable 27-61 with 1 home run, 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 8 strikeouts. This is his 3rd pass through AA, and it certainly feels like it’s going to be his last.

Sio, a 22-year old lefty, has lesser numbers since getting promoted earlier this year, with a .757 OPS and a 92 wRC+. That’s mostly because his batting average hasn’t carried over just yet (it’s just .227, after being .310 in High-A before the promotion). But, despite being a smaller player who fills in all over the diamond, Sio has really let some power rip this year: his .266 isolated slugging ranks 11th out of 164 Eastern League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, while his 14 home runs are 4th in the Giants system, behind just Davidson, Jordan, and High-A outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). Lots to be excited about there.

The pitching stars came out of the bullpen, as Richmond used a quartet of relievers and none of them gave up a run. In Game 1 it was RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL): Bednar gave up a hit and a walk in 1.2 innings but struck out 3, lowering his ERA to 4.17 and his FIP to 4.34, and giving him 12.0 strikeouts per 9 innings; Choate tossed 2 perfect frames with 2 strikeouts, dipping his ERA to 2.97 and his FIP to 4.10, with 10.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. In Game 2 it was RHPs Ryan Vanderhei and Tyler Vogel who each threw a scoreless inning. Vanderhei, who gave up a hit and a walk, now has a 3.77 ERA and a 4.56 FIP, with 10.1 strikeouts per 9; Vogel, who retired all 3 batters he faced and struck out 2, has a blissful 2.72 ERA, albeit with a 4.49 FIP, and has struck out 10.4 batters per 9. Some intriguing bullpen options in Richmond, that’s for sure!

The starting pitching was, unfortunately, uninspiring, and not particularly worth talking about. Game 1 starter, LHP Greg Farone, got rocked, ceding 6 hits (including a homer), 3 walks, and 6 runs in just 3.1 innings, while the Game 2 starter, RHP Trystan Vrieling, saw his hot streak come to an end with 6 hits (including a homer), 1 walk, and 3 runs in 5 innings, with just 2 strikeouts. Both players are struggling to put all the pieces together this year (Farone has a 6.32 ERA and a 5.98 FIP, while Vrieling is sporting a 4.13 ERA and a 5.46 FIP).

High-A Eugene (56-36)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 10-5
Box score

The hot July continues for left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who is really on fire right now. Wednesday was another spectacular game for the 2025 breakout lefty, as he hit 3-5 and stole 2 bases, while striking out once. By now you know the drill with the soon to turn 22-year old: the contact is down considerably, but the power is up considerably. The batting average is certainly rising though, thanks in large part to a 13-game stretch in which he’s hit 20-47 with 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 10 strikeouts.

Gutierrez is kind of in the jack of all trades, master of none bucket right now, after leading the Cal League in hitting last year: among the 69 Northwest League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this season, he’s 20th in average (.274), 15th in on-base percentage (.382), 28th in isolated slugging (.177), 12th in walk rate (14.4%), 16th in strikeout rate (19.6%), and 7th in stolen bases (23, with just 2 caught stealings). It’s impressive to be above average at that many things, and it’s led to a delightful OPS (.834) and wRC+ (125), stats which rank 23rd and 16th, respectively.

A trio of players who were recently promoted played quite well, as right fielder Jose Astudillo hit 3-4 with a stolen base, second baseman Isaiah Barkett went 1-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, and catcher Daniel Rogers hit 1-3 with a double and a walk. Astudillo and Barkett are handling their debut High-A stints very well, while Rogers is doing much better this time around, after some time with Eugene earlier in the year.

Center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 31 CPL) went 2-5 with a triple and a strikeout, bringing his OPS up to .784 and his wRC+ to 99. He’s getting to finally play center again following the promotions of Jordan and Cohen.

Another so-so start for LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), who struck out 5 batters in 4 innings, but also gave up 4 hits (including a home run), 2 walks, and 4 runs, while committing 2 errors. Not the sharpest, but still showing some of that excitement and magic.

It’s been a very rough summer for LDLT. After starting June with a 6-inning, 12-strikeout, 0-earned runs masterpiece, the southpaw has allowed 27 earned runs over his last 7 starts, spanning 31.2 innings. That’s seen his ERA spike to 5.38 and his FIP to 5.14. Even with this game, he’s doing a great job at limiting hits (52 in 73.2 innings) and getting strikeouts (12.0 per 9 innings), but the walks (7.0 per 9) and home runs (1.1 per 9) remain quite concerning, as does the groundball rate (39.1%) which is more than 9 percentage points lower than it was a year ago.

RHP Mauricio Estrella had a nice game in relief, striking out 3 batters in 2.1 scoreless innings, with 1 hit and 2 walks allowed. Estrella has 14 strikeouts in 8.2 innings since getting promoted, with a 1.04 ERA and a 2.19 FIP. The 22-year old is fitting in quite nicely with Eugene!

Low-A San Jose (54-38)

San Jose Giants lost to the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 6-5
Box score

A pretty uninteresting game for the Baby Giants. Catcher Junior Barajas had a nice game though, and that was great to see, as the debuting backstop went 2-3 with a double, a hit by pitch, and an error. Barajas, the team’s 11th-round pick last year, started off incredibly hot, posting a .940 OPS in April. Then came a slump, though, as that number dropped to .573 in May, and .540 in June. He’s starting to turn things around in July, though, where he has an .843 OPS, which is largely the result of drawing 8 walks and getting hit twice in the 10 games he’s played, while only striking out 6 times. On the year, it’s a .712 OPS and an 80 wRC+ for the just-turned 22-year old … hopefully he can end the year on a high note, because he’s a talented defensive player who has flashed some skills with his bat.

Center fielder Andy Polanco hit 2-4 with a double and a strikeout as he tries to get his season numbers together (he has just a .677 OPS and a 68 wRC+), while left fielder Oliver Tejada hit 0-1 with a strikeout and an error, but drew a walk, was hit by 2 pitches, and had an outfield assist. Funny game!

LHP Ricardo Estrada had an odd start, walking 4 batters in 4.1 innings, but striking out 6. Not the most effective way to limit runs, but it worked decently in Estrada’s case on this occasion, as he gave up 4 hits (all singles), and just 2 runs, both of which were unearned. On the one hand, Estrada has a 3.67 ERA on the year … on the other hand, he has a 5.56 FIP, with pretty poor strikeout and walk numbers.

A nice relief outing for RHP Samir Chires, who retired all 3 batters he faced, with 10 out of 14 pitches for strikes. Since getting promoted after his 4th straight year in the ACL, Chires has been excellent in the Cal League: in 4 appearances he’s thrown 5.2 innings, and allowed just 4 hits, 0 walks, and 1 run, with 5 strikeouts.

Home run tracker

14 — Jean Carlos Sio — [9 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL]
13 — Parks Harber — [1 in AAA; 12 in AA]
7 — Scott Bandura — [4 in AAA; 3 in AA]

Thursday schedule

Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Oklahoma City (SP: Cesar Perdomo)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Hartford (SP: Yunior Marte)
Eugene: 12:05 p.m. PT at Everett (SP: Hunter Dryden)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT vs. Ontario (SP: TBD)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

The Los Angeles Dodgers are visiting the White House on Thursday and a familiar face joined them there, despite his baseball career now being over.

Clayton Kershaw appeared at the White House alongside his former Dodgers teammates to celebrate the team’s second straight World Series victory last year.

Kershaw retired after the 2025 season after facing and retiring one batter in Los Angeles’ epic seven-game victory over the Blue Jays, marking the end of his 18-year tenure (all of which came with the Dodgers).

Kershaw also got several shoutouts from President Donald Trump. At one point when addressing the crowd, Trump mentioned that Kershaw was present, went to shake his hand, and then said, “He’s a winner. You talk about a winner, look at that guy!”

Trump seemingly didn’t realize that Kershaw was retired, as he said afterwards, “He’s still pitching well I bet, right?”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts then told Trump that the 38-year-old Kershaw was no longer playing, to which Trump responded by asking Kershaw whether he would still be out there the Dodgers needed him.

Kershaw (who is now with the Dodgers’ staff as a special assistant) said that he wouldn’t, which caused Trump and the rest of the crowd to laugh.

While Kershaw’s best days are behind him, the fact that he finished his career with 223 wins, a 2.53 ERA, 3,052 strikeouts, and three World Series rings suggests he could probably still compete at a high level if he wanted to.

But his response to President Trump proves clearly doesn’t want to.

Two Dodgers games in August were added to the TBS Tuesday night baseball schedule, the network announced this week.

The August 4 game against the Chicago Cubs, the middle game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field is a TBS game, as is the Dodgers’ opener against the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta on August 25.

TBS telecasts are not exclusive, meaning there are local broadcasts of those games in addition to the TBS feed. Mostly, the TBS telecasts are blacked out inside the local television markets of each team, with the exception of usually one game per team that will also be able to watch locally on the network.

To date, none of the Dodgers’ four games on TBS — April 7 at the Toronto Blue Jays, May 5 at the Houston Astros, June 23 at the Minnesota Twins, and this Tuesday at the Philadelphia Phillies — have been available in the local market.

The Dodgers are two-thirds of the way through a three-city road trip, with four of the nine games on national television, including this Saturday against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Fox. There would have been five games on this trip on national TV, but last Saturday’s Fox broadcast got rained out, and postponed into a Sunday morning game on True Blue LA.

Shohei Ohtani, plagued by irritation in his left knee, produced optimism this week.

The two-way superstar with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, July 22 threw his first bullpen session in two weeks. Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called it a “big sign."

"The arm's fine,’’ Roberts told reporters. “It's kind of just going down the slope, getting over your front side. That's the big test."

Yet the same day, Ohtani missed his second straight start because of the knee discomfort the Dodgers have attributed to cartilage and joint issues. He has not pitched since July 3 and it's unclear when he will.

Concern lingers.

Ohtani, 32, had a 1.06 ERA in what was shaping up as his finest season on the mound – before his left knee emerged as a problem six weeks ago. In the three starts he’s made since then, Ohtani surrendered nine earned runs in 18 innings and lost his aura of dominance.

USA TODAY Sports interviewed two orthopedic surgeons and an expert in pitching mechanics to better understand the problem with Ohtani’s left knee and how worried the Dodgers should be.

Ohtani card: Topps unveils one-of-a-kind Shohei Ohtani Gold Logoman card

After a long and frustrating journey that no one could have seen coming this season, the Pirates have moved on from their former closer.

Pittsburgh officially designated right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana for assignment on Thursday, cutting ties with the polarizing reliever.

The Bucs acquired reliever Ron Marinaccio from the San Diego Padres in exchange for International Signing Bonus Pool Money and cut ties with Santana to clear room on the 40-man roster.

Santana could clear waivers and return to the organization to pitch in Triple-A Indianapolis. 

Santana entered the season as the reliever many thought the Pirates could rely on the most following a 2.18 ERA and 16 saves in 70 appearances last year.

2026 proved to be Santana’s worst year in the majors and derailed multiple close games the Pirates had chances of winning.

In 44 games spanning 41.2 innings, the righty reliever recorded a 6.05 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and allowed eight home runs, going 2-5 overall.

He allowed 28 earned runs and walked 19 batters, compared to 37 strikeouts. In his last seven games, Santana allowed eight earned runs in 6.1 innings.

It never clicked for Santana, who shuffled between pitching high-leverage situations to mop-up duty on numerous occasions, but could never get back to form.

Santana’s last game as a Pirate came on Monday when he pitched a scoreless inning against the Yankees, but sparked a benches-clearing incident with New York after an altercation with shortstop Jose Caballero.

The Pirates claimed Santana off waivers from the Yankees in 2024, and his career in Pittsburgh ends after pitching against the same franchise.

Ben Cherington acquired a reliever to take Santana’s spot on Thursday. 

The Pirates traded for Ron Marinaccio in what should be the first of many moves made in the two weeks leading up to the trade deadline. 

The only problem is, he was just about to be available to the only 29 clubs for free.

Marinaccio was DFA’d by the Padres on Sunday after compiling a 4.79 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 33 outings. Better than Santana, but not nearly good enough to be considered a move worthy of a pat on the back or a large celebration.

He struck out 38 and walked 18 in 47 innings. A former quality reliever with the Yankees in 2022 (2.05 ERA), 2023 (3.99), and 2024 (3.86), Marinaccio gets a fresh start in a bullpen in desperate need of help.

Marinaccio was suspended two games for hitting Orioles star Gunner Henderson with two outs in the ninth inning on June 13. 

He was DFA’d by the Yankees in 2024 and claimed by the White Sox before being acquired by San Diego soon after.  

Moving past Santana fixes a major issue with the Pirates bullpen, but they need to replace him. Well.

The Pirates host the Cubs for the first of a three-game set on Friday night, 6:40 p.m. at PNC Park, currently a half-game out of the wild card race.

It crushes Keith Hernandez to see his beloved Mets exhibit a nonchalant attitude about the importance of defense at his former position.

The former Gold Glove-winning first baseman zinged the Amazin’s during Wednesday’s 4-3 road loss to the Brewers about the team’s lack of emphasis on having a good glove at first base.

“It seems like in today’s game, they don’t give first base enough credit,” Hernandez said during showing Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn stretching for an out .

“Certainly, the Mets don’t.”

Hernandez is known for valuing fundamentals — “good fundies,” as he calls them — and often criticizes teams during broadcasts when they turn into the “Bad News Bears.”

The Mets employed Pete Alonso at first base for the previous seven seasons, and though no one would confuse Alonso for a Gold Glover, he worked hard to be serviceable or better.

This season, the Mets have taken the “Moneyball” idea of first base being “not that hard” and hoping that a rotating cast of players can provide manageable defense.

The Mets rank 23rd in defensive runs saved with a -3 mark, according to FanGraphs.

The team uses Mark Vientos at the position though he’s better served as a designated hitter and has employed Jorge Polanco though he had minimal experience in his lengthy career.

Jared Young and Eric Wagaman have also had their turn.

Baseball Savant ranks Young (+1), Polanco (0), Wagaman (-1) and Vientos (-8) in terms of their effectiveness as measured by outs above average.

It would be one thing if the Mets were offsetting that lack of defensive with offensive production, like they did in the Alonso years, but their first basemen this year aren’t holding up their end of the bargain.

They are slashing .220/.281/.397 and have a combined -0.6 fWAR, ahead of only the Diamondbacks.

The ineffectiveness both offensively and defensively from their first basemen is a reason why the Mets are 43-60 and in last place in the NL East and sure to be trade deadline sellers.

At the end of the day on paper, it’s going to go down as a four-game series win at home for the Braves over the Padres. If you look at these two teams and their current records, it’s not something that appears to be shocking. The Braves are now one of only three teams in baseball with 60 wins, so that’s cool. With that being said, we all know the recent history that the Braves and Padres have so the fact that Atlanta was able to finally take a series against this crew feels like a bit of a breakthrough.

With that being said, it certainly wasn’t easy and this wasn’t a case of the Padres not playing the Braves extremely tough. The three wins for Atlanta could’ve gone either way and they were extremely nervy to watch near the end of each of those wins. Fortunately, Atlanta did hang on and now we’ve got a happy series recap to look forward to. Let’s get into it!

Monday, July 20

Braves 3, Padres 2

Bryce Elder’s first start since July 9 ended up being a successful one, which was a sight for sore eyes considering how this team had fared against the Padres heading into this series. Indeed, the only two blemishes on Elder’s line for the night were of his usual variety — meaning that he hung two pitches and they both got demolished.

Manny Machado (what else is new) and Ty France (on Elder’s final pitch of the game) ended up being the beneficiaries but other than that, Elder ended up with a very solid line of six innings pitched, four strikeouts and just one walk allowed and five hits given up. Elder was in dire need of a start like this and fortunately it came against a team that the Braves have been struggling against recently.

Those two mistakes on Elder’s part ended up being the only runs that the Padres would push across on the night, as Danny Young and Victor Mederos came up huge in order to make sure that Atlanta’s slender lead held up. The Braves got there thanks to a homer from Michael Harris II in the fifth inning that tied it up at one, an RBI double from Joey Bart that pushed the Braves in front in that same fifth inning and then a dinger from Ozzie in the sixth that gave the Braves the insurance that ended up being enough for them to win. This was certainly a nervy one but Atlanta was able to squeak it out in the end in order to get the series started off on the right foot.

Tuesday, July 21

Padres 8, Braves 3

The first three innings of this game went pretty well for Atlanta, as the Braves pushed ahead to a 2-1 lead early on. Then the middle innings rolled around and things got away from Reynaldo López and the Braves. Jackson Merrill led off the fourth by tying it up with one big swing and then Fernando Tatis Jr. continued to be one of the most dangerous hitters in all of baseball with runners in scoring position as he drove in Xander Bogaerts to push the Padres ahead by two. The Padres homered to lead off the fifth as well, as Manny Machado delivered yet another big hit against the Braves and the fifth inning ended up being the end of the line for López in what turned out to be an underwhelming start.

Manny Machado then added another homer to his tally (again, what else is new for him against the Braves) in the sixth inning and then after the Braves got a run back in the seventh thanks to Bradgley Rodriguez balking in a run, Fernando Tatis Jr. got that run back (and then another one on top of that) in emphatic fashion. JR Ritchie threw Tatis a curveball that didn’t fool him at all. 474 feet later, it was 8-3 Padres and that’s how yet another loss to the Padres ended.

Wednesday, July 22

Braves 7, Padres 6

It is just never easy with the Padres, huh! Good grief! Somehow, a game where the Braves were up 7-1 at one point was tight throughout, as even that bit of breathing room didn’t last long for Atlanta against San Diego. The Braves got a run off of Michael King in the first inning but any aspirations of this being a breakout game against King were immediately squashed as the Braves were unable to get much of anything going against King from that point forward.

Fortunately, Martín Pérez was up to the task of keeping the Padres quiet for at least a few innings and the bullpen was able to continue holding San Diego at bay until the seventh inning. That’s when Didier Fuentes gave up a dinger on an 0-2 pitch to Jackson Merrill to make it a tie game at one run apiece.

Then the bottom of the eighth inning rolled around and the stuff started hitting the fan. San Diego left the bases loaded in the seventh and they wound up cursing their luck for the rare missed opportunity (against Atlanta, at least) as the Braves put a crooked number on the scoreboard once they got to swing the bat in the eighth inning. Jim Jarvis put Atlanta ahead with an RBI double and that was the beginning of the hit parade. Brewer Hicklen mashed an RBI double down the line and then Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Dominic Smith all delivered RBI singles of their own to bring us to the aforementioned 7-1 scoreline.

Victor Mederos was called upon for the ninth inning and honestly, this felt like Walt Weiss was really trying to see just how long this magical run that Mederos has been on during this homestand would last. Unfortunately, this was when the bubble burst because San Diego ended up tagging him for four runs — including two on an RBI triple from Fernando Tatis Jr. because the man is just a machine while batting with RISP.

The triple made it 7-4, which meant that it was time for Raisel Iglesias and even then, Iggy somehow gave up Luis Rengifo’s first home run since September 2025. In a stunning twist of fate, Manny Machado did not add to Atlanta’s misery at this point as he struck out and then Iggy sat down Ty France on a called strike three to avoid what would’ve been a nightmarish loss to the Padres. Thank you for not losing on So So Def Night, Braves.

Thursday, July 23

Braves 6, Padres 5

The second inning of this contest was emblematic of how it’s felt to watch the Braves play the Padres over recent years. Chris Sale had just gotten done pitching a scoreless first inning but ran into trouble after a seeing-eye single, a single off a ball that Mauricio Dubón lost in the sun and a hit-by-pitch. Sale wisely pitched around Fernando Tatis Jr. in the bases-loaded situation and ended up conceding a run in the process via a walk but you figure that was better than conceding four. Unfortunately, Sale ended up conceding three runs in the inning anyways after Luis Rengifo struck again. Rengifo looped in an RBI single on an 0-2 pitch with two outs to make it 3-0 Padres after two innings.

The rest of the game ended up emblematic of things being different for the Braves against the Padres this time around — still tough, but different! The comeback began with Michael Harris II rudely welcoming bulk pitcher Griffin Canning to the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning and then a big fourth inning pushed Atlanta out in front. Ozzie led off the fourth inning by bopping one into the seats in right-center field and then Dominic Smith had his first really big moment in a while as he crushed a changeup from Canning and sent it flying into the Chop House to put the Braves in the lead with one colossal swat.

Chris Sale didn’t give up any more runs after that strange second inning (and ended up striking out 11 batters) and so the Braves ended up cruising into the final stage of the game with the lead. They got what appeared to be just another insurance run in wild fashion after Drake Baldwin hit a dinger on a pitch that has to be seen to be believed.

Baldwin’s insane dinger ended up being crucial after Ty France homered off of Tyler Kinley in the ninth to make it 6-5. The Padres attempted a two-out rally against Raisel Iglesias in the ninth but Iggy was able to close the door and ensure that the Braves were finally able to figure out a way to slay their boogeyman over the course of a four-game series.

I’m scratching my head right now trying to figure out a more stressful four-game series win for the Braves than what we just witnessed. The three Braves victories were all by one run and they had to pull out two of those victories while the Padres had the potential go-ahead run either on base or at the plate. Atlanta even lost the series on run aggregate as they scored 19 runs to San Diego’s 21 but they won the series in the only category that counts and that’s all that matters.

Still, these games could’ve gone either way and it very well could’ve been another nightmare against the Padres. Fortunately it wasn’t and now the Braves have actually turned this homestand into an incredibly-productive 5-2 run to start the second half of the season. It’s especially nice considering that the Phillies have stumbled coming out of the break and the Marlins have crashed back down to earth, themselves. Plus with the way the offense has been hitting throughout the month of July, you really get the feeling that the Braves are back to being in serious control of things in the NL East after wobbling throughout the month of June.

Drake Baldwin appears to have returned to the form that made him one of the most dangerous-hitting catchers in all of baseball, Michael Harris II continues to have a big season at the plate, the same goes for Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley continued to show signs of potentially getting out of this season-long slump that he’s been in. With Matt Olson continuing to be steady at the plate as well, it’s very good sign for the Braves to see all of these guys doing damage at the plate and their efforts went a long way towards ensuring that Atlanta would get out of this four-game series by taking three out of four.

There’s not going to be a lot of rest for the weary, though. Fresh off of finding a way to vanquish their personal boogeyman, the Braves will now be traveling to Baltimore to face off against an O’s team that has been pretty hot in July. They may not be on a winning streak anymore but the Orioles did end Boston’s double-digit win streak so Baltimore won’t be a pushover by any means. With that being said, as long as the Braves can continue to produce at the plate like they have so far during July, I think we’re back to liking Atlanta’s chances against anybody that they face on a nightly basis. We’ll see what happens, though!

What was originally an off-day for the St. Louis Cardinals is now an afternoon make-up game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Michael McGreevy is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals while Brandon Pfaadt gets the ball for the Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 4:15pm central time at Busch Stadium. TV broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.

The sun beat down on the assembled Dodgers players, coaches and staff members as they waited in silence for the real emcee of the event, President Trump, to emerge from the building behind them.

In front stood rows of chairs — with four-inch yellow cushions on them, as Trump made sure to point out in his closing remarks — and onlookers who had donned blue Dodgers snapbacks.

In fact, the new-look Rose Garden, slabs of white stone replacing grass, became a character of its own, the focal point for the first two minutes of Trump’s speech recognizing the 2025 World Series champions.

“It was always wet,” Trump said after making his grand entrance more than 10 minutes after the Dodgers had taken their place in front of the crowd. “You know, the White House is built on a wetland. … And I decided to do something about it. And this has become an incredible place for dining and for news conferences and for events like this.”

This event was the Dodgers’ second White House visit in as many years, in a new venue. It provided new material, and some active participants, for the Trump show Thursday afternoon.

As he retold the winding story of the Dodgers’ World Series for almost 20 minutes, Trump played to not only the audience, but the players behind him, shaking their hands when they came up in his speech, and the two men flanking him, Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and manager Dave Roberts.

“This was truly a great World Series, right?” Trump said, turning to his right.

“Maybe the best in history,” Roberts said.

Trump took detours from his written speech to wax poetic about Babe Ruth, and harp on how closely he’d watched the postseason, detailing his own reaction to Shohei Ohtani’s 10-strikeout, three-homer game in the NLCS, and catcher Will Smith’s foot re-tapping the plate in Game 7 of the World Series.

“I was having a little bet with the prime minister of Canada,” Trump said. ”I had a little bet. I was not feeling so good for a little while.”

Roberts quipped: “Neither were we.”

But even Trump, a New Yorker, seemed to predict a three-peat.

“This is really a special team,” Trump said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised to see them back again.”

This trip came with scheduling complications for the back-to-back World Series champions.

The timing for a visit didn’t work out when the Dodgers were in town to play the Nationals in April for a day-game laden series. So, they used their single off day on a three-city East Coast road trip to make a pit stop in Washington, wedging the visit between games against the Phillies and Mets.

The decision to visit the White House again raised debate among some Dodgers fans, who argue Trump’s anti-immigration policies have harmed many of the team’s supporters. But Roberts has continually tried to downplay the political messaging associated with the visit.

“I hope when you watch our guys play, you can be proud and say these guys do things the right way,” Roberts said in his succinct speech. “Their names are everywhere on social media, in the news. But when it comes to winning 11 games in October or 13 last year, these guys all come together unselfishly.

“And you never know what moment is going to present itself, but we have all these guys here that are ready when called upon. So we’re very fortunate to have these guys, and hopefully we got more Dodger fans. So thank you very much, Mr. President.”

Retired Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw made the trip to join the well-represented current team. Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who told reporters that he preferred to spend the day with his family, and reliever Edgardo Henriquez were the only 2025 Dodgers currently on the active roster who did not attend.

Roberts and World Series heroes Miguel Rojas and Will Klein also visited with senators on Capitol Hill Thursday morning.

As invested as Trump was in the 2025 World Series, he fully acknowledged some gaps in knowledge about the 2026 season.

“I’ve been a little busy with Iran and some other things,” he said. “If I know too much, you wouldn’t be happy. I wouldn’t be doing a good job if I know too much.”

A playful back-and-forth with Kershaw suggested that Trump hasn’t been following the Dodgers’ 2026 regular season all that closely.

“I watched him beat a lot of our teams that were supposed to do well,” Trump said. “They didn’t do too well against him, and he’s still pitching well, I bet, right?”

Gently corrected by Roberts, Trump said: “You could pitch right now, if they needed you, you’d be out there, right?”

“No, sir,” Kershaw said to laughs.

“And he’s smart!” Trump said.

Trump also appeared to mix up Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto when he detailed Yamamoto’s World Series heroics while reading from his notes and then ad libbed, “And he hit real well, too.”

After the speeches, Walter presented the president with a personalized World Series ring and Dodgers jersey.

Read more:Plaschke: Are the Dodgers tone deaf? White House visit is an insult to their fans

Walter, too, has been in the news recently. The visit falls days afterBloomberg reported that two insurance companies controlled by Walter, as well as the Guggenheim Partners, where Walter is chief executive, are being investigated by federal prosecutors for potential financial improprieties.

No charges have been filed. Representatives from the parent company of the insurance firms as well as from TWC Global — the Walter business empire that controls his sporting investments, including the Dodgers and Lakers — have told reporters they are cooperating with the investigation.

“Do I have to report this?” Trump joked as he examined the World Series ring — presidents have to disclose expensive gifts. “I don’t want to report this.”

Neither Trump nor the Dodgers took questions, as was the case last year. Trump invited the team to the Oval Office, where he presented them with Trump challenge coins.

But before leaving the stage, the president segued back into renovations to the White House grounds. The show had come full circle.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

WASHINGTON –– Nine months removed from their epic Game 7 triumph in last year’s World Series, the Dodgers’ 2025 championship was recognized one final time on Thursday, with the two-time defending champions being welcomed back to the White House by President Trump for the second-straight year.

After drama surrounded the organization about whether or not they would visit the White House this year, the Dodgers made a one-day trek down to the nation’s capital on Thursday. During an off-day on their current road trip, they were hosted by Trump during a ceremony in the Rose Garden.

“I’m thrilled to say welcome back to the White House,” Trump said. “And maybe we’ll see you again next year, I hope.”

So began a late-afternoon commemoration, in which members of the team gathered with the president on a stage alongside both of their recent Commissioner’s Trophies.

For the better part of 20 minutes, Trump praised the club’s accomplishment from last October, calling them a “special team” and last year’s World Series “among the most thrilling championships in the history of the sport.”

“This is a very special event,” Trump said. “Because it’s the Dodgers. And they’re world champions.”

White House trips have become a common occurrence in recent years for the Dodgers, who visited with President Biden in 2021 following their 2020 World Series victory before returning last April in the wake of their 2024 title.

For this year’s trip, most holdovers from last year’s roster were in attendance, with the exception of Mookie Betts (who decided to skip the event to spend time with his family) and Edgardo Henriquez, as well as those currently on the injured list and not traveling with the team (such as Kiké Hernández and Will Smith).

Now-retired pitcher Clayton Kershaw also flew in to join his old teammates –– and was asked by Trump at one point, “If they needed you [now], you’d be out there, right?”

“No, sir,” Kershaw, who has become a special advisor in the Dodgers’ front office, quickly responded with a grin.

Owner Mark Walter, team president Stan Kasten and executive vice president Lon Rosen (who is also now president of the Walter-owned Lakers) were present, as well. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes were not, having stayed back from the team’s road trip this week ahead of MLB’s upcoming trade deadline.

“I just want to say that we’re very grateful to be here,” manager Dave Roberts said after accompanying Trump onto the stage alongside Walter, who also gave a short address.

“We did something that hasn’t been done in [almost] 30 years, going back-to-back as World Series champions,” Roberts added. “And we are going for a three-peat.”

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Speaking before a crowd that featured members of both Congress and his cabinet –– including Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump noted is a “big Dodger fan” –– Trump highlighted many of the standout moments and contributions from the Dodgers’ 2025 campaign.

He called Roberts a “hell of a manager,” Shohei Ohtani an “international legend,” and also singled out the performances of Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman, Will Klein, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Miguel Rojas and Andy Pages, shaking hands with each of them.

Trump then shared his own memories of watching the Dodgers’ title trek, from Ohtani’s historic three-homer, 10-strikeout performance in the National League Championship Series (“I said to myself, ‘That’s the greatest game ever played by one person”) to the 18-inning marathon victory in Game 3 of the Fall Classic (“It was a long one, but it was amazing”).

During the World Series, Trump joked that he had a particularly close rooting interest in the Dodgers to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, having made “a little bet with the Prime Minister of Canada” going into the matchup.

“I was not feeling so good for a little while,” Trump quipped, referencing the Dodgers’ three-games-to-two-deficit entering Game 6.

“Neither were we,” Roberts chimed in with a chuckle.

Alas, the Dodgers prevailed, mounting a comeback that Roberts said epitomized the character of his club.

“I hope when you watch our guys play, you can be proud and say, ‘These guys do things the right way,’” Roberts said.

After the speeches from Trump, Roberts and Walter –– who said, “we hope to be back here again next year” –– the Dodgers then presented Trump with a custom No. 47 jersey and personalized World Series ring, before he invited the group into the Oval Office to conclude the ceremony.

“This is really a special team, with special winners, champions,” Trump said. “Just unbelievable. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see them back again.”

A semi-random stop over for the D-backs in St. Louis, on their way to Washington. This is the make-up of a game which was rained out at Busch Stadium on June 25. Much to the ire of Paul Sewald, who clearly felt there was enough warning for the game time to have been moved up, and the cancellation avoided. It’d be nice if he successfully closed out a save opportunity in this afternoon’s game. A win would definitely be helpful, since we go into this game in sole possession of the third wild-card, but by the narrowest of margins over the Cardinals and Pirates (who are off today). Victory would put us 1.5 up on St. Louis and a game over Pittsburgh.

The bullpen looks in a better state today. The blowout win yesterday allowed Torey Lovullo to run out debutant Gerardo Carrillo for an extended spell – his 42 pitches was a season high. With a 12-run lead in the ninth, he then turned to Ildemaro Vargas, who became the first Arizona position player to pitch in a win. And, as far as I can tell, the first player to pitch the day after having a walk-off hit. I’m still digging into this, mostly from the angle of the surprisingly high (218!) number of pitchers to get walk-off hits. There’s only one of those after 1994 though: Randy Keisler of the Reds did so in the 14th inning of a game against Washington in 2005. More on all that some off-day.

I won’t be about for the end of this. Going off with Mrs. SnakePit, the SnakePitette and her teenage stepdaughter, SurlySnakette, to the Titanic exhibition in Scottsdale. Which explains the home-page picture: it is not intended as a visual representation of Sewald’s season trajectory as our closer. Curious to see what it’s like. Hopefully, considerably shorter than the 195 minutes of James Cameron’s version (I was largely on #TeamIceberg for that one). Pretty much all I know about the disaster, comes from the movie. Which I’m sure was an entirely factual and accurate representation of events. Report to follow tomorrow, I imagine.

Some team will give the Cincinnati Reds something semi-tangible for the services of Brady Singer. The veteran righty eschewed a miserable start to the season and has turned things completely around, pitching to a 2.92 ERA and 3.56 FIP across 52.1 IP during his last 9 starts. That includes his typical durability as well as pitching into the 7th inning in four of those outings.

That’s got a bit of value even if he will be a free agent at season’s end. Someone will give the Reds something, even if it’s likely to be a lottery ticket we won’t hear about for years down the road. Singer, admittedly, at least gives the Reds front office an avenue to a legitimate (even if far off) prospect.

The thing is, the rest of the free agents to-be on the Reds roster don’t actually afford the front office that opportunity right now given how poorly they’ve collectively performed this season. That’s certainly the case for Eugenio Suarez and his $15 million deal, while Caleb Ferguson ($4.5 million) and Pierce Johnson ($5.5 million) have both chipped in with sub-par seasons out of the bullpen. Even Brock Burke’s durability (league-high 51 appearances and 2.79 ERA) are sunk by a plummeting K-rate, just a 1.38 K/BB, and unsightly 4.45 FIP so far in his first season with the Reds.

Could the Reds potentially get something back of value for Tyler Stephenson? Perhaps, as valuing catchers (especially in the age of ABS challenges) is a bit diffucult to do. Still, the number of times catchers get traded into pennant races mid-year with how hard it is to learn entirely new pitching staffs is woefully small, and it’s hard to envision any club going over the top to land a backstop with just a 94 OPS+ at this juncture.

Even Nathaniel Lowe, whose 116 OPS+ this season matches his career number, will be a hard sell for the Reds. They’ll likely get something for him as teams search for 1B/DH types who can hit RHP, but there’s a reason Lowe couldn’t even land a big league deal guaranteed this offseason in the first place.

The reality is that aside from Singer, and Stephenson if you squint, the Reds really aren’t going to get much for the rest of their pending free agents. The group of Suarez, Ferguson, Burke, Johnson, and Ty Steves have the prorated portion of roughly $34.2 million left on their contracts, or just shy of $13 million between now and the end of the season. So, if the Reds are truly going to move them for next to nothing in return player-wise, they’ll be moving them simply to try to recoup some of that $13ish million that is still owed their way.

In Suarez’s case, they’ll likely have to eat a couple million of even that prorated total just to get a team to take a flyer on him, which they’ll still undoubtedly do due to there being enough streakiness in his bat to make his first half numbers a bit more irrellevant. They’ll take him for that reason, sure, but they aren’t going to pay the Reds as if he’s actually been a 49 dinger a season guy to do so.

So, it’s $13 million for the Castellinis to decide over. Is it worth a $13 million gamble that the Reds, at 47-54 and 5.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot right now, might have a miracle run in them down the stretch now that Hunter Greene is back? There are still a half-dozen teams ahead of them in that chase, of course, and even when this team shot out to a 20-11 record to start the year they never once looked good enough to play the kind of ball they’d need to play down the stretch to make it reality. Or, rather, is having $13 million back in the checkbook to spend (or pocket) in other ways next year and punting this season completely into the sun the look they want to give off after so many other years of premature disappointment?

Some times during teardowns and sell-offs, it’s about moving old pieces for new pieces because the someone actually wants the old ones elsewhere. This time, though, it’s going to come down to just cold, hard cash. I think we all know what that means with this ownership group, though.

KANSAS CITY — For too much of this season, in manager Tony Vitello‘s eyes, the Giants have been playing as if they have “everything to lose.” He’d like to see more of the opposite.

“And that’s understandable,” Vitello said. “It’s one of the most, if not the most, proud organizations in the MLB. We’ve got a lot of talent on the roster. But I think somewhere along the line, we were a little late to the party on flipping that switch a little bit.”

At this point, 18 games below .500 (42-60) and 22 ½ back of the Dodgers, you could say Vitello’s squad has nothing left to lose. And never has that mindset been more evident than the past two times a Giants player has taken off from first base attempting to swipe second.

Bryce Eldridge and Daniel Susac made it safely, just as the Giants’ previous 10 base stealers had before them. San Francisco is 12-for-12 on steals in 16 games in July, already matching its most in one month with still more than a week of games left to play.

It might be too late for it to matter, but it’s never too late to improve an area that has been a problem, especially if it can carry over into next season. Even with their recent uptick, the Giants still only have six more stolen bases (39) than the league’s least successful running team, the Tigers (33). Dating back to 2022, no team has been less aggressive on the basepaths. 

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“We’ve tried to be more aggressive,” Vitello said. With calls from the dugout, “We’ve tried to be a little bit more ambitious about initiating just a straight steal.”

But in the case of Eldridge and Susac, neither of whom would call themselves particularly fleet-footed, the steals weren’t a product of a call from the coaching staff. Both players possess sprint speeds in the bottom 40% of big leaguers, among the four-slowest Giants.

But each of them took off on his own.

Eldridge didn’t even need to get his uniform dirty to notch his first career stolen base.

“He was basically just giving it to me,” Eldridge said. “They didn’t think I was going to run, and I don’t blame them. … Guys don’t really pay attention to me on the bases, so that’s something I can take advantage of. I’ve really got nothing to lose in that situation.”

Music to Vitello’s ears.

“With Bryce,” the manager joked, “it’s a hold-your-breath moment, to be honest with you.”

Susac wasn’t as fortunate. He scraped his hand on a slide into second that showed his inexperience on the basepaths — and made him the butt of some jokes.

But consider the thought process.

“I just saw the first pitch was a little slow, and with the clock being at like five (seconds), I was like, I don’t think he’s gonna pick, so I’m just gonna take off and take my chance,” Susac said. “Obviously it ended up working out. But I’m definitely not a burner by any means, so I pick and choose my spots.”

Again, that’s the kind of smart-but-carefree ball Vitello would like to see more of.

“It goes to show you he’s fully capable of doing those things,” Vitello said. “We were kind of joking about the slide out there when we made a pitching change. … It wasn’t ideal.”

Both steals came when the Giants were trailing late in the game and with two outs in the inning, and neither resulted in anything more. But they shared something else in common: Players trying to make something happen on their own. Susac wanted to put himself in scoring position for Luis Arraez; Rafael Devers was at the plate when Eldridge took off.

Jesus Rodriguez later dropped down a successful sacrifice bunt.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that was the theme of a recent hitters’ meeting.

“A couple of the team leaders spoke up [Tuesday] in the offensive meeting about don’t be afraid to wait for the coaches to initiate anything,” Vitello said. “Whether you see an opportunity for a bunt, or an opportunity to run, anything like that, don’t be afraid to try and create.”

There’s nothing the Giants can realistically do about their dashed postseason dreams. But they can control the mindset they take to the ballpark each day.

“You’re not playing like you have nothing to lose because you don’t care,” Vitello said. “But I think a little bit more of a loose and a little bit more of a carefree approach could benefit us.”

If José Caballero is going down — and it seems as if he is, now forced to begrudgingly adjust a routine he had perfected — he is going down swinging at Major League Baseball.

The Yankees shortstop, whose pre-pitch habit designed to take advantage of every allowable second of the pitch clock became the subject of an MLB crackdown — without any warning — Wednesday, still was upset a day later and said the league knows it is “wrong.”

“It’s very easy to simply invent rules and change the world’s most beautiful sport and then not be responsible for those mistakes,” Caballero said in Spanish in an Instagram post Thursday. “They know they’re wrong but it’s very difficult to accept that a regular player, who only wants to play the sport he has always loved, can adapt and use it in his game.”

All season — and far earlier than that, toying with the timer since he was a Mariners minor leaguer even before the majors adopted the clock in 2023 — Caballero has used a technique that appeared to be within the rules and yet led to frequent arguments with opposing pitchers and home plate umpires.

To prevent quick pitches or pitchers pitching to unprepared batters, hitters must make eye contact with the pitcher with at least 8 seconds on the clock.

And thus Caballero would refuse to look at the pitcher — perhaps playing with his bat or staring into the dugout or crowd — until there were 8 or 9 seconds left.

Doing so 1) put pressure on the pitcher, who had to be engaged at that moment to ensure an automatic ball would not be called, 2) provided the pitcher the least allowable amount of time to then release the pitch and 3) often annoyed the pitcher, which a pest like Caballero considered an advantage.

That changed Wednesday, when MLB instructed the Yankees-Pirates umpiring crew to police the routine by enforcing an on-the-books rule that restricts hitters from attempting “to deceive a pitcher into beginning their windup or coming to the set position.”

The league’s sudden focus on the routine followed an incident Monday in which Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana became irked at Caballero’s clock manipulation, which led to words being exchanged and the dugouts emptying.

During the opening game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, Caballero was issued a pitch-clock violation in the sixth inning for the same pre-pitch procedure he has always used, which prompted arguments, hitting coach James Rowson getting tossed and, ultimately, a strikeout in a Yankees loss.

“Maybe my English is so bad that I don’t understand,” the Panamanian, who has a good command of the language, said after the game, “but ‘deceiving’ kind of means that you’re trying to trick someone. And I’m not trying to trick someone because I do the same thing over and over.”

After the game, manager Aaron Boone called the league’s lack of warning to Caballero and the Yankees “embarrassing.”

The league’s reasoning, according to the umpires, was that Caballero has been “warned all season.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“We were instructed not to warn him,” crew chief Adrian Johnson told a pool reporter. “We were instructed to violate him. That’s what it is. It’s a violation.”

What is a violation?

“It’s talking about when he gets in [the batter’s box], he’s not allowed an inordinate amount of time looking down, trying to get the pitcher to cause a violation,” said home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott. “There’s no other hitter that gets in the box [and] takes the amount of time that Caballero does while looking down and not making eye contact with the pitcher. Obviously, it’s caused a lot of problems in the past. It’s not going to be allowed anymore.”

As heard on YES Network, on-field microphones caught Caballero repeatedly telling the umpires they were “picking on me.”

It seems as if that accusation is now aimed toward the league.

“Bottom line,” Caballero wrote in his post, as interpreted by Carolina Sánchez Calabese, “they are in charge and will do and undo whenever and however they want and everyone else has to be silent and obey.”