Prior to Saturday's game against the Giants, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke on a number of topics with the media...
Mets making franchise history with stolen bases
One part of this year's Mets team that has excelled is the stolen bases. Entering Saturday's game, the Mets have safely stolen 25 consecutive bases, the longest active streak in the majors. It's also the longest single-season streak since the Brewers recorded 29 consecutive steals in 2024.
In Friday's game, the Mets stole three bases all against All-Star Logan Webb. Webb entered the game having only given up four stolen bases this season in his first 21 starts.
Mendoza was asked if stealing bases has become an emphasis this year, especially when the offense has been inconsistent.
"Not really, I think it's just part of the personnel, the situations," he said. "Got to give credit to [first base coach] Antoan Richardson with his preparation, and then credit to the players. They are buying in and executing the game plan. We’re not trying any harder, the situation presents itself and we’re going to take advantage."
The Mets lead the majors with an 89.4 percent stolen base rate, the highest rate in franchise history, and have only been caught 10 times this year.
Latest on Tylor Megill
Megill continues to progress from his right elbow sprain and is continuing to take the necessary steps to eventually return to the mound.
Mendoza said Megill threw a bullpen on Thursday and is set to make another on Sunday, and is "moving in the right direction."
The Mets transferred Megill to the 60-day injured list on July 8, but the team could use the big right-hander as they get deeper into the second half of the season. This year, Megill is 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 68.1 IP over 14 games.
The Yankees received some good news regardingAaron Judge's elbow injury after Saturday's loss, but now they have another issue to address, and that's who will play the outfield.
New York does have the trio of Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger -- Saturday's starting outfield -- already, but it's left-handed dominant. Dominguez is a switch-hitter but is a much better left-handed batter. Judge counteracted that imbalance with his presence, but with him unable to man right field for at least two weeks, the Yankees are turning to Giancarlo Stanton.
Yes, Stanton, who has been the team's designated hitter this season, will begin working to be an option in the outfield this week.
"Whatever is going to put us in the best opportunity to win, and for all circumstances, I believe that’s for me to be in the outfield," Stanton said of the opportunity. "[I'll] be working out there this coming week and be ready when needed."
Manager Aaron Boone approached Stanton when Judge's elbow issues sprang up earlier this week about potentially getting in work. And now that Judge is officially landing on the IL, the plan is for Stanton to get back out there since Judge will be solely a DH for a few days when he first comes back.
There aren't a lot of details on the plan for Stanton in the outfield just yet. The 35-year-old said he's open to playing either left or right field, but is confident his defensive skills are not gone after not having played the field since 2023.
"I’ll have to figure it out. There will be a little rust to knock out this week," Stanton said. "[That's] another thing that doesn't matter. There’s no excuses when you get out there."
"It’ll be good to be back out there," he later added. "This is a point that’s best for the team. Anything I can do. It’s not going to be like I’ve never been out there before."
Stanton has played the outfield in more than 1500 games in his career, 1063 coming in right field, including 31 back in 2023, but the slugger's return as a defensive presence offers the Yankees the flexibility needed until Judge returns from the IL. It'll be difficult to replace Judge's MVP offensive numbers, but Stanton has delivered his signature power numbers since his return from the IL.
In 28 games this season, Stanton is slashing .277/.358/.532 with seven home runs and 20 RBI with an OPS of .890. That includes his two-run blast in Saturday's game.
The Yankees will need that production to overcome Judge's absence, and Stanton believes the team can.
"We’re going to have to figure it out," he said. "Everyone is going to have to step up, and weather the storm until he comes back."
SAN FRANCISCO — Patrick Bailey slammed his helmet against the ground and dropped his head. His 106 mph liner had found Pete Alonso’s glove, giving the Giants a sixth loss in eight games since the All-Star break.
It was an unfortunate way for the night to end, but it was really the only way it could have gone. The spotlight Saturday was on first base, where Rafael Devers made his third career start and had a two-hour adventure on the dirt before Alonso’s game-ending grab.
Devers was seemingly in the middle of everything that happened, and his bobble in the sixth inning ended up being a part of the outcome. With two runners on and one out, Devers fielded Brett Baty’s grounder and turned toward the middle of the field.
It looked like he would at least get the force at second and possibly start a huge double play, but he couldn’t get a throw off and instead took the out at first. Mark Vientos followed with a double that easily scored both runners, and that was the difference in the Giants’ 2-1 loss to the New York Mets.
It would have taken a perfect play to turn two, and even if Devers had been able to cut down the runner at second, there was still a chance that Baty would have scored from first on the ensuing double. Vientos’ ball rattled around the left-field corner as the Giants watched their lead disappear.
“Yeah, we had a chance (at the double play), but those are things that are going to happen during the game,” Devers said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “Unfortunately, they got the hit that scored the runs.”
Devers didn’t get tested in his first two career starts at first base, but the ball found him early and often Saturday.
In the fourth, he charged too hard on a slow roller and couldn’t get back in time to take the throw from Robbie Ray, leading to an infield single that loaded the bases. Devers recovered quickly, though, scooping Matt Chapman’s low throw to complete an inning-ending double play and keep the Mets from scoring. He smiled as he jogged off the field, having made his most notable play to date at a new position.
An inning later, Devers had trouble picking up a ground ball, but it rolled right to first base; he grabbed it there and got an out. It was an odd play, but there was no harm done. His error came in the seventh, when he kicked a Juan Soto grounder. Again, there was no harm done, as the Giants got out of the inning with another double play.
Had the Giants not gone 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, Devers probably would not have found himself answering questions late Saturday night. But it was another close game, and his defense stood out.
Manager Bob Melvin chalked the whole thing up as a learning experience, and a valuable one.
“I’m glad he got a bunch of balls today,” Melvin said. “The more he gets like that, the more in-between plays and plays where he’s got to make a decision where he’s covering first or going to get the ball, all of those things are going to be good for him at the end of the day. I know a couple didn’t look great, but again, it didn’t cost us, and I think the more experience he gets over there, the better he’s going to look. I really did like the fact that he got a bunch of different plays tonight.”
Devers won’t start at first on Sunday, but not because of how Saturday went. Melvin said before the game that he planned to give him a breather, but for the most part, the Giants are hopeful that Devers can be their primary first baseman. That would open up a lot of other avenues.
Wilmer Flores has gotten more time this week with Devers no longer at DH, and it’s possible that someone like Heliot Ramos gets a few DH reps if the Giants improve their outfield depth, either this year or next. This also could open up late-season at-bats for Bryce Eldridge, who is starting to find his groove in Triple-A but is still learning how to play first.
Devers is in the same boat, having played third base his entire career before the Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman. He was exclusively a DH before being shipped across the country.
It took a month for the Giants to get Devers back on the dirt, in large part because of back and groin tightness. But he’s feeling better physically and is eager to learn. Melvin said before the game that Devers is having fun, and that’s a big part of the push to keep him over there. Thirty minutes before the first pitch on Saturday, Devers sat in the dugout and bounced a ball against a cement barrier, preparing for another night at a new position.
It wasn’t perfect, but he was happy to get the reps. He’s hopeful that much better days are coming in the weeks ahead.
“I think that my responsibility is to improve,” he said. “Day in and day out, as I practice, I will get better.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge will go on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow, but a scan showed no damage to the ulnar collateral ligament of the two-time AL MVP.
Manager Aaron Boone said Judge will have 10 days to two weeks of no throwing and will be the designated hitter at first when he returns. Giancarlo Stanton, the team’s primary DH, will start to work out in the outfield.
Judge was sent for an MRI Saturday morning and was out of the starting lineup for just the second time this season.
He leads the major leagues with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS. He has 37 home runs and 85 RBIs for a New York team that opened a seven-game AL East lead by late May but started Saturday a season-high 5 1/2 games back of first-place Toronto.
Judge winced at Toronto on Tuesday after catching Alejandro Kirk’s seventh-inning fly in the right-field corner and throwing to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. as Dante Bichette tagged up and went from second to third. Judge was seen by a YES Network camera clenching his right hand in a fist.
“He had a throw in Toronto where it zinged him, it hurt,” Boone said.
Judge was the DH the following day in Wednesday’s series finale, which Boone said then was planned. He was in right field for Friday’s series-opening 12-5 loss to Philadelphia.
“Felt like he was fine on the off day and then just last night was really dealing with it,” Boone said. “He couldn’t really throw well from the outfield.”
SAN FRANCISCO — For two days in Atlanta, it seemed like the Giants had finally broken through at the plate. Back at Oracle Park, it has been clear that wasn’t the case.
A night after losing 8-1, the Giants fell 2-1 in a tense game with the New York Mets, who will go for the sweep on Sunday Night Baseball when Kodai Senga takes on the Giants’ bullpen.
It was a night of missed opportunities for both lineups, but the Giants scratched across a run in the fourth when Jung Hoo Lee grounded out with the bases loaded. It stayed a one-run game until the top of the sixth, when Mark Vientos ripped a double down the left field line with two in scoring position.
The Giants have struggled against left-handed starters all season, and they went down in order in the seventh and eighth once David Peterson was removed. That put the lead in the hands of All-Star Edwin Diaz, and Lee nearly provided a thrilling moment with one out. He scorched a liner off the bricks that would have been a game-tying homer in 29 ballparks, but at Oracle Park it was just a double.
Patrick Bailey thought he tied it with two outs, but his 106 mph liner found Pete Alonso’s glove.
Getting Tested
Rafael Devers made his third career start at first base, and unlike the previous two, this one was full of tests.
The longtime third baseman and DH helped load the bases in the fourth when he charged too hard on a slow roller and failed to get back to first in time to take the throw from Robbie Ray, but he made up for it a few minutes later by scooping a low throw from Matt Chapman to complete an inning-ending double play.
In the fifth, Devers fielded a grounder by, well, rolling it to the bag. Whatever works, right?
The first really costly mistake came in the sixth, when the Mets put two on ahead of Brett Baty, who hit a chopper to first. Devers pivoted to throw down to second for the force, but he bobbled the ball and instead took the sure out at first. That put two in scoring position instead of one, and they both scored on a double.
An inning later, Devers made an error on a grounder, but that was followed by an inning-ending double play.
Devers will start at DH on Sunday, but in general, the Giants feel good about his work at a new position and plan to get him plenty of starts at first base. Before the game, manager Bob Melvin said Devers has had a blast being back on the dirt, and that’s a big part of the push to get him comfortable at first.
Ray Day
It’s been a brutal week for the Giants’ rotation, but there are no concerns with Ray, who made his second start since appearing on his second All-Star team.
Ray gave up plenty of hard contact early and had just two clean innings out of six, but he was able to reach back for strikeouts when he needed them and allowed two runs in 5 2/3 frames. Both came on the double on Ray’s 102nd pitch.
Look At Lucchesi
Lefty Joey Lucchesi spent four seasons with the Mets, although injuries limited him to just 22 appearances. The Giants brought him in this spring as a non-roster invitee, but the results didn’t open any eyes in March. Since getting called up last month, though, the veteran has filled a huge hole.
Lucchesi lowered his ERA to 1.80 by working around the error in the seventh, and it doesn’t seem to be that flukey. He has a 1.22 FIP and 2.02 expected ERA.
The Giants expect Erik Miller back in a few weeks, but Lucchesi has done a nice job of filling in, and left-handed relief isn’t as glaring a need as it appeared to be when Miller went down. Fellow veteran Matt Gage has also pitched well for his new team.
The Yankees lost 9-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday afternoon and have dropped four out of their last five games.
Here are the takeaways...
-In the absence of Aaron Judge, who was not in the starting lineup due to an elbow issue, New York's offense failed to come through until it was too late. Despite nine hits and five walks, the Yanks scored just four runs. They went 1-for-10 with RISP and left 11 men on base.
-Meanwhile, Marcus Stroman put his team behind the eight ball early, allowing a run in the first inning to put New York in an early hole. The right-hander did not have a successful outing and only managed to go 3.2 innings.
It was in that fourth inning when things really spiraled for Stroman. Down 2-0 at that point, Stroman walked the leadoff hitter -- one of four walks in the inning -- before a single and another walk loaded the bases. The third walk of the inning forced in a run and Trea Turner's force out brought home another. After a wild pitch and another walk loaded the bases once again, Stroman's day was done.
Yerry De los Santos came in and threw one pitch and got Bryce Harper to ground out to end the inning and save Stroman from further disaster. In all, Stroman allowed four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four on 89 pitches (50 strikes). He also allowed a home run to Harper in the third and his ERA rose to 6.09 through eight starts.
-The Yankees got a run back in the bottom of the fourth thanks to Jasson Dominguez's RBI single, but with runners on the corners and two outs, Trent Grisham grounded out to end the threat.
-After scoring a run in the sixth, which was charged to De los Santos, Philadelphia went into the seventh inning up 5-1, where Allan Winans took the ball. In just his third appearance of the season and first since June 28, Winans wore it on the chin. He allowed four runs (three earned) in the seventh after Edmundo Sosa blasted a two-run shot and Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run double.
Winans went back out for the eighth and managed to strand a runner on second base (leadoff double) with two strikeouts and a groundout before pitching a clean ninth inning.
-Giancarlo Stanton's two-run homer in the seventh cut the deficit to 9-3. It was Stanton's seventh home run of the season. He also singled in the ninth and ended his day 2-for-5.
-New York scored another run in the eighth on a bases-loaded balk. With runners on second and third, Paul Goldschmidt had a chance to make things interesting but struck out. He finished 0-for-4 with a walk.
-Ryan McMahon made his team debut after getting traded from the Colorado Rockies on Friday and finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the No. 8 spot in the lineup.
Game MVP: Ranger Suarez
The lefty struck out eight over 5.2 innings to grab his eighth win of the season.
What's next
The Yankees conclude their weekend series against the Phillies with a Sunday matinee starting at 1:35 p.m.
LHP Carlos Rodón (10-7, 3.10 ERA) takes on RHP Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.39 ERA).
Philadelphia third baseman Edmundo Sosa left Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees after he was elbowed in the back by left fielder Brandon Marsh in a collision while catching Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s seventh-inning popup.
Sosa was diagnosed with a bruise and will be evaluated further, the team said.
Sosa, Marsh and shortstop Trea Turner converged on the ball in short left field. Turner peeled off, Sosa made the catch, then was knocked to the ground by Marsh. Sosa’s fall caused the ball to pop out of his glove.
After Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit and manager Rob Thomson came out to attend to Sosa, the third baseman walked off slowly with Marsh’s arm around him.
Umpires initially awarded Chisholm a hit, but the call was changed to an inning-ending out in a video review as they concluded Sosa had possession of the ball before hitting the grass.
Philadelphia pitcher Aaron Nola will make his first injury rehabilitation start Thursday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley at Worcester as he works his way back from a sprained right ankle and fractured rib that have sidelined him since May.
Nola threw batting practice on Friday. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Saturday the 32-year-old right-hander will throw about 60 pitches in the Triple-A game.
Nola hurt the ankle during agility drills on May 8. He made a pair of ineffective starts and was placed on the IL effective May 15. Nola threw a bullpen session June 1 and felt sore a few days later. An MRI showed a stress fracture of a rib, Thomson revealed June 10.
On the IL for a physical injury for the first time since 2017, Nola was 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA in nine starts and 49 2/3 innings.
Nick Castellanos sits after hurting knee
Right fielder Nick Castellanos was out of the starting lineup Saturday, a day after getting hurt in the Phillies’ 12-5 win over the Yankees.
“The last play last night where he went back towards the wall, just kind of jammed his left knee a little bit,” Thomson said. “He came in a little bit sore today, so keep him out, see how he is tomorrow.”
Alec Bohm update
Alec Bohm is to meet up with the Phillies on Sunday, travel with the team to Chicago and be evaluated.
Bohm broke a left rib when hit by a 92.2 mph Yu Darvish pitch at San Diego on July 12. The third baseman and first baseman returned July 18 following the All-Star break, then went on the injured list.
NEW YORK – Perhaps the only thing wrong with the Phillies on a perfect Saturday for baseball was when Bryce Harper changed the clubhouse music before the game from Meatloaf to Dolly Parton. And even that is debatable to some.
That’s how well the Phillies went through their day at Yankee Stadium as they pinned an emphatic 9-4 loss on the home team and lashed out 13 more hits (following 14 on Friday), got another solid starting pitching performance and saw the big bats produce again. All this done in front of a sellout crowd that was overrun with Phillies fans who sprinkled in the obligatory E-A-G-L-E-S chant every so often.
These two games in the Bronx have showcased a team that Phillies fans mostly expected when the season started – quality pitching from the starters and a boatload of offensive prowess, particularly from the players who scoop up the majority of the payroll. Ranger Suarez battled through 108 pitches and 5.2 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win, while Trea Turner got on base four times, including a pair of doubles, Harper homered, Kyle Schwarber knocked in a couple and J.T. Realmuto had two hits.
Offensively, the two days of work has combined for 21 runs and 27 hits, which includes seven doubles and five home runs.
“It’s the ebbs and flows,” downplayed Rob Thomson about his team’s current hot hitting. “We have a lot of guys swinging bats well right now and that comes and goes. (Trea Turner) is using the field. He’s hitting line drives to right field. He’s swinging the bat well. He’s a catalyst. Ever since the San Francisco game where he had the four extra base hits (Bryce Harper) has been really good.
“I think a lot of times they feed off of Harp but I think they’re feeding off each other right now. It’s like our rotation, trying to keep up with the Joneses in the lineup. They’re doing a good job.”
It didn’t take long to get started Saturday as Turner led off the first with a double and scored on a Realmuto single. Harper bombed one in the third to left-center before the Phils tacked on two more in the fourth on four walks, one hit and a fielder’s choice for a 4-0 lead. It really was all Suarez would need as he struck out seven in upping his record to 8-4 while lowering his ERA to 2.59 on the season.
“I felt good,” said Suarez. “All my pitches were working today. When you compare to last start (4.1 innings, nine hits, six earned runs and four walks), the curve ball was there and the changeup, too, was working well. All my pitches felt good today.”
When the question of velocity, which has decreased by Suarez slightly in his last few outings, was asked, Suarez just laughed it off. “I don’t know,” he said. “Last start I tried putting a little more into it and we all saw what happened there. At this point I just think I’m one of those pitchers that rely on pitch location and control and command of the pitches other than rely on velocity.”
While it felt like a Phillies home game with all the red, white and blue in the seats, Suarez continued his road dominance. In eight starts this season away from Citizens Bank Park, Suarez is 5-3 with a 1.48 ERA.
The Phillies did get a scare in the bottom of the seventh when third baseman Edmundo Sosa drifted back on a ball to short left. Brandon Marsh came in hard from his spot in left and ran into the back of Sosa, who caught the ball before he headed to the ground. He stayed there for quite some time before getting to his feet and helped to the bench by Marsh. Sosa left the game with what the team called a back contusion.
“I saw the ball was hit, figured it was Trea’s ball but he couldn’t see it because of the sun,” said Marsh. “When I looked down at Sosa and Trea I just noticed the ball was in the middle of them so I had to go and make a play. Sosa said he was saying he had it but I didn’t hear him so it’s my fault.”
The Phillies were without the services of Nick Castellanos, who jammed his knee Friday night making the game-ending catch near the wall in right field. For now, he is listed as day-to-day.
Those were really the only blemishes Saturday, allowing Thomson to go to the deep part of his bullpen to close out a game where the lead grew as big as 9-1 in the seventh with the help of a two-run home run by Sosa. Two innings prior, Sosa struck out with a runner on second and showed his disgust after a bad at-bat. Sosa said after the game that Harper came and talked to him and that was part of the reason he was so focused before the homer.
“That’s not me. That’s not who I am,” said Sosa.
Who the Phillies have been as a whole in these two games has been more than good enough.
NOTE:
The Phillies made a move Saturday by acquiring outfielder Brewer Hickman for cash considerations from the Detroit Tigers. He was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 29-year-old has 12 at-bats in the majors through the years.
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees star Aaron Judge was out of the lineup Saturday against Philadelphia and was sent for imaging of his right elbow, a worrying development for a team that has been sliding down the standings for two months.
“Obviously concerned,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ll wait and see as they read the imaging.”
“Hopefully it’s something that is manageable and we can get through,” Boone said.
A two-time AL MVP, Judge leads the major leagues with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS. He has 37 home runs and 85 RBIs for a New York team that opened a seven-game AL East lead by late May but started Saturday a season-high 5 1/2 games back of first-place Toronto.
Judge winced at Toronto on Tuesday after catching Alejandro Kirk’s seventh-inning fly in the right-field corner and throwing to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. as Dante Bichette tagged up and went from second to third. Judge was seen by a YES Network camera clenching his right hand in a fist.
“He had a throw in Toronto where it zinged him, it hurt,” Boone said.
Judge was a designated hitter the following day in Wednesday’s series finale, which Boone said then was planned. He was in right field for Friday’s series-opening 12-5 loss to Philadelphia, then was out of the lineup for the second time this season.
“Felt like he was fine on the off day and then just last night was really dealing with it. He couldn’t really throw well from the outfield,” Boone said.
Boone said Yankees team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad was to read the imaging Saturday.
The Yankees had some relatively good news to share in regards to Aaron Judge and his "elbow issue."
Aaron Boone revealed on Saturday that Judge is suffering from a flexor strain, and on Sunday the Yankees officially placed him on the 10-day IL.
The good news is that the UCL is intact, meaning there is no tear in the ligament.
"Overall, we got some good news. It is going to require an IL stint with the thought it’s right about that 10 days and those few days coming off, probably in DH mode and then starting throwing in around then," Boone explained after Saturday's game. "And then hopefully, get back to the outfield shortly thereafter…as long as the symptoms are what they need to be."
Judge has already taken a PRP injection and will sit for a few days and then start swinging the bat again and see where they are at when they get to the 10-day mark. Boone is optimistic Judge could return in the minimum 10 days.
The Yankees skipper has already spoken with Giancarlo Stanton on potentially getting work in the outfield to see if he's an option when Judge returns. This week is when they'll start working that into Stanton's routine, but there's nothing imminent.
Judge was missing from Saturday's lineup and Boone said that the Yankees Captain had felt something in his elbow on a throw during the previous series against the Blue Jays in Toronto. After starting as DH on Wednesday and the off day on Thursday, New York felt as though Judge was fine, but the injury popped up again in Friday's loss.
"Just last night (he) was really dealing with it," Boone said prior to Saturday's game. "He couldn’t really throw well from the outfield."
Judge spoke to the media after the results came in and said that he felt something off in his elbow on a throw home, a play prior to the one he winced on. He's never had an elbow injury before and even tried to convince the team to let him avoid an IL stint so he can still bat. But the organization advised against it. Boone said that they didn't want to risk Judge injuring himself further by hitting and wanted to take care of the strain immediately.
"Throwing is the main concern. Hitting, it happens too quick and it’s not the motion where I haven’t felt anything," Judge explained. "The muscle that’s hurt is the muscle that’s used to grip. There might be some issue with that, but I’ve been hitting with it the last couple of days. If I can hit, I can be out there."
As for who will take Judge's spot on the roster, the Yankees have a few outfield options in Triple-A. Everson Pereira and Bryan De La Cruz are likely options as they are both right-handed, and then there's prospect Spencer Jones, who has been tearing the cover off the ball with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, Jones missed Friday's game with back spasms.
Despite that, it's unlikely the Yankees will call up Jones, as he's not on the 40-man roster and this would be a temporary stint that won't come with enough at-bats to justify the move.
Judge was asked about whether the team can withstand his absence and the AL MVP front-runner said he believes in his teammates.
"Guys are going to step up, that’s what it comes down to," Judge said. "I always go back to that 2019 team where I felt everyone got banged up and everyone stepped up and played bigger roles than what they signed up for coming into the season. I expect the same for guys… especially now in the second half, going to the end of the stretch. We have to make a push."
Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...
New York started a six-game West Coast road trip with an impressive 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants
Francisco Lindor had three hits on Friday night following two hits in Wednesday's series finale against the Los Angeles Angels and says his swing is in a "good spot" after suffering through a career-worst 0-for-31 slump
Before the game, the Mets traded for LHP Gregory Soto of the Baltimore Orioles to shore up the bullpen and kick off their deadline deals
Drew Gilbert smashed two home runs for Syracuse on Friday and has put himself on the Mets' radar as a possible call-up candidate with a scintillating July
Brandon Sproat has also been on a tear in July and capped off the month with a gutsy win in Triple-A
NEW YORK – An especially fun offensive night in Yankee Stadium on Friday when the Phillies belted six extra-base hits among their 14 as they downed the Yankees by a 12-5 score.
It was a defensive play on the final out of the game, however, that put a little bit of a damper on an otherwise positive evening. When Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham lined out to right field to end the game, Nick Castellanos wound up hitting the outfield wall in a bit of an awkward way. It cost him a start Saturday afternoon and may or may not keep him out a bit longer.
“The last play last night, where he went back towards the wall, he just kind of jammed his left knee,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He came in a little bit sore today, so keeping him out. We’ll see how it is tomorrow.” Asked if it was a day-to-day thing, Thomson said it was.
While he never wants to have to deal with injuries, without Castellanos it did give him a chance to tinker a bit with the lineup.
I don’t mind (tinkering), really,” he said. “It gets (Johan) Rojas a chance to get in there and (Edmundo) Sosa’s back in there today so it gives these guys a little bit of an opportunity to get some at-bats and get some reps.”
Also on the injury front, the Yankees held out star outfield Aaron Judge due to a sore elbow. The New York Post reported that Judge was to undergo an MRI before Saturday’s game as well as see a team doctor. Judge leads the league with a .342 average and is tops in RBI with 85. His 129 hits are also a league best.
Walker, Nola updates
When asked if Taijuan Walker will stay in the rotation, Thomson didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Yeah. Yeah, he’s got it. I think the next start is the last one in Chicago.” Thomson was referring to Wednesday afternoon’s game against the White Sox. Walker admitted after his start on Friday that he knows and accepts the fact that he’ll be heading back to the bullpen in the near future as Aaron Nola gets closer to being put back into the starting rotation. Nola had a bullpen session on Friday and now will start to see some live action.
“He will go out on a rehab assignment Thursday, (with Lehigh Valley)” Thomson said. “Yeah will keep him the same (60 pitches). Three up-downs.” Mick Abel struggled through five innings with the Iron Pigs Friday, allowing seven hits and five earned runs while walking three. But the manager wasn’t too displeased with the results.
“Command was off a little bit,” Thomson said. “In the notes the good thing is they mentioned he maintained his focus, maintained his poise even though he didn’t have his command and tried to fight through it. So that’s a good sign. He’s really grown up so it was good to see him do that last night, have some failure and just keep fighting through it.”
Bohm to rejoin on road trip
Third baseman Alec Bohm will join the team Sunday in New York then will fly with them to Chicago for the series against the White Sox. “Still a little bit sore. Just check him out tomorrow and see how he is.” Bohm was hit by a pitch from Yu Darvish back on July 12 and it was later determined he had a fractured rib. In his place, Thomson has been rotating Otto Kemp and Edmundo Sosa at third, but hinted he may have both of them in the lineup on Sunday.
“I’d like to see both of them, really. Kind of flip them back and forth and maybe get Kemp back to the outfield at some point. I’m sure tomorrow we’ll have Kemp at third and Sosa at second and probably Wes Wilson in the outfield.”
The Phillies are scheduled to face Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon on Sunday.
Angels closer Kenley Jansen reacts after a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 18. Should the Dodgers try to pull off a reunion with Jansen? (Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
Kenley Jansen signed his first professional contract with the Dodgers 21 years ago. He was Clayton Kershaw’s catcher in rookie ball. He has been honored as an All-Star four times. He has saved more games than all but three men in major league history, all of them Hall of Famers. He won a World Series with the Dodgers.
For all that Jansen has accomplished in his two decades in pro ball, there is one thing he has not experienced: He never has been traded.
That could happen in the coming days, with baseball’s trade deadline next Thursday. As we talked about that possibility Friday at Angel Stadium, and about how the sport can be a cold business at times, he dropped 11 words that stood out.
“I thought,” he said, “I would play my whole career with the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers are urgently shopping for right-handed relievers. In Anaheim, Jansen is enjoying a season that by some measures is his best since 2021, his last season with the Dodgers.
First things first: Jansen did not sign with the Angels just to rack up saves. He is 36 saves shy of 500, a milestone reached only by Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.
“I came here with one goal in mind,” Jansen said, “and the goal was to help this team turn around, to end that playoff drought. That’s what I’m here for.
“If they move me, I’d definitely feel disappointed we didn’t accomplish it.”
But let’s be real: The longest playoff drought in the majors is likely to hit 11 years. The Angels are 4-1/2 games out of a postseason berth, but they would have to pass six teams to sneak into the last wild-card spot in the American League playoffs. Baseball Prospectus projects their chance of making the playoffs at 2%.
The Angels demoted their fifth starter this month. They have been running bullpen games because they had no one in their farm system ready to fill the vacancy. They only have two starters you could pencil into their 2026 rotation.
They need pitching depth, and it would be organizational malpractice not to get some by trading their pending free agents, Jansen included.
Kenley Jansen pitches for the Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS on Oct. 19, 2021. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For the Angels, the optimal outcome would be a team desperate for a closer overpaying to get Jansen.
However, such a team would be more likely to overpay for the marquee names on the market, including Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins, Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians and Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles, with a second tier led by David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers hate to overpay.
Jansen has 17 saves and one blown save, with a 1.00 earned-run average in save situations and a 3.19 ERA overall. The latter is his lowest ERA since 2021. By ERA+, a statistic that accounts for league and ballpark factors, Jansen is at 133 — or 33% better than league average.
The only Dodgers relievers with an ERA+ above 133: left-handers Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer.
Dodgers relievers have thrown 49.1% of the team’s innings pitched; the highest percentage of any major league team. Vesia, Anthony Banda and the injured Tanner Scott rank among the top 20 in appearances. Ben Casparius, who earned his first major league save Friday, ranked second among major league relievers in innings pitched.
Phillips is out for the season. Treinen could return from the injured list next week, with Kopech possibly to follow next month and Graterol in September, but it is risky to count on injured players to return healthy and effective.
In a major league career that started in 2010, Jansen never has been on the injured list because of an elbow or forearm issue, and his two stints for shoulder inflammation were brief.
The Dodgers could drop Jansen into their mix of high-leverage right-handers. They would not want Jansen if he would want to be the unquestioned closer.
He is getting the job done as a closer, and he is getting closer to 500 saves. But the Dodgers' analysts would probably take note of his career highs in exit velocity and hard-hit balls, and a .774 OPS against left-handers that compares unfavorably to his .600 career mark, and might want to spot him against a run of right-handers. Could be the sixth inning, could be the ninth.
Whether it’s the Dodgers or any other contending team, would Jansen consider a role outside the ninth inning?
“At that point, it’s just about getting rings,” Jansen said. “My goal is to win. You play for that, always. I understand there is a milestone I am close to. But, at the end of the day, it’s what you play for. You play to win. You play to win a World Series.
“If I have to go throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I would do it. I’m a professional. I would do what I do best, and that is pitch.”
Jansen said he hasn’t given up on this Angels team, or this Angels season. He would love to win in Anaheim. The Angels could help him do that: Trade him for another pitching piece that could help them next year, then sign Jansen again over the winter.
Shohei Ohtani spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before joining the Dodgers [Reuters]
Los Angeles Dodgers v Boston Red Sox
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston Date: Sunday, 27 July First pitch: 18:35 BST
Coverage: Live coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Red Button and the BBC Sport website and app, from 18:30
After winning last year's World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers picked up from where they left off.
They made a flying start to the current Major League Baseball season, becoming the first defending champions to win their first eight games.
It had many saying this is the best MLB team that has ever been assembled.
Three months later, the Dodgers remain top of their division, but they are struggling.
After Tuesday's defeat to Minnesota, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was desperate to stop the rot, saying: "It better be rock bottom."
Now his team visit the Boston Red Sox hoping to get their title defence back on track, and you can watch the final game of their three-game series live on the BBC.
How did the Dodgers get even better?
Speaking to BBC Sport after last year's championship win, former World Series winner Chase Utley said that the Dodgers' "entire line-up has the ability to hit a home run and they play great defence. They're just really good at all aspects of the game."
And in the off-season their roster got even better. After their starting pitcher rotation was hit by injuries last year, they brought in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to add greater strength in depth.
They also re-signed veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw and knew that at some point Shohei Ohtani would be able to pitch again after recovering from elbow surgery.
The Dodgers' offensive line-up also features two former MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who are part of a nucleus of players on long-term contracts.
And the team bolstered that core with Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez signing extensions.
It's a good job the Dodgers secured that pitching insurance for this season because their injury woes returned, with four of their starting pitchers having had spells out.
That has meant they could not sustain that early-season form and have had to use their relieving pitchers - known as the bullpen - far more than any other MLB team.
That has taken its toll, with six relieving pitchers currently out injured, and the team generally struggling for form - in the outfield, on the mound and at the plate.
Betts has hit three home runs in his past 49 games and Freeman one in 61.
At the start of this month, the Dodgers lost seven games in a row for the first time since September 2017. And since that 8-0 start to the season, their record is 53-43.
Manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday: "It better be rock bottom, as far as how we've been pitching, how we've been playing defence.
"I think the offence is kind of starting to tick up, which is good. There's certainly more in there. But I think as far as quality of baseball, it's been a tough watch. It really has."
Ohtani's class continues to shine through though. Only Seattle's Cal Raleigh (39) has hit more home runs than Ohtani (37) this season.
Ohtani homered in five consecutive games over the past week, and in one of those games he also had three strikeouts as a pitcher.
So far he has made six starts, with his innings gradually being increased, and in his third game back, Ohtani threw his fastest MLB pitch ever (101.7mph).
Red Sox also looking to regroup
Ohtani is not scheduled to pitch again until Wednesday, with Dustin May set to be the Dodgers' starting pitcher for Sunday's game against Boston.
And there will be a familiar face on the Fenway Park mound.
Walker Buehler left the Dodgers for the Red Sox in the off-season and before the start of their three-game series on Friday, some of his former team-mates presented Buehler with his World Series ring for last season's championship triumph.
The Dodgers won Friday's game 5-2 to improve their record to 61-43 atop the National League West division.
Boston are 55-50 and sit third in the American League East, with Wilyer Abreu (20 home runs) their leading hitter.
After going into the All-Star break on a 10-game winning streak, the Red Sox have won just two of their seven games since.
As it stands, they would end their three-year play-off absence, but they too need an upturn in form to be sure of securing a wild-card spot.
BBC Sport will be showing an MLB game live every Sunday evening until the end of the regular season on 28 September.
