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Taijuan Walker still scoreless, does his job again vs. a tougher lineup

Taijuan Walker still scoreless, does his job again vs. a tougher lineup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ATLANTA — It’s meaningful any time a starting pitcher keeps a big-league lineup off the board, but as uplifting a story as Taijuan Walker’s scoreless start was last Thursday, a grain of salt was required. The Rockies are going to lose 100-plus games, they can’t hit and are even less threatening on the road.

Could he do it again in Atlanta? Against a powerful and proven Braves offense hungry for wins after beginning the season 2-8? Making a mistake vs. Michael Toglia and Nick Martini isn’t the same as missing over the plate to Austin Riley and Matt Olson, after all.

But Walker didn’t miss over the plate much at all to Riley, Olson or the Braves on Wednesday night at Truist Park, pitching 4⅔ scoreless innings. The Rockies put the barrel of the bat on the ball just twice against him last week and Walker induced more soft and middling contact in this one, allowing no extra-base hits.

Walker bent but didn’t break, as the cliche goes, stranding two runners in the second inning, the bases loaded in the third and a leadoff single in the fourth. He loaded the bases again with two outs in the fifth and was replaced by Jose Ruiz, who popped up Austin Riley. Neither team scored until the sixth inning when both starters had already departed. The Phillies eventually won another nailbiter, 4-3.

Through two starts, Walker has pitched 10⅔ scoreless innings. He won’t finish with an ERA of 0.00, 1.00, 2.00 or likely 3.00, but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters currently is that with Ranger Suarez out, Walker is filling a role for the Phillies and doing it capably.

“It’s been great,” Bryce Harper said. “He’s got the confidence in his ability again and it’s fun to watch. 94 Tai’s a lot different than 89. He worked his butt off this offseason. After his last start, I went up to him and told him I’m happy for him. He’s been through a lot. Signed a deal with us to come here, had a couple great years in New York. Tough last year for him but he’s finally rounding the corner. I thought he threw great.”

Walker retired the side 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first with two strikeouts. He hit Sean Murphy with two outs in the second and allowed a single to Bryan De La Cruz but escaped with a Jarred Kelenic groundout. The Braves loaded the bases after two quick outs in the third but Walker jammed Riley for a foulout to first base. He induced a 5-4-3 double play after a leadoff single in the fourth and combined with Ruiz to avoid damage in the fifth.

It’s been quite the bounce-back so far for Walker, who finished last season with a 7.10 ERA and career-worst numbers across the board. A year ago, he couldn’t miss bats and didn’t have an out pitch. He didn’t have a single start like these first two. But the velocity has crept back up from 88-90 mph to 92-93 and the movement of his sinker and splitter have both been sharp.

His first inning Wednesday was a good example. The first batter, Michael Harris II, extended the zone to tap out back to the mound on a splitter just off the plate away. Atlanta’s No. 2 hitter, Ozzie Albies, struck out on a two-seamer from Walker that was probably a mistake because of how much plate it caught, but it only did so because of how wickedly it danced back over the middle. Walker had the movement on his two-seamer last year but not the velocity to miss a bat. Last season, that might have been a foul ball or hit.

There was a thought this winter that the Phillies might cut ties with Walker despite owing him $18 million in 2025 and $18 million in 2026. Even with their added starting pitching depth, it’s a good thing they didn’t.

“He’s always been upbeat but there is a little bit of a difference and that’s understandable to me,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Last year was rough, I mean it was rough. I don’t really know how a person could go through something like that. That tells you a lot about him.

“If you’re any type of leader at all, you love the people that you’re around, it’s innate, it’s like your kids. So when that stuff happens, bad or good, there’s feelings that come out for me. So I’m glad he’s on the good side of that.”

Walker is holding a rotation spot until Suarez is ready to return from a back injury. Suarez will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Clearwater and is expected to pitch three innings. The lefty will likely need at least three rehab starts, maybe four, after pitching just five innings in Grapefruit League games.

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Brett Baty's struggles continue in Mets' shutout loss to Marlins: 'He’s got to fight through it'

With Jeff McNeil starting the season on the IL with an oblique strain, Brett Baty was given a prime opportunity. Not only would Baty and Luisangel Acuña get to split time at second base, but Baty had the inside track to prove himself as a big leaguer, something he hasn’t been able to do, at least on a consistent level, since his call-up in 2022.

And after a red-hot spring in which he posted a 1.186 OPS, four home runs, and 11 RBI, Baty seemed poised to take this latest chance and run with it.

Unfortunately for Baty, the start of his 2025 regular season has been nightmarish, and Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Marlins at Citi Field was a game to forget for the 25-year-old, as he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while also committing an error that cost the Mets’ two runs in what turned into a 5-0 loss.

“Just kind of indecision. Just being in-between, not having the finger on the trigger,” Baty said about his struggles after the game. “I just need to do a better job offensively and defensively, for sure.”

“I guess you could pin it to [confidence] maybe a little bit,” he added, “but at the end of the day, I was feeling great with the cage work today and going into the game, so it was there. I’ve just got to do a better job for sure.”

Baty’s fielding error in the top of the fifth led to the Marlins’ first two runs of the game. With a runner on first and nobody out, Baty fielded a grounder to his left, spun, and tried to make the throw to second base, instead sailing the ball past Francisco Lindor into the outfield. The next batter, Matt Mervis, singled up the middle to break a scoreless tie.

Baty made no excuses about his poor play, though he did point out it’s been a relatively small sample size for him this season. In 27 at-bats, Baty has just three hits, slashing .111/.111/.148 with four total bases and 11 strikeouts.

And with McNeil taking another step forward in his recovery by taking batting practice on the field on Tuesday while getting closer to a rehab assignment, Baty knows his window as a starter, at least presently, could be closing soon.

But the former first-round pick is only focused on getting better every day.

“That’s always kind of in the back of your mind, but what I try to tell myself is I just have to control what I can control,” Baty said when asked if wondered about how many more opportunities would come his way. “If I see my name in the lineup, control what I can control that day, just be who I am that day. Just be where my feet are.”

And if you ask manager Carlos Mendoza, the Mets still believe in what Baty can be at the big league level.

“I’ve been around him now for quite a bit, and he knows how to handle (himself),” Mendoza said. “Obviously, it’s not easy because you want to see the results, and as of right now he’s struggling. He’s going through it. But he’ll continue to work hard, we’ll continue to support him, continue to give him opportunities, and he’s got to fight through it.

“We believe in the player. There’s tools, there’s a lot to like there. You can say the same thing about Luisangel Acuña. They’re both going to get opportunities. They’re good players, they’ve got talent, so we’ve got to do everything in our power to make sure we get the best out of them, and you do that by giving these kids an opportunity, and they’re going to continue to get it.”

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Max Fried dominates Tigers as Yankees snap three-game losing streak

The Yankees snapped a three-game losing streak, defeating the Tigers in Detroit on Wednesday afternoon by a score of 4-3.

Here are the takeaways...

-The pitching duel of Max Fried vs. Jack Flaherty lived up to the hype, as both starters looked strong out of the gates. As was the case on Tuesday with Tarik Skubal, the Yankees had a chance to get to Flaherty early, but couldn't capitalize, as the right-hander escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam by getting Oswaldo Cabrera to fly out harmlessly.

Both starting pitchers held the opposition scoreless through the first five innings.

-The Yankees finally got something cooking in the top of the sixth, as Paul Goldschmidt doubled down the left field line to put runners at second and third with one out, chasing Flaherty from the game. Tyler Holton came in, and with the infield in, he induced a ground ball right back to the mound, and Aaron Judge made a poor base-running play, getting caught in no man’s land for the second out. Anthony Volpe then went down swinging as the Yanks squandered yet another opportunity.

Flaherty went 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out nine and walking three.

-At long last, New York broke through for two runs in the top of the seventh, courtesy of Ben Rice, who hammered a two-run home run to right-center. Rice now has three home runs and four RBI on the season.

-Fried finished the game in dominant fashion, striking out two to end the seventh inning. The lefty ended his day with 7.0 shutout innings, allowing just five hits while striking out 11 Tigers without a walk. His ERA is now a sterling 1.56.

-Following Fried's stellar start, Luke Weaver pitched a scoreless eighth, and after the Yankees added two insurance runs thanks to a bases-loaded single by Judge, Devin Williams came in to try to close things out in the ninth. But Williams struggled mightily, allowing three earned runs before getting pulled. Fortunately for New York, Mark Leiter Jr. came in and closed the door with the tying run stranded at second base.

Game MVP

Fried, who has been every bit the ace the Yankees hoped they were getting.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees are off on Thursday before welcoming the San Francisco Giants to the Bronx for a weekend series, starting on Friday at 7:05 p.m.

Lefty Robbie Ray will face Marcus Stroman.

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Braves add to bullpen depth by acquiring right-hander Rafael Montero from Astros

ATLANTA — The Braves added to their bullpen depth on Tuesday night by acquiring right-hander Rafael Montero from the Houston Astros along with $7.7 million that will cover just over 70% of his remaining salary.

Atlanta will send the Astros a player to be named.

Montero, 34, has a 4.71 ERA in 11 seasons. Of his 324 career games, only 30 came as a starter, including none since 2017. He allowed two runs and three hits over in four innings this season.

“They said he’s been throwing the ball really well,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of his team’s scouts.

“He’s a veteran. You kind of get a little excited when you get a guy like that.”

Montero made his major league debut in 2014 with the New York Mets and has pitched the last five seasons for Houston.

Montero is owed $10,696,237 from his $11.5 million salary in the final season of a $34.5 million, three-year contract. Houston will pay Atlanta $3.85 million each on May 1 and July 1.

He signed the big contract ahead of the 2023 season and Montero’s ERA more than doubled that year to 5.08. He was designated for assignment with a 4.70 ERA last July 31, then was assigned outright to Sugar Land and made 17 appearances for the Triple-A farm team. Restored to the major league roster last month, he had a 4.50 ERA in three appearances for Houston this season.

Montero has a 3.81 ERA in 187 games with the Astros. He has 30 career saves, including 14 for Houston in 2022, when he contributed to a World Series championship.

Montero had a 2.51 ERA in 15 postseason games with Houston.

Houston will recall left-hander Bennett Sousa from Sugar Land to replace Montero on the active roster.

The Braves did not immediately announce a roster move for Montero, who is expected to join the team on Wednesday.

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Mark Vientos and Brett Baty work to overcome slow starts to the 2025 season

The Mets made their lineup instantly more dangerous this off-season when they signed Juan Soto to a historic $756 million deal and then further solidified it by bringing back first baseman Pete Alonso on a two-year deal. However, the lineup being as deep and consistent as the team needed it to be to win a title depended on the development of young homegrown prospects like Mark Vientos and Brett Baty.

Just 11 games into the season, those two have not hit the ground running the way many hoped they would. After a white hot spring training that led him to win the vacant second base job, Baty came into Wednesday's game against the Marlins, slashing just .125/.125/.167 in 24 plate appearances with one extra base hit, no walks, and nine strikeouts. Meanwhile, Vientos, who has started every game, came into Wednesday hitting .125/.239/.175 with two doubles, two runs scored, and one RBI.

The Mets are off to a strong start as a team, so the sluggishness can be excused. However, as the boo's rained down from the crowd during Wednesday's loss to the Marlins, it became clear that a few more losses and the team may have to answer questions about not seeing results on the field from their young hitters.

"You know, that's baseball," said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. "At times, it's not going to go your way, even when you're doing a lot of things right. But understanding that you've got a long way to go, we've got a lot of baseball games left here, and you just can't get caught up reacting to not having results."

That's especially true when the process is exactly what the player and the team want, which seems to be the case for Vientos in the early going.

Despite the surface-level results not being there, Vientos is chasing fewer pitches outside of the zone, making more contact overall, and sporting a zone contact rate that is 8% better than his career average and right in line with the MLB average zone contact rate.

"Swing rate is down, contact is up. I think that's a good thing, sounds like," smiled Vientos before Wednesday's game. "I'm putting balls in play, and I'm just not getting lucky right now. It's just sticking to that process and having good at-bats, and eventually it's gonna come my way."

One issue could be that Vientos may be out in front too much early on. His pull rate is up near 52%, which is well above his 39.6% career mark, and his overall hard contact numbers are a bit under where we normally see them. That could be connected to seeing more breaking balls this year, with pitches attacking him with breakers 47.4% of the time, up from 40% last year. Although Vientos doesn't seem to think that's playing into it much.

"I feel like I've always been pitched off speed and not really getting that many fastballs to hit in the game," he said. It just comes down to doing damage on the fastballs he does get. So far, the 25-year-old hasn't been doing that, hitting just .095 against fastballs and doing significantly less damage on pitches in the heart of the strike zone than he has historically.

However, that can be forgiven for a while because Vientos is continuing to get himself into counts where he gets opportunities to see pitches he can drive. "I feel like I've been swinging at what I want to swing at," he explained." Which is, in part, due to laying off pitches he doesn't feel like he can drive and getting himself into hitter's counts. That type of patience can be a fine line for hitters to walk, as it can frequently become passivity and letting too many good pitches go by. The Mets and Vientos don't believe that's the case in the early going.

"I think being too passive is probably taking too many pitches that I know I could square up," said Vientos. "I don't think I've had too many of those." It's a sentiment that his manager shares. "I know you want to see results," Mendoza commiserated, "but controlling the strike zone, hitting the ball hard, getting good pitches, not chasing. What else can you ask?"

In truth, the Mets can't ask for much more in terms of approach than Vientos is giving them. They simply need him to make meaningful contact on pitches in locations and counts where he has historically had plenty of success. You'd have to figure the big hits are going to come.

"You're doing the things that you should be doing, controlling the things you can control," explained Mendoza. "That's part of the adjustment in becoming an established big league player, where, 'Hey man, I'm doing everything right but I'm not getting results.' Stay the course."

While the answer for Vientos' struggles may simply be time and patience, the response for Baty is not so simple.

"He needs to dictate at bats," said Mendoza. "[Pitchers are] getting ahead of him. They are attacking him. He's not driving the ball early in counts. They're making him chase."

In his first nine starts of the season, Baty has a first pitch strike rate of 79%. That means that 79% of the time, he either takes a called strike on an 0-0 count or swings and misses/fouls one off to get into an 0-1 count. The MLB average so far in 2025 is 62%, so Baty is dangerous below-average there.

"He's 0-2, 0-1, a lot," confirmed Mendoza. "It's not easy to hit [like that] at this level."

In some sense, this has always been the version of Brett Baty we've seen at the MLB level. He has a 17.3% called strike rate this year, but has a 17.2% mark for his career - both are higher than the league average. He has been in a two-strike count 36.5% of the time this year and was in one 32.5% of the time last year, but the MLB average is 29.6%. When he has gotten into those two-strike counts, it has allowed pitchers to force him to chase their pitch. Baty has a PutAway rate of 23.7% this year, which means 23.7% of two-strike pitches to Baty have resulted in strikeouts. The MLB average is 20.2%.

"You've got to be ready for your pitches and do damage," said Mendoza. "He's got that ability to do it. You just got to go out there and do it."

Unfortunately for Baty, the time he has to go out there and do that may be coming to an end with starting second baseman Jeff McNeil likely to start a rehab assignment this week.

McNeil has been sidelined since spring training with an oblique injury but has been taking batting practice on the field and will now look to get his timing down in live at-bats. That may take about two weeks, but then McNeil will return to the active roster, and one of Brett Baty or Luisangel Acuna will need to be sent to Triple-A Syracuse. Considering Acuna is the better defender and would also be valuable for the Mets as a pinch runner, it seems that he would have the upper hand in a battle for the final roster spot.

Unless Brett Baty starts hitting.

That means the 25-year-old only has a couple more weeks to stop letting pitchers dictate the at-bat and start making them pay earlier in counts. If he can do that, and Vientos' results start to match his process, this Mets lineup could be even more dangerous than we've already seen.

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Silent offense and Brett Baty's costly error doom Mets in 5-0 loss to Marlins

The Mets lost to the Marlins, 5-0, on Wednesday at Citi Field as they were unable to secure a three-game sweep.

Here are the takeaways...

- Marlins right-hander Max Meyer stymied the Mets while holding them hitless until there was one out in the sixth inning, when Francisco Lindorripped a single through the hole between first base and second base. But any chance of a New York rally was extinguished when Juan Soto grounded into a 5-6-3 double play.

Soto finished 0-for-4, failing to reach base in a game for the first time this season.

The Mets got a leadoff hit from Pete Alonso in the seventh, as he smashed a single over the third base bag, but he was stranded as Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Mark Vientos went down in order after him.

There were no other threats from that point on as New York was shut out for the first time this season.

- Things got off to a rocky start for Tylor Megill, who walked the first two batters on eight pitches. But he settled in after that, getting three strikeouts while working around an infield single to escape trouble.

Megill had seven strikeouts through three hard-working, but scoreless innings. Entering the fourth with his pitch count at 70, a quick inning had him at 81 pitches through four.

With a runner on first base and no one out in the top of the fifth inning, Brett Baty fielded a grounder while ranging to his right and airmailed the throw to second base into the outfield. Right after Baty's error, Matt Mervis ripped an RBI single to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead -- and end Megill's day.

Max Kranick relieved Megill and got a strikeout for the first out and fly out for the second out, but an excuse-me bloop single to left field off the bat of Nick Fortes -- who dropped his head and started jogging to first base thinking it was the third out -- increased Miami's lead to 2-0.

Both of the runs the Marlins scored in the fifth were unearned due to Baty's error.

Kranick was tremendous again, working 2.0 scoreless innings while allowing one hit, walking none, and striking out two. He has yet to give up a run through 8.2 innings this season.

- Edwin Diaz, needing some work after not having pitched since Sunday and with the Mets having a day off on Thursday, pitched the ninth inning. It didn't go well, as he allowed three runs -- punctuated by a two-run homer to right field by Mervis.

Diaz, who seemed to have no adrenaline during his appearance, featured a fastball that ranged between 92 and 96 mph. He threw 30 pitches -- allowing two hits and walking two -- before being removed with two outs.

Speaking after the game, manager Carlos Mendoza said Diaz is fine physically, suggesting his reduced velocity was due to him dealing with the cold, dry weather.

- Ryne Stanek fired a perfect inning in the seventh, striking out a pair, while Huascar Brazoban worked around a one-out single to toss a scoreless eighth.

- Baty's struggles at the plate continued. He fell into an 0-2 hole his first time up before chasing a pitch in the dirt for strike three. He ran a full count his second time up before striking out looking at a fastball on the outer half. Baty grounded out to third base in the eighth inning as his OPS for the season dropped to .259.

Game MVP: Max Meyer

The Mets mustered just two hits and two walks against the righty in 6.1 innings.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets are off on Thursday.

They head to Sacramento to open a three-game series against the Athletics on Friday at 10:05 p.m. on SNY.

Griffin Canning gets the start for New York, opposed by JP Sears for the A's.

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Padres’ Jackson Merrill lands on injured list a week after signing nine-year, $135 million deal

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill landed on the injured list Tuesday, a week after finalizing a nine-year, $135 million deal with the San Diego Padres.

He’s out with a right hamstring strain in a huge blow for the NL West leaders.

Merrill was off to a sizzling start, hitting safely in his first eight games. He is batting .378 (14 for 37) with three homers and 10 RBIs.

He had a sensational rookie season in 2024 and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes. Merrill made it clear he wanted to stay with the Padres long term.

He turns 22 next week.

The Padres recalled outfielder Oscar Gonzalez from Triple-A El Paso.

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Yaz fulfills another promise to daughter with walk-off homer vs. Reds

Yaz fulfills another promise to daughter with walk-off homer vs. Reds originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski channeled his “dad strength” once again when hitting a walk-off home run to lift San Francisco to an 8-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday at Oracle Park.

In the 10th inning, Yastrzemski hit his second homer of the 2025 MLB season and second in three games when launching a 95-mph four-seam fastball from righty Emilio Pagán into McCovey Cove.

But most importantly? Yastrzemski fulfilled yet another promise to his daughter, Quinley.

“She kept reminding me that I hadn’t gotten her the splash hit yet,” Yastrzemski said to Carlos Ramírez and Sergio Romo on “Giants Postgame Live” moments after the thrilling win. “So, she’s on a heater.”

San Francisco fans can thank Quinley for her father’s game-winning long ball.

Yastrzemski credited his daughter on Sunday for his three-run opposite-field shot in the Giants’ 5-4 walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners. So, of course, the seven-year San Francisco veteran followed orders again.

“Today I got to give a shout-out to my daughter Quinley, honestly, because she asked for a home run and so I promised her I’d get her a home run,” Yastrzemski told Laura Britt and Rich Aurilia on Sunday. “So Quinny, I love you and miss you.”

Yastrzemski is slashing a career-best .344/.462/.594 for the 9-3 Giants, thanks in part to Quinley, who is on a “heater.”

Maybe she should ask her father to win the 2025 World Series next.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Yaz makes Oracle Park history with walk-off homer in Giants' win

Yaz makes Oracle Park history with walk-off homer in Giants' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Ten days ago, Bob Melvin sat in the dugout at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and tried to think of a polite way to frame his response.

Mike Yastrzemski was out of the lineup against a right-hander for the third game of the season, and Melvin had a very good reason for the move. He paused and then smiled before urging reporters to look up his right fielder’s numbers against Nick Martinez. When the results — 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts — popped up on an iPhone screen, the answer was obvious.

The numbers are the numbers, but Melvin is old school, and sometimes it’s still worthwhile to go with your gut. He has more autonomy to do that under Buster Posey, and on Tuesday night, he sought out Yastrzemski and delivered a message.

“You’ve got your boy,” Melvin said.

For the manager, it was a way to reward a veteran who has backed the front office’s faith through the first two weeks of the season. The Giants very easily could have moved on from Yastrzemski in the offseason, but he plays the brand of baseball that Posey wants to see return to Oracle Park, and there never seemed any doubt he would be the Opening Day right fielder. After the opener, Yastrzemski sat out the next two games in Cincinnati, but Melvin wanted to give him another shot at Martinez on Wednesday.

“The way he’s been swinging the bat, he deserved it,” Melvin said.

Yastrzemski entered the day with a .333 average, but he struck out in his first look at Martinez. Two innings later, though, he smoked a liner up the middle. Elly De La Cruz leaped to rob him of a single, but Yastrzemski felt his confidence surge. In the sixth, he lined a fastball from Martinez into the right field corner, helping to ignite a four-run rally.

The Giants had trailed all afternoon and were down by five heading into the sixth, but Yastrzemski picked up the first of four consecutive two-out hits. The last three came with two strikes, and all of a sudden it was a one-run game.

“I felt like once we got to 6-5, we were going to win that game,” Melvin said. “I think everyone in the dugout did.”

Wilmer Flores’ solo shot in the eighth tied it, setting the stage for the third walk-off win of a 4-2 homestand. It came on the first pitch Emilio Pagan threw to Yastrzemski with one out in the 10th, and it added to what will go down as a very successful Giants career, despite the late start.

The walk-off was Yastrzemski’s seventh career Splash Hit, putting him fourth in Oracle Park history behind Barry Bonds (35), Brandon Belt (10) and Pablo Sandoval (8). There have been just five walk-off Splash Hits in the ballpark’s history and Yastrzemski has three of them. The next time Bonds visits, Yastrzemski will have some serious bragging rights.

Bonds got the first one in 2003 off Ray King and Brandon Crawford took Rex Brothers into the cove in 2014. Yastrzemski did it to San Diego’s Matt Strahm in 2020 and got the Padres again three years later. Melvin remembers that one well; he was in the other dugout.

When Yastrzemski walked up to the plate Wednesday, all Melvin could think about was Ray Kerr. The lefty was the one who threw that pitch in 2023.

“We’d been hitting a lot of balls hard early in counts this whole series, a lot of them right at guys. I just wanted to keep the same mentality,” Yastrzemski said. “Just be ready to go. I was just trying to put one in play.”

The homer somehow was the first walk-off Splash Hit against a right-handed pitcher in the ballpark’s 26-season history. It prevented a sweep and set up a very happy flight to New York for a team that never lost faith in the early innings Wednesday.

Justin Verlander gave up six runs, but he also threw his hardest pitch in two years and said it was the best he felt physically since 2022. The bullpen was going in the third inning, but Verlander got into the sixth, allowing Melvin to use his high-leverage relievers.

Randy Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Walker and Erik Miller kept the game close, allowing Yastrzemski to win it in extras. It was a game he didn’t expect to start, but he took confidence from Melvin’s decision, and a few hours later, he found himself in the middle of a celebration at home plate. When it was over, the 34-year-old said this is as much fun as he ever has had on a baseball field.

“It’s an unbelievable group,” he said. “Even when things got tough the last two days when we’re not scoring any runs, we’re still having fun, smiling, we’re not letting it affect us. I think these are learning curves even for veteran guys. It’s a nice reminder to just keep fighting.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Yaz makes Oracle Park history with walk-off homer in Giants' win

Yaz makes Oracle Park history with walk-off homer in Giants' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Ten days ago, Bob Melvin sat in the dugout at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and tried to think of a polite way to frame his response.

Mike Yastrzemski was out of the lineup against a right-hander for the third game of the season, and Melvin had a very good reason for the move. He paused and then smiled before urging reporters to look up his right fielder’s numbers against Nick Martinez. When the results — 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts — popped up on an iPhone screen, the answer was obvious.

The numbers are the numbers, but Melvin is old school, and sometimes it’s still worthwhile to go with your gut. He has more autonomy to do that under Buster Posey, and on Tuesday night, he sought out Yastrzemski and delivered a message.

“You’ve got your boy,” Melvin said.

For the manager, it was a way to reward a veteran who has backed the front office’s faith through the first two weeks of the season. The Giants very easily could have moved on from Yastrzemski in the offseason, but he plays the brand of baseball that Posey wants to see return to Oracle Park, and there never seemed any doubt he would be the Opening Day right fielder. After the opener, Yastrzemski sat out the next two games in Cincinnati, but Melvin wanted to give him another shot at Martinez on Wednesday.

“The way he’s been swinging the bat, he deserved it,” Melvin said.

Yastrzemski entered the day with a .333 average, but he struck out in his first look at Martinez. Two innings later, though, he smoked a liner up the middle. Elly De La Cruz leaped to rob him of a single, but Yastrzemski felt his confidence surge. In the sixth, he lined a fastball from Martinez into the right field corner, helping to ignite a four-run rally.

The Giants had trailed all afternoon and were down by five heading into the sixth, but Yastrzemski picked up the first of four consecutive two-out hits. The last three came with two strikes, and all of a sudden it was a one-run game.

“I felt like once we got to 6-5, we were going to win that game,” Melvin said. “I think everyone in the dugout did.”

Wilmer Flores’ solo shot in the eighth tied it, setting the stage for the third walk-off win of a 4-2 homestand. It came on the first pitch Emilio Pagan threw to Yastrzemski with one out in the 10th, and it added to what will go down as a very successful Giants career, despite the late start.

The walk-off was Yastrzemski’s seventh career Splash Hit, putting him fourth in Oracle Park history behind Barry Bonds (35), Brandon Belt (10) and Pablo Sandoval (8). There have been just five walk-off Splash Hits in the ballpark’s history and Yastrzemski has three of them. The next time Bonds visits, Yastrzemski will have some serious bragging rights.

Bonds got the first one in 2003 off Ray King and Brandon Crawford took Rex Brothers into the cove in 2014. Yastrzemski did it to San Diego’s Matt Strahm in 2020 and got the Padres again three years later. Melvin remembers that one well; he was in the other dugout.

When Yastrzemski walked up to the plate Wednesday, all Melvin could think about was Ray Kerr. The lefty was the one who threw that pitch in 2023.

“We’d been hitting a lot of balls hard early in counts this whole series, a lot of them right at guys. I just wanted to keep the same mentality,” Yastrzemski said. “Just be ready to go. I was just trying to put one in play.”

The homer somehow was the first walk-off Splash Hit against a right-handed pitcher in the ballpark’s 26-season history. It prevented a sweep and set up a very happy flight to New York for a team that never lost faith in the early innings Wednesday.

Justin Verlander gave up six runs, but he also threw his hardest pitch in two years and said it was the best he felt physically since 2022. The bullpen was going in the third inning, but Verlander got into the sixth, allowing Melvin to use his high-leverage relievers.

Randy Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Walker and Erik Miller kept the game close, allowing Yastrzemski to win it in extras. It was a game he didn’t expect to start, but he took confidence from Melvin’s decision, and a few hours later, he found himself in the middle of a celebration at home plate. When it was over, the 34-year-old said this is as much fun as he ever has had on a baseball field.

“It’s an unbelievable group,” he said. “Even when things got tough the last two days when we’re not scoring any runs, we’re still having fun, smiling, we’re not letting it affect us. I think these are learning curves even for veteran guys. It’s a nice reminder to just keep fighting.”

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Blue Jays at Red Sox prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 9

Its Wednesday, April 9 and the Blue Jays (7-5) are in Boston for Game 3 of their series with the Red Sox (6-6).

Kevin Gausman is slated to take the mound for Toronto against Tanner Houck for Boston.

The Blue Jays have taken the first two games of their series with the Sox winning last night, 6-1. Easton Lucas did not surrender a run in 5.1 innings while striking out eight. George Springer smacked his second home run of the season to lead the Jays' offense. For the season, Springer is now hitting .459.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Blue Jays at Red Sox

  • Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
  • Time: 6:45PM EST
  • Site: Fenway Park
  • City: Boston, MA
  • Network/Streaming: SN1, NESN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Blue Jays at the Red Sox

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Blue Jays (+107), Red Sox (-127)
  • Spread:  Red Sox -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Blue Jays at Red Sox

  • Pitching matchup for April 9, 2025: Kevin Gausman vs. Tanner Houck
    • Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (1-1, 3.97 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/4 at Mets - 5.1Ip, 3ER, 2H, 2BB, 0Ks
    • Red Sox: Tanner Houck (0-1, 6.52 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/3 at Baltimore - 4IP, 3ER, 5H, 2BB, 6Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Blue Jays at Red Sox

  • The Blue Jays have won 4 of 6 games this season against AL East opponents
  • The Under is 6-2-1 in Red Sox games against American League teams this season
  • The Blue Jays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 1.48 units
  • George Springer is 6 for his last 8 with 1 HR and 4 RBIs

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Toronto Blue Jays at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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Diamondbacks Ketel Marte to miss several weeks with left hamstring strain

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is expected to miss several weeks with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

Marte was injured on Friday while rounding the bases against Washington. He was placed on the injured list the next day.

“There’s no timeline on it. We’ve just got to let it heal, let him recover,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday. “Once we get to that point, we’ll start to initiate some baseball activities and ramp him up.”

Marte agreed to a contract on Thursday that guarantees the All-Star $116.5 million through 2031, a six-year deal that includes a player option and $46 million in deferred money payable through 2040.

Marte is hitting .346 this season in eight games and has reached base in every game.

Marte finished third in NL MVP voting last season, hitting .292 while setting career highs with 36 homers and 95 RBIs.

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Phillies at Braves prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 9

Its Wednesday, April 9 and the Phillies (7-3) are in Atlanta to take on the Braves (2-8) in Game 2 of this three-game series.

Taijuan Walker is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Grant Holmes for Atlanta.

The Braves won their second game of the season last night knocking off Philly, 7-5. Atlanta scored four runs in their final three innings to come from behind and secure the victory. Every Braves' player who came to the plate got at least one hit in the game with the team collecting 11 hits on the night. Sean Murphy drilled a three-run home run to spark the attack for the Braves.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Phillies at Braves

  • Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
  • Time: 7:15PM EST
  • Site: Truist Park
  • City: Atlanta, GA
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSP+, FDSNSO, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Phillies at the Braves

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Phillies (+106), Braves (-125)
  • Spread:  Braves -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Braves

  • Pitching matchup for April 9, 2025: Taijuan Walker vs. Grant Holmes
    • Phillies: Taijuan Walker (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/3 vs. Colorado - 6IP, 0ER, 3H, 1BB, 4Ks
    • Braves: Grant Holmes (0-1, 7.20 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/31 at Dodgers - 4IP, 4ER, 4H, 4BB, 3Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Braves

  • The Braves have won six of their last eight home games against the Phillies
  • The Phillies are 7-3 on the Run Line this season
  • The Braves are 4-6 on the Run Line this season
  • The Braves have covered the run line in four of their last five matchups against the Phillies specifically

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Braves

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Phillies and the Braves:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Philadelphia Phillies at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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What we learned as Yaz's walk-off homer prevents sweep by Reds

What we learned as Yaz's walk-off homer prevents sweep by Reds originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s important not to get too high or too low over a 162-game season, but the Giants sure made that difficult during a six-game homestand. 

Three of their four wins came on walk-offs, including Mike Yastrzemski’s two-run Splash Hit in the 10th inning Wednesday that gave them an 8-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and prevented a sweep. The two losses were both shutouts, though. 

It was a roller coaster week, but ultimately the Giants ended it 4-2, and they’re 9-3 as they head out for a tough three-city trip that will start Friday night at Yankee Stadium. The win Wednesday came after a big comeback in the middle innings. 

The Reds put a five-spot on Justin Verlander in the third and added an insurance run in the sixth, but the Giants had their own big rally. After getting shut out in back-to-back games, they scored on a Jung Hoo Lee triple in the fourth inning and then scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, getting back within one. 

All four runs came with two outs, and the last three hits came with two strikes. A sloppy throw by Elly De La Cruz put the tying run on second, but Willy Adames grounded out. An inning later, Lee’s double again put the tying run on second, but rockets by Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos found gloves. 

The Giants finally completed the comeback in the eighth, when Wilmer Flores curled the first pitch just inside the pole in left. With a runner on and one out in the 10th, Yastrzemski hit the first pitch he saw into McCovey Cove. 

Hit And Miss

It was an odd one for Verlander, who has a 6.92 ERA through his first three starts in orange and black. 

Verlander struck out nine and threw his hardest pitch since 2023, and with a little defensive help, he would have walked away with a quality start. But he also had some big misses and got charged with six runs — five earned — in 5 2/3 innings.

Verlander needed just 20 pitches to get through the first two and he struck out the side in the second, hitting 95 mph to Gavin Lux and then throwing sliders past Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Will Benson. But he was nearly knocked out in the third inning for a second straight start. 

The Reds hit three balls off gloves in the long five-run inning, including a two-run single from Lux that Tyler Fitzgerald couldn’t stop. That backbreaker came on a 97.9 mph fastball — Verlander’s hardest since July of 2023 — that was left out over the plate. There was also a double off the wall from TJ Friedl on a 94 mph fastball that missed its location by a couple of feet. 

Verlander retired eight straight after the Lux single, but the damage had been done. 

Patty Triples

The four-run rally in the sixth came with two outs and included Patrick Bailey’s third career triple. He has one in each of his three big league seasons, and now has 150 games to set a career-high. 

The Reds brought Taylor Rogers in to turn Bailey around, but he worked the count full and then smoked a sinker into Triples Alley. That brought Flores home from first, and Bailey scored on a two-strike single by Fitzgerald. 

Jung Hoo Crew

The homestand felt like a bit of a coming-out party for Lee, who never fully got to show off his game last season before the shoulder injury. With 10 hits over six days, Lee raised his average to .333. He was a homer shy of the cycle on Wednesday and was robbed of a fourth hit — and third extra-base hit — by a diving Will Benson in the bottom of the ninth. 

Every Lee at-bat at home is now accompanied by drum beats and a “Jung Hoo Lee,” chant, and more often than not over the last week, he ended the at-bat by flying out of the box and losing his helmet somewhere along the way. With a double and triple Wednesday, he had five extra-base hits in the six games at home.

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Dodgers at Nationals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for April 9

Its Wednesday, April 9 and the Dodgers (9-4) look to snap a three-game losing streak when they take the field in Washington against the Nationals (5-6).

Landon Knack is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Jake Irvin for Washington

The Nationals hammered the Dodgers yesterday, 8-2. James Wood launched a pair of home runs and drove in five runs to pace the Washington attack.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Dodgers at Nationals

  • Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
  • Time: 4:05PM EST
  • Site: Nationals Park
  • City: Washington, DC
  • Network/Streaming: SNLA, MASN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Dodgers at the Nationals

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Dodgers (-164), Nationals (+139)
  • Spread:  Dodgers -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Nationals

  • Pitching matchup for April 9, 2025: Landon Knack vs. Jake Irvin
    • Dodgers: Landon Knack (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
      Last outing: 3/19 vs. Cubs - 2IP, 0ER, 1H, 0BB, 3Ks
    • Nationals: Jake Irvin (0-0, 5.40 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/4 vs. Arizona - 5IP, 4ER, 7H, 1BB, 3Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Nationals

  • This series win by the Nationals is their first against the Dodgers since 2014.
  • The Dodgers last 3 games have gone OVER the Game Total
  • Mookie Betts has hits in 4 straight games (6-15) and leads the Dodgers with a .316 average

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Dodgers and the Nationals

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Dodgers and the Nationals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)