The Mets will receive a big boost heading into this weekend’s series against the Pirates, as Mark Vientos is officially set to make his return from the IL.
Vientos has been sidelined since the beginning of the month with a hamstring strain.
The youngster had gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate this season, but there’s no denying that adding him back into the middle of this struggling lineup could provide a huge boost.
"Mark is a big part of our team," Carlos Mendoza said. "We saw it in the playoffs last year, he drives the ball to all fields, gives you good at-bats, and the power is real -- if we get him going, we’re talking about a deep lineup 1 through 9. He’s a guy who can hit anywhere in the lineup, so it just adds to the quality of our roster."
Vientos’ return also puts the Mets in a bit of a conundrum, as their infield depth suddenly gets a whole lot more crowded and they’ll have to open up another roster spot prior to the 25-year-old’s activation.
While it’s a tough decision to make, Mendoza says it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
"This continues to be a puzzle," he explained. "There are going to be a few spots that are going to be rotating and I think that’s a good problem to have -- I’ve been saying since day one, talking about the depth, how good our team is because of the quality and quantity we have.
"So there will be at-bats for everyone in there who is on the active roster, and we’ll make sure that we are communicating with them on a daily basis and they understand that we’re here to win baseball games."
Ronny Mauricio has been viewed as one of the candidates to go back down -- though the skipper did say there's a possibility we could see him stick around even with Vientos and Brett Baty on the roster.
Mauricio was brought back up to the big leagues earlier than the team had hoped following Vientos’ injury, and while he’s looked a bit overmatched at times, he’s coming off one of his best showings to this point.
The youngster picked up three hits, including a solo homer on Wednesday night.
"I’ve been impressed with how he’s handled the adversity," Mendoza said. "I haven’t been around him much because he spent all of last year rehabbing and this year, in spring training he wasn’t really around much just being in the training room and the backfields.
"Watching him after missing so much time and struggling, he’s being the same guy, continues to work and asks for feedback for help -- it was finally good to see a really good game from him last night, we hope to see that same version moving forward."
DENVER — Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw inched closer to 3,000 career strikeouts on Thursday, fanning five in six innings against the Colorado Rockies.
Kershaw has 2,997 strikeouts in his 18-year career, three short of becoming the 20th major leaguer to reach the milestone.
The 37-year-old would be the third active pitcher to reach the mark behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Verlander, in his 20th season, has 3,468 strikeouts. Scherzer has 3,412 in 18 seasons.
Kershaw struck out three in the first two innings Thursday and got his fourth for the final out of the fifth. He struck out Tyler Freeman for the second out of the sixth inning and left the game after retiring the next batter. He threw 69 pitches, 41 for strikes.
He recorded two strikeouts on his 73 mph curve and got three more on sliders against a Rockies’ lineup that included all right-handed batters.
Kershaw’s next scheduled start is expected to come at Dodger Stadium on July 2 against the Chicago White Sox.
The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star received plenty of crowd support in Colorado, getting a standing ovation from some in the Coors Field crowd when he left the mound after the sixth inning.
Kershaw had made eight starts this season after being activated from the injured list May 17 following offseason left knee and foot surgeries.
Kershaw left with a 3-1 lead and was in line for his fourth straight victory. His ERA dropped to a season-low 3.03.
Jul 25, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) throws to first base in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop facing sexual abuse charges, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.
Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.
Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and would serve the full sentence.
Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, the main judge orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including testimony from 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complex process,” said Judge Jakayra Veras García.
More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”
As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.
Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw struck out five in six innings on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies to get to 2,997 strikeouts for his career. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Clayton Kershaw got to the precipice of history on Thursday afternoon. And now, when he inevitably crosses the 3,000 career strikeout milepost, it will almost certainly happen on his home mound.
In the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw struck out five batters over a six-inning, one-run start to move to 2,997 punchouts for his career.
For a moment, it seemed as if Kershaw might be able to eclipse the threshold on Thursday. At the end of the sixth inning, he had thrown only 69 pitches while mowing through a free-swinging Rockies lineup.
Alas, manager Dave Roberts gave his 37-year-old left-hander an early hook, turning a narrow late-game lead over to his bullpen — and preserving the opportunity for Kershaw’s milestone moment to happen back at Dodger Stadium during next week’s homestand.
“I would argue there might be a temptation to take him out [today] and let him go for it in front of the home fans,” Roberts said pregame, when asked if he would consider extending Kershaw’s leash to let him chase his 3,000th strikeout on Thursday. “I’m not going to force anything.”
Ever since Kershaw returned from offseason foot and knee surgeries in May, and showed an ability to produce even with a diminished fastball and increasing mileage on his arm, his pursuit of 3,000 strikeouts has felt less like an “if” than a “when.”
Entering Thursday, his career total was up to 2,992, leaving him just eight shy of becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history, and only the fourth left-hander, to join the prestigious 3K club.
“I guess ultimately the last box he needs to check for his future Hall of Fame career is that 3,000-strikeout threshold,” Roberts said. “We’re all waiting in anticipation.”
More impressively, though, Kershaw has been winning games and limiting runs for the Dodgers (51-31), improving to 4-0 with a 3.03 earned-run average through eight starts this season.
“I think there’s good days and bad days, good pitches and bad pitches,” Kershaw said. “Not as consistent, not as perfect as I would want. But the results have been OK. And at the end of the day, we’re winning games that I’ve been on the mound. So I’m thankful for that. Just a product of being on a great team.”
Kershaw wasn’t exactly expecting to reach the 3,000 mark Thursday, acknowledging that “eight in Colorado is never going to be easy to do.”
Over his first two innings, however, he quickly inched closer. Thairo Estrada whiffed on a curveball in the first inning. And though Brenton Doyle hit a solo homer in the second, Kershaw set Michael Toglia and Orlando Arcia both down swinging with a slider and curveball, respectively.
“I just love that edge that he gives each start day,” Roberts said. “We certainly feed off that.”
Kershaw didn’t get another strikeout until the end of the fifth, retiring the side with a slider that froze Braxton Fulford for a called third strike. An inning before that, he was bailed out by his defense after his lone walk, when Miguel Rojas turned a spinning double-play up the line at third base to erase the free pass.
"It could’ve been one run in, runner on second, nobody out," Kershaw said. "So to turn that double-play there was kind of a game-changer. ... Biggest play of the day."
Still, in the sixth, all eyes returned to Kershaw’s strikeout total after Tyler Freeman was rung up on a generous outside strike call to finish off an eight-pitch at-bat.
Though it would have required striking out the side, Kershaw was as little as one inning away from No. 3,000.
Instead, Roberts decided to end his day, ensuring that the next time Kershaw takes the mound — likely to be next Wednesday at home against the Chicago White Sox — he will need only three more strikeouts to do something only two pitchers before have ever done: Have a 3,000-strikeout career while playing for only one team.
“It would be very special,” Kershaw said of potentially reaching the milestone at Dodger Stadium. “It would be.”
While Kershaw mowed through the Rockies (18-63), Shohei Ohtani delivered the biggest swing of the day for the Dodgers, padding what was only a 2-1 lead in the seventh with a solo home run to right, his NL-leading 28th of the year.
The blast came hours after the other big news of the day, with Roberts confirming pregame that the two-way star will make his next start as a pitcher on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.
That game will mark Ohtani’s third pitching outing of the season and could be his first in which he goes beyond the first inning. Last week, Roberts hinted at the possibility of Ohtani — who is still building up in his return from Tommy John surgery — pitching into the second inning, but he has continued to leave any final decisions open-ended.
ST. LOUIS — Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched five scoreless innings against St. Louis on Thursday in his return from a strained left hamstring that had sidelined him since May 4.
Imanaga, a 31-year-old from Japan in his second season with Chicago, was activated from the 15-day injured list to pitch against the Cardinals.
He threw 77 pitches, 49 for strikes, and allowed one hit — a first-inning single to Masyn Winn. After that, he retired 10 straight batters before issuing his lone walk. Imanaga struck out three.
He left with a 2-0 lead, dropping his ERA to 2.54. Left-hander Caleb Thielbar came in to start the sixth.
To make room for Imanaga on the roster, Chicago designated right-hander Michael Fulmer for assignment.
Imanaga has made nine starts this season, allowing two or fewer runs in seven of them. He was an All-Star as a rookie last season, when he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA.
Imanaga made three minor league rehab starts, most recently for Triple-A Iowa on Friday, when he threw 72 pitches in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
The NL Central-leading Cubs went 25-16 while he was on the IL.
The 32-year-old Fulmer made two scoreless appearances for the Cubs this week during their four-game series against the Cardinals.
Fulmer had a 4.42 ERA in 58 appearances for the Cubs in 2023, but the right-hander needed Tommy John surgery and missed last year. He also had the Tommy John procedure in 2019.
Fulmer appeared in one game this season for the Boston Red Sox, surrendering three runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings on April 14. He then was released and signed a minor league deal with the Cubs.
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have promoted the oldest son of team owner Dick Monfort amid one of the worst starts in baseball history.
Walker Monfort was named executive vice president of the Rockies on Thursday and will immediately begin leading the team alongside outgoing President and COO Greg Feasel, who is stepping down at the end of this year after 30 seasons in their front office, the team announced.
The Rockies went into Thursday’s home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with an 18-62 record. Colorado’s 81st game marked the midpoint of its regular season.
Walker Monfort, 38, who had been the team’s vice president of corporate partnerships since 2015, will officially assume Feasel’s responsibilities by January.
Feasel joined the Rockies in 1995 as vice president of sales and marketing. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2010 and club president in April 2021.
“Greg has been a pillar of this organization since its earliest days,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort said. “His leadership and vision helped shape not only the Colorado Rockies organization, but the entire baseball community throughout the Rocky Mountain region. He has been instrumental in our many successes over the years and has been a strong and steady presence throughout the past three decades.”
Feasel said it is bittersweet to be stepping aside, but that it was something he had discussed with the owner for several years.
Walker Monfort began his career with the Rockies at an entry level, gaining hands-on experience across multiple departments, including the grounds crew, gameday promotions, ticketing and visiting clubhouse from 2006-2009. He officially joined the front office in a full-time capacity in late 2009, working in minor league operations and player development through 2013.
“While we thank Greg for his impact and service, we are excited to turn the page into our next chapter with Walker,” Dick Monfort said. ”He brings a deep understanding of this organization, earned through his 20 years of experience working both within and alongside every department of our operation. He offers a fresh, forward-looking mindset, and we’re confident his perspective, experience and leadership will benefit the club in the months and years to come.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is going to again play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and next year certainly will have a bigger role than last time.
Witt announced Thursday that he is committed to playing for the United States and manager Mark DeRosa in the 2026 WBC. It will be Witt’s second time on the team.
When part of Team USA in 2023, Witt was 22 and the youngest player on the roster who was coming off a standout rookie MLB season. He was a bench player who went 1 for 2 at the plate, and also was a pinch-runner in the ninth inning of the championship game won by Shohei Ohtani and Japan.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who will be the U.S. captain, and Pirates ace Paul Skenes have also committed to play for Team USA next spring.
“It’s truly an honor,” Witt, who turned 25 two weeks ago, told MLB Network. “It’s something I’ve kinda dreamed about my whole entire life. Just being part of that team a couple years ago was amazing, and now we’re going to bring home the gold.”
Witt was the runner-up to Judge in the American League MVP voting last season, when the shortstop led the majors with a .332 batting average. Witt hit .285 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in the Royals’ first 80 games this year.
DeRosa said on MLB Network that he approached Witt during spring training about playing in the 2026 WBC, to which the player responded, “100%. I’m starting, right?”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided two positive updates prior to Thursday’s game…
Sean Manaea
Manaea played catch for the first time since being shut down after an MRI revealed a loose body in his left elbow earlier this week.
The left-hander is expected to throw a bullpen session by this weekend, and if all goes well, the hope is that he’ll be able to make his final rehab appearance early next week.
Manaea was terrific during his latest minor league outing -- tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with Triple-A Syracuse last Friday, but he felt some soreness in his elbow afterwards and didn’t recover how he hoped.
Getting him back in the mix would be a huge boost for the struggling Mets rotation.
Jesse Winker
Winker went through his normal routine, taking batting practice on Thursday at Citi Field.
The left-handed hitting slugger was swinging with conviction and wasn’t favoring anything, so the skipper said he remains on schedule to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
He’s expected to serve as the DH with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday.
Winker will likely require a lengthy build-up after having been sidelined since the first week of May with a Grade 2 right oblique strain.
When he does return, he should see plenty of time at DH against right-handed pitching.
There seems to be mixed reports regarding Carson Soucy’s future with the New York Rangers.
Despite trading for Soucy before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline with the hopes that he can be a staple on the team’s blueline for the future, he didn’t exactly live up to expectations in his 16 games with the Rangers.
Soucy was even scratched out of the lineup on a couple of occasions as he had trouble finding his role.
After a disappointing end to the season, there was some speculation that the Rangers could move on from Soucy.
However, due to Soucy’s low trade value as of right now, the Rangers are reportedly hesitant to trade him with the chances of the veteran defenseman staying put becoming more likely.
“Carson Soucy ... I don't think the Rangers would be opposed to trading him but I also don't think they would be willing to sell low on a guy that they just gave up a high third-round pick for,” Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today said.
“Given all the moves and things that have happened in the last 12 months and all the bad PR the Rangers gotten ... they're probably going to bring him back and bank on him playing better under Mike Sullivan.”
K’Andre Miller is another Rangers defenseman who’s been the subject of trade rumors while the Blueshirts have been speculated to have interest in Vladislav Gavrikov and Ivan Provorov.
The Mets welcomed a familiar face back into the clubhouse on Thursday, as Mark Vientos rejoined the team following a rehab assignment as he recovered from a hamstring strain.
And while the third baseman confirmed he won’t be activated until Friday against Pittsburgh, Vientos, who has been on the IL since June 3, said he’s glad just to be back around his teammates.
“It’s good to be back with the guys and seeing a bunch of faces that I missed and officially playing with the team pretty soon,” Vientos said. “It’s good to be back.”
In six rehab outings with Triple-A Syracuse, Vientos collected four hits, including a pair of doubles.
And while building up strength in his hamstring and getting his swing timing back was the primary focus of his rehab, Vientos and the team also put a plan in place to try to ensure that the 25-year-old stays healthy for the remainder of the season.
“Obviously, the hamstring was the main thing, but there were a couple of little things that I needed to take care of with my body,” said Vientos, noting that the team helped him work on his hips, ankles, and shoulder, as well as his hamstring. “I talked to the trainers here, the strength coaches, and we put together a good routine for me to do on the daily, because the last thing I want is something like that to happen again, and my job is just to prevent that from happening.”
“Just focusing on doing my workload, sprinting, checking the boxes of running around, playing defense,” He added. “Obviously getting my swing, my timing back was a thing to. Felt good, got a couple of hits yesterday, had a couple of good at-bats, and ready to be back.”
Coming off a breakout, 27-home run year in 2024, Vientos got off to a rough start this season, slashing .230/.298/.380 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 53 games.
Vientos admitted that he was “humbled” by his tough start, but he knows that the long baseball season offers plenty of time to turn things around.
“I felt like I kind of got humbled a little bit,” he said, “and I appreciate that because I love this game so much and [things] like the first couple months of the season are the reason why I love it so much, because it keeps me on my toes, it keeps me wanting to work harder and harder and get better.”
The Mets certainly hope that their 7-3 win over the Braves on Wednesday night is a sign that the tide is starting to turn following a 1-10 stretch that some them drop out of first place.
And having Vientos back in the lineup should certainly help.
The Mets' edition of bullpen musical chairs continued on Thursday afternoon, with right-hander Austin Warren called up and fellow righty Jonathan Pintaro optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Warren, 29, appeared in one game for the Mets in early May, tossing a scoreless inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
With Triple-A Syracuse, Warren has pitched to 3.94 ERA over the course of 19 games, holding opposing hitters to a .241 batting average. He's also appeared in big league games with the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants during his career.
Pintaro, 27, made his big league debut on Wednesday night, allowing two earned runs on two hits with two walks and one strikeout against the Atlanta Braves.
The Mets have now made a transaction concerning the bullpen in six of the last seven days, as president of baseball David Stearns tries to ensure the Mets have fresh arms available on a daily basis.
Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop charged in a sexual abuse case, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.
Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
Judge Jakayra Veras García said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling.
“Look at us, Wander,” she said. “Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don’t like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.”
Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term.
“Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues,” Veras said of the mother and her request that Franco pay for her daughter’s schooling and other expenses.
Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, Veras orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including certain testimony from 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complex process,” Veras said.
More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”
As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.
Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.
That case is still pending in court.
After the ruling, Major League Baseball issued a brief statement noting it had collectively bargained a joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy “that reflects our commitment to these issues.”
“We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” MLB said.
Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop charged in a sexual abuse case, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.
Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
Judge Jakayra Veras García said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling.
“Look at us, Wander,” she said. “Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don’t like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.”
Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term.
“Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues,” Veras said of the mother and her request that Franco pay for her daughter’s schooling and other expenses.
Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, Veras orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including certain testimony from 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complex process,” Veras said.
More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”
As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.
Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.
That case is still pending in court.
After the ruling, Major League Baseball issued a brief statement noting it had collectively bargained a joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy “that reflects our commitment to these issues.”
“We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” MLB said.
Casey Schmitt wasn’t in the Giants’ lineup for their series finale against the Miami Marlins on Thursday at Oracle Park, but he could be back on the field soon.
The third baseman underwent a CT scan before San Francisco’s 12-5 loss to Miami after he was hit in the wrist during an at-bat the night before, and manager Bob Melvin said after Thursday’s game that the results brought some good news.
“The [CT] scan says there’s no fracture or anything in there,” Melvin told reporters. “It’s still pretty sore. There’s a pretty good bone bruise in there. We’ll see how it responds tomorrow.”
Melvin said before Thursday’s game that if the results on Schmitt’s CT scan were negative, he could have a chance to return to the lineup Friday against the White Sox in Chicago as long as he’s feeling better.
Schmitt was one of three batters to be hit by the Marlins in the Giants’ 8-5 loss on Wednesday. After being drilled on the left wrist by a 95 mph sinker in the ninth inning, he went out for defense in the top of the 10th but wouldn’t have been able to swing a bat in the bottom of the inning.
Casey Schmitt and the Oracle Park crowd weren't happy after this hit by pitch 😡 pic.twitter.com/vIvGT1Vfbh
X-rays on Schmitt’s wrist immediately after Wednesday’s game came back negative, but Thursday’s additional testing brings relief for the 26-year-old infielder. He has swung a hot bat in place of starting third baseman Matt Chapman, who is working his way back from a hand injury sustained on June 8.
Schmitt is one of eight Giants batters to be hit in San Francisco’s last nine games. Asked before Thursday’s contest by reporters about how the team could counteract that issue, Melvin responded with a smirk and said it “depends on the situation.”
Perhaps by coincidence, or perhaps not, Giants starter Hayden Birdsong plunked Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez in the first inning Thursday — a two-out hit-by-pitch that ultimately led to a three-run rally for Miami.
Schmitt has been hit by a pitch three times so far this season, and Giants fans certainly hope this recent scare is the last of it.
Over the weekend, the Phillies put up two thrilling offensive performances against the Mets to take the top spot in the NL East.
Four days, three games and 26.2 consecutive scoreless innings later … the Phillies are searching for any signs of life.
A 2-1 loss to the Astros Thursday marks the third time the Phillies have been swept in the last month.
Houston only needed five runs across three games to get the job done. Any momentum that was building through that Mets series has been squandered, and once again, this club is creating more questions than answers for themselves.
This series has felt like daily déjà vu — lifeless offensive performances that tossed spectacular outings from starting pitching to the wayside.
First, you had a gem from Ranger Suarez, who allowed one run through 7.2 innings.
Wednesday, we were spoiled with more dominance from Zack Wheeler, who also only allowed one run through 6 innings.
Going three-for-three, the Phillies then wasted Cristopher Sanchez’s outing. He went 6 innings, while allowing one run and striking out 11.
A combined three earned runs from the starting pitching and no run support to show for it. Often mentioned are the ebbs and flows of baseball — but it’s important to also acknowledge what the past few days have been — a rut.
It took until the eighth inning to see a run cross the plate with some situational hitting. Bryson Stott worked a leadoff walk and made his way to third when Rafael Marchan singled. Brandon Marsh collected the lone RBI of the series with a sacrifice fly.
Stott was the only runner in scoring position the entire series.
Next? Adding insult to injury. Orion Kerkering has been the most consistent bullpen arm the Phillies have had over the past six weeks. After fighting tooth and nail for that one run to tie the game, Kerkering gave up his first earned run since the first week of May.
