The Mets got off to a roaring start, but the bats fell asleep and the bullpen gave up the lead in New York's 6-4 loss to the Phillies in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
Philadelphia completed the four-game sweep and the Mets have now lost six games in a row. With the loss and the Giants and Reds idle, the Mets' lead for the final wild card spot is now at 1.5 games.
Here are the takeaways...
-The Mets' offense has struggled mightily during this losing streak, but broke out early in this one. Back-to-back singles from Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, to go along with a double steal, gave the team an early scoring chance. Pete Alonso struck out looking before Mark Vientos stung an RBI single to right field. Brandon Nimmo followed with a single to drive in the game's second run. Starling Marte then crushed a double off the top of the left field wall to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.
But that's all the offense would get on Jesus Luzardo, who retired 22 straight batters, not allowing a baserunner since that four-inning first. It's the first time a Phillies pitcher has allowed four runs in the first inning and gone eight innings since Steve Carlton in 1977.
Luzardo allowed four runs across eight innings (97 pitches/68 strikes), on five hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts.
-Down just two runs in the ninth against closer Jhoan Duran, Soto (strikeout), Alonso (strikeout), and Vientos (strikeout) were retired in order to end the game with 25 straight Mets batters retired.
-David Peterson worked in and out of trouble early on, allowing the leadoff hitter in the first two innings to reach, including two who reached scoring position, but the young lefty pitched out of it. In the fourth, Otto Kemp jumped all over a first-pitch hanging slider for a two-run shot to get the Phillies back in the game. It's the second homer Kemp has hit in this series. An RBI double from Bryce Harper in the fifth cut the Mets' lead to 4-3, but Peterson would get through five innings.
Peterson's final line: five innings pitched (86 pitches/61 strikes), three earned runs on seven hits, one walk, while striking out eight batters.
-Reed Garrett was the first arm out of the 'pen, and allowed back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth and tie the game at 4-4. Jeff McNeil, starting at center, misjudged the Kemp liner that allowed Nick Castellanos to score. After getting two batters out, with a walk sandwiched in between, Harrison Bader singled to give the Phillies the lead.
Brooks Raley came in to try and get the final out of the sixth, but a walk to Kyle Schwarber and a Harper single put a cap on the three-run inning before J.T. Realmuto flew out to put an end to the frame.
Tyler Rogers and Edwin Diaz pitched a perfect inning each.
-Bader went 2-for-5 with an RBI and is now 19-for-36 in nine games against his former team.
Game MVP: Jesus Luzardo
Although he struggled early, the southpaw shut down the Mets' offense and allowed the Phillies to come back.
No matter the situation throughout the season, whether during their current hot streak or when they lost three in a row in New York against the Mets a couple weeks ago, manager Rob Thomson rarely misses the opportunity to remind people how resilient his group is.
Oh, how that sweep by the Mets seems so long ago now as the Phillies climbed out of an early deficit to pin a devastating 6-4 loss on New York and improved to 87-60 on the season, while increasing their lead to 11 games in the National League East. They have won 11 of 14 since that ugly Mets series.
Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo had a first inning against the New York Mets that he’d soon like to forget. But he’ll fondly recall his next seven innings in which he was, literally, perfect.
The visitors racked up four runs on five hits in that opening inning on Luzardo, who needed 23 pitches to get through.
Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto led off the game with consecutive singles and put runners on second and third when they executed a double steal. Singles by Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo each drove in a run before a double by Starling Marte plated two more and before everyone had a chance to settle into their seats.
All Luzardo did after that was retire the next 21 batters he faced.
After striking out Lindor to end the eighth, not only did Phillies fans give him a standing ovation, catcher J.T. Realmuto waited for him on the field for a hug with the whole dugout up and clapping. Luzardo finished the night with 10 strikeouts, no walks and threw only 74 pitches over those last seven perfect innings.
“The whole game was probably as impressive a win as we’ve had all year,” said Rob Thomson. “Luzardo gives up the four in the first, up in the zone a little bit, behind in the count a little bit and then he just settled right in and gave us eight strong. It’s really unbelievable. The offense kept coming. They just didn’t quit. It was just a great win overall.”
One that may not have come had Luzardo not done a complete turnaround after that first in improving to 14-6 on the season.
“The mentality kind of stayed the same of just keep making good pitches,” said Luzardo of his reaction after the first inning. “I felt like I made some good pitches in the first but they found some holes, put some good swings on it. Just understanding their approach, they’re going to swing early, attack and try to get in and out of at-bats quick. Just kind of use their aggression against them.
“Keeping us in the game was huge. At the end of the day all we can control is the pitches we make and the outcomes we can’t control. I didn’t really soak it in. I was trying to get one more out of Topper but he shot it down pretty quick. I couldn’t tell you (last time I threw seven perfect innings). Maybe in high school but it definitely wasn’t after giving up four in the first. I found out after. I knew it’d been a while (since allowing a baserunner). In the eighth the first was already kind of a blur.”
Otto Kemp cut New York’s lead in half in the fourth inning when he belted a two-run home run to center, scoring Nick Castellanos who had walked before him. They added another in the fifth on a two-out double to right to score Weston Wilson. An inning later, everyone had a chance to hit as the Phillies batted around and scored three runs for a 6-4 lead.
“That first inning he gives up a couple runs and you know it’s just that he needs to settle in a little bit and it’s cool to see him get a couple of those innings quickly and for us to try and turn the momentum on our side,” said Kemp, who finished the game with two hits, two runs scored and three RBI. “I think there’s just no panic. It’s early and we had nine innings to do our work and just put together good at-bats. Eventually, you look up in the ninth and you’re up by two.”
Because a game like that needed an ending only Jhoan Duran can provide, he did his part by striking out the side in the ninth to pick up his 29th save of the season and his 13th with the Phillies.
“I’ve been saying the last three or four starts, my body has just hit a second gear, and I feel really good, the arm feels good and I feel like my stuff and my velocity is the best it’s been all year,” said Luzardo.
Those final seven innings are sure proof of that.
He also had some help from his defense as Harper made a great diving stop at first for an out, Castellanos made one of his running, sliding catches out in right and Edmundo Sosa gobbled up a slow grounder in the eighth and made a strong throw against his body for another out.
“We did a lot of really good things tonight,” said Thomson. “Just all around, just a great effort. They’re excited tonight, it was a big series, and we have another one tomorrow and we can’t let down. We’ve got to keep battling, keep grinding. But I think because of the experience on the club, everybody just kind of stays even keel and understands that we’ve got to go get it again.
“We have goals that we still have to achieve. You can’t think about feelings right now, you just got to keep playing. They just don’t quit. They’re very resilient.”
The Mets have set a date for Kodai Senga's first minor league start since his option.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Phillies that Senga will pitch for Syracuse on Friday after pitching bullpens the last week or so.
The Mets skipper said that Senga was working on mechanics during those sessions, but the real process begins Friday.
"Facing competition tomorrow and a lot of times the hitters will tell you, he’ll tell you," Mendoza said. "We’ll get the feedback from him. We’ll watch videos and things like that, and we’ll get the report. He feels good and feels like he’s in a good spot. Make some adjustments with his mechanics, and he has to go out there now and he has to see it."
Senga, 32, has struggled since returning from the IL in July. He's pitched to a 0-3 record with a 5.90 ERA in nine starts. This season, he's 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 22 starts over 113.1 IP.
SNY's Andy Martino reported that the plan is for Senga to make at least two starts with Syracuse.
Updates on Luis Torrens and others
During Mendoza's pregame availability, he was asked for updates on a number of injured players, including Luis Torrens, Tylor Megill, and Tyrone Taylor.
There was no update on Megill, who has been dealing with an elbow issue and is seeking a second opinion, while Torrens is doing "better" as the swelling in his forearm is down.
"He’s trending in the right direction," Mendoza said.
As for Taylor, who was placed on the IL in early September with a hamstring strain, his potential rehab assignment was pushed back so he could be with his family as they welcome a child.
Coming from the Carolina Hurricanes in the sign-and-trade involving K’Andre Miller, Scott Morrow is trying to etch his mark with the New York Rangers.
Morrow is one of the most intriguing prospects to participate at rookie camp, and on Thursday, he got a chance to open up about his move from Carolina to New York.
While the trade came as somewhat of a shock to Morrow, as someone from New York, the idea of returning to The Big Apple excited him.
“I would say a surprise,” Morrow said of the trade. “I obviously didn’t hear anything about it beforehand, but the first emotion is when you hear the New York Rangers, it’s a very special organization.
“I’m from around here, and it would mean a lot to have success here. It was obviously super cool. A little bit of disappointment leaving Carolina because it’s such a great organization, but I’m super pumped to be here, and it is definitely more exciting.”
The Rangers also specifically sought to acquire Morrow in this sign-and-trade instead of letting the Hurricanes offer-sheet Miller.
That means a lot to Morrow, and it’s certainly something he hasn’t forgotten.
“I mean, it’s pretty cool that they traded a really good player and I was a part of the return,” Morrow said. “Obviously, K’Andre was a big part of the team here, so if they value me enough to want me back in a package like that for a player that that good, then you know, it shows that they think somewhat highly me. I just want to prove them right for including me in that. It would be pretty cool for people to look back and think that was a great move.”
The 22-year-old defenseman has NHL experience as he played 14 regular season games and five playoff games with the Hurricanes last season.
He is now tasked with the challenge of proving at both rookie camp and training camp that he’s worthy of making the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
However, Morrow is determined to stay patient, and he hopes to just stay on his development path regardless of whether he makes the Rangers’ roster or not.
“Honestly, I'm not focused on the outcome of camp as much as just the process of, you know, being in my second year pro now, trying to show how much I’ve grown, trying to show this brand new organization what kind of player I am. Obviously, they traded for me, so obviously, they see something in me. I just want to make the best first impression that I can.”
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpehas been playing through a partial tear in his left labrum, but he is unlikely to land on the injured list, manager Aaron Boone said before Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
“I did not know about Sunday, where he kinda reaggrivated it on a dive,” Boone said. “So my decision not to have him in the lineup [on Wednesday] had nothing to do with that. This information came later.”
After Volpe underwent an MRI on the shoulder in May, he was diagnosed with a partial tear, which Boone said they believed to be an old injury that the shortstop would be able to play through. The club added that he was first treated with a cortisone injection during the All-Star break in July, which the shoulder seemingly responded well to.
“It was really more him aggravating it and kinda probably more swelling of it, and once that [swelling] got out of there, he was good to go,” the skipper said. “He’s aggravated it maybe a couple of times, Sunday being one of them. And each time, I think it’s just a swelling issue.”
Volpe, who has struggled all season and recently lost time to Jose Caballero at short, has just 30 hits in 160 at-bats (.188) across 46 games since the break, with a .224 OBP, .413 slugging percentage, and 49 strikeouts to seven walks. (Coincidentally, it was Caballero's ground ball that Volpe was diving for when he sustained the injury during a game against Tampa on May 3.) However, while Boone said that every injury can bother a player and impact performance, he doesn’t believe the injury has affected Volpe’s performance at the plate.
"It's impossible to say that this affected something this much or it didn't at all. How could you possibly know that?" Boone said. "I don't think it's been a major factor in his performance or his ability to swing that bat or his ability to kinda go to the post every day. That's my sense."
After Volpe felt something this week, he underwent another MRI, which showed “a little bit more of a labrum tear, but nothing that we think is gonna land him on the IL or nothing that he can’t continue to play through,” Boone said. “I don’t expect it to be an issue, but with that being said, if he goes out there and aggravates it again, we may have to look at it more.”
Volpe is already feeling some improvement from the cortisone shot on Thursday and should be able to return to the lineup in the next few days, the manager added.
The club doesn’t believe the 24-year-old will require offseason surgery, but he will undergo an MRI on the shoulder at season’s end, which could result in a change of treatment plan.
On the season, Volpe is batting .206 with a .661 OPS and has struggled on defense, with 19 errors and a minus-9 outs above average, the worst among MLB shortstops. Through his first 460 career games over three seasons, he's posted a .221/.282/.379 slash line for a .661 OPS.
A six-man starting pitching rotation has been on the mind of manager Rob Thomson and certainly other higher ups in the Phillies organization for quite some time now. Friday, it will finally come to fruition as Walker Buehler, signed August 31, will make his Phillies starting debut when the team faces the Kansas City Royals.
Buehler, 31, spent seven of his eight major league seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing with the Boston Red Sox before this season. In his time with the Dodgers, Buehler was a two-time All-Star (2019 and 2021) and was 47-22 with a 3.27 ERA. For Boston this season he went 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA. He started 22 of his 23 games before being released on Aug. 29.
“The biggest thing is trying to fit in,” said Buehler. “This rotation is deep and talented. I hope I can contribute in some way and kind of get back on my feet a little bit and hopefully capture a good month, month and a half here and help us win this thing. At the end of the day this rehab, as weird as that sounds being two years healthy, it takes time. Different voices, different cues, different training methods, all of it can kind of hopefully unlock it and certainly I think I threw the ball a little bit better, have been throwing the ball better than I was. I feel good about it.”
Buehler had one start with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and went three innings, allowed one earned run on five hits, one being a home run. He threw 78 pitches, 47 for strikes.
“He was really happy with his outing in Lehigh,” said Thomson. “Felt like he fixed a couple things, just getting the feel back for his fastball coming out of his hands and ready to go tomorrow. Command, really. Attack the zone. Just be himself.”
Buehler, who recorded the last out of the World Series clinching Game 5 for the Dodgers last season, had some bites from other teams but just had a feeling that Philly was his best bet.
“It boiled down to two or three at the end. For me largely about the role and the competitiveness of the team. Both those boxes were checked here. Obviously, excited to join a team that’s playing as well as we are.
“The talent is immense, the culture is really good. You have a lot of guys pulling on the same string. In my experience I think culture is a big part of it. You have a lot of guys on this team who are very comfortable with their career and their role, in terms of whatever I need to do to help us win one, I will do. Which isn’t always the case. Not every team is like that. All the talent is one of the biggest factors in who wins at the end and I think this team here is talented enough.”
As for postseason plans for Buehler, Thomson wasn’t ready to commit to anything. “We have to get there first and he has to be pitching well,” he said. “The fact that he does like the spotlight, or it doesn’t bother him, anyway, and he’s been there before, that’s a bonus. He’s done it before so hopefully he can do it again.”
Painter’s plan
Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter had a solid outing Wednesday as he gave up just three hits, no runs or walks and struck out six in his five innings. Thomson said that he will make his next, and last, start on Wednesday. As for the plans after that, the club will see if Painter could be part of a postseason plan.
“I actually watched the game and it was a lot better than he’s been. Fastball command was a lot better. His stuff was really, really good. It was a good bounce back. He’ll go again next Wednesday and be the same thing, probably a five-inning limit.”
An update on Turner …
Injured shortstop Trea Turner has been diligently working to heal his strained hamstring, with the hopes to maybe get some time back with the team before the playoffs.
“He’s here every day getting treatment. He got in the pool today to move around a little bit and he said he feels really good, surprisingly.”
Asked if any running has been done by Turner, Thomson said, “Not yet.”
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jacob deGrom is excited to be going back to where his career began, the home stadium where he made 109 of his 245 starts in the big leagues and had back-to-back Cy Young Award-winning seasons with the New York Mets.
“It holds a special place in my heart,” deGrom said. “I pitched a lot there, and Mets fans were always good to me. So taking the mound in front of that crowd was always a fun experience.”
Now the lanky right-hander will find out if that holds true when pitching against them.
DeGrom is set to face the Mets on Friday night for the first time since leaving in free agency after the 2022 season and signing with the Texas Rangers. The teams contending for playoff spots in their respective leagues open a three-game series at Citi Field.
“With what he did for the Mets, how much time he spent there, I’m sure he’s probably going to have some memories and emotions even before he pitches,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’ll be well-received, no doubt. But it’s going to be a big game, so there may be some scattered boos in there.”
Comeback season
The 37-year-old deGrom (11-7, 2.78 ERA) was the only All-Star player from the Rangers this season. His 27 starts and 155 2/3 innings are the most since his last Cy Young Award in 2019, before the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and then a series of injury-plagued years with New York and Texas.
“The main thing coming into this year was try to take the ball as many times as I can. I didn’t know how many times that would be. ... The goal is to just keep it going,” deGrom said this week.
“He looks great, he does. I’m really pleasantly surprised at how well this has gone for him this year because, you know, you don’t know,” Bochy said. “This is a lot of work for him after that surgery and not pitching for a couple of years, almost three. ... Yeah, it’s gone very well.”
Earlier this season, deGrom set a Rangers franchise record with 14 consecutive starts going at least five innings and not giving up more than two runs. That same span was the longest streak by any traditional starter (not including openers) in the modern era since 1900 of not allowing more than six hits and two runs in a game, according to STATS. He also came the closest he ever has to a no-hitter when allowing only a leadoff single in the eighth inning June 25 at Baltimore, a month after the only start in his career without a strikeout.
Missing the Mets
When Texas played the Mets each of the past two seasons, deGrom both times was recovering from the Tommy John surgery he had after only six starts in his Rangers debut. They went to New York late in the 2023 season before winning their first World Series championship that fall, and hosted a three-game series in Arlington last year.
In his last start at Citi Field, deGrom had 13 strikeouts in five innings without a decision in the Mets’ win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 18, 2022. His major league debut was also there, when he went seven innings and allowed the lone run in a 1-0 Subway Series loss to the Yankees on May 15, 2014.
Injury woes
DeGrom had a 1.08 ERA over 92 innings through 15 starts in 2021, but didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game and missed the rest of that season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow. He was shut down during spring training in 2022 after a stress reaction in his right scapula, then was 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts over the final two months of that season before becoming a free agent.
The five-year, $185 million contract deGrom signed with Texas included a conditional sixth-year club option for 2028 that was triggered because of the time missed after Tommy John surgery. That option is worth at least $20 million, and could be up to $37 million depending on his total innings pitched and if finishing top five in Cy Young voting.
Playoff chase
Texas (77-70) has won 15 of its last 20 games and is seven games over .500 for the first time this season. The Rangers will go from New York to Houston for three games against the AL West-leading Astros, and are also trying to get past division foe Seattle for the American League’s final wild card.
The Mets are unlikely to catch Philadelphia for the NL East title, but are trying to stay ahead in the NL wild-card race.
“All these games for us are very important. Same for them,” deGrom said. “So it’s gong to be fun. We’ve got to win, they’ve got to win. It’s going to be a playoff atmosphere.”
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto is hitting .316/.460/.709 with 14 home runs, 32 RBI, 34 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 150 plate appearances over his last 32 games dating back to Aug. 6
The Mets are averaging 2.2 runs per game during their current five-game losing streak
David Peterson is coming off an uneven start, where he allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings against the Reds in Cincinnati on Sept. 5
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With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the Mets are looking to hold off a handful of teams for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of play on Sept. 11..
Mets: 76-70, 2.0 games up on Giants and Reds for third Wild Card
Next up: @ Phillies, Thursday at 7:15 p.m. (David Peterson vs. Jesus Luzardo) Latest result: 11-3 loss to Phillies on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 1 @ PHI, 3 vs. TEX, 3 vs. SD, 3 vs. WSH, 3 @ CHC, 3 @ MIA Odds to make playoffs: 83.7 percent *Mets hold tiebreaker over Giants by virtue of winning the season series, while Reds hold tiebreaker over Mets
Reds: 74-72, 2.0 games back of Mets
Next up: @ Athletics, Friday at 10:05 p.m. (Brady Singer vs. J.T. Ginn) Latest result: 2-1 win over Padres on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 3 @ ATH, 3 @ STL, 4 vs. CHC, 3 vs. PIT, 3 @ MIL Odds to make playoffs: 10.1 percent
Giants: 74-72, 2.0 games back of Mets
Next up: vs. Dodgers, Friday at 10:15 p.m. (Justin Verlander vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto) Latest result: 5-3 loss to D-backs on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ ARI, 4 @ LAD, 3 vs. STL, 3 vs. COL Odds to make playoffs: 6.5 percent
Diamondbacks: 73-74, 3.5 games back of Mets
Next up: @ Twins, Friday at 8:10 p.m. (Brandon Pfaadt vs. Pablo Lopez) Latest result: 5-3 win over Giants on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 3 @ MIN, 3 vs. SF, 3 vs. PHI, 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ SD Odds to make playoffs: 1.5 percent
Cardinals: 72-75, 4.5 games back of Mets
Next up: @ Brewers, Friday at 8:10 p.m. (Andre Pallante vs. Quinn Priester) Latest result: 4-2 loss to Mariners on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 3 @ MIL, 3 vs. CIN, 3 vs. MIL, 3 @ SF, 3 @ CHC Odds to make playoffs: 0.6 percent
SAN DIEGO – Last year at this time, Terry Francona didn’t have a care in the world. He was one year into his retirement after 23 years of managing in Major League Baseball and loving it.
“It was wonderful,” the man, who’s nicknamed Tito after his ballplaying father of the same name, said this week during several interviews at Petco Park. “I had no intention of coming back. I was thinking about what I wanted to do, because I was doing nothing. But I was not thinking about managing.”
Then, the Cincinnati Reds came calling, and that all changed.
“They flew out to talk to me in my rocking chair,” Francona, 66, said. “It just seemed right.”
A year ago, the Reds lost 85 games, and incumbent manager David Bell was fired before the season was over. With less than three weeks to go in this regular season, the team’s current 74-72 record is a significant improvement. They’d have to go 3-13 in their final 16 games to match last season’s record. It could happen but probably not.
Same goes for making the playoffs—the team is two games behind the New York Mets, who hold the National League’s last wild-card spot, tied with the San Francisco Giants. It could happen but maybe not.
It wouldn’t surprise San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt, though, if they do it with Tito managing the team.
“Winners win,” Shildt said Wednesday night after the Reds came from behind for a 2-1 victory to take the last two of the three games in the series here.
This season, Francona has done what he does best: take a low-payroll team and exceed expectations. The Reds have a luxury-tax payroll of $140.8 million, 22nd in the league and fourth in their own NL Central. In 11 seasons managing Cleveland, he dwelled in baseball’s bargain basement and still made the postseason six times, a stark departure from the Boston Red Sox, which spared no expense when building the Francona teams that won the World Series in 2004 and 2007. His Indians lost to the Chicago Cubs in a thrilling seven-game 2016 Fall Classic.
Francona said he doesn’t mind dealing with the low payroll as long as he has some autonomy over decisions on the field.
“I’m at an age where doing it in a place I prefer is probably more meaningful than having a high payroll,” he said. “I mean, I’ve been treated great. Nobody ever tells me what lineup to make out or things like that. I don’t mind input, but I’m probably too old for that.”
The Reds are generally a faceless team save for Elly De La Cruz, one of MLB’s best young players, but finishing his third season earning a scant $770,000, just $10,000 above the league minimum. He has 19 home runs and 34 stolen bases, but hasn’t hit a homer since July 31. He had the game-tying eighth inning single Wednesday night.
The Reds don’t have a player on the team with more homers than De La Cruz, which makes what they’re doing more remarkable. But they claim to be having a having a great time playing for Francona.
Earlier in the season, the team celebrated Francona’s 2,000th win as a manager. At 2,024 he’s 12th on the all-time list. There are only 13 managers above 2,000, and Francona is second among active managers behind Bruce Bochy (2,248), who has the Texas Rangers in the playoff hunt.
“It’s been special playing for Tito,” Reds starter Hunter Greene said in an interview. “His reputation speaks for itself. He’s deeply entrenched in the baseball world and its history. To be as young as I am and to have his leadership is pretty special to me.”
Baseball needs the old, crusty managers like Francona, Bochy and Ron Washington. They offer expertise and experience, having made decades of in-game decisions under myriad circumstances. Though they’ve adapted to changes like the three-batter minimum rule for a relief pitcher—“I was told the reason that put that in was because of me,” Francona said—they tend to emphasis basics like defense and proper base-running.
To that point, Francona had first base coach Colin Cowgill going over some drills on the right way to run bases, relayed outfielder Austin Hays.
And then there’s Francona’s self-deprecating sense of humor. Cowgill finished up by presenting a video saying, “Tito wanted me to put this on here showing what not to do.”
The video showed Tito as a player going from first to third stumbling around the bases. “He wound up eating it about 15 feet before getting to the [third base] bag,” Hays said. “We all got a good laugh out of it.” Francona had a promising career as an outfielder derailed because of injuries to both knees, which have since been replaced. In 1984 for the old Montreal Expos, he batted .346 with a 136 OPS+. He later joked that he probably couldn’t have played for the Red Sox team he managed because of his low .300 career on-base percentage, a staple of modern day analytics.
Francona said that’s the key to getting the most out of a young team like the Reds. Keep it light, but make your point.
“It’s my responsibility to take the parameters and see how good we can get,” he said. “That’s why I never bitch about what our payroll is. That’s not my responsibility. It’s my responsibility to see how much I can get from our players. Sometimes we do better than others.”
In this week's Closer Report, the Cubs lost breakout closer Daniel Palencia to the injured list with a shoulder injury. And the Tigers will once again lean on Will Vest in the ninth inning with Kyle Finnegan sidelined. That and more as we run down the last week in saves around the league.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Chapman struck out four batters in one inning against the Diamondbacks on Sunday for his 29th save of the season. He then surrendered a run on two hits on Wednesday against the Athletics, the first hits he's allowed over 17 appearances since July 23. What the 37-year-old left-hander is doing in his 16th season is incredible, posting a 1.14 ERA, a 0.67 WHIP, and an 81/14 K/BB ratio across 55 1/3 innings.
Muñoz converted back-to-back saves against the Cardinals on Monday and Tuesday with a pair of scoreless innings. The 26-year-old right-hander is up to 34 saves with a 1.63 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 71/25 K/BB ratio across 55 1/3 innings. Setup man Matt Brash has posted nearly identical numbers behind Muñoz, recording 21 holds with a 1.73 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 52/16 K/BB rate over 41 2/3 frames.
Tier 2
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Edwin Díaz - New York Mets Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Duran recorded three more saves for the Phillies this week, giving him a career-high 28 to go with a 1.86 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 70/18 K/BB ratio across 63 innings. Meanwhile, Díaz made one appearance this week, locking down a save against the Reds on Friday as he worked around two walks and a hit with two strikeouts.
Suarez surrendered a run against the Rockies in Colorado on Saturday but was able to hold on for his 36th save. After making a scoreless appearance in a non-save situation on Monday, he gave up a go-ahead, two-run homer against the Reds on Tuesday, pitching for the third time in four days. Behind Suarez, Mason Miller made three scoreless appearances. He's now posted a 1.17 ERA with a 29/6 K/BB ratio across 15 1/3 innings since joining the Padres on August 1.
Tier 3
David Bednar - New York Yankees Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants Abner Uribe - Milwaukee Brewers Emilio Pagán - Cincinnati Reds Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Bryan Abreu - Houston Astros Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays Will Vest - Detroit Tigers Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates
Bednar surrendered a run in a non-save situation against the Astros last Thursday, then bounced back with back-to-back saves against the Blue Jays, including three strikeouts in a four-out save on Saturday. He's up to 22 saves, five with the Yankees, with a 2.47 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 76/16 K/BB ratio over 54 2/3 innings.
Fairbanks had a rough series at home against the Guardians, giving up two runs on Thursday before giving up a run to take the loss on Saturday. He bounced back in Chicago on Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning for his 25th save of the season. Meanwhile, Jansen pitched two clean outings to convert two saves. And in Kansas City, Estévez locked down three saves, giving him 39 with a 2.45 ERA across 62 1/3 innings.
Walker had a rough outing on Saturday against the Cardinals, giving up three runs to blow a save chance and take a loss without recording an out. He recovered with a scoreless outing on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks to convert his 15th save. Rookie right-hander Joel Peguero has stepped up in a big way as the Giants have had to overcome some injuries in the bullpen. Peguero has tossed 12 1/3 scoreless innings with an 11/1 K/BB ratio while working his way into high-leverage situations.
With Trevor Megill still on the 15-day injured list, Uribe continues to operate as the Brewers' closer. He picked up a save with a clean inning against the Pirates on Friday. Megill threw a live batting practice session on Tuesday and is aiming to return next week.
Pagán has a busy week on the mound, making four appearances in five days. Only one was in a save situation. He converted his 27th save of the season with a clean inning against the Padres on Tuesday. In Cleveland, Smith also pitched four of five days, picking up three saves to give him 12 on the season with a 3.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 90/19 K/BB ratio across 64 2/3 innings.
Scott took the loss against the Orioles on Friday, giving up a walk-off homer in the ninth inning. He was then charged with a blown save on Saturday before bouncing back with a save against the Rockies on Monday. Abreu also hasn't been at his best, giving up eight runs over his last five outings. He surrendered two against the Blue Jays on Tuesday to blow the save before recovering with a save on Wednesday.
Iglesias continued his strong second half with two scoreless outings, picking up a pair of saves to give him 25 with a 3.62 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 64/12 K/BB ratio across 59 2/3 innings. And Hoffman made two scoreless appearances this week, picking up a win against the Astros in the tenth inning on Tuesday.
Vest should take the primary share of all the save chances in Detroit after Kyle Finnegan landed on the 15-day injured list with a right adductor strain. Vest saw no save chances this week. He tossed a scoreless inning in a non-save situation against the White Sox on Sunday. Santana also didn't see a save chance, instead pitching two scoreless innings in a pair of non-save situations.
Tier 4
Andrew Kittredge/Brad Keller - Chicago Cubs Shawn Armstrong - Texas Rangers Jose Ferrer - Washington Nationals JoJo Romero/Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Calvin Faucher/Ronny Henriquez/Tyler Phillips - Miami Marlins
In a tough blow to the Cubs' bullpen, Daniel Palencia's breakout season may have been cut short as he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. The 25-year-old right-hander had converted 22 saves with a 3.00 ERA over 51 innings. Brad Keller and Andrew Kittredge should be in the mix for saves to fill in for Palencia. Kittredge got the save chance on Wednesday against the Braves, tossing a clean inning with one strikeout, while Keller picked up a hold with a scoreless eighth inning.
In Texas, Armstrong is up to eight saves after converting two this week. Meanwhile, Ferrer made three scoreless appearances this week, picking up two saves to bring him to eight on the year with a 3.89 ERA over 69 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals continue the matchups game in the late innings, with O'Brien picking up a save this week. Romero still leads the team with seven. It's even messier in Miami, where Lake Bachar converted the team's only save this week.
Tier 5
Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles Justin Topa/Cole Sands - Minnesota Twins Sean Newcomb - Athletics Andrew Saalfrank/Jake Woodford - Arizona Diamondbacks Jordan Leasure/Mike Vasil - Chicago White Sox Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies
Mookie Betts celebrates after hitting a grand slam in the eighth inning Wednesday. (Eric Thayer / For The Times)
At some point, the Dodgers hope, they will be able to field a fully healthy lineup.
A late scratch on Wednesday to catcher Will Smith, however, meant it would have to wait at least a couple more days.
Despite activating Tommy Edman from the injured list pregame, and proceeding to sweep the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 win that stretched their National League West lead to three games, the Dodgers were left dealing with another injury headache Wednesday, removing Smith from the starting lineup just 15 minutes before first pitch after swelling developed around the bone bruise he has been dealing with in his right hand.
“Not overly concerned,” manager Dave Roberts said of Smith’s status, “but we’ve got to get that swelling under wraps.”
Smith’s absence hardly hampered the Dodgers in their fourth straight win.
Their lineup exploded for four runs in the second inning and five in the eighth behind a huge night from Mookie Betts, who continued his recent tear with a four-for-five, five-RBI performance that included a run-scoring double early and a grand slam to put things away late. Betts is now on a 16-game on-base streak, has multiple RBIs in five-straight contests, and is batting .352 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs over his last 32 games.
Behind the plate, Ben Rortvedt filled in to catch Blake Snell’s scoreless six-inning, 11-strikeout start, which continued a dominant run from a Dodgers’ rotation that now has a 1.18 ERA over the last six games.
And thanks to a loss earlier in the day by the San Diego Padres, the team grew its lead atop the division for a second day in a row, effectively taking a 3-½ game NL West lead (when accounting for its head-to-head tiebreaker over San Diego) with 16 games to play.
“That was a big home series sweep, to get us going … get us moving in the right direction,” Snell said. “All of us have been looking forward to getting it going. This was a really good step.”
Yet, after activating Max Muncy off the injured list Monday, and welcoming Edman back into the fold Wednesday afternoon, the Dodgers were finally on the verge of having a full-strength squad for the first time since early July.
Instead, they were reminded of the tenuous reality of their oft-injured roster — and the difficulty of trying to manage Smith’s hand in particular.
It had only been a week since Smith first got hurt, when a foul ball in Pittsburgh ricocheted off his dangling throwing hand behind the plate and left him with a bone bruise that sidelined him until Tuesday — though didn’t require an injured list stint. Smith had looked OK in his return to action that night, lining a double in his first at-bat while helping Emmet Sheehan carry a no-hitter into the sixth. He was back in the original lineup the Dodgers posted Wednesday, as they sought a series sweep over the 106-loss Rockies.
The issue, it appeared, might be behind him.
But then, when the Dodgers emerged from the dugout Wednesday night, it was Rortvedt who went to squat behind home plate.
“Literally 15 minutes before the game, as he’s getting ready, his hand started to swell up,” Roberts said. “After [his pregame] hitting, getting dressed, getting ready for the game, that’s when it started to show itself. He tried to get out there and throw. It just didn’t respond well.”
After Smith first got hurt, Roberts cautioned his injury could linger for the rest of the season. After Wednesday, he said the team would monitor Smith on Thursday’s off day –– and potentially send him for an MRI –– then decide on Friday whether he’ll play in this weekend’s series-opener in San Francisco.
“We’ve got to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Roberts said.
Miguel Rojas slides home to score a run in the second inning. (Eric Thayer / For The Times)
Smith’s hand won’t be the only injury the Dodgers (82-64) will have to manage down the stretch.
While Edman returned from an ankle injury that had plagued him all year, and sidelined him since its own flare-up on Aug. 3, Roberts said pregame he was still curious to see how the utilityman looked.
Edman slotted in center field on Wednesday — where he tracked down a fly ball on the game’s first pitch — and will likely see most of his playing time there for at least the foreseeable future. Roberts noted that, unlike earlier this year when Edman was mainly limited to infield duties, the quick reactions required at second base might be tougher on his ankle now.
“Getting off the ball is something I'm going to be really mindful of watching,” Roberts said of Edman. “Once he gets to full speed, it's a lot easier [to decide what he can handle].”
With Edman in center, the Dodgers also ran out a new outfield alignment, with Andy Pages moving to left field and Michael Conforto dropping to the bench.
Roberts said Conforto will still see playing time against right-handed pitchers (the Rockies started left-hander Kyle Freeland on Wednesday). He also didn’t close the door on eventually flipping Pages (who had three hits Wednesday, including an RBI double in the second to open the scoring) and Teoscar Hernández (who went deep in the eighth for his third home run in the last two nights) in the corners, though noted he is keeping Hernández in right for now thanks to his improved defensive play in recent weeks.
“Teo played the season last year in left field, so we've shown that we can win a championship with him in left field,” Roberts said. “Not quite there yet, but thinking about it.”
Despite the moving pieces, it all brought the Dodgers closer to the lineup they envisioned having at the start of this season, the one they’ve floundered with offensively (entering the night ranked just 26th in the majors in scoring since July 4) while playing without.
"I think that we've all been waiting for our guys to come back to health and see what we look like,” Roberts said.
Still, they won’t be at full strength again until Smith is. Wednesday was a reminder that his health remains in doubt.
Roberts said that could include finding the rookie right-hander, who finally rediscovered his 100-mph fastball Tuesday after lacking velocity and battling a shoulder injury previously this year, an opportunity to start a big-league game for the first time since April. Or, potentially pitching out of the bullpen, which is how the 23-year-old would likely be used if he were to be included on the postseason roster.
Before that latter scenario could become reality, of course, the Dodgers will need to see Sasaki have some sort of success back in the majors, where he had a 4.72 ERA in eight starts at the beginning of the season before going on the IL.
Nonetheless, Roberts described Sasaki’s rehab outing on Tuesday as “great for the Dodgers, great for Roki's confidence, great for the organization.
“Mostly it was great for Roki,” Roberts added. “Just to really let it eat, let it fly, have some success and know that he can be the guy that he's known to be."
Here’s the reaction from the Mets’ locker room as their losing streak stretched to five after falling to the Phillies 11-3 on Wednesday night…
Why these skids seem to pile up
Carlos Mendoza: “I think some guys from the rotation are having a tough stretch. When you’re playing a lot of games in a row and you’re not getting decent length or decent outings it has a trickle down effect. That’s on the pitching staff, the at-bats, the game is obviously different. The there was times when where we get some starting pitching and the offense seems to cool down, we just haven’t been able to consistently put it together, the whole package.”
Francisco Lindor: “We haven’t been consistent. It's just one of those years that things haven’t clicked for a long time — in baseball you have ups and downs, those are guarantees, but you try to limit the downs and ride the highs as long as you can and for some reason it’s been a very wavy season. We are still in a position that we can make the year look completely different and everyone here is pushing towards that, fighting to try to get on that wave and ride it as long as we can. Baseball is a game of momentum and we haven’t been able to capitalize on the time we’ve had the momentum.”
What it’s going to take to get out of this stretch
Mendoza: “26 guys pulling for each other. It’s not easy, I don’t know how many times we’ve gotten into streaks like this where nothing seems to be working for us, but again you have to stay positive, we’re still in control of the situation here. It’s not ideal where we’re at compared to the whole year, but like I said we just have to take it one game at a time, it starts on the mound obviously and then we’ll go from there.”
Lindor:“We just have to stay optimistic, fight for each other, and just play better. I have to play better, I haven’t gotten a hit in this series, and at this point in the year I have to get on-base and I have to help the team. Pete is having good at-bats, Nimmo is having good at-bats, Soto is having good at-bats. I have to be better for this team because like I said, at the end of the year it comes down to playing baseball the right way."
Another short outing from Holmes
After seemingly turning a corner, Clay Holmes' struggles have resurfaced over his past two outings.
The right-hander was knocked around in the first and then couldn't work deep, allowing a total of four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five across 4+ innings.
Despite the struggles, Mendoza says the team will stick with him in the rotation...
Holmes: "They got a little traffic there in the first and then that put us behind early and we really had to be perfect from there on out. I made a bad two-strike pitch to Bader there and then to two back-foot sliders just created the traffic, then two balls got through the infield and at that point we're playing from behind. These games can mean a lot, so we can't really afford to have those mistakes there."
Carlos Mendoza: "I said it yesterday with Sean [Manaea] and it's the same thing with Clay, we need those guys."
The Yankees honored Charlie Kirk with a moment of silence on Wednesday. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters
The New York Yankees held a moment of silence ahead of their 11-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night to honor Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot and killed in Utah earlier in the day.
Before tonight's game we held a moment of silence in memoriam of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk founded the youth activist group “Turning Point USA” and had become a fixture on college campuses. Charlie Kirk, a husband and father of two children, was 31 years old. pic.twitter.com/Fz5xPlmdu0
Kirk, a right-wing talk show host and the founder of “Turning Point USA,” was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday when he was shot in the neck. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. He was 31.
The shooting is still under investigation, and officials have not yet arrested the alleged assailant. Further specifics are not yet known.
Kirk is a Chicago-area native and a noted Cubs fan. It’s unclear if he has any connection to the Yankees. President Donald Trump, whom Kirk repeatedly campaigned for and supported, is set to attend the Yankees’ game against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, which is the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Yankees mustered just one run while the bullpen allowed nine runs in New York's 11-1 loss to the Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.
New York has dropped the first two games of their series with Detroit after scoring a combined three runs. After the Blue Jays' loss to the Astros earlier in the evening, the Yankees remain 3.0 games behind Toronto in the AL East race.
Here are the takeaways...
-Carlos Rodon was on the mound, searching for his career-best 17th win of the season but he was in for a fight with fellow starter Jack Flaherty in this one. Rodon was pitch-efficient, allowing just two hits through the first four innings on just above 60 pitches. But the Tigers threatened after a one-out single and walk put two runners on. Rodon hit Javier Baez with a pitch to load the bases but struck out Jahmai Jones swinging to bring up Gleyber Torres. The former Yankee lined a 3-2 fastball in front of Trent Grisham in center to drive in two for Detroit. The Yankees' southpaw struck out Wenceel Perez swinging to get out of further trouble.
Rodon was very good, with just the one inning marring his line. The lefty allowed two runs in six innings (102 pitches/66 strikes), on five hits, one walk and six strikeouts.
-The Yankees bullpen, after allowing 10 runs in Tuesday's series opener, was not much better. Mark Leiter Jr, fresh off of allowing four runs without recording an out, gave up back-to-back singles to start the seventh. He then bounced a ball in the dirt that got stuck in catcher Austin Wells' chest protector, which was ruled a wild pitch. Leiter struck out Kerry Carpenter before being pulled for Camilo Doval. Doval got Torres to ground out, but the runner on third would score.
Doval would start the eighth, and after a leadoff single, Riley Greene took the right-hander deep to put the Tigers up 5-0. After picking up an out, Dillon Dingler doubled and advanced to third on a Cody Bellinger error in left field. Doval was lifted for Tim Hill, who allowed a single up the middle to allow the sixth run of the game. Two batters later, and Carpenter launched a two-out, two-run homer to put up a five-spot in the eighth.
Even Luke Weaver struggled, allowing three runs on three hits, capped off by a two-run homer from pinch-hitter Colt Keith. With the score ballooned to 11-1, outfielder Austin Slater came in to finish off the top half of the ninth. Slater allowed a hit but got the final two outs to mercifully get the game to the bottom of the ninth.
-On the other side, Flaherty kept the Yankees down through five innings, allowing just two hits and one walk. While not as efficient as Rodon, the Tigers' right-hander made pitches when needed to get outs, including seven strikeouts. Flaherty would pitch five shutout innings on 99 pitches (57 strikes).
-The Yankees offense was a no-show. Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and grounded into two inning-ending double plays. Giancarlo Stanton, playing in right field, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
The only run came on a Wells solo shot in the eighth inning. The backstop went 1-for-4.
