Category: MLB

The momentum built from a thrilling win on Tuesday didn't inspire clean play from the Yankees on Wednesday, as they committed a whopping four errors in a humiliating 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Jasson Domínguez entered Wednesday in an 0-for-18 rut at the plate, but he didn't allow the skid to reach 19 at-bats. The rookie outfielder took advantage of his first matchup with Chris Bassitt in the second inning, ripping a solo home run into the right-center field bullpen to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. It was Domínguez's ninth blast of the season -- the ball traveled 380 feet with an exit velocity of 111 mph -- and the first one he hit since July 11.

-- Max Fried didn't seem bothered by a blister that forced him to miss a reunion start against the Braves last weekend. The Yankees' ace looked sharp early on, retiring the first 10 batters faced with effective use of his fastball-cutter combo. Fried also received defensive help, as Trent Grisham robbed Davis Schneider of a leadoff double in the first with a terrific running catch in left-center. Two innings later, Jazz Chisholm Jr. took an infield single away from Myles Straw with a slick backhanded grab up the middle and jump-throw to first.

-- The Blue Jays disrupted Fried's rhythm with one out in the fourth, however, as a single to center from George Springer and an RBI double to left from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knotted the score at 1-1. Then, after Fried gave up a walk and an infield single that loaded the bases, Ernie Clement put the Blue Jays ahead, 2-1, with an RBI single to center. The 24-pitch inning could've been far worse for Fried -- he got the third out on a grounder that deflected off his leg and fortunately bounced to a charging Oswald Peraza at third.

-- Anthony Volpe nearly cost the Yankees a win on Tuesday with a costly throwing error, but he made up for that gaffe with his bat in the fifth inning. With one out, he took a cutter from Bassitt deep to left-center for a game-tying solo homer. But the game didn't remain tied for long. Fried stumbled again in the fifth, allowing a pair of walks and a stolen base that preceded defensive mishaps. He allowed both baserunners to advance into scoring position on a wild pitch, and then a tricky throw home on a tough comebacker got past catcher J.C. Escarra and placed the Blue Jays ahead, 4-2.

-- Sloppiness in the fifth was erased with one swing by the Yankees' captain in the sixth. After a fielding error on Guerrero that allowed the leadoff man Grisham to reach second, Aaron Judge drilled a two-run shot to right-center off Bassitt that wiped the two-run deficit. It was career homer No. 352 for Judge, who now owns sole possession of sixth place on the franchise's all-time list. He's also tied for 99th on MLB's all-time list.

-- Once again, shoddy defense from the Yankees helped the Blue Jays retake the lead swiftly. In the bottom of the sixth, Clement wound up with a leadoff triple after his fly to right was surprisingly lost in the sky by Cody Bellinger. Fried then gave up a go-ahead double to Straw, which ended his frustrating night. It's possible Fried's blister flared up late, as TV cameras caught him rubbing his fingers on his undershirt in the sixth.

-- The Yankees added insult to potential injury shortly after Fried's exit. With reliever Jonathan Loáisiga on the mound, Ben Rice botched a grounder at first that brought another Blue Jays runner home, making the score 6-4. In the seventh, frustrations with the strike zone resulted in ejections for manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake, and after a fielding error from Dominguez, Bo Bichette smacked a two-run shot to left off Scott Effross that put the Blue Jays ahead by four.

-- Bassitt returned for the eighth inning, and managed to record the first out before exiting at 94 pitches. The pitching change to reliever Justin Bruihl sparked a brief rally, as Grisham and Bellinger produced back-to-back singles, but Judge ended the threat by grounding into an inning-ending double play that required replay review. In the ninth, the Yankees went down in order against Yariel Rodriguez. They once again trail the Blue Jays by four games for first place in the AL East.

Game MVP: Chris Bassitt

While a handful of Blue Jays capitalized at the plate and took advantage of the Yankees' blunders, Bassitt provided ace-level length by striking out eight across 7.1 innings. It wasn't a clean effort -- he gave up four runs on three homers -- but still a strong showing from the veteran right-hander.

Highlights

Trent Grisham makes the running catch! pic.twitter.com/pgb3EEDV3d

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 23, 2025

Jasson Domínguez homers to open the scoring 👽 pic.twitter.com/A7KVApM7gc

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 23, 2025

Jazz Chisholm Jr. makes the smooth play ♨️ pic.twitter.com/iRS4JeNmc0

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 23, 2025

Anthony Volpe ties the game! 💣 pic.twitter.com/89N0bETZ6y

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 24, 2025

AARON JUDGE TIES THE GAME WITH A TWO-RUN HOMER! pic.twitter.com/5Yz38SkCm1

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 24, 2025

What's next

The Yankees (56-46) will have Thursday off and begin a seven-game homestand on Friday with a weekend series against the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

RHP Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite RHP Taijuan Walker (3-3, 3.75 ERA).

Mets outfield prospect Drew Gilbert had himself a day for Triple-A Syracuse.

In Syracuse's 8-4 win over Omaha on Wednesday night, Gilbert picked up four hits, including a double, in his stellar 4-for-5 night at the plate. It's the first four-hit game of Gilbert's professional career. His big hit came in Syracuse's four-run second inning, when his single drove in a run to put the Mets up 6-0 at the time.

Gilbert increased his batting average to .246 with the four-hit game. In 75 games with Triple-A, he has 12 home runs with 47 RBI and an OPS of .786.

Pitching prospect Blade Tidwell started Wednesday's game and was solid. The right-hander tossed 74 pitches (45 strikes) in 3.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four. It was the third consecutive start in which he allowed two or fewer runs, but he could not follow up his 5.1-shutout innings outing in his last start.

In 15 games (12 starts) this season, Tidwell has a 6-4 record with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.

Drew Gilbert singles home a run!

Catch the @SyracuseMets NOW on SNY! pic.twitter.com/MM0RMQIXcB

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 23, 2025

Benge and Clifford go deep in Double-A

Down with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, a pair of hitting prospects went deep on Wednesday.

Carson Benge, the Mets' No. 5 prospect according to SNY's Joe DeMayo, went 1-for-5, but his lone hit was a solo shot. It's the third longball for Benge since being promoted to Double-A.

Ryan Clifford went deep twice for the Rumble Ponies in his 3-for-4 night. Clifford, DeMayo's No. 4 Mets prospect, now has 19 homers this season to go along with his slashline of .235/.351/.476 and an OPS of .827.

Other notable Double-A Mets include Jett Williams, who went 1-for-5.

Ryan Clifford hit two home runs tonight for Double-A Binghamton 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FoSSiY61GA

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 24, 2025

Luis Gil made a good next step toward a Yankees return, completing his first rehab start with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees transferred Gil's rehab from Double-A to Triple-A and the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year was roughed up a bit on Wednesday. Going up against the Rochester Red Wings, Gil pitched into the fourth inning, but it could have been better if not for one inning.

After allowing a solo shot to lead off his night, Gil would cruise until the third inning. He allowed three runs on two walks and three hits. The big knock came off the bat of Nick Schnell, who doubled in two runs with runners on first and second and two outs. Gil would complete the inning and get one out in the fourth before he was pulled after 67 pitches (44 strikes).

Gil allowed five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters in what is expected to be a lengthy rehab assignment.

Prior to Wednesday, Gil made two starts with Somerset. In those two appearances, he allowed three runs in 6.2 innings while striking out 13 batters.

It's unclear whether this will be Gil's final rehab start, but manager Aaron Boone said there was no intention of rushing the young right-hander back from his right lat strain.

Remember when the Dodgers' injury-riddled rotation was the problem? That’s so last month.

The issue now is the bullpen. Over the last four weeks, the team’s bullpen ERA has ballooned to 4.44. Only six teams in the majors entered Wednesday with a higher mark.

Freddie Freeman saved the Dodgers from another painful bullpen implosion Wednesday, lining a two-out, two-run single to left field in the ninth inning, giving the team a 4-3 walk-off win over the Minnesota Twins in a getaway day matinee at Dodger Stadium.

An inning earlier Kirby Yates had given up two runs and an eighth-inning lead without recording an out. That wasted a season-best effort from right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who held the Twins to a run on three hits, striking out 12 batters, over seven innings. In each of his three starts since coming of the injured list, Glasnow has gone at least five innings and allowed fewer than two runs. His ERA in that span is 1.00.

Read more:'It just wasn't pretty.' Bullpen sinks slumping Dodgers again in loss to Twins

Glasnow left with a 2-1 lead but that was gone four batters later, with Yates walking the bases loaded, missing the plate on 12 of his 18 pitches. Alex Vesia came on to get Willi Castro to hit into a double play, but that allowed the tying run to score.

Pinch-hitter Harrison Bader then untied it with a poorly hit ball that got over the leaping Vesia before landing on the infield grass as Brooks Lee raced home from third.

The Dodgers were down to their last out in the ninth when Mookie Betts beat out an infield single. Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked and Esteury Ruiz followed with a walk of his own, bringing up Freeman, who had two called strikes before slicing a line drive just in front of diving Bader in left to give the Dodgers their second win in six games since the All-Star break.

Freeman’s heroics do nothing to heal the Dodgers where they are hurting most though, and that’s pitching. After losing three of his projected five starters in the season’s first two months, manager Dave Roberts has had to use everything short of masking tape to keep a rotation together. As a result, the Dodgers have used 16 starters this season and 37 pitchers overall.

And that makeshift rotation may be to blame for the bullpen troubles. Dodger starters have thrown a big-league low 467 2/3 innings this season, averaging less than five innings a start, while their exhausted relievers have pitched a major-league-leading 452 2/3 innings.

The rotation is getting healthier now that Glasnow, who has missed most of the season with an inflamed shoulder, could soon be rejoined in the rotation by two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, The left-hander, out since April 2 with shoulder inflammation, is scheduled to make his final minor-league rehab start Saturday.

Ohtani gave Glasnow an early lead Wednesday with a solo home run in the first inning. It was his fifth straight game with a home run, a career high that equaled the franchise record, and it gave 37 for the season. The run was his 96th of the year, best in the majors.

Royce Lewis got that run back for the Twins in the third, leading off with his fifth home run of the season just inside the left-field foul pole. It stayed that way until the seventh, when Tommy Edman looped a single over a drawn-in infield, putting the Dodgers back in front.

Roberts isn’t ready to blame the bullpen’s recent struggles entirely on the heavy workload. But he’s not excusing it either.

“That's how the season goes,” he said. “It's easy to look at that in totality. I do know that, we're what we're dealing with, we have to kind of weather it.”

In the last two days, the Dodgers have seen left-hander reliever Tanner Scott go on the injured list with elbow inflammation and watched right-hander Ben Casparius limp off the mound with a right calf cramp, joining 11 pitchers already on the sidelines.

Casparius underwent an MRI exam, which was negative, and he is expected to be available during the team’s nine-game road trip, which begins Friday in Boston. But Casparius acknowledged Wednesday that the bullpen’s recent struggles led him to try to pitch through the soreness, likely making the injury worse.

“Going through the back of my mind [was] kind of gutting it out,” he said. “I think you can look at it a bunch of different ways, but I'm not necessarily sure I put the team the best spot.”

Read more:Dodgers put Tanner Scott on IL, but hopeful he returns this season

Casparius said the pitchers in the Dodger bullpen, who haven’t had a scoreless game since July 3, have struggled collectively and will have to work collectively to get back on track.

“Momentum is everything,” he said. “We're kind of going through our tough patch right now and hopefully it's the worst it's going to be. We’ve got some guys coming back. Maybe getting on the road and being uncomfortable might help us out a little bit in a weird way too.

“It's a tough part of the year. Everybody around the league is going through this type of stuff. I think we're going to turn a corner.”

Notes: Reliever Blake Treinen was scheduled to make back-to-back appearances for Triple A Oklahoma City on Wednesday and Thursday and if things go well, he could rejoin the Dodgers on the road trip. Treinen went on the injured list April 19 with forearm tightness. ... Third baseman Max Muncy is scheduled to face live pitching at the Dodgers’ Arizona complex on Thursday and could begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week, far sooner than expected. Muncy was the Dodgers’ hottest hitter when he sustained a bone bruise in his left knee three weeks ago. It was anticipated he would miss a month and half.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Phillies can't overcome 5th-inning disaster, fail to sweep Red Sox  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies couldn’t overcome a nightmarish fifth inning Wednesday night.

The Red Sox scored six runs in the fifth and avoided a three-game series sweep at Citizens Bank Park, taking a 9-8 win in 11 innings.  

The Phils dropped to 58-44 and Boston improved to 55-49.

“The offense was good tonight,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “The bullpen was good. That fifth inning was just a killer, that’s all.”

Jesus Luzardo started for the Phillies and was stellar until the fifth. He wound up conceding six runs in five innings of work. Luzardo allowed two hits, walked five and struck out seven. 

The Phils never let Red Sox righty Lucas Giolito even think about settling in. 

Trea Turner knocked a first-pitch single to left field and Kyle Schwarber slugged him home three pitches later, nailing a high changeup over the right-center field wall for his 34th dinger of the season. Bryce Harper then stepped up and promptly cracked a milestone shot, hammering his 350th career homer. He crushed Giolito’s center-cut fastball 439 feet.

Though Nick Castellanos couldn’t make it back-to-back-to-back jacks, he got in on the power-hitting fun next time up. Castellanos built the Phils’ lead to 4-0 in the third inning with a deep fly over the left-field wall. Bryson Stott added a solo long ball in the fourth. 

Just like Cristopher Sanchez the night prior, Luzardo was flawless his first time through Boston’s order. He struck out five batters over the first three innings and the Red Sox whiffed at his first seven sweepers. 

Boston had no baserunners until Rob Refsnyder started the fourth inning with a walk. Masataka Yoshida picked up the team’s first hit on a fifth-inning leadoff double. 

The fifth descended into disaster with two outs. 

Refsnyder popped up a 2-0 pitch behind home plate with the the bases loaded and it appeared Luzardo had escaped any damage despite shaky control. However, J.T. Realmuto couldn’t locate the ball and it plopped in the grass. 

Realmuto “lost it in the sky,” Thomson said. “It was close to me and I had trouble seeing it.”

Luzardo walked in a run … and then another run. The boos intensified and the inning grew much worse. Romy Gonzalez delivered a go-ahead grand slam. 

Luzardo is still trying to understand and solve his issues pitching from the stretch. 

“It’s not physical,” he said. “My stuff is the best it’s been my whole career, so it’s not a stuff problem. It’s more command, making the right pitches at the right times, executing the pitches. … There’s no excuse. It needs to happen now.”

The Phillies’ bullpen prevented the game from spiraling away. Jordan Romano, Daniel Robert, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm combined to throw four scoreless innings.

Boston’s bullpen also handled business through the seventh inning, but Aroldis Chapman was unable to polish off a 1-2-3 eighth. Realmuto evened the contest with one swing, lacing a Chapman sinker over the center-field fence.

The Phillies caused no problems for Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock in the ninth inning and Boston went back on top in the 10th. Trevor Story’s one-out double down the left-field line drove in ghost runner Jarren Duran.

Two pitches into the bottom of the 10th, the game was tied again. Turner’s fly out to right field advanced Stott to third base. Schwarber’s single off of Greg Weissert leveled it up at 7-all.

Carlos Narvaez landed the decisive blow in the 11th vs. Seth Johnson. He lined a two-run homer just over the left-field wall, a result that stood after a review for potential fan interference. 

The Phillies trimmed their deficit to one with a two-out Johan Rojas base hit, but Max Kepler struck out looking against Brennan Bernardino to wrap up a sour series finale.

Next up for the Phillies is a weekend series with the Yankees. Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) and Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) are the scheduled starters for Friday night’s series opener. 

Bohm to join Phils’ road trip 

After their stay in New York, the Phillies will head to Chicago for a three-game series against the White Sox. 

The plan is for Alec Bohm to be there and begin his rehab from a fractured rib.

“Feels better,” Thomson said pregame. “He’ll stay here until Sunday. And then Sunday he’ll travel to New York, catch up with us and go to Chicago with us. I think by that time he’ll start doing some functional work. Probably not swinging the bat yet, but at least play catch and take some ground balls or something like that.”

Phillies can't overcome 5th-inning disaster, fail to sweep Red Sox  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies couldn’t overcome a nightmarish fifth inning Wednesday night.

The Red Sox scored six runs in the fifth and avoided a three-game series sweep at Citizens Bank Park, taking a 9-8 win in 11 innings.  

The Phils dropped to 58-44 and Boston improved to 55-49.

Jesus Luzardo started for the Phillies and was stellar until the fifth. He wound up conceding six runs in five innings of work. Luzardo allowed two hits, walked five and struck out seven. 

The Phils never let Red Sox righty Lucas Giolito even think about settling in. 

Trea Turner knocked a first-pitch single to left field and Kyle Schwarber slugged him home three pitches later, nailing a high changeup over the right-center field wall for his 34th dinger of the season. Bryce Harper then stepped up and promptly cracked a milestone shot, hammering his 350th career homer. He crushed Giolito’s center-cut fastball 439 feet.

Though Nick Castellanos couldn’t make it back-to-back-to-back jacks, he got in on the power-hitting fun next time up. Castellanos built the Phils’ lead to 4-0 in the third inning with a deep fly over the left-field wall. Bryson Stott added a solo long ball in the fourth. 

Just like Cristopher Sanchez the night prior, Luzardo was flawless his first time through Boston’s order. He struck out five batters over the first three innings and the Red Sox whiffed at his first seven sweepers. 

Boston had no baserunners until Rob Refsnyder started the fourth inning with a walk. Masataka Yoshida picked up the team’s first hit on a fifth-inning leadoff double. 

The fifth descended into disaster with two outs. 

Refsnyder popped a 2-0 pitch behind home plate with the the bases loaded and it appeared Luzardo had escaped any damage despite shaky control. However, J.T. Realmuto couldn’t locate the ball and it plopped in the grass. 

Luzardo walked in a run … and then another run. The boos intensified and the inning grew much worse. Romy Gonzalez delivered a go-ahead grand slam. 

The Phillies’ bullpen prevented the game from spiraling away. Jordan Romano, Daniel Robert, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm combined to throw four scoreless innings.

Boston’s bullpen also handled business through the seventh inning, but Aroldis Chapman was unable to polish off a 1-2-3 eighth. Realmuto evened the contest with one swing, lacing a Chapman sinker over the center-field fence.

The Phillies caused no problems for Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock in the ninth inning and Boston went back on top in the 10th. Trevor Story’s one-out double down the left-field line drove in ghost runner Jarren Duran.

Two pitches into the bottom of the 10th, the game was tied again. Turner’s fly out to right field advanced Stott to third base. Schwarber’s single off of Greg Weissert leveled it up at 7-all.

Carlos Narvaez landed the decisive blow in the 11th vs. Seth Johnson. He lined a two-run homer just over the left-field wall, a result that stood after a review for potential fan interference. 

The Phillies trimmed their deficit to one with a two-out Johan Rojas base hit, but Max Kepler struck out looking against Brennan Bernardino to wrap up a sour series finale.

Next up for the Phillies is a weekend series with the Yankees. Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) and Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) are the scheduled starters for Friday night’s series opener. 

Bohm to join Phils’ road trip 

After their stay in New York, the Phillies will head to Chicago for a three-game series against the White Sox. 

The plan is for Alec Bohm to be there and begin his rehab from a fractured rib.

“Feels better,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said pregame. “He’ll stay here until Sunday. And then Sunday he’ll travel to New York, catch up with us and go to Chicago with us. I think by that time he’ll start doing some functional work. Probably not swinging the bat yet, but at least play catch and take some ground balls or something like that.”

It took longer than the Mets wanted, but Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have appeared to give up the funk.

While the bottom half of the lineup was relied upon for offense in Tuesday night's win, the Mets' superstar tandem atop the order finally packed a punch on Wednesday afternoon, driving in a combined five runs on four hits in a sweep of the Angels at Citi Field.

The first chunk of damage was inflicted in the third inning. With two on and nobody out, Lindor mercifully snapped a career-worst 0-for-31 skid with an RBI single to left that gave the Mets a 2-1 lead.

Then, five pitches later, Alonso joined in on the fun, demolishing a fastball to left-center that struck the second deck for a 439-foot, three-run home run. It was the 248th blast of his career.

"I feel the love, it's definitely special," Lindor said of the fans' support after the win. "It makes you want to continue to go even harder, day in and day out. This city, this market makes you bring the best of yourself every day. And you can't take that for granted... Sorry I didn't put on a good show for them earlier.

"Stay the course, hopefully good things happen... I'm human. I don't want to go through [a slump], but I know I'm going to go through it. It sucks, put your head down and work. Try to get better... When you're good, you're good. When you suck, you suck. It is what it is."

Lindor collected his second hit of the game in the fourth, another RBI single to left that bumped the Mets' lead to 6-1. Alonso wrapped up his two-hit effort with a single to right in the seventh.

Some semblance of an awakening at the plate was inevitable for Lindor and Alonso, but their prolonged slumps naturally tested patience.

Lindor's first at-bat was a flyout to center, and with seven more hitless appearances, he would've surpassed Rey Ordóñez for the worst skid (0-for-37, set in 1997) in Mets history.

There was also a considerable power outage from Alonso. While he launched an emphatic three-run jack in the All-Star Game last week, his three-run bomb on Wednesday was his first regular-season homer since July 8.

It was the 22nd long ball of the year for Alonso, who's now four shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's record and five shy of becoming the Mets' all-time homers king.

Alonso entered July with a strong .291 average, but that marked dipped down to .270 before Wednesday's win due to a powerless 2-for-33 slide.

"That [homer] felt really good. I'm honestly more satisfied with the inside-out single in my last at-bat," Alonso said. "The homer obviously is super great, but personally, when I'm hitting the ball to the big part of the field, that's when I feel good... I just want to put my best foot forward every at-bat and give it my all."

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stated the obvious on his invaluable infielders -- their MVP-caliber production will allow the team to achieve the long-term goals set well before the regular season began.

"We're going to need those guys," Mendoza said. "We know they're going through it, but they're too good of a hitter. They're too good of a player. I'm glad they were able to come through for us today."

Francisco Lindor offers up his appreciation to Mets fans for continuing to support him as he snapped his difficult 0-for-31 stretch:

"I feel the love, it's definitely special - it makes you want to continue to go even harder. Sorry I didn't put a good show on earlier." pic.twitter.com/3K4kXMj7H3

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 23, 2025

Red Sox promote D'Angelo Ortiz, son of David Ortiz, to Low-A originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

D’Angelo Ortiz, the son of Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz, earned a promotion on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old was promoted from the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox to Low-A Salem. Through 51 games in the FCL, he slashed .273/.384/.305 with 18 RBI, 12 stolen bases, 34 strikeouts, and 27 walks.

Ortiz has played 39 games at first base and 13 at third base this season. The Red Sox initially selected him out of Miami Dade Community College in the 19th round (567th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has showcased impressive bat-to-ball skills, but his father’s power doesn’t appear to have been passed down. D’Angelo Ortiz has yet to record his first professional home run, and he didn’t homer in his previous two seasons (54 games) with the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate League of New England.

Ortiz will have to find some pop at the plate to continue his rise in the Red Sox organization. That said, it’s unfair to compare him to arguably the greatest hitter in franchise history. He’ll look to carve out his own identity on his road to the big leagues.

The Mets have emphasized a cautious progression plan for Sean Manaea, whose first outing after the All-Star break last weekend was capped at four innings and only 69 pitches. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza aptly compared the left-hander's current workload to a spring training ramp-up period.

But the careful approach with Manaea serves a clear long-term purpose, and the veteran southpaw still took another step forward on Wednesday afternoon by completing five innings on 82 pitches in the Mets' sweep of the Angels at Citi Field.

In his third appearance and second start of 2025 -- his debut came in long relief just before the All-Star break -- Manaea shook off some more rust, striking out the side in his first inning of work and four of the first six batters.

While he only produced one more punchout beyond that point, Manaea grinded through five one-run frames, inducing four groundouts and six flyouts with 10 first-pitch strikes. His lone blemish was a solo home run to Mike Trout in the third inning -- overall, he gave up a pair of hits and walks.

"I definitely didn't feel great out there, but good enough to get the job done," Manaea said after the game. "Fastball was good, slider was good, only threw one changeup. Effective enough. I think stamina-wise, just not fully there yet. It's just building up from there...

"I'm definitely an adrenaline guy. Every big-league game, I get that kind of adrenaile. It's hard to replicate anywhere else. Just getting more reps at the big-league level is what's going to work... I feel like I'm close, not like it's super far off. I definitely feel good."

Mendoza agreed with Manaea's self-assessment. Despite a strong first inning, he had to earn several outs with some below-average velocity, and the Mets' skipper noticed how deception in pitch speed and arm angle kept the Angels off-balance enough.

"I feel like he was grinding out there," Mendoza said. "He battled and it was good to see, on a day where maybe he wasn't feeling it for a lot of different reasons. This was what, outing No. 3 for him? Everybody will go through it. I'm glad he was able to do that. He's getting an extra day, next time around. He's in a good place."

It's unclear how long the Mets will closely monitor Manaea, as the 33-year-old proved his durability in 2024 by logging a team-high 200.2 innings between the regular season and postseason. He also recorded 184 strikeouts during the regular season, the second-highest mark of his career.

But the Mets are only concerned with his 2025, and his contributions to the big-league club didn't begin until July 13, due to oblique and elbow injuries that kept him on the shelf for months.

The good news is that Manaea's leash was one inning (and 13 pitches) longer on Wednesday. He now owns a 2.19 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 12.1 innings, and the Mets will see what type of adrenaline rush he gets with a scheduled road start against the Padres next week.

The Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 6-3 win on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field.

Here are the key takeaways...

- The Mets' offense often goes as Francisco Lindor goes, and the All-Star shortstop entered the game in the midst of a career-worst 0-for-30 skid. After that streak extended to 31 at-bats without a hit, Lindor broke out with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, and then added another RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.

Lindor went 2-for-4 with two RBI and run scored.

- Pete Alonso took another step closer to Darryl Strawberry's Mets home run record, smashing a no-doubt, three-run bomb in the bottom of the third inning, which broke the game open a bit at 5-1. The blast was No. 248 for Alonso, who is now just four behind Strawberry for the all-time franchise mark.

- Brandon Nimmo, who became the first player to play 500 games at Citi Field, got the Mets' afternoon started with a bang, slamming a solo home run to lead off the first inning. Nimmo added another hit later.

- Sean Manaea, making his third appearance of the season and his second start, had a relatively smooth outing. Outside of a second inning in which he allowed a single and walked a pair of batters to load the bases, the lefty looked sharp. He escaped that second-inning jam and ended up allowing just one run -- a Mike Trout solo home run -- on two hits over his 5.0 innings of work, striking out five and walking two.

- Starling Marte made his return to the lineup, batting fifth and serving as the DH. Marte went 2-for-4 at the plate, not showing any signs of rust.

- Jose Butto, just activated off the IL (illness) before the game, came on to pitch the seventh inning, but it wasn't the smoothest return to action for the right-hander. Butto was charged with two earned runs on three hits, as he retired just two of the five batters he faced.

- With the Mets off on Thursday, Carlos Mendoza turned to Edwin Diaz for a four-out save, and Diaz took advantage of a generous strike three call to get out of the eighth with two runners on base.

Diaz was not very sharp, as he hit Chris Taylor to lead off the ninth, but he got the job done to secure his 21st save of the season.

Who was the game MVP?

Alonso, whose three-run home run ended up being the difference in the game.

Highlights

Brandon Nimmo launches a leadoff shot! pic.twitter.com/Y2Uvx5RPfQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 23, 2025

FRANCISCO LINDOR SNAPS THE 0-FOR-31 STRETCH!

He puts the Mets back on top with an RBI single! pic.twitter.com/W11Vj9QWZJ

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 23, 2025

PETE ALONSO DETONATES 😱

Career homer number 248 for Pete! pic.twitter.com/ZUbRSe4Cxu

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 23, 2025

Another RBI single for Francisco Lindor! pic.twitter.com/251wT5pehu

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 23, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Mets are off Thursday before starting a six-game West Coast trip in San Francisco on Friday at 10:15 p.m.

Clay Holmes is scheduled to face Logan Webb.