Category: MLB

What we learned as Wilmer Flores, Luis Matos help Giants finish sweep of Astros originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

HOUSTON — When Hunter Greene started buzzing through the Giants on Opening Day, it was easy to wonder if that spring training record had been a mirage. They didn’t face many marquee pitchers in Arizona, or in their return to Oracle Park for a two-game exhibition series against the Detroit Tigers. 

But the Giants found a way to win that game by knocking Greene out early and attacking the bullpen, and on Wednesday, they handed Framber Valdez — one of the game’s best left-handers — what likely will be one of his worst pitching lines of the season. They did it with the kind of righty-heavy lineup that Bruce Bochy lovingly called a “bomb squad,” clinching a 5-1 road trip to start their season. 

Wilmer Flores hit an early bomb and Heliot Ramos kept his hot start going as the Giants held on for a 6-3 win over Valdez and the Astros. As Houston threatened to creep back, LaMonte Wade Jr. came off the bench and hit a pinch-hit homer, ending an 0-for-16 skid to start the year.

The sweep was their first against the Astros since 2012. A year ago, the Giants swept just one road series and finished 38-43 away from Oracle Park. 

Loving Extras

Ramos’ improvement against right-handers is one of the stories of the young season thus far, but the plan always was for him to lead off against lefties, and he had a huge hit off Valdez on Wednesday. With two on in the second, he broke the game open with a double into the gap in left-center. Mike Yastrzemski and Tyler Fitzgerald were running on the pitch and scored easily.

Ramos tied Felipe Alou’s franchise record by recording an extra-base hit in each of his first six games of the season. He’s slugging .731 and will head home with a 1.000 OPS, three homers, three doubles and seven RBI.

Flo Show

Six games into the season, Flores has tied his 2024 total for homers. The Giants always figured he would easily surpass the four he hit in an injury-marred season, but nobody could have predicted Flores doing it on the first trip. He’s the first Giant since Barry Bonds in 2002 to hit at least four homers over the first six games of a season; Bonds had five that year, and the franchise record is six by Willie Mays in 1964.

The Giants want Flores to be their everyday DH, and they’re going to great lengths to make that happen. With Jerar Encarnacion sidelined and a lefty on the mound, they started Casey Schmitt at first base for the first time. Schmitt misplayed a liner in the fifth that was initially ruled an error but then changed to a two-run single. 

First Time Out

It has been an odd couple of weeks for Landen Roupp. He won the fifth starter job, but because of the schedule, the Giants needed to send him back to Arizona to keep his pitch count up while he waited for his debut. Roupp flew out of Cincinnati after enjoying the Opening Day festivities, pitched in a minor league game in Scottsdale, and then threw a bullpen session at Tyler Beede’s house in Houston to stay sharp.

Early on Wednesday, it looked like all of that maneuvering had paid off. Roupp struck out the side in his first inning and finished with eight, but he also walked four. All of the long at-bats led to him being pulled in the fifth, when he walked a pair around a pop-up that landed between three Giants. The Astros would score twice, and Roupp finished with three earned runs in four-plus innings.

The Giants always had Hayden Birdsong lined up for this series and he made his first relief appearance in the big leagues.

Birdsong, who got the lead to Tyler Rogers in the eighth, gave up two hits, walked one and struck out a pair in two shutout innings while leaning heavily on a fastball that topped out at 98.5 mph.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

When the MLB trade deadline rolls around later this summer, Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara will undoubtedly be one of the biggest names on the rumor mill.

The 29-year-old right-hander is coming off of Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2024 season, but the two-time All-Star isn’t all that far from a Cy Young season in 2022, when he recorded a 2.28 ERA over 228.2 innings of work.

Alcantara is under contract through the 2026 season, and the Marlins have a club option for 2027. But with Miami seemingly being nowhere close to contention, it’s fair to assume teams with World Series aspirations will come calling.

Could the Mets be one of them? Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor would certainly be on board.

Speaking with Mike Puma of the New York Post, Soto and Lindor shared their thoughts on the possibility of the Mets going after Alcantara should he become the biggest fish on the market.

“It would be one of the best trades that we could have,” Soto told Puma about potentially reeling Alcantara in. “I know we have great pitching here, but adding a Cy Young winner like that would be huge.”

“If he goes to a team that has a chance to compete at the end, I think you are going to see who he is,” Soto added. “He is doing that on a team that has no serious chance to go to the playoffs, but he keeps trying and competing even without run support. Whenever he goes to a winning team you are going to see what Sandy Alcantara is capable of.”

And if you ask Lindor, the Mets adding Alcantara would feel similar to when the Mets signed another star this past offseason.

“It would almost be like adding Soto,” Lindor said. “You add Soto, it’s going to help the team. You add Alcantara and it’s going to help the team.”

Alcantara allowed two earned runs on three hits over his 5.0 innings on Tuesday night, as the Marlins downed the Mets, 4-2. In two starts this season, Alcantara has pitched to a 3.72 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings, showing signs of being the pitcher he was prior to Tommy John.

As Soto told Puma, “It’s going to take a lot to get him,” but with the Mets already dealing with injuries in the starting rotation to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, a stocked farm system at their disposal, and an owner in Steve Cohen who wants to win as soon as possible, the thought of Alcantara pitching it Queens doesn’t sound all that fishy after all.

You don’t have to talk to many folks in the Yankees clubhouse to hear whispered admissions that the team misses Juan Soto and wishes he were still around. Who wouldn’t feel that way after losing arguably the best left-handed hitter in the game, and a nice young man to boot?

But four games into the season, it is becoming evident that while the team thinks about its erstwhile mate, the 2025 lineup is dynamic, not to mention deeper and more athletic.

No roster is perfect, though, and the hole in this one popped up in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to Arizona.

Down 7-4 in the ninth inning and facing the D-backs’ left-handed closer A.J. Puk, manager Aaron Boone had already removed switch hitter Jasson Dominguez for outfield defense. That left three lefty hitters -- Austin Wells, Trent Grisham, and Ben Rice -- to face Puk. Switch hitter Oswaldo Cabrera, who is much better against righty pitching, was due up fourth.

Here is where the Yanks remain one threatening righty bat short. The two on the bench were Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza. After Rice homered to make it 7-5, Boone hit Reyes for Cabrera. Reyes lined the first pitch from Puk to center, ending the game.

The context that led to this moment:

-- The Yankees entered spring training without a full-time third baseman or high-end righty utility guy, in large part because they opted to exhaust their remaining budget at first base instead. The Paul Goldschmidt signing concluded the heavy lifting of a very busy and productive offseason.

-- All through spring training, the team scouted other camps for a righty bat, but the right player and deal did not materialize. They remain open to making this acquisition, but can’t create the player they need out of thin air; at the moment, this player doesn’t appear to exist.

-- Peraza entered camp with the chance to finally turn his potential to results and dazzle the Yankees. He could have become -- and still has the tools to be -- the righty bat about whom we’re talking. But he hit .160 in spring, and made the team in large part because he is out of minor league options and the Yanks aren’t quite ready to lose him on waivers.

-- Peraza’s lackluster spring left Reyes as Boone’s choice to hit for Cabrera on Tuesday.

Now, a few potential solutions to this problem:

-- Dominguez could improve his defense to the point where Boone is eventually comfortable forgoing the defensive replacement. Had this been the case on Tuesday, he would have batted in the ninth instead of Grisham.

-- Dominguez could also improve from the right side. At present he is a switch hitter who is significantly better from the left side. His continued development could at some point give the Yankees another righty bat.

-- Peraza could step up. Time is running out there.

-- An appealing trade could somehow pop up, though it hasn’t yet.

This issue aside, the Yankees’ post-Soto lineup redesign is looking not just hot to start the season, but sustainably good -- and that’s without two future Hall-of-Famers in Soto and, for now, Giancarlo Stanton.

Forget the 18 home runs through four games for a moment. Consider what happened in Tuesday’s game, started by Corbin Burnes, one of the best pitchers in the sport:

-- Wells worked a brilliant 13-pitch at-bat in a fifth inning that set in motion a chain of events that ended in first baseman Josh Naylor’s two-run throwing error. Yes, the runs were unearned, but this was a classic case of a team making its own luck.

Wells appears on his way to the upper echelon of catchers in the game; who could have imagined a year ago that it would be legitimate to debate if a team would rather have Wells, Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, the Mets’ Francisco Alvarez or Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno? But here we are.

-- Cody Bellinger stole a base, his first of the season. The highly athletic Bellinger swiped 20 bags in 2023, and is a threat while on the bases.

-- The youngsters hit balls hard: A bulked-up Rice smashed a double at 111 mph and a groundout at 105 mph. Dominguez homered and made solid, 97 mph contact on a single to left. And Anthony Volpe took Burns way deep to left, smashing a homer at 107 mph. Volpe had three homers on the season before the curtain closed on April Fools Day.

-- In addition to those specific events, the Yankee lineup features several elements that should help it all year. Dominguez, Bellinger, Rice, Goldschmidt and Wells all bring swings naturally tailored to Yankee Stadium’s dimensions.

-- Chisholm is far more athletic than his predecessor at second base, Gleyber Torres. He already has three home runs and a helpful high-tech bat.

-- We haven’t even mentioned that the Yankees continue to employ the best position player to grace New York City in perhaps a generation or more, Aaron Judge.

-- Another green shoot appeared in the clubhouse before the game, when Stanton confirmed what we heard from sources last week: His tennis elbows are improving, and he won’t miss nearly as much time as many of us assumed in spring training after Stanton declared his injury "severe."

One note on Will Warren:

The Yankees are excited about Warren’s potential, and loved his performance in five strong innings in Tuesday’s start. But one thing to note: Warren did not hold his fastball velocity for all five frames. He was within his normal range for most of the game, sitting 90-92 mph and touching 94 mph twice, according to a scout.

But Warren’s 3-1 fastball to Jake McCarthy leading off the fifth inning flashed on the scoreboard as 89 mph. It actually came in above 89.5 mph, according to a scout, so it could be called 90. But it did get a few people’s attention.

Possible explanations: 1) Warren threw 85 pitches, more than he had in a spring training game. He is still building stamina; 2) he might have been focusing on throwing a strike, resulting in a tiny velocity reduction; 3) it was freakin' freezing out there.

Not a significant concern at all. Warren pitched well. Just an observation.

Red Sox, Campbell agree to eight-year extension after five MLB games originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to sign one of their top young players, Kristian Campbell, to a long-term contract extension.

The team announced Wednesday that Campbell’s deal spans eight years with club options for 2033 and 2034. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the extension is worth $60 million and could reach as high as $100 million.

This is a great move by the Red Sox, who have locked up a potential star to a very team-friendly contract well into the next decade. If Campbell doesn’t reach his potential, this is a contract the Red Sox can easily stomach. But if Campbell does reach his potential, this contract should be one of the best in baseball.

Campbell entered the 2025 season as the No. 7 prospect in the sport, per MLB.com’s rankings. He opened the year as the Red Sox’s starting second baseman, and he has been one of their best players through five games.

Campbell is batting .375 (6-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, four runs scored, four walks and five strikeouts so far this season.

This contract for Campbell comes a few days after the Red Sox signed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet to a six-year, $170 million extension that begins in 2026.

The Red Sox resume their series against the Orioles in Baltimore on Wednesday night.

The Mets face the Marlins in Miami on Wednesday at 4:40 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

---

Mets Notes

• Juan Soto has a .955 OPS over his first five games as a Met
• Brandon Nimmo has homered in two straight games and reached base safely in all five games this year
• Max Kranick has fired 3.2 perfect innings in relief over two appearances this season
• Huascar Brazoban has tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in two games in relief

---

---

What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 

• Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 

• Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

• Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here. 

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

---

• Francisco Lindor made a game-changing error and the Mets' bats went silent during a 4-2 loss to the Marlins
• After a shaky first two batters, Kodai Senga settled in. Overall, he allowed two earned runs while striking out eight over 5.0 innings
• Lindor shouldered the blame for the loss
• Max Kranick was literally untouchable, firing 3.0 perfect innings in relief
• Sean Manaea has been shut down for two weeks due to oblique discomfort, significantly pushing back his timeline for a return
• Blade Tidwell dazzled and Brandon Sproat struggled in their respective first starts of the season for Triple-A Syracuse
• Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford are ready to get going for Double-A Binghamton
• On The Mets Pod, Connor and Joe talk Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and much more
• WATCH: Is Lindor ready for an April breakthrough?
• WATCH: Williams and Clifford discuss their goals for this season

Braves historic slow start could usher them out of playoff race early originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

You can’t win the division in April, but you can lose it if you’re not careful.

The Phillies had high expectations for this season, especially considering how brief their stay was in last year’s playoffs. Similarly, their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, expected big things in 2025, after a season frought with injuries to star players, and an early postseason exit of their own.

But while the Phillies have been pretty much as advertised thus far this season, the bottom has just about fallen out for the Bravos.

Atlanta is now 0-6 on the young season after a 3-1 loss late Tuesday night to the Dodgers. Unsurprisingly, they sit in last place in the NL East, already four games behind the front-running Phils.

They are the only winless team in baseball.

There is only 1 Winless team left in baseball:

The Atlanta Braves pic.twitter.com/pWauTBukv4

— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) April 2, 2025

Their offense, right about at league average last season, is easily the worst in the game to this point. They have scored a total of nine runs so far this season, and their average of 1.5 per game is worst in MLB. Also ranked 30^th: team batting average (.137), on-base percentage (.238), and slugging percentage (.220).

Only three teams all-time have had a worse team batting average in their first six games to a season: the 2003 Tigers (.133), who finished 43-119, the 2021 Cubs (.124, 71-91), and the 2013 Pirates, who hit .119 as a team through six games, yet somehow turned things around to win 94 games and get to the NLDS.

I’ve heard a baseball adage that “You can’t win the division in April, but you can sure lose it.” I don’t know if that applies to April *second,* but consider this: in baseball history, only three teams lost their first six games and went on to play postseason baseball: the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays, the 1995 Reds, and the 1974 Pirates.

According to bet365.com, the Braves were +135 favorites to win the NL East just nine days ago. They are now third-favorites, behind the Phillies and Mets, at +270.

The Braves will not have left fielder Jurickson Profar – whom they signed this offseason to to 3-year, $42 million contract – for 80 games after Profar tested positive for PEDs. Profar also cannot play if the Braves make the postseason as a result of the suspension.

The 2023 NL MVP, Ronald Acuña, who missed most of 2024 with an ACL tear, is taking batting practice, but hasn’t done any outfield drills. He is not expected back until mid-to-late May. That’s two big boppers at the top of the lineup who aren’t coming through the clubhouse door anytime soon.

2025 began as a three-team race for the NL East crown. If the Braves can’t turn things around quickly, the Phillies will only have the Mets to contend with.

Padres sign star Jackson Merrill to 9-year, $135M extension through 2034: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The San Diego Padres’ strong start to 2025 just got better.

All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill reportedly agreed to a nine-year, $135 million extension with the Friars that is guaranteed to run through the 2034 season.

“This is exactly where I want to be,” Merrill said during a press conference Wednesday morning.

That realization came during his first conversation with Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller before Merrill was even drafted in 2021.

“The Padres were the first team that ever reached out to me, ever scouted me. They believed in me from day one,” Merrill said. “They believed in me, they trusted me and they wanted me.”

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported news of the deal on Wednesday morning.

The deal can max out at $204 million depending on incentives, plus it includes a $30 million club option for a 10th season (2035) that can be converted to a player option with a top-five finish in MVP voting.

His goals during the length of that contract are simple.

“Winning and just winning only,” Merrill said. “My goal is to win. It’s always been to win, it’s always been to dominate with my boys on the field and I’m just happy I get to do it for a long amount of time now.”

Merrill, still just 21 years old, is well on his way to already reaching that incentive after breakout out last season. He hit .292 with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs, 31 doubles and 16 stolen bases over 156 games, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and being named a Silver Slugger.

The Padres are off to a 6-0 start this season, with Merrill headlining their offense alongside Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Through six games, the center fielder is batting .400 with a home run and six RBIs.

“There’s always a positive energy here. I’ve never felt a negative energy, even when we lose games. It’s just like how can you be so upset about where you are right now? You’re playing in the big leagues, you’re playing in San Diego. There’s really not much to complain about.”

San Diego will look to wrap up a perfect homestand on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians, with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. PT.

Athletics trade Ruiz to Dodgers for right-handed pitcher Duran originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics parted ways with one of their talented youngsters on Wednesday.

The Green and Gold traded speedy outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-handed starting pitcher Carlos Duran, ESPN’s Alden González first reported before the team made the move official shortly after.

The A’s have acquired RHP Carlos Duran from the Dodgers in exchange for OF Esteury Ruiz.

— A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) April 2, 2025

Ruiz, 26, has been back and forth between Triple-A Las Vegas and the major leagues over the past season-plus after stealing an American League-most 67 stolen bases during the 2023 MLB season, which also broke Rickey Henderson’s Athletics rookie record.

In 178 games at the major-league level, Ruiz is batting .243/.297/.343 with seven home runs, 57 RBI and 73 stolen bases in 598 plate appearances.

Duran, whom the Athletics acquired for Ruiz, is a 23-year-old starting pitcher who signed with Los Angeles as a 16-year-old international prospect in 2018.

In 19 starts last season, Duran posted a 3.71 ERA in 53 1/3 innings pitched with 73 strikeouts and 32 walks for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate.