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Mets let late three-run lead slip, fall to Braves 5-4 in extra innings

The Mets let a three-run lead slip in the eighth before falling in 10 innings to the Braves, 5-4, on Tuesday night in Atlanta. New York has now lost four straight.

David Peterson cruised through seven innings, but allowed the first two men to reach in the eighth before he was lifted, and the bullpen allowed three runs to score to doom the lefty to a no-decision.

And in the bottom of the 10th after the Mets failed to score, Carlos Mendoza walked Ronald Acuña Jr. intentionally to put runners on first and second in a tie game. Huascar Brazobán got Alex Verdugo on an infield fly before more sloppy baseball hurt the Mets.

On a ball in the dirt that Francisco Alvarez couldn’t backhand cleanly, the runner at second, Luke Williams, was stopped halfway to third. If the catcher ran at him or threw to third, it would have been the second out. Instead, Alvarez quickly tossed to second and the winning run was at third. A walk loaded the bases, and on the first pitch to Austin Riley, he drove a sacrifice fly to the warning track in deep right-center to end the game.

Here are the takeaways...

- Pitching with a lead right away, Peterson walked the leadoff hitter, but got some help from his defense as Pete Alonso made a fine play on a sharp grounder, starting a 3-6 double play when Acuña gave up on the rundown, not wanting to risk cutting back and forth on his knees this close to coming back from a second ACL tear. 

Peterson put himself in a tough spot with two down in the third after issuing a walk and an opposite-field single. And after falling behind 3-1 to Matt Olson, the lefty made a good pitch, but it was muscled into center to score the Braves' first run. The lefty limited the damage, but saw his scoreless inning streak snapped at 15.2. 

Through five innings, the lefty was giving his infielders a workout, as he got 12 of 15 outs on 10 ground balls. The other outs: Michael Harris II swinging twice on down-and-away sliders and Acuña flying out to center.

The defense, which had been faultless, bit Peterson to start the seventh, as Ronny Mauricio’s low throw to first went for a two-base error. It was an unforced mistake, as Marcell Ozuna was loafing to first. But Peterson got the next three batters with a pair of lineouts around a pop-up to first.

- Peterson came back out for the eighth, but his command didn’t, as he allowed a leadoff walk and a single. Mendoza brought in Reed Garrett (on a week of rest), and the pinch-hitter Verdugo got a single to right to load the bases and put the tying run on first with nobody out.

Garrett rebounded to get Olson looking at a 1-2 splitter that just caught the outside corner, and Riley to flyout to shallow right. But he threw a hanging 2-2 splitter to Ozuna, and he cleared the bases with a double into the left field corner.

Peterson's final line: 7.0 innings, three runs, five hits, three walks, three strikeouts in 93 pitches (55 strikes).

Francisco Lindor may have had a slight chance to get Verdugo at the plate to keep the Mets ahead, but dropped the ball as he went for the transfer on the relay and the game was tied heading to the ninth.

- Edwin Diaz needed 17 pitches for a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout to send the game to extra innings. But in the top of the 10th with Luisangel Acuña on second as the ghost runner, Jarred Young went down swinging, Alvarez popped out to shallow right, and Mauricio popped out to the shortstop in shallow left against Atlanta righty Raisel Iglesias, who entered the game with a 6.23 ERA in 26 innings.

- Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach had the Mets’ number in his previous three games, allowing just nine hits in 73 at-bats (.123) and a .341 OPS with 20 strikeouts and one walk. But the visitors flipped the switch on the right-hander earlier.

With two down in the first, Juan Soto drove a slider that floated over the middle of the plate for a 412-foot opposite-field home run. The signature Soto blast (108.4 mph off the bat) was good for his 14th dinger and 37th RBI of the year.

In the second, Jeff McNeil extended his on-base streak to 19 games by smacking a curveball over the plate for a single to right to start the inning. The big at-bat came when Alvarez worked a one-out walk, after falling behind 0-2 on two whiffs. With two down, Tyrone Taylor lofted a 2-0 fastball into shallow right, but Acuña -- and his bad knees -- couldn’t reach it with a head-first dive and two runs scored on the double.

In the fifth, Taylor, after falling behind in the count 0-2, got a splitter up and clobbered it 407 feet to right for a solo shot, giving him two on the year and 15 RBI.

Schwellenbach managed to work around the four runs to go seven innings, allowing six hits and two walks while getting eight strikeouts.

- The Mets ran themselves out of the third as Soto walked with one out, only to get picked off first (1-3-4) when he started for second and Schwellenbach managed to step off the mound in time. Three pitches later, Alonso lined a slider (105.9 mph) toward the left-field corner and dug for second but was cut down easily as Eli White got to the ball in a flash and made a decent throw to end the inning.

Bad luck got them in the sixth, as Soto lined one sharply to left (100.6 mph), but it was the first out. After Alonso cracked his second single of the game, McNeil roped one (97.9 mph) right at the shortstop, who was able to double Alonso off first with a good throw to end the inning. The two hits that made three outs carried an xBA of .450 and .600.

The combo of bad luck and bad baserunning stung in the top half of the ninth. Soto smashed a single (110.5 mph) into right to start the inning, and Alonso drove one deep to right and Acuña -- bad knees and all -- ranged back to the wall and for a leaping catch. Unfortunately, Soto didn't get a read on the ball or the catch, and was easily doubled off first as he was a dozen feet from second as Acuña started tossing the ball in.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Braves are right back at it on Wednesday night in Atlanta for a 7:15 p.m. first pitch.

Right-hander Paul Blackburn gets the ball for New York with left-hander Chris Sale starting for the home team.

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Rafael Devers ready to put Boston situation behind and start fresh in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers strolled into the clubhouse side-by-side with home run king Barry Bonds, a fellow left-handed slugger who San Francisco's new big hitter has long admired from afar.

“I think just looking at him my game has already improved a lot,” Devers joked as he was formally introduced by the Giants on Tuesday, when he started at designated hitter batting third in the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians.

Cheered warmly when introduced before first pitch before a rousing ovation when he walked to the batter's box to chants of “Rafi,” Devers struck out swinging on five pitches in his initial at-bat in the first. Fans held their phones high to capture photos and video.

Devers is determined to leave his own lasting mark on the franchise in what is a much-needed fresh start for him and a monumental mid-season acquisition for Buster Posey and San Francisco's front office.

And whatever went wrong in Boston, Devers is done discussing any issues he had with the Red Sox and eager to move forward across the country with the Giants.

“That’s in the past now, I’m looking ahead and focusing on what I have here being a San Francisco Giant,” Devers said. “I’m eager to go out there and play and see what I can do.”

With a bright smile to match his bright new No. 16 jersey, Devers insisted he will play anywhere and do whatever manager Bob Melvin and his staff ask.

“I really like his answers by the way,” said Posey, in his first year as president of baseball operations.

And on Day 1, Devers was out fielding groundballs at first base - something he wouldn’t do in Boston. His batting practice drew a huge crowd at Oracle Park, where fans arrived early wearing his jersey.

The Giants will take on a mega contract after Devers signed a new $331 million, 11-year deal in January 2023. He joins several other stars here with long-term contracts - shortstop Willy Adames has a seven-year, $182 million deal and third baseman Matt Chapman at $151 million over six years through 2030 - as Posey builds a roster he expects will compete for another World Series championship, like the ones the Giants won with him as their star catcher in 2010, ‘12 and ’14.

San Francisco last made the playoffs in 2021, when it won a franchise-record 107 games and edged the rival Dodgers for the NL West title on the final day.

“I think this organization has talent, they have won championships. I am here to play, to win and to win a championship,” Devers said through an interpreter.

Posey thanked ownership for its willingness to go for it and trade for Devers to boost a club that has lacked power and struggled to score runs for extended stretches this year. The trade announced Sunday came together in the past few weeks after countless hours and conversations.

“I think the persistence really paid off,” chairman Greg Johnson said.

While the Giants will gradually get Devers up to speed playing the field again since he has strictly been a DH this year, they know he has plenty of mentors eager to help. Melvin doesn't expect Devers to play third but rather DH and first, the very position he didn't want to play after losing his job at third when the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a $120 million, three-year contract in February to be their third baseman - the spot where Devers made 130 starts last year.

“When you have a guy like Barry Bonds around, arguably the greatest hitter of all-time, it's an added benefit for sure,” Posey said.

It will only be a matter of days before Devers' first reunion with the Red Sox, who visit Oracle Park for a weekend series.

He was batting .271 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs over 72 games as Boston's primary DH. When asked what the differences will be as he begins anew, Devers noted: “It’s the same baseball. I’m here to give my 100%.”

“Been a fan from afar,” pitcher Justin Verlander said. “Excited to add a player like that to our lineup.”

The 28-year-old Devers hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of playing first base in Boston but thanked the people who cheered him, calling them “great fans who supported me my whole time there.”

After all the fanfare of his introduction and receiving his jersey in front of most of his teammates, who made time to be at his news conference before doing their pregame routines, Devers got to work.

“The Giants brought me here for a reason and I will give 100%,” he said. “I'm now happy to be part of the team.”

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Shohei Ohtani 'feeling good' after his Dodgers pitching debut and could return to mound this weekend

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani came out of his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in good order, even if he was his own worst critic.

The two-way superstar from Japan gave up a run and a pair of two-strike hits in one inning of work Monday night against San Diego as he returned from right elbow surgery. It was his first outing since August 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels.

At the plate, he had two hits and two RBIs in the Dodgers' 6-3 win.

“I think he's just a little fatigued but feels good,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday.

Ohtani was in his usual leadoff spot as the designated hitter Tuesday night against the Padres. He'll likely throw a light bullpen in the next few days.

“Not quite happy with the results overall,” he said through a translator. “But I think the biggest takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to go out for my next outing.”

He threw 28 pitches - 16 for strikes - and his fastball topped out at 100.2 mph - the second-hardest pitch thrown by a Dodgers hurler this season.

“What I noticed is that when I warm up to pitch in the game, I’m already really warmed up going into the game,” he said. "So I did feel a lot better overall than when I’m just DHing.”

Roberts indicated Ohtani could pitch Saturday or Sunday when the Washington Nationals are in town.

“It's kind of a week situation,” he said, “but it’s not like a hard and fast seven days.”

The Dodgers open a six-game trip at Colorado on Tuesday, but it seems unlikely Ohtani would pitch in Denver's high altitude where the thin air reduces the movement of pitches, particularly fastballs and curveballs, and favors hitters.

The team has the option to add an inning in his next start or keep him at one. The decision will be made between the medical staff and Ohtani, Roberts said.

Carefully and cautiously.

Despite a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries, the team is not putting pressure on their $700 million man.

In fact, it was Ohtani who told the Dodgers he wanted to test himself in a big league game rather than face hitters in simulated at-bats as he'd been doing over the last three weeks.

“This is a unique situation,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We have to make sure that we’re also keeping one of our best hitters in the lineup. So much of it is the back and forth and how he’s feeling and making sure that every step we’ve done along the way is just erring on the side of caution.”

The Dodgers have eight starters, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Japanese rookie phenom Roki Sasaki, and six relievers on the injured list.

Glasnow (shoulder) threw about 40 pitches over two innings in a live batting practice session Tuesday. The right-hander looked “really good,” Roberts said.

Glasnow could throw a bullpen in a few days and go on a minor league rehab assignment soon.

Blake Snell (shoulder) threw a bullpen Monday.

Sasaki (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing after not feeling comfortable. He's been out since May 9 and Roberts has said “we have to plan on life without him as far as this year.”

Emmet Sheehan takes the mound for the Dodgers on Wednesday, his first start in the majors since his rookie year in 2023. He had Tommy John surgery in May 2024.

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Yankees' scoreless streak reaches shocking 29 innings with 4-0 loss to Angels

The Yankees couldn't muster up a single run for a third straight game, as they fell to the Angels, 4-0, on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium for a fifth straight loss.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Will Warren looked comfortable from the jump. The Yankees' rookie starter retired the first five batters with three strikeouts and pushed his fastball velocity to 96.3 mph, up an average of 2.1 mph. But his groove didn't last long, as the Angels took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single from Luis Rengifo that narrowly missed DJ LeMahieu's glove on a diving attempt and trickled into right field. Warren gave up more soft contact in the third, and while facing a bases-loaded jam, Taylor Ward pushed the Angels' lead to 3-0 with a two-run single to left that deflected off Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third.

The early mistakes didn't faze Warren. He quickly settled back in after the two-run single, retiring 11 straight on 46 pitches. The impressive bounceback effort allowed him to complete six innings for the first time since May 9, and he registered the quality start with a career-high 11 punchouts and zero walks across 93 total pitches. Warren also threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of 24 batters, fell into a full count only twice, and induced four groundouts.

-- Unfortunately for Warren, his strong performance was spoiled by a dormant offense. The Yanks entered Tuesday riding a jarring 20-inning scoreless streak, and the skid confoundingly reached 26 after six shutout frames and a season-high nine strikeouts from Angels starter Kyle Hendricks. Their struggles against Hendricks defied expectations, as the veteran right-hander took the mound with the second-worst ERA among all MLB starters.

-- Ian Hamilton took over for Warren in the seventh, and the Angels took advantage of the welcome pitching change by producing another bases-loaded rally on a single from Rengifo, a catcher's interference error from Austin Wells, and a hit by pitch to Zach Neto. With one out, Nolan Schanuel grounded out to second, driving in Rengifo and bumping the Angels' lead to 4-0.

-- The Yankees had no answers for the trio of Angels relievers that entered after Hendricks' exit. They went down in order during the seventh and eighth, and only managed to reach base once in the ninth on a walk. Overall, they struck out 12 times and produced just four hits. The ugly loss marked their first time being shut out in three straight games since 2016. It's happened just six times before.

-- Jasson Dominguez, who was penciled in to the leadoff spot for the first time this season, finished 1-for-4 with a single. The only Yankee with a multi-hit night was Giancarlo Stanton, who went 2-for-4. The sample size is somewhat small, but call the past week a slump for Aaron Judge -- he's hitting .125 (3-for-24) over his last seven games.

Game MVP: Will Warren

Sure, this accolade could belong to Ward, who delivered a back-breaking, two-run single in the third that essentially put the game out of reach. But the terrific performance from Warren can't be ignored. Despite the early blunders, he recorded a career-high 11 punchouts across six innings.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees (42-30) will continue their four-game set against the Angels on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Ryan Yarbrough (3-1, 3.96 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite Jack Kochanowicz (3-8, 5.53 ERA).

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Mets' Mark Vientos kicks off rust with first rehab game at Triple-A Syracuse

Mets third baseman Mark Vientos got his first action since he landed on the injured list two weeks ago with a hamstring injury.

Vientos served as the DH on Tuesday night for Triple-A Syracuse and looked to kick off the rust from his time on the bench, as he finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Batting in the first inning with a runner on first against right-hander Matt Pushard, Vientos swung through the first two pitches, a 94 mph fastball and a high, looping 79 mph curveball. He hit the next curveball hard (93.6 mph off the bat) but got under it for an easy fly out to center.

He came up again with a runner on first base in the third. This time against righty Josh White, he took a called strike on a slider before working the count to 2-1, laying off a pair of pitches down and off the plate. After fouling a slider the other way, he swung right over a thigh-high slider to end the third frame.

With one out in the sixth, Vientos got nothing but soft stuff from left-hander Josh Simpson and, after fouling off several pitches, reached out and smacked a low-and-away changeup 104 mph off the bat but right at the center fielder. Aside from the hard contact, Vientos' third at-bat was clearly his best, especially when he took a 1-2 changeup that was just off the outside corner.

In his final at-bat against righty Anderson Pilar, Vientos went down swinging on a 94 mph cutter off the inside corner. He is clearly kicking off a lot of rust after a fortnight on the shelf, as he swung and missed six times in four times up.

The Mets hope the rehab can jolt Vientos back into form, as he had just six hits in his last 36 at-bats (.167) and a .549 OPS in the 12 games before hitting the IL.

He has posted a .230/.298/.380 slashline for a .678 OPS (95 OPS+ and 94 wRC+) through 208 plate appearances in 53 games.

Before the Mets took on the Braves in Atlanta, manager Carlos Mendoza said Vientos will likely have Wednesday off before playing at third base in Thursday night's game. The Mets will look to get him into back-to-back games and give him time in the field before bringing him back to the big-league roster.

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Dodgers say Nezza is not banned from stadium for singing national anthem in Spanish

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 14, 2025: Singer and social media personality Nezza.
Singer and social media personality Nezza sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Spanish before the Dodgers game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on June 14. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

What started as a subtle act of protest has become national news.

Three days after singer and social media personality Nezza performed a Spanish version of the national anthem at Dodger Stadium — despite being asked by a team employee to sing it in English — the performer further addressed the situation Tuesday in an interview with CNN.

“With everything that’s been happening, I just felt like I needed to stand with my people and show them that I’m with them,” Nezza (whose full name is Vanessa Hernández) said on CNN’s “The Lead.” “I wanted to represent them that day.”

Read more:Nezza says she sang national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium against team's wishes

Nezza’s performance of the Spanish anthem — a version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" commissioned by the U.S. State Department in 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt — became a viral story after she posted a video on TikTok of an unidentified Dodgers employee telling her beforehand that “we are going to do the song in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.”

Nezza proceeded to sing the Spanish version anyway; doing so on the same day thousands gathered downtown to protest President Trump and recent ICE raids around Los Angeles in the last two weeks.

In email communications with the team leading up to her performance, Nezza said she asked if she could sing the anthem in both English and Spanish, but was told no because she would have only a 90-second window for her performance.

Still, she said she arrived at the stadium “fully thinking that I was welcome [to sing in Spanish], because nobody told me in that email thread, ‘No, you can’t.’”

“Had they told me you can’t have any Spanish in there,” she added, “I would have respectfully declined and not shown up on Saturday.”

Instead, Nezza performed the anthem in Spanish prior to the Dodgers-Giants game, before posting two videos on TikTok explaining the situation that quickly went viral.

Read more:Nezza sang the national anthem in Spanish. In doing so, she shed light on a forgotten Latina trailblazer

On Sunday, a Dodgers official told The Times in a statement that she would be welcome back at the stadium.

In Tuesday’s CNN interview, Nezza said she was “very shocked” to learn she was welcome back at the ballpark, noting that “30 seconds after my performance, we actually received a call that said, ‘Don’t ever call us again. Don’t ever email us again. The rest of your clients are never welcome here again.’ So for me, that kind of feels like a ban."

The Dodgers, however, reaffirmed to CNN that there were “no hard feelings” resulting from the situation. And a team spokesperson confirmed to The Times this week that, “She is certainly welcome back at the stadium. She is not banned from the stadium.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre added to the AL staff as an honorary coach for the All-Star Game

Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre will serve as an honorary coach for the American League at the All-Star Game in Atlanta next month.

New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone invited Torre on Tuesday to join his staff at the Midsummer Classic. The 84-year-old Torre, currently a special assistant to the commissioner, won 2,326 games as a major league manager over 29 seasons. He led the Yankees to four World Series titles and six AL pennants in 12 years with the team.

Torre also managed the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In addition, Boone invited Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt to join the AL staff for the game. He will join Yankees coaches in the dugout.

On the NL side, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts asked Braves manager Brian Snitker and Miami Marlins first-year manager Clayton McCullough to serve as coaches. They will join the Dodgers’ coaching staff.

The All-Star Game takes place July 15 at Truist Park, three days before Torre’s 85th birthday.

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Luke Weaver (hamstring) nears Yankees return with simulated game

NEW YORK — Yankees reliever Luke Weaver threw a simulated game Tuesday afternoon and is getting closer to rejoining New York's bullpen.

Weaver, who strained his left hamstring June 1 while warming up at Dodger Stadium, faced teammates J.C. Escarra and Oswald Peraza before the Yankees played the Los Angeles Angels.

“Kind of simulated four outs,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He looked great. He really looks good.”

The team initially expected Weaver to miss four to six weeks, but the right-hander said any pain in the hamstring disappeared within days of the injury. He had three side sessions before Tuesday’s simulated game.

“Obviously we passed the activation date, but we want to be smart and make sure the recovery is going well,” Weaver said. “Today was the biggest step thus far and I feel really good. So I’ll definitely advocate to tell them how I’m feeling.”

Weaver’s return will give the Yankees two legitimate ninth-inning options. He has a 1.05 ERA this season and emerged as New York's closer by converting six saves in seven chances after Devin Williams posted an 11.25 ERA in his first 10 appearances.

Williams, however, has a 2.90 ERA in his last 20 games and has converted all four save opportunities this month.

“I haven’t gone into that full-bore yet,” Boone said. “Filing that under a good problem to have. Love the way Devin’s throwing the ball right now. Just looking forward to getting another hammer back in Weave."

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Mets reliever Brooks Raley strikes out two in first rehab appearance

Mets left-handed relieverBrooks Raleytook his first small step toward making a return to the big leagues.

Raley made his first rehab appearance on Tuesday night for A-ball St. Luice, pitching a scoreless first inning, allowing one hit, but getting two swinging strikeouts on offspeed pitches down in the zone. Facing two left-handed batters and two righties, he threw 12 pitches (10 strikes).

The lefty threw seven sliders, four changeups, and one sinker and got four called strikes and two whiffs.

This was Raley's first time on the mound in a game in 424 days, which is a quick turnaround considering Tommy John surgery can be a 12-18 month rehabilitation. The lefty underwent the procedure, which also included an internal brace, last May after appearing in eight games with the Mets in 2024, allowing just two hits and three walks over 7.0 innings with nine strikeouts.

Acquired in a December 2022 trade with Tampa Bay, the lefty had a stellar first year in Queens, pitching to a 2.80 ERA and 1.262 WHIP in 54.2 innings over 66 appearances out of the bullpen. He allowed 19 runs (17 earned) on 44 hits with 61 strikeouts to 25 walks.

Raley, who turns 37 in two weeks, re-signed with the Mets this April on a one-year deal with a team option for 2026.

Due to the length of Raley's time out of action, president of baseball operations David Stearns said last week the rehab assignment could last the full 30 days or close to it.

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Nick Castellanos benched for 'inappropriate comment' after being pulled for defensive replacement

MIAMI — Nick Castellanos was benched by Phillies manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday for “an inappropriate comment” the outfielder made after he was pulled for a defensive replacement a day earlier, ending Castellanos' streak of 236 consecutive starts.

“One thing about Nick, one of the many things about Nick is that he is very emotional,” Thomson said before Tuesday night's game at Miami. “He loves to play. He loves to play every inning of every game.

“I just thought last night he made an inappropriate comment after he came out. So, today, he’s not in the lineup. And I’m going to leave it at that.”

Castellanos played right field and singled in four at-bats against the Marlins on Monday before Johan Rojas replaced him in the bottom of the eighth. Max Kepler moved to right and Rojas played center.

The 33-year-old Castellanos, who is in his fourth season with the Phillies, is hitting .278 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. Castellanos, born and raised in South Florida, often has dozens of relatives and friends in the stands when the Phillies visit the Marlins.

Kepler started in right field Tuesday night.

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How Adames expects to benefit from Giants' Devers addition

How Adames expects to benefit from Giants' Devers addition originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Of all the people that were buoyed by the Giants’ trade for Rafael Devers, Willy Adames might be the happiest of them all.

Adames, a newcomer himself to the Bay, is counting on Devers’ presence in the lineup to change the way opposing pitchers deal with him as he tries to work his way out of what has been to this point a season-long struggle at the plate.

Adames had one of his better nights offensively in San Francisco’s 3-2 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday at Oracle Park, reaching base three times against the Guardians for only the seventh time in 73 games this season.

While not drawing a definitive correlation in connecting his night to Devers’ arrival, Adames is fully aware that the direction of his season can change quickly with the slugger now in the Giants’ lineup.

“Maybe not tonight necessarily … but I know in the long run for a fact I’m going to get more pitches to hit because of him,” Adames said.

For the first two months of the 2025 MLB season, Adames wasn’t very comfortable at the plate and was the target of a lot of fan and media criticism after the Giants signed him to the largest contract in franchise history, a very fat seven-year, $182 million deal.

The trade for Devers was meant to inject some lift into San Francisco’s uneven offense with a seriously powerful bat near the top of the lineup. Some have said he’s the best hitter in a Giants uniform since the days of Barry Bonds.

Coincidentally, Bonds sat in the front row during Devers’ introductory press conference and is expected to work with the new Giant on hitting as the season progresses.

“Another power bat in the lineup,” Giants pitcher Robbie Ray said. “Once we get healthy, get [injured third baseman Matt Chapman] back, we’re going to be that much better.”

Devers’ debut for the Orange and Black included two hits and an RBI in five at-bats, and he was met with multiple standing ovations as the game went along.

“Already a fan favorite,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “There’s a lot going on emotionally. We just assume that everything is great, and it’s hard to do what he did today. That’s what impressed me the most, how comfortable he looked in a completely different place.”

Adames, who hit second in the batting order with Devers hitting third, looked pretty comfortable himself.

Although he said he didn’t notice a difference in how Cleveland’s pitchers worked against him, Adames fully embraces and expects things to be different in the coming months — not just for himself, but the entire Giants team.

“I feel like everything is falling into place at the right time,” Adames said. “Now it’s just continue to embrace that feeling and keep trying to get better. With him behind me, and then when we get Chappy back, it’s going to be good.”

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Mets Injury Notes: Sean Manaea heading to Syracuse, Frankie Montas to make another rehab start

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided injury updates to a trio of players ahead of Tuesday night's series opener against the Braves in Atlanta.

Sean Manaea off to Syracuse

With the Mets needing a starter for Friday after losing Tylor Megill to the IL, his replacement won't be a starter off the IL. Manaea, who made three appearances with Brooklyn, is heading to Triple-A Syracuse to continue his rehab.

He will make his first start with Syracuse on Friday.

In his three starts with the Cyclones, Manaea surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits with three walks, three hit batsmen, and eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

Frankie Montas to man another rehab start

The veteran right-hander will make his next start on Wednesday at Triple-A as his long ramp-up to his Mets debut continues.

"We're gonna wait til he gets through that one to see how he recovers from it," Mendoza said.

Now, Montas' role when he gets to the big leagues is still a bit up in the air. He has struggled so far, allowing four runs in 4.1 innings over two outings with Brooklyn and 16 runs (including seven home runs) in 9.1 innings over three starts with Syracuse, and there was the possibility he could be sent to the bullpen. But even with the injuries to Megill and Kodai Senga, that remains an open question.

"Yeah, we still gotta wait," the manager said. "I'm not gonna get ahead of myself. Let's see how he goes [Wednesday]. Hopefully, he throws the ball well and, not only that, he feels well. And then we have a decision."

Mendoza said that they are hopeful he "gets some good results" and bounces back and is "part of the rotation."

"That would be the ideal scenario," he said.

The manager said that part of Montas' issue during his rehab start has been execution, "getting behind hitters" and "not moving well mechanically on the mound as he's going through the delivery."

"I watched his last bullpen at Citi Field, and he felt really good. So [pitching coach Jeremy Hefner] continues to work with him," Mendoza said. "[Hefner] liked what he saw mechanically from him, even though the results weren't there the last time he pitched."

Brett Baty resumes baseball activities

The plan for Baty -- who is not on the IL and considered day-to-day -- was for him to take ground balls and get some hitting in on the field, Mendoza believed, but the third baseman is "feeling a little bit better."

Baty tweaked his groin in Sunday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citi Field. The month of June so far has not been Baty's best friend, as he has just six hits in 44 at-bats (.136) with a .477 OPS, thanks to two of those hits being homers.

Mark Vientos starts rehab

Vientos will be the DH for Syracuse on Tuesday night. The plan is for him to have Wednesday off and then "play on the field" after that as he begins his progression back to full fitness, Mendoza said.

For the 25-year-old to be ready to return, the skipper said it depends on his ability to play "back-to-back" full games, but they are looking for him to get some at-bats and "get some reps at third base." The indication was that, when he is healthy, he will return to the majors.

Vientos, who went down with the injury two weeks ago during the series at the Dodgers, has been slumping, as well. He had just six hits in his last 36 at-bats (.167) and a .549 OPS in the 12 games before hitting the IL.

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Start of Tuesday's Mets-Braves game in Atlanta delayed due to rain

The start of the three-game series between the Mets and Braves on Tuesday night has been delayed due to rain.

A new start time of 8:10 p.m. was later announced, barring a further change in the Georgia weather.

Originally scheduled for a 7:15 p.m. first pitch in Atlanta, the tarp went onto the field around 6:10 p.m. as rain began to fall, and it was a heavy rain at times.

Left-hander David Peterson (2.49 ERA, 1.192 WHIP in 79.2 innings) and right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (3.11 ERA, 1.004 WHIP in 89.2 innings) are still expected to start the series opener.

Peterson is coming off his best start of the year, and arguably the best start of his career, when he pitched a six-hit shutout of the Washington Nationals with six strikeouts. In his last six starts, covering 41.1 innings, the lefty has pitched to a 1.96 ERA with 35 strikeouts to 12 walks.

Not to be outdone, Schwellenbach is another especially tough customer. Atlanta's starter is also coming off a complete game pitched last Wednesday, when he allowed two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts against the Milwaukee Braves.

And Schwellenbach has been particularly tough on the Mets, allowing just nine hits in 73 at-bats (.123 average and .341 OPS) with 20 strikeouts and one walk over three games. Manager Carlos Mendoza called him a "pretty elite arm."

"He's one of the best starters in the league at such a young age," he said. "We saw him a lot last year, the velo and the pitch package, the way he uses all of his pitches. Not only is [he] up to like 98, 99 [mph], but the cutter, the slider, the changeup, the split."

The game marks the first of six on the road for the Mets, who will travel to Philadelphia for a three-game set with the Phillies next Friday through Sunday, before returning to Queens and playing Atlanta four more times.

With the Braves sitting at 31-39 and 13.0 games behind the division-leading Mets (45-27), the seven games over the next fortnight are big.

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What we learned as Rafael Devers' Giants debut spoiled in loss to Guardians

What we learned as Rafael Devers' Giants debut spoiled in loss to Guardians originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – After introducing Rafael Devers to Bay Area media earlier in the day, the Giants had plenty of chances to make it a fantastic evening all the way around but stranded seven runners on base over the final four innings and wound up losing 3-2 to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday at Oracle Park.

Devers, acquired in a trade from the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, had a nice debut and was greeted warmly by Giants fans, but that was about the extent of the good times on the shore of McCovey Cove.

Starter Robbie Ray threw six uneven innings and lost for the second time in four starts. He allowed all three runs that the Guardians scored.

It’s only the third time that the Giants (41-32) have lost in the 15 games Ray has started this season.

Cleveland (36-35) got to Ray for single runs in the third and fourth innings, but it was Gabriel Arias’ one-out home run in the sixth that provided the deciding run.

Devers and Willy Adames had two hits apiece to lead the Giants’ offense. Devers and Dominic Smith drove in both of San Francisco’s runs.

The Giants got the tying run into scoring position in each of the final four innings but failed to advance them. San Francisco finished the game 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Left fielder Heliot Ranos had an impressive play to keep the game close in the top of the ninth when he caught Angel Martinez’s fly ball and then made a dynamic throw home to get Arias out sliding across the plate. The play was reviewed and upheld.

Not all the news was bad.

Justin Verlander is expected to come off the Injured List and start on Wednesday.

Here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s game:

Devers at the dish

The two-time Silver Slugger award winner, whose arrival in town was expected to boost San Francisco’s up-and-down offense, got the Oracle Crowd roaring when he lined an RBI double into the gap in right-center, scoring Adames.

Devers, who received a standing ovation earlier in the game when he struck out swinging in his first at-bat, crushed a 2-0 fastball from Guardians starter Slade Cecconi to drive in Adames, who scored from first base after drawing a walk leading off the frame. The ball was smoked into Triples Alley and Devers took full advantage with his speed to get into scoring position.

Devers struck out swinging again in the fifth, hit a soft dribbler back to the pitcher in the seventh with two runners on base in the seventh and then hit a one-out single in the ninth.

Ray’s Day

The veteran lefty who has been the Giants’ best pitcher this season suffered through a second consecutive rough outing after being in Cy Young mode for the first two months of the season.

The numbers alone on Ray’s stat line were not up to his standard – six innings, five hits, three runs, five strikeouts and two walks – while throwing 102 pitches, the second-most that he has had this season.

This one went beyond the numbers.

Ray has had a significant mound presence for most of the season but that was missing Tuesday. The Guardians were aggressive at the plate and squared up several hard-hit balls off Ray. Four of the Rays’ hits had an exit velocity of 99 mph or higher, including the Gabriel Arias home run in the sixth that left the park at 107.3 mph.

Although Ray would never cop to it, fatigue might be an issue. Ray lasted five innings, raising his total this season to 86 1/3. That’s more than double the workload that Ray has had in three of his previous five seasons

Signs of life

Slowly but surely, Adames is getting more and more comfortable at the plate and it’s showing.

With three home runs in his six games preceding Tuesday, Adames has been on his best roll of the season. He stayed warm at the plate against Cleveland with two singles and a walk.

It’s only the seventh time in the Giants’ 73 games this season that Adames has reached base three times or more. That’s not a huge deal, with the trade for Devers coinciding with Adames’ comfort at the plate, the prospects for San Francisco’s offense are looking a lot more promising than they were a week ago.

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Yankees bump Jasson Dominguez to leadoff spot for Tuesday's Angels matchup

In the midst of a season-worst four-game losing streak and jarring 20-inning scoreless streak, the Yankees are shaking things up with a new hitter atop their lineup.

Jasson Dominguez will bat in the leadoff spot on Tuesday night against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, and it's the first time the rookie outfielder has been penciled in higher than fifth in the order all season.

Before the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the decision to elevate Dominguez was made with his "obsession with balance" in mind, but the lineup tweak could provide a jolt to a dormant offense that's been shut out in two straight games. Boone also noted days off for Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice when explaining Dominguez's new task.

"I felt like this was the best way to go. Hopefully he controls the zone like he does and does his thing at the top today," Boone said of Dominguez. "He's just really good with the strike zone. He kind of always has been. When he's been at his best this season, that's what he's done. Hopefully he sets the tone for us at the top."

Dominguez was by no means an obvious candidate to assume leadoff duties with a few impact players resting on the bench. The switch-hitting youngster hasn't connected on many pitches of late, as he's slashed a measly .204/.259/.245 with no home runs and just three RBI across his last 15 games (49 at-bats). He's also struggled mightily against lefties this season, and his league-average 102 wRC+ ranks 10th on the team.

But the former top prospect has the speed and pop to effectively serve as a table setter, and he'll be able to hit from his more-dominant left side with veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks slated to start for the Angels.

While the leadoff assignment comes with added pressure and responsibility, this isn't Dominguez's first time in the role. He batted first in the second-to-last game of the 2024 season, finishing 1-for-4 with a walk and strikeout against the Pirates.

The Yankees obviously want more production from Dominguez, who's batting .236 overall and trying to meet lofty expectations set by scouts and fans years ago when he was still a teenager. But it's easy to forget Dominguez has played in only 53 career Triple-A games, plus he's been learning a new outfield position.

"He's done a nice job. He's shown you in these couple months, or cemented for us, 'Man, this guy's going to be a really good player,'" Boone said. "His at-bat quality is there. He's still coming around from the right side, but I feel like that's improving. That's an experience thing, he'll get better and better with time... You see his talent pretty much every night that he's out there..."

The Yankees' new-ish lineup will also feature Giancarlo Stanton for a second straight night, as he's slated to bat fourth as their designated hitter. The veteran slugger returned from the injured list and made his season debut in Monday's extra-innings loss, going 2-for-4 with a double.