Amed Rosario crushed his first home run this spring training, going deep on the first pitch he saw from Nationals lefty Andrew Alvarez in the bottom of the first inning.
DC comical
It might be a long season in the nation’s capital. The Nationals recorded more errors (three) than hits (one) in their 7-0 loss to the Yankees.
Their only base runner of the night was immediately erased in a double play.
Caught my eye
George Lombard Jr. turned in a dazzling night on both sides of the ball.
George Lombard Jr. hits a two-run double in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 7-0 spring training win over the Nationals on Feb. 25, 2026. Getty Images
The top prospect made what Aaron Boone called a “special” play at third base, charging a chopper down the line, barehanding it, and firing to first for the out.
He later added a two-run double that came off the bat at 108.8 mph.
Thursday’s schedule
Pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez will make his second start of the spring when the Yankees host the Braves at 1:05 p.m.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15: Randal Grichuk #15 of the Toronto Blue Jays follows through on his third inning home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 15, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The previous edition of the Yankees news roundup noted that the Yankees were still considering adding a platoon bat. Well they may have found one in a player who has surfaced in various Yankees rumors for a few years now: Randal Grichuk. Formerly a pesky division rival with the Blue Jays from 2018-21, Grichuk had a penchant for making his pop count in New York, as he has 18 career homers in 63 games against the Yankees. Grichuk had a 139 OPS+ in 279 PA for the D-backs in 2024 and blistered lefties to the tune of a .941 OPS from 2022-24 but dipped this past year with Arizona and Kansas City, so at age-34, he had to settle for a non-roster invitation from the Yankees. Still, while Grichuk might not be a lock for the Opening Day roster, this may be just another sign that Jasson Domínguez is heading to Triple-A to start 2026.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Entering play on Wednesday, the Yankees have gone 6-for-7 in ABS challenges in Grapefruit League action. The lone loss came on Austin Wells challenging behind the plate, but challenges from the hitters have been well-timed and correct. The club has long preached hitters’ knowledge and control of the strike zone, and that seems to be paying off in the big-leaguers’ first taste of the review process. The team is still dialing in how it’ll implement their own challenge strategy once the games count for real, but for now, they might just be best off to keep doing what they’re doing.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: My least-in-demand party trick will require an update, as the Yankees announced that CC Sabathia’s No. 52 will be retired, with a plaque ceremony taking place pregame on September 26, 2026. Monument Park isn’t just a collection of Yankee greats, but a who’s who of some of the most dominant players to ever put a baseball jersey on, and it’ll be great to see the former ace take his rightful place in Yankee history. For more on CC, check out Matt’s breaking news story from last night.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Will Warren is going to be called upon to start the season strong, as the Yankees wait for a couple of their bigger arms to recover from injury. While he wasn’t exactly bad in 2025, bouts of inconsistency especially against left-handed batters plagued the righty, and lowering that platoon tax is a major focus of Warren’s time in camp. Fortunately, Warren seems to have been taken under the wing of Clarke Schmidt, who was in a similar position to Will two years ago and if it weren’t for Tommy John surgery, would have made that jump from touch-and-go hurler to respectable rotation piece.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: One of the recurring themes of Yankee spring is that because the team inks so many players to major deals — deals that command a roster spot of their own virtue — there are plenty of “bubble” players who have to prove themselves in camp. Jasson Domínguez is likely to be one of those hard-luck losers, with a stacked outfield and frankly a need to polish up some defense and hitting from the right side, perfect for a Triple-A assignment. The bullpen picture is also muddy so far, with newbie Angel Chivilli and last year’s pickup Brent Headrick both in competition for the last MLB roster slot.
Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia will be forever honored among the New York Yankees' legends.
The team announced on Wednesday, Feb. 25, that it will retire Sabathia's No. 52 in September.
Sabathia will become the 25th player to have his number retired at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have the most retired numbers in the league.
"From the first number that hung in my locker to 52 forever hanging in Monument Park - this HOF journey has come full circle,” Sabathia wrote in a post on X. “To have my number retired by the New York Yankees this year is one of the greatest honors of my life. The LegaCCy continues.”
Sabathia spent 11 of his 19 seasons in New York, retiring in pinstripes after starting 22 of the 23 games he played in during the 2019 season. He finished with a 251-161 overall record and a 3.74 ERA. He started 560 of the 561 games he played in.
He produced 3,093 strikeouts in 3,577.1 innings pitched. He won the World Series in 2009, his first season with New York. He was named as a first-ballot inductee for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.
List of retired Yankees numbers
No. 1: Billy Martin
No. 2: Derek Jeter
No. 3: Babe Ruth
No. 4: Lou Gehrig
No. 5: Joe DiMaggio
No. 6: Joe Torre
No. 7: Mickey Mantle
No. 8: Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey
No. 9: Roger Maris
No. 10: Phil Rizzuto
No. 15: Thurman Munson
No. 16: Whitey Ford
No. 20: Jorge Posada
No. 21: Paul O'Neill
No. 23: Don Mattingly
No. 32: Elston Howard
No. 37: Casey Stengel
No. 42: Mariano Rivera and Jackie Robinson (league-wide)
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite the woes for rotation depth early this offseason, there is quietly a lot of competition for the back of the bullpen. Tyler Kinley, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd, Hayden Harris, and James Karinchak all had strong outings out of the bullpen Wednesday, with Harris and Karinchak looking especially impressive. The Braves have four bullpen locks or near locks with Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee. If they choose to run with a 6-man rotation to start the season, they would only have 3 spots left in the bullpen. Joel Payamps seems a likely member of the bullpen, while Hayden Harris, Daysbel Hernandez, James Karinchak, Ian Hamilton, Jose Suarez, Joey Wentz, and potentially even Jhancarlos Lara are real options for the bullpen. Harris, Hernandez, Dodd and Lara all have options, so they could very easily find themselves in AAA, though Dodd especially and to a lesser extent Harris and Hernandez may have real claims to a top 7-8 option on the 40-man. Hamilton and Karinchak are on minor league or split contracts, which sometimes include options for veterans to opt out if they don’t make the active roster, so they may be effectively out of options. Meanwhile, Wentz and Jose Suarez are out of minor league options.
I would personally not be particularly inclined to keep Jose Suarez, as he seems like a very replacement level pitcher, but this front office does often opt to preserve depth over picking the best guys for Opening Day. I am intrigued by Karinchak if he can look anything like his old dominant self. Hamilton has been good in the past, but we need to see which version of himself he looks like. Wentz could make sense as the de facto 6th member of the rotation who could easily convert to a solid lefty reliever with some stamina for multiple innings as needed. It will be a fascinating battle to watch over the next month.
Braves News
Austin Riley went yard, as Baldwin and Profar collected extra-base hits against Paul Skenes and bullpen competitors shined in a 3-1 Spring Training win.
Randal Grichuk #15 of the Kansas City Royals swings against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning in their MLB game at Rogers Centre on August 1, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
TAMPA — The Yankees are adding a veteran right-handed bat to their bench competition this spring.
The club is signing outfielder Randal Grichuk to a minor league deal that includes an invite to big league camp, a source confirmed Wednesday night.
Grichuk, 34, will try to prove he can fill a need for the Yankees as a righty bat off the bench that can play left field against left-handers (when Cody Bellinger would move over to center).
Randal Grichuk of the Kansas City Royals swings against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning in their MLB game at Rogers Centre on August 1, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images
Before adding Grichuk, the Yankees’ options beyond their projected starting outfield included Jasson Domínguez (a switch-hitter who is stronger from the left side), Spencer Jones (a lefty bat) and fellow non-roster invites Seth Brown and Yanquiel Fernandez — two more left-handed hitters.
Across 12 seasons in the big leagues, Grichuk has hit .268 with a .819 OPS against lefties.
He had a dip in production last season with the Diamondbacks and Royals, when he hit .227 with a .703 OPS against lefties, though that still included a .430 slugging percentage.
In 2024 with the Diamondbacks, he hit .319 with a .913 OPS against lefties.
Feb 23, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Walker Buehler (10) looks on from the dugout in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Walker Buehler is well-known to San Diego Padres fans. The former two-time World Series champion and two-time All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers was a member of the hated rivals from 2017 when he made his debut with the club until 2025 when he left the Dodgers as a free agent and signed with the Boston Red Sox.
Buehler did not make it through the 2025 season with the Red Sox and was released on Aug. 29 after appearing in 23 games with 22 starts in Boston. He worked to a 7-7 record with a 5.45 ERA, which was the highest of his career, before his release. Buehler was not a free agent long and agreed to a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 31. He performed well with the Phillies and played in three games and made two starts, finishing with a 0.66 ERA over 13.2 innings.
The deal Buehler signed with Boston was only for one year, so even without the release he would have been looking for another job. The short-term deal made him expendable and allowed Boston to release him and Philadelphia to pick him up for its playoff run, which ended in the National League Division Series against the Dodgers. Once the season was over, Buehler returned to the free agent market and started searching again for a team to call home. He found that team in San Diego and agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, where he has yet to make an appearance in a game.
It is odd and can be jarring for Padres fans to see the long-time Dodger in brown and gold, but it may be something we all have to get used to. Buehler has said his intention is to compete for a starting job and with his major league track record and his opportunity to work with San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla, he might win it.
Walker Buehler discusses why he signed with the Padres, how he views his last few seasons and how it feels to be on the other side of the Padres-Dodgers rivalry: pic.twitter.com/WCEDpeXLnt
Buehler established himself as one of the best pitchers in MLB during his time in Los Angeles. He also became highly disliked by the Friar Faithful thanks in part to his 7-1 career record in 13 games against San Diego with 83 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA. He pitched aggressively against the Padres and seemed to fully embrace the rivalry that exists between the teams.
While his career numbers against the Padres in the regular season were outstanding, Buehler struggled in postseason outings against San Diego. In 2020, he pitched one postseason game and lasted four innings, allowing one earned run on two hits. In 2024, Buehler made it through five innings but was touched up for six earned runs on seven hits which included a memorable two-run blast from Fernando Tatis Jr.
Buehler’s combined postseason numbers against the Padres are 0-1 with a 7.00 ERA over nine innings with seven runs allowed, five walks, an intentional walk and a wild pitch. Bueler did have eight postseason strikeouts against San Diego, but all eight came in 2020.
With all the history between Buehler and the Padres, would you, the Friar Faithful, root for him to win one of the last rotation spots on the 2026 roster? That is the Padres Reacts Survey poll question from Gaslamp Ball to the readers. Results will be revealed later in the week.
TAMPA — The regular season is still a month away, but Cam Schlittler took a key step Wednesday toward being ready to start it on time.
The right-hander threw 25 pitches of live batting practice on a back field, facing hitters for the first time since the Yankees slowed him down two weeks ago to deal with mid-back/left lat inflammation.
Both Schlittler and the Yankees had downplayed any concern about it, but the minor flare-up stifled the 25-year-old’s buildup while they made sure it did not turn into a bigger deal.
Assuming he recovers from Wednesday’s session without issues, Schlittler will face hitters again on Sunday before potentially getting into his first Grapefruit League game late next week.
Yankees starter Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during a live batting practice on Feb. 25, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I expect him to be good [for the start of the season],” manager Aaron Boone said before Schlittler took the mound. “Now, I don’t think he’ll be to 80-90 pitches yet. … But I’ll take 70 pitches of Cam Schlittler, especially with some of the off-days you have. Even if you’re in a piggyback situation for a time or two, sign me up for that.”
The Yankees do not necessarily need to carry a fifth starter to begin the season, due to four off-days before they play their 10th game.
But if Schlittler is healthy enough by then, the Yankees plan on using him from the get-go.
Cam Schlittler throwing live BP on Wednesday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Oswaldo Cabrera could get into games by late next week, as the utilityman continues to shake off more rust coming back from a broken ankle and ligament damage last May.
“He’s doing really well,” Boone said. “I feel like he’s made real improvements the last couple weeks. So possibly at the back end of next week, maybe getting into games. I know he’s starting to feel really good. It’s just getting that last level of burst.”
Anthony Volpe is a little over a week into his hitting progression and “doing well,” Boone said, as he hits off the tee and soft tosses.
The Yankees are looking for a right-handed outfielder and have invited Randal Grichuk to camp.
YES Network's Jack Curry reports that Grichuk will be joining the Yankees in spring training on a minor league deal as a non-roster invite.
Grichuk is a 12-year veteran who played with the Diamondbacks and Royals last season. In 113 games, he slashed .228/.273/.401 with an OPS of .674 to go along with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 2025.
Over his career, Grichuk has 212 home runs with a .251 average and a .298 OBP.
However, Grichuk was a notorious Yankees killer. In 68 games against the Bombers, Grichuk slashed .253/.302/.523 with an OPS of .825. He also hit 18 home runs against the Yankees, his second-most against an opponent (Orioles). Most of that damage was done as a member of the Blue Jays (2018-21), where he had his best years. Across those four seasons, Grichuk hit .243 with 90 home runs and 257 RBI.
With the Yankees so left-handed, especially in the outfield, Grichuk could give the team a boost off the bench. The starting outfielders are projected to be Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger. Jasson Dominguez, the switch-hitting prospect, may not break camp and could be sent to Triple-A to start the season and get more seasoning.
That leaves a spot open for a fourth outfielder, especially if Oswaldo Cabrera -- who has outfield experience -- is not ready for Opening Day as he continues to return from a season-ending leg injury.
New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge hits a single in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Spring Training at Clover Field, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Port St. Lucie.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Panic had not yet set in at Clover Park, but knowing these parts, if Carson Benge had too many more hitless games, there would have been some red flags.
Benge eased any potential early concerns with a three-hit day in Wednesday’s 6-0 loss to the Cardinals, reaching on an infield hit, an opposite-field single and a grounder through the left side of the infield.
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Each hit came with two strikes — a fact Benge seemed as pleased with as the results.
“I hate striking out,” Benge said. “That’s one thing about me. So being able to fight for every pitch, scrap for it, is really big.”
And could be just as big for the Mets, who have made no secret that the 23-year-old Benge is in the mix to win the starting job in right field this spring.
Despite having played just 24 games at the Triple-A level, the Mets think enough of Benge’s skill set that they’re giving him a chance to be in Queens next month. He just has to take it.
Wednesday’s performance at the plate showed why, putting up three tough at-bats and drilling his second hit 101 mph.
New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge hits a single in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Spring Training at Clover Field, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Port St. Lucie. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“The ability to stay in the fight, especially when he gets behind in counts,’’ Carlos Mendoza said when asked what stood out about Benge. “Fouling off pitches, using the whole field [and] putting the ball in play. He just finds a way.”
While he’s fighting for a job, Benge said he’s trying to take advantage of every part of the opportunity.
“Just soaking up every bit of information I can from veteran guys around here,’’ Benge said of his experience in major league camp. “I feel like I’m getting adjusted day by day, seeing what it takes [and] seeing how good they are.”
And although it’s hard to count on too many more 3-for-3 afternoons, Benge is confident his bat-to-ball skills will only help his game.
New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge is at bat in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“I feel that sprouted from me not liking to strike out,’’ Benge said. “I’d do anything not to strike out. Just put the ball in play.”
So while some in the game disregard the number of whiffs they pile up, as long as the production is there, Benge has a different mindset.
“I try to go out there and fight every at-bat and not give anything away with a dumb swing,’’ Benge said.
Francisco Lindor continues to progress in his recovery from the hand surgery he underwent Feb. 11, with the stitches removed Tuesday and “impact” drills expected to begin within the next few days, according to Mendoza.
“So far, it’s been good,’’ the manager said.
If all goes well, the shortstop could also start hitting in two weeks as he recovers from the stress reaction in his left hamate bone, seemingly putting him in position to be ready for Opening Day.
Brett Baty, slowed by hamstring discomfort, is scheduled to play first base by this weekend, according to Mendoza. … Vidal Bruján, who left Monday’s game after getting spiked in his left thumb while stealing second, returned to the lineup Wednesday.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: A general view of the stadium during the spring training game between the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 23, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies have completed six spring training games and are 4-2 in those games. They’ve also outscored their opponents 44-34.
Spring training games don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but in a year such as this for the Rockies, a lot of storylines have emerged and will be watched under a close eye ahead of Opening Day on March 27.
So my question is this to you tonight: what’s your biggest takeaway from this first week of spring training games? What are you excited about? What are you concerned about? Who do you need to see more of?
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 13: From left, Colorado Rockies Executive Vice President Walker Monfort, new President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta and owner Dick Monfort during Depodesta's introductory press conference at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, November 13, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Introduction
When the expansion franchise Colorado Rockies first came into existence in the early 1990s, it could be forgiven if a team didn’t have a dedicated analytics department and instead relied on the traditional old school way of running a baseball team. It has been over 20 years since Michael Lewis’s 2003 book Moneyball popularized SABREmetrics and stastical analysis in baseball and I would say that it’s clearly a disadvantage for any team to not be utilizing the best analytical tools in every step of player development and acquisition. Dick and Charles Monfort, the majority owners lf the Colorado Rockies since 2005, never got that memo apparently, nor did they read the book, or even bothered seeing the Brad Pitt lead adaptation released in 2011, because during their ownership the Rockies have had either no stastical analysis/analytics department or one that was so inadequate as to be considered a joke.
The competitive disadvantage it has given the Rockies is very clearly demonstrated by the fact they have the worst winning percentage (.456) out of all the active MLB franchises, that they have only eight seasons with a winning record, and not once have they won the NL West division title. The last Rockies winning season was in 2018, when they had a 91-71 record. Somehow, even after the Rockies lost 103 games in 2023 and 101 games in 2024, it still was not enough for Rockies ownership to make any changes to the way organization is run. Only after spending the majority of the 2025 season on pace for theworstseason ever in MLB history and finishing with a 119 losses, did it finally prompt ownership to actually do something about it.
Now with the obligatory backstory out of the way, it makes it much easier to understand how the Rockies biggest acquisition of this past offseason wasn’t a free agent signing or a trade, it was the hiring of a new president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, who then brought in former Dbacks and Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes as the new GM. Never mind the fact that Paul DePodesta has not worked in pro baseball for nearly a decade, and instead had been the chief strategy officer for a terrible Cleveland Browns team in the NFL that has stayed pretty terrible. For a team that has essentially operated in the baseball equivalent of the stone age, it’s revolutionary move.
(Note: If you’ve only seen the movie, Jonah Hill’s character Peter Brand is a composite character largely based on Paul DePodesta, who didn’t allow his name to be used in the film)
The Rockies could have signed the top FA at every position and they still probably wouldn’t be competitive enough to win the NL West, especially with a top heavy farm system that lacks any depth. No executive is capable of turning around a historically bad MLB team in the span of an offseason, especially when it’s a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018. In the 25 years that I’ve been a fan of MLB i don’t think I have liked anything the Rockies FO has done. So it should speak for itself when I say that I actually like what Depodesta and Byrnes have accomplished so far in their short amount of time in charge of the Rockies, even if I don’t think there will be any immediate results. Claimingfirst baseman Troy Johnston off waivers, for example, might be one of the best under the radar moves by an NL West team during this past offseason. While not a top prospect due to his lack of power for a first baseman, his pro career reminds me of Christian Walker prior to getting a chance with the Diamondback. He looks primed now to breakout with Rockies while still being under team control for another five seasons. T.J.Rumfield, who was acquired in exchange for RHP Angel Chivilli, gives them another option at first besides Johnston. Edouard Julien is a nice bounceback option at second base.
The real issue for the Rockies is and always will be the starting pitching. Although all three free agent starters signed are out of the bargain bin, it appears to me that there’s an actual strategy there of trying to finding pitchers with a large selection of pitches. RJ Petit was a no-brainer choice for the Rockies to take in the Rule 5 draft and he is just a solid cost-controlled young pitching option.
There appears to be strategy to mitigate some of the challenges of pitching with outfield defense. It’s baffling that that outfield defense has never been a priority considering how much Coors Field’s gigantic outfield punishes bad defense. Seeing a well past his prime Charlie Blackmon struggle with getting to any ball is why I like the Jake McCarthy trade so much for the Rockies. McCarthy actually seems like a great fit for Coors Field not only defensively, but offensively as well thanks to his speed on the basepaths and willingness to take extra bases
This is still a team that likely will finish in dead last not just in the NL West but all of MLB and even best case scenario still won’t win the NL West division title, but I think the most important thing for Rockies fans is that there’s now hope for their team to be competitive again
PORT ST. LUCIE — Jonah Tong was forced to the majors last season, the result of not just his own dominance in the minors, but the Mets having all sorts of issues with their rotation as their season fell apart.
And Tong displayed what you’d expect from a prospect who had overwhelming stuff, but little experience: a promising MLB debut on Aug. 29 against Miami followed by a disaster in his third start versus Texas and then an outstanding start against the Padres.
The effort to increase his pitch mix continued Wednesday against the Cardinals, as the 22-year-old flashed the cutter he’s been working on this spring.
There were some good ones — although the final cutter Tong threw versus St. Louis was crushed by Nolan Gorman, who hit an opposite-field three-run homer to left in the top of the third.
That came after two scoreless innings in a 6-0 loss to the Cardinals at Clover Park.
“The last one got hit a little bit, but I’m happy with how things are progressing,” Tong said of the pitch. “The value of reps like this today [in a game] are the most important thing going forward. I think I’m in a good spot.”
Unlike late last season, the Mets don’t expect to need Tong in Queens when the regular season gets underway next month.
Jonah Tong delivers a pitch during the Mets’ 6-0 spring training loss to the Cardinals on Feb. 25, 2026. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
Instead, he should get more seasoning with Triple-A Syracuse, where Tong made just two starts following his promotion from Double-A Binghamton prior to his callup by the Mets for his final five outings of the year.
“I think we all know what to expect from Nolan McLean,” said one National League scout who watched Tong on Wednesday and saw him in the majors during the final month of last season. “This guy is different. He has such a unique delivery and his stuff is just different. That’s a good thing and something that you have to keep an eye on.”
Because of the high angle Tong uses in his delivery, the scout noted, it might be more difficult to make in-game adjustments and the emergence of pitches like the cutter he’s refining this spring is especially important.
Jonah Tong throws a pitch during his outing in the Mets’ spring training loss to the Cardinals on Feb. 25, 2026. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
“I think those ups and downs he had when he got called up last year [were] kind of to be expected,” the scout said. “The highs can be really high, but the lows can be tough. He’s a serious kid, though, so with that stuff and his mindset, I think he’ll figure it out.”
The Mets are counting on it.
If McLean, as expected, breaks spring in a six-man rotation, Tong will be the organization’s top pitching prospect.
They sent Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee in the trade that brought Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to Queens, so Tong and Christian Scott could be two promising arms to begin the season at Syracuse, with Peralta, McLean, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga in the six-man rotation and Myers perhaps in the bullpen.
That gives Tong more time to hone his pitches and Carlos Mendoza called Wednesday “a good learning [and] development experience” for him.
“He’s not a fastball-changeup pitcher anymore,” the manager said. “There are other weapons he can use.”
Wherever Tong winds up, he’s hoping for a smoother ride in 2026.
Asked what he picked up from his brief stint in the majors for that final month in 2025, the right-hander smiled.
“Baseball is a complicated game,” Tong said. “It’s my favorite, obviously, [but] it can be a roller coaster. I want to be able to learn from last year and roll along with it.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Wilmer Flores #41 of the San Francisco Giants singles during the game at Oracle Park on August 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest get-together of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. It’s so good to see you. We’re busy tonight, but we’ll make room for you. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. We’re getting a table ready for you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you if we should “Let Pete be Pete” or whether he should tone down his fiery nature. Fully 72 percent of you don’t want Pete Crow-Armstrong to change anything about his personality. The rest were fairly split down the middle between whether PCA should only tone it down on the field or everywhere.
Boy, are Dodgers fans angry about this one. At least the “online” ones. I always have to keep reminding myself that the majority of people aren’t scanning social media for stuff to get angry about.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. You can skip this part if you want. I mean, you can skip reading the entire thing if you want, but you no doubt realize that it’s too late for that now.
I’ve been re-visiting Miles Davis’ early electric period lately, so I’m going to share some of that with you. Here’s the title track (and all of side two) of In a Silent Way, the album that revolutionized what jazz could be. (And that’s not the first time Miles did that.)
This is the period where Miles was transitioning away from the Second Great Miles Davis Quintet and towards the electric group that played on his next (and more famous) album, Bitches Brew. Wayne Shorter is still on saxophone and Herbie Hancock is still on piano, except that it’s an electric piano and he’s joined by another legendary player on electric piano, Chick Corea. Joe Zawinul, who wrote the first part of this suite, plays the organ. John McLaughlin joins Miles for the first time on electric guitar. Dave Holland has replaced Ron Carter on bass but Tony Williams is still the drummer.
We’re done with the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic now and we’ll have seven more months before we have to decide what we’ll talk about next winter. That means I have to go back to writing about movies on my own, at least if I want to keep the format of this feature the same. I may temporarily stop writing about movies in a week or so because the World Baseball Classic may be taking up all of my time. But I have a little time to write about film in the meantime.
I’m going to depart from my traditional way of writing about an old movie a week. When writing about the winner of our recent tournament, 2001: A Space Odyssey, I mentioned that the most recent (2022) BFI Sight & Sound critics poll of the greatest films of all time listed 2001 as the sixth-greatest film of all-time. When I went back to the list to double check that, I realized that since I had recently watched director Wong Kar-wai’s 200o film In the Mood for Love, I had seen seven of the top ten films on that list. Since the other three movies were easy enough to track down and watch, I did that. The three films I hadn’t yet seen were director Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953), director Claire Denis’ Beau Travail (1999) and director Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera (1929). Over the past week or so, I’ve watched all three of those films, so I can say I’ve seen the top ten movies of all time, at least according to one list.
So today I thought I’d start by giving you some quick thoughts on all ten of those films. I’m not going to go in depth on any of them and some of them I’ve written about before. I’ll write about the first two tonight and try to get to the rest when I have the chance.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. (1975) Directed by Chantal Akerman. Starring Delphine Seyrig.
I wrote about Jeanne Dielman before and looking back at what I wrote about it, man, was I too harsh. I understand why I was too harsh—I’ll get to that in a minute—but the farther away I get from the ordeal of actually having to watch Jeanne Dielman, the more I’ve come to appreciate it.
The thing that impresses me about Jeanne Dielman is the impact the film has. I originally wrote that I was still thinking about the film three days after having seen it. It’s been three years now since I watched Jeanne Dielman and I’m still thinking about it. This is a movie with the kind of real power that ninety-nine percent of films do not have. It’s genius. I don’t think I got that in 2022. I do now.
Having said that, I wrote that watching it was an ordeal and I stick by that. Akerman seemingly borrowed a lot from experimental theater of the time. I don’t know if she was familiar with the works of Robert Wilson, but that’s what I was reminded of. The film is almost three-and-a-half hours long and nothing happens over the first three hours. That’s not quite true. For example, Dielman drops a brush while cleaning midway through the film and that’s significant, although it doesn’t seem so at the time. But it’s not what any of us in the audience would call action. It’s silently dropping a brush and picking it up. Watching Jeanne Dielman is a test of your endurance. You’ll be rewarded in the end, but it won’t seem worth it while you’re doing it.
Would I put it in my top ten? Maybe. It’s certainly a film that’s changed the way I interact with movies and the farther the actual experience of watching it is in my rearview mirror, the more I enjoy it. I don’t begrudge anyone who voted it number one anymore. But I would not make it my number one and please don’t make me watch it again or I might hate it again.
2. Vertigo. (1958) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring James Stewart and Kim Novak.
Jeanne Dielman knocked Vertigo off the top spot as Hitchcock’s masterpiece won the previous 2012 poll. I wrote about Vertigo last winter when we did our Alfred Hitchcock tournament. I seeded it as the number-one Hitchcock movie, although the more crowd-pleasing North by Northwest ended up winning the whole thing. (And man, I do love North by Northwest too, so that result didn’t disappoint me.)
I don’t think I truly appreciated Vertigo until I got a 4K UHD Blu-Ray copy of it and could really take in the visual feast that Hitchcock and cinematographer Robert Burks put together. I’m sure the first time I saw Vertigo was on a rented VHS tape on a standard 1980s television with tinny mono sound. I remember for years thinking that Vertigo was just good, but that there were at least a five or six Hitchcock films that were better. The technology of the times couldn’t capture the artistry of Vertigo. I’m not even sure if most theaters in 1958 could capture it, although I’m sure they did a whole lot better than my TV. Psycho, which was made with a TV crew and a TV budget, played a lot better on a VCR than Vertigo ever did.
I had to watch Vertigo three or four times before I realized it’s a masterpiece. It looks gorgeous and every shot is perfectly composed. Speaking of composed, I might prefer the Bernard Herrmann score in other Hitchcock films, but his work on Vertigo is fantastic as well. Both Stewart and Novak give powerful performances. And I guess as I get older, the film’s themes of madness and obsession resonate more with me.
Would I put it in my top ten? Definitely. I’d probably vote for it as number one. Vertigo is everything cinema should be. I could watch it ten more times and never get bored.
Next time, I’ll try to write about Citizen Kane and Tokyo Story.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that other stuff.
The Cubs got some bad news today as first baseman Tyler Austin underwent knee surgery and would be out for “months,” according to manager Craig Counsell. Now I don’t know if “months” means two months or eight months, but I’m going to assume that with the surgery, recovery and time to ramp back up, Austin is probably out until at least July. Early June would probably be a best-case scenario, but August or September isn’t out of the question. Heck, the entire season is possible.
Austin, 34, who was returning to MLB after a successful six-year career in NPB, isn’t one of the key players on the Cubs roster. But he was expected to fill the role that Justin Turner played last year: a right-handed bat off the bench and depth at first base.
Without Austin, the Cubs are thin at first. Yes, Michael Busch returns and he is one of the top first basemen in the game these days. The Cubs have also said that they expect Busch to play a lot more against left-handed starters this year. But on the days Busch doesn’t play, there aren’t a lot of good options. Rookie Moisés Ballesteros has a fair amount of experience at first in the minor leagues, but he also bats left-handed and thus isn’t a good choice to give Busch a day off against a tough lefty. He’s also not a terrific defensive first baseman, although he may be at least OK there, which is more than you can say about his catching.
Ian Happ has played 11 games in the majors at first and I suppose that whoever ends up winning the fourth outfielder role could man left field while Happ is at first. But that doesn’t solve the right-handed bat on the bench problem, nor is it really a long-term solution if Busch got hurt. None of the three non-roster invitee outfielders, Dylan Carlson, Chas McCormick and Michael Conforto, have any real experience at first base. Conforto is a left-handed bat to boot. (Carlson is a switch-hitter who hits lefties better.) Matt Shaw is a right-handed bat off the bench, but he has zero experience at first base. Plus, the Cubs want him playing all over the diamond and not just at first.
The Cubs do have one option in the minor leagues in first baseman prospect Jonathon Long. Long is right-handed and has played the majority of his career at first base. He could be an easy in-house solution for the hole that Austin’s injury has left.
There are a couple of caveats to Long, however. While Long had a good year in Triple-A Iowa last year, we know that with the contraction of the minor leagues, the jump from Triple-A to the majors is greater than it’s ever been. Even top prospects have struggled with it to start their careers. By the time Long got the hang of hitting major league pitching, it might be July and Austin might be ready to return.
Long’s ZiPS projections for 2026 in the majors aren’t great either at .246/.334/.372. To be fair, those batting average and OBP projections are pretty close to what they projected for Austin, although Austin was projected for more power with a .459 slugging percentage.
Finally, if you really think Jonathon Long is a good major league prospect, do you really want him sitting on a major league bench getting six or seven at-bats a week? Don’t you want him working on his skills down in Iowa? Long could especially work on increasing his power totals if he wants to be a starting first baseman in the majors (and he does).
There is one other option. While almost every first base free agent has signed with a team already, there is still one on the market: Wilmer Flores. The 34-year-old 12-year right-handed hitting veteran is still unsigned, even though he didn’t have a bad year last year. With the Giants, Flores hit .241/.307/.379 with 16 home runs in 125 games. Signing Flores would give the Cubs an almost like-for-like replacement for Austin, although Flores won’t have to re-adjust himself to major league pitching.
I’m sure the reason that Flores hasn’t signed yet is that he wants a major league deal. Were he willing to accept a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, someone would have given that to him by now. To sign him, the Cubs would have to give him guaranteed money, which would certainly put the Cubs into the luxury tax penalty, if they aren’t already in that territory now.
The good news, however, is that Flores probably won’t need a lot of money. He inked a two-year extension with the Giants in 2022 that had a player option for 2025 at $3.5 million. Flores exercised that player option. So he agreed to play for the Giants on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last year and is probably looking for something similar this year. Going $3 million or so over the first luxury tax threshold is a minor penalty for a team like the Cubs.
So should the Cubs try to bring in Wilmer Flores to replace Tyler Austin before some other team snaps him up? Or should they just try to make due with the players currently in the organization?
Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week and especially a big thank you to everyone who joined the conversation. We are always glad to hear from our patrons. Please get home safely. If it’s snowy by your house, take extra care. We want you back next week. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
High fives are in order for Eric Maisonet after the Tigers took down Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 5-1 game on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Columbia, Mo. | Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
The Missouri Tigers are coming in hot with a five game winning streak and have claimed 111 runs in nine games. After a dominant 15-1, run-rule victory in the home opener, the Tigers followed it up with another clutch performance to secure the series sweep, and improved to a 7-2 record on the season. They are sending the fans a clear message: this lineup and pitching staff is ready for anything.
Game 1 Remarks
Tuesday’s opener was a display of offensive firepower and a standout pitching game. After a slow start, the Tigers woke up in the third inning and sent 11 batters to the plate. Freshman Blaize Ward started the inning up with a double to center, followed by Isaiah Frost’s single to left. Bases-loaded walks from Pierre Seals and Sam Parker brought the first runs home, and Serna extended with an RBI groundout. Chris Patterson and Eric Maisonet knocked up hits as well which gave Missouri a 5-1 advantage.
In the fifth, Serna launched a 407-foot homer and the sixth inning was quite a show. Serna had a two-run single and James Woita hit a three-run blast. Tyler Macon had a two-RBI single, which made the score 15-1.
Stellar Pitching Performance
On the mound, Dohrmann allowed just one hit. His performance extended Missouri’s streak of starting pitchers going at least five innings to open the season to eight straight games. Dane Bjorn finished the game as a reliever and threw a clean seventh inning with a strikeout to close out the first game against Pine Bluff.
Game 2 Success
The second game of the series was a whole different game. Freshman Luke Sullivan, who relieved during the New Haven series, had his first collegiate start and quickly proved his depth on the mound. Through the first three innings, he allowed just one hit with three strikeouts. By the fourth and fifth innings, Sullivan took command, adding two more strikeouts and kept Pine Bluff off the board.
Highlight of Game 2
Missouri’s offense finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Frost broke Medellin’s no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth and lined the Tigers’ first hit of the afternoon to the right side of the infield. Tyler Macon added to the inning with a hit down the right field line, moving Frost to third base with Mizzou runners on the corners.
Soon after, Cameron Benson drew a walk to load the bases. Even after Sam Parker struck out, this inning was far from over. Serna launched a 341-foot grand slam to left field for the Tigers which brought their lead to 4-1 and completely changed the game. This was his second home run of the series.
Frost got his second hit of the day for the Tigers and Macon laid down a bunt, which safely moved Frost to second. Seals followed with a walk, and loaded the bases up for the Tigers. Serna grounded out, but it was just enough to bring Frost home and stretched the lead to 5-1.
Notable Relievers
The Tigers’ pitching staff did not go unnoticed. Jackson Sobel came in for his second appearance and battled through a tense sixth inning. He recorded a huge strikeout after a wild pitch, but allowed the lone run to make it 4-1.
During the top of the seventh, former shortstop Trey Lawrence picked up his first strikeout. Sam Rosand struck a batter out in the eighth, but with bases loaded, a new pitcher was needed.
The Closer We Needed
Left-handed Ian Lohse came in to relieve Rosand in the bottom of the eight with two outs and runners on all bases. Lohse managed to strike out the batter to save the inning and allow no runners to score. Lohse closed out the top of the ninth in style.
Macon caught a ball in center for the first out, followed by a sharp strikeout from Lohse for number two. Then, with the count full at 3‑2, Lohse took charge of the final batter, and secured the series win against Pine Bluff for the Tigers 5-1.
Defense That Cannot Be Stopped
Missouri’s defense proved a steady backbone for the Tigers throughout this series win. The team recorded 21 putouts and 12, and committed just one error for a .971 fielding percentage. Mizzou had heads up moments from Blaize Ward and Eric Maisonet, which included a key tag at second, which helped keep Dohrmann’s day on a roll.
On day two, the defense was just as reliable. They finished with a 1.000 fielding percentage, 27 putouts and 2 assists. The pitching defense was substantially strong as pitchers were aggressive with runners on base and managed two key strikeouts when needed. Missouri also threw out a runner at second, which limited the Lions’ chances to put pressure on the bases.
Offensive Takeaways
Day one of the series the Tigers scored 15 runs on eight hits and drew 12 walks. They only struck out six times in 26 at-bats. Mizzou capitalized on every opportunity and had 13 RBIs, spreading the scoring across all nine lineup spots. They also managed to trigger the run-rule victory during four of their games.
Day two focused more on situational hitting. The Tigers collected five hits in 29 at-bats (.172), but came through when needed. With two outs, Mizzou went 1-for-9 but drove in four RBIs, showing their ability to perform under pressure.
When runners were on base, the Tigers hit .333 (3-for-9) and moved five of eleven runners to better scoring positions. While the Tigers struggled against left-handed pitching on both days, going 0-for-7 on Day 2 and 3-for-19 vs. LHP on Day 1, their overall production caused them to take on huge leads against Pine Bluff.
Macon leads the batting leaderboard with a blazing .556 average, setting the pace for the Tigers. Frost is close behind at .550, while Eric Maisonet holds third with a strong .400. Jase Woita holds the lead in home runs with three, while Serna has two. Macon is making plays on the bases as well, leading the team with four stolen bases.
On the mound, Dohrmann has been lights-out, leading the staff with a stellar 1.64 ERA. Right behind him, Javyn Pimental and Josh McDevitt are keeping the pressure on, each posting an impressive 1.80 ERA to rank second and third overall. Lohse is in four with an ERA of 1.93.
The Tigers are set to face-off against North Dakota State, with their current record of 1-7. Currently, they are 0-6 during away games, so the Tigers will have to take that into consideration. Caleb Corbin for NDSU has the highest batting average at .407. On the pitching side, Braden Gluth sits with an ERA of 1.94.
Their three-game series will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, at home in Taylor Stadium. The home series will continue during the weekend, where the games will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Luis Matos #29 of the San Francisco Giants during batting practice during San Francisco Giants Spring Training at Scottsdale Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants opened up the 2026 Cactus League with four straight victories, and they did it the old fashioned way: with pitching, defense, and small ball. After Hayden Birdsong got torched for five runs while recording just one out to open the spring, the Giants allowed just five runs over the next 35.2 innings … with only one pitcher on the 40-man roster ceding a run. They looked slick on defense. They had multiple outfield assists, and even turned a triple play. And they had more sacrifice flies in one game (three on Tuesday) than home runs in all four games combined (one, by Victor Bericoto on Monday).
Wednesday marked the end of that style of baseball, at least temporarily. The Giants pitchers traded in their donuts for traffic jams, while the batters traded in their sacrifices for big flies. And Tony Vitello traded in his undefeated record as a manager for a loss, as the Giants dropped an exceedingly Spring Trainingy game to the Milwaukee Brewers 13-12.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Giants offense came roaring to life, behind some youngsters trying to make the team, and some veterans looking for strong 2026s. It started in the second inning, when designated hitter Luis Matos, hitting with the bases empty and no outs, took righty Carlos Rodríguez — who has a little bit of MLB experience — deep, hitting a cutter 99.7 mph over the left field wall.
It was great to see … or hear, as the case may be, since the game was once again not televised. Matos enters camp in a unique situation. San Francisco’s starting outfield is set, and Matos hasn’t displayed the defensive chops that the Giants are likely looking for from a fourth outfielder, especially given Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee’s defensive foibles a year ago. And he’s out of options, a casualty of his own success resulting in a need to protect him from the 2022 Rule 5 Draft … the same situation that led to Marco Luciano’s saddening exit from the organization a few months ago.
But he has the bat-to-ball skills that Buster Posey covets, and has shown flashes of excellence. He turned 24 less than a month ago, and you can see the Giants being hesitant to lose him, especially for nothing. So a case can be made that the Giants will be looking for a way to roster Matos come March 25, should he make a strong impression.
Wednesday was a strong impression. In his next at-bat, Matos came inches away from earning a second slow trot around the bases, instead settling for a 370-foot, 97.2-mph double that set the table for a huge fourth inning in which the Giants would bat around the order.
And hey, as long as we’re here, let’s talk about that fourth inning. We’ll go back and touch on the third in a moment. After Matos’ double, second baseman Casey Schmitt — another player seeking to prove he should be on the bench for Game 1, though with a more clear path than Matos — had his second phenomenal at-bat of the game. His first one was a fly out, but it came after forcing 11 pitches out of Rodríguez. As for his second? A blistered single that left the bat at a sizzling 109.3 mph. Fans of analytics will love the heat on that hit, though fans watching the scoreboard had to wait for some delayed gratification, since Schmitt hit the ball so hard that Matos had to hold up at third base.
It was no matter. Third baseman Christian Koss would be the copy to Schmitt’s cat, hitting a single so hard (104.4 mph) that his teammates could only advance one base each. For Schmitt, that meant stopping at second, but for Matos, that meant going as far as he could: home.
After shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald — we’re really seeing that trio move all around the dirt — lined out, the Giants new center fielder Harrison Bader stepped to the plate, with two on and two out.
Bader is in San Francisco (or, currently, Scottsdale) for his defense first, but there are reasons to be optimistic that he can be an offensive weapon for the Giants. Two reasons, primarily: he was great in 2025, when he had a 122 wRC+, and he has claimed that his success was due to some mechanical adjustments that enhanced his swing speed.
There are also reasons for pessimism: mainly that his 2025 success, statistically looking, appears quite unsustainable, and it followed three consecutive years of hitting well below league average.
His fourth-inning at-bat, then, gave a pretty strong data point that the glass is, indeed, half full. With two on and two out, and the game begging to be broken open, Bader fell behind in the count 1-2. Righty Garrett Stallings then tossed him a slider over the heart of the plate, and Bader positively crushed it for a three-run homer.
Home runs are swell, but even bad hitters achieve them, especially in the spring. There needs to be more, then, to warrant the type of optimism that I’ve been setting you up to have.
So here it is: Bader hit his big fly at 113.6 mph. Why is that a significant number? Because Bader has played nearly 1,000 Major League games, and the hardest he has ever hit a ball is … 113.6 mph. During his three-year run of hitting struggles from 2022 through 2024, his hardest-hit ball was 111.7 mph.
And if you think it’s just a case of a hot Statcast radar gun, well … maybe talk to Monica Godfrey, owner of the Cactus Bowls food truck parked behind the left field grass, which took a ball to the figurative dome. Thankfully, everyone was a good sport about it.
Matos and Bader provided the bread in the dinger sandwich, but the meat came from an exciting source: first baseman Bryce Eldridge. In the third inning, nestled tidily between the homers from the right-handed hitters, the powerful lefty put his preternatural power on display, hitting a fastball from righty Peter Strzelecki 101.3 mph the other way, clearing the left-center fence for a two-run blast.
It was the second jaw-popping opposite-field hit of the spring for Eldridge, who hit a double to the wall off of All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz in the Cactus League opener. He sure is making a mighty strong case for the Opening Day roster.
That string of dingers gave the Giants an 8-1 lead, but they would give it all back in the bottom half of the fourth. After the Giants bat around the order in the top half, the Brewers followed suit in the bottom, and it was here where the biggest negative of the day occurred for the black and orange.
Lefty Carson Whisenhunt made his spring debut in the third inning, and it was gorgeous. He set down the side in order with a strikeout, and threw nine of 13 pitches for strikes. His fastball velocity, which averaged 92.6 mph in his MLB debut last season, but has been notably up this spring, was sitting at 96. Life was good.
And then came the fourth inning. In a show of confidence, Whisenhunt became just the third Giants pitcher tasked with taking the mound for consecutive innings, following Logan Webb yesterday and Adrian Houser earlier in this game. And the wheels immediately loosened, and then fell off expediently.
Whisenhunt walked the leadoff batter on five pitches, then followed it up with a four-pitch walk. The third batter of the inning took a strike to open the count, then four consecutive pitches outside the zone. With just two strikes thrown, Whisenhunt had walked the bases full.
The trouble wasn’t over there. He then fell behind Joey Ortiz 2-0, before finding the heart of the zone with a get-it-in fastball, thrown softly over the middle and hit loudly in return, for a 107.5-mph RBI single. The bases remained loaded, and Whisenhunt showed some improvement by getting ahead of the next hitter 0-2. But the 0-2 pitch was a ball, as was the 1-2, the 2-2, and finally, the 3-2. And with that, Whisenhunt’s night was over, with his second inning of work resulting in four walks, one hard-hit single, and zero outs.
Perhaps more troubling was that Whisenhunt’s velocity fell a bit in his second inning of work. Part of the danger of analyzing pitchers this time of year is that most of them display enhanced velocity when limited to one or two-inning stints, rather than pacing themselves a full game (and that’s doubly true in the Arizona heat). Whisenhunt only needed two innings to lend that theory some fearful credence: in his first inning, Whisenhunt averaged 96.0 mph with his four-seam fastball, but in his second frame, averaged just 94.8. That’s something to keep an eye on his next time out.
Still, Whisenhunt had only allowed two runs despite that fiasco, and his ERA had a chance to be somewhat salvaged with some help from a teammate. That teammate, unfortunately, was not able to do so.
Tristan Beck — like Matos, a player out of options who is trying to earn a spot on the team — entered the game with the unenviable task of trying to escape from a bases-loaded, no-out situation that wasn’t of his own creation. He immediately fell behind Jackson Chourio 3-0, but then the two locked into a battle. Beck threw seven consecutive pitches that Chourio fouled off and finally, on the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Beck relented and went outside the zone, walking in a run.
The next at-bat wasn’t nearly as long. Brice Turang, who had homered in the first inning off of Houser, crushed a first-pitch slider 108.2 mph and 425 feet. It was, remarkably, the second grand slam that the Giants had allowed this spring. And it gave the Brewers a game-tying seven-run fourth inning, without an out yet recorded.
Milwaukee would take the lead in the sixth inning, when uber-prospect Jesús Made tripled off of José Buttó, and scored on a sacrifice fly. They added an insurance run in the eighth off Nick Margevicius when Greg Jones drew a walk, stole a base, and scored on a Made single.
It was nine straight runs and a 10-8 lead for the Brew Crew as we headed to the ninth inning. But the Giants, now with all their subs in, had some fight in them.
Left fielder Grant McCray had a mighty impressive swing, hitting a 108-mph leadoff single in an 0-2 count, then catcher Daniel Susac did something similar: a 106.6-mph single in a 1-2 count. Vitello, knowing that spring games can’t extend to extra innings, went all in, emptying his bench for every advantage: Susac left the game so that speedy right fielder Jared Oliva could pinch-run for him.
It paid dividends. Fellow right fielder Jerar Encarnación hit a grounder to third base, where Brock Wilken couldn’t handle it. The speedy McCray scored from second, and the speedy Oliva made it to third, where he represented the tying run. And Vitello, sticking with his plan, sent out Jesús Rodríguez (who would catch the ninth inning) to pinch-run for Encarnación.
That also paid dividends, with Rodríguez immediately stealing second base. And the next batter, Bericoto, tied the game with an RBI single, which moved Rodríguez — the go-ahead run — to third. That go-ahead run would score on a single by second baseman Nate Furman, and Bericoto would make it a four-run ninth when third baseman Parks Harber hit a 367-foot sacrifice fly. Suddenly the dream of an undefeated preseason lived on, as the Giants took a 12-10 lead to the bottom of the ninth.
But Margevicius had bent in the eighth, and he would break in the ninth. He opened the inning by allowing a double, a single, and a single, and suddenly both the tying and winning runs were on base, with no outs. Freddy Zamora would tie the game with a one-out single, and Jones would walk it off with a sacrifice fly.
And just like that, the Giants fell to 4-1 in a fairly silly baseball game.
A few other notes:
Houser made his Giants debut and pitched the first two innings. They didn’t go particularly well, as he gave up three hits — including a home run to Turang — and walked one batter, without any strikeouts. But he limited the damage to just one run allowed, and was sitting about 96 in the first inning. Like Whisenhunt, he lost about 1 mph of velo in his second inning of work.
NRI right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian had quite a game, throwing 12 out of 14 pitches for strikes in a perfect seventh inning that included a strikeout. Kilian, whose four-seam fastball velocity has averaged 93.6 mph for his big league career, got all the way up to 98.7 in this game, while also throwing in a 98.8-mph sinker.
The Giants had just two stolen bases — and just two stolen base attempts — entering this game, both by Oliva. But they got three more in this contest: one each from Rodríguez, Furman, and Harber.
Lee, likely playing in his final game before departing for the World Baseball Classic, had an awesome game. He hit 2-3, which included a triple to the wall. In all, the Giants had six extra-base hits, with the final one being a double by NRI infielder Osleivis Basabe.
The Giants host the Rockies on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. PT. Blade Tidwell is scheduled to start, with Hayden Birdsong also pitching.
