Category: MLB

Max Fried dominated the Rays again, and Paul Goldschmidt provided the offense in the Yankees' 3-0 win over Tampa Bay on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Here are the takeaways...

-Fried, the newly minted AL Pitcher of the Month, started May the way he ended April: dominant. He went 4.1 innings before he gave up his first hit -- helped by some stellar defense behind him -- but it was just the beginning of what the Yankees and their fans have come to expect from the left-hander.

Fried completed seven scoreless frames (92 pitches/61 strikes), allowing just one hit, two walks and one HBP while striking out six. His ERA is now 1.01.

The last time Fried pitched against the Rays, he reached the eighth inning without allowing a hit -- until that was retroactively changed mid-game. In his two seasons outings against Tampa, he's allowed only three hits over 14.2 scoreless innings.

- Goldschmidt dealt the big blow in this one. With the game scoreless in the fifth and runners on second and third and two outs, the former NL MVP launched a 1-0 pitch fastball at the top of the zone 350 feet the other way over the right field wall. It would've been a homer in only three parks -- Citizens Bank Park and George M. Steinbrenner Field are the others.

After taking a month to hit his second homer, it's Goldschmidt's second homer in as many games. He finished 2-for-4.

-Aaron Judge smoked a triple to straightaway center that the Rays' center fielder couldn't grab and let trickle away from him. The ball was hit 108.5 mph off the bat. It was Judge's seventh career triple and second this season. It's the most he's had in one season since hitting three in his 2017 rookie campaign.

The Yankees' captain would add a double and also finish 2-for-4 at the plate. He's now batting a league-best .430 as May gets started.

-Jorbit Vivas made his MLB debut, playing second base and batting ninth. He saw the first pitch of the game hit at him, a routine grounder. He made every play in the field that he needed to.

At the plate, Vivas struck out swinging in his first at-bat before taking a four-pitch walk in his second. His third at-bat saw him come up with a man on third and two outs. After falling behind 0-2, he worked a walk on six pitches. He finished 0-for-1 but walked twice and scored a run.

-Devin Williams pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning with a strikeout in relief, making it three straight scoreless outings for the new Yankee.

Luke Weaver continued his incredible start to the season, striking out two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his third save of the year. Weaver has yet to give up a run this season.

Game MVP: Max Fried

Fried was just dominant, and the Yankees are now 7-0 in his starts.

Highlights

Max Fried picks the runner off!

(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/hRW9six4LY

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 2, 2025

The Yankees turn the 5-6-3 double play on Chandler Simpson 💪 pic.twitter.com/YoVVASgH4I

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 2, 2025

A triple for Aaron Judge 🏃‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/6Favky1sAA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 2, 2025

Paul Goldschmidt hits a three-run shot to the short porch! 💣 pic.twitter.com/wPuyVk8gHJ

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 3, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Rays continue their three-game set on Saturday afternoon in The Bronx. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.

Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 5.52 ERA) will take the mound looking for his first win of 2025. Tampa will send Zack Littell (1-5, 5.03 ERA) to the bump.

While the Mets haven't conveyed that Paul Blackburn will join the starting rotation once he fully recovers from knee inflammation, the veteran right-hander is still being stretched out as an option. And the latest results from his minor-league rehab assignement are encouraging.

Blackburn made his second start for High-A Brooklyn on Friday night, striking out six while allowing two runs on four hits across three innings. He threw 41 total pitches, 31 of them for strikes.

The duration between Blackburn's outings with Brooklyn nearly reached two weeks, as his scheduled start last Wednesday was scrapped due to a stomach bug that resulted in some weight loss.

The 31-year-old logged his first two rehab frames on April 19, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out one.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza recently said that Blackburn's big-league role is to be determined, but they want his pitch count in the 65-70 range before activating him from the injured list.

Considering that he only threw 41 pitches on Friday, he most likely needs a few more rehab games to build up his workload.

The Mets also received some welcome news from their top farm team on Friday, as left-hander Felipe De La Cruz impressed with nine strikeouts across six scoreless innings in his debut with Triple-A Syracuse. The 23-year-old threw 70 pitches -- 53 for strikes -- and induced 12 whiffs with a sharp mid-80s slider and upper-90s sinker.

It didn't take long for De La Cruz to receive the promotion. He began the 2025 season with Double-A Binghampton, registering a crisp 1.98 ERA with 20 strikeouts across 13.2 innings (four games, two starts).

Whether or not he's being fast-tracked to the majors, De La Cruz is now a fun story to follow and on the Mets' radar. He wasn't even listed as a top-30 prospect by SNY contributor Joe DeMayo or MLB Pipeline this spring.

Ray continues to flourish in win vs. Rockies as Giants snap skid originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

On a three-game skid after a home loss to the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies on Thursday, the Giants needed an answer on Friday night.

They found it.

Insert veteran left-hander Robbie Ray, who tossed seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts in San Francisco’s much-needed 4-0 win over Colorado at Oracle Park. 

That's a solid outing, Robbie 💪 pic.twitter.com/AOBem7AVPo

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 3, 2025

For Ray, who remains undefeated in 2025, it marked the first time he completed seven innings in back-to-back outings since June 12 and June 17, 2022.

Naturally, any pitcher, especially one that has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, would feel confident after seeing constant improvements in his game. That’s certainly the case for the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner, who has found his groove on the mound.

“I think it’s just comfortability with my mechanics,” Ray told reporters after the win. “My delivery, these last two games, has felt really well.

“I feel like the ball is coming out well. I’m kind of hitting all of my cues in my delivery when I need to, and it just makes my stuff better. Earlier in the year, I was kind of fighting it a little bit. A couple of bad-weather games. That was a little tough, but, right now, I feel really good.” 

Robbie Ray feels confident after a strong performance during tonight's win 💪 pic.twitter.com/HN0unZICXJ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 3, 2025

Along with limiting walks, Ray improved to 4-0 with a 3.05 ERA on the season. Manager Bob Melvin, for one, is satisfied with the 33-year-old’s recent production.

“It’s something everyone knows now,” Melvin told reporters. “Even in the games that he hasn’t gone deep in the game, we end up supporting him afterwards too [by] getting good outings out of the bullpen.

“He’s getting close to almost a 2.00 ERA. [He’s] just over 3.00 right now. We feel good when he takes the mound.”

"We feel good when he takes the mound."

Bob Melvin lauds Robbie Ray's pitching this season 👏 pic.twitter.com/sYqhPqMO4n

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 3, 2025

Offensively, the Giants piled on three runs in the second inning, with LaMonte Wade Jr., who entered the game with a .123 batting average, earning an RBI double.

LaMonte opens the scoring with an RBI double 🙌 pic.twitter.com/t6m3KzR1pK

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 3, 2025

When Matt Chapman went to the plate in the third, he took Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela deep to left for his sixth homer of the season.

Chappy goes yard 💥 pic.twitter.com/2GkkJFQLRj

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 3, 2025

With Ray’s inertia behind them, San Francisco (20-13) will now look to take the series lead over Colorado on Saturday.

Given the circumstances heading into Friday night, it’s the exact answer the Giants needed.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Max Muncy has a new look.

And, he hopes, slightly better sight.

On Friday night at Truist Park, Muncy took the field for the Dodgers’ series opener against the Atlanta Braves wearing clear prescription eyeglasses. He subtly did the same during the Dodgers’ last game of the most recent homestand on Wednesday afternoon, using sunglasses with prescription lenses when he hit his first home run of the season.

It’s not that Muncy has bad eyesight. His vision, he said, is actually an excellent 20/12.

Read more:After 'rough' month, Dodgers' Max Muncy hopes first homer is 'something to build on'

However, Muncy did learn he has astigmatism in his right eye, making him slightly left-eye dominant. Given that he’s a left-handed hitter — positioning him with his right eye forward in the batter’s box — he thus decided the glasses were worth a try.

“If there’s anything that can help out a little bit,” Muncy said, “I’ll try it.”

Based on his results from Wednesday, the benefits might have already been felt.

After enduring a career-long 28-game home run drought to start the season, Muncy went deep in his first at-bat Wednesday, launching a low-and-away sinker to straightaway center field.

He struck out in his next trip to the plate, then flied to left in the fifth inning. After that, however, he tripled and drew a walk, giving him his most productive performance of what had been a slow start to the season.

Granted, Muncy’s performance had started to tick up before he started using his new glasses.

Thanks to some recent swing adjustments, he entered Wednesday with three hits in his previous two games (he’d recorded just four in the 11 before that) and as many walks as strikeouts in his prior 13 contests overall (10 each).

“The swing feels like it’s getting closer and closer,” said Muncy, who entered Friday with a .194 batting average on the season. “I still have to clean some things up. Have to be better in certain situations. It’s a work in progress. But … it’s just getting the ball to go forward.”

Still, in recent days, Muncy decided it was time to break out the glasses, too.

The 34-year-old third baseman had been testing his glasses in pregame batting practice and infield drills since the start of last week’s homestand. He’d initially been hesitant to take them into game action, noting a “fish-bowl” effect he felt while wearing them, but said he has since adjusted by using them even when he’s away from the field.

Muncy isn’t the first Dodger player to begin utilizing glasses midseason.

Last year, Kiké Hernández did the same thing after discovering astigmatism (a condition caused by imperfections in the curvature of the eye that can impact vision) in his own right eye.

Like Muncy, Hernández described an adjustment period when his glasses arrived midseason.

“It took me like a week or two to really feel like my depth perception felt normal,” Hernández recalled.

Unlike Muncy, Hernández began wearing them in games as soon as they arrived.

“You can’t be afraid to fail,” he quipped.

Fail, Hernández did not. Before last year’s All-Star break, Hernández was batting .191 with just five home runs in 71 games, wearing glasses for only the final series of the opening half. After the break, once his eyesight adjusted to his new lenses, Hernández finished the year batting .274 with seven home runs in his final 55 games. He then proceeded to have a monster postseason (.294 average, two home runs, six RBIs) during the Dodgers’ run to a World Series title.

Read more:Shaikin: The Dodgers are good, and old. Should they try NBA-style load management?

This year, the glasses have remained a fixture. And even though he batted just .188 in March and April, he did tally five home runs and 13 RBIs.

The biggest benefit Hernández noticed from his glasses: An ability to see the actual spin on the baseball, and more easily identify each pitch type.

“Before the glasses, I was trying to see the shape of each pitch,” Hernández said, which forced him to wait a split-second to see if the ball would dive or slide away from its starting location.

“Once I got the glasses,” he added, “I could actually see the spin.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After fan's terrifying fall in Pittsburgh, a look at safety measures across MLB originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When a fan flipped over the railing and fell off the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park on Wednesday night, it elicited memories of spectators who have died from similar falls at other major league stadiums.

Kavan Markwood was in critical condition as of Thursday after falling onto the warning track in right field just as Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-3. Markwood was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel, before being removed from the field on a cart. He was taken to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital.

Pittsburgh Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police and EMS, posted on X Thursday that the “incident is being treated as accidental in nature.”

Fans died after steep falls at ballparks in Arlington, Texas, in 2011 and Atlanta in 2015.

Here’s a look at some safety measures instituted by MLB and its teams:

Ballpark railings

Railing heights at ballparks are team decisions based on local laws and codes. The railing that runs along the Clemente Wall is three feet (36 inches) in height, which exceeds the building code requirements of 26 inches, according to Pirates vice president of communications Brian Warecki.

Those rail heights have come under scrutiny at other ballparks after fans died. The Rangers raised the height of the front row rails at their former ballpark by as much as 12 inches to 42 inches in July 2011 after a fan named Shannon Stone fell about 20 feet.

The Atlanta Braves settled a lawsuit in 2018 with the family of Gregory Murrey, who died after falling from Turner Field’s upper deck three years earlier. Murrey fell over a rail that was 30 inches high — industry code standards mandated 26 inches or taller.

Foul ball netting

Until 2015, many ballparks had netting separating fans and the field only directly behind home plate. Following several incidents that season in which fans were hospitalized after being hit by foul balls, MLB encouraged teams to extend netting or screens to run dugout-to-dugout behind home plate in December 2015. Three years later, all 30 ballparks had netting reaching to the far ends of each dugout.

In 2019, a 2-year-old girl fractured her skull when struck by a foul ball at the Houston Astros’ stadium. The club later reached a settlement with the girl’s family. The following offseason, MLB announced seven major league teams would expand protective netting to the foul poles and 15 others would expand their netting generally to the area in the outfield where the stands begin to angle away from the field. The remaining eight clubs already had installed netting that extended substantially beyond the far end of the dugouts.

Alcohol sales

MLB does not mandate alcohol sales cutoffs, but most clubs have stopped selling alcohol around the end of the seventh inning for years. After new rules aimed at increasing the pace of play led to shorter game times in 2023, several clubs extended alcohol sales until the end of the eighth inning. Many of those teams have reverted back to the seventh-inning cutoff.

The two biggest sluggers in New York have been recognized for their early-season power at the plate. Major League Baseball announced its NL and AL Players of the Month for March/April on Friday, and the accolades were duly given to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Yankees captain Aaron Judge.

It didn't take long for Alonso to demonstrate his long-standing worth in Queens. The 30-year-old resembled a complete hitter in April, slashing .343/.475/.657 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, and 28 RBI across 31 games (137 plate appearances). The hits often came in bunches, too, as he collected 13 multi-hit games.

Alonso's torrid start to the 2025 campaign also featured some Mets history on Tuesday, as he moved into fifth place on the franchise’s all-time RBI list (614) by crushing a solo homer. With an NL-leading .475 on-base percentage and 19 extra-base hits (tied for second in MLB), Alonso is taking full advantage of a short prove-it contract that he signed this past winter and boosting his future market value.

As for Judge, his level of production thus far has been staggering. He finished the first month tied for the league lead in homers (10), and his .427 average and 1.282 through 31 games rank second to none. Judge has registered a league-high 2.9 WAR, and according to OptaStats, he's the only player in the designated hitter era (since 1973) to lead the AL in all three Triple Crown categories entering May.

The Yankees are also reaping the benefits from their biggest offseason acquisition, as lefty ace Max Fried was named the AL's Pitcher of the Month.

The 31-year-old veteran enters Friday's start with a pristine 1.19 ERA -- tied for the top mark among AL starters -- through six outings, and his perfect 5-0 record also ranks tied for best in the majors. Fried has undoubtedly lived up to his hefty free-agent contract thus far, holding opponents to a .207 average.

Mets infielder Luisangel Acuña was named the National League Rookie of the Month for games played in March and April, MLB announced Friday.

Acuña has collected 21 hits in his first 27 games with five doubles and three RBI with a .288/.342/.356 slashline.

He's scored 13 runs and has seven steals (one caught). Per Statcast, the speedster is in the 97th percentile in speed and carries a two baserunning run value (98th percentile in baseball).

Among NL rookies to start the year, the 23-year-old infielder is second in games played, third in at-bats, third in hits, third in doubles, second in average, third in OBP, and sixth in OPS (minimum 50 at-bats).

Acuña wasn't the only Met to be honored for his performance to start the year, as Pete Alonso took home the NL Player of the Month award.

After making an impression in 14 games at the end of last season after his big-league debut – when he went 12-for-39 at the plate with six extra-base hits, including three home runs, for a .308 average and .966 OPS – Acuña made the Opening Day squad and beat out Brett Baty to stay in Queens after Jeff McNeil returned for the IL.

At the start of March, Acuña was the No. 11 prospect in the Mets' system, per Joe DeMayo's rankings.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was, unsurprisingly, placed on the IL after exiting a game in the Orioles series early, but what was a surprise was an MRI revealing a high-grade oblique strain, which will likely have the infielder sit out a couple of months.

Manager Aaron Boone said 4-6 weeks on the IL is likely, but he's excited for Jorbit Vivas -- who was called up Friday and making his MLB debut -- to get an extended run wih the team.

Before the series opener against the Rays, the Yankees skipper talked about what he sees from Vivas and the initial plan for the infielder.

"I expect Jorbit to play a lot," Boone said. "He's playing really well down in Triple-A....We know we have a big player there. He can really play at second and he can swing the bat. Looking forward to him getting a little bit of an opportunity here and hopefully taking advantage of that." 

In 26 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Vivas is slashing .319/.426/.436 with seven extra-base hits, including two home runs, 15 RBI, and an .862 OPS.

"He lays the barrel on the ball and he's got a little sock to the pull side," Boone said of Vivas. "He's very good at second, he's athletic there, he moves well."

Vivas joins an infield stable that includes Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes. The versatility of all the options on the Yankees bench even extends to Vivas, but Boone said that the plan is for the 24-year-old to stick to one position.

"Right now, I kind of look at him as being in that second base mix," he said. "We have moved him around a little bit, but I do feel like he's much better at second. Look, anything's possible in a given day but right now, I plan on having to play a lot of second."

Update on DJ LeMahieu

With Chisholm out for an extended period of time, Boone was asked if the injury affects LeMahieu's rehab and whether they would try to get him back sooner.

"I don't know about accelerating," Boone said. "I think the couple days down was him being very proactive and like we got to make sure we get this right. It's good that he's back playing....maybe changes the position a little bit initially, but the biggest thing right now is...getting the back-to-back, getting the six, seven, eight Innings. And then bouncing back is the biggest thing."

LeMahieu is playing in Double-A as weather in the coming days can limit the number of games he can play in Triple-A but the Yankees manager is happy with the number of at-bats his veteran infielder has taken already. If LeMahieu can recover properly after games, especially after the pre-emptive cortisone shot he took this week, then a return for the former batting champion can be discussed.

Update on Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton was transferred to the 60-day IL this week after the Yankees acquired OF Bryan De La Cruz off waivers but that was just a procedural move, which Boone confirmed on Friday.

The skipper said the 60-day expiration is around May 27, which is when conversations will need to be had, but Boone also gave a short update on Stanton's rehab.

"Still more of the same like going through his running progression, doing high-speed stuff with the hitting," he said.

Boone said Stanton will do live BP either this week or early next week against Jake Cousins.

Schwarber keeps slugging and Phils snag tight win to open D-Backs series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies snagged a tight win Friday night to open their series with the Diamondbacks and Kyle Schwarber starred. 

In a 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park, Schwarber went 2 for 3 with a game-tying home run and two RBIs. He’s now at 10 homers on the season and three of those have come in the last four days. 

With a no-decision, starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo stayed at 3-0 as a Phillie. Luzardo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed nine hits and two runs. He finished with six strikeouts and one walk.

The southpaw was unbothered by two Diamondbacks singles in the first inning, responding with three swinging strikeouts. Schwarber lined an RBI double off the base of the right-field wall in the bottom of the first, putting the Phillies on top and growing his on-base streak to 38 games. 

Arizona had good, lengthy at-bats against Luzardo, but the D-Backs were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position over the first three innings. His pitch count soared, though. 

Luzardo leaned on his sweeper vs. Arizona’s lefties and threw it 36.8 percent of the time overall. His season strikeout-to-walk numbers against left-handers remain highly impressive. Across seven starts, Luzardo has struck out 20 lefties and walked zero. 

The D-Backs tied it up in the fourth inning. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a leadoff double and reached third base on an Alek Thomas ground out. Luzardo then jammed Geraldo Perdomo, but the ball drifted just over Trea Turner at shortstop.

Luzardo couldn’t make it out of the sixth. Gabriel Moreno lifted a deep fly ball to center field with one out that Cal Stevenson tracked awkwardly and failed to catch at the wall. A Gurriel single gave Arizona a 2-1 lead. 

Merrill Kelly pitched five solid innings and the Diamondbacks turned to their bullpen for the last four. The Phillies feasted against Jose Castillo in the bottom of the seventh.

Schwarber started the frame by cracking a first-pitch Castillo fastball over the fence. Two batters later, Max Kepler smoked a 1-1 slider 422 feet, very comfortably over the right-center wall.

Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, Jordan Romano and Jose Alvarado all did scoreless work out of the Phillies’ bullpen. Johan Rojas was very helpful for Alvarado, making a speedy, gutsy play to begin the ninth.

He sprinted to left-center, nabbed a Gurriel liner and hung on to the ball after crashing hard into the wall. Rojas was slow to rise to his feet but stayed in the game. Alvarado then retired the next two batters without any issue to cement the win and bring the Phillies to 18-14 on the season.

The center-field picture 

Stevenson started his first game of the season in center field and was 1 for 2. He got picked off first base in the fifth inning after an opposite-field knock. 

Rojas was on the bench until he replaced Stevenson in the eighth inning. Thomson said the decision was unrelated to Rojas’ risky triple in the ninth inning of Thursday’s loss to the Nationals, though he talked with him about the play. 

“Just a day off,” Thomson said. “Might give him another one. He’s played every day and he’s got some body soreness — just general — but he’s fine.”

Brandon Marsh appears on the verge of rejoining the Phillies after playing rehab games Thursday and Friday with Triple A Lehgh Valley. Marsh “could be” active Saturday vs. the Diamondbacks, per Thomson. 

Rojas’ bat has been a bright spot at the bottom of the Phillies’ lineup — the 24-year-old is hitting .305 with a 115 OPS+ — but he’s made some prominent defensive mistakes. What will Marsh’s return mean for him? 

“Don’t really know, but Rojas has played very well,” Thomson said. “I like where his swing is at right now. We just have to play it by ear.”

Painter moving up 

Andrew Painter’s stint with Single A Clearwater is over. 

The Phillies’ top prospect is scheduled to start for Lehigh Valley next Thursday and throw approximately 60-65 pitches, Thomson said. 

Painter started four times with Clearwater, totaling 11 1/3 innings. He had a 3.97 ERA, 12 strikeouts and one walk. 

“Very good,” Thomson said. “Healthy and the stuff has been good. Even though he gave up a couple home runs last night, I think we ramp up the competition now a little bit.”

On deck 

While Thomson has yet to announce Taijuan Walker’s role with Ranger Suarez back in the fold, he said Cristopher Sanchez will start Wednesday against the Rays. 

These are the Phillies’ starters through that game: 

• Aaron Nola on Saturday vs. Arizona
• Suarez on Sunday vs. Arizona
• Zack Wheeler on Tuesday at Tampa Bay 
• Sanchez on Wednesday at Tampa Bay 

Schwarber keeps slugging and Phils snag tight win to open D-Backs series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies snagged a tight win Friday night to open their series with the Diamondbacks and Kyle Schwarber starred. 

In a 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park, Schwarber went 2 for 3 with a game-tying home run and two RBIs. He’s now at 10 homers on the season and three of those have come in the last four days. 

With a no-decision, starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo stayed at 3-0 as a Phillie. Luzardo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed nine hits and two runs. He finished with six strikeouts and one walk.

The southpaw was unbothered by two Diamondbacks singles in the first inning, responding with three swinging strikeouts. Schwarber lined an RBI double off the base of the right-field wall in the bottom of the first, putting the Phillies on top and growing his on-base streak to 38 games. 

Arizona had good, lengthy at-bats against Luzardo, but the D-Backs were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position over the first three innings. His pitch count soared, though. 

Luzardo leaned on his sweeper vs. Arizona’s lefties and threw it 36.8 percent of the time overall. His season strikeout-to-walk numbers against left-handers remain highly impressive. Across seven starts, Luzardo has struck out 20 lefties and walked zero. 

The D-Backs tied it up in the fourth inning. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a leadoff double and reached third base on an Alek Thomas ground out. Luzardo then jammed Geraldo Perdomo, but the ball drifted just over Trea Turner at shortstop.

Luzardo couldn’t make it out of the sixth. Gabriel Moreno lifted a deep fly ball to center field with one out that Cal Stevenson tracked awkwardly and failed to catch at the wall. A Gurriel single gave Arizona a 2-1 lead. 

While not at his peak form, Luzardo took pride in gritting out difficult innings Friday.

“I feel like that’s key for me, just maturing throughout my career,” he said. “I feel like a couple years back, I would’ve probably just gone three, four (innings) max and given up a lot more runs. Throughout this season, even when I’m not my best, we’re able to weather the storm, make it work and try to save the bullpen as much as possible.”

Schwarber has been struck by “the way he competes.”

“There’s not many things that faze the kid,” he said of Luzardo. “When he’s on the mound, it’s just him, the catcher and the hitter. There’s nobody else in his world, it looks like. It’s just laser focus. He comes off the mound and sometimes I’m walking out of the cage … and it’s just like he’s staring a hole right through me. And I’m like, ’Nice, I like that.’ 

“You get (perceptions) of guys when you play against them, but when you have them on your team, you really see the way that they work and the way they go about their business. It’s cool.” 

Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly pitched five solid innings and Arizona turned to its bullpen for the last four. The Phillies feasted against Jose Castillo in the bottom of the seventh.

Schwarber started the frame by cracking a first-pitch Castillo fastball over the fence. Two batters later, Max Kepler smoked a 1-1 slider 422 feet, very comfortably over the right-center wall.

Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, Jordan Romano and Jose Alvarado all did scoreless work out of the Phillies’ bullpen. Johan Rojas was very helpful for Alvarado, making a speedy, gutsy play to begin the ninth.

He sprinted to left-center, nabbed a Gurriel liner and hung on to the ball after crashing hard into the wall. Rojas was slow to rise to his feet but stayed in the game.

He said postgame he felt “fine” physically.

“I’m feeling the best because we won,” Rojas said. 

Alvarado retired the next two batters without any issue to cement the win and bring the Phillies to 18-14 on the season.

The center-field picture 

Stevenson started his first game of the year in center field and was 1 for 2. He got picked off first base in the fifth inning after an opposite-field knock. 

Rojas was on the bench until he replaced Stevenson in the eighth inning. Thomson said the decision was unrelated to Rojas’ risky triple in the ninth inning of Thursday’s loss to the Nationals, though he talked with him about the play. 

“Just a day off,” Thomson said. “Might give him another one. He’s played every day and he’s got some body soreness — just general — but he’s fine.”

Brandon Marsh appears on the verge of rejoining the Phillies after playing rehab games Thursday and Friday with Triple A Lehigh Valley. Marsh “could be” active Saturday vs. the Diamondbacks, per Thomson. 

Rojas’ bat has been a bright spot at the bottom of the Phillies’ lineup — the 24-year-old is hitting .305 with a 115 OPS+ — but he’s made some prominent defensive mistakes. What will Marsh’s return mean for him? 

“Don’t really know, but Rojas has played very well,” Thomson said. “I like where his swing is at right now. We just have to play it by ear.”

Painter moving up 

Andrew Painter’s stint with Single A Clearwater is over. 

The Phillies’ top prospect is scheduled to start for Lehigh Valley next Thursday and throw approximately 60-65 pitches, Thomson said. 

Painter started four times with Clearwater, totaling 11 1/3 innings. He had a 3.97 ERA, 12 strikeouts and one walk. 

“Very good,” Thomson said. “Healthy and the stuff has been good. Even though he gave up a couple home runs last night, I think we ramp up the competition now a little bit.”

On deck 

While Thomson has yet to announce Taijuan Walker’s role with Ranger Suarez back in the fold, he said Cristopher Sanchez will start Wednesday against the Rays. 

These are the Phillies’ starters through that game: 

• Aaron Nola on Saturday vs. Arizona
• Suarez on Sunday vs. Arizona
• Zack Wheeler on Tuesday at Tampa Bay 
• Sanchez on Wednesday at Tampa Bay 

Ahead of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night, the Mets made a roster move to bolster the bullpen.

RHP Austin Warren was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, while RHP Ty Adcock, who was selected to the major league roster on Thursday, was optioned back to Triple-A.

Adcock entered the game down 4-2 with two outs in the top of the ninth, allowing one hit and walking one over 0.1 IP.

Warren has pitched to a 4.35 ERA over seven appearances in the minors this season, recording 14 strikeouts with nine walks over 10.1 IP. The 29-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 and made his MLB debut in 2021. He pitched in 32 games for LA across three seasons (2021-2023), owning a 3.55 ERA with 31 strikeouts.

Warren was designated for assignment by the Angels prior to the 2024 season and then signed with the San Francisco Giants, where he appeared in six big league games (1.69 ERA with seven strikeouts over 10.2 IP). The Mets claimed him off waivers on Jan. 15.

Additionally, New York announced that RHP Paul Blackburn (right knee inflammation), who's yet to pitch in the majors this season, was placed on a rehab assignment with High-A Brooklyn. Blackburn pitched two innings for the Cyclones on April 19, allowing one run on two hits (one HR) while walking two over 38 pitches. He had a 5.68 ERA over five spring training outings before landing on the injured list late in camp.

Hoglund makes ‘good impression' by filleting Marlins in Athletics debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics’ No. 14 overall prospect, right-handed pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, tossed a six-inning gem in his MLB debut to help his team win its third straight game, 6-0 over the Miami Marlins, on Friday at loanDepot park. 

The 25-year-old was called up on Thursday to address the Green and Gold’s recent rotational struggles.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Hoglund said on “A’s Cast” with NBC Sports California’s Dallas Braden and Jenny Cavnar after allowing just one run in the win. “I’m just so thankful it went the way it did. I didn’t have much sleep after I got the call. I woke up today just trying to treat it like another game, but it’s not another game – it’s your first one.

“You want to make a good impression, and I’m just glad I had everything working today.”

"I'm just glad I had everything working today."

Gunnar Hoglund reflects on the emotions from his MLB debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/FQLlmqL5iW

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) May 3, 2025

Hoglund sure did make a good first impression in his home state of Florida.

He needed just 81 pitches to finish with seven strikeouts while allowing six hits in front of his thrilled family and friends in attendance.

“Outstanding performance by the young man,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters postgame. “You know, he, from Pitch 1, seemed to be really focused. You couldn’t really tell if there were any nerves or not. He came right out and attacked. That was a great night for the young man. 

“I think any time you get a guy that can go six innings in a game and have a quality start the first time out, that’s pretty impressive.”

Mark Kotsay was impressed by Gunnar Hoglund in his big league debut 🤝 pic.twitter.com/TaryLUvZuQ

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) May 3, 2025

Hoglund trusted his four-seam fastball, which he threw 34 times, and supplemented with a mix of his sinker, changeup and slider.

He shook Marlins designated hitter Agustín Ramírez with an 87-mph changeup in the first inning to earn his first career MLB strikeout.

Gunnar Hogland records his first career strikeout and his family is loving it 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4Ec4JlwSut

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) May 2, 2025

The Athletics cruised top-to-bottom in Miami as their offense provided six runs in the first five innings to support Hoglund. Jacob Wilson, JJ Bleday, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers all had one RBI, and the bullpen – Hogan Harris and Noah Murdock – finished Hoglund’s stellar debut unscathed.

Hoglund entered having carried a 2.43 ERA with 30 strikeouts through over six starts for Triple-A Las Vegas. His Athletics career starting quite ideally is no surprise.

And don’t look now, but the Green and Gold carry an 18-15 record and trail the Seattle Mariners (18-12) by 1.5 games for first in the narrow AL West. The Athletics were 16-17 after 33 games in 2024 and ultimately finished fourth.

Walker Buehler placed on injured list with shoulder issue originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Just when the Boston Red Sox rotation appeared to be at full strength, it lost another starter due to injury.

On Friday, the Red Sox placed right-hander Walker Buehler on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation. Brayan Bello will start in Buehler’s place for Friday’s series opener against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.

There is optimism within the organization that Buehler’s injury won’t sideline him for long. Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Friday that the ailment isn’t believed to be serious.

“Shoulder inflammation. He’s gonna go on the IL,” Cora said. “We don’t think it’s that serious. Miss two starts and hopefully be back as soon as the days (on the IL) are over.”

The hope is that Buehler can avoid a rehab stint and return to the big-league club as soon as his time on the IL is up.

“We’ll talk about it, but I’m not too worried about it,” Cora added. “(Head Athletic Trainer) Brandon (Henry) is not either, so hopefully, like I said, it’s something he misses two starts and is right back with us.”

Buehler’s injury comes shortly after Bello and Lucas Giolito’s returns from the IL. Bello missed time with a shoulder strain, and Giolito had a hamstring injury after missing all of 2024 with a torn UCL.

The Red Sox signed Buehler to a one-year contract in the offseason. The 30-year-old was coming off a down season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his return from his second Tommy John surgery, though he bounced back to give the World Series champions big innings throughout their postseason run.

Buehler is 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA and 29 strikeouts through six starts with Boston this season.

With Buehler on the IL, the Red Sox called up rookie right-hander Hunter Dobbins. He’ll take the mound for Saturday’s game against Minnesota.

The New York Rangers have agreed on a two-year contract extension with forward Juuso Parssinen. 

The contract extension is reportedly expected to carry an average annual value of $1.25 million. 

The Rangers Have High Hopes For Juuso Parssinen That Go Far Beyond This SeasonThe Rangers may have acquired a hidden gem and nobody knows about him yet. His name is Juuso Parssinen. 

The Rangers acquired Parssinen at a time around the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline in a deal that sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche. 

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury was interested in acquiring Parssinen for months due to the fact that he really believed in his potential and upside. 

However, Parssinen wasn’t an every day player for the Blueshirts as he was scratched out of the lineup on multiple occasions. 

In 11 games with the Rangers this season, the 24-year-old recorded two goals, three assists, and five points while averaging 9:46 minutes.