Category: MLB

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Phillies play a four-game series in Philadelphia starting on Monday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.

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5 things to watch

Nolan McLean gets things going

It has been a scintillating start to McLean's big league career, with him carrying a 1.37 ERA and 0.759 WHIP into Monday's outing.

And it was arguably McLean's last start that was his most impressive.

He was hit around a bit in the first inning but locked in after, retiring the last 14 batters he faced. Overall, he allowed two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out seven.

McLean faced the Phillies in his third major league start back on Aug. 27 at Citi Field, and he stifled them, firing eight shutout innings while allowing four hits, walking none, and striking out six.

Who's in center?

It's been an offensive struggle for Cedric Mullins since he was acquired from the Orioles at the trade deadline.

In 108 plate appearances over 29 games, Mullins is slashing just .178/.290/.278.

If there's one issue that's most glaring, it's Mullins' lack of power.

He hit 15 home runs in 91 games earlier this season for Baltimore, but has mustered just one for New York.

With Tyrone Taylor still out due to a hamstring injury, the Mets could conceivably turn to Jeff McNeil as the regular in center field for now, which would allow them to use Brett Baty at second base and Mark Vientos at third base. 

The Mets' offense needs to break out

The Mets have scored just 12 runs over their last four games as they've gone 1-3.

Yes, they've run into some really good starting pitching, including Casey Mize last Wednesday and Hunter Greene on Sunday, but the bats need to wake up.

Juan Soto has remained red hot and Francisco Lindor had a huge series against the Reds and has been on fire for about a month. But aside from them, it was a struggle for the offense in Cincinnati.

Against the Phillies, New York will face a rotation that is weakened without Zack Wheeler. But it's still formidable, led by Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.

The one true weak spot is Aaron Nola (6.78 ERA, 1.51 WHIP), who gets the ball on Monday. 

The out of town scoreboard

The Mets enter this series 7.0 games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. So barring a four-game sweep by New York, it's fair to classify the NL East race as essentially over.

As far as the Wild Card race, the Mets are in strong shape, leading the Giants and Reds by 4.0 games and the Diamondbacks and Cardinals by 4.5 games for the third Wild Card spot.

Meanwhile, the Mets trail the Padres by 2.0 games for the second Wild Card spot, and have a three-game series coming up with them later this month at Citi Field.

As the Mets battle the Phillies, the Reds and Padres play each other in San Diego, the Giants host the D-backs, and the Cardinals travel to Seattle to play the Mariners.  

Kyle Schwarber has gone cold

Since blasting four home runs against the Braves on Aug. 28, Schwarber hasn't done much.

He's hitting a paltry .152/.317/.212 in 41 plate appearances over his last nine games, and has struck out 13 times during that span.

Schwarber has one extra-base hit in those nine games (a triple) and just one RBI.

It's just a matter of time before Schwarber, who has blasted 49 homers this season and has a .929 OPS, wakes up. The Mets obviously hope it doesn't happen against them.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Francisco Lindor

Lindor has been a beast for about a month, hitting .386/.475/.634 with five homers, 10 doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 120 plate appearances over 25 games dating back to Aug. 12.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Sean Manaea

Tuesday's start is a huge one for Manaea, who needs to lock in.

Which Phillies player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Bryce Harper

It's been a relatively quiet September for Harper, who will need to step up with Trea Turner out due to a hamstring injury.

Things didn’t go well for Tylor Megill in his potential final rehab start on Sunday afternoon. 

The right-hander was roughed up again as he took the mound for the Syracuse Mets.

Megill ended up being pulled after allowing a total of five runs on four hits, two walks and two HBPs, while striking out just three batters in 2+ innings of work. 

Buffalo Bisons outfielder Joey Loperfido jumped on him for a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the first but he responded by striking out a pair.   

He worked around a second and third jam with one out in the second allowing just one more run, but wasn’t able to finish off the third. 

Megill was removed after quickly loading the bases with a walk, HBP, and single. 

Richard Lovelady entered and allowed an RBI single and grand slam, capping an ugly line.

After starting his rehab with three consecutive scoreless outings, Megill has responded by allowing three or more runs in three straight to lift his ERA to 6.60 over just 20 innings of work.

President of baseball operations David Stearns said earlier this week that the Mets will make a decision on Megill's potential activation and next steps following Sunday’s outing. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the club plans on utilizing him down the stretch.

The 30-year-old began the year in the starting rotation, but with the trio of top prospects jumping into the mix there likely isn't a spot for him there. 

With a strong six innings on Sunday afternoon, Brandon Sproat became the third rookie pitcher to make an impressive major league debut for the Mets in the space of about three weeks. 

It makes for a bright future but what about the present?

Is it realistic to think the Mets can make a deep playoff run with three young starters as saviors of sort for their beleaguered starting rotation?

For the moment, in fact, after losing two of three games to the Reds in Cincinnati this weekend including Sunday’s 3-2 defeat, the more pressing task is holding off their pursuers for the third NL Wild Card spot, especially as they head to Philadelphia for a four-game series. 

The Mets were fortunate the surging San Francisco Giants lost in St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday, keeping them four games back in the Wild Card standings, along with the Reds.  

Now they turn to Nolan McLean to start in Philadelphia on Monday, the third straight game in which they’ll start a rookie -- can his brilliance continue?

The rarest of circumstances has forced the Mets to lean so heavily on a trio of pitchers with so little major league experience, but the poor performance of their starters, especially Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea, has forced their hand. 

How it plays out remains to be seen, but the truth is that so far the kid starters have done about all the Mets could have expected. 

There are bound to be growing pains, as was the case Saturday night, when Jonah Tong learned that it is a lot harder to blow his high fastball by major league hitters than it was in the minors, as he gave up three home runs in the first four innings. 

Same went for Sproat, to some extent, when a couple of mistake pitches -- a lazy-breaking curve ball to Elly De La Cruz and a hanging changeup to Austin Hays -- cost him a couple of runs in the sixth inning on Sunday that proved decisive. 

But let’s be real: those mistakes only loomed large because the Mets didn’t hit much on Saturday and Sunday. 

In truth, both Tong and Sproat showed why they are regarded so highly. 

After Tong -- in his second career start -- paid for trying to overpower Reds hitters in the early innings, he adjusted, mixed in his off-speed stuff nicely and showed some grit in getting through six innings, striking out his final hitter with a 98-mph fastball.

That those home runs were the only hits he allowed spoke to Tong’s potential to dominate, just as the 13 swings-and-misses he induced were proof of the quality of his stuff. 

And then there was Sproat, the third of the three top prospects to make his debut. 

He’s not McLean when it comes to spinning the baseball, but he showed an impressive array of breaking balls, throwing three variations of them at different speeds -- a slider at 90 mph, a sweeper at 84-85 mph, and a curveball at 79 mph.

Using those pitches in combination with his 95-97 mph fastball, Sproat did a nice job keeping the Reds’ hitters off-balance over six innings, as he allowed three hits while racking up seven strikeouts. 

That prompted praise from Carlos Mendoza:

“He pitched,” Mendoza told reporters in Cincinnati. “I was impressed with the way he used his secondary pitches. He was able to use his curveball to get back in counts at times, and he made pitches when he had to.”

For a while it looked like Sproat might even do something special, as he no-hit the Reds through 5.1 innings.

By then he’d given up a run, thanks to a walk, a stolen base, a ground out and a sac fly in the fourth inning. He walked four batters on the day, something he’ll need to clean up to succeed in the big leagues.

Yet there he was with a no-hitter in the sixth inning, and a bit unlucky to give up that first hit, as he jammed Noelvi Marte with a 95-mph sinker, only to see Marte muscle a broken-bat blooper to the opposite field for a single. 

Then, finally, mistakes cost him. He got ahead 1-2 on De La Cruz, and wanted to bury a curve ball in the dirt, hoping for a chase, but left it in the strike zone, at the knees but in De La Cruz’s nitro zone, and the result was an RBI double to the wall in right-center to put the Reds ahead 2-1. 

Against Hays he got ahead in the count again at 1-2, but then Francisco Alvarez called for a changeup, a strange decision as it’s arguably Sproat’s least effective pitch, especially against a right-handed hitter. 

And when it hung in the strike zone about thigh-high, Hays laced it hard on the ground past Brett Baty for a single to make it 3-1 Reds. 

At that point it felt like the inning was getting away from Sproat, but much like Tong on Saturday night he didn’t buckle, instead he came back to strikeout Gavin Lux swinging with a curveball and then Sal Stewart looking at a 95-mph fastball.

On another day, when Mets’ hitters weren’t being overmatched by Hunter Greene, who allowed one hit and struck out 12 over seven innings, Sproat may well have been in position to get a win. 

As it was, the Mets rallied in the ninth, putting the tying and go-ahead runners on base after a solo home run by Juan Soto, and threatened to win for the first time this season when trailing after eight innings. 

But it wasn’t to be, as Starling Marte hit into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play and the Mets lost the series, failing to close the door a little further on the Reds and the Giants as well. 

It wasn’t a lost weekend, at least in the big picture. 

Even in defeat Sproat and Tong looked like they belonged. 

But now, after McLean pitches Monday, it will be up to the veterans in the rotation -- not to mention the offense -- to win a couple of games in Philly or this Wild Card chase could get too close for comfort. 

The day started with a couple of Shohei Ohtani home runs. It continued with a strong 5 ⅔ inning start from Clayton Kershaw. And it ended with the Dodgers in a celebratory postgame line, trading victorious high-fives near the mound.

After five consecutive losses, several weeks of mounting frustration, and the most painful collapse imaginable the night before, the Dodgers took a crucial first step toward righting their sinking ship on Sunday.

They beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2, finally finding a way to hold on to a late-game lead.

They ended an otherwise disastrous road trip on a sorely needed high note, avoiding what would have been a second-consecutive series sweep to a last-place opponent.

Read more:Yoshinobu Yamamoto falls one out short of a no-hitter, then Dodgers lose in Orioles walk-off

“It’s not a surprise how we responded,” manager Dave Roberts said. “There was no panic. There was just preparation. I like the way that our guys weren’t downtrodden. We were up, looking forward to playing a ball game, to win a game. And that’s a tell that we have confidence still in the room. It speaks to the character.”

Indeed, Sunday was the kind of day the Dodgers (79-64) were desperately searching for amid their recent struggles, which reached a new low when their no-hitter turned walk-off nightmare on Saturday trimmed their division lead down to just one game.

That game, in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a no-hitter broken up with two outs in the ninth before the Orioles (66-77) rallied for a stunning walk-off win, was the kind of loss that threatened to throw the Dodgers into an all-out nose-dive; an unthinkable defeat that, on top of their previously mounting frustrations, turned Sunday into yet another gut-check for the long-slumping club (which entered Sunday 10 games under .500 since July 4).

“It was a tough loss yesterday,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “Especially what Yoshi did, everybody was so excited and happy for him. And to lose, that was tough. So it was pretty down.”

Sunday morning, however, Betts said the mood in the clubhouse had rebounded.

“There's a lot of vets in here and a lot of guys that know how to handle bad situations,” he said. “So this morning everything was great. The vibes were high.”

And then, two pitches into the game, Ohtani raised them even higher, belting his 12th leadoff home run of the season off fellow Japanese native Tomoyuki Sugano to tie Betts’ single-season franchise record.

“You could see the life in the dugout,” Roberts said.

“Shohei jump-starting, it lets us know we're fine,” Betts added.

On Ohtani’s next trip to the plate, the two-way star went deep again, blasting his 48th home run of the year on a 2-and-0 fastball Sugano left over the plate. Then, in the next at-bat, Betts left the yard himself with a drive to left.

Just like that, the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead — and later it extended to 4-0 on a lucky break, when Miguel Rojas scored from third on an errant pickoff throw from Baltimore catcher Alex Jackson in the fourth.

“We haven’t gotten a break like that in a while,” Roberts quipped. “Miggy is playing his tail off. So for us to get a break like that, that was something that was very welcome and very needed.”

So too were the closing innings of the game, in which the Dodgers finally got across the finish line behind a stout (if not entirely stress-free) performance from the pitching staff.

As he has done repeatedly this year, Kershaw served as a stopper to another Dodgers slide, setting a new season high with eight strikeouts while giving up just two hits through his first five innings.

“Obviously a tough one last night, but everybody came in here with a good mindset. Everybody came in here ready to win a game today,” Kershaw said. “That’s the great thing about baseball, and the worst thing about baseball — that you play every day. It’s a new opportunity every day. And sometimes it’s hard. But that’s why not everybody plays it. You’ve got to put on your big boy pants and go play.”

Kershaw got knocked out of the game in the sixth, following a Gunnar Henderson single and RBI double from Emmanuel Rivera with two outs. Rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez flirted with disaster after that, giving up another RBI double to Jackson and a loud fly ball to Dylan Carlson that died at the warning track.

But from there, the Dodgers settled back down.

Another rookie, left-hander Justin Wrobleski, provided two critical innings of scoreless relief, striking out the final five batters he faced after putting two aboard in the seventh. 

“I felt the team needed a jolt or something,” Wrobleski said. “Thankfully, I was able to go out there and feel really good and do what I wanted to.”

The Dodgers tacked on an insurance run in the ninth, when Betts hit an RBI single off the wall (he was held to just the one base after not hustling out of the box) following a leadoff single from catcher Ben Rortvedt and a walk from Ohtani (his third of the day, reaching base in all five trips to the plate).

“Certainly, when you get Shohei and Mookie doing what they’re doing, that’s also helpful too,” Roberts said.

And after being walked off by the Orioles each of the first two nights at Camden Yards this weekend, the Dodgers avoided any further fireworks in the ninth, with rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer coming on for his third save of the season.

“It’s good for other guys, or certain guys, to get opportunities and see how they respond,” Roberts said, after staying away from more veteran, but recently struggling, relievers like Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott.

Granted, one win will put only the slightest dent in the damage the past week has already done.

Read more:Despite emergency help from Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers lose again: 'Truly have no answers'

Instead of extending their National League West lead and making a run for a top-two seed in the NL, the Dodgers let the San Diego Padres (who have also been slumping) hang around in the division and the Philadelphia Phillies (who currently hold the No. 2 seed, which comes with a first-round bye in the playoffs) pull away in the standings.

Instead of capitalizing upon a weak spot in the schedule, they will return home with a 1-5 record against two last-place teams, having again reverted back to their $400 million roster’s most frustrating form.

However, given the way Saturday ended, the season was starting to feel dangerously close to the brink. Sunday’s win, for at least one day, helped calm the waters. Now, they have to figure out a way to rise instead of sink.

“That’s really all you can do: Keep showing up, keep going on the field, keep playing,” Kershaw said. “We’re too good for it not to turn around.”

Muncy set to return; Smith, Glasnow progressing

When the Dodgers return home Monday to face another last-place team in the Colorado Rockies, they’ll do with a key reinforcement waiting. Roberts said third baseman Max Muncy, who has missed almost a month with an oblique injury, is expected to be activated for Monday’s series opener.

“I think that’s going to be helpful,” Roberts said.

Catcher Will Smith, who has missed the past four games with a bone bruise on his hand, is also getting closer to returning to the lineup, and was available off the bench Sunday. Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, meanwhile, is expected to make a start against the Rockies, as well, after doctors cleared him following a bout of back tightness that forced him to be scratched on Friday.

“We dodged a bullet,” Roberts said, “so we feel good about that.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, earning a series win in the process.

Here are the key takeaways…

-- The Yankees jumped on Max Scherzer early. After an Aaron Judge walk and a Cody Bellinger single, Ben Rice connected for a three-run shot to right, giving the Bombers a quick 3-0 lead. Bellinger added an RBI double off the wall in the bottom of the third, and Scherzer's day ended in the fifth inning.

Scherzer lasted 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on just three hits while striking out eight and walking four.

-- Max Fried had a strong afternoon on the mound, though his defense behind him wasn't always up to par. Fried allowed a pair of runs in the second, and an Anthony Volpe throwing error (his 19th of the season) would ultimately lead to a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RBI double in the third inning, which tied the game at 3-3. The run was ultimately earned, but Volpe's shotty defense continues to be an issue.

A throwing error by Austin Wells nearly led to another run in the fourth, but Judge bailed the catcher out by making a sliding grab on a George Springer liner to keep the Jays off the board and maintain the one-run New York lead.

Fried ended up giving the Yankees seven quality innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, striking out four and walking one.

-- With the Yankees up by a run, Aaron Boone turned to Devin Williams for the eighth inning, putting the embattled reliever in a huge spot. After his first pitch of the inning sailed to the backstop, Williams allowed a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Addison Barger,who immediately stole second to get into scoring position.

But Williams locked in and retried the next two hitters, including a Guerrero strikeout. Then, after a walk put two runners on base, Williams induced an easy grounder to third to end the inning.

-- The Yankees took that same one-run lead into the ninth, when David Bednar allowed a one-out single to Nathan Lukes to put the tying run on base. But Lukes tried to steal second, and Wells gunned him down with a perfect throw for the second out of the inning. Bednar then got Myles Straw to ground out to secure the win, brining the Yankees within two games of the division lead.

-- Paul Goldschmidt is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee, but all testing came back clean, Boone said. Goldschmidt entered the game as a defense replacement in the ninth inning.

Game MVP:

Rice, whose three-run bomb set the tone early.

Highlights

 

RICE RICE BABY! pic.twitter.com/RQBmzIPvHA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 7, 2025

 

Cody Bellinger puts the Yankees back on top! pic.twitter.com/qYXxnlAKVg

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 7, 2025

Huge strikeout for Williams as he gets Vladdy swinging pic.twitter.com/rZgCSYUTUc

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 7, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees have Monday day off before starting a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers, starting on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren is scheduled to face Casey Mize.

The Mets lost to the Reds 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati, managing only two hits, both solo home runs, dropping the rubber game of the series. 

Brandon Sproat took the loss in his major league debut, despite pitching a strong six innings.

Here are some takeaways...

- After being held to one hit over seven innings by Hunter Greene, the Mets made some noise in the ninth inning before losing. Juan Soto hit a solo home run off reliever Tony Santillan to cut the Reds’ lead to 3-2, extending his streak of games of reaching base to 16. It was Soto’s 38th home run of the season. 

After a throwing error by shortstop Elly De La Cruz allowed Pete Alonso to reach first, Brandon Nimmo singled to left, putting runners at first and second with one out. Starling Marte then got jammed on a fastball, and his broken-bat ground ball to short turned into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.

The Mets were bidding to win a game when trailing after eight innings for the first time this season. 

- Despite taking the loss, Sproat made a strong start in his major league debut, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning while showing off an impressive arsenal of pitchers, mixing his 97-mph fastball with three different breaking balls -- slider, sweeper, and curve ball at a variety of speeds. 

All in all, Sproat went six innings, allowing three runs on three hits, while racking up seven strikeouts and allowing four walks.

Sproat gave his first run in the fourth inning without allowing a hit, as Noelvi Marte walked, stole second, took third on a ground out and scored on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ sacrifice fly. 

With one out in the sixth, Sproat gave up his first hit on a good pitch, as he jammed Marte with a 96 mph fastball yet that turned into a broken-bat blooper to right field. Sproat then paid for leaving a curve ball in the strike zone, as De La Cruz drove it to the wall in right-center for an RBI double. 

Sproat then made another mistake, hanging a change-up that Austin Hayes hit past Brett Baty for an RBI single. 

The rookie right-hander finished strong, striking out Gavin Lux with a 79-mph curve ball and Sal Stewart looking on a 96-mph fastball.

- Greene overmatched the Mets, allowing just one hit, a Baty home run, over seven innings while striking out 12 and allowing two walks. Greene, one of the hardest-throwing starters in baseball, mostly overpowered the Mets with his fastball, regularly reaching 100 mph -- the only hit he allowed came on a hanging slider. 

The Reds’ right-hander finished strong in the seventh, striking out Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Jeff McNeil on fastballs, the last one at 101 mph that got McNeil looking. 

- Reed Garrett returned from the IL on Sunday, pitching a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Sproat, allowing one hit and recording one strikeout. Garrett’s return is much-needed in a bullpen that has had few good late-inning options lately. 

- Cedric Mullins continues to be a disappointment since coming over from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline. He went 0-for-2 Sunday, stretching his current hitless streak to 0-for-24, and is hitting just .184 with the Mets. Carlos Mendoza used Mark Vientos to pinch-hit for him in the eighth inning.

Game MVP: Hunter Greene

The Reds’ ace was on his game, showing his potential to be one of the top starters in the majors. In his fifth start since returning from a groin injury, he racked up 12 strikeouts, while lowering his ERA to 2.69. Greene also had a whopping total of 21 swings and misses. 

Highlights

Brett Baty makes a great play to start the 5-4-3 double play!

Brandon Sproat has his first two outs in MLB pic.twitter.com/jRE6PVjJhT

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

Brett Baty's 16th home run of the year! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ws9iSt5Hx5

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

Five strikeouts in five innings for Brandon Sproat! pic.twitter.com/5ItVMNRtyt

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

38 HOME RUNS FOR JUAN SOTO!

The Mets are within one in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/azEJZqBcW5

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025

What's next

The Mets head to Philadelphia to conclude this huge seven-game road trip.

Nolan McLean takes the mound in the opener against Aaron Nola on Monday at 7:10 p.m.

Phillies first-rounder Wood strikes out 5 in pro debut: ‘Here it is; hit it' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When the Phillies used their first-round pick on Gage Wood in July, they were betting on a power arm with big-game pedigree. His first professional outing Saturday night showed exactly that — and gave fans a glimpse of his mentality.

Wood struck out five of the six outs he recorded in his debut with Single-A Clearwater, firing two innings allowing one run, on one hit and two walks across 40 pitches. A balk brought in the lone run, but the story of the night was how Wood attacked hitters.

“Here’s the fastball. Hit it,” he said simply of his approach.

That directness defines Wood. He’s a no-nonsense competitor on the mound. Asked about what it felt like to step on a pro mound for the first time, he expressed that the stage did not affect him.

“I feel like I just kind of kept things simple the best I could,” Wood said. “I just went out there, competed and played baseball. I didn’t really look that deep into it.”

For context, Wood’s last start before Saturday came in Omaha, when he threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series with Arkansas. Where most young pitchers might frame that as a career-defining moment, Wood shrugs.

“It was a fun day and everything — caught a little cool publicity from it,” he said. “But I wouldn’t say it just means a lot to me. It’s just another game, you know? At the end of the day, it’s just a game.”

His fastball sat 95-97 mph against the Tampa Tarpons (the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate), and he leaned on it heavily while flashing a sharp breaking ball. His aggressive body language and quick tempo were just as noticeable.

“I’m just constantly racing to get to two strikes and put guys away as fast as I can,” Wood said. “I like striking people out. I don’t like to let them put the ball in play. So I’m just gonna say — here it is, I’m gonna challenge you.”

It worked. The 6-foot, 205 pound hurler struck out the side in the first inning despite then adding two more punchouts in the second to cap his night in front of just over 6,000 fans at BayCare Ballpark.

The right-hander isn’t shy about what he still needs to sharpen. His slider and splitter are both works in progress, and he knows development takes time.

“Every day you come in, you’ve got stuff to work on, things to get better at,” he said. “It ain’t gonna happen overnight, so just kind of keep shaping everything into what it needs to be and keep moving forward.”

Still, Wood already carries himself with the poise of someone who’s pitched in the SEC and on the sport’s biggest collegiate stage.

“You just want it — you want to win,” Wood said. “So you’re going to do everything you can.”

As a player, Wood describes himself in even fewer words.

“I’m going to compete,” he said.

That’s all Phillies fans really need to know.

Turner exits with hamstring injury in Phillies' series finale loss to Marlins  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Trea Turner’s shortened day was the largest story of the Phillies’ 5-4 loss Sunday afternoon to the Marlins.

Turner has a right hamstring strain and will be evaluated further, the Phillies announced during the game to reporters in Miami.

The Phils’ shortstop immediately exited in the seventh inning after hitting a ground ball and reaching on an Otto Lopez throwing error. He walked into the dugout, spoke with Phillies assistant athletic trainer Joe Rauch and headed down to the clubhouse. Edmundo Sosa entered to pinch run.

Turner told reporters that he has an MRI set for Monday.

“Just kind of grabbing on me,” he said. “Didn’t feel good. If I could’ve kept going, I would have. If not, get out of there and try to limit the damage.”

The 32-year-old Turner has been one of the National League’s top players this season. He leads the NL in hits (179) and batting average (.305) and is second in stolen bases (36). Turner hit his 15th home run in the at-bat prior to his injury. 

“There’s some concern there, obviously,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s having a great year, he’s a big part of this ball club and I want to keep people healthy, especially coming down the stretch here. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

The Phillies’ defeat wrapped up a 4-2 road trip and dropped the club to 83-60 overall.

Taijuan Walker was the losing pitcher because of a rough first inning. He logged six innings and allowed eight hits, four runs and two walks.

Former Phillie Tyler Phillips served as the Marlins’ opener and pitched a 1-2-3 first inning. Walker’s first was much longer.

Following a pair of one-out singles, Lopez bashed a Walker slider 424 feet to give Miami a 3-0 lead. 

Walker’s first inning became a mess and control was his primary problem. He threw 34 pitches in the first and 17 were balls. Several sailed well above backup catcher Rafael Marchan’s target. Walker did get Xavier Edwards to pop up with two outs and the bases loaded, which stopped the bleeding at four runs. 

The Phils trimmed their deficit to 4-1 in the second inning. In his first at-bat of the series, Nick Castellanos lined an RBI triple. Jakob Marsee dove fruitlessly in center field and Brandon Marsh came around to score. 

To Walker’s credit, he was a different pitcher after the first inning and the Phillies didn’t have to place any extra strain on their bullpen. He found a nice rhythm and strung together five straight walk-free, scoreless innings. 

The Phillies made two outs on the bases in the fourth. Bryce Harper led off with a double vs. lefty Cade Gibson but was caught in a bad spot on Alec Bohm’s grounder to shortstop. Lopez easily tagged him out. Two batters later, catcher Liam Hicks picked Marsh off first base. 

Turner only needed to jog around the bases when he began the sixth inning by ripping a solo shot against Calvin Faucher. Kyle Schwarber then walked and eventually scored on a two-out Marsh single that cut the Marlins’ advantage to 4-3. 

Turner’s injury came with two outs in the seventh. Schwarber was next up and couldn’t cash in with runners on the corners, flying out to left field.

Miami picked up an insurance run when Lopez homered off of Jose Alvarado and just about sealed the win to avoid a sweep. The Phillies rallied against Lake Bachar in the ninth inning and got a run back on Schwarber’s RBI single, but Harper grounded out to second base with runners on first and third for the game’s last out.

The Phils will return home and host the Mets in a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Nola (3-8, 6.78 ERA) and Nolan McLean (4-0, 1.37 ERA) are the scheduled starters for the opener Monday night.

Turner exits with hamstring injury in Phillies' series finale loss to Marlins  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Trea Turner’s shortened day was the largest story of the Phillies’ 5-4 loss Sunday afternoon to the Marlins.

Turner has a right hamstring strain and will be evaluated further, the Phillies announced during the game to reporters in Miami.

The Phils’ shortstop immediately exited in the seventh inning after hitting a ground ball and reaching on an Otto Lopez throwing error. He walked into the dugout, spoke with Phillies assistant athletic trainer Joe Rauch and headed down to the clubhouse. Edmundo Sosa entered to pinch run. This story will be updated when more information is available on Turner.

The 32-year-old Turner has been one of the National League’s top players this season. He leads the NL in hits (179) and batting average (.305) and is second in stolen bases (36). Turner hit his 15th home run in the at-bat prior to his injury. 

The Phillies’ defeat wrapped up a 4-2 road trip and dropped the club to 83-60 overall.

Taijuan Walker was the losing pitcher because of a rough first inning. He logged six innings and allowed eight hits, four runs and two walks.

Former Phillie Tyler Phillips served as the Marlins’ opener and pitched a 1-2-3 first inning. Walker’s first was much longer.

Following a pair of one-out singles, Lopez bashed a Walker slider 424 feet to give Miami a 3-0 lead. 

Walker’s first inning became a mess and control was his primary problem. He threw 34 pitches in the first and 17 were balls. Several sailed well above backup catcher Rafael Marchan’s target. Walker did get Xavier Edwards to pop up with two outs and the bases loaded, which stopped the bleeding at four runs. 

The Phils trimmed their deficit to 4-1 in the second inning. In his first at-bat of the series, Nick Castellanos lined an RBI triple. Jakob Marsee dove fruitlessly in center field and Brandon Marsh came around to score. 

To Walker’s credit, he was a different pitcher after the first inning and the Phillies didn’t have to place any extra strain on their bullpen. He found a nice rhythm and strung together five straight walk-free, scoreless innings. 

The Phillies made two outs on the bases in the fourth. Bryce Harper led off with a double vs. lefty Cade Gibson but was caught in a bad spot on Alec Bohm’s grounder to shortstop. Lopez easily tagged him out. Two batters later, catcher Liam Hicks picked Marsh off first base. 

Turner only needed to jog around the bases when he began the sixth inning by ripping a solo shot against Calvin Faucher. Kyle Schwarber then walked and eventually scored on a two-out Marsh single that cut the Marlins’ advantage to 4-3. 

Turner’s injury came with two outs in the seventh. Schwarber was next up and couldn’t cash in with runners on the corners, flying out to left field.

Miami picked up an insurance run when Lopez homered off of Jose Alvarado and just about sealed the win to avoid a sweep. The Phillies rallied against Lake Bachar in the ninth inning and got a run back on Schwarber’s RBI single, but Harper grounded out to second base with runners on first and third. 

The Phils will return home and host the Mets in a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Nola (3-8, 6.78 ERA) and Nolan McLean (4-0, 1.37 ERA) are the scheduled starters for the opener Monday night.

The Mets announced a handful of roster moves prior to the start of Sunday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds:

-- RHP Brandon Sproat has been selected to the major league roster

-- RHP Reed Garrett has returned from his rehab assignment and has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list

-- RHP Wander Suero was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

-- RHP Kevin Herget was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

-- RHP Justin Garza was designated for assignment

The big news here is Garrett returning to a bullpen that very much needs him, as the righty has been a critical piece in the late-inning bridge to Edwin Diaz. 

Garrett, 32, was placed on the IL on Aug. 25 due to right elbow inflammation, but manager Carlos Mendoza indicated on Saturday that there was a chance Garrett could return to the bullpen on Sunday. 

In 54 games this season, Garrett has pitched to a 3.61 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.

To make room for Garrett on the roster, the Mets optioned Suero, who was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves earlier this week but did not end up getting into a game for the Mets. 

 

What we learned as fifth inning dooms Giants in series-finale loss to Cardinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants had a good road trip, but given their place in the NL playoff standings, they really needed it to be great.

A comeback attempt fell short Sunday in St. Louis as the Giants lost 4-3, finishing with a series loss to the Cardinals after sweeping the Colorado Rockies. On back-to-back days, they failed to capitalize on losses by the New York Mets. 

The hottest lineup in the league got off to a slow start Sunday. Sonny Gray had a no-hitter going until the sixth, when he issued back-to-back walks to the bottom of the lineup. With one out, he hung a changeup to Rafael Devers, and the 104 mph single up the middle got the Giants on the board and ended the no-hit bid. Gray wouldn’t make it out of the inning. 

The Giants trailed 4-0 before Devers’ single, but Dominic Smith and Matt Chapman got two more runs back with singles of their own. They wouldn’t score again. 

Casey Schmitt blooped a single to lead off the ninth but right fielder Nathan Church made a diving catch to rob Drew Gilbert and keep the Giants from putting runners on the corners with no outs. Patrick Bailey‘s double play ended the game and dropped the Giants back to 72-71. They remain four back of the Mets with just 19 games remaining.

Here are the takeaways from the Giants’ second consecutive loss.

Mr. 100

Devers’ single in the sixth got him to 100 RBI on the season: 58 with Boston and 42 with San Francisco. This is his fourth 100-RBI season in the big leagues and he became the seventh big leaguer to hit the mark this year.

Rafi puts the Giants on the board 😤 pic.twitter.com/jSGa7XtsKo

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 7, 2025

The Giants’ RBI leader last year was Chapman with 78, and you have to go back to 2012 to find the last time they had someone reach 100. That season, it was NL MVP — and now, Devers’ boss — Buster Posey, who finished with 103 RBI. Before that, you have to go back to Barry Bonds in 2004. 

Devers will enter next season with a good shot at becoming the first Giant since that 2004 Bonds season to reach 30 homers. He also could become the rare Giant to reach 100 RBI in orange and black. Only three — Posey, Bonds and Jeff Kent — have done it since Oracle Park opened. 

Kai-Wei’s Day

For four innings, Kai-Wei Teng was keeping pace with Gray, but his day came to a quick end in the fifth. Teng walked the bases loaded and then gave up an RBI single before getting lifted. All four of those batters ended up scoring, putting four runs on his line. 

Teng started twice on the road trip and continued to show that he has the stuff to get big league hitters out, but also has some development ahead. He gave up six runs in 9 1/3 innings on the trip, but also struck out 16. After he didn’t issue a walk at Coors Field, Teng had five of them Sunday. 

Overall, Teng has 28 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. The Giants need him and Carson Seymour in their rotation right now because of injuries, but both are also auditioning to be in the mix for bullpen spots next spring, and Teng’s ability to pile up strikeouts has certainly helped his cause.

Kai-Wei Teng, Frisbees. 🥏🥏 pic.twitter.com/6tHQPHbTlE

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2025

Postseason Update

After holding on with the bases loaded Friday night, the Mets dropped back-to-back games in Cincinnati. The Reds looked like they might drop out of the race, but they’re now just four back after the series victory. 

The Giants’ win on Friday night at least made the NL West standings mildly interesting, as both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres were riding losing streaks of at least four games. The Dodgers kept their skid going Saturday in a historic way; Yoshinobu Yamamoto lost his no-hitter with two outs in the ninth and the Dodgers ended up allowing four runs and getting walked off. But they recovered Sunday behind Clayton Kershaw and they’re seven up on the Giants, with seven meetings to go between the two.

The Giants now return home to face the Arizona Diamondbacks — who also are hanging around — and the Dodgers. The Mets will visit Philadelphia for a huge four-game series and the Reds will head to San Diego for another series with big-time playoff implications. 

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The Mets (76-66) will look to win a second straight series in Sunday's road finale against the Cincinnati Reds (71-71) at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11.

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

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Mets Notes

• Cincinnati will host the MLB debut ofBrandon Sproat, who logged a 4.24 ERA with 113 strikeouts across 121 innings (26 games) in Triple-A this season
• While the Mets left 10 runners on base in Saturday's loss, Francisco Lindor saw his on-base streak reach a career-high 10 consecutive plate appearances
• Juan Sotocollected two hits and a walk on Saturday, and he's now slashing a spectacular .396/.562/.792 with 20 RBI over his last 15 games (53 at-bats)
• The Reds will turn to star right-hander Hunter Greene, who's actually struggled in four career starts against the Mets (4.84 ERA over 22.1 innings)
• The Mets have still yet to win a game in which they've trailed after eight innings this season

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METS	REDS
Francisco Lindor, SS	TJ Friedl, CF
Juan Soto, DH	Noelvi Mate, RF
Pete Alonso, 1B	Elly De La Cruz, SS
Brandon Nimmo, LF	Austin Hays, DH
Starling Marte, RF	Gavin Lux, LF
Jeff McNeil, 2B	Sal Stewart, 1B
Francisco Alvarez, C	Tyler Stephenson, C
Brett Baty, 3B	Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
Cedric Mullins, CF	Matt McLain, 2B

How can I watch the game online?

To watch Mets games online via PIX11, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider and live in the New York City metro area. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser.

To get started on your computer, go to the PIX11 live stream website and follow the site's steps. For more FAQs, you can go here.

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

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• Jonah Tong gave up only two home runs during his time in the minors this season, but he served up three in the Mets' 6-3 road loss to the Reds 
• Tong admitted issues with execution and off-speed pitches, but manager Carlos Mendoza noted positives from the rookie's second MLB start
• Brandon Sproat, who'll start Sunday's series finale, is 'very blessed' to be the third Mets youngster to make his MLB debut over the last month
• Davey Johnson, who managed the 1986 championship club and spent seven seasons in Queens, passed away at the age of 82
• Mets owner Steve Cohen and a group of franchise legends shared their thoughts on Johnson's baseball life and legacy
• Prior to Saturday's game, Gary Cohen, Keith Henandez, and Ron Darling reflected on the news of Johnson's death
• Reed Garrett could be activated from the IL as early as Sunday, while Jose Siri, Tylor Megill, and Tyrone Taylor are making strides in recovery
• Ryan Clifford had a strong afternoon at the plate for Triple-A Syracuse, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and double