The Mets (75-65) fell to the Detroit Tigers (81-60) by a score of 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Clay Holmes allowed an early unearned run thanks to a Hayden Senger catcher's interference call that extended the second inning, but the right-hander was mostly effective, if not efficient. Holmes had some good swing-and-miss stuff, striking out six Tigers, but he ran his pitch count up to 85, and his afternoon ended after his second walk of the fifth inning. Lefty Gregory Soto was called upon to try to get out of the jam, but a wild pitch and two-run single by Riley Greene gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Holmes went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out six and walking three.
-- It was a good day at the dish for Pete Alonso. After grounding a single in his first at-bat, Alonso put the Mets on the board in the third inning thanks to a two-out RBI double to right-center -- his 35th two-bagger of the season. Alonso ended up with three hits on the afternoon, the only Met with multiple base knocks.
-- Starter Casey Mize limited the Mets to one run over 5.0 innings, but the visiting squad had a prime opportunity against the Tigers' bullpen in the top of the sixth. A Juan Soto walk and Alonso's third hit of the game put two runners on with nobody out, and Mark Vientos would cash in with an RBI single to left off of Tommy Kahnle to cut the lead to one run. But with the bases loaded and one out, Starling Marte went after the first pitch he saw, grounding into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.
-- Ryan Helsley's nightmare tenure with the Mets continued in the bottom of the seventh. After allowing a leadoff single and walk, Helsley, while struggling with his command, grooved a fastball to Kerry Carpenter, who lined a three-run homer just over the wall in the right, making it a four-run game.
Helsley has now given up 14 earned runs in 11.0 innings since being acquired at the trade deadline.
Game MVP
Carpenter, whose three-run blast broke the game open and killed any momentum the Mets had been building.
Fans enter Angel Stadium on opening day prior to the start of the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on March 31, 2014. (Jeff Gross / Getty Images)
Dodger Stadium might not be the first ballpark in Southern California served by a gondola, if that comes to pass. In Anaheim, city planners are considering whether to pursue a gondola that would serve Angel Stadium.
For more than a decade, the city has explored how to connect its two main visitor hubs along Katella Avenue, with Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center about three miles west of Angel Stadium and Honda Center.
The effort has accelerated recently, spurred by city approval of a plan that allows Disney to expand its theme parks and add nearby attractions as well as the construction of OC Vibe, a dining, entertainment and residential village surrounding Honda Center.
In May, the chief executive of the local tourist agency told Spectrum News that a gondola was one of the transit options under consideration. On Tuesday, the Anaheim Investigator posted public records regarding the gondola option, including a study the city had paid a gondola company $20,000 to produce.
Among the possibilities the company pitched, according to the Investigator: the gondola’s towers, which hold the support cables in place, could be flared to resemble the Big A, the landmark that gives the ballpark its beloved nickname.
“It is fun and exciting to think about something like a gondola,” said Mike Lyster, the city spokesman. “We know Dodger Stadium’s has generated a lot of interest. To suggest it’s anything more would give the wrong impression.”
Lyster said Anaheim officials also have been in touch with Tesla and Waymo about options for driverless shuttles or trams, and with a company called Glydways that pitches small driverless vehicles operating along dedicated pathways.
The gondola company, called Swyft Cities, does not have gondolas in commercial operation but has discussed a similar option with the city of Irvine for use in its emerging Orange County Great Park neighborhoods.
Lyster said the possibility of expanding the Disneyland monorail has not come up in “recent discussions,” since the newer options might turn out to be environmentally friendlier and less costly.
“We have to evaluate these emerging technologies to determine which ones may have staying power, which ones may be cost-effective,” Lyster said. “We’re too early to say this one or that one may be a strong candidate."
Swyft Cities estimated a gondola construction cost of roughly $35 million last year and increased the cost to $125.7 million this year, the Investigator reported. The estimated cost of the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola, which would involve construction over hillside terrain, has risen from $125 million when former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt first pitched the plan in 2018 to about $500 million now.
In its presentation to Anaheim, Swyft Cities said the next step would be for the city to commission a “detailed analysis, preliminary engineering, and implementation strategy.”
The estimated cost of that study, should the city choose to want it: $350,000 to $500,000.
One of the reasons Craig Breslow offered for his extended delay in elevating Roman Anthony to the major league roster earlier this year was that he and the organization simply did not want to place too much pressure on the shoulders of a 21-year-old rookie.
Over the course of three-plus months, that rookie proved that pressure would not be a problem.
Anthony played both corner outfield spots and batted in the top four spots in the order, quickly making himself invaluable to a team making a run at the AL East.
Yet now he’s gone, placed on the injured list with an oblique strain and likely to miss the rest of the regular season and perhaps a week or two of the postseason. Alex Bregman, the only position player who’s been more valuable to the Red Sox since Anthony’s call-up, described it as a “gut punch.”
And while that emotional component will be difficult for the Red Sox to overcome, they’ll still have to take the field 22 times without Anthony to finish the regular season. That means manager Alex Cora will have to mix and match his lineups each night to try to maximize his roster and make up for the significant vacancy at the top of the order.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the picture who may — and may not — be able to step up in Anthony’s absence.
Refsnyder vs. righties
Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez have been lefty killers all season long. It’s a bit absurd how well they’ve mashed against southpaws, with Gonzalez posting a .994 OPS against lefties and Refsnyder not far behind at .950.
Cora has carefully managed his usage of Refsnyder, who has more than twice as many plate appearances against lefties than he does against righties this season. That may have to change, as Refsnyder is the most logical option to get more playing time in right field.
But Refsnyder will have to prove he can be better against righties. He’s hitting just .234 against them this year (compared to .300 vs. lefties) with a .620 OPS. Those numbers are in line with his career numbers vs. righties (.231 average, .634 OPS in 738 plate appearances), so it may be unreasonable to expect him to suddenly become a different player.
Yet in the midst of a tight playoff roster, Refsnyder and his 10 years of big league experience should at least make him comfortable in some big spots.
Where is Wilyer?
The Anthony absence would be much less of a concern if Wilyer Abreu was nearing a return. Alas, the Gold Glove right fielder has not had a quick recovery from his calf injury, and his return to the field does not seem at all imminent.
Cora told WEEI on Wednesday that Abreu is “not close” to returning, noting that Abreu still has not run since going on the IL in mid-August.
Abreu was in the midst of an excellent year, batting .253 with 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and an .811 OPS in his second full season in the majors. His return would be a major boost to the lineup and in the field, but he hasn’t played since Aug. 17, and the clock is ticking on him being able to return at all.
The Password
When Abreu went to the IL, the Red Sox called up their top outfield prospect, Jhostynxon Garcia — aka “The Password.” The 22-year-old saw the field in five games with Boston, and he went just 2-for-7 with two walks and five strikeouts in his limited opportunities.
Garcia has handled the transition to Triple-A well this year, as he has a .904 OPS with 17 homers in 69 games for the WooSox.
Yet Garcia may not quite be ready for a regular role on a team making a playoff run in September, and Cora likely won’t be eager to have Garcia on the field in big spots down the stretch.
Remember Kristian Campbell?
It wasn’t all that long ago that Kristian Campbell became the first of the “Big Three” to make it to the majors, making the team out of camp and signing an eight-year extension shortly thereafter.
Yet after a hot start (.313/.420/.515 in his first 28 games), Campbell batted just .154 with a .451 OPS in his next 39 games. Campbell was sent down to Worcester in late June and has yet to return to Boston.
Campbell has played well for Worcester, with an .831 OPS while playing second base, left field and center field being moved to first base as part of the potential solution to that Red Sox problem in the wake of Triston Casas’ season-ending injury.
While Campbell has seemingly proven himself at the Triple-A level, Cora didn’t sound eager to have Campbell rejoin the Red Sox when discussing the 23-year-old in mid-August.
“It’s the same things he struggled here with,” Cora said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “Pitch recognition, covering certain shapes of fastballs. That’s something that’s hard because he’s not gonna get that down there. He’s not. The velo here is harder, it’s faster. Locations are on point here. With all due respect to the players down there, the gap is a big gap. Just one of those where we’ve got to keep working. He’s got to keep working and see what the future holds.”
Clearly, Cora was of the belief that Campbell still had work to do. Will the losses of Abreu and Anthony change his mind?
And lastly … Nate Eaton
The person who literally replaced Anthony on Tuesday night was Nate Eaton, and he actually came through with a big hit to set the stage for Boston’s four-run eighth inning.
Eaton has been a minor contributor for the Red Sox this year, playing in 21 games and batting .275 with a .658 OPS. Eaton has posted good numbers for Worcester (.290/.373/.483) and given his speed, he makes sense as a bench option for Cora to use in certain spots.
But at 28 years old, Eaton is well-established as a fringe major leaguer and thus won’t see extended usage over the final four weeks of the season.
Former Mets left-handed reliever José Castillo, who was designated for assignment on Aug. 30, was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners and added to their 40-man roster on Wednesday.
Castillo, 29, was acquired by New York from the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 15 in exchange for cash, and pitched in 16 games for the Mets.
He had a 2.35 ERA and 1.76 WHIP over 15.1 innings, tallying 19 strikeouts and six walks. The lefty last pitched in the bigs on Aug. 29 against the Miami Marlins, allowing one run on four hits over 2.0 innings.
Those appearances brought his season ERA down to 4.98 after he struggled with the D-backs, pitching to an 11.37 ERA over 6.1 innings in five games earlier this season.
Castillo also pitched in 10 games for Triple-A Syracuse while with New York, posting a 1.69 ERA and striking out 16 in 10.2 innings.
In honor of their 100th season, the New York Rangers have added a 100th anniversary logo to centre ice at Madison Square Garden.
This logo features a 100 in the Rangers’ familiar red-with-white-shadow sweater number style, set above the Rangers’ shield logo.
Throughout the course of the 2025-26 season, there expected to be different events to celebrate this unique milestone.
“The New York Rangers are one of the premier franchises, not just in the National Hockey League, but in all of professional sports,” Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury said when the centennial mark was first revealed in March 2025. “As we approach our Centennial year, we are proud and excited about the opportunity to honour our legacy with our fans.”
The Giants received some bad news on Matt Chapman before their series finale against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday at Coors Field.
San Francisco’s third baseman has been suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount for his role in Tuesday night’s first-inning scuffle, MLB announced Wednesday afternoon, noting Chapman’s punishment comes as a result of “pushing” Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland.
Additionally, Willy Adames, Rafael Devers and Freeland all have been issued fines for their “inappropriate actions” during the incident, MLB added.
Chapman, Adames and Freeland all were ejected in the first inning of the Giants’ 7-4 win over the Rockies on Tuesday for their part in an on-field incident following a booming Devers home run. Freeland took issue with how long Devers took to get to first base, and chaos ensued.
Rafael Devers' massive homer leads to a benches-clearing brawl at Coors Field 😲 pic.twitter.com/3difBlh3tR
Chapman’s suspension was scheduled to begin Wednesday, but per MLB, the Giants infielder has elected to appeal the decision and will not be disciplined until that process is complete.
“Yeah, he’s going to the IL. He has an oblique strain,” Cora said on WEEI.
Cora added the Red Sox “don’t know” the exact recovery timeline but “it usually takes from four to six weeks.”
Four weeks from Tuesday is Sept. 30, which is the first day of the postseason, with the Wild Card series running through Oct. 2. Six weeks from Tuesday is Oct. 14, which will be after the completion of the ALDS.
“He’s one of our best offensive players,” Cora said. “It sounds harsh, but we have to move on. We’ve got to put that uniform on today and try to win a game. And we’ve been through this before, right? [Triston] Casas and we traded [Rafael Devers]. There’s been a lot of stuff with this team, and we’ve been able to keep going. So I expect the group to do the same thing.”
The 21-year-old Anthony has been exceptional since earning his call-up to the majors in early June.
In 71 games, he’s batted .292 with an .859 OPS, recording 18 doubles, a triple and eight home runs while driving in 32 runs. After being moved into the leadoff spot of Boston’s lineup, Anthony has in late July, he has hit .320 and reached base at a .411 clip, posting a .931 OPS.
While Anthony alone hasn’t been responsible, his call-up represents a pretty stark turnaround for the Red Sox. They were 32-35 when Anthony was elevated from Triple-A Worcester, and they’ve gone 46-27 since he made his debut.
The Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández singles off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler, driving in a run, during the third inning of Tuesday's game. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
It was not quite a benching. But it served as a reminder nonetheless.
Last year, in many ways, Teoscar Hernández was the heart and soul of the Dodgers. Not their best player. Nor their biggest star. But someone who provided effervescent vibes in the clubhouse, veteran leadership in the dugout and clutch hits in several of the season’s biggest moments at the plate.
"Teo is a guy that we counted on a lot last year,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He's a guy that I really admire, because he can balance the fun part of baseball but also have that edge.”
This year, however, frustration has doused much of the fun. Struggles have dulled his usual edge.
Between injuries, slumps, defensive miscues and mechanical swing flaws, Hernández has endured one of his worst career seasons. He is batting just .247, his lowest since 2019. He has a .734 OPS, the lowest of his career and just a smidge above league-average. His limited range in right field has led to a flurry of dropped balls and some of the poorest defensive metrics of any big leaguer at the position. And going back to the last week of June, no other Dodger player (not even Michael Conforto) has been worth fewer wins above replacement than Hernández’s negative-0.5 mark, according to Fangraphs.
“For me, not being the same as last year is a little frustrating,” Hernández said. “I don't want to be like that. I want to be better than last year. But it's baseball. It's life. You just have to keep working, keep trusting in yourself and the things that you can do to help the team."
Last weekend, however, Roberts had a different idea. In the midst of Hernández’s latest cold spell, the outfielder was unexpectedly benched for Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“He's an every-day guy,” Roberts said that day. “But I do think that where we're at, you've got to perform, too, to warrant being out there every single day.”
The move wasn’t punitive, with Roberts also accounting for Monday’s off day in hopes “a two-day reset could help” the two-time All-Star.
But still, with the stretch run of the season nearing, the manager was dropping a hint to his star slugger as well.
“I think we've lost a little bit of that edge over the last couple months,” Roberts said Tuesday of Hernández, having had “numerous conversations” to communicate the same message with him personally.
“For me, I want to see that edge, that fight, that fire, and I'll bet on any result. I just want to see that. We're past the mechanical part of [his struggles with his swing]. Let's just get into the fight. I've seen it. And I believe that's what's to come in the next month and beyond."
This is not the position the Dodgers expected to be in when they re-signed Hernández to a three-year, $66 million contract this offseason — a move Roberts described as a “no-brainer” at the time after pushing for the front office to bring the free-agent back to Los Angeles.
He trusted Hernández’s bat, which mashed 33 home runs and 99 RBIs in his debut Dodgers season in 2024. He appreciated Hernández’s heartbeat, and how he delivered one of the season’s biggest swings in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series.
In bringing Hernández back, the Dodgers hoped that his mere presence would elevate the rest of the roster for this year’s championship defense.
“He knows his value for our ballclub,” Roberts said. “He knows my expectations of him individually.”
Only, to this point, Hernández has struggled to replicate that same intangible magic.
After a blistering start to the season (.315 average, nine home runs, and an MLB-most 34 RBIs through his first 33 games), the outfielder suffered a groin/adductor strain while stretching for a line drive in Miami, landing him on the injured list for two weeks. When he returned, he looked far from 100%, struggling to rediscover his swing or cover much ground in right. Before long, a slump took hold. And as it stretched on through the summer — compounded by foot contusion on a foul ball he suffered in July — frustration began to mount.
“It's tough when you feel good and then something happens and you have to miss … whatever the amount of games might be,” Hernández said. “It was one of those for me this year. I got injured, then I came back. I fouled it off my foot and then missed games [again].”
He later added: “For me, being hurt is more frustrating than having a bad year. I'd rather be on the field having a bad year, than not being on the field and just fighting back and forth.”
Staying on the field, of course, hasn’t alleviated Hernández’s problems. After the All-Star break, he said his body finally started feeling better. On Tuesday, he proclaimed his groin and foot to be back to full health.
And yet, over his previous eight games, he had batted only three-for-27 leading up to Sunday’s removal from the lineup. Worse than that, he had fallen back into a habit of chasing too much, leading to non-competitive at-bats at a time Roberts had been trying to emphasize the opposite.
“[I want to see] Teo getting back to having that edge,” Roberts reiterated.
In Hernández’s return to the lineup Tuesday, some positive signs finally presented themselves. He fought off a pair of two-strike pitches before lining a second-inning single. He did the same thing in the third inning to drive in a run. Defensively, there was another awkward moment, when Hernández failed to make a sliding catch on a shallow fly ball down the right-field line in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ four-run first inning. But even on that play, Roberts argued postgame, Hernández got a good jump and covered a lot of ground — breaking into the kind of hard-charging sprint that hadn’t always been there earlier this season.
“If I see a good jump getting off the ball, good effort, I’ve got no problem with it,” Roberts said.
Really, that’s all Roberts is hoping for from Hernández moving forward now.
To have the kind of consistent intensity level that has wavered at times this season. To rekindle that balance of having fun and playing with an edge down the stretch run of the season.
“We're going to see that,” Roberts said. “I have no doubt.”
“You just leave everything on the field,” Hernández echoed. “I'm going to keep working, keep doing my routine, keep doing the stuff that I normally do to get back on track. And hopefully I get the results that I want to help the team."
Framber Valdez gave up a grand slam to the Yankees during Tuesday’s defeat. Photograph: Ashley Landis/AP
Houston starter Framber Valdez said he apologized to his catcher César Salazar after hitting him in the chest with a pitch on Tuesday night, but he insisted that he didn’t hit his teammate on purpose.
Salazar appeared to ask Valdez to step off the mound when the bases were loaded in the fifth inning of the Astros’ loss to the New York Yankees. But Valdez declined to do so, and then gave up a grand slam to Trent Grisham in a game Houston lost 7-1. Two pitches later, Valdez hit Salazar in the chest. Salazar appeared surprised by the pitch and started hard at Valdez, who quickly turned his back on his teammate. That led to speculation the Valdez was upset with his catcher about Grisham’s at bat.
“What happened with us, we just got crossed up,” Valdez said. “I called for that pitch, I threw it and we got crossed up. We went down to the dugout and I excused myself with him and I said sorry to him and I take full responsibility for that.”
Valdez was then asked directly if he hit Salazar on purpose. “No,” he said. “It was not intentional.”
There’s speculation that Astros pitcher Framber Valdez purposely crossed up his catcher Cesar Salazar and hit him with this pitch after Salazar told him to step off before allowing a grand slam pic.twitter.com/ds3c9MzQV6
Valdez and Salazar were talking when reporters entered the clubhouse after the game and Valdez said they had resolved the issues between themselves.
“We were able to talk through it,” he said. “We spoke after the game … at his locker and everything’s good between us. It’s just stuff that happens in baseball. But yeah, we talked through it and we’re good.”
Salazar was asked about what happened on the pitch where he was hit. “The stadium was loud,” he said. “I thought I pressed the button, but I pressed the wrong button. I was expecting another pitch, but it wasn’t it.”
Salazar said Valdez didn’t hit him on purpose. “No, me and Framber we actually have a really good relationship,” he said.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto is hitting .303/.466/.730 with 12 home runs, 28 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 118 plate appearances over his last 25 games dating back to Aug. 6
Ryne Stanekhas tossed four consecutive scoreless outings
Clay Holmes allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits while walking one and striking out two in 5.0 innings during his last start
METS
TIGERS
Francisco Lindor, SS
Colt Keith, 3B
Juan Soto, RF
Gleyber Torres, 2B
Pete Alonso, 1B
Kerry Carpenter, DH
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Riley Greene, LF
Mark Vientos, 3B
Spencer Torkelson, 1B
Jeff McNeil, CF
Wenceel Perez, RF
Starling Marte, DH
Zach McKinstry, SS
Brett Baty, 2B
Javier Baez, CF
Hayden Senger, C
Jake Rogers, C
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The Athletics now have won back-to-back AL Player of the Month honors, with rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz capturing the award in July.
Langeliers took home the latest honor by slashing .284/.307/.661 with 31 hits, eight doubles, 11 homers and 22 RBI in 25 August games.
The highlight of Langeliers’ banner month came on Aug. 5, when he went 5-for-6 with a double and three solo homers in a 16-7 win over the Washington Nationals.
In addition to the two AL Player of the Month awards, the Athletics also have three AL Rookie of the Month honors this season (shortstop Jacob Wilson in May and Kurtz in June and July).
Amid all the off-the-field turmoil surrounding the Athletics, Langeliers has been a steady force, as he leads the team with 29 homers entering Wednesday’s game in St. Louis.
The Athletics are building a young core around Kurtz, Wilson and outfielders Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom. But Langeliers’ first-career AL Player of the Month honor shows that he’s still an important part of what the A’s are trying to accomplish.
In the aftermath, Freeland was ejected, along with Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames, for their actions in the kerfuffle.
Devers wasn’t ejected and after a lengthy delay as the umpires discussed the situation, he was allowed to complete his home run trot.
After the game, The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly served as the pool reporter and spoke to umpire Dan Bellino about the incident.
Editor’s note: The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity:
Baggarly: “Can you just run through the reasons for each player’s being ejected?”
Bellino: “Well, the pitcher was removed after his actions in the bench-clearing. Obviously, his reaction was, you know, he was an instigator, same with Chapman. He was an instigator, and Adames, while initially he was not one of the instigators, he prolonged the bench-clearing situation by instigating a second melee.”
Baggarly: “And with Chapman specifically, was it the shove counted as the instigation?
Bellino: “I would say just his actions in general, it was overly aggressive.”
Baggarly: “Just out of curiosity, are you working in concert with the video replay room?”
Bellino: “No.”
Baggarly: “It’s what you guys see on the field?”
Bellino: “Yes. That is something we are actually not allowed to go to replay review to assist in bench-clearing situations. I think that’s through the players’ association. That’s something that the players’ association, they do not want us to have the replay review make those decisions. It has to be the [on-field] umpires.”
Baggarly: “And we’re warnings issued?”
Bellino: “Yes.”
Baggarly: “Devers, did he leave the base path or was there any reasoning or any way that there was a thought that maybe he could have been called out for leaving the base paths?”
Bellino: “It’s an interesting rule. It’s one of those that you don’t see hardly ever. We discussed it, but ultimately, because it was a dead-ball situation, we did not deem it to be an abandoning or anything like that.”
Baggarly: “And then, if [Devers] had been ejected, or if his actions had warranted an ejection at that point, would a pinch-runner have had to enter for him to complete his home run trot or what would have happened?”
Bellino: “No. Yeah, we wouldn’t do that.”
Baggarly: “Would he have been credited with a home run still?”
Bellino: “I believe, yes.”
The Giants now will await word from MLB if Chapman or Adames face further discipline for their actions.
Manager Bob Melvin would prefer the league take a lenient approach to the situation, considering the Giants are fighting for an NL wild-card spot.
“I hope MLB understands,” Melvin told reporters after the game. “Hopefully this isn’t significant for these two guys.”
Devers has homered in the first two games of the series in Denver and three consecutive contests overall, and after Tuesday’s incident, it’s a safe bet that if he goes deep in Wednesday’s series finale, he won’t be shy about taking his time rounding the bases.
The Mets have a decision to make when it comes to Kodai Senga.
Do you have Senga make his next start -- slated for Sunday against the Reds in Cincinnati -- or skip him or do something more drastic? It seems all options are on the table as a new report from The Athletic's Will Sammon states the Mets are considering a few possibilities, "including potentially asking him to accept an optional minor league assignment" -- according to people familiar with the Mets' thinking.
Per Senga's contract, he would have to consent to an option.
But is a minor league option out of the realm of possibility? It was once when Senga was regarded as the team's best pitcher after pitching to an All-Star selection and becoming the runner-up for the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2023. Even this year, the right-hander pitched to a 1.47 ERA before his injury put him on the shelf for a month. But since returning in mid-July, Senga has struggled. He's posted a 6.56 ERA across 35.2 innings since the return, which includes his last outing in which he allowed five runs in 4.2 innings against the Marlins on Sunday.
That performance prompted manager Carlos Mendozato hint at changing the rotation to help Senga. Another possibility for Senga is pushing his turn in the order altogether.
The Post's Mike Puma reported Tuesday that the Mets are "leaning" on having Nolan McLean pitch the series finale Sunday on normal rest after David Peterson and Jonah Tong pitch Friday and Saturday.
McLean has taken the Mets by storm, winning his first four starts with a 1.37 ERA, including Tuesday against the AL-best Detroit Tigers. Clay Holmes is slotted to pitch Wednesday's series finale, and the off day on Thursday allows the Mets to give McLean that start on Sunday.
But simply skipping Senga's turn is a temporary solution. The Mets need Senga and Sean Manaea -- another struggling starter -- back to form to make a playoff run, but time could be running out to do so.
“They are until they’re not," Mendoza said of Senga and Manaea's place in the rotation ahead of Tuesday's game. "We haven't made any decisions yet, we’re still having discussions. We’re going to be flexible and we gonna take advantage of off days and continue to have discussions. But as of right now, we haven’t made any decisions yet.”
PITTSBURGH — Tommy Pham and Jared Triolo each drove in two runs, and the Pirates spoiled a big night by Shohei Ohtani to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-7 on Tuesday night.
Ohtani hit his 100th home run with the Los Angeles Dodgers and had a pair of doubles.
Ohtani hit a solo shot off top prospect Bubba Chandler (2-0) for his 46th homer this season. Playing his 294th game with the Dodgers, he became the fastest to reach 100 home runs in team history ahead of Gary Sheffield (399).
Teoscar Hernández then hit a two-out RBI single and Andy Pages led off the next inning with his 24th homer, tying it 4-all.
Henry Davis put the Pirates back ahead on an RBI single off Edgardo Henriquez (0-1) in the sixth. Triolo added a two-out, two-run double.
Chandler gave up three runs on six hits in four innings of relief. The 22-year-old has two wins and a save in his first three major-league appearances.
Dennis Santana walked Miguel Rojas and allowed Ohtani's second double to start the ninth before retiring the next three batters for his 12th save.
Clayton Kershaw yielded four runs, four hits and a pair of walks in the first inning. He recovered to last five innings, denying the Pirates of another hit while allowing two walks over the final four.
Triolo walked with two outs in the eighth and stole second. Nick Gonzales then sent a soft, looping ball into center where Pages came just short of making a sliding catch. Triolo scored an insurance run, putting the Pirates up three with the top of the Dodgers order coming in the ninth.
Ohtani took 444 games to hit 100 home runs with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani (1-1, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound Wednesday opposite Pirates rookie Braxton Ashcraft (4-2, 2.58).
