The New York Rangers’ playoff hopes continue to dwindle as they lost 5-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.
Going into this matchup, the Rangers were six points out of the second wild-card spot, so a win was absolutely necessary.
Despite a strong start, the Rangers quickly ran into trouble.
Tampa Bay scored three goals in the span of 1:42 seconds in the first period with the Rangers committing two penalties.
After 20 minutes of play, the Rangers trailed 3-0 and were booed off of the ice by the fans.
In the second period, the Blueshirts showed some signs of life and Mika Zibanejad struck gold on the power play, cutting the Lightning’s lead to 3-1.
However, in the final frame, the Rangers committed two more penalties, resulting in Brayden Point’s second power-play goal.
It doesn't matter if the Rangers had some pushback through parts of the game, they made one too many mistakes early on in the contest and put themselves in an insurmountable hole to climb out of.
“The last eight or nine minutes is where we lost the game tonight,” Peter Laviolette said.
The Rangers are a fragile team and that was on full display tonight. When one thing goes wrong, the Blueshirts seem to panic and everything spirals out of control.
It’s also hard to win a game after committing five penalties. These mistakes that the Rangers continually make whether it’s the defensive breakdowns, sloppy turnovers, or careless penalties are simply unacceptable.
The mood around the team is demoralizing. The post game press conferences are beginning to get shorter and shorter. From Laviolette to the players to the reporters, everybody is running out of things to say.
The Rangers also realize that time is running out to turn things around. Reality is staring them straight in the face.
“It's terrible... If we keep playing like that, we’re going to miss the playoffs,” Artemi Panarin said.
The Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Lindor singled on a line drive to left field against Marlins' Tyler Phillips in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving him three hits on the night and bringing his career total to the milestone number.
The shortstop recorded 896 hits over 777 games during his six years in Cleveland, and has totaled 604 hits over 607 games with the Mets in four-plus seasons.
"It means I've been in the big leagues for 10 years plus," Lindor joked after the game. "It's special, it's definitely special. I'm blessed, I'm blessed to be in the position I'm in.
"I've been blessed to be surrounded by a lot of good coaches, a lot of good hitting coaches, a lot of teammates that help me and give me good scouting reports and help me be successful in this league. I'm very appreciative of the moment and everybody that's contributed to my journey, but I'm just happy we won today."
He has a long ways to go to reach Yankees legend Derek Jeter's all-time total among shortstops at 3,465 hits, but is now the 24th active MLB player with 1,500 career hits. Freddie Freeman has the most among active player with 2,270 hits, and Mets teammate Starling Marte is tied for 18th with Jason Heyward at 1,562 hits.
Based on Lindor's career average of 175 hits per season, he'd need to reach that mark for eight more seasons and then get another 100 hits to get 3,000 career hits.
After the win, Lindor was asked about the thought of playing another decade and what that would mean for his career, including the possibility of making the Hall of Fame.
"No... it does go to a place where it's like, 'Wow, this is a cool moment,'" Lindor said. "But you just got to continue to put your head down and climb the mountain, you can't let it get too big."
"I would love to be there one day, but it's still very far for me," Lindor said on making the HOF. "I look at a guy like Carlos Beltran that has twice the numbers I have today and he's not in there right now and I think he should be a Hall of Famer. You have guys like Jimmy Rollins that I think should also be in the Hall of Fame, yet they're not in it. For me the Hall of Fame is still far-fetched. I would love to be there one day, it would be one of the biggest honors, if not the biggest, of my career, but still a long way to go."
Beltran missed out on the Hall earlier this year, his third year on the ballot. The outfielder with 2,745 hits and 435 HRs received 70.3 percent of the votes, just shy of the 75 percent of the vote required to enter. Rollins totaled 2,455 hits and won the NL MVP in 2007 and a World Series title in 2008, among other accolades. He got 14.8 percent of the vote this year and has increased his total each year over his three years on the ballot.
Regardless if Lindor makes the Hall one day or not, the 31-year-old is focused on helping this Mets team win early in the season -- especially compared to 2024's 0-5 start.
"It's way better than last year," Lindor said. "Winning brings teams together, as well as losing, but most of the time winning brings teams together. You can feel the vibes. Even though we had fantastic vibes during spring training, you can tell guys are in a much better place today than they were in the middle of spring training. This month you got to grind, it's cold, it's not fun. You got to get it done.
"And to be able to win games, close games, it says a lot about our pitching staff and a lot about our defense and our hitters... We're winning the games, but we're playing good baseball. That's what I care about."
The Mets’ pitching staff continues leading the way early on.
On Monday night, it was Kodai Senga’s turn and he battled through some cold weather to put together five strong innings of work facing a Marlins lineup he saw just six days ago in his first outing of the season.
As was the case in that meeting, Senga fell into some trouble in the first inning after allowing a walk and a single to the first two batters, but this time he was able to escape the threat with some help from Hayden Senger’s first career caught stealing.
The right-hander made some adjustments and settled into a groove from there -- before he was faced with some traffic in both the fourth and the fifth -- but he used a pair of double plays balls to again dance his way out of danger.
Overall, he allowed two walks and five hits while striking out four in five shutout frames.
“That first inning I could tell they did their homework,” Senga said through a translator. “They researched me up pretty good -- but we had a good gameplan tonight, Senger did a good job calling the game and we had good results.”
Carlos Mendoza said he probably could’ve returned to the mound for the sixth, but with it still being so early in the season, he decided to turn things over to the bullpen.
Danny Young entered and worked around a leadoff single in the sixth, before Jose Butto stepped up with two scoreless innings of work, and then Ryne Stanek slammed the door shut with his first save as a Met.
With four more scoreless innings, the bullpen now has a league-best 1.13 ERA on the season.
“It’s very much pass the ball off to the next guy and keep the line moving,” Stanek said. “Guys just see the guy in front of them doing their job and don’t want to be the one that doesn’t -- guys are throwing the ball good, attacking the zone and just getting after it.”
And it’s not just the bullpen who has been getting the job done.
The starters haven’t been working deep into games in the early going, but they’ve still been putting together terrific results of their own -- the 1.72 team ERA is the second-best produced through the first 10 games of the season in franchise history.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Carlos Mendoza said. “But I said it before the game, it’s contagious, it’s like hitting -- they’re feeling pretty good about themselves right now. They know that they have each others back and that’s a good feeling as a unit.”
The Mets recorded their fifth straight win, defeating the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Monday night at Citi Field.
Here are some takeaways...
- Kodai Senga got the start against the same Marlins lineup he faced just six days ago, and he threw well. As was the case in that outing, Senga fell into immediate trouble when the first two batters reached on a walk and a hit -- but he got out of the jam this time with some help from Hayden Senger's first career caught stealing.
Senga settled into a groove from there, leaning on his fastball to pick up his first two punchouts in the second, and then generating another with the forkball in the third. Miami was able to get something going with back-to-back singles in the fourth, but a 4-6-3 double play quickly erased the threat.
Graham Pauley led off the fifth with a single, but Senga again rolled a double play before ending his night with another punch out. The right-hander threw the same number of pitches as his last time out (77) and he allowed just five hits while walking three and striking out five across five scoreless innings.
- The Mets' bullpen continues getting the job done behind their starters this season. Danny Young came in first and worked around a leadoff infield single in the bottom of the sixth, then Jose Butto threw two scoreless innings, before Ryne Stanek finished off his first save as a Met.
Even with on nights with some of their top arms unavailable, this group continues getting big outs.
- Francisco Lindor has quickly settled into a groove after a bit of a slow start at the plate. The All-Star shortstop led off the game with a bloop single, reached on a perfectly placed bunt single in the third, and then picked up the 1,500th hit of his career with another single in the fifth.
Lindor pushed his hitting streak to six and it was the fourth straight game he led off the first with a knock.
- Lindor also scored New York's first run of the game on Juan Soto's double in the bottom of the third. Soto was due to come up with a big hit for this squad sooner or later -- he reached base three times and is now riding a six-game hitting streak.
- Tyrone Taylor hasn't played much of late but he was back in the lineup tonight and took advantage of the opportunity -- finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, one of which drove in the pinch running Jose Siri for a massive insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.
- Pete Alonso continues swinging a hot bat, reaching base two more times with a single and scorcher double off the left-field fence. The big man is now hitting .314 with three doubles, three homers, and a 1.086 OPS through 10 games this season.
- Mark Vientos has been struggling, but he put together some better at-bats in this one. He showed more patience as he drew three walks and was robbed of a run-scoring hit on a terrific sliding grab by Marlins LF Griffin Conine in the third.
- The Mets remain undefeated at home and have won five consecutive games.
Game MVP(s): The pitching (again!)
What more can be said, the Mets' pitching continues leading the way for them early on this season.
Highlights
Francisco Lindor makes the tag, Otto Lopez comes off the bag and he's caught stealing! pic.twitter.com/rot0r4hCaC
Washington's James Wood, right, steals second base in front of Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas during the Dodgers' 6-4 loss Monday. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)
Defensive miscues cost the Dodgers two runs on Monday. Stellar defense from the Washington Nationals prevented two, if not more.
In the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss at Nationals Park to open a three-game series, that proved to be the biggest difference. And, with the team having lost three of their last four games, it reinforced what is fast becoming a disconcerting early-season theme.
As was the story in this past weekend’s series defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies, when defensive breakdowns and baserunning blunders ended the team’s 8-0 start to the season, the Dodgers continued to struggle with the fundamentals on Monday, digging an early hole from which they never fully recovered — even on a night Shohei Ohtani came up a double short of the cycle.
With two on and one out in the top of the second, Mookie Betts let a hard-hit one-hopper blaze by him at shortstop, misjudging a low bounce on an error that allowed an unearned run to score.
“I missed it,” Betts said. “Whether it hopped up or stayed down, doesn’t matter.”
With two outs, Miguel Rojas booted a more routine grounder at second base, resulting in yet another error and unearned run.
“Defensively today, we gave them a lot of chances for them to score some runs,” Rojas said. “So we gotta clean that up.”
The Nationals’ defense, on the other hand, twice took away hits that doused potentially dangerous Dodgers rallies.
In the top of the third, Max Muncy was robbed of extra bases on a diving catch in right field by Alex Call — just three batters before Ohtani whacked a two-run homer that otherwise would have scored three.
In the fifth, Rojas was denied a hit when shortstop Paul DeJong made a diving stop deep in the hole — just two batters before Ohtani laced a triple that would have brought him home, but instead was wasted in a scoreless inning.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a triple during the fifth inning Monday against the Nationals. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)
Then, as the Dodgers tried to rally from a 6-4 deficit in the ninth, a leadoff double from Muncy was followed by a diving stop on a Hunter Feduccia ground ball from Nationals second baseman Luis García Jr., likely saving yet another run as the Nationals sewed up a series-opening win.
“It just seems like each night there's some things fundamentally that, we're just not playing clean baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Giving teams extra outs or giving up outs on the bases, or whatever it might be.”
Opposing teams’ defense, of course, is out of the Dodgers’ control.
But their own repeated mistakes have emerged as a growing source of frustration in this campaign’s opening weeks.
The Dodgers (9-3) have committed seven errors, all within the last six games. They have yielded 10 unearned runs, most in the majors. They have even struggled to slow the running game, giving up steals on all 12 attempts by their opponents so far, including three to the Nationals (4-6) on Monday.
“We need to clean some things up on all sides of the ball,” Muncy said. “We know we're better than what we've been playing.”
“We expect the best out of us every single day, and it's supposed to be good every single day,” Rojas added. “But I mean, it happens. We have to keep working on it … We gotta pay attention to details a little bit more.”
Some of this was to be expected. Betts is still reacclimating to shortstop after his three-month cameo there last year. A primary outfield alignment of Michael Conforto, Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages (who got a day off Monday amid his season-opening slump, even with left-handed MacKenzie Gore on the mound) is not exactly a full-proof defensive unit.
And generally, this year’s Dodgers’ lineup was built with offense as the primary consideration; helping them rank top-five in scoring, and second in home runs, even though they’ve been without Freddie Freeman (who remains on the injured list with an ankle injury) for all but three games.
But on Monday, their bats couldn’t bail them out.
The Dodgers (9-3) managed just two runs over six innings against Gore, who racked up seven strikeouts while yielding five hits. They scored twice in the eighth, but stranded the potential tying runs when Kiké Hernández struck out to end the inning. Then, in the ninth, they couldn’t do anything with Muncy’s leadoff double, even with Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan going for a five-out save on his third-straight day of pitching.
To make matters worse, their best moment of defensive excellence — when center fielder Tommy Edman threw out a runner at home in the seventh — came in an inning the Nationals (4-6) scored three other times off relievers Anthony Banda and Matt Sauer.
“If you lose a couple games and you don't play clean baseball, you look back at a game and you say, 'We could have done this, or that might have changed the outcome,’” Roberts said. “There's still some good things that happened tonight. ... But yeah, I just think in totality, the bar, the standard, is pretty high for our club. And I know they feel the same."
It all overshadowed Ohtani’s monstrous night at the plate, which included an infield single in the first, his two-run blast to the right-field bullpen in the third, the fifth-inning triple that hit off the top of the wall in center, plus a walk in the ninth one at-bat before Betts grounded out to end the game.
It also left starting pitcher Dustin May with a tough-luck loss, having given up just one earned run in a six-inning outing that — after some early command issues led to three walks that compounded the defensive miscues — saw him retire the last 11 batters he faced.
“We just gotta continue to come every single day and clean those things up,” Rojas said. “Hopefully we can start getting better overall, and not just waiting for the miracle to happen in the last couple innings. I think we’re gonna clean it up a little bit more defensively and on the bases, and we all know that.”
The Mets have announced that Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field has been bumped up to a 4:10 p.m. first pitch due to weather.
Gates will open at 3:10 p.m. and all tickets for the originally scheduled 7:10 p.m. start will be valid for the 4:10 p.m. game.
Right-hander Clay Holmes (0-1, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to make his first home start as a Met against Connor Gillispie (0-1, 3.60 ERA).
Holmes was terrific during spring training, but he has been a bit shaky over his first two starts of the season, allowing a combined six walks and 11 hits in just 9.1 innings of work.
SAN FRANCISCO — Oracle Park is just as quirky and unique as the city it occupies.
Giants fans not only embrace a player’s individuality, but celebrate it in a fun, cult-like manner only they know how. Long gone are the days of Pablo Sandoval panda hats and Brian Wilson beards filling the stands at Third & King – although you still will see some every now and again — but that same quirkiness has manifested itself again with one of the Giants’ most exciting and marketable players: Jung Hoo Lee.
The 26-year-old’s rookie 2024 campaign was cut short due to a serious shoulder injury he sustained in May last year, but through 10 games in 2025, Lee has picked up right where he left off and is playing like the do-it-all star he was in the KBO before he signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco in December 2023.
And Giants fans are champing at the bit to embrace him.
Lee made two impressive sliding catches in the first and fifth innings of San Francisco’s 2-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday at Oracle Park, which excited a group of Giants fans that call themselves the “Hoo Lee Gans,” a play on “hooligans.”
The new fan club, along with the “Jung Hoo Crew” in section 142, are not alone in expressing their support for Lee, whose name has been turned into a loud chant every time he walks to the plate.
Lee still is just 46 games into his Giants career, and while he felt the love immediately upon his arrival last season, he has appreciated even more support in his sophomore campaign.
“I didn’t play too much [last season], but coming in here right now, I can feel that the love from the fans is amazing right now,” Lee said through interpreter Justin Han postgame.
The Giants, and their fans, likely are just scratching the surface of finding ways to celebrate the former KBO star, and Lee’s teammates are loving every minute of it.
“It’s great. I keep seeing the thing about the fight song. Hopefully everyone learns that. I haven’t learned it yet. Hopefully they play it in the crowd,” Giants pitcher Logan Webb told reporters postgame.
“It was kind of the same thing before Jung Hoo got here, we saw Ha-Seong Kim kind of be embraced in San Diego and when they started yelling ‘Ha. Seong. Kim.,’ it got loud.”
Oracle Park, as many have learned over the years, both can giveth and taketh away, and Lee still is adjusting to his new ballpark’s frustrating quirks.
Lee was a modest 1-for-4 at the plate on Monday night, but the box score did not tell the complete story. Three of the four balls Lee hit had exit velocities of at least 102.3 mph, with the hardest-hit ball of the night, a fly-out in the bottom of the sixth inning that nearly left the yard and gave the Giants a 2-0 lead, registering an exit velocity of 103.7 mph.
Lee, and just about everyone at Oracle Park, thought the ball was headed for the right-center field seats. As did the Korean broadcast, which produced a hilarious call that even non-Korean-speaking Giants fans can relate to.
“Yeah, I felt it was going to go over, but the wind was blowing in, so we can’t do anything about the environment,” Lee said postgame.
That, as Lee is learning the hard way, is called getting “Oracle’d.”
It’s one of the ballpark’s multiple quirks that both Giants and visiting players are aware of, but still bemoan every time a hard-hit ball dies on the warning track.
“Offensively, defensively, I’m still getting used to Oracle Park,” Lee said of his adjustments to the ballpark. “I didn’t get to play a lot last season, so I’m still at that progression where I’m getting more used to it right now.”
While Lee’s adjustment period remains ongoing, that wouldn’t appear to be the case just by watching him play.
“Jung Hoo is playing great baseball, he’s running well, he’s getting good jumps, he’s playing great defense, he’s swinging the bat,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said postgame. “He’s playing really well.”
“He’s only scratching the surface of his abilities,” Webb added. “It’s fun for all of us to watch, because it’s a pleasure to see him keep getting better.”
If Lee really is just “scratching the surface,” Giants fans should have no issues finding ways to embrace and celebrate one of the game’s most unique players this season and for years to come.
President of baseball operations David Stearns discussed two of the Mets’ young talents while speaking to reporters prior to Monday’s series opener at Citi Field…
Mets ‘still believe’ in Parada
Kevin Parada has gotten off to a bit of a dreadful start during his pro career.
The young backstop was a force for George Tech and he was viewed as one of the top hitting prospects in the 2022 Draft before landing with New York at the 11th overall pick -- but he hasn’t quite been able to carry over that production with the organization.
Parada’s been brutal at the plate the past three seasons, and he was even worse last year -- hitting just .214 while popping 30 extra base-hits and striking out 153 times for Double-A Binghamton.
He’s also been brutal defensively, throwing out just 20 percent of attempted base stealers.
The 23-year-old worked this offseason to get into better shape and make some changes to his swing and he saw some better results in a small sample size at big-league camp, reaching base three times across eight at-bats.
Parada will begin the year back with Binghamton -- and while he isn’t viewed as big-league depth just yet -- Stearns insists that they have faith in his potential moving forward.
“Kevin’s had some ups and downs since he’s been drafted, but we still believe in the player — he worked really hard over the offseason and came into camp in really good shape. We still like the player and we’re looking forward to seeing how his year goes.”
The plan for Matt Allan’s return
Allan has had incredibly tough luck since joining the organization.
The right-hander was viewed one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects after falling into their laps in the third round of the 2019 Draft -- but he’s battled numerous arm issues and hasn’t taken the mound in game action since then.
Allan worked this offseason and is finally back and ready to roll.
He made his first appearance in nearly six years on Sunday afternoon with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and fared extremely well -- allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out five across 2.2 innings of work.
The results are certainly encouraging, but more importantly, the Mets are happy to see the 23-year-old back out there on the mound.
“Given everything Matt’s gone through, every time he takes the ball we’re happy,” Stearns said. “He deserves to be happy and he deserves to enjoy it. He threw the other night, let’s get to the next one and then after that let’s get to the next one and we’ll go from there.
“What I will say is what he is doing right now is really impressive. He is demonstrating why he was so sought after in the draft, and why he has kept pushing so hard for the last five years to get back to this point.”
Given his age, Allan could be moved through the system relatively quickly based on how his performances go, but the biggest focus will be on keeping him healthy.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns discussed a number of different topics prior to Monday’s series opener against the Marlins.
Here are some of the key takeaways…
Baty and Acuña’s struggles
With Jeff McNeil remaining sidelined due to an oblique injury suffered late in camp, the Mets have been forced to lean on the duo of Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña at second base in the early going.
While they’ve stepped up defensively, they haven’t quite seen the same success at the plate.
Baty appeared to be on the strong side of the platoon after his monster showing in spring training, but he’s lost out on playing time of late as he’s been stuck in a brutal 2-for-21 stretch over his first seven appearances.
Acuña hasn’t exactly been tearing the cover off the ball either, going 2-for-14 with a double.
McNeil recently began swinging a bat as he begins his progression towards a return -- but with him still a couple of weeks away, Stearns would love to see one or both of them step up with the opportunity in front of them.
“That’s what someone like Mark Vientos did last year,” he said. “When he got an opportunity and he solidified a spot at the major league level, you’d love to see that from young players. I also understand that it can’t always happen at the exact moment we want it to.
“And for both of these guys, if one of them does find their way back to the minors at when we get fully healthy, there are going to be other opportunities. We know that they will find their way back to the big leagues and they’ll get another shot. But I’d love to see one or both of them perform at a high level before we have to make those decisions.”
Acuña is starting against right-hander Valente Bellozo on Monday night.
Vientos’ struggles
Speaking of Vientos, he’s also gotten off to a dreadful start at the plate.
After breaking out last year and showcasing his game-changing power so often during the playoffs, the youngster hasn’t quite been able to tap into that, producing just two extra base-hits through 34 at-bats.
Other than that, he has just two other hits and has struck out eight times.
Vientos was expected to help serve as one of the big-time run producers in the middle of this lineup after they added Juan Soto and brought back Pete Alonso, however, we haven’t quite seen that from him yet.
Still, Stearns is confident he’ll be able to turn things around.
“He’s off to a rough start,” Stearns said. “It was good to see him get a knock yesterday -- he will snap out of this, clearly he isn’t performing at the level we saw from him last year and he’s not performing at the level he wants, but the talent is still in there.
“He’s still a really good hitter, he’s got a ton of power. We probably just have to get him back to swinging at a few more strikes and I think we will.”
New York Mets relief pitcher Max Kranick (32) follows through on a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning at Citi Field / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
The bullpen’s hot start
On the other hand, one of the biggest bright spots thus far has been the Mets’ bullpen.
Stearns has been famous for finding diamonds in the rough and building tremendous relief units over his years with the Brewers -- and he appears to have done it again in just his second season in the Big Apple.
From Max Kranick and Huascar Brazoban to A.J. Minter and Edwin Diaz, each and every member of the bullpen has stepped and recorded big outs for this team over the first nine games of the season.
After Sunday’s tremendous performance, they have a league-best 1.29 ERA on the year.
“We’ve needed them and they’ve performed at a very high level,” Stearns said. “Clearly we wouldn’t have the record we have right now without the contributions from every single member of that pen -- that’s probably been the most impressive part to me.”
They’ll also be receiving another big boost soon, as right-hander Dedniel Núñez continues working his way through his progression in the minors after being left off the big-league roster coming out of camp.
He’s allowed three runs in four appearances, but the Mets are encouraged by how he’s looked.
“The reports have been pretty good, he looks like Nuney,” he said. “We’re going through a pretty structured progression so that when he’s called up he has the ability to function as a full-go major league reliever, but the stuff has been good."
And don’t forget about Big Pete
Pete Alonso has also looked tremendous at the plate in the early going.
With the rest of the Mets’ offense struggling to get into a groove, the big man has been locked in — picking up big hit after big hit when this team has needed it the most over the first nine games of the season.
He’s has two doubles, three homers, 11 RBI, and a 1.066 OPS through 31 at-bats.
“We’ve seen over the years that when Pete gets going, he can carry a team,” Stearns said. “It’s been fun to see him with some enormous home runs -- I think he’s enjoyed it. Hopefully it’s allowed him to take a little bit of a deep breathe and he’s earned it.
“He loves playing here, our fans love watching him, and he’s been a huge part of our wins so far this season.”
The Yankees had a tough day in the snow, losing 6-2 to the Detroit Tigers on Monday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Carlos Rodon got the start for New York and had a strange day on the mound. He didn't allow a baserunner through the first two innings, but ran into some trouble in the third. Rodon walked two straight Tigers hitters with one out and clearly started to get frustrated with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman's zone. The left-hander then gave up a three-run homer to Andy Ibáñez, Detroit's first hit of the day, to make it 3-0.
Rodon bounced back with another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, but couldn't keep the momentum going. A fielding error by Oswaldo Cabrera allowed the leadoff man to reach base, followed by a walk and a sacrifice bunt to give Detroit runners on second and third base. Rodon then allowed just his second hit of the game, as Justyn-Henry Malloy's single to center field drove in both runners, giving Detroit a 5-1 lead.
He allowed a two-out single to Javier Báez in the sixth, before picking him off trying to steal second base. The lefty stayed in to pitch the seventh inning, but was pulled after giving up a leadoff single. Rodon finished after 6.0 IP and 96 pitches, allowing six runs (five earned) on four hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.
-- It looked like the Yanks were about to get on the board after Ben Rice tripled to the right-center field gap with one out in the top of the third inning, but he was picked off by catcher Jack Rogers during Aaron Judge's at-bat. Judge eventually walked and Cody Bellinger lined out to end the frame, keeping it scoreless game. Tigers start Casey Mize continued to mow down the Yankees bats, sending them down in order in the fourth inning.
-- Trent Grisham continued his hot stretch with a one-out single down the right field line with one out in the top of the fifth inning. He advanced to second on a groundout and came around to score on Judge's single that got by Báez at short into left field, making it a 3-1 game. NY looked to begin their comeback with Mize out of the game in the seventh, as Austin Wells hit a leadoff single, but Cabrera grounded into the inning-ending double play.
-- Adam Ottavino, who re-signed with the club on Sunday after being DFA'd on Friday, replaced Rodon on the mound in the seventh inning with a runner on first. He walked two and struck out one to load the bases before being pulled for LHP Tim Hill. Trey Sweeney made it a 6-1 game as the Yanks couldn't turn the 4-6-3 double play, only getting the out at second, allowing another run to score. Hill stayed in the game and threw a scoreless eighth inning with one strikeout, allowing just a single.
-- New York had another comeback chance in the eighth as Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt singled with two outs. Jazz Chisholm Jr. reached first on a throwing error, allowing the run to score and make it 6-2. Chisholm stole second to give the Yanks two RISP, but Anthony Volpe flied out to right field. The Yanks went down in order in the ninth and finished 1-for-5 with RISP and left seven on base.
Game MVP: Casey Mize
The former No. 1 overall pick set the tone for the Tigers, tossing six scoreless innings and allowing just one run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran says he's battled depression and survived a suicide attempt before enjoying a breakout season in 2024. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)
Jarren Duran's path to batting leadoff for the Boston Red Sox, being named the 2024 All-Star Game MVP and jump-starting his earning potential by signing a one-year, $3.75-million contract with a club option for $8 million in 2026 has been anything but linear.
The former Cal State Long Beach and Cypress High outfielder is open about his mental health struggles that have included a verbal outburst toward a fan, wearing a T-shirt with a profane message and — most concerning for Duran and his loved ones — depression and a suicide attempt in 2022.
Interviewed for an eight-part Netflix docuseries "The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox" that will premiere Tuesday, Duran said he was so hard on himself that he did not want to live.
"I was already hearing it from fans," Duran said in the docuseries. "And what they said to me, [it was like], 'I've told myself 10 times worse in the mirror.' That was a really tough time for me. I didn't even want to be here anymore."
The 28-year-old described the moment he nearly killed himself in frighteningly stark terms.
"I got to a point where I was sitting in my room, I had my rifle and I had a bullet and I pulled the trigger and the gun clicked, but nothing happened," he said. "So, to this day, I think God just didn't let me take my own life because I seriously don't know why it didn't go off. I took it as a sign of, I might have to be here for a reason, so that's when I started to look myself in the mirror after the gun didn't go off.
"I was like, 'Do I want to be here, or do I not want to be here?' That happened for a reason and obviously you're here for a reason, so let's be the way you want to be and play [the way] you want to play and live the way you want to live."
Duran enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, leading the American League in doubles (48), triples (14), plate appearances (735) and at-bats (671). He batted .285 with 191 hits, 111 runs scored, 21 home runs and 34 stolen bases.
His ascent began in 2023 when he hit .295 with 24 stolen bases in 102 games after being recalled from triple A, and coincided with his newfound resolve.
"Jarren's decision to share his story is an act of courage that reaches far beyond baseball," Red Sox president and Chief Executive Sam Kennedy said in a statement. "By opening up, he's showing others who may be struggling that they're not alone and that asking for help isn't just OK, it's essential.
"Every member of this organization continues to stand with him. He has our deepest admiration, he's always had our full support and we're incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our team."
Duran was a seventh-round draft pick of the Red Sox out of Cal State Long Beach in 2018. In college and early in his pro career, he exhibited good speed and athleticism but little power. That changed in 2021 when he hit 16 homers in 60 triple-A games and was promoted to the Red Sox.
However, he struggled, hitting .215 with two home runs in 33 games. The following season was a repeat, with good numbers in triple A followed by batting .221 with three homers in 58 games.
By August, 2022, he was spiraling mentally, telling MassLive, “I can’t talk about too much of it, but I’ve been pretty low this year. It has been a struggle to stay [in the big leagues]. I don’t really talk to my family about my low points because I’m so closed off to everybody.
“I’m kind of just tearing myself up internally and get pretty depressed and stuff like that. I find it hard to reach out to people because I don’t want to bother other people with my problems. I kind of just build it up inside myself, which obviously makes everything a lot worse.”
Major League Baseball offers players mental health resources that helped Duran, and the Red Sox have long provided major and minor league players with comprehensive health services.
“The Red Sox have offered ... mental health screenings, crisis response protocols, educational programming, and access to both in-house care and trusted outside specialists," the Red Sox said in a statement. "Support spans all seven Minor League affiliates and involves collaboration across medical, performance, and coaching staff to ensure care is available at every level."
Last August, barely a month removed from being named All-Star Game MVP after he hit a two-run home in the American League's victory, Duran was suspended two games for shouting a homophobic slur at a fan who was heckling him.
Duran expressed remorse to reporters afterward, although he did so while wearing a T-shirt that read “F— ‘em,” making some onlookers wonder how serious he was about contrition. The T-shirt was initiated by Duran and also worn by teammates to support his efforts in dealing with his mental health issues.
In the docuseries, Duran said that avoiding depression requires constant effort. He keeps a daily journal and employs written reminders that urge him to win the battle.
"On [the tape on] my left wrist, I write, 'F— 'em,' because it's me telling my demons, 'You're not going to faze me'," he said. "And on my right wrist, I write, 'Still alive' because I'm still here and I'm still fighting."
SAN FRANCISCO — Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
The red-hot Giants, winners of seven straight and sitting atop the star-studded NL West, were riding high entering Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park.
Pretty much everything has clicked for San Francisco early on this season, and typically a dominant outing by Logan Webb would not fall by the wayside, but that wasn’t the case on Monday night as the Giants fell 2-0.
Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ (8-2) loss to the Reds (4-7):
Home Cookin’
Monday’s outing was Webb’s first at Oracle Park this season, and it went just about as expected.
The Giants ace posted a 2.83 ERA in 15 home starts last season, and his 2.83 ERA at Oracle Park since 2021 is tied with Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcántara for the best in MLB over that span (minimum 250 IP).
Seven scoreless innings was impressive enough, but Webb (ND, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10K) struck out 10 batters for good measure, two shy of his career-high of 12 set on Opening Day in 2023.
One personal goal that has escaped Webb in recent years has been the 200-strikeout milestone. His career high in a season is 194, set in 2023, and if his stuff this season is as filthy as it was on Monday night, he very well could join the 200-inning/200-strikeout club in 2025.
It hasn’t taken Jung Hoo Lee long to remind Giants fans of what he can do at the plate and in the field after missing most of his rookie 2024 MLB season.
Not only is his bat heating up, but his defense has been just about as good as anyone’s on the team so far this season, and that includes Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman.
Lee made a nice sliding grab to rob Cincinnati’s TJ Friedl of a hit in the top of the first inning, and then followed it up with a similar sliding catch in the top of the fifth.
After suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in May last season, Lee has shown no hesitation going all out to make plays in the outfield, even up against the center field wall that makes fans hold their breath.
“There’s no fear going back there,” Lee said through interpreter Justin Han on April 5. “The warning track is wide and we have padding. I’ll go [all-out] there at the moment.”
All Good Things Must End
San Francisco’s 8-1 start to the 2025 season was tied with the 2003 team for the second-best start in franchise history since 1901 behind the 1918 Giants’ 9-0 start.
Their success early on this season has been fueled by strong pitching, elite defense and timely hitting. The lineup, collectively, hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but they’ve been just about as opportunistic as any team in baseball coming into Monday’s game.
Those clutch two-out hits, like Wilmer Flores’ walk-off in the bottom of the ninth in Sunday’s win, were nowhere to be found Monday. In fact, only two Giants runner reached second base safely (Tyler Fitzgerald in the third, Lee in the ninth) while none reached third.
A reminder: This is ONLY players who have Rookie of the Year MLB eligibility, and ONLY a look at potential help for 2025.
That out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season.
1. Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
2025 stats: 7 G, .167/.375/.500, 2 HR, 1 SB, 8 BB, 11 SO at Triple-A Worcester.
The hits haven't fallen for Anthony since his impressive opening weekend, but he's still shown a quality approach at the plate. A bit of a spoiler alert: Roman Anthony will be at the top of this list until Anthony plays for the Boston Red Sox. There's just too much offensive upside, so even when I/we know that a player is coming up — and we have one this week — he's not going to be usurped from the top spot. He's that good.
2. Zac Veen, OF, Colorado Rockies
2025 stats: 8 G, .387/.472/.677, 1 HR, 1 SB, 4 BB, 6 SO at Triple-A Albuquerque.
It's always nice when we get to cheat. Veen will be joining the Rockies before Tuesday's contest against the Brewers, and there's definitely fantasy intrigue in his profile. He dealt with injuries the past two seasons, but he's a former top-ten pick who has shown the speed and acumen necessary to pile up the stolen bases, and there's above-average power potential in his left-handed bat, too. That power hasn't shown up in games, but, Coors Field. Veen is worth a speculative add in the majority of leagues.
3. Jordan Lawlar, INF, Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 stats: 9 G, .294/.419/.382, 0 HR, 4 SB, 5 BB, 10 SO at Triple-A Reno.
After a tough opening weekend, Lawlar played well in a six-game series against Tacoma (minor-league baseball, baby), and reached at least twice in each game while picking up three extra-base hits. It's worth noting that the Diamondbacks placed Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain, and while the Diamondbacks went with Tim Tawa as a replacement, Tawa isn't going to hold Lawlar back. Even if Marte is back soon, Lawlar is talented enough — and then some — to force his way into the lineup.
4. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
2025 stats: Has not pitched -- injured
Lowder was sensational down the stretcher for the Reds after being the sixth-overall pick of the loaded 2023 draft, but unfortunately, the right-hander has not been able to pitch this spring because of elbow soreness in his throwing arm. When healthy, Lower has the ability to miss bats with three pitches, and he pounds the strike zone with well above-average command. Lowder offers risk because he’s a young hurler and because he’s going to make his home starts in Great American Ball Park, but that risk comes with the upside of a pitcher who can help in several categories.
5. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
2025 stats: 8 G, .412/.459/.852, 4 HR, 0 SB, 3 BB, 7 SO at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Kurtz has absolutely clobbered Triple-A pitching, and with all due respect to some other names in Triple-A who have a chance to help their teams/fantasy managers, he deserves this final spot. There's double-plus — or 70-grade — power in his left-handed bat, he has an outstanding approach at the plate, and the ball absolutely jumps off his bat. No he can't help in the steals category. Yes the A's might wait until the summer for a promotion. I can't justify not having him on the list. He looked too good at Wake Forest, and has looked too good as a professional.
Around the minors:
Chase Burns was selected second-overall by the Reds in 2024, but didn't pitch last summer. He made his professional debut Tuesday, and he didn't disappoint. He fired four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, and he allowed just one hit against West Michigan. Burne has elite stuff, and there are four pitches that show plus — or better — potential at his disposal. His ability to command those pitches is the only real question mark, but it'd be more surprising if Burns didn't become a top-of-the-rotation starter than if he did.
The Guardians made Travis Bazzana the top pick ahead of Burns, and his first weekend of his 2025 campaign couldn't have gone much better. He picked up hits in 7-of-13 at-bats (.538 average), and he doubled and homered while going 4-for-5 in Saturday's contest for Double-A Akron against Richmond. Bazzana has one of the best hit tools in the minors regardless of levels, and there's above-average power in his left-handed bat as well. He's a high-floor, high-ceiling player, and no one should be surprised if he makes his MLB debut in 2025.
Thomas White has quickly established himself as one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, and the southpaw showed why in his season debut Friday for Beloit. He worked four innings, struck out seven and didn't allow a run in that outing against South Bend. He did walk three, and command is still a work-in-progress; something that's quite common with 20-year-olds. White offers a double-plus slider, and above-average and change; and he can get his fastball up to 97 mph with life. If the command takes a jump, he could be a fantasy option by the end of 2026.
That homer had an exit velocity of 116 mph and went 464 feet. Simply put, he has as much — if not more — power potential than any hitting prospect in baseball. If you don't believe me, watch the video again.
It took only one pitch for the Boston Red Sox to give the Fenway Faithful something to cheer about Monday night.
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette belted the first pitch of the game to the warning track in right-center field, but Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela covered 104 feet to rob Bichette of extra bases with an incredible sliding catch.
It’s Boston’s second consecutive game with a highlight-reel play from one of their outfielders. In Sunday night’s win over the St. Louis Cardinals, right fielder Wilyer Abreu threw out a runner at third base with an amazing throw.
Between Rafaela, Abreu, and left fielder Jarren Duran, the Red Sox have three Gold Glove-caliber defenders manning their outfield. Abreu won the award after his 2024 rookie campaign.
Rafaela’s ridiculous grab continued a torrid stretch for the 2025 club. The Red Sox entered Monday’s matchup riding a five-game win streak and coming off an 18-run outburst vs. St. Louis.
Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu is primed to take a major step towards getting back on the field.
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Monday in Detroit that the veteran infielder will work out with the Yankees during their series against the Tigers, and he could begin a rehab assignment as soon as Friday.
LeMahieu, 36, played in just one spring training game before suffering a left calf strain, which landed him on the IL to start the season.
Had LeMahieu been healthy, he likely would have been the Yankees’ Opening Day third baseman. Oswaldo Cabrera has gotten the majority of playing time at the hot corner in LeMahieu’s absence.
LeMahieu had an unbelievable 2019 season with the Yankees, finishing fourth in AL MVP voting, but injuries and inconsistent play have plagued him over the past few years. In 2024, LeMahieu played in just 67 games following a foot fracture suffered during the spring, and then a hip injury later in the year, posting a career-worst .527 OPS.
