Category: Baseball

A's acquire catcher Wynns in trade with Reds, DFA right-hander Duran originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics on Sunday bolstered their catching depth — and offense — by acquiring Austin Wynns in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, the team announced, in exchange for cash considerations.

To clear room on their 40-man roster, the A’s designated right-handed pitcher Carlos Duran for assignment.

The Athletics have acquired catcher Austin Wynns from the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations, the club announced today.  To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated right-handed pitcher Carlos Duran for assignment.

— A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) June 8, 2025

Wynns was designated for assignment by the Reds on Friday after hitting .400 (16-for-40) with three home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.142 OPS in 18 games, 11 of which he started at catcher in addition to one start at first base. The seven-year MLB veteran was on Cincinnati’s Opening Day roster after appearing in seven games for them in 2024.

Wynns has played for five teams in the big leagues since 2018, including the Baltimore Orioles (2018-19, 21), San Francisco Giants (2022-23), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023), Colorado Rockies (2023) and Cincinnati (2024-25). The 34-year-old is a .241 career hitter with 16 home runs and 74 RBI in 257 games, with his most extensive playing time coming on the Giants in 2022 when he batted .259 with three home runs and 21 RBI in 66 games.

The A’s acquired Duran from the Dodgers on April 2 for Esteury Ruiz, and the pitcher made his MLB debut with one appearance for the Green and Gold on May 22 against the Los Angeles Angels. The 23-year-old allowed three runs on a hit and three walks in 1/3 innings.

When you are good at something, it is best to show it off and play to that strength. Of course, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza would probably prefer that starting pitcher Clay Holmes doesn’t make his best attribute too much of a habit.

For Holmes has been elite at stifling opponent batters when there are runners in scoring position, something he did on countless occasions in Saturday’s 8-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. 

"I made pitches when I had to,” Holmes said after holding the Rockies to 0-for-8 with RISP to strand eight men on base over his six innings of one-run ball.

On the year, the right-hander has now allowed just six hits out of 50 such opportunities (.120 average) as his ERA shrunk to 2.95 over his first 73.1 innings with the Mets.

“The biggest thing here at [Denver’s Coors Field], some hits are going to fall in, there's a lot of grass out there,” Holmes said after allowing nine hits in total. “I just knew I couldn’t give out any free passes, and I didn’t hand out any walks. And I was able to get the right kind of contact, swing and miss with runners on base, and gave us a chance there.”

The traffic came early with the Rockies having two on and nobody out in the first inning and again in the third, but Holmes avoided any damage with a couple of strikeouts and a timely double-play ball. That helped give his teammates time to snap out of a 0-for-7 stretch with RISP of their own to grab a lead they didn’t relinquish in the top half of the fifth.

Mendoza said Holmes getting ground balls with men on has been his "calling card." And the starter left that message on four occasions in addition to two strikeouts on Saturday.

“Really, really good,” Mendoza said of his starter’s performance. “From the first inning, first and third nobody out, and they made him work and he got out of it… I thought the sinker was good, the slider and the sweeper… were his pitches.”

Not mentioned was the changeup, which Holmes had used 15 percent of the time (third-most on the year). He threw it just one time out of 96 pitches in the game. That tactical switch came about because the slider, which had been his fourth-most-used pitch, just felt right pregame.

“Pitches can move differently [in the altitude] and really I was just going with what felt good,” Holmes said. “Slider felt good in the bullpen. Sinker did, too. But just threw enough sinkers to really lean on the slider, sweeper. Was able to get some chase on both those pitches.”

For the night, he got nine whiffs from 19 swings on his 27 sliders and six whiffs from 19 swings on 33 sweepers. And on the 30 sinkers, he got just one whiff on 12 swings, but 10 called strikes.

He added later: “Really, it’s not trying to do too much here. You just execute your pitches, don't try to overthrow. You give yourself a chance.”

For the closer-turned-starter, there was a doubt whether he would be able to give the Mets length, especially after pitching in several high-traffic, high-stress innings in the Mile High City. But Mendoza decided to send Holmes out for the sixth inning with the Mets up 4-1.

“Definitely started to add up,” Holmes said. “Pitching here as a reliever, you don't really feel [the altitude] a ton, but I started to hit that 70 pitch mark and I was like, 'Man, this feels like I’m at 100.’”

“After five, the altitude and all the [pitches], I thought he was pretty tired,” the manager said. “But for him to finish that sixth, even with two guys got on, was good to see him getting comfortable, finding a way to get the job done and giving us solid six innings.”

Through 13 starts on the year, Holmes said he feels like he’s in a “great spot” in his new role.

“Bouncing back well, feel like we got some routine dialed in,” he said. “Feels nice to throw at least six innings. I feel like I've been able to establish that. How I'm using my pitches, how to get deep into games.

“... Just continue to lean on the trainers, strength coaches, nutritionists. They do a lot and feel like we’ve put a lot of things together that's working for me.”

Ronny Mauricio was the envy of the 38,279 who paid to attend Saturday night's game in Colorado, as the Mets' young infielder had the best vantage point from which to admire the 456-foot home run that leapt off his bat to start the third inning.

And who could blame the 24-year-old for taking a moment to watch the ball sail through the thin air before its flight was interrupted by the third deck of the right field stands in the 8-1 win for the visitors from Flushing.

“Pretty impressive,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s the first time I’ve seen somebody going over there… not too many people can go on that third deck here. I don’t have much experience in this ballpark, but not easy to do.”

He added: “The power, the impact, the way the ball jumps off his bat, it’s just good to see him doing the things he’s capable of.”

Mauricio said he was just looking for a pitch up in the zone, and German Marquez obliged his request by hanging a 1-1 knuckle-curve that truly jumped off his bat with a 110.3 mph exit velocity. Something the Met with the second-best view noticed.

“As soon as he hit it, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s going a long ways,’” said Francisco Lindor, who watched from the on-deck circle. “And then, I didn’t know what to do. Wait for him at home plate, wait for him on-deck. I was just admiring the baseball.”

“Oh, pretty good, pretty good,” Mauricio said about the ball coming off his bat. “I feel like I hit it right on the barrel.”

After going hitless in his first 11 at-bats since he made his long-awaited big league return, Mauricio now has three hits in his last five at-bats, later adding a single in the fifth. The manager said he’s seen some improvement in the quality of his plate appearances of late, too.

“Better, definitely, especially on pitches in the strike zone,” he said. “I feel like in the first couple of games he was a little passive, and then they made him chase. Now, he’s ready to go on pitches in the strike zone. And when he’s doing that, he’s a pretty good hitter.”

And Mauricio believes he’s getting more comfortable at the plate. “I’m trying to just enjoy the moment, just try to have fun in the game,” he said. 

But the Mets aren’t going to let themselves get carried away by what Mauricio brings, as Mendoza added, “At the same time, I’ve been saying it since he got here, we gotta be patient with him.”

“This is a guy that missed a whole year of development,” the manager said. “[But] it’s really good to see him now do some of the things.”

RONNY MAURICIO GOES DEEP!! pic.twitter.com/1VXrR42V1j

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

The Mets got home runs from Ronny Mauricio, Jared Young, and Jeff McNeil and six innings of one-run ball from Clay Holmes to beat the Rockies 8-1 on Saturday night in Colorado.

New York started the game hitless in seven chances with runners in scoring position, but got enough timely hits (3-for-7 from then on, including three two-out RBI) to go along with three solo home runs, which proved to be more than enough offense.

Holmes gave the Rockies chances, but he managed to wriggle out of numerous jams (he allowed nine hits) and stranded eight runners on the night as the Mets improved to 41-24 (.631) on the year and 17-17 in games played outside of Flushing. New York has now won 11 of 14 games, as Colorado fell to an ghastly 12-52 (.189).

Here are the takeaways...

- Holmes allowed four hits over his first three innings, but worked himself out of a pair of two-on and nobody-out jams with three strikeouts and a 6-4-3 double play through nine outs. But he got burned to start the fourth when he threw one slider too many to Ryan McMahon, who launched a 392-foot opposite-way homer to level the score. (It was the eighth slider thrown to McMahon out of nine offerings over two at-bats.)

The Mets’ defense didn’t give Holmes too much help early. In the bottom of the first, after allowing a leadoff single, the righty induced a grounder to second, but Brett Baty broke to his right and the ball shot to his left, giving Colorado runners at first and third instead of a 4-6-3 double play. The miscue (ruled a hit) didn’t cost the Mets, and Baty made up for it by snagging a hard liner for the first out and ranging deep into center to catch a pop fly for the second.

McNeil, making his eighth start in center, made a couple of routine plays, but with two out in the bottom of the fifth, he failed to come up with a shallow pop-up, missing the ball as he went into a feet-first slide. But the base hit, which put two in scoring position, didn’t lead to any runs as Holmes got McMahon to ground out on a slider.

With two out in the sixth, Mauricio gloved a bouncer down the third base line but couldn’t hang onto the ball behind the bag. The error, the Mets' only one of the game, put runners on first and second, but Holmes got a bouncer to short to end the threat.

- Mauricio got a hanging knuckle curve from Rockies starter German Marquez and just demolished it – 456 feet, 110.3 mph off the bat into the third deck in right field to start the third. He later singled in the fifth, wasted no time swiping second base, and then came around to score on Brandon Nimmo’s single through the left side of the infield. Nimmo's base hit was the Mets’ first with a runner in scoring position of the game, for a 3-1 lead.

Nimmo, coming off a 0-for-5 on Friday, hit the ball hard the first three times he was up, driving one to the warning track and hitting another liner hard to center before his single. He added a two-out RBI double in the eighth to finish the day 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. Mauricio ended 2-for-4, with three hard-hit balls.

- Young jumped on a first-pitch fastball for an opposite-field homer to open the fifth to put the Mets ahead for good. It was the DH’s second homer of the year, 385 feet, 103.6 mph to left field. He finished 1-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter.

- McNeil made his apology for not ending the bottom of the fifth when he started the top of the sixth with a solo shot, cranking a Marquez middle-middle fastball 414 feet to right (101.2 mph) to put the Mets up 4-1. McNeil finished the day 1-for-3 as Tyrone Taylor entered in center for the bottom of the sixth.

Taylor added a bases-loaded sac fly in his first at-bat, setting up Luis Torrens to snap a 0-for-11 stretch by rocketing a two-RBI single up the middle to make it a 7-1 ballgame.

- Francisco Lindor cracked a single to center to start the game. Making his first start since he sustained a broken toe, he stole second on the very next pitch, getting a huge jump and grabbing the base without a throw. After a single in the third, he waited until the second pitch to steal second without a throw to give the heart of the order another chance with a runner in scoring position, but again was left stranded.

Lindor made it a 3-for-5 night with a two-out single in the eighth and was lifted for pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña. 

- Hard-luck dinged Pete Alonso his first time up when his 100.7 mph liner was right at the Rockies’ third baseman, stealing extra bases (.780 xBA) and an RBI. After starting 0-for-3 (all with RISP), striking and bouncing into a room service 6-4-3 double play, Alonso got another chance with runners on first and second and one out in the seventh and singled to left to load the bases. He finished the day 1-for-5.

- Juan Soto, coming off his first three-hit game with the Mets, went down looking at a curve, grounded out, and reached on a fielder’s choice his first three times up. He finished 0-for-4 (0-for-3 with RISP) with a walk and two strikeouts.

- Baty got a stroke of good luck in his third at-bat as he looks to snap out of a 3-for-21 funk with an infield hit that deflected off the pitcher’s glove. The hit put two on and nobody out, and Colorado went to the bullpen and lefty Ryan Rolison. The Mets countered with Starling Marte (batting for Young), but the pinch-hitter bounced into a 5-4-3 double play and Mauricio grounded out to short.

Baty finished the day 1-for-4, Marte 0-for-2.

- Out of the bullpen: José Butto struck out two in a 1-2-3 seventh and erased a leadoff single with a 5-4-3 double play in a clean eighth, tossing 26 pitches (16 strikes). Left-hander José Castillo added a strikeout in an easy-peasy ninth.

Game MVP: Clay Holmes

Holmes' Houdini Act was the key as it allowed the Mets' offense time to get going, as this was a 1-1 contest entering the top of the fifth inning. And it has been a year-long thing for the starter as he has now held opponents to a .120 average with RISP (6-for-50) after Colorado went hitless in eight chances and left eight on base.

His final line: 6.0 innings, one run, nine hits, no walks, six strikeouts on 95 pitches (71 strikes), lowering his ERA to 2.95.

Highlights

Francisco Lindor starts tonight off with a leadoff single and stolen base! pic.twitter.com/H2xo3ZiqcP

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

RONNY MAURICIO GOES DEEP!! pic.twitter.com/1VXrR42V1j

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

Jared Young puts the Mets back ahead with a solo homer! pic.twitter.com/TxqRxpL1xH

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

Jeff McNeil joins the home run party 🎉

Third homer of the night for the Mets! pic.twitter.com/9UdJvCWVjd

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

Luis Torrens drives in two more 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DzDhNwfjjK

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

Second RBI of the night for Brandon Nimmo! pic.twitter.com/MFOw1GpJ1H

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 8, 2025

What's next

The Mets go for the three-game sweep over the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. EDT.

Right-hander Tylor Megill (3.77 ERA, x WHIP in y innings) makes his 13th start of the season. Megill will be looking to find the form of his first six outings of the year (1.74 ERA in 31 innings) and put his last half dozen outings behind him (5.97 ERA in 28.2 innings).

The hosts counter with right-hander Chase Dollander (6.26 ERA, 1.440 WHIP in 41.2 innings) for his 10th start of his debut season in the big leagues. He has pitched better of late (3.29 ERA over his last 13.2 innings), but lasted just nine outs in his last start.

Ryan Yarbrough was knocked around for eight runs and the Yankees' comeback fell short in their 10-7 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday night in The Bronx.

Before Saturday, Yarbrough allowed six total runs in his first five starts since moving to the rotation, and had not allowed more than two runs in any start.

The Yanks (39-24) struck out 15 times to drop the middle game of this three-game set.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Red Sox would get to the southpaw early. After Yarbrough stranded Rafael Devers, who doubled with one out in the first, he couldn't do the same in the second. After allowing a leadoff double, struggling rookie Kristian Campbell slapped a two-out single the opposite way into right field to give Boston a 1-0 lead.

With Anthony Volpe (elbow) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (rest) out of the lineup, Aaron Boone had to go with a ragtag bunch for Saturday's game. Pablo Reyes started at third and Oswald Peraza started at shortstop. And that configuration would play a big part in the Red Sox's five-run third inning.

After Yarbrough hit Devers to lead off, Rob Refsnyder doubled on a ball that Cody Bellinger tried to catch on a slide, but whiffed, allowing runners on second and third with no out. Carlos Narvaez hit a hard groundball to Paul Goldschmidt, but the Gold Glove first baseman picked the grounder and threw home to get Devers out at home. After Peraza grabbed a groundball in the hole on the left side, but Reyes didn't cover third in time to get the force, resulting in an infield hit that loaded the bases, Abraham Toro blooped a single to center to cut the Yankees' lead to 3-2. Trevor Story followed with a bases-clearing double that bounced off of Reyes' glove to put Boston up 5-3. Campbell singled to cap off the five-run third.

It wouldn't get much better for Yarbrough, who gave up a two-run shot to Romy Gonzalez -- his first of the season -- in the fourth.

Yarbrough would only go four innings (67 pitches/45 strikes), allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three batters. His ERA jumped from 2.83 to 4.17.

-On the other side, Garrett Crochet was making his Yankee Stadium and Red Sox/Yankees rivalry debut on Saturday. The hard-throwing lefty came into the start allowing more than two runs in a start just once this season, but Austin Wells upped that to two with his three-run blast in the second inning. The home run was set up by a leadoff infield single by Bellinger and a one-out walk to DJ LeMahieu. Wells jumped on the first-pitch cutter to send it over the short porch.

Wells would get Crochet again in the fourth with a double in the left-center gap with runners on first and second and one out to drive in his fourth run of the game. Reyes got the Yankees closer with an RBI groundout.

But aside from that, Crochet was great. He would go six innings (97 pitches/67 strikes), allowing the five runs on six hits, one walk, while striking out nine batters. Aaron Judge struck out three times against the southpaw, who settled down and gave Boston what they needed.

-The Yankees lineup wouldn't wake up until the eighth inning. After Ben Rice led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Judge moved him to third on a flyout before Bellinger walked ahed of Jasson Dominguez. Bellinger stole second, but Dominguez struck out. LeMahieu picked up his teammate with a two-run single to cut the Red Sox's lead to 8-7 and advanced to second on an overthrow from the outfield, setting up Wells to potentially drive in the tying run. But the catcher struck out to end the inning.

-In relief of Yarbrough, Yerry De los Santos pitched three innings of one-hit ball -- with two walks mixed in -- to keep the Red Sox off the board. Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but Ian Hamilton wouldn't have the same success in the ninth. A walk, and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with no outs for the Red Sox. Story made Yankees pitching pay again with a single up the middle to drive in two. Hamilton would finish the inning without allowing another run, but the damage was done.

Longtime Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman came on for the Red Sox in the ninth. He struck out Chisholm swinging, Peraza and Goldschmidtgrounded out to end the game.

-Judge finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts to drop his average to .390. Reyes finished 0-for-2 with an RBI and Chisholm pinch-hit for him and finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Volpe pinch-ran for LeMahieu in the eighth and stayed in to play shortstop in the ninth.

Peraza went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Game MVP: Trevor Story

The veteran shortstop had the big hit in that five-run third and the huge two-run single in the ninth when the Yankees were lurking. Three hits and five RBI for Story

Highlights

Austin Wells three run homer to put the Yankees ahead!

(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/E0MSYM9B0P

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 8, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Red Sox complete their first series of the season on Sunday night. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.

Carlos Rodon (8-3, 2.49 ERA) will look to continue to his hot streak of starts while Boston will have Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 4.06 ERA) on the bump.

Ahead of Saturday night's game in Colorado, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave updates on a few players...

---

What's next for Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas

Manaea came out of his first rehab start on Friday night, "all good," the manager said, adding the left-hander will throw again on Tuesday or Wednesday for the High-A Brooklyn. "See how the next couple of days goes," Mendoza said.

The southpaw had a rough go of it, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and a hit by pitch in 1.2 innings while throwing 36 pitches (26 strikes).

Montas will make his fourth rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse, and the plan is for him to throw 80-85 pitches. While Montas is "getting closer to normal" with the high pitch count, Mendoza said the 32-year-old will likely make another start at Triple-A before he is ready to be activated from the IL.

"After he gets through this one, we'll see where he's at," the manager said. "But I don't think this is gonna be his last one."

Results have not been there for the right-hander, as he has allowed runs in all of his previous outings (the first two coming with Brooklyn). On Tuesday, he surrendered five runs on eight hits (including four home runs) and a walk in 4.0 frames, throwing 61 pitches (43 strikes).

When asked what point he might start to care about the results from these rehab appearances, Mendoza said it is "still early, especially for Manaea."

"With Montas, I'll say we'll see how [Sunday] goes and then we'll start to look more at results and all that," he said. "More about how they are bouncing back. For Sean, after the first one, it's too early for him."

Francisco Alvarez still grinding

The contact has been there for the 23-year-old catcher – a 92.8 mph average exit velocity and a 47 percent hard-hit rate – but the results haven't quite been there – just four extra-base hits and a .301 slugging percentage – through his first 93 at-bats of the season.

"We haven't seen him driving the ball with authority," Mendoza said of Alvarez, who was not in the lineup for Saturday's game. "I feel like he's on and off. There's been some games where I feel like he's put himself in a good position to make swing decisions, and you see the barrel and the bat path coming through the zone. But then there's also been games where he's late.

"We just gotta continue to grind, continue to help him. And hopefully he gets there because he's too good of a player, too good of a hitter. And, obviously, we know the power is there, but we just haven't seen that yet."

About three weeks ago, Mendoza said he was seeing Alvarez get beat on fastballs quite a bit. The skipper indicated he's seen some improvement in that area, but not consistent strides.

"I feel like last week he was making progress," he said. "[Friday] night, he looked like he was late with some of the fastballs. Part of some of the inconsistency that we've seen from him. But he's working hard, that's the one thing with him: He's such a hard worker and he's always looking for ways to get better.... And we gotta get him there."

Alvarez batted .315 with a .534 slugging percentage against 690 fastballs a season ago. After Friday's game, those numbers were down to .264 and .302, which are down 46 points and eight points from three weeks ago. But there have been improvements in his expected numbers, which could indicate some of the work is paying off, even if the results haven't been there just yet. His xBA on fastballs is up to .225 from .213 on May 19 and xSLG is up to .373 from .299.

Alvarez also "made a very significant swing change in the offseason," president of baseball operations David Stearns mentioned in late May, something that could be impacting his production, which was further hampered by a stint on the IL.

In 27 games on the year, Alvarez is batting .237 (the same mark he finished with in 100 games last season) with a .625 OPS (down from .710 a year ago).

Bullpen workload on skipper's mind

Manage the personalities and vibe in the clubhouse, manage the lineup, manage the in-game strategy, and manage the bullpen's usage. Those are the four big areas a big league manager can show they are worth their salt.

"We've been using them pretty hard," Mendoza said when asked about the workload of Ryne Stanek, Huascar Brazobán, and Reed Garrett.

Of course, the hitters could do something to help the relievers out.

"When you look at Reed Garrett, I feel like the past week he's been on and off, on and off. That's not sustainable," he said. "This is something that we gotta be careful here. Same with Stanek, the past week I feel like [he's been used] every other day. I'm not gonna complain, but we're playing so many tight games that every time they're available, we're using them. Same thing with Brazoban.

"That's the balance here that we're gonna have to watch those guys closely."

The Mets have signed right-handed pitcher Julian Merryweather to a minor league deal, the club announced on Saturday evening.

Merryweather, 33, spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Cubs organization before he was released on the penultimate day of May.

In 21 games this season, the reliever posted a 5.79 ERA and 1.821 WHIP over 18.2 innings with 15 strikeouts to 11 walks. During an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, he was limited to just 15 innings over 15 outings and posted a 6.60 ERA and 1.800 WHIP.

New York is hoping the MLB veteran of six seasons can regain the form of his first season on the North Side of Chicago when he posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.306 WHIP over 72 innings and 69 games with 98 strikeouts to 36 walks.

A hard-thrower, Merryweather has become a two-pitch reliever relying on his slider and four-seam fastball. The heater's 96 mph average velocity is good for the 80th percentile in the majors this year.

A late bloomer, he got his start in the majors at the age of 28 with the Blue Jays in 2020, and appeared in big league games in Toronto for three seasons. In 152 career games, Merryweather has posted a 4.72 ERA and 1.434 WHIP over 158.1 innings with 127 strikeouts to 56 walks.

Earlier on Saturday, the club announced the acquisition of RHP Justin Garza in a deal with the Giants, sending cash considerations to San Francisco.

The Mets have acquired RHP Justin Garza from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced Saturday.

Garza, 31, first signed a minor league deal with the Giants organization in March 2024. After pitching to a 3.42 ERA and 1.310 WHIP over 52.2 innings in 37 appearances that year with Triple-A Sacramento, success has been much harder to come by in 19 games at that level this season.

The right-hander carries a 1-2 record (6-for-7 on save attempts) with a 6.11 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, totalling 20 strikeouts over 17.2 innings.

Originally drafted by Cleveland in the 2015 MLB Draft, Garza debuted with them in 2021. He then spent the 2022 season in the minors with Cleveland before a brief stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 and then the Boston Red Sox. He was outrighted and instead elected free agency after the 2023 season.

Graza owns a 2-3 record with a 5.74 ERA in 47 innings over 38 major league games with Cleveland (21 games in 2021) and Boston (17 games in 2023).

Webb joins Bumgarner, Lincecum in elite Giants strikeout club originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Another stellar outing from Logan Webb has placed the Giants’ No. 1 starter in elite company with a pair of aces from San Francisco’s past.

Webb stuck out 10 while walking none in the Giants’ 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Oracle Park, marking the fifth such time he has recorded at least 10 punchouts without walking a batter in the same outing.

Madison Bumgarner (12) and Tim Lincecum (5) are the only other pitchers in franchise history to accomplish that feat at least five times in a Giants uniform.

Logan Webb now has 5 career outings with 10+ strikeouts and no walks

Only other Giants with 5+ in at least last 125 seasons:

Madison Bumgarner: 12
Tim Lincecum: 5

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 7, 2025

After Saturday’s win, Webb revealed his Giants teammates haven’t let his high strikeout numbers this season go unnoticed.

“All the guys joke around with me because I’ve always said I’m not a strikeout guy, but I think this year, just mixing things up and trying to do different things and having a really good game plan has just kind of elevated that,” Webb told reporters. “A lot of games left, I feel like I’m always due for a one-strikeout game or a two-strikeout game, but hopefully I’ll keep that trend up. Makes things a little easier.”

Webb is one of only four pitchers in MLB to eclipse 100 strikeouts during the 2025 season, with his 101 punchouts ranking second in the National League, trailing only Washington Nationals southpaw Mackenzie Gore (108).

While the strikeout statistics certainly standout, Webb is confident he always has had the ability to rack up gaudy punchout numbers.

“I feel like I’ve always been able to strike people out,” Webb said after Saturday’s win. “I look back at some of the years, (2023) I feel like I was close to nine (strikeouts) per nine (innings), (2021) I feel like I struck out more guys. I think there’s a lot of other things that go into it. It’s the scouting part of it, it’s the throwing the right pitches at the right time, setting guys up and as a collection we’ve done a really good job of that … Having [Justin Verlander] and [Robbie Ray] who are both very good strikeout pitchers, having both those guys here has been very helpful for me.

“It’s not necessarily that I’m trying to go out there and strike everybody out, I think It’s just getting to the point where I’m able to maybe set people up better for it and at that point, just try it out, try and get the strikeout.”

Whatever approach Webb is taking this season is being reflected in his numbers, as the seven-year MLB veteran is posting a 2.58 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched this season.

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The Dodgers’ offensive woes went from worrisome to a five-alarm emergency Saturday when they lost their second game in less than 24 hours, falling 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nolan Gorman started the winning rally with a ground-rule double in the ninth. He gave way to pinch-runner Jose Barrero, who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Pages before scoring on Nolan Arenado’s pinch-hit single off Dodgers reliever Ben Casparius (4-1) to end the game.

The Cardinals appeared to have won the game in the eighth when Alec Burleson hit a one-hop comebacker that ricocheted off Casparius with two out. Casparius chased after the ball and made a hurried throw to first that pulled Freddie Freeman off the bag, allowing Masyn Winn to race home.

Read more:Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on the injured list

But the Dodgers matched that in the ninth on consecutive one-out singles by Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Freeman then struck out swinging, but the ball got away from catcher Pedro Pages, allowing Ohtani to score to tie the game.

The Dodgers left 12 runners on base and were hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They are one for 25 with runners in scoring position in their two games in St. Louis.

The slump couldn’t come at a worst time for the Dodgers, who begin a three-game series Monday in San Diego. The Padres entered Saturday a game back of the Dodgers in the National League West.

The Dodgers wasted a splendid performance from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed four hits while striking out nine in six scoreless innings, lowing his earned-run average to 2.20.

No Japanese pitcher has ever led an American major league in ERA; the Cubs’ Yu Darvish came closest when his 2.01 mark in the COVID-shortened 2020 season was second-best in the National League. Only two NL pitchers have better marks than Yamamoto this season.

The right-hander won four ERA titles in seven seasons with Orix in the Japanese Pacific League. Only Kazuhisa Inao, who debuted in 1956, won more. Three times Yamamoto had ERAs under 1.69 and his career mark in Japan was 1.72 in 188 starts.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Prior to Saturday's game with the Red Sox, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave updates on a number of injured players...

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Volpe needs another day

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe left Friday's win over Boston early after being struck on the elbow with a pitch. Although Volpe ran the bases and took the field at the top of the next inning, he was pulled as a precautionary measure.

Volpe isn't in the starting lineup on Saturday and Boone said that he initially had the shortstop in, but once he got to Yankee Stadium and spoke to the training staff, they thought it was best that the third-year player took a day.

"Strength, everything’s good. He's got pretty good-sized swelling in there still," Boone said. "Talking to the trainers, it will do him well to try and get one more day and get some treatment. Hope to be back there tomorrow."

Boone said that Volpe is available if needed, but they will look to get past the Red Sox with Oswald Peraza starting at shortstop.

Jazz gets a planned off day

While Volpe's exclusion from Saturday's lineup isn't surprising, Jazz Chisholm Jr. being left off was.

Boone was asked about Jazz's status, and the longtime Yankees manager said it was just a planned off day for his third baseman.

"Plan from the start when he came back Tuesday," Boone said. "We were going to give him one as he built back up into the off day. And it made sense with the one lefty we're facing to give it today."

Since his return from the IL, Chisholm has been hotter than hot. Across four games, Chisholm is 8-for-16 with two home runs and six RBI. He also has back-to-back three-hit games.

Minor updates on injured players

Boone was then asked about a trio of injured players looking to make their way back onto the team in the coming weeks.

First was Luis Gil, who had a side session recently but will need to go through a handful of them still before he faces live batters. Boone categorized it as "touch-and-feel" right now.

As for Marcus Stroman, he's throwing a side session on Saturday, so they'll see how he comes out of that. And finally, Boone was asked about slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

Boone gave a pseudo update earlier in the week, but gave a more solid plan for Stanton heading into next week.

"He's in Tampa still, I think he's coming back tomorrow or Monday and hopefully starting rehab next week up here," Boone said. "But he's doing well."

Kemp debuts but skidding Phillies' offense remains stagnant in series loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — Otto Kemp has a golden opportunity, one that he’s created for himself by hitting his way from Division II Point Loma Nazarene University to and through the Phillies’ farm system and up to the major leagues this weekend.

The 25-year-old, offensive-minded prospect made his MLB debut Saturday afternoon in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and fielding the three balls hit his way at third base.

Kemp was called up Saturday as Bryce Harper went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. It is unclear whether Harper will be able to return on June 16 when first eligible but given that it’s a recurrence of an injury he dealt with last season and it has lingered throughout much of this season, it’s safe to say the Phillies will take their time.

They didn’t call Kemp up with the expectation that he’d perform like Harper. They don’t need him to be The Guy, just a piece that helps a stagnant offense. He figures to play regularly at third base with Alec Bohm at first while Harper is out.

Kemp had hit .315 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple A Lehigh Valley, leading the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI. He’s been hot for nearly a year, reaching four different levels in the Phillies’ minor-league system a season ago, then performing well in the Arizona Fall League, spring training and the 2025 season.

“It still caught me by surprise,” Kemp said Saturday before debuting. “I try to do my best to live in the moment, be where I am on that given day. Was trying to not give a ton of thought to when it was going to be, just kinda let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it. I was just trying to keep it on the down-low and shut it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”

Kemp found out he was being called up around 1 a.m. Saturday. The IronPigs were in Charlotte playing the White Sox’ Triple A affiliate. Kemp knew something was up as soon as he opened his hotel room door and saw manager Anthony Contreras, hitting coach Adam Lind and bench coach Chris Adamson.

“AC, Tank and Adam Lind, they all came out and I kinda knew something was going on,” he said. “You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason. My dog was the first one to greet them. It was a good time, I got to celebrate with my wife yesterday. Packed up the room and took off this morning.”

Kemp caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh and was in the Phillies’ clubhouse by noon.

“I haven’t had a ton of time to really just sit down and think,” he said. “I think that’ll come as we go. But me and my wife had a good time last night, just soaking it in before we packed. Really just thank God for the blessing that we have in front of us and that our lives have been changed by this. It still doesn’t feel super real yet.”

The 37-27 Phillies are hoping it provides a jolt to a cold lineup. The Phils have lost eight of their last nine, scoring just 29 runs, 15 of which came in two games. In the other seven, they’ve averaged 2.0 runs per game.

“Whenever you bring up a guy like this, it pumps a bunch of energy into the clubhouse and on the field, everyone’s pulling for him and it’s kind of a neat experience,” manager Rob Thomson said.

“I’m really happy for him. He’s had a great year. We’re gonna get him some work at first, get him some more work in the outfield, but for today I just want to play him the place that he’s most comfortable, then we’ll keep moving forward.”

If he hits, Kemp has a chance to wrestle playing time away from Weston Wilson, who has not produced as the right-handed half of a left field platoon.

“I’m always down for whatever’s gonna keep me in the lineup,” Kemp said.

They aren’t alone, but the four members of the Phillies’ left and center field platoons simply have not hit enough. Max Kepler is hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage. Wilson is hitting .152. Brandon Marsh is at .211. Johan Rojas, who made a sensational, run-saving catch in deep left-center Saturday, is batting .245.

“I think you’ve got to send them out there, somebody’s gotta play out there,” Thomson said. “I think that those guys, I still have trust in them that they’re gonna hit. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ve got to get going.”

Kemp debuts but skidding Phillies' offense remains stagnant in series loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — Otto Kemp has a golden opportunity, one that he’s created for himself by hitting his way from Division II Point Loma Nazarene University to and through the Phillies’ farm system and up to the major leagues this weekend.

The 25-year-old, offensive-minded prospect made his MLB debut Saturday afternoon in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and fielding the three balls hit his way at third base.

Kemp was called up Saturday as Bryce Harper went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. It is unclear whether Harper will be able to return on June 16 when first eligible but given that it’s a recurrence of an injury he dealt with last season and it has lingered throughout much of this season, it’s safe to say the Phillies will take their time.

They didn’t call Kemp up with the expectation that he’d perform like Harper. They don’t need him to be The Guy, just a piece that helps a stagnant offense.

Kemp had hit .315 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple A Lehigh Valley, leading the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI. He’s been hot for nearly a year, reaching four different levels in the Phillies’ minor-league system a season ago, then performing well in the Arizona Fall League, spring training and the 2025 season.

“It still caught me by surprise,” Kemp said Saturday before debuting. “I try to do my best to live in the moment, be where I am on that given day. Was trying to not give a ton of thought to when it was going to be, just kinda let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it. I was just trying to keep it on the down-low and shut it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”

Kemp found out he was being called up around 1 a.m. Saturday. The IronPigs were in Charlotte playing the White Sox’ Triple A affiliate. Kemp knew something was up as soon as he opened his hotel room door and saw manager Anthony Contreras, hitting coach Adam Lind and bench coach Chris Adamson.

“AC, Tank and Adam Lind, they all came out and I kinda knew something was going on,” he said. “You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason. My dog was the first one to greet them. It was a good time, I got to celebrate with my wife yesterday. Packed up the room and took off this morning.”

Kemp caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh and was in the Phillies’ clubhouse by noon.

“I haven’t had a ton of time to really just sit down and think,” he said. “I think that’ll come as we go. But me and my wife had a good time last night, just soaking it in before we packed. Really just thank God for the blessing that we have in front of us and that our lives have been changed by this. It still doesn’t feel super real yet.”

The 37-27 Phillies are hoping it provides a jolt to a cold lineup. The Phils have lost eight of their last nine, scoring just 29 runs, 15 of which came in two games. In the other seven, they’ve averaged 2.0 runs per game.

“Whenever you bring up a guy like this, it pumps a bunch of energy into the clubhouse and on the field, everyone’s pulling for him and it’s kind of a neat experience,” manager Rob Thomson said.

“I’m really happy for him. He’s had a great year. We’re gonna get him some work at first, get him some more work in the outfield, but for today I just want to play him the place that he’s most comfortable, then we’ll keep moving forward.”

If he hits, Kemp has a chance to wrestle playing time away from Weston Wilson, who has not produced as the right-handed half of a left field platoon.

“I’m always down for whatever’s gonna keep me in the lineup,” Kemp said.

They aren’t alone, but the four members of the Phillies’ left and center field platoons simply have not hit enough. Max Kepler is hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage. Wilson is hitting .152. Brandon Marsh is at .211. Johan Rojas, who made a sensational, run-saving catch in deep left-center Saturday, is batting .245.

“I think you’ve got to send them out there, somebody’s gotta play out there,” Thomson said. “I think that those guys, I still have trust in them that they’re gonna hit. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ve got to get going.”

The number of Dodgers pitchers on the injured list grew by one Saturday when the team sidelined Tony Gonsolin because of discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow.

An All-Star in 2022 when he won 16 games, Gonsolin missed all of 2024 and the first 30 games this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned to make seven starts, going 3-2 with 5.00 ERA. In his last outing Wednesday against the Mets, he gave up two earned runs on three hits in five innings of a 6-1 loss.

Gonsolin, 30, is 37-13 with a 3.33 ERA in six seasons with the Dodgers.

Read more:Dodgers' offensive woes continue in walk-off loss to Cardinals

His move to the IL further scrambles an already complicated situation for manager Dave Roberts, who is missing 16 pitchers because of injury, including three key starters in Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Gonsolin. It also leaves the Dodgers’ pitching rotation uncertain for this week’s key series with second-place San Diego.

Right-hander Dustin May is scheduled to start the first game Monday but Roberts will have to fill Gonsolin’s spot in the rotation Tuesday. One candidate for that opening is right-hander Matt Sauer, who has made seven appearances, including one start, for the Dodgers this season, winning his only decision and posting a 3.05 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. The Dodgers optioned Sauer to triple-A Oklahoma City on May 24.

Wednesday’s game could be a bullpen game, but that would be extra stress on a relief corps that already leads the majors in innings pitched.

Read more:With yet another fresh face on the mound, Dodgers are shut out by Cardinals

Justin Wrobleski, who threw a career-high 104 pitches in a loss Friday to the Cardinals in his second start of the season, could get the start Wednesday.

The Dodgers made three other moves Saturday, activating relievers Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates from the injured list and designating right-hander Chris Stratton for assignment.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.