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Giancarlo Stanton's pinch-hit homer lifts Yankees to 6-4 win over Rays in extra innings

Giancarlo Stanton saved the Yankees with his two-run blast in the 10th inning after David Bednar's blown save as the Yankees defeated the Rays, 6-4, on Wednesday night in Tampa.

Bednar had been great for the Yankees since his meltdown in Miami, but he struggled a bit in the ninth inning on Wednesday, allowing a one-hit walk and then a single to Junior Caminero. After a strikeout, Hunter Feduccia hit a high fastball that hit the top of the centerfield wall, driving in two and tying the game at 3-3.

In the 10th, Stanton came off the bench and hit a leadoff two-run shot. Austin Wells then followed with a solo shot to give the Yankees a 6-3 lead.

Devin Williams was tasked with the 10th inning, and after a leadoff single drove in a run, Williams would strike out three of the next four batters to earn the save.

The Yankees' winning streak is now at five games, and with the Mariners' loss earlier in the day and the Red Sox idle, New York is now 1.5 games ahead of Boston.

Here are the takeaways...

-After hitting nine homers on Tuesday, the Yankees picked up where they left off when Trent Grisham hit a leadoff shot off of Drew Rasmussen.

Rasmussen would settle down after throwing 20 pitches in the first inning but Wells, making the start behind the plate, launched a hanging 81 mph curveball down in the zone to deep right field. Wells' 409-foot blast was the catcher's first home run since July 25.

Grisham would add another homer to the counter in the eighth inning, putting the Yankees up 3-0. It's his third multi-homer game this season.

-Schlittler was on his A-game to start, getting the Rays in order across the first six innings, striking out six while tossing 66 pitches. However, Chandler Simpson singled up the middle to lead off the seventh to break up the perfect game. The young right-hander struck out Yandy Diaz to bounce back, but after a walk, Schlittler found himself in his first jam. 

The 24-year-old struck out Caminero but walked Josh Lowe on six pitches to load the bases. Schlittler was pulled for Luke Weaver, who struck out Feduccia to end the inning and put a bow on Schlittler's masterful game.

Schlittler had his best start as a major leaguer, tossing 95 pitches (67 strikes) across 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and walking two, while striking out a career high eight batters. 

-Weaver started the eighth and allowed a one-out solo shot to Bob Seymour on a high fastball that the young left-hander caught up to. The blast cut the Yankees' lead to 3-1. It's Seymour's first career homer, and the first blast Weaver has allowed since July 25.

Weaver bounced back to get the final two outs of the eighth with no issue, giving way to Bednar for the ninth. 

-Jose Caballero was ejected after arguing with the umpires after he was caught stealing in the 10th inning. This forced Stanton to play the outfield.

Game MVP: Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton completely shifted the momentum of this game with his pinch-hit homer.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees travel back home to host the Boston Red Sox for a crucial four-game series in the Bronx.

Luis Gil (1-1, 5.14 ERA) will take the mound for the Yankees while Lucas Giolito (8-2, 3.63 ERA) is on the bump for Boston.

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Mets' Brandon Nimmo considered day-to-day with neck stiffness

Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo exited Wednesday's game against the Nationals due to neck stiffness, but the issue doesn't appear to be serious.

Following the team's 5-4 loss at Nationals Park, manager Carlos Mendoza deemed Nimmo day-to-day, revealing that he woke up with stiffness on the left side of his neck and tried playing through discomfort that didn't subside.

"He didn't think much of it, but it just didn't get better," Mendoza said. "As he was ramping up to get ready for the game, it continued to get worse. He was like, 'I'm going to try it.' And then after the first at-bat and playing the outfield, it got to a point where he couldn't do it."

Nimmo validated Mendoza's postgame update moments later, explaining that he quickly felt like "a detriment on both ends" and couldn't contribute. He, too, believes it's a day-by-day recovery.

"Sometimes, depending on how serious it is, I can kind of tough it out and play through it, but this one was affecting the swing and me running," Nimmo said. "I wasn't able to do what I wanted on defense either. I wasn't able to look up... So we decided to go ahead and get out of there... When it pops up, it just takes a few days to get out."

After playing the field in the first inning, Nimmo took his at-bat and grounded into an inning-ending double play. He was pulled shortly thereafter in the second inning, and Starling Marte served as his replacement.

The neck trouble is a recurring ailment for the veteran outfielder, who was pulled from a late May game against the Dodgers for the same reason. After that game three months ago, Nimmo gave background on his neck history.

“It’s from 2019 when I ran into the wall and we’ve been really good with the training staff and myself about keeping it under control and at bay," Nimmo said at the time. "Sometimes with the travel and just everything, it pops its ugly head and it takes a few days to deal with it."

Mendoza isn't at all concerned by the details Nimmo provided, and no tests are currently scheduled.

"He's dealt with this before. It's usually 24-48 hours, we'll see what we've got tomorrow," Mendoza said. "But like I've said, he's day-to-day. I don't know if it's the same side, but he usually deals with this. He doesn't think to be too concerned."

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Kodai Senga struggles, Mets' rally falls short in 5-4 loss to Nationals

The Mets were unable to extend their winning streak to four games on Wednesday night, as a lack of rhythm and length from Kodai Senga proved costly in a 5-4 road loss to the division-rival Nationals.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Brandon Nimmo's first at-bat of the night was unfortunately his only one, as TV cameras caught him running gingerly out of the box on a double-play groundout in the first inning. While he came back out to play left field in the bottom half, he was ultimately pulled in the second inning with what the Mets called "neck stiffness" and replaced by Starling Marte. Call it a troubling development, as Nimmo has an established history of neck issues.

-- To make matters worse, the Mets suffered another scare in the third, when Luis Torrens injured his glove hand on a swing from Drew Millas that resulted in catcher's interference. The training staff checked out Torrens as backup, Hayden Senger started putting on his pads, but no substitution was made. Torrens flexed his hand a few times while being evaluated and then remained in the game. The Mets can ill afford to lose Torrens, as they just placed Francisco Alvarez on the injured list with a disconcerting right thumb sprain.

-- Senga looked comfortable through the first two innings, retiring the Nationals in order with two strikeouts on 19 pitches. But the Mets' starter labored in the third, as a leadoff walk to Dylan Crews and the interference error on Torrens sparked a bases-loaded rally that produced a pair of runs on an infield single and a sac fly. Senga's off-speed pitches were hit much harder in the fourth -- he gave up two doubles and a triple that pushed the Nationals' lead to 4-0.

-- The Mets cut their deficit to three in the fifth, when Brett Baty crushed a two-out fastball from Brad Lord to right-center that landed in the second deck for a mammoth 455-foot home run. But the Nationals' lead quickly went back up to four in the bottom frame, as Senga served up a solo shot to Josh Bell that also found the right-center field seats. Senga has now allowed 18 earned runs over his last six starts.

-- The Nationals tried to steal outs with Lord in the sixth, and the plan backfired. The inning began with back-to-back walks to Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, and then with one out, Pete Alonso ripped an RBI double to right that cut the score 5-2. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Jeff McNeil kept the rally going by slicing a two-run double down the left-field line that brought the Mets within one, 5-4. The Mets threatened to take the lead after Lord's exit with one out, but their bases-loaded opportunity against Cole Henry was squandered by a flyout and groundout.

-- Senga returned for a sixth inning of work, but his leash was extremely short. He gave up a leadoff single to Daylen Lile that prompted the Mets to yank him at 84 total pitches. Yet another underwhelming outing from Senga, who allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He also hasn't completed six innings in any of his seven starts since coming off the injured list in mid-July. His season ERA rose to 2.58. Tyler Rogers entered in relief of Senga and logged three outs by inducing a double-play and a comebacker.

-- The Nationals turned to relievers Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Clayton Beeter for the seventh and eighth innings, and the duo retired the Mets in order on a combined 19 pitches. The ninth inning belonged to lefty Jose Ferrer, and while he gave up a one-out infield single to Cedric Mullins that placed the tying run on first, he managed to induce a double-play groundout from Torrens that earned him the save. The Mets have yet to win a game in which they've trailed after eight innings this season.

Game MVP: Josh Bell

The lefty slugger's two-run homer to right-center in the fifth pushed the Nationals' run total to the magic number of five. 

Highlights

What's next

The Mets (67-59) will play a matinee rubber game against the Nationals on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

LHP Sean Manaea (1-1, 4.78) is slated to take the mound, opposite LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.04 ERA).

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Mets' Luisangel Acuña exits game with Triple-A after collision at first base

Mets infielder Lusiangel Acuña exited Wednesday's game while playing with Triple-A Syracuse after a collision on the basepaths.

Acuña hit a chopper to Indianapolis third baseman Tsung-Che Cheng, who rushed the throw to first base to get the speedy youngster. But the throw over was high, and first baseman Nick Yorke, leaping to grab it, landed on Acuña. 

Acuña hit the floor after the collision and stayed there while trainers tended to him. 

Syracuse pulled Acuña from the game after the play, likely for precautionary reasons, but the broadcast speculated it could be Acuña's shoulder, as he walked off the field under his own power.

Acuña has been up and down with the Mets this season. In 79 games with the big league club, Acuña was slashing .239/.295/.283 with seven doubles and seven RBI to go along with 12 stolen bases. Acuña's last appearance with the Mets came on Sunday against the Mariners during the Little League Classic, where he was used as a defensive replacement. Acuña was the Mets' 27th man for the game.

With Syracuse, Acuña is slashing .281/.333/..360 with five doubles, one triple and five stolen bases across 23 games.

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Rocky, and painful, outing for Shohei Ohtani as Dodgers lose to Colorado

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani is checked by a trainer after taking an RBI single off his leg in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Shohei Ohtani is checked by a trainer after taking a line drive off his leg in the fourth inning. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

The Dodgers lost a game Wednesday. But it could have been worse.

They could have lost Shohei Ohtani.

The final score was 8-3 in favor of the Colorado Rockies, although the game was far more one-sided than that. And the result, combined with San Diego’s win over the Giants, cut the Dodgers’ lead in the National League West to just a game.

Yet the word the team used most often to describe the night was lucky because two hours after Ohtani took a line drive off his right leg, the reigning National League MVP said he had dodged serious injury when the ball missed his knee and struck him in the thigh.

“I think we avoided the worst-case scenario,” he said through an interpreter. “So I'm going to focus on the treatment.”

“It was in the thigh, fortunately, and not off the knee,” added manager Dave Roberts. “But it got him square.

“We'll see how it comes out. But I'm hopeful, confident.”

Ohtani was struggling through his worst pitching performance in nearly five years, one that would see him give up a season-high five runs and a career-high nine hits, when Colorado’s Orlando Arcia added injury to insult by lining a two-strike shot back up the middle.

The ball came off the bat at 93 miles per hour and struck the pitcher just above the right knee before caroming across the first-base line for an RBI single. Ohtani winced in pain and took a practice throw from the mound before being allowed to continue.

Read more:'He looks much more confident.' Hard-throwing Edgardo Henriquez settling in with Dodgers

He limped off the mound three batters later with the Dodgers trailing 5-0 and after drawing a walk as the designated hitter in the top of the fifth, Roberts pulled him from the game.

“I took him out a little bit because of the score [and] because it was getting stiff and there was some swelling there,” the manager said. “I felt as the game was going to go on, it was going to stiffen.”

With the Dodgers in the midst of a stretch that will see them play a season-high 19 games without a break, Roberts had already planned to give Ohtani a day off Thursday before the opener of a three-game series Friday in San Diego. That plan, obviously, won’t change.

“Right now it feels pretty good,” Ohtani said. “I'm going to do everything in my ability to make sure that it doesn't affect me moving forward.”

If Ohtani’s health was the Dodgers’ primary concern Wednesday, worries over his last two pitching performances — in which he gave up nine runs and 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings, nearly doubling his season ERA from 2.37 to 4.61 — probably aren’t far behind.

The game against Colorado, his first regular-season start at Coors Field, was his 10th start as a Dodger and it didn’t go well from the start, with the weak-hitting Rockies bunching three hits to score two runs in the second.

Colorado, which finished with 16 hits, made it 5-0 in the fourth, with the first five batters reaching base, the last of those coming on Arcia’s line drive.

“I put the team in a bad spot,” Ohtani said. “It was just a very regrettable outing that I wish I could have done better.

“The ball doesn't move quite as much as it does in normal sea level, but that's not an excuse.”

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: The 10 best center fielders in Dodger history

Speaking of not making excuses, Roberts promised earlier in the week that the Dodgers would not experience a letdown against the last-place Rockies even through the four-game series comes between six crucial games with the Padres. Now the Dodgers need a win Thursday to earn a split and guarantee they’ll land in San Diego this weekend with the division lead.

“You know, the results are the results. The performance is the performance,” Roberts said. “I'd like to think it's not a letdown, but yeah, I don't know.

“There's nothing I can do to change it. It certainly leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But we’ve got to win tomorrow.”

Etc ...

Utility player Kiké Hernández made a rehab appearance as the designated hitter for triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, going two for three with a double and an RBI before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Hernández has been on the injured list since July 7 with left elbow inflammation, but he could return to the Dodgers early next week. ... Relievers Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott both threw hitless innings in rehab appearances for Oklahoma City on Tuesday and could rejoin the team in San Diego this weekend. ... Before Wednesday’s game, the Dodgers recalled right-hander Paul Gervase from triple A and optioned right-hander Alexis Diaz. Gervase, 25, acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, appeared in five games with the Rays this season, striking out six batters in 6 1/3 innings. He made his Dodgers debut against the Rockies, giving up a run and two hits in two innings.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Giants sending Landen Roupp for MRI after scary-looking knee injury vs. Padres

Giants sending Landen Roupp for MRI after scary-looking knee injury vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN DIEGO — Landen Roupp bounced back quickly from an elbow scare last month. Now the Giants are hoping to get similarly good news with his next MRI. 

Roupp was carted off the field Wednesday night after injuring his left knee, and he’ll head to San Francisco on Thursday to get an MRI. The Giants initially called it a left knee sprain, but they won’t know the severity until they get the tests back.

“It’s such an unfortunate moment,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “For him, obviously, but for the team, too. He has been doing really good for us all year long and he just came back and now this happened. Obviously it’s really sad.”

At the very least, Roupp will land on the IL for the second time in as many months. Given how bad Wednesday’s injury looked initially, and the fact that the Giants dropped to five games under .500 with an 8-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, the odds are relatively high that Roupp will just be shut down regardless of what the MRI says. He already has thrown about twice as many innings as he did last season. 

Roupp was not available to reporters Wednesday, but manager Bob Melvin said the right-hander was optimistic. That has been his view all year when asked about the innings piling up or his elbow barking at him. 

“I saw him right after,” Melvin said. “You know how he is — he said I’m going to be fine. That’s just the way he is with everything.”

The injury happened when Ramon Laureano hit a liner back to the mound that hit Roupp on the right thigh. As he tried to reposition himself to grab the ball, his left knee gave out. Adames said Roupp was in quite a bit of pain as he tried to get back up. The Giants brought a cart out, although that was in part because the visiting dugout has three sets of stairs on the way back to the trainer’s room. 

Roupp has a 3.80 ERA through the first 22 starts of his sophomore MLB season. A year after he won a bullpen job in camp, he pitched so well in Scottsdale that the Giants put him in their rotation over Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison. Roupp has done nothing in recent months but show that the spring decision was the right one. 

Harrison got traded and Birdsong ended up back in Triple-A, but Roupp had a solid start to the year and then took off in June. He responded to a rocky night at Dodger Stadium by allowing just four earned runs over his next six appearances, which lowered his ERA to 3.11 at the time. 

The dominant run was not ended by opposing hitters, but rather by his own elbow. Roupp felt some discomfort in July and was shut down for three weeks. He was charged with 10 earned in two starts after he returned, which put a damper on his overall numbers, but the Giants still are very optimistic about his future and hopeful that this isn’t too big a setback. 

The season has been an unfortunate reminder for the Giants that you never can have too much pitching depth. They felt they comfortably went seven-deep at the start of the year, with three Carsons waiting in Triple-A. 

From that initial depth chart, Jordan Hicks and Harrison have been traded and Roupp is now sidelined. Birdsong is trying to find his command in Triple-A, and Carson Ragsdale struggled so much there that he was DFA’d. Blade Tidwell, acquired at the deadline to bolster the group, will have an MRI on his shoulder on Thursday. 

The Giants currently have Kai-Wei Teng as their fourth starter and an open spot behind him. Carson Whisenhunt and Trevor McDonald would be leading options in Triple-A if the Giants do not want to bring back Birdsong, who walked five in his Triple-A start on Wednesday. For Thursday’s game and the weekend in Milwaukee, they’ll likely need some bullpen depth. 

“We’ve seen some [of those] guys, so we’re kind of filtering through it right now and what we think we need here coming up too,” Melvin said. “Obviously the bullpen was taxed a little bit [tonight] too. We’re thinking about what the need is here in the short term and the long term.” 

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What we learned as Landen Roupp injured, Giants' bats go cold in loss to Padres

What we learned as Landen Roupp injured, Giants' bats go cold in loss to Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN DIEGO — After a day off to deal with oblique tightness, Willy Adames was back at shortstop on Wednesday night. The Giants also expect to get Matt Chapman back from the IL this weekend. 

For the most part, this second-half skid has not been about poor health, but they potentially took a big hit in that department in Wednesday’s 8-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. 

Young right-hander Landen Roupp was carted off in the third inning after injuring his left knee while fielding a liner that hit his right leg. The Giants did not have an update during the game, but the injury appeared to be serious.

Roupp has been a huge success story in a season that is short on positives. He has a 3.80 ERA and had established himself as a strong No. 3 starter before elbow discomfort put him on the IL in late July. 

The Giants trailed when Roupp was helped onto a cart and it never got any better. They have scored just two runs in 26 innings since homering three times in the first inning Monday night.

Brutal Break

Ramon Laureano’s liner back to the mound left the bat at 95 mph, but if you’re going to take a comebacker, the back of your leg is just about the best spot. Roupp probably would have been okay if that’s all that happened, but as he tried to get to the ball and make a play, his left knee appeared to give out. He went down awkwardly and a few minutes later was carted off his field.

It was the latest bit of bad luck for a young right-hander who dealt with injuries in the minors but has established himself in the big leagues over the last two seasons. Roupp was throwing better than anyone in the rotation when his elbow started barking last month, but an MRI came back clean. 

The Giants were cautious with the rehab but felt good about Roupp’s health when he returned to the rotation last Friday. They hoped to get his innings count up a bit more and then let up on the gas so he could be ready to take on 33 starts in 2026.

Ugly in General

At the time of the injury, the Giants already trailed 3-0. Gavin Sheets and Manny Machado hit early homers, and once Roupp departed, Sheets hit another bomb to make it a six-run game. Right after Roupp was carted off, there was an error on second baseman Christian Koss and a balk by reliever Joey Lucchesi. 

The most disappointing play, though, might have come in the second inning. After back-to-back two-out singles by Jung Hoo Lee and Koss, lefty JP Sears walked Tyler Fitzgerald. The Padres held a mound meeting and then Patrick Bailey popped up a first-pitch slider, ending the threat. 

Hometown Homer

San Diego native Casey Schmitt finally got the Giants on the board in the fourth with a solo shot to left. Schmitt jumped on an outside fastball from Sears and yanked it into the seats.

The homer was Schmitt’s eighth of the year and gave him 15 RBI since July 4, the second-most on the team to Willy Adames (24). It was his first career homer at Petco Park, which is 20 minutes from his high school and 15 minutes from San Diego State, where he played college ball. 

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Jett Williams tops group of six Mets prospects on ESPN's updated Top 100 list

While the Mets parted ways with a handful of valuable prospects before last month's trade deadline, their farm system is still packed with high-end talent that could soon produce at the major league level.

ESPN released its in-season Top 100 prospects list on Wednesday, and six Mets youngsters made the cut. The group of farmhands is headlined by shortstop Jett Williams (No. 18), with right-handers Nolan McLean (No. 19) and Jonah Tong (No. 21), outfielders Carson Benge (No. 27) and A.J. Ewing (No. 74), and right-hander Brandon Sproat (No. 83) ranked behind.

Williams, the top prospect on SNY's post-deadline rankings list, was among four players who were promoted to Triple-A Syracuse last week. In seven games at the highest minor league level, the 21-year-old is hitting .286 with three extra-base hits. He also logged 25-plus doubles, 25-plus stolen bases, and an .867 OPS in 96 games with Double-A Binghamton.

McLean impressed in his big league debut at Citi Field last weekend, striking out eight across 5.1 scoreless innings against the Mariners. The call-up was also warranted, as the 24-year-old showed off his effective five-pitch mix by registering a laudable 2.78 ERA with 97 strikeouts over 87.1 innings (16 games) with Triple-A. He shouldn't see the minors again in 2025.

Tong, ranked second on SNY's updated list, has emerged as one of baseball's most coveted pitching prospects. The 22-year-old shoved in Double-A, posting a lights-out 1.59 ERA with 162 punchouts in 20 starts. He was also nothing short of dominant in his first Triple-A outing last weekend, as he struck out nine over 5.2 scoreless frames.

There's a sizable gap between Benge and Ewing on ESPN's list, but both outfielders rank inside SNY's new Top 10. Benge, the club's first-round pick in 2024, began the season with High-A Brooklyn (60 games) and recently reached Triple-A (four games) after playing 32 games at Double-A. Across all three levels, Benge has slashed .306/.413/.504 with 42 extra-base hits.

Sproat ranks last among ESPN's group of six, but the 24-year-old right-hander is nearing a big-league opportunity. The Mets considered calling him up last week -- McLean won that battle instead -- and he's overcome first-half inconsistencies in Triple-A with a sharp 2.05 ERA across his last five starts. In his most recent outing, he fanned eight over six innings of one-run ball.

ESPN also mentioned third baseman Jacob Reimer as one of 10 prospects ranked just outside the Top 100 who also weren't featured in the preseason Top 200 list.

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'He looks much more confident.' Hard-throwing Edgardo Henriquez settling in with Dodgers

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17: Edgardo Henriquez #60 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers pitch during the eighth inning in game four of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in New York. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Edgardo Henriquez, delivering a pitch during Game 4 of the NLCS against the New York Mets at Citi Field, has held opponents to a .120 batting average in seven appearances this season. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Edgardo Henriquez has a gift. He can throw a baseball faster than all but a few humans in history.

Yet he prefers to think of it as something he and God created together, not something that was just given to him.

“We’ve worked for that,” said Henriquez, who frequently uses the plural pronoun when talking about himself. “All the work, the effort, the physics. And God's reward, most of all.”

Wherever the lightning in his right arm came from, he’s making good use of it. Of the 83 pitches he’s thrown this season entering Wednesday's game, 28 have topped 101 miles per hour. The fastest hit 103.3 mph on the radar gun last Saturday, making it the hardest-thrown pitch by a Dodger since Statcast began tracking speed in 2015 and likely the fastest pitch in franchise history.

Henriquez, 23, shrugs and smiles at the numbers.

Read more:'Different ballclub tonight.' Alex Call has best game as a Dodger in rout of Rockies

“Now we have to stay consistent,” he said in Spanish. “Even growing up in Venezuela, I always threw hard.”

What he didn’t do in Venezuela was pitch because when he signed as a 16-year-old in 2018, Henriquez was a catcher. The Dodgers moved him to the other side of the plate a year later, when they got him to their Dominican academy.

The process was not a smooth one. The right-hander allowed 22 runs in 30 innings in his first season. Then, after sitting out the summer of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he came to the U.S. a year later and went 2-3 with a 4.93 ERA in 13 games split between the Arizona Complex League and Single A Rancho Cucamonga.

The Dodgers projected him as a starter but after Henriquez missed the 2023 season to Tommy John surgery, he came back throwing gas and the team moved him to the bullpen. The results were spectacular, with Henriquez climbing four levels, from Low A Rancho Cucamonga to the majors, in six months to make his big-league debut in the final week of the regular season.

And he announced his presence with authority, topping 101 mph twice to earn the save in his third game.

Henriquez grew up in Cumaná, a historic beach city of about half a million people wedged between the Manzanares River and Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, 250 miles east of Caracas. The oldest continuously inhabited Spanish settlement in South America, it has been the birthplace of poets and presidents. But baseball players? Not so much.

Pitcher Armando Galarraga, who was robbed of a perfect game by an umpire’s call in 2010, is probably the best known of Cumaná’s big leagues while Maracay, on the other end of the country, has produced more than two dozen players, among them All-Stars Bobby Abreu, Miguel Cabrera and Elvis Andrus.

“Maracay, yes. They say that is the birthplace of baseball in Venezuela,” Henriquez said. “But the truth is it’s Cumaná.”

Henriquez took to the game at an early age, playing on local fields and sandlots. And because he was among the biggest of the neighborhood kids, he was put behind the plate. The Dodgers liked his size — he looks much bigger than the 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds he’s credited with on the roster — and arm so they offered him $80,000 to sign as an international free agent with the intention of making him a pitcher.

Read more:Dave Roberts says Dodgers haven't discussed moving Mookie Betts to right field

Before the elbow-reconstruction surgery, Henriquez touched 101 mph with his fastball. But he came back throwing even harder, averaging 99 mph and reaching 104 in the minors last summer. That earned him a September promotion and a spot on the roster for the Dodgers’ first two postseason series.

He was also in line for a spot on the opening day roster this season before a metatarsal injury in his left foot landed him in a walking boot, sidelining him for most of spring training.

Neither the Dodgers nor Henriquez will talk about how the injury happened.

“I'd rather keep that to myself,” the pitcher said this week.

Yet that setback proved just another obstacle for Henriquez to overcome, and after striking out 36 batters in 23 2/3 innings for Triple A Oklahoma City, he was summoned back to the Dodgers a month ago.

In some ways, he was a different pitcher.

“He looks much more confident,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think he was confident last year, but there was like a fake confidence, understandably. He knows his stuff plays here, so it's good to see.”

His record-setting pitch came in his sixth of seven scoreless appearances when he struck out pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn on a four-seam fastball in the seventh inning of a win over the San Diego Padres.

His parents, Edgar and Erika, were visiting from Venezuela and in the stands at Dodger Stadium for the pitch to O’Hearn, one that has generated a lot of attention on social media. As a result, Roberts said pitching coach Mark Prior and bullpen coach Josh Bard are making sure Henriquez understands there’s more to pitching that just lighting up the radar gun.

As good as the four-seamer is, however, it may not be Henriquez’s best pitch. His cutter, which sits in the mid-90s, can be all but unhittable and he also has a devastating slider. He’ll need every bit of that repertoire to succeed in the majors, said Chris Forbes, the senior director of player development for the Colorado Rockies, because the number of hard-throwers is growing.

“If there isn’t deception, there isn’t ride, [hitters] can catch up if you don't have something else that they can think about,” he said.

Read more:Shaikin: Can L.A. decide on the Dodger Stadium gondola, or anything, in a timely manner?

So far the hitters aren’t catching up: In seven innings this summer entering Wednesday, Henriquez has allowed just three hits and walked one while striking out four. Opponents are hitting .120 against him.

It’s been a rapid rise for Henriquez, who has gone from teenage catcher to big league reliever, surviving a global pandemic, Tommy John surgery and a fractured bone in his foot to pitch for a World Series champion.

But there’s still one goal left, albeit one he talks about only grudgingly.

On a team without set bullpen roles, Henriquez wants to be a closer, using his blazing fastball not just to demoralize hitters but to shut down games as well.

“Whatever God has in store for me. We'll work wherever and keep going,” he said. “But yes, I'd like to be a closer.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Mets outfielder Jose Siri doing 'a lot of baseball activity,' could begin rehab assignment next week

Outfielder Jose Siri hasn’t suited up in a game for the Mets since April 12, when he fouled a ball off his leg and fractured his left tibia against the Athletics.

But it sounds like there’s a chance he could be back for the Mets before the season is over.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Washington Nationals, Carlos Mendoza said that 30-year-old could begin a rehab assignment next week.

“Siri is doing a lot of baseball activity, so hopefully he starts playing minor league games next week,” said Mendoza.

The speedy Siri was acquired by the Mets in a November trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sending right-hander Eric Orze to Tampa. The Mets clearly planned on playing Siri often in center field, as he started eight of the Mets’ first 14 games in center.

Known primarily for his defense and speed, Siri was just 1-for-20 at the plate with one RBI before going down with his injury, though he did steal a pair of bases and walked four times.

Jesse Winker Update

Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem like Jesse Winker is getting any closer to a return.

The veteran outfielder and DH missed time due to an oblique injury, and then came back and played just two games before a back ailment landed him on the IL once again.

“With Wink, he’s still not doing much,” Mendoza said. “…Some good days, then he’s having a hard time recovering at times, so it’s kind of like we’re still playing it slow with him.”

The 31-year-old Winker has played in just 26 games for the Mets this season, and despite the less-than-positive update from Mendoza on Wednesday, the skipper is still hopeful that Winker can return before the end of the season.

“That’s the plan as of right now,” Mendoza said. “The goal is that he can be a player for us at some point, but we’ve just got to wait.”

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Why The Rangers Are Better Off With Vladislav Gavrikov Over K'Andre Miller

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers essentially swapped K’Andre Miller for Vladislav Gavrikov this offseason. 

Shortly after signing Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract, the Rangers traded K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes, who ultimately signed an eight-year, $60 million contract. 

The change from Miller to Gavrikov marks a drastic shift to the Rangers’ blueline and shaping of their top-four defensemen. 

While Miller is younger than Gavrikov, the Rangers should gain more stability with Gavrikov and will likely be better off this upcoming season. 

Gavrikov is known for his shutdown presence and defensively minded game, traits that the Rangers desperately needed.

Despite having an extraordinary amount of potential, Miller struggled to defend in his own zone and was prone to committing costly turnovers.

From a defensive standpoint, the Rangers certainly improve having Gavrikov as opposed to Miller. 

“We’ve liked Gavvy for a long time, watching him play for Columbus and LA and the attributes he’s going to bring to our D-corps for many years to come have us very excited,” Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said. 

Will Cuylle Poised To Fill Chris Kreider's RoleWill Cuylle Poised To Fill Chris Kreider's RoleThe loss of Chris Kreider could certainly be significant for the New York Rangers, but there’s one player who’s poised to take over his role. 

Offensively, Miller may bring more to the table from an individual standpoint compared to Gavrikov, but there’s a catch. 

If Gavrikov is paired alongside Adam Fox, he’ll take a big load off of Fox defensively, which will help open up his offensive game. 

In order for the Rangers to become Stanley Cup contenders, Fox needs to play at an elite level, and Gavrikov could help bring the best out of Fox.

Based on the Rangers’ needs and where they are as a team at this current moment, Gavrikov is just a better fit than Miller.

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Giants starter Landen Roupp injures left leg against Padres, carted off field

Giants starter Landen Roupp injures left leg against Padres, carted off field originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp was at the center of a scary moment in San Francisco’s game against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday at Petco Park.

In his second start since returning from the injured list Friday, Roupp took a line drive hit by Ramón Laureano off his right leg in the bottom of the third inning. He appeared to injure his left knee, however, as he went down to the ground, and had to be carted off the field.

The 26-year-old right-hander was reinstated from the IL to face the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, almost a month after the Giants placed him there on July 25 with right elbow inflammation.

Now, it appears as if Roupp is in danger of returning to the IL after Wednesday’s incident, which came after he gave up five hits in 2 1/3 innings against the Padres. Roupp exited the game with two runners on base and was tagged for five earned runs in the short outing after Joey Lucchesi came in for him and immediately gave up a three-run homer to Gavin Sheets.

But, as NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic pointed out, the cart could have just been a precaution for Roupp and the Giants after the concerning injury.

The Giants, who need all the luck they can get as they struggle to string together wins, certainly are hoping for the best with Roupp.

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Pirates are going to call up Bubba Chandler, baseball’s top pitching prospect

PITTSBURGH — Baseball’s top pitching prospect is getting called up to the majors.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to promote 22-year-old right-hander Bubba Chandler ahead of their game Friday against the Colorado Rockies, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the roster move was not yet official.

Chandler will join a staff that already includes 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.

The person told the AP that Chandler will initially work in a “bulk” bullpen role. Chandler got off to a hot start in Triple-A this year but has stumbled lately and is currently 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 100 innings pitched this year for Indianapolis.

The Pirates have been careful with Chandler’s workload since he moved to pitching full-time ahead of the 2023 season after being projected as a two-way player when he was drafted in 2021. Chandler saw time at shortstop and as a designated hitter early in his minor-league career but struggled at the plate, hitting just .184 with Class-A Greensboro in 2022.

Asked in February if he missed hitting, Chandler joked he learned in the minors that for a position player, he’s a pretty good pitcher.

And potentially a very good one. Yet Pittsburgh has been cautious in bringing Chandler along. He pitched 106 innings in 2023 and 119 innings last season.

Chandler got off to a scorching start at Triple-A this spring, posting a 1.33 ERA in April and a 2.54 ERA in May. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, however, had been hesitant to promote Chandler, citing his relative inexperience as opposed to Skenes, who had a standout career at LSU before the Pirates called him up in May 2024.

Chandler’s effectiveness has waned of late. He went 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in three starts this month for Indianapolis.

Yet with Pittsburgh heading for a last-place finish in the NL Central, Chandler will get an extended audition in the majors as the club points toward 2026.

The top of the Pirates’ rotation for next year appears to be set with Skenes and Mitch Keller. The other three spots are a question mark at the moment, with Jared Jones (who has missed all season after having Tommy John surgery), Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo (who made his second start after having Tommy John surgery of his own in late 2023), all in the mix.

Chandler can join them with a solid showing, with the club likely looking for chances to put him in low-leverage situations. In that way, having him available for a weekend series against MLB-worst Colorado makes sense.

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Phillies ride Luzardo's 12 K's and small-ball rally to sweep Mariners

Phillies ride Luzardo's 12 K's and small-ball rally to sweep Mariners originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The ebbs and flows of a season have been a common theme for Rob Thomson.

For Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo, in his first season in Philadelphia, ‘ebbs and flows’ might be an understatement.

The southpaw’s masterful outing Wednesday afternoon was the difference as the Phillies swept the Mariners with a 11-2 victory.

Luzardo entered the day with a 3.50 ERA in the month August after posting marks over 5.00 in each of the previous three months.

“Attack hitters. Trying not to be too fine, just go get them. Trust your stuff and power the ball through the zone,” Thomson said before the game when asked about the key to sustaining success.

The southpaw looked like he was taking the message to heart. After running a 3-0 count to Randy Arozarena to open his outing, Luzardo battled back to record the out. He struck out Cal Raleigh before Julio Rodríguez golfed a 1-2 slider for his 25th homer. Still, Luzardo fanned the side in the first.

He struck out the side again in the second, giving him six punchouts for his first six outs. By the third, he had eight strikeouts among his first nine outs — becoming just the seventh Phillies pitcher since 1974 to do so.

When Luzardo notched his ninth strikeout in the fourth, freezing Eugenio Suárez, it marked the most strikeouts by Phillies starting pitching in a three-game series since 1901 with 31 K’s.

The Phillies’ offense gave him early support. Trea Turner extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning triple, then scored on Kyle Schwarber’s sacrifice fly.

In the second, Harrison Bader singled and advanced to third on Suárez’s throwing error before Bryson Stott doubled him home to make it 2-1. Stott is hitting .300 with an .855 OPS with runners in scoring position.

In the fourth, Max Kepler added on with his 13th homer of the season to right field, pushing the lead to 3-1.

Thomson had voiced confidence in Kepler before the game, noting, “I think Kepler’s swinging the bat pretty good.”

Luzardo’s outing came to an end when Thomson turned to veteran David Robertson for the seventh.

His final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

Coming into the start, Luzardo leaned on his fastball and sweeper — 35% fastballs and 28% sweepers. Against a righty-heavy Mariners lineup with plenty of swing-and-miss, he flipped the mix. The southpaw threw 43% sweepers and 35% fastballs, inducing 11 whiffs on the sweeper.

Suárez, who has gotten off to a slow start with Seattle, greeted Robertson with a solo shot into the left-field seats to bring the Mariners within one, 3-2. It was the first run Robertson had allowed in his third stint with Philadelphia.

The Phillies turned to small ball in the seventh to break the game open. Brandon Marsh drew a leadoff walk and Bader was plunked, setting up Bryson Stott, who executed a hit-and-run to perfection with a single the other way that chased home Marsh. Stott then swiped second, putting two runners in scoring position for Trea Turner.

Turner chopped one back up the middle off Cole Young’s glove to bring in Bader for his fourth hit of the afternoon, giving him a Major League-leading 44 multi-hit games this season. After Turner stole second, Schwarber punched a two-run single through the right side and Bryce Harper followed with an RBI knock of his own.

By the end of the inning, the Phillies had strung together four straight singles, five runs and 17 total hits on the day, stretching their lead to 8-2.

In the eighth, José Alvarado came on … and so did the standing ovation.

Making his first appearance since serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, the lefty worked a scoreless inning and struck out Raleigh to end the frame.

In the series, Raleigh — who has a league-leading 47 homers — was 1-for-12 with 8 strikeouts.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Turner hit was way on again. This time, an RBI-infield single — his fifth hit of the game and tenth total hit against M’s pitching in three games.

And it wouldn’t be an exciting series without a Schwarber roundtripper, right? The Phillies slugger drilled a two-run shot — his 45th of the season and the Phillies’ 20th hit of the game — giving Philadelphia a dominating 11-2 advantage.

Joe Ross recorded the final three outs and the Phillies move to 74-53 on the year, notching their 40th victory at home.

A sweep, now what?

The Phils will open another three-game set Friday at home against the Washington Nationals.

Coming off an off-day Thursday, Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.34 ERA) will make 16th start of the season.

Walker has fired at least six innings or more and allowed two or fewer runs in each of his past three starts. In his last start against Washington (Aug 16), he allowed just two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.

The Nats have yet to announce a starter. First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m. ET.

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Phillies ride Luzardo's 12 K's and small-ball rally to sweep Mariners

Phillies ride Luzardo's 12 K's and small-ball rally to sweep Mariners originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The ebbs and flows of a season have been a common theme for Rob Thomson.

For Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo, in his first season in Philadelphia, ‘ebbs and flows’ might be an understatement.

The southpaw’s masterful outing Wednesday afternoon was the difference as the Phillies swept the Mariners with a 11-2 victory.

Luzardo entered the day with a 3.50 ERA in the month August after posting marks over 5.00 in each of the previous three months.

“Attack hitters. Trying not to be too fine, just go get them. Trust your stuff and power the ball through the zone,” Thomson said before the game when asked about the key to Luzardo sustaining success.

The southpaw looked like he was taking the message to heart. After running a 3-0 count to Randy Arozarena to open his outing, Luzardo battled back to record the out. He struck out Cal Raleigh before Julio Rodríguez golfed a 1-2 slider for his 25th homer. Still, Luzardo fanned the side in the first.

He struck out the side again in the second, giving him six punchouts for his first six outs. By the third, he had eight strikeouts among his first nine outs — becoming just the seventh Phillies pitcher since 1974 to do so.

When Luzardo notched his ninth strikeout in the fourth, freezing Eugenio Suárez, it marked the most strikeouts by Phillies starting pitching in a three-game series since 1901 with 31 K’s.

The Phillies’ offense gave him early support. Trea Turner extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning triple, then scored on Kyle Schwarber’s sacrifice fly.

In the second, Harrison Bader singled and advanced to third on Suárez’s throwing error before Bryson Stott doubled him home to make it 2-1. Stott is hitting .308 with an .870 OPS with runners in scoring position.

“I’m just trying to take good at-bats and put the ball in play somewhere,” Stott said of his approach with runners on.

In the fourth, Max Kepler added on with his 13th homer of the season to right field, pushing the lead to 3-1.

Thomson had voiced confidence in Kepler before the game, noting, “I think Kepler’s swinging the bat pretty good.”

Luzardo’s outing came to an end when Thomson turned to veteran David Robertson for the seventh.

His final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

Coming into the start, Luzardo leaned on his fastball and sweeper — 35% fastballs and 28% sweepers. Against a righty-heavy Mariners lineup with plenty of swing-and-miss, he flipped the mix. The southpaw threw 43% sweepers and 35% fastballs, inducing 11 whiffs on the sweeper.

“My stuff felt great today. Obviously, a lot of sweepers and it really worked out,” Luzardo said on his outing. “We did some work in between [starts], just understanding my mechanics and trying to get a little more in front on certain pitches and I think that that helped the sweeper today, but just physically, I’ve been feeling really good.

Suárez, who has gotten off to a slow start with Seattle, greeted Robertson with a solo shot into the left-field seats to bring the Mariners within one, 3-2. It was the first run Robertson had allowed in his third stint with Philadelphia.

The Phillies turned to small ball in the seventh to break the game open. Brandon Marsh drew a leadoff walk and Bader was plunked, setting up Bryson Stott, who executed a hit-and-run to perfection with a single the other way that chased home Marsh. Stott then swiped second, putting two runners in scoring position for Trea Turner.

Turner chopped one back up the middle off Cole Young’s glove to bring in Bader for his fourth hit of the afternoon, giving him a Major League-leading 44 multi-hit games this season. After Turner stole second, Schwarber punched a two-run single through the right side and Bryce Harper followed with an RBI knock of his own.

“We can beat you a bunch of different ways,” Turner said on their identity as an offense. “We’re gonna have to walk, we’re gonna have to slug … and it makes it tough for those guys over there.”

By the end of the inning, the Phillies had strung together four straight singles, five runs and 17 total hits on the day, stretching their lead to 8-2.

In the eighth, José Alvarado came on … and so did the standing ovation.

“That was great,” Thomson said of the ovation. “I didn’t know how the fan base would react, but I think they understand that it was an honest mistake. And I really love the fact that they welcomed him back.”

“It’s something that makes me really happy,” Alvarado said through a team interpreter.

Making his first appearance since serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, the lefty worked a scoreless inning and struck out Raleigh to end the frame.

In the series, Raleigh — who has a league-leading 47 homers — was 1-for-12 with 8 strikeouts.

“I know he’s a really good hitter,” Thomson said of Raleigh. “I think we just kept him off balance. That’s really the key to him.”

In the bottom half of the eighth, Turner hit his way on again. This time, an RBI-infield single — his fifth hit of the game and tenth total hit against M’s pitching.

And it wouldn’t be an exciting series without a Schwarber roundtripper, right? The Phillies slugger drilled a two-run shot — his 45th of the season and the team’s 20th hit of the game — giving Philadelphia a dominating 11-2 advantage.

Joe Ross recorded the final three outs and the Phillies move to 74-53 on the year, notching their 40th victory at home.

1901 was the last time the Phillies had multiple games with 20+ hits twice in a three-game span.

Even with the victory and historic performances, the team is still feeling the absence of their ace, Zack Wheeler.

“He’s a key piece for us, a leader, he’s a father and a husband … so that comes first and foremost,” Luzardo said.

“We want to make sure that the person, Zack Wheeler, is okay,” Stott added. “We’re just going out there and playing our game … we’re thinking about him and he knows that.”

A sweep, now what?

The Phils will open another three-game set Friday at home against the Washington Nationals.

Coming off an off-day Thursday, Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.34 ERA) will make 16th start of the season.

Walker has fired at least six innings or more and allowed two or fewer runs in each of his past three starts. In his last start against Washington (Aug 16), he allowed just two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.

The Nats have yet to announce a starter. First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m. ET.