Category: Baseball

New Giant Andrew Knizner shares connections to Buster Posey, Patrick Bailey originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Andrew Knizner has only been a Giant for two games, but he arrived with previous ties to their starting catcher and the former catcher who now runs the organization. Knizner admits, though, that Patrick Bailey and Buster Posey might not be fully aware of those prior experiences.

Knizner went into North Carolina State as a shortstop and played third base as a freshman because Trea Turner was locked in at short, but after that season, he transitioned to catching. He eventually was represented by CAA agents Andrew Nacario and Jeff Berry, the latter of whom also represented Posey and now serves as an advisor to the president of baseball operations. As a young Knizner tried to figure out how to move from infielder to catcher, he was given drills and advice from Berry, who picked Posey’s mind on the subject. 

Knizner now finds himself backing up Bailey, a fellow NC State alum. While they never played together, Knizner — who is four years older — was well aware of Bailey’s collegiate career. One of his former coaches once teased him by saying, “We finally have a great defensive catcher coming into the program. Patrick Bailey is the best defensive player in the country.”

“I laid all the groundwork for him,” a smiling Knizner said Thursday morning. “I showed him what not to do at NC State.”

Knizner was one of three newcomers during Wednesday’s roster shakeup and started behind the plate a day later. As he walked around the clubhouse in the morning and chatted with teammates, team employees and reporters, it was easy to see why he was added to the mix. In a lot of ways, he is reminiscent of former Giants backup catcher Nick Hundley, who still is close with Posey. 

Knizner considers communication one of his strengths, and it stood out to manager Bob Melvin that he caught bullpen sessions on his first day and then went out to warm up all of Wednesday night’s relievers so he could get an early look at how the ball came out of their hands. The job, though, requires more than that, and the Giants are hopeful Knizner can bring a spark at the plate, too. 

Knizner was released by the Washington Nationals earlier this season because he had an opt-out date approaching in his minor league contract. The Giants were one of the first teams to call, and he posted a .500 on-base percentage and six doubles in eight games with Triple-A Sacramento. The veteran also has a solid reputation as a defender and game-caller. 

“He’s very invested in what he’s doing behind the plate, and that’s important here,” Melvin said. “It’s important to Buster, it’s important to us, that the catcher, first and foremost, is engaged with the pitching staff and all about winning a game.”

Knizner came to the Giants with 290 games of big league experience, nearly all of them with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he learned from Yadi Molina. He has a .210 average and .596 OPS in the big leagues, but he’s just two years removed from hitting 10 homers in 70 appearances. On Thursday, he was 0-for-3 but looked comfortable with Robbie Ray, who threw seven strong innings. 

“I feel like we had a really good game plan going in today and I felt like he stuck with it really well,” Ray said. “We had some moments where he called a pitch and it was exactly what I wanted to throw. It was almost like he had been here the whole time. I felt, overall, it was a great performance by him behind the plate.”

Ray essentially had Sam Huff as his personal catcher the last two months, but the first day with the new guy was smooth, which was no surprise to Knizner. He said before the game that he doesn’t anticipate needing much time to learn a new staff. Since the start of 2024, he has played for Triple-A teams in four different organizations, along with big league time with the Texas Rangers and a stint in the Dominican Winter League. 

“I’ve gotten used to it over the last 12 months or so,” Knizner said.

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Boston Red Sox play a three-game series at Yankee Stadium starting on Friday night...

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Preview

Rivalry renewed?

Although the Red Sox were not a playoff team and the Yankees went on to secure the No. 1 seed in the American League, New York had a 7-6 record against Boston a year ago. That included the Red Sox taking three of four from the Yankees at Fenway Park in mid-September. With the youth movement and high-profile free agents the Red Sox brought in, it was expected that these two teams would fight for the AL East crown.

As June has begun, the Red Sox are a mess. They're four games under .500 and are 3-7 in their last 10 games.

However, this is the first time these two rivals will meet this year. Could Boston give the Yankees a tough series?

Can Will Warren put LA behind him?

Warren was having the best stretch of his young career before he stumbled during the West Coast road trip, especially in Los Angeles. Warren didn't make it out of the second inning, allowing seven runs in the Dodgers' shellacking of the Yankees last Saturday. He'll be the starter in the series opener on Friday, and he'll be tasked with setting the tone for the weekend. Can he return to form and help the Yankees get to an early lead in the series?

Carlos Rodon pitching like an ace

Rodon has been amazing. Over his last seven starts, he's pitched to a 5-0 record and a 1.65 ERA. He'll take the mound in the series finale on Sunday and could be the difference between a series win or loss.

The Yankees need him to be great because Warren may not bounce back,, and although Ryan Yarbrough has been great, how long can New York depend on him? That's especially the case when Yarbrough will go up against Garrett Crochet.

Turnaround for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

In the three games since his return from the IL, Chisholm has been great at the plate. He's 5-for-11 with a home run and two RBI while also playing solid third base. Yes, that's a small sample size, but Chisholm has returned with the mentality that this is a new season for him and he's taking advantage of it. Can he do so again this weekend?

Aaron Judge's pursuit of .400

Judge is having an MVP season already, but what everyone is watching is his batting average. Heading into the weekend, Judge is hitting .392 and will hope to get back up to .400 this weekend. He'll be going up against some tough pitchers in Walker Buehler and Crochet, who he doesn't have much experience against (1-for-4, K combined against both pitchers) and has not faced Sunday starter Hunter Dobbins, a rookie, yet.

While it's difficult for any player to maintain such a high batting mark, Judge could conceivably keep this pace up.

Predictions

Who will be the MVP of the series?

Aaron Judge

With the Red Sox struggling, this series may not be as firey as years past, but Judge always seems to rise to the occasion.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Carlos Rodon

Rodon has been the second-best pitcher for the Yankees, but has been THE best over the last couple of weeks.

Which Red Sox player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?

Rafael Devers

Even if Gerrit Cole isn't pitching, Devers gives the Yankees fits, especially at Yankee Stadium.

Every ace experiences the occasional hiccups -- Max Fried proved he was no exception last weekend, when he allowed a cushioned lead to slip in a frustrating road loss to the reigning champion Dodgers.

But top-flight starters always bounce back from adversity, and Fried reaffirmed the notion by painting over his dud in Los Angeles with yet another masterpiece in the Bronx. The prized left-hander returned to dominant form on Thursday night, delivering six shutout innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts in the Yankees' 4-0 win over the Guardians.

Less than a week after allowing a season-high six runs in primetime, Fried once again demonstrated why he's currently the highest-paid southpaw in MLB history. While his first inning of work wasn't efficient -- he threw 28 pitches and gave up his lone hit, a broken-bat single -- he still faced the minimum through the next five innings despite navigating deep counts.

"I just want to be able to go out there and go deep into games," Fried said after the win. "Nice to get to 100 pitches, being able to kind of get through a full outing and coming out with the win. Last time, I let the lead go. So I just wanted to make it a point to keep them in it and hold the lead as long as I could... Not trying to do too much, as far as putting extra pressure. But you just want to win every game you can when you go out there."

Fried now owns a stellar 1.78 ERA, which ranks third-best in the majors. It's also the lowest mark by a Yankees pitcher in his first 13 starts of a season since Phil Neikro in 1984 (1.73), according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs. So far, so worth every penny of his record-breaking contract.

The exceptional pace Fried has pitched to is new, considering the career numbers shown on his baseball card. But the 31-year-old has long been a thorn in the side of hitters. Jazz Chisholm Jr. understands that pain -- after the game, he offered his sympathies by saying it "wasn't fun" to see Fried multiple times each season when the two were division rivals in the NL East for four-plus years.

So far, Fried has handled the big-market expectations with ease and also served as a dependable stopper. He's now 6-0 with a 0.57 ERA following a Yankees loss, and that level of reliability isn't something the team is taking for granted. Fried is calm, cool, and collected. Toss in adaptable, too.

"They made him work. I don't know how many foul balls they had on the night," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Fried. "He had to work for it pretty hard tonight, but I thought the stuff was great. He had a lot of swing-and-miss going tonight, and he featured a little bit of everything."

Of the elite American League pitchers in the mix to start this summer's All-Star Game in Atlanta -- where Fried pitched for eight seasons -- he certainly deserves to be atop the list. He ranks third in the AL in innings (81.0), seventh in strikeouts (77), seventh in WHIP (0.94), and tied for sixth in opponent average (.196). He's lined up for another challenge next week, in a road matchup with the Royals.

Cody Bellinger homered and drove in three of the Yankees' four runs while Max Fried returned to form to help shut out the Guardians, 4-0, on Thursday night in The Bronx.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Yankees' offense was asleep for a part of Thursday's game, similar to what befell them on Wednesday. But the bats finally woke up in the fourth when Aaron Judge hit a one-out bloop double to get the Yankees their first knick of the game.Bellinger followed with an ambush of a Slade Cecconi fastball over the middle of the plate, depositing the ball 398 feet over the right-center field wall to put the Yankees up 2-0.

After that fourth inning, the Yankees fell into a slumber again until Bellinger woke them up in the seventh. With men on first and second and two outs, he singled to right field to plate Trent Grisham and put the Yankees ahead 3-0. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a single of his own, driving in Judge from third.

In total, the Yankees had 10 hits and went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position while leaving nine runners on base.

-Fried made his first start since losing his first game of the year last weekend in Los Angeles. And after a shaky first inning in which he threw 28 pitches, the southpaw settled in, blanking the Guardians for the next five innings. Fried dominated Cleveland, throwing 103 pitches (62 strikes) through six shutout innings, allowing one hit -- a Jose Ramirez single in the first -- and two walks while striking out seven. Fried's only issue was his inefficiency, but a great bounceback outing for the Yankees' ace.

Fried's performance lowered his ERA to 1.78, which is the lowest by a Yankees pitcher in his first 13 starts of a season since Phil Niekro in 1984 (1.73) (h/t Sarah Langs).

-With Fried out of the game, how would the Yankees' bullpen fare? Well, they pitched into trouble in the seventh. Mark Leiter Jr. allowed two singles, but a throwing error from Anthony Volpe loaded the bases with one out before Aaron Boone went to Tim Hill. The left-hander struck out Bo Naylor and got Jhonkensy Noel to fly out to end the Guardians' threat.

Hill pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and impressively picked up five outs.

Jonathan Loaisiga came in for the ninth and got Cleveland in order to clinch the series.

-Oswald Peraza went 2-for-3 but had three hard-hit balls (101.4, 102.3, 108 mph). His only out was a long flyout to center field that Angel Martinez slid feet-first into the wall to catch.

Chisholm Jr. went 3-for-4 and raised his average to .207. It's the infielder's second three-hit game in 33 games this season (March 30).

Judge finished 1-for-1 with two intentional walks, raising his average to .392

Jasson Dominguez made his first appearance since injuring his finger over the weekend. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. In his final at-bat, he flew out with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.

Game MVP: Cody Bellinger

Fried shut down the Guardians, but Bellinger's two-run shot after the Yankees were shut out the day before helped the team get off the schneid.

Highlights

Cody Bellinger with the leaping catch! pic.twitter.com/LYp9OunMvu

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 6, 2025

Cody Bellinger drills a 2-run homer to open the scoring! pic.twitter.com/FNugt0FRYC

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 6, 2025

Cody Bellinger drives in his 3rd run of the game! pic.twitter.com/LAkJvooyrL

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 6, 2025

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s 3rd hit of the game makes it 4-0! pic.twitter.com/ifNmJc4WMo

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 6, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Red Sox meet for the first time this season. The series opener will be Friday night at the Stadium with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

Will Warren (3-3, 5.19 ERA) will take the mound against Walker Buehler (4-3, 4.44 ERA)

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Rockies play a three-game series in Colorado starting on Friday at 8:40 p.m. on SNY.

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5 things to watch

Juan Soto is back

Toward the end of the Mets' homestand, Soto started to look truly comfortable at the plate for the first time this season.

And he carried that with him for the first leg of their road trip as the Mets faced the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Over the last week of games, Soto is hitting .273/.484/.773 with three home runs, two doubles, six RBI, six runs scored, eight walks, and two strikeouts.

With Soto hitting his stride offensively, his patented Soto Shuffle returned -- as has his penchant for staring out at pitchers and nodding during his at-bats.

How is Francisco Lindor feeling?

Lindor suffered a fractured pinky toe when he was hit in the foot by a pitch on Wednesday night against the Dodgers -- a diagnosis that was learned after Lindor toughed it out while playing the remainder of the game in Los Angeles.

He was out of the lineup on Thursday (after arguing to play), and said he considered himself "day-by-day" -- with the plan being to play through the injury.

"It’s not a surgical thing," Lindor said. "It’s just a matter of tolerating the pain, so hopefully I’m strong enough to play sooner rather than later."

Meanwhile, manager Carlos Mendoza said an IL stint is not on the table at the moment.

Lindor is in the midst of another MVP-level season, slashing .279/.353/.490 with a career-best 141 OPS+ while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop.

Pete Alonso is on an absolute tear

Since breaking his long home run drought, Alonso has been hitting dingers at a rapid clip. And he's been on fire overall.

In 39 plate appearances over his last 10 games, he's hitting .333 with five home runs, three doubles, and 15 RBI.

Alonso's barrage included two homers and five RBI during Wednesday's win in Los Angeles, and he added another homer in the series finale on Thursday.

He is now 11 home runs shy of tying the Mets' all-time record of 252, which is held by Darryl Strawberry.

The Rockies are hot (really)

The Rockies are still on a historically awful pace, but they're also on a winning streak.

After starting the season 9-50, Colorado swept a three-game series from the very bad (23-37) Marlins.

During that series, the Rockies won the three games by a combined four runs, so there was some randomness and luck involved. But a winning streak is a winning streak.

Still, Colorado remains quite bad. And their starting pitching is a total mess.

During this series, the Mets will face Antonio Senzatela (7.14 ERA, 1.98 WHIP), Carson Palmquist (8.50 ERA, 1.83 WHIP), and German Marquez (6.98 ERA, 1.69 WHIP).

A mile high

Games at Coors Field are known mostly for the thin air that causes the baseball to fly much farther than it does at other ballparks.

The thin air can turn extra-base hits into home runs, and also causes lots of would-be fly balls to drop in the shallow outfield because outfielders play deeper to counteract how far the ball carries.

But the air also causes the ball to break/travel differently out of the pitchers' hands, which is one of the reasons why the Rockies' offensive home/road splits are often so drastic.

It's difficult for Colorado's hitters to constantly adjust to pitches moving differently every time they're on the road.

As far as the Mets, they'll be dealing with the conditions for the first and only time this season.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Pete Alonso

His hot streak plus the Rockies' pitching plus the thin air, should mean damage.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Kodai Senga

Senga's Ghost Fork (if it moves like he wants it to) should help combat the thin air.

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

Ryan McMahon

McMahon hasn't had a great season, but his track record of success is solid.

The lasting images from the Mets' vexing 6-5 road loss to the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon were snapped during an eighth inning that unraveled. Moments before the reigning champions scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single from who but Michael Conforto, the tying run crossed the plate on an ill-timed double-clutch grab and errant throw home from Brett Baty.

But the Dodgers' three-run rally wouldn't have been possible if the Mets had made the most of some prime scoring opportunities before the late-inning meltdown. Despite smacking three home runs, which helped them climb to an early 4-0 lead that briefly seemed comfortable, New York once again struggled to break a game open. They finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and left 13 runners on base.

Of the 13 baserunners, 10 were stranded through the first six innings. Perhaps the Mets' frustrations boiled over in the sixth, when a one-out rally with two in scoring position was squandered by a Jeff McNeil strikeout that stunningly turned into a double play with Starling Marte tagged out at third, leaning too far off the bag.

The Mets looked poised to take three of four games at Chavez Ravine and send a clear message to the Dodgers. They were just five outs away from making another statement. Instead, they were forced to settle for an unsatisfying split due to mental miscues and recurring RISP woes.

"We felt like we gave that one away. We were sloppy today. We didn't play well, and it cost us there," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the loss. "Those two games that we lost, we could've won. They did some good things, too, but they made some mistakes. That's a good team. And when you're giving extra bases, extra outs, they're going to make you pay."

While the Mets haven't lacked offense this season -- they entered Thursday ranked 11th in MLB in total runs and seventh in on-base percentage -- their inability to capitalize with traffic on the basepaths has been a hindrance. The four-game set in Los Angeles didn't show the big picture, as they overall hit a solid 11-for-36 (.305) with RISP, but their season average now sits at .220. The mark ranks bottom five in the league.

"We had a couple of chances to add on, and we couldn't cash in," Mendoza said. "When you continue to give those guys a chance and give them an opportunity to come back, they're going to make you pay... Early on, we had two chances -- bases loaded, one out and second and third, one out -- and we didn't get any runs there... I just felt like it was a game that got away from us."

Of course, the Mets can find solace in how they stacked up with the Dodgers in seven games this season, and pose a legitimate threat in a competitive National League. Perhaps there's no better time to solve the RISP problem than this weekend, as the Mets are slated to face the lowly Rockies at a very hitter-friendly Coors Field.

The Mets were five outs away from taking the series against the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon, but a misplay by Brett Baty allowed Los Angeles to tie the game in the eighth inning and eventually take the lead in New York's 6-5 loss.

Reliever Reed Garrett was called upon in the eighth and was in a bind with Will Smith on third base with just one out but the right-hander got exactly what he needed. Garrett got Andy Pages to hit a grounder to Baty as Smith bolted for home. The young third baseman had plenty of time to toss to Francisco Alvarez to get Smith in a rundown, at least. However, Baty double-pumped before throwing the ball into the dirt, allowing Smith to score.

"We didn’t make the play," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "I don’t know if [Baty] got confused if Will Smith stopped halfway to get him in a rundown there. He double-pumped. Didn’t make a routine play there."

Baty, who is usually soft-spoken when speaking with the media, was especially so after Thursday's loss. To his credit, the young infielder owned the misplay as he walked reporters through what happened. 

"He’s up front on a sweeper. Pages dribbled one to me," Baty explained. "Made a good read coming in and was running at Will Smith because he didn’t get a good jump on it, and he kinda stuttered. I was pump faking and I thought he was going to come back, but he ended up going [home]. A very, very dumb mistake and it can’t happen in that situation. Have to give it up early and get him running back to third base. Terrible, terrible play." 

The @Dodgers tie it in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/hZhlqxoeae

— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2025

"The play there is to give it up," Mendoza said when asked what the right play in that situation is. "Especially how far he is down the line. If he wants to stop, then we’ll get him on the rundown. Didn’t complete the play there."

Although the Mets won the season series against the Dodgers after last night's victory, they were so close to winning this four-game set. If not for a few misplays in the two losses in LA this week, the Mets could have swept this series.

Mendoza said he felt like they gave Thursday's game away, but they don't have time to dwell on it as they head to Colorado to take on the Rockies this weekend. But the sting of Thursday's loss will be felt by Baty for a bit.

"It's brutal for sure," Baty said about leaving with a split. "We were up going into the eighth there. That play right there tied it up. Brutal for sure."

The Mets had to settle for a disappointing four-game split with the reigning champions, as they once again fell late to the Dodgers, 6-5, on Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Pete Alonso flaunted his power with a pair of home runs on Wednesday night, and the pop in his bat appeared again on Thursday afternoon. He put the Mets ahead 1-0 in the second with a solo shot off Dodgers starter Landon Knack that traveled 408 feet to the bleachers in right-center. The opposite-field blast bumped Alonso's RBI total to an NL-leading 54, and he's now one homer shy of tying David Wright for the second-most (241) in franchise history.

-- The Mets inflicted further damage on Knack with a three-run rally in the third. Hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Brandon Nimmo ripped a solo homer to center that narrowly avoided the glove of Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages. Then, three pitches later, Starling Marte made the score 3-0 with a liner to left that landed in the Dodgers' bullpen. Knack's control issues persisted and placed him in a bases-loaded jam, and a sac fly to left from Brett Baty scored Alonso to push the lead to 4-0.

-- The early four-run cushion didn't provide enough comfort for David Peterson, as he allowed the Dodgers to score three runs in the bottom of the third with a rally sparked by a one-out walk and single. With runners on the corners, Mookie Betts doubled deep to center that brought home Miguel Rojas, and then a single to left from Will Smith and a fielder's choice groundout from Teoscar Hernández cut the Mets' lead to 4-3.

-- Knacks' lack of command created more traffic on the bases in the fourth. After walking his fourth and fifth batters with one out, he was pulled from the game at a whopping 86 pitches and replaced by Jack Dreyer. The Mets threatened to score, as Juan Soto forced another walk to load the bases, but Dreyer ultimately escaped the jam by getting Alonso to strike out and Jeff McNeil to fly out. The Mets entered Thursday with a lowly .219 average with RISP (fourth worst in MLB).

-- As if the Mets' overall hitting woes with runners in scoring position weren't glaring enough, they left a staggering 10 runners on base through six innings. Another prime opportunity to tack on runs was wasted in the sixth, when Marte got tagged out leaning too far off third base after a McNeil strikeout. It was an inning-ending double play that kept the score 4-3.

-- Peterson didn't have his best stuff, but he delivered yet another lengthy and gutsy performance the Mets needed. After a messy third inning, the left-hander hunkered down and pitched four scoreless frames, and his outing ended with a huge strikeout of Ohtani that demanded eight dramatic pitches. Peterson completed seven innings for the second time in 2025 (both against the Dodgers), allowing seven hits and two walks with six punchouts across 91 pitches. His season ERA now sits at 2.80.

-- The Mets finally broke through with an insurance run in the eighth, as Alonso delivered an RBI single to right that scored Marte and bumped their lead to 5-3. But it didn't take long for the Dodgers to erase their deficit and wreak havoc against reliever Reed Garrett. After a leadoff walk to Betts, Smith smacked an RBI double to left to make the score 5-4, and then a double-clutch and errant throw home from Baty on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Pages tied the game.

-- Garrett intentionally walked pinch-hitter Freddie Freeman to put runners on first and second with two outs, and the move brought on a matchup with Michael Conforto, who stepped up to the plate 0-for-11 in the series. The veteran outfielder ultimately got the last laugh against his former team, driving in the go-ahead run with a single to left. It was a blown save for Garrett, who entered Thursday with a pristine 0.68 ERA.

-- Another barn burner brought Dodgers closer Tanner Scott out for the ninth, and while the Mets managed to breathe down his neck, he locked down the save by striking out Tyrone Taylor and Baty and getting Luisangel Acuña to fly out. A game that simply slipped away for the Mets -- they went 2-for-10 with RISP and left 13 runners on base.

Game MVP: Michael Conforto

Yes, him. The Mets dared their former outfielder to beat them in the eighth, and he did just that by driving in the Dodgers' go-ahead run. The consolation prize belongs to Alonso, however, who's logged 12 RBI across the last five games and boosted his average to .298.

Highlights

David Peterson strikes out Shohei Ohtani for the fourth time in four at-bats! pic.twitter.com/bpyX6ZhG2J

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

ANOTHER HOME RUN FOR PETE ALONSO! pic.twitter.com/UBu2uA7EHR

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

Brandon Nimmo launches a solo home run just over the right-center field wall! 💣 pic.twitter.com/V53doOh7tW

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

FROM SANTOOOO DOMINGOOOOOO!

STARLING MARTE AND BRANDON NIMMO GO BACK-TO-BACK! pic.twitter.com/NSsoysd1qV

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

It's a sacrifice fly for Brett Baty as Pete Alonso beats Michael Conforto's throw home! pic.twitter.com/Tr5iVftHke

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

Acuña ➡️ McNeil ➡️ Alonso for the double play! pic.twitter.com/XnqODV9Dj1

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

David Peterson strikes out Shohei Ohtani to complete a 1-2-3 7th inning! 💪 pic.twitter.com/kreNwA2Yqf

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

PETE ALONSO DELIVERS!

He brings home Starling Marte with his 55th RBI of the year! pic.twitter.com/9oY1xWeyzc

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2025

What's next

The Mets (39-24) will continue their week-long road trip on Friday night, with the first of three games against the Colorado Rockies. First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. on SNY.

Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.60 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound, opposite veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela (1-10, 7.14 ERA).

It was supposed to be a day off for Freddie Freeman.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quipped before the game that the 35-year-old veteran first baseman had begun to understand the value of an off day as he’s dealt with discomfort in his ankle this season.

But with the go-ahead run on second base in the eighth inning, Roberts summoned Freeman off the bench. Was it time for another magical, Freddie Freeman moment at Chavez Ravine?

Not so fast. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called for an intentional walk, and up walked Michael Conforto. The 46,364 fans at Dodger Stadium already booed the struggling outfielder after his third-inning strikeout. Hitting .165 entering the game, he was one of the unlikeliest to lead the Dodgers to a comeback victory. He'd yet to come through.

But all Conforto needed was one hit, one chance. And he delivered.

Against Mets setup man Reed Garrett, Conforto ripped a go-ahead RBI single into left field, helping the Dodgers complete a three-run comeback to defeat the Mets 6-5 and salvage a series split against a potential NL playoff opponent.

“It's been a grind up to this point,” Conforto said. “All I want to do is go up there and help us win. A lot of those situations I’ve come up short, so to come through today was everything.”

Closer Tanner Scott earned his first save since May 21 with a shutdown ninth inning, his second scoreless outing in a row.

Conforto's first hit with runners in scoring position since March 31 — and his first hit this season with runners in scoring position with two outs — put the Dodgers (38-25) two games ahead of the Padres in the NL West after their 3-2 loss to the Giants on Thursday.

In recent weeks, the Dodgers clubhouse showed support to Conforto during his slump. Mookie Betts said that Conforto’s struggles were also the team’s.

Read more:Will Dodgers' pitchers ever get healthy? How the team is tackling its biggest problem

“These guys have been awesome,” Conforto said of his teammates. “You spend more time with these guys than your actual family, so they’ve been part of my family. Just trying to keep me smiling, keep me laughing, so it’s been great to have their support.”

Before Conforto's go-ahead single, Will Smith doubled home Betts, who reached on a walk. Andy Pages scraped a ball off the ground — causing havoc in the Mets' infield and a throwing error from Brett Baty — allowing Smith to score.

For manager Dave Roberts, rallies such as Thursday's show the might of his ballclub, he said.

“Reed Garrett's obviously had a great year up to this point,” Roberts said. "They got a good pen. They pitch well. But the free passes, like you guys saw today, when you give teams free passes, innings are built and runs are created."

Mets left-hander David Peterson had made things difficult before the eighth. He struck out six and gave up three runs across seven innings.

The longevity the Mets (39-24) got from Peterson, however, was the opposite of what the Dodgers received from right-hander Landon Knack.

Knack had turned a corner across his last two outings. Against both New York teams, he twirled a career-high-tying six innings and gave up just one earned run in each start. Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior paid close attention to Knack’s adjustments, praising his rise from early-season appearances in which he was bounced from games, giving up five runs against the Nationals and Athletics.

“His ability is to be able to throw multiple pitches in any count, in any situation, and that was a little bit off early on,” Prior said, “but now I think he's starting to finally get into the groove and kind of get back to where he was throwing the ball last year.”

Prior noted what Knack could do when he’s on — mixing pitches and speeds, making for off-balance at-bats. But he also explained what happens when Knack is off — leaving pitches in the middle zone, while falling behind in counts.

Knack was at his least effective Thursday. He gave up four runs — including three home runs — leaving fastballs over the plate to Pete Alonso and Starling Marte in the first and third innings. He also walked five across 3 ⅓ innings.

“Today [my mechanics] just got a little bit out of whack there for a minute, but I think I have made too much talk on just kind of like trying — we're getting close, we're feeling this, feeling that — and I think it's time to just do it,” Knack said. “To stop talking about it and just go out there and do it."

Roberts had to lean on his bullpen. Jack Dreyer took the ball through the middle of the fifth and José Ureña — who signed with the Dodgers on Tuesday — pitched 2 ⅓ innings to help save bullpen arms ahead of a six-game trip starting Friday in St. Louis.

Left-hander Justin Wrobleski will start for the Dodgers on Friday after being recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City, Roberts said. Wrobleski gave up five runs in four innings during his last triple-A appearance.

Etc.

Roberts said right-handed relief pitchers Kirby Yates (right hamstring strain) and Michael Kopech (right shoulder impingement) have a “good possibility” of being activated off the injured list during the weekend series in St. Louis.

Likely candidates to be removed from the 26-man roster over the next few days are Ryan Loutos (five earned runs in three innings with the Dodgers) — who gave up a three-run home run in Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to the Mets — and Ureña.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani thought he was 'in trouble' before Dave Roberts gifted him a toy Porsche

Outfielders James Outman and Esteury Ruiz both had lockers in the Dodgers clubhouse Thursday. Roberts said the duo were on the taxi squad — as insurance for Hyeseong Kim and Tommy Edman — and would likely be headed back to triple-A later in the day.

Roberts gave clean bills of health to Edman (right ankle) and Kim (fouled a ball off his foot). Edman returned to the Dodgers’ lineup after two days off and hit sixth at second base.

“Looks like we're out of the clear with those two active guys,” Roberts said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Soderstrom's big day vs.Twins snaps Athletics' losing streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Behind a sterling season debut outing from Mitch Spence and a first-career grand slam from Tyler Soderstrom, the Athletics trounced the Minnesota Twins 14-3 Thursday at Sutter Health Park.

Spence made his first start of the 2025 MLB season and came through in timely fashion to help the Athletics snap a nine-game losing streak. The 27-year-old pitched five solid innings, giving up one run on three hits to shut down Minnesota’s potent offense.

“I thought it was a great outing,” manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game. “This young man did a lot for us last season, and his role coming out of spring training was a little bit different. But he never lost his focus, and he never lost his determination to want to get back into the rotation.”

Of course, Spence got plenty of help from his teammates as the offense came alive, dropping four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead for good. It was 7-0 before the Twins got on the board in the top of the fourth, but the Athletics continued their offensive barrage to end the series with a blowout win.

Behind Soderstrom’s two home runs, Max Muncy throttled a three-run dinger in the bottom of the first inning, along with solo shots from Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson.

SODERSTROM GRAND SLAM 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ucRiIcdQG3

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 5, 2025

Kotsay wasn’t surprised that it was Soderstrom’s first grand slam, but noted it came at the perfect time.

“No, I’m not [surprised] because it’s really hard to hit a grand slam,” Kotsay said. A lot of things have to happen. And yet I’m very thankful that today was his first. It couldn’t have come at a better time in the game. It opened the game up.”

It was the most runs scored by the Athletics in a single game all season, and a much-needed outburst after a lackluster May. The team endured a historically bad stretch, losing 20 of their last 21 games before Thursday’s win.

Minnesota was one of the hottest teams in baseball coming into the series. While they flexed their muscles in winning the first three games, the Athletics showed why they’re capable of matching up against any team in MLB.