Category: Baseball

Shohei Ohtani said he is prepared to make a six-inning start in October. He said he is open to pitching out of the bullpen, even if remaining in the game after a relief appearance might require him to play in the outfield.

His unspoken reasons for wanting to do so are obvious: The Dodgers are terrible.

They aren’t terrible compared to the Colorado Rockies or Chicago White Sox, but they’re terrible for a team with the most expensive roster in baseball.

They’re terrible for a team with ambitions to repeat as World Series champions.

They’re terrible enough that Ohtani is sounding how he did when he played for the Angels.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani is removed after five no-hit innings, then Dodgers' bullpen collapses in loss

Ironically, he signed with the Dodgers so that he wouldn’t have to be in this situation again. But here he is, sounding as if he thinks he has to do everything by himself.

The Dodgers have failed him.

Ohtani came up with the idea to defer the majority of his $700-million contract until after he retires, wanting the Dodgers to spend that money to build super teams around him. The Dodgers won a World Series last year, but the good times could already be over.

Instead of building another championship team, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman constructed an all-time clunker. Instead of creating a 120-win juggernaut on which Ohtani would be able to have his cake and eat it too, the Dodgers have placed him in a predicament in which he could have to decide between prioritizing either the upcoming postseason or his pitching future.

Winning the World Series again with Ohtani on rehabilitation mode will be extremely difficult for these Dodgers, if not downright impossible. Their 9-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night explained why, their bullpen imploding once again to waste another did-that-really-happen performance by Ohtani. At this point, their bullpen might as well be renamed the Nine Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

With Ohtani still in his first season pitching after his second Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers have limited his starts to five innings. That was the plan again on Tuesday, and five no-hit innings by Ohtani wasn’t about to make manager Dave Roberts stray from an organizational directive.

Removing Ohtani was a health decision, not a baseball decision.

However, by sticking to the plan, Roberts was forced to reenact his nightly routine of juggling sticks of dynamite. This time the explosion was immediate, as Justin Wrobleski gave up five runs to turn a 4-0 lead into a 5-4 deficit.

Roberts was loudly booed when he walked to the mound to replace Wrobleski, but how could anyone blame the manager for deploying the hard-throwing left-hander, who was one of the team’s most dependable relievers? It’s not as if the next pitcher shut down the Phillies. Edgardo Henriquez also gave up a homer.

Ohtani’s 50th homer of the season sparked an eighth-inning, two-run rally for the Dodgers that leveled the score, 6-6. The comeback made what happened later all the more deflating. Blake Treinen allowed three runs, and the game was over.

To recap: Ohtani pitched five no-hit innings and blasted a dramatic eighth-inning homer, and the Dodgers still lost.

As much as he provided, it wasn’t enough, which is why he was asked after the game about what more he could do.

Ohtani will pitch as a starter in the postseason but when asked if he could also be deployed as a reliever to help the flailing bullpen, he replied, “I’ve had different conversations with different people, and of course that’s come up.”

That’s when Ohtani presented a novel idea about how the Dodgers could use him.

“As a player, if I’m told to go somewhere, I want to be prepared to do so,” he said. “That’s on the mound and perhaps even in the outfield.”

The outfield?

Under baseball’s current rules, if Ohtani starts a game as a pitcher and is replaced on the mound, he could continue playing as a designated hitter. However, if he starts the game as a DH and pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH once his relief appearance is over.

Playing in the outfield would allow the Dodgers to use Ohtani as a reliever and keep his bat in their lineup after.

Told of what Ohtani said, Roberts replied, “He’s a great teammate. He wants to help us win a championship. So I’m all about it.”

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers are blowing their bye, and hopes for deep playoff run, thanks to familiar issue

Roberts looked delighted.

Of course he did. Any inning pitched by Ohtani is an inning not pitched by one of the Dodgers’ relievers. Any at-bat taken by Ohtani is an at-bat not taken by one of the team’s inconsistent hitters.

Ohtani and the Dodgers will soon have to make a major decision.

The organization can’t remain cautious with Ohtani and make a legitimate effort to retain their crown. They’re not good enough to do both. They will have to choose one or the other.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Padres at Citi Field on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Juan Soto is hitting .299/.430/.657 with 15 home runs, 35 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases in 172 plate appearances over his last 37 games dating back to Aug. 6
• The Mets enter play with a 1.5 game lead over the Diamondbacks for the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League
• David Peterson was solid in his last start, limiting the Phillies to three runs in 5.0 innings while striking out eight

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With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Mets are looking to hold off a handful of teams for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of play on Sept. 17...

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Mets: 78-73, 1.5 games up on Diamondbacks for third Wild Card

Next up: vs. Padres, Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY (David Peterson vs. Nick Pivetta)
Latest result: 8-3 win over Padres on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 2 vs. SD, 3 vs. WSH, 3 @ CHC, 3 @ MIA
Odds to make playoffs: 85.7 percent
*Mets hold tiebreaker over Giants by virtue of winning the season series, while Reds hold tiebreaker over Mets. The tiebreaker between the Mets and Diamondbacks is TBD, and will likely be based on intradivision record since the two clubs split the season series

Diamondbacks: 77-75, 1.5 games back of Mets

Next up: vs. Giants, Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. (Brandon Pfaadtvs. Justin Verlander)
Latest result: 6-5 win over Giants on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 vs. SF, 3 vs. PHI, 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ SD
Odds to make playoffs: 9.7 percent

Giants: 75-76, 3.0 games back of Mets 

Next up: @ Diamondbacks, Wednesday at 3:40 p.m.(Justin Verlander vs. Brandon Pfaadt)
Latest result: 6-5 loss to Diamondbacks on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 @ ARI, 4 @ LAD, 3 vs. STL, 3 vs. COL
Odds to make playoffs: 1.8 percent

Reds: 75-76, 3.0 games back of Mets

Next up: @ Cardinals, Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. (Brady Singer vs. Andre Pallante)
Latest result: 3-0 loss to Cardinals on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 @ STL, 4 vs. CHC, 3 vs. PIT, 3 @ MIL
Odds to make playoffs: 3.0 percent

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

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• The Mets exploded for five runs in the first inning and got strong outings from Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea in an 8-3 win over the Padres
• Holmes (who started) and Manaea (who relieved) are willing to do "whatever it takes to win"
• Francisco Alvarezexited the game late after being hit by a pitch in the left arm, but is expected to be fine
• David Stearnsgave Carlos Mendoza a vote of confidence
• Stearns weighed in on the trade deadline moves and said there's "no question" he would've done things differently given the benefit of hindsight
• Stearns noted that all options are on the table down the stretch, including the possibility of using Kodai Senga and/or Holmes in the bullpen
• Senga will make one more start for Triple-A Syracuse before possibly being called back up
• Luis Torrens and Tyrone Taylor are getting closer to returning
• WATCH: Mendoza discussed Tuesday's win 
• WATCH: The Mets showed a tribute video for Padres infielder Jose Iglesias ahead of Tuesday's game

Dave Roberts described it as an easy decision. 

If only it hadn’t come with such disastrous consequences.

In the middle of the fifth inning Tuesday night, Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers' dugout after a clean inning of work on the mound. Waiting for him at the top step was manager Dave Roberts, wanting to ask how he felt after only his second five-inning start of the season.

With any other pitcher, what happened next would have been simple.

Over his five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ohtani had not given up a hit. He had thrown only 68 pitches. And he was flashing the kind of dominance that would have made a no-hitter feel like a real possibility.

With any other pitcher, Roberts would have extended the leash.

Ohtani, however, is not like any other pitcher.

He is a two-way star, coming off a second career Tommy John surgery, who has been managed with kid gloves and bubblewrap in his return to pitching duties this year. He started his comeback by pitching one inning, then two, then so on until he built up to five. Weeks ago, the team — in consultation with team doctors, Ohtani’s agent and the reigning MVP himself — decided to avoid pushing him past the five-inning mark until at least October.

His health, both on the bump and at the plate, remains the priority.

Thus, while Ohtani told Roberts he still felt good, Roberts said he never had any thought of sending him out for the sixth. His question, he later explained, was only to ascertain information for future decision-making over Ohtani’s workload. As far as Tuesday was concerned? 

“He wasn’t gonna go back out,” Roberts said.

By not sending Ohtani back out, of course, the Dodgers rolled the dice with their ever-faulty bullpen. And in one of the group’s worst performances this year, they yielded nine runs over the next four innings in a gut-punch of a 9-6 defeat.

“We’ve been very steadfast in every situation as far as innings for [Ohtani’s] usage — from one inning to two innings to three to four to five. We haven’t deviated from that,” Roberts said.

“I was trying to get his pulse for going forward, where he’s at, continuing to go to the sixth inning. And he says, ‘Feel OK.’ So that was good. But I’m not gonna have a plan for five innings, and then he pitches well and say, ‘Hey, now you’re gonna go six innings.’ He’s too important. And if something happens, then that’s on me for changing it, and we haven’t done that all year.”

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers are blowing their bye, and hopes for deep playoff run, thanks to familiar issue

After pulling Ohtani with a four-run lead, the Dodgers watched their relief corps melt down in predictable, reminiscent fashion. Justin Wrobleski gave up five consecutive hits with one out in the sixth, including a three-run home run to Brandon Marsh that broke open the inning. Edgardo Henriquez made matters worse, replacing Wrobleski — amid a chorus of boos directed at Roberts — later in the inning only to give up another long ball to Max Kepler.

By the time it was over, the Phillies had scored six runs to take the lead. And though the Dodgers would battle back to tie the score in the eighth, the bullpen faltered again in the ninth, when Blake Treinen gave up a decisive three-run, two-out home run to Rafael Marchán in the Phillies' eventual 9-6 win.

For the five innings Tuesday, Ohtani displayed utter dominance against the only team to have already clinched a division title.

His fastball was playing up, eclipsing 100 mph seven times and topping out at 101.7 mph. His secondary stuff was electric, a mix of sliders and sweepers and curveballs and splitters that kept the Phillies off balance and able to make only benign contact.

After a two-out walk to Bryce Harper in the first inning, Ohtani retired the final 13 he faced. He got only six total whiffs, but was more pitch-efficient because of it, with his 68 throws coming in 19 shy of his previous season-high (he threw 87 pitches in his only other full five-inning start on Aug. 27).

That’s why, once Ohtani raced back toward the dugout to transition from pitcher to hitter in the middle of the fifth, his removal wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Why, after Roberts conversed with Ohtani from the top step, he found first baseman Freddie Freeman laughing at him back on the bench, sensing the stressfulness of his manager’s decision (which represented the ninth time in Roberts’ Dodgers tenure he had pulled a pitcher from a no-hitter in the fifth inning or later).

By that point, of course, the game shouldn’t have been in danger either way.

The Dodgers had scored three runs in the second inning on home runs from Alex Call and Kiké Hernández. They added another in the fourth off Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, handing the Cy Young contender just his fourth start this season of more than three earned runs.

But then, a bullpen that had been burned repeatedly in recent weeks (including in a 10-inning loss in the opening game of this series Monday night) played with fire again.

Wrobleski, a rookie left-hander who had been one of the Dodgers’ better relievers of late, had Rafael Marchán break up the no-no with a one-out single, Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber to load the bases with two more hits after that, Harper to gap a double that brought two runs across, and Marsh to go deep on a hanging 0-2 slider for a go-ahead three-run shot.

Henriquez, another rookie who had been sharp in limited action this year, yielded another home run to Kepler two batters later.

Just like that, it was 6-4 Phillies.

Ohtani helped the Dodgers get back in the game with his bat. In the eighth, he clobbered a leadoff home run deep to right field for his 50th long ball of the season, making him just the sixth player in MLB history with consecutive 50-homer campaigns.

The Dodgers kept the rally going after that, loading the bases for Call to hit a tying sacrifice fly.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: The 10 best relief pitchers in Dodgers history

Alas, the Dodgers' bullpen did what it does best once more in the ninth, coming unglued at the worst possible moment.

After getting two quick outs to start the inning, Treinen gave up a double to Weston Wilson (the No. 7 hitter who entered with a .202 average). He fell behind 3-and-0 to Bryson Stott (the No. 8 hitter) to trigger an intentional walk. Then, in a 3-and-1 count to Marchán (the No. 9 hitter and backup catcher for the Phillies), he served up an inside cutter that Marchán pulled down the line, getting just enough behind it to send it bouncing off the top of the short right-field wall.

Nine painful runs, in four miserable innings of Dodgers relief.

Another loss, that wasted Ohtani’s no-hit (but short-lived) masterpiece.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

At the business end of the season, the business of winning trumps all else. Egos, conventional wisdom, and tradition all must bow at the altar of the bottom line: Win or spend the long offseason contemplating the what-ifs. For the Mets, the game plan for Tuesday night’s game against the San Diego Padres was to start Clay Holmes, piggybackSean Manaea after, and then... go from there.

Unlike so many best-laid plans of the 2025 season, this one didn’t go awry as Holmes delivered four innings of two-run ball and Manaea followed with five innings of one-run ball in New York's 8-3 win.

“Thought it was great,” Holmes said. “We got a win, bullpen didn’t have to pitch, so always a good day. Offense showed up earthly and really took the pressure off of us, and we could just go and throw strikes and let the defense play. It was nice to just be able to cover the game, the both of us.” 

The Mets' offense putting up a five-run first inning, including four runs with two outs, provided a big boost for the starter after he posted a 1-2-3 first inning, allowing him to pound the strike zone with conviction.

“Sinker felt good,” Holmes said. “For me, it was just kinda attacking and filling the strike zone up. I gave up the two homers on the four-seam and the cutter, probably my fifth and sixth pitches, but it was where the game was. 

“I knew it was gonna be a piggyback situation, but you just never really know what that entails. So, once we got up, I was just being super aggressive and attacking and seeing how far I could go, really, until Mendy wanted to make the switch.”

Holmes came out after just four innings and 53 pitches, surrendering a pair of solo home runs, but that was less a reflection on the righty’s performance than the Padres lineup featuring a handful of lefty hitters they wanted Manaea to attack.

“We knew we wanted to play the matchups as much as possible,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “So if you’re trying to extend Clay [into the fifth], you’re looking at Clay facing three lefties in a row and then you get Manaea facing righties for the first time. Yeah, I was aggressive there, but I thought I needed to give those guys good matchups there.”

Holmes said he wasn’t aware of any “set plan” that he would be coming out after a certain batter. 

“I was pitching until they said no, and I didn’t really know when that was,” he said. “I prepared as a normal start and basically was just going after the hitters as I would as if [it were a normal start], kinda letting them make those decisions.”

Mendoza added that when Holmes struck out Jackson Merrill swinging to end the fourth with a runner on base, that was going to be his last hitter, and if the inning continued, Manaea would have entered with two on and two out.  

Manaea, who made 27 relief appearances back in 2023 and one piggyback start earlier this year, leaned on that experience to be ready when his number was called.

“Being adaptable is a huge asset for situations like this, and I lean on that,” he said. “It felt normal, like a normal routine, just took that and ran with it.”

Of course, he didn’t think he was going to pitch as long as he did – five innings and 73 pitches – but: “Whatever it takes to help this team win.”

The plan is for the duo to piggyback on Sunday against the Nationals, but there could be a tweak in the order of appearance

“We still gotta talk about whether we wanna go the same way,” Mendoza said, raising the possibility the roles might be reversed. “Because of the lineups, looking at the Nationals and some of their lefties at the top, we gotta have those discussions, but that’s the plan.”

For Holmes, he’s good with either role, as the mantra stays the same.

“We all want to win, and I think we all believe in each other,” he said about piggybacking after Manaea or vice versa next time around. “Really, I think it’s just the mentality of, whatever it takes, we’re willing to do. It may take some creativity, it may take some things that doesn't seem normal, I guess… I think the bottom line is we all want to win and whatever that takes at this point, I think we’re willing to do whatever.” 

The win keeps the Mets in position for a National League Wild Card spot, and gives them two consecutive wins after a tough weekend series against Texas.

“It’s nice to get things rolling back in the way that we want to and the way we know we’re capable of,” Holmes said. “But at the same time, we know there’s still a lot of work to be done. We gotta take it a game at a time, and each day is a new day, and bring what you have that day. 

“These last couple weeks, every day’s gotta be earned, and we know that.”

Manaea to keep fighting

Mendoza said he has noticed a difference in the left-hander, carrying over from his last start in Philadelphia, and that it was “good to see him out there and have that type of performance.”

“The aggressiveness, competing in the strike zone, his ability to elevate the fastball,” the manager said. “But I think there’s just conviction there with every pitch he makes. Expanding when he needs to, staying on the attack, there’s a lot to like there.”

The lefty entered the night with a 5.76 ERA and 1.240 WHIP over his first 50 innings of the year, surrendering 32 runs on 52 hits despite posting 64 strikeouts to 10 walks. 

Manaea pinpointed his performance on Tuesday, the lone blemish a solo home run, to good fastball execution with some good sliders “for the most part” and came out of his outing feeling good.

"We all believe in him and what he can do," Holmes said. "And he's gonna be a big part of what we do down the stretch tonight. It was huge tonight to see him go out there and pound the strike zone and get the results that we believe he can."

This was longer than the lefty managed to go in six of his 11 outings since his season began out of the bullpen the day before the All-Star break. And that had been the story for Manaea this year: Pitching pretty well through the early innings and then seemingly out of nowhere hitting a wall around the fourth.

“We saw a pretty effective guy out of the gate and then he just ran out of gas, but today, we saw a guy I feel like he got better as the game went,” Mendoza said. “Mechanics, him feeling a lot better physically, and now he’s getting results.”

“Backed myself into a corner and had to start punching my way out,” the lefty said of his rough year. “ And I’ve kinda taken that mindset. I think that was a continuation of that last start.”

The frustration had been easy to spot.

“I think Sean’s frustrated,” president of baseball operations David Stearnssaid before Tuesday’s game. “I think we’re frustrated that we haven’t been able to get him over the hump. There are reasons I think that we can pinpoint. His fastball is a very effective pitch, but we gotta get up in the zone a little bit more than perhaps he has been able to thus far this year. Probably slightly different pitch mix...

“We’re gonna need Sean over these next 12 games, we’re gonna need Sean into the playoffs, hopefully… We’ve seen flashes of a really good pitcher, and it’s our job to help get there a little bit more consistently.”

The pair of good outings won’t be enough to see the southpaw drop his hands. 

“Feels good, but I can’t let my guard down. I think that’s probably how I got in this situation in the first place,” he said. “Still got work to do, and it’s coming down to crunch time. Feel good, I’m just gonna keep doing that.”

The Yankees offense put up 10 runs on 16 hits, but had to hold on to a 10-9 win over the Twins on Tuesday night in Minnesota.

New York got out to a 10-1 lead, but starter Cam Schlittler and the low-leverage arms in the bullpen struggled to hold the Twins lineup down. 

Here are the takeaways....

-After mustering just two hits in Monday's series opener, the Yankees' offense woke up from its slumber in the first inning. Back-to-back singles from Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge got the Yankees going before Cody Bellinger followed a fly out from Ben Rice with a single to drive in Grisham. Giancarlo Stanton nearly missed a three-run shot, but his long fly ball allowed Judge to score on the sac fly. 

In the second, Austin Wells followed Anthony Volpe's double with a double of his own -- barely missing a homer. Grisham did not miss a homer, hitting a two-run shot over the right field wall in the next at-bat, to put the Yankees up 5-1. Stanton tacked on a run with a two-out single, scoring Judge.

Three more runs were scored in the third inning on three hits and two sac flies. Unfortunately, the Yankees would not score another run, and could not get insurance runs across when they had opportunities late.

-Schlittler did not give the Yankees a lockdown inning after they scored two in the first. After getting the first two outs, he walked two straight batters before Royce Lewis smoked a single off the glove of a diving Ryan McMahon. But Schlittler would settle down, retiring 11 straight batters at one point, but it fell apart for the youngster in the fifth. Schlittler allowed three runs on three walks and two hits, including a two-run shot to James Outman. 

Schlittler went just 4.2 innings (89 pitches/49 strikes), allowing four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out six batters.

-The bullpen wasn't much better. Ryan Yarbrough came in to start the sixth and was battered around for four runs but Mark Leiter Jr. settled down the Twins lineup, picking up five big outs, but almost gave up the tying run when Trevor Larnach launched a long fly ball that Judge caught at the wall. 

Devin Williams pitched a perfect eighth and David Bednar got the final three outs but allowed a solo shot to have the Yankees sweat this one out. 

Here's how the Yankees bullpen pitched:

• Fernando Cruz: 0.1 IP 
• Yarbrough: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 K
• Leiter Jr.: 1.2 IP, 1 H
• Williams: 1.0 IP, 2 K
• Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K

-Volpe, starting in his first game in a week, was solid at the plate. He went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, a walk and an RBI. He also made a nifty play in the field.

Game MVP: Mark Leiter Jr.

The middle reliever settled down the bullpen to get the game to Williams and Bednar

Highlights

GRISH. pic.twitter.com/p2lKtY1FGn

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 17, 2025

The Yankees are raking in Minnesota 💪 pic.twitter.com/4DqfJlcpc7

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 17, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Twins complete their series on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m.

Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA) will take the mound and will go up against Taj Bradley (6-7, 4.88 ERA).

The Mets scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back as they smacked four home runs in an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

New York piggybacked Sean Manaea off Clay Holmes successfully combined to go all nine innings, allowing the three runs (all on solo home runs) on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

The Mets improved to 78-73 (47-29 at home). San Diego fell to 82-69 on the year.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Mets wasted no time jumping on Michael King in the bottom of the first:Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso all singled to center to load the bases. Brandon Nimmo poked a single the other way to plate a run, and San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla was out for a visit after 11 pitches. 

After Mark Vientos bounced into a 1-2-3 twin killing, Jeff McNeil came through with a two-run double that just stayed fair down the first base line, yanking a first pitch slider that floated over the plate, snapping an 0-for-11 skid. Brett Baty made it 5-0 when he clobbered a 3-1 fastball for a two-run home run to right. The 93 mph King heater on the inner-half went off the facade of the second deck, traveling 416 feet (108.2 mph off the bat) for Baty's 17th on the year.

- King’s bad day continued in the second: Lindor got a sinker up and over the plate and crushed it off the facade of the second deck in right for a solo homer (382 feet, 104 mph). It was his first dinger of the month, giving him 27 on the year and 78 batted in.  

With two down, Alonso got a sinker down and in and demolished it to the second deck in left field (430 feet, 113 mph). The slugger now has 35 homers and 118  RBI on the season.

- Cedric Mullins drilled a down-in-the-zone changeup into the Mets' bullpen (388 feet) for a leadoff shot in the fourth to end King’s night. Lefty Kyle Hart came in from the Padres ‘pen and struck out five of the first six batters he faced. After the Mullins homer, the Mets came up hitless against San Diego's relievers with only a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch over the next five frames.

-  Holmes needed 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 first, including a strikeout of Luis Arraez, who entered the night about the hardest guy to strikeout with just 20 in 627 plate appearances this season (3.19 percent). Pitching with a five-run lead, Holmes issued a leadoff walk before getting a 6-4-3 double play, with a very close call at first base going the Mets’ way. That proved big as a red-hot Jackson Merrill launched the very next pitch 431 feet to center for a solo shot.

Holmes had a six-run lead to work with in the third, but left a fatball over the plate to Jake Cronenworth, who clocked it for a 411-foot homer to just right of center. The righty threw a hanging sweeper to Manny Machado to start the fourth, but the slugger got under the ball for a flyout to left. Holmes allowed a two-out double to Ramon Laureano, but kept San Diego off the board, getting Merril swinging.  

That closed the book on Holmes: 4.0 innings, two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts on 52 pitches (34 strikes).

- With Holmes at 39 pitches and one out in the fourth inning, Manaea was seen getting loose in the bullpen. Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza said the left-hander would get into the game regardless of how well Holmes was pitching.

And Manea got the call for the top of the fifth with the Mets ahead 8-2 and got lefty Ryan O’Hearn swinging to start a run of five straight retired before Machado looped a single the other way with two out in the sixth. The lefty then retired the next five, including getting two broken-bat comebackers in the seventh. The streak ended with one out in the eighth when Freddy Fermin drove a solo home run 327 feet to left, as a 1-0 sweeper stayed over the plate. 

Manaea surrendered a two-out double in the ninth, as he closed the door with five innings of one-run ball with four hits and four strikeouts on 71 pitches (52 strikes).

- The Mets had a scare in the bottom of the eighth inning when Francisco Alvarez was drilled by a 99 mph sinker on the left arm and had to exit the game. He was back in the dugout and on the field for the postgame celebration, however, sporting a big smile and an even bigger ice pack on the back of his arm.

- Lindor (as well as Soto and Edwin Diaz) wore No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day. And the shortstop wasn’t the only member of his family to star as his wife, Katia, played the national anthem on the violin.  

Game MVP: Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea

It was a group project, and everyone did their part with the starters combining well and the bats pounding out plenty of run support.

Highlights

Four straight hits to start the game for the Mets!

They snag an early lead! pic.twitter.com/U7eR7meqIK

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 16, 2025

First pitch swinging from Jeff McNeil gives the Mets a 3-0 first inning lead! pic.twitter.com/3muW49Tu5c

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 16, 2025

BATY BOMB!

The Mets have scored 5 first inning runs! pic.twitter.com/j2ldWuvlrm

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 16, 2025

You knew Francisco was going yard after Katia's National Anthem!

6-1 Mets! pic.twitter.com/kxYg9ovy0K

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 16, 2025

"The Mets are just teeing off!"

Pete Alonso joins in on the fun with a home run! pic.twitter.com/hJ58FbBZ49

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 16, 2025

What's next

The two sides are back in action on Wednesday night for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

Left-hander David Peterson (3.77 ERA, 1.324 WHIP with 148 strikeouts in 162.1 innings) takes the ball for his 29th start of the year. The visitors are sending out righty Nick Pivetta (2.73 ERA, 0.951 WHIP with 180 strikeouts in 171.1 innings) for his 30th start.

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez exited Tuesday's series opener against the San Diego Padres after being hit by a pitch late in the game.

Alvarez came up with the Mets having an 8-3 lead in the eighth inning. With two outs, Alvarez took a 99.8 mph fastball to the left arm. It's unclear where exactly Alvarez was hit, but it was above the elbow, perhaps in the triceps area. The Mets backstop took a knee and held his arm in pain as manager Carlos Mendoza and the staff tended to Alvarez.

Alvarez walked to first base before being lifted for Hayden Senger.

Alvarez is already playing with a torn UCL and a fractured finger that has put him on the IL two separate times this season.

This story is still developing...

Francisco Alvarez is hit in the arm by a 100 MPH fastball from Bradgley Rodriguez

The Mets' dugout is not pleased pic.twitter.com/Es3yNLT47c

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 17, 2025

Phillies erupt for 6-run inning, collect another series win over Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES – There certainly was a built-in excuse for the Phillies’ play against the Dodgers on Tuesday, a day after they clinched their second consecutive National League East title. After all, there were candles lit in the clubhouse before the game to try and help smother the smell of many celebratory beers and cigars.

If there were any lingering cobwebs from the previous night’s fun, no one around the Phillies was going to admit as much, and maybe being no-hit in the first five innings was just a coincidence. Or perhaps the better reasoning was that Shohei Ohtani was on the mound.

Excuses weren’t needed as the Phillies, again, came back from an early deficit and defeated the Dodgers, 9-6. Backup catcher Rafael Marchan blasted a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning for the thrilling win. The Phillies improved to 91-61, their first time being 30 games over .500 this season.

“He had good at-bats all night,” said manager Rob Thomson of Marchan. “He’s done a great job for us all year. He plays once every fifth day, once every sixth day and as prepared as he is not only behind the plate but offensively, too. He’s just done a fabulous job. Really has.”

When Ohtani was removed after his five innings, either the espresso that was so popular in the clubhouse before the game kicked in or this resilient bunch just showed their true colors of late as they erupted for six runs in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.

“We thought that he was pretty good,” Thomson deadpanned about Ohtani. “Seeing the shapes of his pitches, just seeing it live, it should help a little bit (should there be a playoff meeting).”

The long ball hurt Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez early as the Dodgers plated three in the second inning on a solo home run by Alex Call and then a two-run shot by Kike Hernandez. They added another run in the fourth on singles by Tommy Edman and Andy Pages before a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.

Sanchez, whom manager Thomson said would be his Game 1 playoff starter, wasn’t at his sharpest but typical of everyone on the team lately, battled through.

“I feel great for him,” said Sanchez of Marchan. “He’s a tremendous catcher. The only thing is he’s backing up J.T. right now, but he’s a tremendous catcher. I’m just really happy that he’s showing out for the team.

“I felt good today. I was attacking the hitters and I was throwing strikes. The only bad thing about it was maybe they got me with a couple of pitches that I left in the zone, but I felt good overall and we got the win, which is the most important thing.”

Marchan broke the no-hit seal for the Phillies in the sixth and then the flood gates opened. Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber followed with singles to load the bases off Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski. Bryce Harper then doubled, scoring two, before Brandon Marsh obliterated a slider into the right-center seats for a 5-4 lead. Edgardo Henriquez replaced Wrobleski and gave up a home run to Max Kepler down the rightfield line as the Phillies batted around in the inning.

With a two-run lead and having already thrown 89 pitches, Thomson sent Sanchez out for the seventh inning in what could be his last normal workload before the playoffs. He easily shut down the Dodgers in that frame and finished his night with 102 pitches, 75 of them strikes and allowed seven hits, four earned runs and struck out six to improve to 14-5 on the year.

“He’s going to have one more start, maybe two,” said Thomson of Sanchez. “Our pen was a little bit light today, so we pushed him a little bit further than we normally do. In the sixth he was really good and he was 96, 97 in the seventh. The one thing early in the game, everything seemed to be leaking back to the middle of the plate on right-handed hitters and they had some pretty good swings. He grinded and he did a great job.”

Ohtani led off the eighth with a home run to right off David Robertson that completely left the stadium. Teoscar Hernandez chased Robertson after he doubled. Tanner Banks then gave up a walk to Freddie Freeman and a single to Tommy Edman to load the bases. Alex Call hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game.

In the ninth, Weston Wilson laced a two-out double to left off Blake Treinen. Bryson Stott was then intentionally walked before Marchan smashed a 3-1 pitch just over the short fence and into the Phillies bullpen for the deciding runs.

“We knew if we could keep the score close (against Ohtani) then we’d have a chance,” said Marchan. “I was excited. I’ll just try to enjoy it as much as I can, but the way that we are winning is more important. I know he was trying to be around the strike zone and I just wanted him to come to me and give me the best chance to put my best swing. I hit the ball well. I was ready for that.”

Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth and picked up his 31st save of the season.

The Phillies remain 1.5 games behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the National League as the Brewers beat the Angels Monday. Philadelphia also expanded their lead over the Dodgers to 6.5 for the second seed. The top two seeds receive byes in the postseason.

“They’ve been huge because they’ve been great games,” said Thomson of the two wins against the Dodgers. “Fell behind tonight 4-0 and it kind of looked like we were dead in the water. All of the sudden we have that big sixth inning, Marsh home run and Kepler home run and in the ninth it all started with two outs. Just a really good team win.”

The Phillies now own the tiebreaker against the Dodgers so would have home field advantage should the two meet in the playoffs.

“It’s huge,” Thomson said. “It doesn’t matter what team it is I think we play better at home than we do on the road and I think a lot of it has to do with our fan base and everybody is comfortable at home. Getting home field advantage is crucial.”

Not only are the wins happening often for the Phillies, they are also happening in extremely enjoyable ways for them.

“I was ready to run on the field like we were in the bottom of the ninth,” said Marsh of Marchan’s home run. “It was a whole lot of fun. Really good at-bat, weight off the back foot. It was a professional at-bat and we needed it. Big time.”

Jose Iglesias was the sparkplug that led the 'OMG' Mets last season, and the team honored their former infielder ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Padres.

Prior to first pitch, the big board at Citi Field showed a highlight package of Iglesias' best moments in Flushing. Take a look at the tribute video below.

OMG

Jose Iglesias gets a tribute video at Citi Field 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/0ftPe7MWwh

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 16, 2025

The veteran infielder's locker room chemistry and on-field play helped the 2024 Mets overcome an 0-5 start to the season all the way to the NLCS after he was called up from the minor leagues.

In 85 games with the Mets, Iglesias slashed .337/.381/.448 with an OPS of .830 to go along with his Gold Glove caliber defense. He struggled a bit in the postseason, but hit .227 with three RBI in 12 games.

Iglesias held out hope over the offseason that he would re-sign with the Mets after becoming a free agent, but New York decided not to bring him back. Iglesias would eventually sign with San Diego, and while he hasn't provided the offense he did a year ago, he has given bench depth for the postseason-bound Padres.

In 106 games this season, he has slashed .227/.297/.273 with an OPS of .569 to go along with 32 RBI.

Fundamentals fly out the window in Giants' ‘frustrating' fourth straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For much of this season’s final stretch, the Giants have had their sights on the New York Mets and the National League’s third and final wild-card spot, and they were one win away from overtaking them just a few days ago.

But things have taken a drastic turn since then, and San Francisco now sits three games behind the Mets — with the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks between them — after a 6-5 walk-off loss Tuesday night at Chase Field.

All manager Bob Melvin could do was repeat his exasperation after the Giants’ fourth consecutive loss, which came after San Francisco failed to record a hit past the third inning and committed two errors against their NL West opponent.

“It’s frustrating. It’s frustrating,” Melvin told reporters after the loss. “All these games we lose like that are frustrating, especially against a lefty we’ve had trouble against, and had a tough time with him last time. To be able to score four in the first, get another one in the third. After that, [it] didn’t even feel like we got a base runner.”

For all of the trouble they’ve had with left-handed pitching this season, the Giants jumped on Diamondbacks southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez early with a four-run first inning.

Jerar Encarnación rips a bases-clearing double 👏 pic.twitter.com/5fv8UnknGH

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 17, 2025

Wilmer Flores, who started at first base with top prospect Bryce Eldridge on the bench, tagged the lefty for another run with a solo homer in the third for his second RBI of the night.

Wilmer CRUSHES one to the deepest part of the yard 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fQfOqSAjWx

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 17, 2025

But after that, Melvin was right — the Giants didn’t even reach base. Tristan Beck made his first start of the year and surrendered three earned runs in three innings before the Diamondbacks scored two off Trevor McDonald in the fifth.

All of the sound defense that has contributed to San Francisco’s late-season playoff push flew out the window in the loss. Flores didn’t touch first base on a would-be double play in the seventh, and José Buttó committed a throwing error in the eighth; while neither impacted the score, the infield oddities foreshadowed the game’s end result.

On another peculiar play in the ninth, Jung Hoo Lee didn’t run down the line on a groundout to first base after he thought the ball hit his foot.

And then, in the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Walker gave up a single and a walk before Casey Schmitt failed to touch first base on a sacrifice bunt by Diamondbacks third baseman Blaze Alexander, which loaded the bases. Jordan Lawlar then tapped a soft ground ball past Walker for the walk-off win.

Lawlar & Order pic.twitter.com/0s9nFJPqsT

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 17, 2025

“All these losses are frustrating,” Melvin said. “To lose like that where a ball doesn’t … even leave the infield, it’s really frustrating. We’ve got to step on the bag at first. Got to make a cleaner play. You know, as far as going by [Walker], it’s just, yeah …

“There’s a lot of new things for Casey at second base, but one of them is he’s got to get on the bag. And obviously he didn’t, and that was huge part of the inning right there.”

With the loss, the Giants now are back below .500 at 75-76. With less than two weeks left, nothing is impossible, but the confidence that helped them surge up the wild-card standings and saw them celebrating after a walk-off grand slam last Friday appears all but submerged.

They have 11 games to find it.

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Why Cora pulled Red Sox rookie Connelly Early despite success vs. A's originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Red Sox left-handed rookie Connelly Early ran through the Oakland Athletics — again.

Early, who threw five scoreless innings when he made his Major League debut against Oakland last week, started his first-ever game at Fenway Park on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, it didn’t end the way he might’ve hoped as Boston took a 2-1 loss in the series opener.

Early, though, did his part.

“The kid did an amazing job,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters of Early, who allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings.

The 23-year-old scattered four hits during the first five innings, retiring the side in the second and third frames. He returned to the mound in the sixth but allowed a lead-off single on a ball that never left the infield. Early rebounded and struck out Oakland’s No. 3 hitter, Nick Kurtz, for the first out of the frame.

He was a double-play ball away from throwing six strong in front of the Fenway Faithful.

Cora, however, had other plans. He opted to go to the bullpen with Early at 80 pitches (55 strikes) and Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker stepping to the plate for a third time. Hooker ripped a single to right field when he faced Early in the fourth inning.

“It’s about the guy that is hitting,” Cora said of the decision to pull Early. “The game will dictate that we do. That’s a good big leaguer that hits lefties really well. The other guys have to do their job.”

But the others didn’t.

Cora went with right-handed reliever Greg Weissert against the right-hander Hooker. Weissert struck Hooker out, but wasn’t able to close the door and get the final out of the inning. Instead, Weissert allowed an RBI double to the second batter he faced, walked the third, and allowed a two-out RBI single to the fourth. Weissert, who threw just 12 of his 22 pitches for strikes, was credited with the loss.

“We lose that game because I can’t do my job,” Weissert said. “Early pitches an unbelievable game and I go in there and do that (expletive). It sucks.”

The Red Sox, in the thick of a playoff race, host the Athletics in the middle game of the series Wednesday.

The Mets enter the final two weeks of the regular season on the cusp of missing the postseason, a fact that was once unthinkable just a few months ago.

On June 12, a victory over the Nationals put the Mets at 45-24, the best record in all of baseball, and led the Phillies by 5.5 games in the NL East. Since then, the Mets have plummeted, going 32-49 entering Tuesday's series opener against the Padres. Only the Rockies and Twins have had worse records.

At just 77-73, the Mets hold onto a 1.5-game lead for the final wild card spot, and president of baseball operations David Stearns is just as surprised as the rest of baseball at what has become of the Mets' season after such a hot start.

"When you’re sitting where we were in mid-June, we didn’t expect to be in this spot, there’s no question about that," Stearns told the media ahead of Tuesday's game. "We’ll have time to evaluate and diagnose and do all that stuff. For right now, my focus is from here forward what can we do to win as many games as possible. That's in the regular season and the postseason."

Heading into Tuesday, the Mets still have a 79 percent chance at making the postseason with 12 games to go. For Stearns, a big reason the Mets have overcome the highs and lows of the 2025 regular season has been manager Carlos Mendoza. After Mendoza led the Mets to an improbable postseason berth to the NLCS as season ago as a first-time manager, the skipper has been under fire for how a talent-laden, $300-million team has underachieved.

Stearns praised Mendoza and the coaching staff for guiding this year's team despite that.

"We’ve remained consistent as a group," he said. "As a coaching staff, we’re putting in the work and doing our best to prepare our players. And that’s where our focus is."

Stearns later added, "Mendy has done a very good job. He's been a positive leader, a consistent leader, and he's done what he can to get our group going. I think he's going to continue to do that."

Stearns open to using starters in bullpen

One reason for the 2025 Mets' inconsistencies has been the volatility of the starting rotation and bullpen. Veterans Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga have struggled, while Clay Holmes is entering uncharted territory with the number of innings that the converted reliever is undertaking. Then recently-acquired relievers like Ryan Helsley have contributed to the Mets' bullpen woes this year.

While Stearns has supplemented the rotation with three youngsters (Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat), the Mets will have to lean on their veteran starters in the postseason. Even if that means using them in the bullpen.

"I wouldn’t take any of that off the table right now," Stearns said of potentially using Senga or Holmes in the bullpen. "With 12 games left in our season, we’re going to do what we need to do to win as many games as possible, and if that means asking pitchers to take on slightly different roles for various turns through our rotation, that’s what we’re going to do."

Holmes is the most experienced of the bunch, pitching in the postseason. Holmes has appeared in 19 playoff games in three different seasons with the Yankees, with last year's campaign seeing him pitch deep into October. He pitched to a 3-1 record and a 2.25 ERA across 13 appearances (12 IP).

While Holmes pitching out of the 'pen in the playoffs is a possibility, it will still be a conversation the team will have as they look to mix and match against their opponent.

"It’s still a transition for him to do that," Stearns said of potentially moving Holmes to the bullpen. "It’s as much of what the matchups say, who we’re facing, how the rest of the pitching staff as a group is performing and then holistically trying to make the best decisions as you can."