PITTSBURGH — Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will make his next start as a pitcher on Monday against Colorado in Los Angeles.
Ohtani was scheduled to start Wednesday at Pittsburgh. However, because of a chest cold, he was limited to designated hitter duties, and Emmet Sheehan started in the Dodgers’ 3-0 loss.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith was not in the lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Pirates. The three-time All-Star sustained a bruised right hand on Wednesday when a foul ball hit him.
Manager Dave Roberts said Smith was unlikely to play in the three-game series at Baltimore that begins on Friday.
Roberts said the decision to move Ohtani’s next start until next week was to give him ample time to recover. The 2024 National League MVP will continue to DH.
“You want him to give him his best chance to give up five innings in his next start,” Roberts said.
Ohtani did not pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from his second Tommy John elbow surgery. Ohtani made his mound debut this season on June 16 and has a 1-1 record and 4.18 ERA in 11 starts.
Ohtani is hitting .280 with 46 home runs in 136 games. He leads the NL with 125 runs scored and a .610 slugging percentage.
X-rays of Smith’s hand on Wednesday night were negative. He underwent imaging on Thursday, and the results were not immediately available. Smith has a .296 batting average and 17 homers in 109 games.
Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing will get the bulk of the work behind the plate while Smith is sidelined.
The Dodgers selected the contract of veteran catcher Ben Rortvedt from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned infielder Alex Freeland to the same club. Right-hander Alexis Diaz, an All-Star in 2023 with Cincinnati, was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Rortvedt.
Rortvedt has spent all or parts of four seasons in the major leagues with Minnesota, the New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay. He is a .186 career hitter in 209 games.
Third baseman Max Muncy is also expected to begin a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Muncy was placed on the IL with a strained right oblique on Aug. 15.
The Mets are hoping to fortify their bullpen before the start of the postseason, and Reed Garrett is hoping to be part of the team's plans when he returns from his rehab assignment.
Garrett began his first step toward returning to the club when he took the mound for Double-A Binghamton on Thursday.
Starting the game against the Akron RubberDucks, the right-hander started off hot, striking out the first hitter he faced on three pitches. After a five-pitch lineout, Garrett allowed a single before striking out his final batter on four pitches.
It was a dominant performance for Garrett, who allowed one hit and struck out two batters in his one inning of work. He was also very efficient, tossing just 15 pitches, 11 for strikes.
Garrett was placed on the IL back on Aug. 25 with right elbow inflammation. To make sure Garrett is healthy enough to return, Thursday's outing is the first of likely a few starts in the minor leagues. The minor league regular season does end in September, so there's not too much time for the 32-year-old to get in his reps.
This season, Garrett has produced up-and-down results. He pitched to a 0.73 ERA through May but has since seen his effectiveness wane as the months have gone on. In 54 appearances, Garrett owns a 3.61 ERA with three saves and a 1.22 WHIP.
A couple of strikeouts tonight for Reed Garrett in his first rehab appearance for Binghamton pic.twitter.com/fy8TAkdNnS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 15-day Injured List on Thursday because of a lower back strain. The move is retroactive to Monday.
Originally scheduled to start Thursday night against the Los Angeles Angels, Lugo (8-7) was was scratched Wednesday because of back discomfort.
“He came out and tried to play catch today,” manager Matt Quatraro said Thursday. “His back was still pretty stiff, so we’re going to put him on the IL.”
Right-hander Stephen Kolek took Lugo’s roster spot. He was expected to start Saturday against Minnesota.
MILWAUKEE – The pace of play in Thursday’s game made some think the Phillies and Brewers wanted to be done quick enough to get settled in to watch the Eagles-Cowboys game.
In reality, the quickness in the early part was due to two outstanding starts by Ranger Suarez and Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta.
Once the Brewers’ ace was out, the Phillies finally broke a scoreless game in the seventh when Alec Bohm drilled a one-out triple to rightfield and scored on Trea Turner’s two-out single to give the Phillies the only run they needed in what became a 2-0 win over the Brewers. The Phillies took two-of-three from the Brewers and improved to 81-59. Milwaukee fell to 86-55.
The Phillies chased Peralta after just five innings, not because they were hitting him around, but because he had thrown 92 pitches, which included eight strikeouts and three walks. The National League pitcher of the month for August has not allowed an earned run in 29 innings. In his last six starts encompassing 33 innings, Peralta has given up just 13 hits, one earned run, 15 walks and 42 strikeouts.
Suarez was pitch-for-pitch with Peralta, as he once again had terrific command and masterfully worked himself out of tough situations. He allowed a runner in each of his six innings and appeared to be tiring a bit in the sixth.
“He was fantastic,” said Rob Thomson of Suarez. “Strikes, command, kept them off balance, curve ball was really good. I thought he was outstanding, I really did. And the bullpen was great, too. Our offense on their starter was really good. We got his pitch count up, we had 84 pitches after four which is really good even though we didn’t have anything to show for it. Really good defense. All around great team win.”
William Contreras led off that sixth inning with a walk and moved to third on a double by Andrew Vaughn. That’s when Suarez zoned in. With the infield drawn in, he got Caleb Durbin to ground out to Bryson Stott at second, then coaxed Danny Jansen into a shallow fly out to Harrison Bader in center. He got out of the inning when Andruw Monasterio grounded out to Alec Bohm at third.
Suarez finished the day giving up six hits and struck out four in his six innings and 60 of his 89 pitches were strikes.
“We all know how great of a team they are,” said Suarez, who improved to 11-6. “Today I just focused on being myself on the mound and just throwing the pitches that I wanted and the counts that I wanted, too. I think just be myself and how I am naturally, calm. I think that helped me and locating my pitches. The curveball helped me a lot. I threw it a lot in that last inning.”
The Phillies got an insurance run in the eighth when Bader doubled down the leftfield line to lead off the inning and scored on a double by Stott.
After Suarez’s terrific outing, the bullpen was perfect in closing out the Phillies’ fifth win in their last seven games. David Robertson, Matt Strahm and Jhoan Duran each pitched scoreless innings and Duran picked up his 26th save of the season and 10th as a Phillie. He was aided on a leaping catch near the fence in center by Bader off the bat of Monasterio.
“I think our attitude is just keep pushing and keep competing and good things will happen,” said Turner. “We were making (Peralta) work and our pitching staff did a great job today. Ranger was really good and the bullpen was great. Getting that lead and holding onto it was big because you’ve got to win games like that.”
The Mets added some bullpen depth on Thursday, claiming right-hander Wander Suero off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.
Suero, 33, appeared in five games with the Braves this season, pitching to an 11.37 ERA with four walks and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Breaking into the majors with the Washington Nationals in 2018, Suero pitched four seasons with the Nats, posting a 4.61 ERA with a 3.80 FIP.
The righty has also pitched in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers (five games), Houston Astros (one game), and the Braves (five games).
While Suero may not be a high-leverage reliever for the Mets, he does give them another experienced arm in a bullpen that has been heavily taxed due to the starting rotation not providing enough length on a consistent basis.
MILWAUKEE — Since the Phillies acquired outfielder Harrison Bader at the trade deadline, the question of platooning Bader, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Weston Wilson has been a popular talking point.
Well, now it appears Nick Castellanos can be added to the list.
Manager Rob Thomson created his own deadline for deciding on an “everyday” outfield when Bader was gotten, saying he was going to go six days of platooning before any decision was made. That was back at the end of July and now, the rotation seems as unknown as ever.
Castellanos was out of the lineup again Thursday against the Brewers, despite getting two hits and scoring two runs in Wednesday’s 6-3 loss. Thomson’s outfield Thursday consisted of Marsh in left, Bader in center and Kepler in right. It’s the sixth time Castellanos has not started in the past 18 games.
“Yeah, well, I mean the other three are so hot right now,” Thomson said. “So I was staying with that, to tell you the truth.”
When asked about the platoon back at the trade deadline, Thomson called Castellanos an everyday player. He’s also said that matching up players against opposing pitchers is a big factor in deciding who plays. For his career, Castellanos is 7 for 19 (.368) with four doubles and five RBI against Thursday’s starter Freddy Peralta. For comparison, Bader is 4 for 19 (.211) with a homer, three RBI and eight strikeouts and Marsh 0 for 4.
“Well, it looks that way,” Thomson said on if Castellanos is now part of the platoon. “I mean, you can call it whatever you want, but at this point in the year, I’m going to put out what I think is the best lineup on any given day to win a ballgame. Yeah, there’s still a bit of a rotation, if you want to call it that. If you want to call it a platoon, doesn’t matter to me.”
Since joining the team, Bader has hit .310 with nine extra base hits, nine RBI and 13 runs in the 27 games. Kepler has hit .288 with six extra base hits, nine RBI and 11 runs over his last 14 games and Marsh is hitting .303 over his last 97 games, including 10 for his last 19.
Asked how Castellanos, who is hitting .253 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI, is handling the situation, Thomson said, “Yeah, he hasn’t said a word. He’s been good. I think he’s being a pro and understands that he’s ready to help the club whenever it’s needed.”
Painter update
Top prospect Andrew Painter struggled in his Wednesday outing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, as he gave up 10 hits, six earned runs, three walks and two home runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. He now has a 5.62 ERA.
“Basically, the same kind of stuff,” Thomson said. “But he did get 17 whiffs, so that was good. The velocity was good. I didn’t see it this time, but just from the report, two walks in the first inning, a walk later on, kind of cruised for a bit. But, you know, it’s just a little bit of inconsistency with fastball command and I think that’s normal.”
Thomson said he hasn’t heard anything about shutting Painter down for the season, his first back from Tommy John surgery.
“There was a time earlier in the year that he was getting frustrated,” Thomson said. “And I’m sure there’s still some frustration there, because he’s always had a lot of success. But I think, overall, he’s handled it well. I know that it’s always good to end a season on a good note, especially in his case.”
Right-handed pitching prospect Brandon Sproat is coming up to make his major league debut against the Reds this weekend.
SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino was first to report earlier Thursday that Sproat was in "strong consideration" for a start this weekend.
The belief is that Sproat will start on Sunday.
Sproat, 24, is coming off one of his best starts of the season for Triple-A Syracuse, where he fired 7.0 shutout innings while allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out nine.
Since making a change ahead of his start on June 28 -- basically deciding to be more aggressive and let it fly -- Sproat has a 2.44 ERA in 59.0 innings.
He's also been missing bats at a higher clip, racking up eight or more strikeouts on five occasions since then after not doing so at all over his first 15 games of the season.
The Mets' rotation is in a bit of flux, with the team waiting to see if Kodai Senga will accept a temporary assignment to the minors -- where he would be able to work on his mechanics and other things that have ailed him during his recent rough stretch.
After facing the Reds over the weekend, the Mets head to Philadelphia for a four-game series against the Phillies before returning home to open a three-game series against the Rangers on Friday, Sept. 12.
Alvarez, who last played on Aug. 17 -- when he sprained the UCL in his right thumb while sliding into second base -- is expected to be activated from the IL ahead of Friday's series-opener.
The backstop, who will need surgery after the season for his thumb injury, is also playing with a broken left pinky that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch last week during his rehab assignment.
Manager Carlos Mendoza recently said that Alvarez's throwing from behind the plate since hurting his thumb has been fine, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on after he returns -- especially if opposing teams attempt to take advantage of Alvarez's injury by running wild.
Before getting injured, Alvarez had been a force at the plate following his brief stint in the minor leagues. In 71 plate appearances over 21 games from July 21 to Aug. 17, he slashed .323/.408/.645 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored. If Alvarez can pick up where he left off, he'll add even more punch to a lineup that has been running on all cylinders over the last month or so.
As the Mets wait to see if the struggling Kodai Senga will accept a minor league assignment, the rotation is in flux.
David Peterson will start on Friday, with Jonah Tong getting the ball on Saturday, but the club hasn't yet named a starter for Sunday.
That's because Sproat is getting called up from Triple-A Syracuse, with the expectation being that he'll make that start.
Sproat, 24, is coming off one of his best starts of the season for Triple-A Syracuse, where he fired 7.0 shutout innings while allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out nine.
Since making a change ahead of his start on June 28 -- basically deciding to be more aggressive and let it fly -- Sproat has a 2.44 ERA in 59.0 innings.
Tong was strong in his major league debut last Friday at Citi Field, limiting the Marlins to one earned run over 5.0 innings while allowing six hits, walking none, and striking out six.
But it was a bit of a weird outing since there were two instances where Tong had to sit in the dugout for roughly a half hour while the Mets put a hurting on Miami. That led to a game that was a blowout in the Mets' favor early, which took a bit of the starch out of the excitement of Tong's debut.
Aug 29, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jonah Tong (21) reacts after striking out Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (not pictured) to end the top of the fifth inning at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
And while he pitched well as his fastball topped out at 97.7 mph, Tong generated only seven swings and misses.
Tong relied mostly on his fastball (which he threw 59 times) and changeup (24 times), while also mixing in his curve 13 times. He threw his slider -- the newest pitch in his arsenal -- just once.
It will be interesting to see how Tong looks his second time out and how he deploys his pitches, especially if the game remains close.
The Reds are reeling while the Giants are surging
The belief about a week ago was that this series would be a huge one when it comes to who nabs one of the last two Wild Card spots in the National League.
And while the Reds could still stake their claim if they play well, they'll enter Friday's tilt trailing the Mets by 5.0 games for the third Wild Card spot. That's because Cincinnati went 3-7 over its last 10 games as the Mets went 6-4, creating some serious separation while also pulling to within 1.0 game of the Padres for the second Wild Card spot.
In the meantime, the Giants went on a 10-1 clip, pulling ahead of the Reds in the standings and clawing to within 4.0 games of the Mets.
What could be important if San Francisco continues to surge is that the Mets own the tiebreaker over them after winning four of six games during this year's season series.
Hunter Greene has been elite
Greene, who gets the start on Sunday, has a 2.70 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 101 strikeouts in 83.1 innings over 15 starts this season.
The right-hander is coming off a strong start against the Blue Jays, where he limited Toronto to one run on five hits in 6.1 innings while walking one and striking out seven.
Since returning from a groin strain on Aug. 13, Greene has a 2.66 ERA in 23.2 innings over four starts.
Cincinnati's rotation schedule is a bit fluid due to Nick Lodolo missing his last start due to illness. Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer are currently listed as the starters for Friday and Saturday, respectively.
In this week's Closer Report, Ryan Walker continues to have an excellent second half, taking over as the Giants' closer with Randy Rodríguez set to undergo Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Shawn Armstrong is taking the lead in the Rangers' late-inning committee. All that and more as we review the last week in saves.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners Edwin Díaz - New York Mets Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
After blowing a save against the Guardians on Friday, Muñoz bounced back with a clean inning Sunday, striking out two batters for his 32nd save of the season. Behind Muñoz, Matt Brash has been outstanding in setup duties, registering 19 holds and a 1.86 ERA over 38 2/3 innings.
Díaz surrendered two runs against the Marlins in a non-save situation on Saturday, then converted a four-out save against the Tigers on Monday with a pair of strikeouts. The 31-year-old right-hander has converted 25 saves with a 1.87 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and an 81/18 K/BB ratio across 53 innings.
Chapman made two appearances this week, extending his perfect outing streak to six games. He struck out two against the Pirates on Sunday before striking out one in a clean frame against the Guardians on Monday, converting two saves to give him 28 on the season with a sparkling 1.00 ERA over 54 innings.
Tier 2
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres Daniel Palencia - Chicago Cubs
Duran made three perfect outings this week, picking up a pair of saves against the Braves and Brewers. The 27-year-old right-hander is up to 25 saves with a 1.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 66/18 K/BB ratio across 60 innings. José Alvarado returned from his suspension on August 19 and has allowed three runs with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings in middle relief.
No save chances for Suarez this week. He recorded five outs in a non-save situation against the Orioles on Monday, striking out three batters. Meanwhile, Palencia worked four outings for the Cubs, taking two losses and recording two saves.
Tier 3
David Bednar - New York Yankees Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals Bryan Abreu - Houston Astros Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants Abner Uribe - Milwaukee Brewers Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Emilio Pagán - Cincinnati Reds Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves Kyle Finnegan/Will Vest - Detroit Tigers Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates
Bednar pitched two scoreless innings against the White Sox on Saturday to fall in line for a win. Camilo Doval stepped in for a save in the bottom of the tenth inning. Devin Williams had pitched the seventh, giving up a run to charge him with a blown save. Bednar has run with the closer role, posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 71/15 K/BB ratio across 51 1/3 innings.
Fairbanks struck out two batters in each of his appearances, picking up two saves against the Nationals. The 31-year-old right-hander is up to 24 saves with a 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 53/15 K/BB ratio across 51 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Jansen also picked up two saves this week to bring him to 25 on the year.
Estévez worked around a hit on Saturday to pick up a save against the Tigers, breaking a streak of six clean outings. The 32-year-old right-hander has locked down a career-high 36 saves with a 2.58 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 50/20 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings.
In Houston, Abreu struck out two in a scoreless inning for a save against the Rockies last Thursday, then surrendered three runs to take a loss against the Angels on Saturday. The three-run outing broke a 12-game scoreless streak. Still, the 28-year-old right-hander has recorded a 1.89 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 95/27 K/BB ratio across 62 innings.
Walker needed to record just one out against the Cubs last Thursday to fall in line for a win. He followed with a clean inning against the Rockies on Tuesday, then recorded the final two outs in Colorado on Wednesday to convert his 14th save. Walker is set to finish out the season as the Giants' closer with Randy Rodríguez set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Uribe made two scoreless appearances against the Blue Jays, picking up a save on Saturday. He then surrendered two runs for the loss against the Phillies on Monday, his third appearance in four days. Regular closer Trevor Megill, nursing a Grade 1 flexor sprain, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday with hopes of returning when he's eligible on September 9.
Scott made just one appearance this week, giving up a three-run homer to blow the save against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. It was Scott's third appearance since coming off the injured list. Still, the 31-year-old left-hander can be expected to continue working as the Dodgers' primary closer.
Pagan struck out the side for a save against the Cardinals on Sunday, then surrendered three runs on two homers to blow a save against the Blue Jays on Monday, his third outing in four days. The 34-year-old right-hander has recorded 26 saves with a 3.34 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 66/20 K/BB ratio across 56 2/3 innings.
Smith struck out three batters in a clean, four-out save against the Mariners on Saturday. He had some trouble on Tuesday against the Red Sox, giving up three runs without recording an out. Hoffman also gave up three runs in an outing, taking the loss against the Brewers on Saturday. He recovered with a pair of scoreless innings, including his 30th save on Tuesday against the Reds. Hoffman's up-and-down season has resulted in a 4.85 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 78/20 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings.
Iglesias continues his strong second half with two scoreless appearances, picking up a save against the Phillies on Sunday. Meanwhile, Vest recorded his 20th save against the Royals on Friday. And in Pittsburgh, Santana locked down three more saves, giving him 13 to go with a 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 49/15 K/BB ratio across 60 innings.
Tier 4
JoJo Romero/Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Jose Ferrer - Washington Nationals Shawn Armstrong - Texas Rangers Calvin Faucher/Ronny Henriquez/Tyler Phillips - Miami Marlins
Romero made five appearances on the mound this week, converting three saves. He's up to seven with a 2.06 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 47/24 K/BB ratio across 52 1/3 innings. Romero has been working in a committee with O'Brien, who's been sidelined for a few days with a shoulder issue but expects to avoid the injured list.
Ferrer converted two saves for the Nationals, giving him six since taking over as closer following the trade of Kyle Finnegan. In Texas, Armstrong has six saves as he picked up two this week. The 34-year-old right-hander has taken the lead for closing duties for the Rangers, posting a 2.51 ERA over 61 innings.
Tier 5
Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles Justin Topa/Cole Sands - Minnesota Twins Sean Newcomb - Athletics Andrew Saalfrank - Arizona Diamondbacks Jordan Leasure/Steven Wilson - Chicago White Sox Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies
But while both teams traded blows in what felt like a playoff preview, the game will be remembered by the meltdown eighth inning by the Yankees, which was pushed to Houston's favor by what the team called an "inconsistent" strike zone from homeplate umpire Brian Walsh.
With the score tied at 4-4, Devin Williams was called upon to keep Houston down when he allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Correa. But a walk to Jesus Sanchez, with two questionable ball calls in the at-bat, put Williams in a bind. The right-hander then bounced back by striking out Yainer Diaz before walking Christian Walker to load the bases. Ramon Urias struck out swinging, bringing Taylor Trammell to the plate as the game-defining at-bat.
Trammell worked the count to 2-0, but Williams seemingly dotted the inside corner for a strike that Walsh called a ball, setting up a 3-0 count. Trammell would eventually walk on five pitches, pushing across the go-ahead run.
Manager Aaron Boone pulled Williams afterward and the reliever said a few words to Walsh as he walked back to the dugout. What Williams said prompted the first ejection of Williams' career.
"I already looked at [the replays]," Williams said after the game. "[Walsh] definitely missed four [pitches] and I told him, and he threw me out for it."
Boone would also be ejected after the skipper chirped at Walsh while walking back to the dugout.
Camilo Doval relieved Williams, and he allowed a single before balking in a run and throwing a wild pitch that plated another as the inning got out of hand.
Boone called the eighth "tough" and said there were some close pitches but gave credit to the Astros for putting together good at-bats against starter Will Warren and the bullpen in the second half of the game as the reason the game got away from the Yankees.
When asked about Walsh's strike zone, the Yankees skipper agreed that it was inconsistent but again credited Houston for the comeback.
"I thought it was maybe a little inconsistent. This is more we had a lead, had a couple of chances to add on and the Astros put some good at-bats together," he said. "They were squaring up good pitches against us in the second half of the game. Outslasted us."
Austin Wells was asked after the game whether the strike zone changed as the game went on, and the Yankees backstop took a beat but was candid.
"Yes. I would say yes," he said.
That wasn't more evident than in the ninth inning. After Cody Bellinger's three-run shot cut the Astros' lead to 8-7, Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out looking on a pitch that seemed to be a bit outside to end the game. Chisholm had some words with Walsh after the game was over.
Williams understands that missed calls are a part of the game and pitchers are supposed to push past it, but admitted that it's difficult to accept when it "changes outcomes."
"When you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat," Williams said. "Correa hit the double, so I had my back against the wall right away. made some really good pitches to Sanchez, which he missed two in that at-bat. I competed but…I don’t know.
"It’s just ridiculous to have the inning that I had and then Jazz got the bat taken out of his hands on a pitch that was a lot further from the zone than pitches I was making.”
"He had the right to be frustrated. Felt like there was definitely some calls that we would have loved to go our way," Wells said of Williams. "The game, mistakes, is what it is. We go back, watch video, try to get better. I hope that those guys are going to do the same."
Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out in the first inning Wednesday. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
It was a pivotal moment, in a pivotal game, in what’s become a pivotal week for the Dodgers in the National League West standings.
Which, rather predictably given their recently floundering form, meant they found a new way to mess it all up.
In the top of the second inning on Wednesday night at PNC Park, the Dodgers appeared to be in optimal position.
Earlier in the day, the second-place San Diego Padres had been swept by the woebegone Baltimore Orioles, opening the door for the Dodgers to extend their 2½-game lead in the division. And despite trailing by a run in their own showdown against a last-place team, the Dodgers had the Pittsburgh Pirates on the ropes, loading the bases with no outs for a chance to take the lead.
The task, at that point, was simple.
Get the ball in play. Manufacture some early scoring. And, at the very least, set a positive tone for a night in which the NL West lead could grow.
“That’s a situation where you get shorter with your swing, use the big part of the field and you’ve got to drive in a run,” manager Dave Roberts said.
That approach, however, never materialized.
Over the rest of an inexplicable 3-0 loss to the Pirates, what happened next would instead loom large.
First, second-year outfielder Andy Pages came up, worked another full count against Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft … then went down swinging chasing a slider that would’ve been ball four.
Next, rookie infielder Alex Freeland again ran the count full, got an elevated slider up in the zone to hit … but kept the bat on his shoulder as the umpire rung him up for a called third strike.
A Kiké Hernández flyout would ultimately end the inning. But it was the first two at-bats that had Roberts fuming afterward.
“You never want to say that one inning kind of win or loses a game,” Roberts said. “But the second inning, bases loaded, nobody out — I just felt that we had two bad at-bats and didn't come away with anything.”
“That flipped the game,” Roberts later added. “It flipped the momentum.”
Indeed, on a night the Dodgers (78-61) failed to score any of their 11 baserunners or record a hit in seven at-bats with men in scoring position, no sequence was more frustrating than their second-inning fizzle.
It was the latest epitome of the team failing to produce in a clutch situation. Another example of their roster flunking some basic fundamentals.
“We've got to collectively get all of us on board understanding the magnitude of each at-bat, each situation,” Roberts bemoaned from his office postgame. “I sound repetitive [about how] it's got to get better. But I do believe that having the right approach, the right mindset, the right urgency in a particular at-bat lends itself to better results."
This has been a recurring theme for the Dodgers during the second half of the season; the kind of fine-margin miscues that have haunted them during a perplexing 22-29 stretch since July 4.
Sometimes, it’s their big-name superstars that falter. In other cases, it’s younger contributors like Pages and Freeland who fail to execute when required.
The only constant: Every time the Dodgers seem to be turning a corner, they find another way to trip themselves up.
“I do believe that the guys that we have in the room are capable of putting together consistent team at-bats of urgency from the first pitch on,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day — and I'm sure our players are echoing the same message — we just got to get it done.”
This week’s series at PNC Park (the fourth straight the Dodgers have dropped here over the last four years) has exemplified the club’s maddening current rut in other ways.
One night, they explode at the plate for seven runs … only for their pitching staff to give up nine as it did in Tuesday’s loss.
The next, they piece together a decent pitching effort (even after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start because of an illness) … only for the offense to squander every single opportunity they had to take control of the contest (and lose catcher Will Smith along the way to a bruised hand he suffered on an errant foul ball, though postgame X-rays came back negative).
“We haven’t really put it together at all for a while now,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We need to start playing better.”
On Wednesday, the Pirates jumped in front in the first inning, when Bryan Reynolds homered in the 12th pitch of his at-bat off spot starter Emmet Sheehan. Andrew McCutchen doubled the lead in the second, adding to the sting of the Dodgers’ squandered bases-loaded opportunity with a line-drive home run in the game’s very next at-bat.
After that, “we just really couldn't put anything else together,” Roberts said.
Or, more precisely, they failed to finish any other chances off.
The Dodgers loaded the bases again with two out in the third, before Alex Call hit a dribbler up the first-base line to retire the side.
The team had two runners aboard again in the fifth and seventh, but continued to come up empty each and every time.
“We had guys on, we just didn’t get the hit,” said Freeman, who rolled into a fifth-inning double-play to extinguish that threat. “Frustrating night.”
The only saving grace right now is that the Padres (who have lost four in a row while dealing with a string of deflating injuries) haven’t made up ground against them.
“I’m very much aware of that,” Roberts said. “But they’re feeling the same thing we are. We’ve got to control what we can control. And we’re certainly not.”
A different approach in Wednesday’s second inning might have changed all that. Instead, it served as another regrettable failure, turning a potentially pivotal chance to stretch the division lead into one of the season's most dispiriting losses.
Smith update
Smith exited Wednesday's game after the second inning, when a foul tip bounced off the dirt and hit his right throwing hand as it was hanging behind his right thigh.
Because Smith's X-rays came back negative, Roberts said the club was hopeful he could avoid the injured list. However, given the swelling and soreness he was feeling postgame, the team was still planning to call up a third catcher on Thursday for more roster insurance.
Francisco Alvarez is getting closer to a return to the Mets, and in his potentially final rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse, the backstop showed his prodigious power.
After flying out in his first at-bat against Buffalo on Wednesday, Alvarez came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. Stepping to the plate against CJ Van Eyk, Alvarez was down 0-2 in the count when a fastball was left up in the zone. Alvarez got around the pitch and launched the ball 405 feet -- at 105.6 mph -- for the grand slam. The blast gave Syracuse a 7-0 lead.
Alvarez finished 1-for-4 with a walk but caught all nine innings of Syracuse's 8-2 win on Wednesday. In five games with Triple-A, Alvarez is 4-for-19.
In addition to Alvarez, the Mets had Jose Siri rehabbing with Triple-A. In his second game with Syracuse, Siri went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Siri was the DH in Tuesday's game, but played center field on Wednesday for seven innings before he was pulled. In two games, Siri is 2-for-9 with two RBI and four strikeouts.
In the prospect department, Jett Williams went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. His big hit came in the eighth, a two-run shot that went 384 feet.
Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford went a combined 0-for-8 with a walk and an RBI, and four strikeouts.
Kevin Parada made his Triple-A debut after his promotion and started as the team's DH. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. He also stole a base.
BOSTON — Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after he was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a left oblique strain.
The 21-year-old Anthony departed Tuesday's 11-7 victory over Cleveland after striking out in the fourth inning. An MRI revealed the extent of the injury.
There is no timetable for Anthony's return, but manager Alex Cora said players are typically sidelined for four to six weeks with this kind of oblique issue.
Entering Wednesday's action, Boston was 2 1/2 games back of AL East-leading Toronto. It also was in position for the second AL wild card.
“We keep going,” Cora said of how his team will deal with the loss of Anthony. “At one point, he’s going to be part of it, so just got to be patient, keep pitching, keep putting good at-bats, keep playing.
“I told him to envision (American League Championship Series) first at-bat. Put that goal in your mind and hopefully it happens.”
Anthony missed two games last month with mid-back tightness, but the outfielder said Tuesday night that this injury felt worse.
The Red Sox also recalled infielder-outfielder Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester before Wednesday night's game against the Guardians.
Anthony, one of baseball's top prospects, made his major league debut on June 9. He is batting .292 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 71 games with the Red Sox.
Anthony, a second-round pick in the 2022 amateur draft, signed a $130 million, eight-year contract on Aug. 6.
MILWAUKEE – It was Bark at the Park Night at Milwaukee’s American Family Field on Wednesday and canines were plentiful throughout the stands.
Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola got dogged for five runs in the first inning as the Brewers beat the Phillies, 6-3.
Just ten batters in, Nola had allowed a walk, hit a batter, gave up two singles, a triple, a home run and those five runs as the Phillies fell to 80-59 on the season but kept their lead in the National League East at five games as the New York Mets also lost.
In his previous outing last Thursday, Nola allowed three hits, two walks and three runs in his first inning. Not really what anyone wanted to see from Nola, especially after Zack Wheeler was lost for the season.
“My command was off to start out,” said Nola, who fell to 3-8. “They did a good job of putting the bat on it and putting it where we weren’t. I just kind of felt off, especially in the first. Felt like I settled in a little bit.
You saw it out there in the first. I wasn’t that crisp. I just got to make pitches. I think the first inning is kind of biting me in the butt the past couple of times. I feel like it’s been all year, even before I was hurt. Usually through the game it’s that one inning that’s kind of given me trouble.”
Milwaukee star outfielder Christian Yelich was a late scratch to the lineup with a lower back strain. It didn’t seem to matter much to his teammates, especially in the big first inning.
Brice Turang started it off with a walk before Jackson Chourio, who filled in for Yelich, was hit by a pitch. A William Contreras single loaded the base before Sal Frelick singled to center in front of Harrison Bader, scoring Turang. The Phillies centerfielder’s throw to third skipped past Alec Bohm and allowed Chourio to also score. Isaac Collins then smashed his second home run of the series to right field for a 5-0 lead.
In his last start, Nola was aided by his teammates who scored 19 runs and belted 20 hits, including seven home runs, four by Kyle Schwarber.
He didn’t get that support on Monday.
After Milwaukee (86-54) got their sixth run on an RBI double by Turang in the fourth, the Phillies countered with a run in the fifth. Nick Castellanos and Edmundo Sosa singled to start the inning and Castellanos scored on a single by Trea Turner. But Schwarber struck out and Bryce Harper hit into a fielder’s choice to end any threat of a bigger comeback.
“We have to figure that one out where he comes out and he’s got his command,” said Thomson of Nola. “In the first inning he was getting behind in the count and almost like he’s trying to make that perfect pitch and getting further behind in the count. We’ll figure that one out. But after that he settled in and gave us five innings and he was better. Not quite Nola-like but he was better.
Does Thomson have the confidence that Nola will become Nola-like before the playoffs?
“Full confidence, really,” he said. “I think in ’22 or ’23, one of the years we were coming into the playoffs he wasn’t throwing all that well. As soon as the playoffs started he got it going. I always have confidence in him because he’s always prepared and he competes. The bright lights don’t affect him.”
Weston Wilson hit a 444-foot bomb to left in the seventh, his fourth of the season, with Castellanos on first to cut the lead to 6-3. But that was all the bark the Phillies had left in them as they’ll try to win this three-game series Thursday afternoon.
“I think it shows we’re resilient,” said Wilson, who collided with Harrison Bader in left center as the two were chasing a double in the gap. “I think even though we get down early it’s not over for us. We’re going to play baseball and just try to grind our way back.”
Having used six relievers in Monday’s wild win, manager Rob Thomson had to have Nola eat up some innings, and he did after the woeful first. Nola went five innings and allowed six hits, six earned runs, walked two and struck out six. Going into the game, Nola had a 7-2 record with a 2.64 ERA in 14 starts against the Brewers since 2016.
Milwaukee starter Jose Quintana improved to 11-5 as he was pulled after Wilson’s home run. In his six and one/third innings, he gave up seven hits, three earned runs and struck out six.
The Phillies had nine hits on the night but left eight on base. Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Castellanos each had two hits.
Mets reliever Ryan Helsley had another rough outing in Wednesday's loss to the Tigers, giving up a three-run home run in the seventh inning to put Detroit up for good, 6-2.
The former two-time All-Star closer's ERA has ballooned to 11.45 over 14 appearances with New York since being acquired at the trade deadline from St. Louis. Overall, he's given up 14 earned runs in just 11.0 IP.
It's hard to make sense of Helsley's performances since joining the Mets, as he was pitching to a 3.00 ERA over 36 appearances with the Cardinals. Even manager Carlos Mendoza is confused by the poor outings, but the team will continue to look for answers to solve the right-hander's struggles.
"Yeah, I mean that's the frustrating part here," Mendoza said. "This is a guy, you look up and it's 102 [mph] and they continue to take some really good swings. Then the way they're taking the breaking ball, too. And I don't think it's tipping-related; he's made some adjustments.
"Talking to Hef [Jeremy Hefner], how do we help this guy? Because right now we're not doing it. When you got that type of stuff and they keep hitting it, something's going on here."
Mendoza pointed out that some of Helsley's issues come from not getting the right amount of elevation on his fastballs. The home run to Kerry Carpenter was a 100 mph fastball low and inside, allowing the lefty to turn on it with a 106.3 mph exit velocity and send it into the right field stands.
"I think for me, that's the biggest thing, his ability to elevate the fastball," Mendoza said. "We saw it again today, that homer there is a fastball in the power zone for the lefties. When he's effective, when he's at his best, he's able to elevate the fastball and right now we're not doing that."
Helsley said it's tough to figure out what's wrong when "everything's falling," but he knows he has to keep working when given the chance to pitch.
"Just trying anything and everything," Helsley said. "Feels like [I] make a good pitch and it gets hit and then mistakes obviously get hit as well. Seems like everything's falling. Obviously can't walk guys and got to compete out there. Just keep trying to get after it when I'm out there."
The reliever then noted that he needs to "get back to the basics" to improve his pitch execution.
"Yeah, I would say it's been OK, could probably be a little better," Helsley said. "Feels like guys are swinging at 100 like it's 91 right now, so when you feel like you got to be perfect out there, it's not a good thing. Just trying to get back to the basics and start at square one. Try to get back to form and be myself and help the team win."
"A few things, I'm trying to work on it all," Helsley said. "Obviously, the hands have changed and the positioning has changed. It's felt pretty good, honestly, overall. I didn't love it at first and I think obviously the more I do it, the more I get comfortable with it."
Mendoza thought today's situation, with the Mets down 3-2 in the seventh, would have been a good spot for Helsley to right his previous outings. He still believes in him going forward and shot down any notion that pitching in New York has anything to do with his issues.
"I wouldn't say New York, this guy is a closer," Mendoza said. "Closers, especially when you're that good... Whether it's New York, St. Louis, whatever the case might be, big league players are going to go through stretches where it's hard. But I wouldn't put it on New York, this guy's built for it."
Starter Clay Holmes, who also struggled over 4.2 IP on Wednesday, spoke from experience as a closer about Helsley's rough stretch and expressed his and the team's belief in him.
"I've been traded midseason, I've been a closer, I've had a lot of success there, had some failures there," Holmes said. "I mean, there's a lot that goes with all this stuff. Especially moving teams, moving roles. You're in a playoff chase. There's a lot that goes on there. The game's never as easy as it is. When you add some of those things, there are times you may not be your best.
"I think we all have a lot of confidence in Ryan. Obviously, his stuff's still there, he has the makeup, he has the work ethic. You've got to keep moving forward and keep believing in yourself and finding ways to get better... Like I said, he has the makeup, he's putting the work in, he wants it. Guys like that, you can see him coming out the other end really good. It's just times like this can get rough."
