Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers the ball from the mound against the Pirates Friday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Billed as a matchup between the National League’s best arms, Friday night's pitchers duel lived up to expectations.
Enter 22-year-old flamethrower Paul Skenes. He grew up in Fullerton. He began his meteoric rise at nearby El Toro High.
Coming off his rookie of the year campaign, in his second start at Dodger Stadium, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander harnessed the “plus-plus stuff” — emphasized by his 99.4-mph first-inning strikeout of Freddie Freeman, dazzling curveballs and stand out “splinker” — that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts marveled at before the game.
Skenes, the No. 1 selection in the 2023 draft, tossed 6⅓ scoreless frames to send the Dodgers to a 3-0 loss on Friday night. The Dodgers never drummed up run support for their ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, succumbing to a shutout for the second time and falling into a three-game losing streak for the first time since last August.
“I think that he's one of the best in the game,” Roberts said about Skenes, who generated 18 swings and misses. “Tonight we really couldn't muster much."
Freeman hit Skenes’ only mistake of the day — a hanging curveball over the center of the plate — into the right field corner for a double in the fourth inning. Freeman advanced to third on an error on the play, but being 90 feet away from home didn’t matter. Skenes set the next three batters down.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes gets high-fives in the dugout after throwing 6⅓ scoreless innings against the Dodgers on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
In the fifth inning, after Andy Pages reached on a double for the second time in the game, Skenes struck out Shohei Ohtani on a full-count curveball that sent the Dodgers star into a twisting, off-balance backswing and had Pirates catcher Henry Davis pumping his fist toward the mound in celebration.
Skenes, a highlight for the struggling Pirates (11-16), simply walked back to the dugout — his performance was business-like, giving up five hits, while striking out nine and walking zero over 108 pitches. Roberts said the Dodgers (16-10) wouldn’t be able to “paper-knife” Skenes, pointing at how difficult it is to rally hits against the 6-foot-6 right-hander.
And Roberts was right. Pages had three hits and Freeman two, but the Dodgers tallied just one more against Skenes.. The Pirates bullpen gave up just one hit during the final 2-2/3 frames.
“Certain nights, we just can’t put a complete ballgame together with starting pitching, hitting, timely hitting, all that stuff,” Roberts said. “It just hasn’t been synced up.”
Michael Conforto, who ended the night 0 for 4 with three strikeouts — two of which came against Skenes — said the Dodgers need to stretch together a hitting run to get out of the team’s funk — now 8-10 since starting the season 8-0. Conforto is hitting .187 after hitting .237 for the Giants a year ago.
"We've definitely had our struggles,” Conforto said, adding that he believes hitting is contagious and that the lineup will begin to rally. “There's a lot of great hitters in this lineup. A lot of us haven't gotten it going yet, and it's only a matter of time before it all starts clicking."
It wasn’t so long ago that Yamamoto was in a similar position to Skenes.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani fails to connect on a pitch by Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes in the third inning at Dodger Stadium Friday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Three days after he turned 19 years old, the Orix Buffaloes thrust Yamamoto into big-league action. Much like Skenes in Pittsburgh, his youth did not hinder his success — Yamamoto building a trophy case that included three Triple Crowns of pitching and three Sawamura awards (the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young) before heading to the U.S.
“The bottom line is that he has shown to be the best pitcher in a particular league multiple times,” Roberts said before Yamamoto toed the mound.
But Yamamoto didn’t have his best stuff against the Pirates. He struggled with command, issuing four walks for the first time since Aug. 2, 2022 — against the Seibu Lions in Japan — and lasted five innings and 94 pitches (54 of which came in the first two innings).
Roberts said Yamamoto’s outing was "uncharacteristic," pointing to the Japanese right-hander’s struggles with locating his fastball against Pirates — leading to hard contact on get-me-over offspeed pitches such as the one Oneil Cruz lined for a 117.6-mph RBI single to make it a 2-0 lead in the fifth.
“I think tonight, overall, he just typically has great command and tonight he just wasn't as pinpoint,” Roberts said.
Both of Pittsburgh’s fifth-inning runs, however, were unearned. Third baseman Max Muncy sailed a ball wide to first base after collecting a ground ball near the foul line, enabling Davis to advance to second. Three hits later, the Pirates were up three.
“In a game like this, there is a reason,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter when asked about his command. "I was feeling I'm getting better, actually, as a matter of fact, in the early phase of the game. But today, I couldn't bring it back to my normal stuff."
Yamamoto still struck out five and kept the Dodgers in the contest despite being below his best. His earned-run average rose a few points but remained at an NL-low 1.06, second to only Texas Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle.
Injury updates
Roberts said the pitching staff “dodged a bullet” with Blake Snell's latest injury update. Snell, shut down from his throwing program Wednesday, underwent an MRI on Thursday morning — which came back with no new findings of damage in his left shoulder.
Snell’s next steps likely will include an injection, Roberts said, before he resumes a throwing program. Before heading to the 15-day injured list on April 6, Snell held a 1-0 record with a 2.00 ERAthrough two starts.
“I don't know the extent of the length of time,” Roberts said, “but just knowing that there's no damage is certainly a big relief."
Roberts also provided updates on bullpen arms Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech. Treinen (low-grade right forearm sprain) has yet to begin a throwing program, while Kopech (right shoulder impingement) — who joined the Dodgers last year in a trade-deadline deal with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals — tossed a 30-pitch bullpen session Thursday and will do the same Monday before a potential minor-league rehab assignment.
In what was a wacky game on Friday night between the Mets and the Washington Nationals, perhaps the strangest play happened in the fourth inning. Something that hasn't happened to New York in 15 years.
With runners on first and second and nobody out after back-to-back singles by Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos, the Mets were on the verge of a potential big inning against Jake Irvin, who had a 2-0 lead and was pitching well up until that point.
Instead, Jesse Winker lined a ball to first base that was caught by Nathaniel Lowe. At least, that's what was called on the field by first base umpire Alfonso Marquez. With both baserunners trying to advance, the Nationals threw to second and first base for the force outs, which resulted in a triple play.
Threat over.
However, on instant replay, it was clear that the ball hit the dirt before going into Lowe's glove which should've negated the triple play. Unfortunately for New York, that play is not reviewable and could not be challenged by manager Carlos Mendoza.
"It’s frustrating, obviously, because we all saw what happened," the skipper said after the game. "And I’m not blaming Alfonso because he’s the one behind the play, but I think the other three [umpires], somebody’s got to see that play. Tough break for us there.",
After the call on the field, Mendoza went out to argue that the umpires should at least get together to talk about what they saw. His request was to no avail as all four umpires apparently saw the same thing as Marquez.
"They said that if somebody saw it, somebody would have just called to Alfonso, and that was my frustration there. We all saw it in the dugout," Mendoza said.
While having a wrong call go against you is undeniably frustrating, especially in this day and age of replay review, what had Mendoza and the Mets most annoyed was how crucial the call was at that point in the game.
Already down 2-0 and unable to get anything going against Irvin, New York's golden opportunity to do some damage against the right-hander was stripped away in the blink of an eye.
"That’s just frustrating – a play like that with so much impact, not only in that inning but in the game, it’s first and second, nobody out and before you know it, you’re out of the inning and there’s nothing you can do about it," Mendoza said. "I was asking for them to get together and it was just a pretty frustrating play."
Following the game, Nimmo and Vientos were asked about what they saw on the play.
While Vientos called it a baserunning mistake on his part for not freezing and going back to first base on the sharp liner, Nimmo said he made a split-second decision while acknowledging that it's a tough play.
"I thought I saw a little skip [of the ball] before the glove and so I decided to go [to third base]," Nimmo said. "But you’re also kind of in no-man’s land when it’s hit hard at [someone] like that and it’s a close play on the ground…
"Just unfortunate timing there and one of those plays where unfortunately on the base paths you’re kind of in no-man’s land and you just gotta make a decision and see what the umpires end up saying."
Perhaps most frustrating of all is the fact that that specific play can not be reviewed. If MLB has the capability to review close plays, why not extend that power to all plays to ensure every call is correct?
It's an answer Mendoza, Nimmo and the rest of the Mets are still searching for.
"I do think it switched momentum big time," Nimmo added.
NEW YORK (AP) — Alejandro Kirk hit a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth inning off Yankees closer Devin Williams and the Toronto Blue Jays beat New York 4-2 on Friday night, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Williams (0-2), who has an 11.25 ERA in his first 10 appearances, failed to retire a batter and blew his first save in five chances.
After allowing a leadoff single to George Springer and hitting Andrés Giménez, Kirk lifted a 1-0 changeup over the had of center fielder Trent Grisham and Williams was pulled by manager Aaron Boone.
Kirk’s big hit came after he threw out Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Cody Bellinger at second on stolen base attempts in the sixth.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered in the sixth and Addison Barger added an RBI single in the ninth off Mark Leiter Jr. to give the Blue Jays a 4-2 lead.
Austin Wells hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Oswaldo Cabrera hit a tying single in the seventh, but the Yankees stranded two in the seventh. New York stranded 11 runners and were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Mason Fluharty (1-0) earned his first win by keeping the game at 2-1 in the eighth.
Toronto starter José Berríos allowed five hits in 5 1/3 innings for his first scoreless start since Aug. 31 at Minnesota. Berríos struck out four and walked two.
New York starter Carlos Carrasco allowed three hits in five scoreless innings.
Key moment
Jeff Hoffman stranded Ben Rice by retiring Paul Goldschmidt for his sixth save in as many chances.
Key stats
Opponents are 6 for 22 (.273) against Williams’ changeup. Last season, Williams allowed six hits in 37 at-bats (.162) off the pitch.
Up next
Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.16 ERA) opposes New York LHP Max Fried (4-0, 1.42) on Saturday.
The Mets fought late to come back and take the lead against the Washington Nationals just to blow it in the ninth and lost to their division rivals, 5-4, on Friday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-New York entered the top of the eighth inning down 3-0 after Jake Irvin spent the entire evening dicing them up, allowing just five hits -- all singles -- in 7.1 innings. But with a runner on first and one out, Washington manager Dave Martinez pulled the right-hander after 98 pitches and went to his shaky bullpen. The decision did not pay off.
-With two outs, Juan Soto singled, Pete Alonso walked and with the bases loaded, Brandon Nimmo hit one up the middle that found enough of a hole to drive in a run.
Now facing Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, Mark Vientos dumped one just inside the right-field line, where right fielder Dylan Crews made a diving attempt but came up empty. The do-or-die play by a young player cleared the bases to give the Mets the lead and put Vientos on third for his first triple of the season and the second of his career.
-With their first lead of the night, center fielder Tyrone Taylor made an excellent play in the bottom of the eighth inning, throwing out Luis Garcia Jr. at second base, trying to extend a single into a double. The assist helped Reed Garrett pitch a scoreless inning as the reliever has still not allowed an earned run this season.
-Crews made up for his lapse in judgment on the dive attempt with a leadoff triple to start the last of the ninth against Ryne Stanek, who was vying for the save. While the ball was hit hard and traveled to the warning track, Soto had a glove on it and had a chance to catch it, but the ball went off his glove. Jose Tena tied the game with a single.
-A.J. Minter replaced Stanek and got CJ Abrams to ground into a force out for the second out, but put a lot of speed at first base. That came back to bite New York after James Wood singled to center on a slowly hit ball. With Taylor playing back and having to run in for the ball, Abrams never stopped running and slid home in front of the tag at the plate to give Washington the walk-off win.
-On the walk-off hit by Wood, Jeff McNeil -- in his first game back from the IL -- made a poor effort on the ball, which ultimately allowed the winning run to score.
-Kodai Senga got the start in the series opener and it was clear from the first inning that the right-hander was searching for his pitches as he wasn't getting a lot of swing-and-misses.
The Nationals got to him in the second inning after a mental mistake byNimmo, who threw the ball from left field to third base after a two-out hit byCrews. The gaffe allowed Crews, who, to his credit, took a wide turn at first base, to end up on second base for a double. On Senga's very next pitch,Tena ripped a single to left that drove in the game's first run and put an end to Senga's 19.2 scoreless innings streak.
After the two-out rally in the second, Washington jumped on top of Senga to lead off the third. Jacob Young singled to start the inning andAbrams tripled high off the center field wall, and just like that, three pitches into the inning, the Nats doubled their lead.
In need of a strikeout, Senga got the next best thing -- a tapper to the catcher for the first out, keeping Abrams at third. Senga would eventually strike out the next two hitters for his first two strikeouts of the night, which couldn't have come at a better time and ended the inning without further damage.
From then on, the 32-year-old locked in and retired 11 consecutive hitters following the triple. That streak was snapped with two outs in the sixth inning after Senga walked Keibert Ruiz. A second straight walk prompted pitching coach Jeremy Hefner to talk things over with the right-hander before eventually striking out Josh Bell for the final out of the inning.
Senga's final line: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K on 96 pitches (58 strikes). His season ERA rose slightly to 1.26.
-Offensively, the Mets had no answers againstIrvin, who is proving to be a nemesis of theirs.
After failing to score in the first inning following two Nationals errors on the same play -- both by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe -- New York's next best scoring opportunity came in the fourth. Nimmo andVientos singled to lead things off but were soon erased on a lineout triple play by Jesse Winker.
While not a challengeable play, instant replay showed that Lowe trapped the ball instead of catching it and the play should not have resulted in three outs. Nonetheless, first base umpire and crew chief Alfonso Marquez made the call and the inning was over, resulting in manager Carlos Mendoza coming out of the dugout and giving Marquez an earful.
It was the first triple play turned on the Mets in 15 years.
-Francisco Alvarez made his return to the lineup and had a hit. He also threw out a runner trying to steal second base.
Game MVP: CJ Abrams
The leadoff hitter went 2-for-5 with two RBI and scored the game-winning run by pushing the envelope, which paid off.
Carlos Mendoza argued extensively with first base umpire Alfonso Márquez after an apparent ground ball hit by Jesse Winker was ruled a lineout and resulted in a triple play. pic.twitter.com/7EH8tgw01s
The Mets and Nats play the second game of this four-game, wrap-around weekend series on Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. on SNY.
RHP Clay Holmes (2-1, 3.16 ERA) goes against rookie RHP Brad Lord (0-2, 4.73 ERA).
SAN FRANCISCO – Two decades of MLB pitching experience have taught Justin Verlander a few things. High atop that list is the ability to stay calm even when things aren’t going as planned.
That’s primarily why the three-time Cy Young Award winner has maintained his confidence and focus on the positives while still looking for his first win in a Giants uniform.
Take Friday night, for example.
Coming off his best start of the year when the bullpen melted down in the ninth inning and cost the nine-time MLB All-Star a win against the Los Angeles Angels nearly a week ago, Verlander followed that up with a steady and solid effort in the Giants’ 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park.
Verlander readily admitted there still are parts to his game that he wants to clean up, but he has found plenty of reasons to stay optimistic even though the results have yet to bear out.
In some ways, Verlander believes he’s getting closer to returning to the form that made him one of MLB’s most dominant pitchers.
“It’s definitely encouraging,” Verlander told reporters in the Giants’ clubhouse. “This game can beat you down in a hurry, so you want to try to focus on positives. It’s harder to do that when the team doesn’t win.”
The Giants have won only twice in Verlander’s six starts this season and had to rally to win both times after Verlander was chased from the game.
Verlander showed signs of coming out of his funk on April 20 when he limited the Angels to two hits and one run over six innings.
Now that he followed that up with a strong outing against the Rangers, it appears the skies are opening up for Verlander and the Giants.
“Really good,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Six innings, two runs, walked one, got out of a jam when he needed to with a punch-out and the double play. Typically, that’ll win you a game. We just didn’t do much with their pitching tonight.”
That might be one of the biggest understatements of the season.
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi handcuffed San Francisco’s offense all night. The Giants managed to get just one runner to second base, and that came off an Eovaldi wild pitch in the fifth.
Beyond that, it was pretty much bupkis at the plate.
That San Francisco was still within range to win the game at the end was largely credited to Verlander, who retired seven in a row and 13 of 15 at one point.
“Going the right direction,” Verlander said. “I would like to clean up a little bit out of the stretch. Some of the outs tonight out of the stretch were really difficult. Out of the full it felt really good. Got out-pitched tonight. Hard pill to swallow.”
That’s where Verlander’s experience as a veteran pitcher has come into play. He’s fully aware of the length of the season and the ups and downs that come along the way, thus he stays on the same straight line, win or lose.
“It does make it a bit easier,” Verlander said. “That’s what allows me to really judge myself based on what can be successful long-term versus what was one good start or not. The last couple have been much better. I think I can be quite successful pitching like that.
“I do think, being very critical of myself, there’s still some areas I would like to improve. I try not to be a perfectionist, but I also think there’s some areas, especially with my slider, I need to be a bit better.”
Verlander has slowly been moving in that direction the last few weeks. He remains 38 victories shy of joining the 300-win club, but before that, the next stop is getting that elusive first win with the Giants.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants still are seeking consistency in their offense. Justin Verlander still is seeking his first win as a member of the Orange and Black.
Both were key issues that arose from the smoke that represented San Francisco’s 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night at Oracle Park.
For the second consecutive start, Verlander pitched as well as he has all season but had nothing to show for it. The three-time Cy Young Award winner had five strikeouts and allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.
With very little offense to support him – the Giants had only four hits – Verlander remained winless with San Francisco.
The lack of offense is a little concerning, although Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi spun a gem. Eovaldi pitched six scoreless innings before giving way to the Texas bullpen, which tidily mopped up to finish the series opener at 3rd and King.
Here are the takeaways from Friday’s game that dropped the Giants to 17-10 this season:
Verlander still seeking first SF win
For the second consecutive start, Verlander had good enough stuff to win. For his sixth consecutive start with the Giants, it wasn’t enough to earn him a victory in a San Francisco uniform.
The three-time Cy Young winner and nine-time All-Star went six strong innings against the Rangers and allowed five runs on two hits. Verlander had five strikeouts and walked one. He has walked 12 in 30 2/3 innings this season.
The problem was that he got Cained, a reference to former Giants pitcher Matt Cain, who had a history of pitching well in games but not getting enough run support.
Bochy’s return
Legendary former Giants manager Bruce Bochy was back in town for the second time since joining the Rangers in 2023, and it’s clear that the feelings between him and Giants fans remain as strong as ever.
After holding a brief meeting with reporters in the Texas dugout before the game, Bochy made his way through a small crowd of fans standing near the batting cage, stopped to take a few pictures and signed some autographs before getting back to work.
The ongoing love affair is no surprise. Bochy’s 1,052 wins as the Giants manager are the second most in franchise history. He also guided the team to three World Series championships.
Don’t try me
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey has one of the top pop times in the major leagues and showed it off against the Rangers when he threw out Josh Jung attempting to steal second base.
Although Jung is not known for base-running prowess, he got a good jump and was initially ruled safe before the call was overturned by replay. It’s only the fourth caught-stealing by Bailey in 12 tries this season.
Pittsburgh's Tommy Pham's bat breaks as he singles during the ninth inning against the Angels at Angel Stadium on Wednesday. (Eric Thayer / Associated Press)
Tommy Pham was diagnosed with a progressive degenerative eye disease in 2008, six years before he made his major league debut. Keratoconus causes the cornea to thin and weaken, leading to vision distortion, not ideal for someone hitting baseballs for a living.
But the 37-year-old doesn't always see eye to eye with fans, at least not those who frequently heckle him, and Pham's reaction is too often rude, crude and lewd. The most recent incident happened Wednesday at Angel Stadium and it resulted in a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from Major League Baseball on Friday.
Pham is appealing the suspension and was in the lineup Friday as Pittsburgh opened a three-game series against the Dodgers.
During a game against the Angels, Pham fielded a double near the left-field wall and a fan in the first row wearing a glove reached over the wall and touched the Pirates left fielder on the back. Pham couldn't ignore the slight.
He turned and glared at the fan even before throwing the ball to a cutoff man and after resuming his position responded to heckling by turning toward the stands and making a crude hand-jerking gesture near his crotch. The television broadcaster was caught off-guard and responded in real time, "Well there, Tommy Pham says hello to the crowd."
Pham then motioned for the heckler to come onto the field, where presumably he would address the spat once and for all, man to man. Angels fans booed Pham the rest of the game, which Pittsburgh won 3-0.
The incident can be added to a list that would be shorter if not for Pham's questionable responses.
October 2020:Pham was stabbed in the back during an altercation outside a San Diego strip club when he told patrons engaged in an argument near his car to move along. He needed 200 stitches to close the gash.
“The cut’s deep. The doctor here basically told me if I wasn’t so muscular, I might be dead or paralyzed,” Pham told reporters a few months later at spring training. “I’m lucky to even be able to play.”
June 2021:Pham addressed the torrent of verbal abuse he experienced after getting off to a poor start with the San Diego Padres. “Fans have been very disrespectful this year,” Pham told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I actually saw a fan who was talking [trash] to me. I saw him outside the stadium. I said, ‘What’s up? You still want to talk that [trash]?’ He went completely blank. That just shows you people feel entitled.”
April 2022: Playing for the Cincinnati Reds, Pham challenged Luke Voit to a fight after the Padres designated hitter collided with Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson on a play at the plate.
“The way his hands hit him in the face, it was dirty,” Pham told reporters. “If Luke wants to settle it, I get down really well. Anything. Muay Thai, whatever.”
May 2022: Pham was suspended for three games and fined for slapping San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson in the face during batting practice over a fantasy football league dispute. Pham said Pederson was "messing with my money" and objected to Pederson putting a player on injured reserve and adding a free agent to his roster, although Pederson said Pham had "literally done the same thing" with his fantasy team.
August 2023: Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pham got into a verbal confrontation with a fan while in the on-deck circle in San Diego, saying later that the fan referred to him with a profanity. Pham underachieved playing for the Padres in 2020 and '21, and some fans wouldn't let him forget it.
“He stepped out of line and said something that I don’t [take well]," Pham told reporters. "The fans here, I just don’t get it. Not even at the field. Even away from the field. Just completely disrespectful."
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo added that some verbal abuse aimed at Pham is racially charged.
"I hear some terrible things coming from the stands," Lovullo said at the time. "It’s not just the normal 'You’re a bum' stuff. It’s deeper. It’s ugly. ... I just didn’t like what was coming out of these fans’ mouth and it’s real. I’m not making that up. If you get near our dugout, you’d be amazed at what’s being said.”
Pham, who's on his 10th team, clearly is a complex player, the Pirates signing him to a one-year, $4-million deal a week before spring training began. His next hit will be No. 1,000, and he has earned $39.5 million in his career.
Another side of him was revealed during the 2023 World Series when he voluntarily gave an at-bat to Diamondbacks teammate and friend Jace Peterson, although Pham was four for four and could have become the first player to go five for five in a World Series game.
“This was to me a true team moment," Lovullo said. "Tommy Pham knew — I’m sure he knew, because he’s extremely smart and pays attention to some things that you wouldn’t expect a Major League Baseball player to pay attention to — I am guaranteeing you he was aware that he had a chance to get five hits."
Then there is Pham overcoming keratoconus, described to reporter Scott Miller by Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler this way: "Imagine your car windshield bulging out and getting all those distortions. Keratoconus can be like being in a fun house, but it's not a lot of fun."
In 2019, Pham spoke to about 200 ophthalmologists at a convention, detailing his journey, which while battling keratoconus included 2,338 minor league at-bats from 2008 to 2014 before he made his big league debut.
"Miracle, I think, is the best term to describe him," said Dr. Edward Bennett, professor of optometry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and part of the team of eye specialists that worked on Pham. "I've never known anybody else who played Major League Baseball with keratoconus. I don't know how he sees the spin on the curveball, or fastballs."
Perhaps Pham makes up for it by hearing exceptionally well. He definitely hears hecklers, and sometimes his reaction results in a fine and suspension.
WASHINGTON — The New York Mets activated catcher Francisco Alvarez and second baseman Jeff McNeil from the injured list Friday, and both were in the lineup to make their season debut in the opener of a four-game series against the Washington Nationals.
“Pretty excited,” McNeil said. “Feels like Opening Day for me because it is.”
Alvarez fractured the hamate bone in his left hand during practice on March 8 and underwent surgery two days later. McNeil had been out since straining his right oblique March 10 in a spring training game.
The Mets have thrived despite the absence of both lineup mainstays. New York has won seven in a row and entered Friday 18-7, five games ahead of second-place Philadelphia in the NL East.
“I think we’ve been playing really well and I think we’ve put ourselves in a very good position,” Alvarez said via an interpreter.
The 23-year-old Alvarez hit .237 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs last season. He hit .179 with a homer and three RBIs in 10 games during a rehabilitation assignment over three minor league levels this month.
McNeil, a two-time All-Star who has played in at least 120 games for the Mets in each full season since 2019, hit .238 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs in 2024. The 33-year-old hit .393 with two homers and three RBIs in eight rehab games over three levels since April 11.
“They are a big part of this team,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Even when they weren’t playing, they were around. Last year, they were a big part of this team. That’s what it’s going to take. It’s going to take more than 26 guys.”
Mendoza said it is possible McNeil plays some in center field. While he has played the outfield in 294 games during his seven-year career, he made his only three appearances in center in 2023.
Alvarez will split time with Luis Torrens, who has hit .241 with a homer and eight RBIs as the Mets’ primary catcher the last four weeks.
“I’m going to try to keep him as active as possible,” Mendoza said. “He played really well for us and he earned opportunities. We’re getting Alvy back, and he’s going to get opportunities as well. I think that’s a good problem to have. I could see both of them playing.”
To create room on the roster, New York optioned infielder Brett Baty and catcher Hayden Senger to Triple-A Syracuse after a 4-3 victory Wednesday over Philadelphia.
Left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley and the Mets have agreed to a one-year contract, pending a physical, reports New York Posts's Joel Sherman. The contract has a team option for 2026.
The deal marks a reunion between both sides as Raley pitched for New York in 2023 and 2024 after signing a two-year contract prior to the 2023 season. After just eight appearances in 2024, the lefty went down with a UCL strain which required Tommy John surgery.
Rehabbing since then, Raley threw for 13 teams last week, per Sherman. His doctors believe he can begin throwing in rehab games in June.
During his stint with the Mets, Raley had a 2.48 ERA in 74 games.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza discussed a number of different topics prior to Friday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals…
Baty the odd man out
With Jeff McNeil officially returning from the IL, the Mets opted to send Brett Baty to Triple-A.
Baty did make the decision a bit more difficult with his strong play over the past few weeks following a brutal start to the season -- but the Mets chose to hang onto Jóse Azócar and Luisangel Acuña over him.
Mendoza’s reasoning: there simply wouldn’t be enough playing time.
“It was a difficult conversation, but that’s just part of the business,” the skipper said. “It’s a different feeling for him now going back to Triple-A knowing that I can play at this level, as opposed to when he was struggling.
“We’re sending you down because there won’t be enough playing time -- I know it’s tough, but he’ll be back.”
McNeil is expected to receive the bulk of the starts at second base moving forward -- but Mendoza said he’d also be comfortable with using him in center and they’ll find ways to keep Acuña fresh.
How things are shaping up behind the plate
McNeil isn’t the only one returning from the IL for Friday’s contest.
Francisco Alvarez is also set to make his season debut behind the plate after missing the first 25 games due to a broken hamate bone he suffered while taking swing in batting practice early in spring training.
Hayden Senger was optioned down to Triple-A along with Baty.
Luis Torrens now finds himself relegated back to the backup role -- but after his tremendous start to the season on both offensively and defensively, Mendoza said they’ll also find ways to keep him in the mix.
“They’re both going to play,” he said. “I have to take care of Alvy. Whether he plays back-to-back with an off day, day games, night games -- I’ll have that conversation with Luis and I’ll try and keep him as active as possible.
“He played really well for us and he earned an opportunity. We’re keeping Alvy back an he’s going to get an opportunity as well. I think it’s a good problem to have, but I could see both of them playing.”
Diaz good to go
Edwin Diaz appears to be good to go after leaving Wednesday's game with a hip cramp.
The star closer suffered the injury in the top of the 10th while navigating his second inning of work.
Diaz said postgame that he was already feeling better after doing some strength tests following his departure -- but the Mets were going to wait and see how he was doing over the next few days.
He was able to play catch pregame Friday and everything came back fine.
Mendoza didn't say whether or not he'd be available out of the bullpen for the series opener -- but it appears he won't miss any time.
For Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez -- it feels like Opening Day.
Technically it is -- they were sidelined for the Mets’ first 25 games of the regular season due to injuries suffered during spring training, but after working their way back over the past couple of weeks they are finally ready to roll.
Both were officially activated from the IL on Friday and slide right into the starting lineup.
“It’s feels good,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Getting Jeff and Alvy back helps. Coming into the year they were going to be a big part of this team and this lineup -- they went down and they went through the rehab process and now here they are. They are healthy and ready to go, I’m looking forward to watching them play.”
McNeil is slotted in at second for the series opener against the Nationals, and that’s where he’s expected to see the bulk of his playing time -- though the skipper said he “wouldn’t hesitate” to use him in center.
The 33-year-old is open to the idea after spending time there during his rehab.
“I played a lot of center in college,” McNeil said. “I enjoy being out there, it’s a lot of fun -- I take pride in playing lot of different positions and being really versatile, so wherever the team needs me I’m going play and I’m going to be happy to do it.”
With his new power-hitting approach and a torpedo bat, McNeil was able to find a ton of success during his handful of at-bats in the minors -- launching a pair of homers and a double while posting stellar 1.112 OPS.
He’s hoping to be able to carry that production over to the big-league level.
“I feel really good at the plate,” McNeil said. “Through the rehab assignments I felt like I was hitting the ball harder than I ever have in my career -- so I feel really good with that and hopefully I can keep it going here.”
Alvarez, on the other hand, was struggling to get back into a groove at the plate.
The 23-year-old put together just seven hits and one homer while striking out 11 times across 44 minor-league at-bats -- but he still feels confident as he continues working with his revamped swing.
“I’m really excited to be here,” he said through a translator. “During my rehab I was working a lot on my swing to try to feel right, and when I wasn’t swinging I was working a lot on my mentality on what it is that I wanted to do -- so right now I feel really good.”
CHICAGO — Cristopher Sanchez will not take his turn in the Phillies’ rotation on Tuesday, but the news on his forearm has been promising.
At least one bit of good news during a five-game losing streak.
Sanchez played catch from up to 90 feet on Friday at Wrigley Field, three days after pitching just two innings and leaving a start against the Mets with left forearm tightness. He gave a thumbs-up as he walked back into the clubhouse pregame, signaling that it went well, and will throw a bullpen session on Sunday afternoon.
“Good, very good,” manager Rob Thomson said of Sanchez’ day. “… Hopefully we dodged a bullet here.”
Zack Wheeler will start on Tuesday in the spot that would have been Sanchez’. The Phillies were off Thursday and are again Monday, so Wheeler will actually be pitching on one extra day of rest despite moving ahead of Sanchez in the order. He doesn’t like pitching on one extra day, much less two.
The Phillies’ rotation beyond Tuesday is TBD. The off-days would allow them to start Taijuan Walker, Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola on normal rest Wednesday through Friday before re-slotting Sanchez back in on Saturday.
Ranger Suarez is also nearing a return to the rotation. He will throw approximately 80 pitches on Sunday at Triple A in his fourth rehab start. He may make a fifth to get to the 95-pitch range, Thomson said Friday morning.
Marsh progressing
Outfielder Brandon Marsh began a rehab assignment of his own Thursday with Lehigh Valley. He was scheduled to play seven innings in center field on Friday then DH on Saturday.
Marsh is on the injured list (backdated to April 17) with a mild right hamstring strain. He is first eligible to return on Sunday.
CHICAGO — The losing streak reached five games and the Phillies are .500 for the first time all season after dropping their first of three at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon.
The start of the game was delayed by 2 hours and 10 minutes by rain on a chilly, windy morning but the sun made its way out just before first pitch. The Phillies’ offense did not follow in a 4-0 loss.
They fell behind once again and continue to produce an alarmingly low number of extra-base hits. They had none on Wednesday, two on Friday and have five in their last four games. The Cubs had six in this game alone.
The last time the Phillies ended a full inning with a lead was the seventh on Sunday. They’ve played 40 since. The pitchers have had no wiggle room and the hitters haven’t been able to take a deep breath for nearly a week.
“We’re in a little bit of a rut here,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Runners in scoring position, I know we talk about it all the time, but one of these days we’re gonna come through. Really, the threat was in the seventh inning when we got two guys on. The other innings, I don’t think we got a runner into scoring position until there were two outs so you’ve got one shot at it. But you’ve got first and second with nobody out, you feel like that’s the time you need to score.”
The Phillies remain confident this is just a blip on the radar for an experienced group, but the run of mediocrity extends much farther back than the 13-13 start. They’re 46-47 since last All-Star break, 47-50 if you include the NLDS. It’s true that this is a new year, but it’s not so new a team. The Phillies returned most of the same roster and are experiencing the same issues that led to their demise last fall — too much of the lineup going cold at the same time and not enough reliability in the bullpen.
They’ve been shut out three times through 26 games. It took 90 games last season.
“We’re stringing things together and it’s just avoiding us right now,” Kyle Schwarber said. “It can be frustrating, mind-boggling, but overall, if we keep getting guys on base and into scoring position, things are going to start going our way.”
Sometimes, an offense slumps because the ball isn’t traveling over the wall. Sometimes, it’s the elusiveness of the big hit. Sometimes, it’s bad luck. Right now, the Phillies are experiencing all three problems.
They’re 26 games into the season and have only four players with more than one home run: Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott and Nick Castellanos.
Schwarber hit five homers through 10 games but wasn’t going to hit 81. The Phils need to find alternative ways to score when he’s going through a power drought or Harper isn’t locked in. This Cubs team entered the day leading the National League in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, stolen bases and, naturally, runs scored. They’ve been a three-dimensional offense. The Phillies have not.
Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Max Kepler and Alec Bohm are all hitting below .250 with three combined home runs in 396 plate appearances. It’s just not enough.
On top of it all, there’s been misfortune. Harper crushed a ball in the third inning that, according to Statcast, would have been a game-tying home run in calm conditions. But the wind was blowing in 10 to 15 mph from left field and it was a flyout instead. Bohm laced the first pitch he saw in the top of the fourth with two outs and men on second and third but hit it directly at left fielder Ian Happ to end the inning. Realmuto hit a ball on a line with two on and two out in the eighth and Pete Crow-Armstrong needed to glide only a few feet to catch it.
“J.T. hits a bullet, Bohm hits a bullet,” Thomson recalled, shaking his head. “But we’ve got to create some runs, we’ve got to swing the bats better.”
Taijuan Walker (1-2, 2.78 ERA) lasted only three innings because he threw 86 pitches. He again limited the damage and his opponents have hit .179 this season with men on base. The bullpen did its job by allowing two runs over five innings.
But the Phillies couldn’t capitalize on the Cubs’ inability to break the game open, which was also one of the stories of their three-game series at Citi Field. The Cubs were 4-for-22 with runners in scoring position and all of that execution from the pitching staff didn’t matter.
These vets pride themselves on their ability to persevere. Less than a month into the season, it’s already being tested.
“It’s such a long season. You’re gonna go through a long stretch like this where things aren’t going your way,” Walker said. “It really just depends when it happens, you know? We’d rather do it now than late in the season. If we get it out of the way now, can get on a streak and play some good baseball, which I know we can do.”
SAN FRANCISCO — As he returned to face the Giants in San Francisco on Friday, Bruce Bochy was in a tie for first place in the American League West, but he had a lot on his mind.
The Texas Rangers have underperformed at the plate, led by familiar face Joc Pederson, who somehow has zero RBI through 21 appearances. On Thursday, they got walked off in Sacramento by the Athletics, and a day after that gut punch, Bochy began his media session by giving a lengthy update on promising young starter Kumar Rocker, who just went on the IL with a shoulder injury.
The Rangers have a lot to sort out, but Bochy is thrilled he’s doing it in San Francisco this weekend. He said this spring that he was excited to be visiting on a weekend when the organization would honor his longtime shortstop, Brandon Crawford, and on Saturday, Bochy will watch that ceremony. On his first day in town, he had a long chat with Buster Posey behind the plate during batting practice.
As he settled into San Francisco for the second time as Rangers manager, Bochy discussed Crawford, Posey and more with local reporters:
On Crawford’s big weekend
“It’s well deserved. This man did so much for us in helping us win championships. He was a tremendous player, a gifted defender obviously, but also a clutch hitter. A lot of great memories will go through my head when I see him out there tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it because of the great memories that we all got to share together. He was such a big part of it.”
Does any play stand out?
“He was so creative with how he could come up with plays. There wasn’t a play that he didn’t think he could make and that’s what you love about him, and there were times he came up with a way to make the play. The one that always will stand out is the double play in the World Series with what was at stake, he and [Joe] Panik, what a beautiful chemistry those two had.”
On Posey’s influence on the 2025 Giants
“I’d say as much as anything they’re playing loose and playing the game right. You know, BoMel [Bob Melvin] does such a great job here, and I’m sure Buster has helped relax things with how approachable he is and how well he communicates. But it’s hard for me to say, because I haven’t seen a lot of [the Giants].”
Could he have imagined Posey being a president of baseball operations?
“I can’t say I should be surprised. I talk about [the] leadership he provided for us and helped us get some World Series rings. He’s a leader and I’m not surprised to see him leading an organization. I’m sure it’s done a lot for the fans, the players, the front office, to have their guy that’s leading the way now.”
On being back for a second time
“I think as time goes, yeah, you still have those memories and the first time there’s emotions and things, but with more time away, you’ve gotten kind of used to it. I came in here knowing I would see some friends here. The first time was a really crazy time, but this time has been a lot quieter.”
On his impression of Jung Hoo Lee
“A really, really nice player. He’s a really good hitter, a gifted center fielder, a good thrower. He’s a really nice all-around baseball player and I know he’s done a great job.”
