Things were shaping up perfectly for the Mets on Tuesday night.
With a struggling offense, New York got into an overworked Boston bullpen early after Walker Buehler was ejected with just one out in the top of the third for arguing a missed strike call to Juan Soto.
However, not much changed, and the Mets were unable to get anything going.
New York’s at-bats were mainly lifeless and they didn’t make much hard contact -- managing just two walks and four hits while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and grounding out 13 times in their third shutout loss of the season.
This is the first time the Mets have dropped three consecutive games on the year -- and the biggest factor in that easily has been their sluggish offense.
“We’re going through it right now, no doubt about it,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re having a hard time putting guys on consistently and when we do get those guys on, we’re having a hard time getting them in — offensively, we’re going through it right now.”
New York has scored just 10 runs over their last seven games -- they’ve gone 5-for-44 with runners in scoring position over that span, leaving a total of 43 men on-base, and they haven’t hit a homer since Brett Baty’s solo shot last Tuesday against the Pirates.
Juan Soto has five hits during that stretch, Pete Alonso has four, Francisco Lindor two.
Those three haven’t done much setting the table at the top, but it’s not just them -- Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez have cooled off after a hot stretch and Brandon Nimmo is all the way down to a .719 OPS on the year.
Mendoza said he’s always looking for ways to shake things up -- but for now, they just have to keep battling.
"Some things just aren't bouncing our way," Nimmo said. "I've never encountered a year where we haven't gone through something like this. Even the 100-win season we encountered it in September -- it's just part of the game, unfortunately."
"It happens," Mendoza added. "We just have to continue to fight, we have to continue to work, we have to stay positive. We just have to turn the page. It might not sound right, but that’s what we have to do. We have to keep fighting and we have to keep our heads up because we have another tough one tomorrow.”
Ben Rice and Aaron Judge homered, and Will Warren struck out 10 batters as the Yankees took the series opener against the Texas Rangers, 5-2, on Tuesday night in the Bronx.
Here are the takeaways...
-Rice got the scoring started in the second inning with a solo shot that went into the upper deck in right field off of lefty Patrick Corbin. It's the left-hander's 10th homer of the season -- in his 42nd game -- after he just seven in 50 games a year ago. In his second at-bat, Rice smoked a pitch into center field but Sam Haggerty made a running snare to steal an extra-base hit. The play did allowJudge to score from third on the sac fly. The DH finished 2-for-3.
The Yankees wouldn't score again until the sixth when Anthony Volpe hit a two-out bloop single just out of the reach of the sliding centerfielder to score Paul Goldschmidt from second.
Judge came up to the plate in the eighth after going 1-for-3 and his average dipped to .400 earlier in the game, but then he took Caleb Boushley the other way for his MLB-leading 16th dinger with Grisham on base to put the Yanks up 5-0. He finished 2-for-4 and is hitting .403. The homer went just 326 feet, the shortest longball of Judge's career.
-Warren had another efficient and dominant start. After striking out nine in his last start against the Mariners, Warren sat down 10 Rangers, breaking the previously career high of nine he set in Seattle a week prior.
Warren was cruising until the sixth inning. After an incredible catch by third baseman Oswald Peraza in foul territory, the Rangers loaded the bases after a walk and back-to-back bloop singles. Warren struck out Marcus Semien looking before manager Aaron Boone pulled his starter for Mark Leiter Jr. to get out of the two-out jam. The right-handed reliever struck out Joc Pederson to end the inning.
Warren pitched 5.2 innings (101 pitches/65 strikes) without giving up a run and allowing just five hits and one walk.
-The Yankees' bullpen did its job, keeping the Rangers off the board. The combination of Leiter Jr. and Devin Williams pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out four batters, but Ian Hamilton allowed a two-run shot to Jonah Heim with two outs and then a triple that got past a diving Judge before he was pulled for Luke Weaver. Weaver got the final out to lock down the save.
-Cody Bellinger extended his hitting streak to 14 games and finished 1-for-3. On the other side, Trent Grisham's sixth-inning single broke an 0-for-14 stretch for the outfielder. Grisham went 2-for-4 on Tuesday night.
-Volpe was put in the No. 5 hole and finished 1-for-4 but his RBI blooper with two outs could potentially get him going.
Game MVP: Ben Rice
Warren was great, but he faltered at the end and was partially bailed out by the bullpen. But Rice accounted for two of the team's runs.
The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Rangers on Wednesday night in the Bronx. Ryan Yarbrough (1-0, 3.70 ERA) will come out of the bullpen to starts for the Yankees. Jacob deGrom (4-1, 2.29 ERA) will be on the mound for the Rangers.
The Mets suffered their third straight loss, falling the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
It's New York's first three-game losing streak of the season.
Here are some takeaways...
- Taking the mound for the first time in nearly a month, Boston starter Walker Buehler mowed down the struggling Mets offense over the first two innings. The right-hander struck out four of the first six batters he faced, but he was ejected with one out in the top of the third for arguing balls and strikes.
New York threatened against left-hander Brennan Bernardino who entered in place of Buehler, but as has been a common theme with this club of late they stranded men in scoring position -- they went a brutal 0-for-7 as a team in such situations on the night.
- Luckily for the Mets, Clay Holmes was able to do a good job dancing around threats of his own. The righty walked a pair in the first, but struck out back-to-back batters to end the frame. He was then helped out by a perfect Brandon Nimmo throw to gun down Nick Sogard trying to score on a potential sac fly in the second.
The 91.8 mph strike from shallow left was the hardest outfield assist of Nimmo's career.
Boston put two more on with two outs in the third, but Holmes found his way out of danger again. He put together his first clean inning of the night in the fourth with some help from a beautiful barehanded play from Brett Baty, who continues shining defensively.
The Red Sox were finally able to strike in the fifth, as Carlos Narváez and Rafael Devers snuck a pair of solo homers over the Green Monster. He finished his outing with a five-pitch bottom of the sixth -- ending his night with a final line of two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
- Unfortunately for Holmes, the Mets' offense wasn't able to get much of anything going against the rest of the Boston bullpen, as they went down silently for their third consecutive loss. They managed just four hits on the night and were shutout for the third time this season.
- Juan Soto reached base twice with a walk and a hit -- his opposite field knock came with two outs in the top of the sixth, just a few pitches after Francisco Lindor was caught stealing second base.
Game MVP: Carlos Narváez
The 26-year-old backstop got the scoring started and gunned down Francisco Lindor trying to steal second a few innings later.
Tylor Megill (3-4, 3.74 ERA) takes the mound against ace left-hander Garrett Crochet (4-3, 2.00 ERA) as the Mets and Sox close out this three-game set on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.
Ronny Mauricio appears to be settling into a groove.
The young Mets infielder had just three hits with St. Lucie and Binghamton during his rehab assignment -- but after being activated from the injured list this weekend, he’s been able to find some success back in Syracuse.
Mauricio was on-base three more times during Tuesday night’s loss to Rochester.
He lined a double down the left field line with one out in the bottom of the first, drove in a run with a two out single up the middle in the seventh, and then capped off his strong night by crushing a solo homer in the ninth.
All three drives left the bat at 100+ mph.
The 24-year-old is now 5-for-9 with two extra base-hits over his first two games in Triple-A.
Mauricio missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL during winter ball, but if he can stay healthy and continue to produce consistently, he just might find his way back into the big leagues before long.
Things weren’t as positive on the pitching side of things.
Top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat was knocked around for the second straight outing.
Sproat did work his way through for scoreless innings, but things took a turn for the worst in the fifth as he failed to record an out and was pulled after allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and a walk.
The 24-year-old punched out just one batter on the night.
He has now allowed six or more runs in three of his last five outings -- bringing his ERA up to an ugly 6.69 on the season.
With the way Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean have been pitching of late, it's safe to say Sproat has fallen down a bit in the organization's prospect rankings.
MILWAUKEE — Orioles general manager Mike Elias broke his silence about his decision to fire manager Brandon Hyde, saying Tuesday he's doing an across-the-board evaluation to determine what has caused Baltimore's remarkably rapid decline.
“You go back to last June, we were on top of the sport in almost every facet of the sport, including majors and minors,” Elias said of his team, which carried a seven-game skid into Tuesday’s game at Milwaukee. “Now we find ourselves where we find ourselves. This has been hitting us all very hard, but it’s unusual for that to be so sudden.”
Elias fired Hyde on Saturday, and since then, only players and interim manager Tony Mansolino had answered reporters' questions about the move. The Orioles, who won a combined 192 games from 2023-24, entered Tuesday last in the American League East with the fourth-worst record (15-31) in the majors.
Elias praised Hyde for getting the Orioles back into contention but said the time had come for a new voice. Baltimore has gone 0-3 since Mansolino was promoted from third-base coach.
“I want to emphatically credit (Hyde) for the wonderful job that he did and the skill set that he has,” Elias said. “I’m sure he’s going to continue and have a fantastic career. It’s very endemic to sports. After a certain number of years, sometimes organizations try something different, and that’s what this was.”
Elias was asked why he waited this long to speak about the move.
“It’s a pretty hectic few days,” he said. “I got Tony in place and traveled up here with the team. I just needed a couple of days.”
Hyde was named the AL manager of the year in 2023 after leading the Orioles to a 101-61 record and their first division title since 2014. Baltimore followed that up by going 91-71 and returning to the playoffs as a wild card last year, though it struggled to a 34-38 record to finish the season.
This year, the Orioles have been dreadful despite bringing back the young core that sparked the franchise's resurgence.
“I’m in the process of very heavily evaluating everything that we do across the organization - that (includes) the front office, analytics department, player development,” Elias said. “You name it, we’re looking at it very hard.
“To our credit, this has something that has not been lingering for years and years. This is something that’s mounted in months, and it’s been very tough on those of us in leadership positions in the organization, but we’re focused on fixing it right now. I think the main focus is trying to stabilize this team, improve the play on the field and get this core of players back on track.”
The Orioles entered Tuesday with a 5.53 ERA that ranked ahead of only major league-worst Colorado (5.85). Baltimore added Japanese veteran Tomoyuki Sugano, 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 37-year-old Kyle Gibson on one-year deals in the offseason to try to help offset the loss of four-time All-Star and 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Sugano is 4-3 with a 3.08 ERA, but Morton is 0-7 with a 7.68 ERA and currently working out of the bullpen. Gibson was released after going 0-3 with a 16.78 ERA.
Baltimore’s offensive struggles are a bigger surprise.
The Orioles entered Tuesday ranked 25th in the majors in runs (173) after finishing fourth in that category last year and seventh in 2023. The Orioles also were 25th in batting average (.230) and 18th in slugging percentage (.388) after being the top 10 in both categories each of the last two years.
“I think I’ve been pretty clear that our pitching staff, our starting pitching staff, has been a huge problem,” Elias said. “I put that on myself and the front office in terms of roster construction. The position player group, again, we haven’t had perfect health, but this is a universally lauded group and (has) had a lot of success. There’s underperformance happening there, and that’s something we need to address via player development, via coaching.”
Elias said he's confident he can help Baltimore rebound. He took over when the Orioles were coming off a 47-115 season in 2018 and hired Hyde a month later.
Now, he'll try to do it again, without Hyde.
“I think a big point of pride for me throughout my career has been my ability to adapt in a sport where you’ve got to do that,” Elias said. “What we’re going through right now and the degree to which we’re going through is well below anyone’s standards, including mine. This is deeply disappointing. I’m doing everything in my power to correct and improve it going forward.”
Shohei Ohtani warms up before a game against the Athletics. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Even as their pitching injuries have mounted in recent weeks, the Dodgers haven’t panicked.
On multiple occasions, team officials have noted how none of the seven pitchers who have gotten hurt since the end of spring camp suffered relatively serious injuries. In time, they promised, the staff would get back close to full health.
On Tuesday, signs of that optimism finally began to appear.
Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell (both out with shoulder inflammation) continued their throwing progressions, with Glasnow making some light pitches off a mound slope for the first time since going on the injured list last month, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Kirby Yates (hamstring strain) began playing catch just days after hitting the IL, raising his hopes of being back within the two-to-four week time frame the team has targeted. Blake Treinen (forearm sprain) also continued his catch play, while Michael Kopech (shoulder impingement) was set to make a rehab outing with triple-A Oklahoma City.
Most of all, though, Shohei Ohtani checked off another important box in his return from a 2023 Tommy John surgery, taking another step closer to resuming two-way duties for the first time as a Dodger.
In a flat-ground throwing session Tuesday afternoon, Ohtani mixed in some breaking pitches for the first time in his throwing program this year, Roberts said, a notable development after the right-hander had been limited to fastball and splitters previously in pitching activities.
Already in recent weeks, Ohtani had been ramping up his pitching work in other ways. He had steadily increased the number of throws in his weekly bullpen sessions, getting up to 50 last Saturday. He has been doing up-downs in his bullpens, too, to simulate the downtime he will experience between innings when he returns to a big-league mound.
Roberts confirmed it is all a sign that Ohtani is finally getting closer to facing live hitting again for the first time since he underwent his second Tommy John procedure two offseasons ago.
Roberts said he was still unsure exactly when that might happen, but indicated that Ohtani and Snell are on similar timelines to return — with Glasnow a tick ahead of each of them.
“It is progressing,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s pitching rehab, which had been in more of a static stage with weekly 20-pitch bullpen sessions earlier this year. “I'm not sure when [he’s] going to take that slider from the flat ground to the bullpen, but that is progress. Yes.”
Right now, the Dodgers could use all the pitching help they can get.
Over their last 11 games, the team’s shorthanded pitching staff has struggled mightily, posting a 6.31 ERA over a 4-7 stretch that included a four-game losing streak entering Tuesday.
Among the opening day rotation, only Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin May have stayed healthy through the first two months. And outside of Yamamoto — an early-season Cy Young candidate who was needed to be a stopper Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks — no Dodgers pitcher with more than three starts has a sub-4.00 ERA to this point of the campaign.
The rotation’s struggles have bled into the bullpen, where Dodgers relievers have combined for an MLB-high 207 2/3 innings this season, 19 more than any other team. Closer Tanner Scott has been solid, with a 1.74 ERA and nine saves in 11 opportunities. But many of the Dodgers’ other top relief arms have gotten hurt, including virtually all of their most trusted right-handers.
“It’s not the staff we thought we’d have this season,” Roberts acknowledged Monday night.
Before long, however, the Dodgers are hopeful it will be again.
In addition to Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow, the Dodgers will also eventually get Roki Sasaki (shoulder impingement) and Emmet Sheehan (Tommy John recovery) back as rotation options. Sasaki is expected to begin throwing again during the team’s upcoming trip. Sheehan has been throwing live sessions against hitters for the last several weeks as he works back from last year’s elbow procedure.
Brusdar Graterol (offseason shoulder surgery) is also scheduled to return during the second half of the season.
About the only injured pitcher who hasn’t made recent progress is Evan Phillips, whose original 15-day diagnosis now looks likely to stretch far longer than that.
Still, no one’s return has been more eagerly anticipated than Ohtani’s. After almost a year and a half of waiting, the Dodgers are hopeful his return, which has been expected to come around the All-Star break, is finally on the horizon.
His next step will be facing live hitting. And given his recent workload increases, it’s possible it could come soon.
“I really wish I had an answer [on when it will be],” Roberts said. “I'm just waiting for the green light from people that are sort of managing the Shohei rehab, day to day.”
DENVER — In Jesus Luzardo, the Phillies knew they were getting a lefty with upside who could miss bats and had the potential to pitch at the top of a rotation.
But 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA through 10 starts? After transitioning from a last-place team that draws under 10,000 fans per game to a club in win-now mode with as crazed a fanbase as you’ll find?
“I definitely thought it was possible but I know that it might come as a surprise to a lot of people,” Luzardo said after striking out 10 Rockies over six innings to help the Phillies improve to a National League-best 30-18.
“It’s been a struggle at times in my career but I think a little change of scenery at times is great. Just a breath of fresh air being around a good group of guys here. Nothing against the places I’ve been, it’s just a little different here.”
The Phillies banged out 17 hits for a second straight game to beat the Rockies, 7-4, on Tuesday night. Luzardo’s evening began with a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning but he threw 72 pitches over the next three innings.
A six-inning start appeared unlikely when he began the fifth at 82 pitches but Luzardo recorded the first out on one pitch and struck out the next two.
The lefty came back to the dugout at 94 pitches and told pitching coach Caleb Cotham he wanted to go another. It meant something to him and the team on a night like this.
“He saved some of our bullpen because there’s quite a few guys who if we had to use them, they wouldn’t be available tomorrow,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I love him. He’s not gonna give in. He’s gonna fight.
“We pushed him tonight. It’s not something I like to do because he’s coming back on regular rest for Sunday but just to save the bullpen, he did a great job.”
Luzardo threw 105 pitches, exceeding 100 for the fourth time in his last five starts. The most he’s ever done it in a season is five times.
The Phillies are testing him. They want to protect Luzardo after he missed the second half of 2024 with a back injury but they aren’t using kid gloves.
“Nothing that’s shown me he’s slowing down,” Thomson said.
Bryce Harper, who doubled twice, gushed about his first-year teammate.
“I can’t say enough how smart he is,” Harper said. “In the clubhouse, out there, he’s always thinking about what he needs to do.
“I’ve said it a million times, I’m glad he’s on our team. I faced him multiple times when he was in Miami and it was always a tough game for us.
“The way he goes out there, his demeanor, it matches the flow of our team.”
By going six, Luzardo enabled Thomson to use just two relievers, Jose Ruiz and Max Lazar. Jordan Romano warmed up during the bottom of the ninth as the Rockies scored two runs in Lazar’s second inning but Lazar recorded the final out after a mound visit from Cotham.
The Phillies have won their first two games at Coors Field while also resting Romano, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering each night. They’ll have a full bullpen ready Wednesday behind Taijuan Walker.
The offense is averaging nearly two hits per inning in the series, 34 in all. On Tuesday, six players had multiple hits and eight either drove in a run or scored. The Phillies lead the Mets by 1½ games in the NL East and have picked up 6½ games on them since being swept at Citi Field the third week of April.
“There’s a lot of hits in this ballpark,” Harper said of Coors Field, where the Phils play twice more this week before moving on to Sacramento to face the skidding Athletics.
“Our team, it’s a lot of fun when we’re hitting on all cylinders. I think we’re doing that right now.”
DENVER — They didn’t explode until the final three innings Monday but the Phillies took no time on Tuesday night, jumping out to a two-run advantage three batters into the game and leading wire-to-wire in a 7-4 win over the Rockies.
Bryson Stott singled to begin the game, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper followed with doubles and the Phillies quickly had all the run support Jesus Luzardo would need.
Stepping on the throat of a last-place team is always important to prevent it from building momentum or thinking it has a chance. In Monday’s series opener, the Phillies trailed until the eighth inning and spent most of the night down by two before scoring seven times in the final three innings.
Tuesday was much more comfortable.
The Phillies have collected 32 hits over the last 16 innings with a .418 batting average, six doubles, a triple and four home runs. They’ve made Coors Field look like Coors Field, which wasn’t a given even with how poorly the Rockies have played in 2025. The Phils entered the series having scored two runs or fewer in five of their last 12 games in Colorado.
It’s been a different story early this week. The Phillies have won five games in a row and own the best record in the National League at 30-18. They’re 1½ games ahead of the Mets, who have lost three straight and five of six. Since being swept at Citi Field in late April, the Phillies are 17-6 and the Mets are 11-13.
Luzardo had a winding night that began and ended strong. He opened with a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the first then struggled with control and needed 72 pitches over the next three innings. It looked like Luzardo might not finish five innings, much less six, but he got into one final groove after Stott snared a liner to begin the bottom of the fifth. From there, Luzardo struck out four in a row and ended the night with a groundout.
He whiffed 10 over six innings and allowed just two hits. A third of the way into his first season with the Phillies, Luzardo has exceeded all expectations. He’s 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA, second in the NL to Kodai Senga (1.43).
Every Phillie in Tuesday’s lineup except J.T. Realmuto had a hit and either drove in or scored a run. Six had multiple hits. It’s the first time since 2007 the Phillies have picked up at least 17 hits in back-to-back games.
Kyle Schwarber, who joked, “200 more and I can quit,” after launching his 300th career home run Monday, added No. 301 on Tuesday. It wasn’t a 466-footer off the facing of the third deck like the night before but this one traveled 430 feet and was, again, off of a lefty. He’s become lefty-proof, hitting .300 against them last season and .317 this season with a 1.250 OPS and nine of his 17 home runs.
The Phillies have avoided looking past or playing down to the level of their last two opponents, the Pirates and Rockies, winning all five games. They can win another series on Wednesday night when Taijuan Walker opposes left-hander Carson Palmquist in his second career start.
SAN FRANCISCO — At the start of camp in February, it would not have been hard to imagine Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison pitching on consecutive days for six months. But Landen Roupp was the surprise winner of the Giants’ competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, and up until last week, the four veterans ahead of the three youngsters had been throwing just well enough — and had stayed healthy enough — to keep Bob Melvin from any moves.
That changed when Jordan Hicks pitched himself out of the rotation, and as Melvin addressed the media Tuesday, there still was some question about whether Justin Verlander’s pec discomfort will dissipate in time for him to make his next start. The Giants know that at some point they’ll need their youth to get where they want to go, and it was there for them in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Birdsong pitched five solid innings in his return to the rotation and Harrison looked comfortable in a new role, serving as a setup man on a night when the bullpen was a bit short. More than the results, though, was the way it looked.
Birdsong’s command was spotty at times, but he hit 98.4 mph while striking out Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and continued to get strikes with a new kick-change that has become a weapon. Harrison was charged with a run in his 1 1/3 innings, but he breezed through the seventh while pitching in that situation for the first time, striking out a pair and filling the zone with 96 mph fastballs.
This is not at all how either expected the first two months to go, but on Tuesday, both looked capable of helping to lead the way for the next four months.
“There were some misses from [Birdsong] today that were kind of big, but when he needs to make a pitch he does. His velo was up, the breaking stuff was good — I thought he pitched well,” Melvin said. “[Harrison was] really good. He was [warming] up and then he had sit down and wait another inning after we got Randy [Rodriguez] up. That, to me, was most impressive and he kept the velo up. With the workload, we needed him to pitch an inning, maybe two. That’s what we were looking at. I thought he handled it really well.”
When the staff decided to remove Hicks from the rotation, there wasn’t any conversation about who was up next. Birdsong had been waiting for his shot, and in his first start of his sophomore year, he scattered five hits, walked none and struck out four. The only run was unearned, coming after he threw away a pickoff and then threw a wild pitch.
Birdsong said he was “antsy” in the morning, but excited.
“It felt good,” he said. “I had more energy in the fourth, fifth than I thought I would. Obviously you’re still ramping up and they’re probably going to keep me somewhat at a pitch count for now and try to build me up again.”
The Giants tried hard over the first month-plus to keep Birdsong stretched out, knowing he was the next man up. When Hicks couldn’t make it out of the third last week, Birdsong threw 65 pitches in relief. He had a count in the 75-80 range Tuesday, and the next time out, he should be back to normal.
For Harrison, things might get tricky. He was fully stretched out when he was called up to be the second lefty earlier this month, and he has thrown so well that it’s easy to imagine the Giants keeping him in that role short-term. They have just one other left-handed reliever — Erik Miller — and Melvin has been careful with his workload.
Since returning, Harrison thrown 5 1/3 innings across four outings. The velocity uptick that started to return in late April has remained, and he looks like he can be a weapon out of the bullpen. It will be more difficult to keep him stretched out if this is his role, though.
That’s a problem for down the line. Right now, the Giants are going game by game, and on Tuesday, Melvin planned to get as much as he could out of his two young pitchers. He is learning more about Harrison with every relief outing, and there’s no doubt in his mind about what’s ahead for Birdsong.
“He showed last year what he’s capable of doing,” Melvin said. “We feel like he’s going to be a starter for the Giants for a long time.”
That’s exactly what Birdsong wants to hear. He was disappointed to miss out on a spot coming out of camp, but he thrived in a long and then short relief role, and on Tuesday, he looked like someone who won’t let this opportunity slip away.
“I plan on it,” he said when asked about remaining in the rotation. “I’ll do what the team needs, but I plan on starting.”
Dean Spanos and his family will retain control of the Chargers organization with approximately 61% of the franchise. (George Walker IV / Associated Press)
The Chargers welcomed Arctos as a limited partner Tuesday as NFL owners approved a sale that transferred some the team's shares to the Dallas-based private equity firm that already has ties to the Dodgers.
“Arctos’ track record in major professional sports speaks for itself," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement, "and we are grateful for their alignment moving forward during this time of tremendous growth for our organization.”
According to a league memo The Times obtained last week, Arctos acquired 8% of the team's shares. Spanos and his family will retain control of the Chargers organization with approximately 61% of the franchise.
Arctos now has stakes in two NFL teams less than a year after the league approved private equity ownership. The company acquired a 10% stake in the Buffalo Bills in January, adding to its portfolio that already included MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS teams. Arctos has ownership stakes in six MLB teams: the Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
“We're honored to join the Los Angeles Chargers ownership group and are grateful to Dean and the rest of the management team for their partnership," Arctos cofounder and co-managing partner Doc O’Connor said in a statement. "We're excited to get to work and help the team achieve their vision however we can.”
Approaching a decade since their move to L.A., the Chargers have added two major ownership groups in the last year. Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores bought a 27% stake in the team in September, resolving a long-running dispute between Dea Spanos Berberian and her siblings as Gores and his wife bought Spanos Berberian’s share of the franchise.
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers got swept at Dodger Stadium for the first time in almost two years — by the lowly Angels. On the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz dug into how the sweep exposed the team’s depth issues, why the front office is making some tough calls and what it all means for this Dodgers club.
Let’s break down their conversation.
A new kind of wake-up call
“This is kind of the worst the Dodgers have looked in quite some time,” Jordan acknowledged, recapping the Angels’ surprising three-game sweep. Whether it was Clayton Kershaw grinding but not dominating in his return or the bullpen faltering, the Dodgers' pitching just didn’t have the answers. More surprisingly, none of their usual magic — stellar late-game hits and superstar heroics — emerged to save them.
But what really stood out to the Bar-B-Cast hosts was a sense that the Dodgers finally feel pressure — in their division and within their organization. Both Jake and Jordan pointed out how the Dodgers are “starting to sweat,” with the rest of the NL West surging and their own margin for error getting slimmer.
"The 2025 Dodgers are Jordan Shusterman's academic career in middle school," Jake offered. "So much talent that they can coast to decent grades. But there does come a point where you have to start doing your work."
No time for sentimentality
One byproduct of the pressure? The Dodgers released Chris Taylor on Sunday. As Jake noted, Taylor is “not good anymore and didn’t fit on the roster and was a waste of a roster spot” at this stage. And it wasn’t just Taylor; Austin Barnes, a clubhouse legend, got DFA’d last week to make room for top prospect Dalton Rushing.
For a franchise that so often rewards veteran loyalty, these moves signal a shift. The front office, led by Andrew Friedman, seems to have realized that the bottom of their roster can’t be dead weight — not when the Padres and Giants are breathing down their necks.
"The division is competitive," Jake said, "and the Dodgers, in their minds, need to win the division.
"Because the Dodgers know what they're doing," he continued, "they are responding to the reality that is going on in the world, and they are making what are difficult decisions to cut ties with players that matter in the room because they simply aren't good anymore."
Jordan and Jake both credit the front office for acting decisively, even if it means awkward locker room moments and the end of an era for two clubhouse fixtures.
The big picture
Sure, the Dodgers lost three straight to the Angels — in a year when the Halos have been largely forgettable since a hot start. Then L.A. dropped the series opener against the Diamondbacks 9-5 on Monday. On the positive side, they got Teoscar Hernandez back in the lineup Monday.
So now the bigger story is what happens next. After years of being able to coast to success, L.A. has to adapt. Young guys have to step up. The rotation needs answers. And everyone, not just the stars at the top, has to contribute.
As Jordan summed up: “They’re at least realizing — we can’t have too many bad players on our roster at this point. We need everyone to help out.”
For perhaps the first time in years, the Dodgers’ front office is acting like it.
The Mets will look to even up their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, but prior to first pitch, skipper Carlos Mendoza offered a few injury updates on the club's recovering starting pitchers.
Here's what the manager had to say...
Sean Manaea
The left-hander will throw another bullpen session on Wednesday after previously throwing a bullpen on Thursday. Coming off of an oblique injury suffered in spring training, Manaea was shut down from throwing in early April after an MRI showed inflammation, but he continues to move in the right direction.
Frankie Montas
The veteran right-hander will throw live batting practice in Brooklyn on Wednesday, getting two "up-downs," per Mendoza. He previously threw a bullpen session on Brooklyn in Monday.
Montas, signed this offseason, is yet to make his Mets debut as he recovers from a spring training lat injury.
Paul Blackburn
Blackburn will make his sixth rehab start on Wednesday, with the goal being to get him to 80 pitches, per Mendoza. If all goes well in that start, the Mets will have a decision to make about what comes next for Blackburn, Mendoza said.
Blackburn, who has been recovering from a knee injury after a back injury limited him in 2024, has thrown a total of 16.0 innings during his rehab, allowing 10 earned runs on 14 hits.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some updates prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers...
Bellinger swinging a hot bat
Cody Bellinger has gotten back into a groove after a bit of a cold stretch at the plate.
The sweet-swinging lefty played a huge role during this weekend’s Subway Series victory -- recording seven hits in 11 at-bats including two doubles and two home runs while also driving in seven runs.
He’s now batting .377 with four homers, four doubles, and a 1.129 OPS during his 13-game hitting streak.
The two keys according to Boone: balance and pitch selection.
“That’s what stands out to me,” he said. “He’s swinging at more of the right pitches, he’s had some big walks, and he’s on balance so he’s getting his swing off a lot. We’ve really been excited with the way he’s performed these last couple of weeks.”
Bellinger back doing his thing provides the Yanks with a huge boost behind Aaron Judge.
Rice sliding to the hot corner?
Prior to Sunday’s Subway Series finale, Ben Rice was spotted taking grounders at third.
The young slugger has only appeared at first, catcher, and DH to this point in his pro career -- while Boone liked what he saw from him at the position, it’s not a move the team is considering at the moment.
“He’s done it a few times,” Boone said. “It’s just keeping them athletic and keeping them moving. I think there’s value in all of that athletically speaking -- I like how he moves over there, but it’s not much more than that right now.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the Yanks consider it a more likely option when slugger Giancarlo Stanton gets closer to returning from the injured list.
Rice has been a tremendous piece for their lineup early on this season -- putting together a triple, nine homers, 10 doubles, and a .876 OPS through 41 games.
New York Yankees pitcher Devin Williams (38) pitches in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Devin Williams back as the closer?
Williams got off to a rough start with the Yanks, but he’s finally finding his footing.
After picking up the victory during Sunday’s Subway Series finale, the All-Star closer has now held the opponent off the board in eight of his last nine appearances.
He’s given up just two hits over that span while walking four and striking out 12.
Despite the success, Boone says there’s no plan right now to lock Williams back into the closers’ role but he’ll continue to be brought into high-leverage situations.
“I feel like so many of our guys down there are throwing the ball really well,” he said. “Luke [Weaver] has done outstanding in the role, so we’ll just see as we go. I want to continue having him throw the ball like he is.
"He’ll be in high-leverage spots -- that could be closing on any given day, but no plans to do it one way or the other right now."
Hey brother!
With the Rangers in town, there will be a familiar face in the opposing dugout.
Aaron’s older brother, Bret Boone, was recently hired as Texas’ hitting coach.
The long-time skipper admitted it’ll be a little odd seeing him in that capacity for the first time.
“We broke bread last night,” he joked. “It's good to have him here -- I’m sure I’ll peek over there at some point to see what his act looks like. We have two of his boys here and some of my kids coming so they’ll all hangout together, that’s the away from the game good things that come from this.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The Kansas City Royals entered the night just one win behind the Giants, and it’s not hard to see how they have done it. They essentially are the Midwest version of the team that plays at Oracle Park every night.
The Royals haven’t hit much in recent weeks, but they have good rotation depth and an excellent bullpen. The Giants figured this would be a tense, low-scoring series, and through two games that’s been the case.
Birdsong took over for Jordan Hicks in the starting rotation and allowed just an unearned run in five innings. The Giants scored three runs for him in the middle innings, but they had to hold on late on a night when the bullpen was short. Here are three things to know …
Sounded Good
Birdsong is as laid back as anyone on the team, but he probably was a bit annoyed by the third inning. He gave up a leadoff single and then whipped a pickoff throw down the right field line, allowing the runner, Drew Waters, to reach second. A wild pitch got him to third and a sacrifice fly brought him home.
That was the only run on Birdsong’s line in his 17th career big league start. The Giants had him set for about 75 pitches and the 76th turned into a two-out double by Kyle Isbel in the fifth, but Birdsong got Jonathan India to fly out to strand the runner. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out four while showing the same velocity he had as a reliever. In the first, he struck out Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. on a 98.4 mph fastball at the letters.
Hayden Birdsong's return to the rotation: 5 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts. He topped out at 98.4 mph on a strikeout of Bobby Witt Jr. pic.twitter.com/FGHNeNzU7K
There never was any doubt that it would be Birdsong who would take the open rotation spot. Manager Bob Melvin said last week that there wasn’t any conversation about whether Birdsong or Kyle Harrison was next, but Harrison will get his shot at some point. It might not be this year, though.
The Giants worked to keep Birdsong stretched out, but Harrison was used in an interesting way Tuesday night. With some tired arms in the bullpen, Harrison was asked to protect a two-run lead in the top of the seventh. The 23-year-old looked comfortable with the added responsibility.
Harrison struck out former teammate Mark Canha to start his night and also blew away Waters in a quick seventh inning. He came back out for the eighth and gave up a double before getting leadoff hitter Jonathan India to ground out. From there, Camilo Doval took over.
Harrison averaged 96 mph with his four-seamer and topped out at 96.7. Seven of his eight fastballs were strikes and he mixed in eight sliders, getting five strikes.
Patty Pop Time
Witt Jr. is in the 100th percentile in Sprint Speed and got down the line in 30.8 seconds — well into “elite” territory — on his infield single. But he was cut down by the man who is in the 100th percentile in Pop Time.
Patrick Bailey threw a pair of runners out in a close game. He’s well on his way to a second Gold Glove, which would make him the first Giants catcher to win more than one.
Walker Buehler and Alex Cora returned to the Boston Red Sox for Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. Neither made it past the third inning.
Buehler, starting on the mound for the first time since April 26 due to a shoulder injury, was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with one out in the top of the third. An apparent strike against Mets slugger Juan Soto was ruled a ball, and Buehler let home plate umpire Mike Estabrook hear it.
“That was right down the (expletive) middle!” Buehler yelled at Estabrook, who promptly tossed the veteran right-hander out of the game.
That lured Cora out of the dugout, and the Red Sox’ manager was also ejected after a heated exchange with Estabrook.
Watch the entire sequence in the video below, via SNY:
Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler and manager Alex Cora have both been ejected by home plate umpire Mike Estabrook pic.twitter.com/Oa94A0jrA4
Buehler’s ejection came at a less-than-ideal time for the Red Sox bullpen. The group was already taxed heading into the matchup after a collective effort in Monday’s win, but for the second straight night, Boston’s relievers stepped up. They kept the Mets off the scoreboard the rest of the way in a 2-0 victory.
Tuesday’s win brings the Red Sox back to .500 at 25-25. They will look to finish off a series sweep of the Mets on Wednesday.
