Athletics star first baseman Nick Kurtz earned both AL Player of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month for his electric contributions in July. It is his first career AL Player of the Month and second consecutive AL Rookie of the Month.
Kurtz strikes again đ€
Congratulations to Nick Kurtz who has been named Player AND Rookie of the Month! pic.twitter.com/QGu4MlYdKG
Over 23 games in July, Kurtz slashed .395/.480/.953 with a 1.433 OPS. He collected 34 hits and 27 RBI with 11 home runs. The 22-year-old led the AL in on-base percentage (.480), doubles (13), OPS, RBI, extra-base hits (25), total bases (82) and slugging (.953).
Kurtz stamped the stellar month with a six-for-six game in a 15-3 rout of the Houston Astros on July 25, in which he hit four home runs, collected six hits, drove in eight runs and totaled 19 bases at Daikin Park.
âI donât really know how to describe that one,â Aâs manager Mark Kotsay told reporters that night in Houston. âItâs arguably the best game Iâve ever watched from a single player.â
What a night for Nick Kurtz, who put forth one of the greatest single-game performances in MLB history.
â Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 26, 2025
Kurtz, the Aâs No. 4 overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft, is the 10th player ever to take home both awards in the same month. He joins Ryan Braun (July 2007), Buster Posey (July 2010), Mike Trout (July 2012), Yasiel Puig (June 2013), Jose Abreu (April and July 2014), Gary Sanchez (Aug. 2016), Aaron Judge (June and Sept. 2017), Aristides Aquino (Aug. 2019) and Wyatt Langford (Sept. 2024).
It seemed that Kurtzâs teammate, Jacob Wilson, was a lock for AL Rookie of the Year for much of the 2025 MLB season, especially after becoming the first fan-elected rookie ever to start an All-Star Game.Â
Stat leaders among qualified rookies this season:
AVG: Jacob Wilson, .312 HR: Nick Kurtz, 23 H: Jacob Wilson, 115 RBI: Nick Kurtz, 61 OPS: Nick Kurtz, 1.030 SB: Chandler Simpson, 32
ERA: Mike Vasil, 2.54 K: Will Warren, 128 WHIP: Noah Cameron, 1.01
Its Monday, August 4 and the Astros (62-50) are in Miami to take on the Marlins (55-55).
Jason Alexander is slated to take the mound for Houston against Sandy Alcantara for Miami.
The Astros arrive in South Beach reeling having been swept over the weekend in Boston by the Red Sox while the Marlins are riding high following their first-ever sweep of the Yankees in Miami.
Houston is 2-8 in their last 10 games and their lead in the American League West has been whittled down to 2.5 games over Seattle. Miami is playing as well as anyone in baseball. They have won five straight and are 30-14 since June 13 to pull to within six games of a Wild Card berth.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Astros at Marlins
Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: loanDepot Park
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming:
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Odds for the Astros at the Marlins
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Astros (-106), Marlins (-113)
Spread: Marlins 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Marlins
Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Jason Alexander vs. Sandy Alcantara
Astros: Jason Alexander (1-1, 18.00 ERA) Last outing: July 29 vs. Washington - 3.86 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36 ERA) Last outing: July 29 at St. Louis - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Marlins
The Marlins have won their last 3 games with Sandy Alcantara on the mound
This season Sandy Alcantara has an ERA of 6.36 and a WHIP of 1.46
The Marlins have covered in 7 of their last 9 games with Sandy Alcantara on the mound
Carlos Correa is 3-12 with 1 HR and 1 RBI in 3 games since returning to Houston
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Expert picks & predictions for tonightâs game between the Astros and the Marlins
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Concession workers at Fenway Park may go back on strikeâpotentially indefinitelyâif food and beverage vendor Aramark doesnât offer a new labor contract.
On Wednesday, ahead of the Boston Red Soxâs series finale against the Kansas City Royals, Unite Here Local 26 will give Aramark a formal notice of a potential strike. It comes over a week after the unionized concession workers walked off the job on July 25 for three days during the series against the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Aramark hired replacement workers for the series, some of whom were involved in a confrontation with picketing union members outside the stadium after Saturdayâs game, according to NBC Boston.
The union employees returned to the job for this past weekendâs series against the Houston Astros without incident; the Red Sox host the Royals for three games starting Monday.
The two sides have been at odds since Dec. 31, 2024, when the previous contract expired. On June 15, while the Red Sox hosted the rival New York Yankees, Local 26 authorized a strike that could take place at any point during the regular season, with 95% of its members voting in favor. A few weeks later on July 23, the union gave Aramark 48 hours to offer a new contract before walking off the job; the company let the deadline pass, leading to the three-day strike.
Peter Dankens, a beer server who began working at the ballpark in 1976 as a 14-year-old porter, is the longest-tenured vendor at Fenway and a member of the unionâs bargaining committee. In the last talks between the two sides prior to the July strike, Dankens said that he was taken aback by a comment from one of Aramarkâs negotiators.
âI wasnât that hyped up about the whole thing until I went to the bargaining meeting,â he said, âand the person who represented Aramark said, âWell, you people make enough money.â I couldnât believe someone said that. I make at the top very good money, sure, but my money doesnât come from Aramark. My money comes from the fans.â
Dankens said he walked off the job in support of the people in the back of the house who deliver, stock and cook the food. âTheyâre unrecognized. I donât think anybody in management, other than the floor supervisors, know their names individually. I donât think itâs not the way they used to be. It really used to be family, and itâs not that way anymore.â
Last Thursday, the bargaining committee discussed next steps, thinking that negotiations towards a new deal could go into the 2026 MLB regular season. Neither side has spoken to one another since the strike during the Red Sox/Dodgers series, though the union continues to say that itâs up to Aramark to offer what it believes to be a fair proposal.
Another point of contention, according to Dankens, was about Juneteenth, which was declared a federal holiday in 2021. The committee said it asked Aramark to make that a paid holiday for its employees, but that request was denied.
âThatâs a slap in the face to every person of color that works there, saying âweâll discuss it with you in 2030,ââ Dankens said. âWho discusses a national holiday in honor of people of color in 2030? Itâs a national holiday.â
Aramark didnât reply to a request for comment.
The negotiations could play out the same way as it did in Philadelphia when that cityâs union chapter representing concession workers across the three venues of the stadium complex went on strike in late September 2024, long after its own contract expired. Some concession workers picketed as the Phillies played their final regular-season series before the playoffs. Though the strike lasted four days, Aramark and the union did not come to terms on a new contract until this past April.
While there has been little common ground at the negotiating table, there was a moment when both sides put their hostilities aside. One of the union members who worked at the ballpark passed away in June after a battle with esophageal cancer. At the funeral, Dankens said he saw two members of Aramarkâs senior management team among the attendees.
âI think they thought I was going to say something about this strike,â he said. âAnd I said to them, you know, it meant a lot to see you coming to [the] funeral. And believe me, it was not unnoticed.
âI think they were kind of taken aback that I said that to them, but it did mean something to see them there. It was almost like we went back to the olden days.â
(This story has been updated in the first paragraph to accurately reflect the unionâs intentions around the strike. This story has been corrected in the second paragraph to note the Red Sox will play the Royals on Wednesday, and in the fifth paragraph to clarify who is speaking.)
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The Mets' starting rotation, aside from David Peterson, has been unable to pitch deep into games over the last month-plus.
Part of that has to do with pitchers like Manaea and Kodai Senga stretching back out following stints on the IL, and part of it has to do with Holmes understandably being managed with kid gloves as he soars past his innings total from last season during his first year after transitioning from reliever to starter.
But in order to avoid burning out the newly-bolstered bullpen, the Mets are going to have to get more length from their starters.
Manaea has tossed 5.0 innings in each of his last two starts, but high pitch counts have prevented him from going beyond that.
As far as Holmes, he lasted just 3.2 innings last Wednesday against the Padres and hasn't completed 6.0 innings since June 7.
Manaea gets the ball on Monday, with Holmes toeing the slab on Tuesday.
Following prolonged slumps, Lindor and Alonso are starting to look like themselves at the plate again.
Lindor is hitting .310/.370/.524 with two home runs and three doubles in 46 plate appearances over his last 10 games.
That includes a leadoff homer on Sunday against the Giants -- a series where Lindor went 5-for-11 with five RBI and two walks.
Alonso smashed home runs on Friday and Saturday, giving him 250 for his career as he continues to chase the Mets' franchise record of 252 that is held by Darryl Strawberry.
Soto hit safely in all three games against San Francisco, but he hasn't been hitting for much power lately.
Jul 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) follows through on a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Citi Field / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Soto has hit just one home run and one double since July 18.
Meanwhile, his OPS -- which was up to .916 entering play on July 5 -- has dropped to .859.
Soto has also gone five straight games without a walk, which is a rarity for him.
The Guardians are surging, but with a caveat
The Guardians are 16-7 since July 7, a run that has put them back in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the American League.
However, while Cleveland swept the Astros at the start of this streak, the rest of it has been done against very bad teams -- series wins over the White Sox, Athletics, Orioles, Rockies, and Twins (who just traded roughly one third of their active roster at the deadline).
The Guardians' run differential of -28 also suggests their record is better than it should be.
Still, the Mets will be facing a motivated club that is led by perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez, who is slashing .302/.377/.533 in 108 games this season.
Cleveland's rotation has been very good
The Mets will face Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, and Gavin Williams during this series.
Cecconi has gone 7.0 innings or more in three of his last four outings, and enters his start with a 3.77 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
Allen fired 7.0 innings of two-run ball against the Rockies in his last start, and has a 4.06 ERA and 1.36 WHIP this season.
Williams has been Cleveland's best starter this year, with a 3.33 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. But he has struggled with his command, walking a league-high 62 batters.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
He's been close to a non-factor power wise for too long to think it'll continue.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Sean Manaea
Manaea has been terrific since returning, with a 2.08 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 17.1 innings while striking out 22.
Which Guardians player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Jose Ramirez
Ramirez has been on fire, with nine hits in his last 20 at-bats, including home runs on Saturday and Sunday.
They remain on the fringes of the playoff race â FanGraphs gives them about an eight percent chance of making it â and they have two series left against a San Diego Padres team theyâre trying to chase down. If they can keep playing the way they did over the weekend in New York, they can certainly remain in the mix.
Another brief slip, though, would make the climb too steep and lead to real conversations about how best to handle September. And even if the Giants stay within range of the final Wild Card spot, at some point, theyâll have to take a different approach.
âWeâll probably get some different looks at some different players over the next couple of months,â president of baseball operations Buster Posey said after dealing away Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval and Mike Yastrzemski last week.
Thereâs one name at the top of that list, and Posey knows heâll be asked about Bryce Eldridge every time he speaks publicly until the end of the season. Eldridge, the organizationâs top prospect, certainly is doing his part to force the issue.
The 20-year-old homered twice on Saturday and again on Sunday, giving him seven in just 56 at-bats since returning from the IL. Overall, Eldridge is hitting .237 with a .802 OPS and nine homers in Triple-A, but he has a .999 OPS over his last 15 games. Since returning from a hamstring strain, he has a .338 on-base percentage and has raised his average to .268.
Asked about Eldridge and other young players right after the deadline, Posey said he would âprobably downplay the Eldridge piece a little bitâ because he missed time with injury. On Thursdayâs âGiants Talkâ podcast, he explained why the Giants will continue to be cautious.
âI think heâs making progress,â Posey said. âBryce, I think whatâs exciting about him is he wants to not only be a great hitter â he wants to be a great defender, as well. He knows thereâs work to do and he was hurt a little bit this year with the hamstring and missed some time. For him, itâs repetition, getting the reps, being in situations in games that can only be provided by being in that game.
âYou can do as much as you want in your pregame work, which he is doing that. Weâre in a good spot, I feel like with him. Weâre really happy with the way heâs progressing, but we want him to keep getting reps.â
Giants officials who have been to Sacramento recently say Eldridge continues to make strides at first base. He remains susceptible down in the strike zone â he has a 30 percent strikeout rate â but is absolutely punishing mistakes, showing the kind of raw power that should be on display at Oracle Park for years to come.
It has not been hard for the front office to preach patience, though, in part because thereâs no great need at the big league level at the moment. Rafael Devers also is learning first base and Dominic Smith continues to contribute when he gets opportunities.
Wilmer Flores had a rough July, but he is as respected as anyone in the clubhouse, and Posey held him at the deadline despite the fact that heâs coming up on free agency. The Giants will continue to get him opportunities while they view themselves as being in the race.
If that changes in a few weeks, Eldridge will be a short drive away, and his promotion certainly would bring a jolt to a fan base that has packed Oracle Park this summer. Posey once was in that situation himself, although his initial cup of coffee wasnât notable.
The Giants called Posey up for the first time in September 2009, but he got just 17 at-bats, picking up a pair of singles. He doesnât anticipate calling up Eldridge and adding him to the 40-man roster later this year if the playing time isnât there.
âI think if itâs a guy you see as part of the future, you want them to be able to play, too, and you want to feel good about (the fact that) theyâre going to get some steady playing time,â Posey said on Giants Talk. âWeâll have these discussions, but again, I think itâs important for Bryce to keep growing, keep getting the reps. Heâs still just 20 years old, so weâve got time.â
BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 03: Hurston Waldrep #64 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic presented by BulidSubmarines.com between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 3, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) â Before Hurston Waldrep earned his first major league win by pitching at a NASCAR venue, it was only fair that his day included a lengthy drive.
Waldrep was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett, then pitched 5 2/3 innings for Atlanta in the Bravesâ 4-2 win over Cincinnati in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway. The game started Saturday but was suspended in the first inning because of rain. Waldrep was told that night heâd be pitching Sunday â and to expect a car service early in the morning.
âWake up at 4:45, got in the car a little after 5, drove here with my girlfriend. Got here 9:45 or so. Everything since then, itâs been nonstop,â Waldrep said. âDidnât really have time to sit here and think about how it all happened. Nonetheless, grateful for it, happy to be here. Itâs been an unbelievable day.â
Itâs about 250 miles from Gwinnett, Georgia, to Bristol â which would be over 450 laps around the track at Bristol. Waldrep said he tried to sleep on the ride up, but that wasnât easy. Since he didnât arrive until Sunday, he missed the fanfare of the previous day, but he was there for most of the baseball.
âIt was really breathtaking to walk out, see how they set everything up, see the field, and just hearing from the players how last night went,â he said. âIt was all around just awesome.â
Waldrep made his big league debut in 2024, starting two games for the Braves. This was his first big league appearance this year. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed a run and three hits.
âAfter I took him out, I was like, âEverything we put you through today youâve done your job,ââ manager Brian Snitker said. âHeâs made a lot of strides. I think his time in Triple-A has been really really good for him.â
Mets prospect Carson Benge continued his hot stretch for Double-A Binghamton on Sunday, showing off his power swing.
The left fielder blasted a go-ahead, two run home run in the sixth inning off of Harrisburg's Hyun-il Choi to put the Rumble Ponies up 2-0.
He finished the game 1-for-4 as Binghamton would hold on for the win despite getting outhit, 8-4. Right-hander Jack Wenninger tossed tossed six scoreless innings to earn his ninth victory of the year.
Benge has now hit five home runs in his last six games and is already up to eight homers at the Double-A level after getting promoted at the end of June.
Over 26 games with Binghamton, Benge is slashing .370/.462/.670 with an impressive 1.132 OPS. The 22-year-old also has four doubles, a triple, and 20 RBI. He hit .302 with 37 RBI over 60 games in High-A and had only four homers, but that was likely due to Brooklyn's tough hitting stadium.
Across 86 games combined at both levels, Benge is hitting .323 with a .968 OPS, 12 home runs, 57 RBI, and 19 stolen bases this season.
While Benge was the only player to drive in runs on Sunday, fellow top prospect Jett Williams went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored in the win. He's hitting .278 over 91 games in Double-A with 10 home runs, 28 doubles, five triples, and 36 RBI. He's also got 58 walks and 29 stolen bases on the season.
Carson Benge DEMOLISHES another home run for Double-A Binghamton!
The Yankees lost again Sunday as they were swept by the Miami Marlins for the first time in franchise history and now find themselves in third place in the AL East standings with a 60-52 record.
New York has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games and 25-32 since May 29. They're currently 1.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox for second place in the division and 4.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place. With Aaron Judge's return from the IL expected to happen this week, it's time for the Yanks to snap out of their funk, and manager Aaron Boone knows it.
"Yeah I mean we're going into another tough opponent that's playing well. We got to do it, we got to find a way," Boone told YES Network's Meredith Marakovits after the loss. "Again, we swing the bats really, really good. Obviously the first night. Again, I thought today was better in the at-bat quality, getting shut down by a good pitcher. But we got to put it together more than anything.
"It's getting to be real gut-check time. It's getting late. It's certainly not too late for us. And I am confident that we're going to get it together. But that's all it is right now, it's empty until we start doing it."
Boone still believes this Yankees team can turn things around, but they have to find some consistency.
"I think we got a really good team out there and that gives me confidence," Boone said. "But it's on me, it's on us, it's on all of us to pull it out and pull it out together. I think we have the makings of a very good club, but obviously we haven't shown it consistently enough."
After Saturday's 2-0 loss, Jazz Chisholm Jr.discussed his baserunning mistake and mentioned he felt the team has been "pressing a little bit." Boone said Sunday he agrees they've been pressing at times and that it needs to end if they are going to get hot.
"Maybe at times, different stretches in here," Boone said. "I thought we went through a week defensively where we were pressing a little bit. The thing I'm still excited about, even though this weekend is, we've sured up the area in the pen that was a struggle there for a while. And I feel like that's going to reveal itself here.
"So yeah, when you have a lot of expectations and you feel like you're a good club and you're capable of doing a lot of things, that comes into play sometimes a little bit. But you go to get over that. That's part of being a good team, that's part of being a big leaguer is you got to deal with those kind of things. We have at times I feel like, but we got to go."
The manager said the mood in the locker room post-sweep was as you'd imagine, but they have to "dig out of it" and start finding ways to string wins together. Although, New York's schedule won't get easier as they start a three-game series on the road against the Texas Rangers on Monday before returning home to face the Houston Astros over the weekend.
"Definitely that's not a good feeling," Boone said. "You get beat up, you're coming out to try and salvage and you're behind the eight ball pretty quick. That's part of it. You got to pick yourself up, you got to dig out of it and be able to handle it. It's getting time where we need to start doing it and doing it in a consistent manner. Hopefully we start that tomorrow."
Turns out the pitching dual that was supposed to take place on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park was pushed back to Sunday.
While Philliesâ Zack Wheeler and Detroitâs Tarik Skubal combined for 13 innings, no walks and split 20 strikeouts, there were the six earned runs.
Instead, the real mound battle took place Sunday, and Cristopher Sanchez stole the show. A weekend that had a playoff feel in the three games against a Tigers team that is tied for the most wins in the American League, tilted the Phillies way as they took the tiebreaking third game with a 2-0 win.
This type of game was a baseball purists dream with outstanding pitching, phenomenal defense by both teams and timely hitting. All of those factors leaned a little more towards the Phillies as they improved to 63-48 on the year and now own a half-game lead on the Mets for first place in the National League East.
Sanchez rarely found himself in trouble during his eight innings of only 84 pitches. And the rare time that he did, his defense was there to erase it. It was the 10th shoutout win on the season for the Phillies and Sanchez improved to 10-3 while lowering his ERA to 2.40.
âIt felt great,â Sanchez said. âIâm coming off a four earned start (at Chicago White Sox). I had months without that happening to me so I needed to change that and did it.â
He did it emphatically. It was obvious very early that Sanchez had his stuff as he threw just 10 pitches in the first inning, nine for strikes and struck out two. In the fourth, after giving up consecutive singles to start the inning, Sanchez struck out Spencer Torkelson before fielding a double play ball.
âItâs just control,â said Rob Thomson of Sanchezâ night. âCommand of his fastball, changeup is just a swing and miss pitch. He can throw it at anytime and he throws it for strikes. Because of the velocity people have to gear up for that then all of the sudden this changeup with great arm action and a lot of depth gets him out front and they swing and miss. Heâs really come on.
âIâm awfully proud of the work heâs done. He made a couple of really nice defensive plays, too. A couple of years ago that 1-6 throw that he made, might not be accurate. Heâs worked on it. Heâs the full package now.â
The game was really a full package game for the entire team. They got a run in the second on a Nick Castellanos single, a double by Brandon Marsh then a ground out RBI by Max Kepler. When things got a little dicey in the seventh with a pair of singles to open the seventh, Sanchez coaxed a ground out then was helped by the play of the night from Edmundo Sosa, who fielded a grounder and threw a strike to home to cut down Jahmai Jones for the second out. After a walk loaded the bases, Sanchez forced another groundout to end the inning.
âIt was tough because the runner did a really good job getting up the line and blocking my view,â said catcher J.T. Realmuto. âSosa made a great throw because usually he would want to throw that on the inside, but with where the runner was so far that he couldnât make a throw inside the line so he threw it on the other side, which briefly I got blocked out of the ball but he put it in the perfect spot. Itâs just instinctual on his part because it happened so fast. His instincts were really good on that play.â
Holding that 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, all thoughts were on an insurance run and Kyle Schwarber provided it by hitting a bomb into Ashburn Ally for his 38th of the season and the final margin of victory.
âComing in there, going against (Tyler) Holton, a good left handed pitcher,â Schwarber said. âI took the first pitch as a strike, swing and miss at the second one and itâs just trying to put the ball in play, really. Trying to extend it to get to (Bryce Harper). Harpâs been swinging it great and I was just able to stick it out there and got enough of it and it went out. Obviously, insurance is great when you can add any sort of runs there, especially in a close game and you can kind of pad it.â
Itâs more than great when you now have the luxury of getting to Jhoan Duran to close things out. He did just that, but not without a terrific play from Harper who leaped to get a high throw from Sosa and got down on the bag for the second out of the inning. Duran closed it out with a 103 MPH fastball on Riley Greene.
âPretty good,â said Thomson of his closerâs outing. âNot sure Iâve witnessed 103. He was really strong tonight.â
Mets starting pitcher Frankie Montas struggled for the second straight outing on Sunday, allowing seven runs over four-plus innings to the San Francisco Giants in what became a 12-4 loss.
The veteran right-hander gave up four runs in the third inning, three coming on a HR from Rafael Devers, and then let up another three runs in the fourth inning. Carlos Mendoza kept Montas in to pitch the fifth, but he walked the leadoff man and that would end his day. Montas has now allowed 12 runs over his last two starts (8.1 IP combined) and his spot in the rotation moving forward is a bit up in the air.
"I mean we just got done with the game here. He's got to be better and he knows that," Mendoza told reporters when asked if Montas' role is up for discussion.
The manager's response doesn't indicate a change is coming immediately, but it's possible the Mets could mix up the rotation if Montas' poor performance continues.
Montas threw 92 pitches over the four-plus innings Sunday, as he was already at 60 pitches through the third inning. He only walked two Giants, but continued to leave balls over the plate and struggled to get anything by them. His ERA is now up to 6.68 on the season and he's allowed four earned runs or more in four of his seven starts.
"He just couldn't get swing-and-misses," Mendoza said. "Pitch selection, location. I mean that pitch to Devers was right down the middle... When you do that to good hitters, they're going to make you pay... Overall, just not getting swing-and-misses, location, and he got hit."
Mendoza added: "Comes down to execution, pitch selection, using his pitches effectively. Whether it's the cutter up and in vs. lefties, the slider, the sinker against righties. The sequencing is got to be better. He's got to be able to execute and he's not doing that right now."
Montas acknowledged it was "a tough day" for him on the mound, but showed confidence in his ability and desire to turn it around.
"Just keep on working to be honest with you," Montas said. "Season's not over. There's a lot of room to improve, definitely working to get better. Something that I was going to say is, they're going to have to kill me out there. I'm a kid trying, I'm a kid trying to make pitches. Just try to keep making people out."
Mendoza went on to say the Mets will "continue to help him with his pitching ability and being able to get through a lineup a few times." Although, it's not clear how much longer the leash will be for Montas, especially after the team opted to improve the bullpen at the trade deadline instead of acquiring a new starting pitcher. If they do decide to move on from Montas, New York could call up top prospects Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean to take his spot, as both have been having strong seasons in Triple-A.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Chicago White Sox placed infielder Miguel Vargas on the 10-day injured list on Sunday because of a left oblique strain.
Vargas, 25, was scratched from Saturday nightâs 1-0 victory at the Angels. Vargas, who was acquired from the Dodgers as part of a three-team trade in July 2024, is batting .229 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 106 games.
The White Sox also recalled infielder Curtis Mead from Triple-A Charlotte before their series finale against the Angels. Left-hander Bryan Hudson and right-hander Elvis Peguero were claimed off waivers from Milwaukee and assigned to Charlotte.
Mead, 24, came over when the White Sox traded right-hander Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay on Thursday. He hit .226 with three homers and eight RBIs in 49 games with the Rays this year.
CLEVELAND (AP) Trevor Larnach had a two-run in a four-run first inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis also drove in runs in the first against Joey Cantillo (2-2), who struck out a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings. Kody Clemensâ bunt single in the eighth plated DaShawn Keirsey Jr. with an insurance run.
Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak. Kody Funderburk (2-1) tossed two scoreless innings of relief, and RamĂrez earned the save in his first big-league appearance since Aug. 30, 2024, with Tampa Bay.
Cantillo gave up four straight hits to Austin Martin, Ryan Jeffers, Wallner and Lewis to begin the game. The left-hander had only given up three total hits in the first inning of his other five starts this season.
Ureña became the first player this season to appear in games with four teams, previously pitching for the Mets, Blue Jays and Dodgers.
Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli has not determined who will start Monday in a bullpen game at Detroit.
Guardians: RHP Slade Cecconi (5-7, 3.77 ERA) opens a three-game series Monday at the New York Mets.
MIAMI (AP) Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins completed the first sweep of the New York Yankees in franchise history a 7-3 victory on Sunday.
The Marlins (55-55) won all three games against the Yankees (60-52) to reach .500 for the first time since April 15. They became the first major league team to go from 16 or more games under .500 to a .500 record since the Rays in 2014.
Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3 1/3 innings into his season debut.
Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera's 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center.
Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a two-run homer off Josh Simpson that pulled New York within 6-3 in the seventh, as âLet's go Yankees!â chants erupted at loanDepot Park. Marsee then ripped an RBI triple to center in the bottom half that stretched the lead to four.
Xavier Edwards had two hits, including an RBI single. Troy Johnston had a run-scoring double.
The Marlins honored former manager Jack McKeon before the game. McKeon, 94, guided Miami to its 2003 World Series win over the Yankees.
Miami is 24-24 against the Yankees, including the postseason, becoming the only franchise the Yankees donât have a winning record against.
Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36) pitches the opener of a three-game series against the Houston Astros.
Yankees LHP Max Fried (12-4, 2.62) starts the opener of a three-game series at the Texas Rangers.
