Category: Baseball

In the preview for tonight’s game, I mentioned that this game might come down to who could find the big hits in the latter stages of the game. The Braves have made a good living when it comes to either turning games around or finishing things off during the money innings (seventh, eighth and ninth), and it appeared that that was likely what this game was going to come down to.

Unfortunately for us Braves fans, it was the Cubs who managed to get the timely hitting — or any real hitting at all, as they ended up keeping Atlanta completely quiet with a 2-0 shutout win to avoid getting swept.

Chris Sale did end up going six innings in this one and while he did get into some trouble during the first five frames, he was able to deftly dance around those problems like he usually does and kept the Cubs quiet for the most part. Sale eventually finished the night with eight strikeouts, which is just about what you’d expect from the veteran hurler even at this stage of his career.

The only real issue came in the sixth inning, which is when Sale walked Ian Happ to lead off the inning. It sure seemed like the next batter was going to hit a ground ball that could’ve been a double play. Instead, the Braves got none as Ha-Seong Kim’s flip to second was a poor one that went into the outfield for an error. The Cubs cashed in runners at the corners with a productive ground ball out from Matt Shaw that broke the 0-0 deadlock and gave Chicago the lead.

While this was going on, the Cubs were already having to dip into their bullpen — though it wasn’t because of lack of success on Ben Brown’s part. He was on a strict pitch count limit and he was certainly effective during the 65 pitches that he did throw. The Braves were only able to muster one hit and one walk off of Brown while he was out there and they didn’t look particularly close to pushing across a run during that stint.

It also didn’t help matters that Chicago’s bullpen kept the pedal to the metal once Brown left the game. Hoby Milner pitched two clean innings and then Phil Maton got a measure of redemption with his scoreless outing as well, which meant that the Cubs were holding on to a precious one-run lead once the game got into the latter stages.

That ended up being two runs once the eighth inning rolled around, as Ian Happ sent one to the Chop House at the expense of Reynaldo López for a solo shot that made it 2-0 Cubs. Old friend Jacob Webb pitched a scoreless eighth inning in order to keep it a two-run deficit, ensuring that it would take a dramatic rally from the Braves in the ninth inning to potentially turn things around.

Credit has to be given to Aaron Bummer to making sure that the Braves only had a two-run deficit to attempt to overcome in the ninth inning. Unfortunately, this night was all about Chicago’s pitching staff, as Daniel Palencia was absolutely electric to close this one out and doom the Braves to their second shutout loss of the season so far.

Instead of picking up a series win and a sweep against two of the best teams in the National League so far, the Braves will have to “settle” for just the two series wins — still a very positive result for this run of six games. Atlanta will now try to bounce back tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. ET against their traditional Interleague rivals, the Boston Red Sox. If you’re going to the game, wear your red since it’s a red-out, and all.

The Red Sox had another installment of regularly-scheduled programming: the pitching staff gives them a chance to win and the offense offers another lifeless performance. Boston scored just one run in the eighth inning and could not match Philadelphia in the 3-1 loss.

Kyle Schwarber changed the game with one swing to move Philadelphia to 12-4 under interim manager Don Mattingly. 

Here’s three takeaways from Thursday’s series finale.

RANGER IS ROLLING

He may have missed time with hamstring issues, but Ranger Suarez is pitching like the guy the Red Sox paid for this month. He’s tallied 9 ⅓ scoreless frames to start the month of May. 

Against his former club, Suarez struck out eight Phillies through 5 ⅓ innings Thursday night. In fact, the left-hander hasn’t allowed a run since April 22 against the Yankees. Since then? He’s posted 17 ⅓ innings of shutout ball across his last three starts. 

KYLE SCHWARBER IS INEVITABLE

The Phillies slugger offered another sour reminder of the shortcomings of Boston’s lineup. Home runs change games and the Red Sox just don’t hit enough of them.

Schwarber launched his 18th home run of the year, his seventh in seven games, off of Tyler Samaniego in the eighth inning to break the scoreless tie. Boston deployed a left-on-left matchup. Just not one good enough to hold Schwarber in the yard on Thursday night.

One of the sport’s greatest home run threats is fully in powerful form by mid-May. 

FENWAY FAILS

The Red Sox have just one series win at Fenway Park to their names through the opening six weeks of the season. That came in early April when Boston took two of three games from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The San Francisco Giants wrap up this four-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.09 ERA, 2.51 FIP, with 51 strikeouts to 19 walks in 43.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 13-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, in which he allowed one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in four innings.

He’ll be facing off against Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.79 ERA, 3.81 FIP, with 43 strikeouts to 10 walks in 35.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday, in which he allowed one run on six hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in four and two thirds innings.

Game #44

Who: San Francisco Giants (18-25) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (25-18)

Where: UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California

When: 7:10 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: MLB Network

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, and this time, they won’t have to travel too far. Beginning this weekend, the Brewers are on a two-series trip through the Twin Cities and Chicago, as they’ll take on a pair of rivals in the Twins and Cubs. First up is Minnesota, as the Brewers will face the Twins for three games beginning Friday night.

The Crew is coming off a 5-1 homestand that featured a three-game sweep of the Yankees and a 2-1 series against the Padres — the only loss of the series came on a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning of a 3-1 Padre win. Milwaukee is now 24-17 on the season, tied with the Cardinals for second in the NL Central.

On the opposite side, the Twins are 20-24 on the year, right in the middle of what has been a weak AL Central thus far. They took two of three from the Marlins this week, giving them four wins in their last five games after taking the final two games in Cleveland over the weekend.

In terms of injuries, the Brewers currently have a few players shelved and a few who are considered day-to-day. The day-to-day group includes Christian Yelich and Jacob Misiorowski. Yelich has been held out of the lineup for the last two games as he deals with minor back tightness, a lingering issue that has affected him for the last few years, while Misiorowski exited his start on Wednesday night after only the seventh inning as he once again dealt with cramps. He’s reportedly set to make his next start on schedule. Outfielders Brandon Lockridge and Akil Baddoo are both out with leg injuries, with Baddoo scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this weekend and Lockridge expected to be out until at least mid-June. On the pitching side, Rob Zastryzny (late May), Brandon Woodruff (late May), Jared Koenig (late May/early June), Quinn Priester (early June), and Angel Zerpa (out for the season) are all on the IL.

The Twins IL several key players, so I’ll give the quick-ish rundown. The list includes starting pitcher Pablo López, who is out for the season with a torn UCL, as well as Garrett Acton, Cody Laweryson, David Festa, Mick Abel, Cole Sands, and Taj Bradley. Outfielder Byron Buxton is day-to-day with hip soreness, while Wisconsin-native Alan Roden is on the IL with Triple-A St. Paul. Top prospects Walker Jenkins (team No. 1, MLB No. 12), Emmanuel Rodriguez (team No. 4, MLB No. 54), and Charlee Soto (team No. 9) are all on the IL in the minors.

Offensively, the Brewers are led by Brice Turang, who seemingly gets better every game. He’s hitting .298/.422/.511 with six homers, 10 doubles, 27 RBIs, 33 runs, and eight steals this season. Jake Bauers adds six homers, and Gary Sánchez has five. Other key contributors include William Contreras, Andrew Vaughn, Jackson Chourio, and Yelich (when healthy). Rounding out the position player group, those guys are joined by Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Luis Rengifo, and Blake Perkins. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .245/.336/.359 (.695 OPS ranks 19th), with 27 homers (last), 209 runs (eighth), and 43 steals (fifth).

Buxton leads Minnesota’s offense with 15 homers this year, and he’s hitting .260/.319/.580 over 40 games. Ryan Jeffers has added six homers, while Brooks Lee ranks third with five. Austin Martin has quietly been one of the better hitters for the Twins, hitting .333/.454/.429 over 38 games, and Luke Keaschall leads the team with 10 steals this year. Victor Caratini, Kody Clemens, Royce Lewis, Tristan Gray, Josh Bell, Ryan Keidler, Trevor Larnach, and James Outman round out the Minnesota offense. As a team, the Twins are hitting .236/.325/.385 (.710 OPS ranks 13th), with 49 homers (tied for 12th), 211 runs (seventh), and 40 steals (tied for sixth).

The Brewers bullpen is anchored by the fireman duo of Aaron Ashby and DL Hall, as Ashby leads the majors with a perfect 7-0 record across 20 appearances, with a 2.00 ERA and 43 strikeouts across 27 innings. Hall has a 1.80 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 20 innings. Grant Anderson hasn’t appeared as often recently, though he still ranks second on the team with 19 appearances. Abner Uribe has now blown two saves with a 4.96 ERA, though he’s still one of the best pitchers on the team when he’s playing well. Trevor Megill has bounced back after an ice-cold start, allowing just two earned runs over his last 10 innings (1.80 ERA). Jake Woodford, Shane Drohan, and Brian Fitzpatrick round things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.35 team ERA (third), including a 3.27 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.44 bullpen ERA (seventh). They’ve struck out 402 batters (fourth) over 365 1/3 innings.

As you’ll see with the team stats below, the Twins’ bullpen hasn’t been great this season. Former Brewer Justin Topa leads the team with 21 appearances, and Anthony Banda is right behind him with 20 appearances, though both have ERAs over 7.00. Kody Funderburk (who is now at Triple-A, thanks to some control issues) was probably the best pitcher, at least statistically, with a 2.81 ERA over 16 innings. The current group of Eric Orze (4.26 ERA), Taylor Rogers (4.41 ERA), Andrew Morris (4.67 ERA), and Luis García (10.57 ERA) has all had their share of troubles this season. The newest bullpen edition, Kendry Rojas, has been solid through three appearances, with a 2.45 ERA over 7 1/3 innings. As a staff, the Twins have a 4.49 team ERA (23rd), including a 3.88 starter ERA (ninth) and a 5.38 bullpen ERA (29th). They’ve struck out 332 batters (26th) over 387 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, May 15 @ 6:10 p.m.: TBD vs. RHP Joe Ryan (2-3, 3.43 ERA, 3.04 FIP)

The Brewers have not yet announced a starter for game 1 or game 3 of this series. Friday night’s starter would be lined up as Chad Patrick, but the Brewers have used him in a bit more of a bullpen role lately, as he went three innings in relief against the Yankees on Saturday before tossing a perfect inning against the Padres on Tuesday. I’d expect that whether or not he’s the starter, we’ll see him at some point in this one, and likely for multiple innings. The 27-year-old righty has a 3.06 ERA, 3.81 FIP, and 26 strikeouts over 35 1/3 innings this season. Patrick made a start against the Twins last May, taking the loss as he allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts over six frames.

Ryan, 30 in June, is in his sixth MLB season, all with the Twins. An All-Star last season, Ryan has a similar stat line so far in 2026, with a 3.43 ERA, a 3.04 FIP, and 45 strikeouts over 44 2/3 innings. The former seventh-round pick went six innings against the Guardians in his last appearance, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out five in a no-decision. Ryan has made four appearances against Milwaukee in his career, with a 1-1 record, 3.18 ERA, and 25 strikeouts over 22 2/3 innings. He went 1-1 against Milwaukee last season, with the win coming in the same game that Patrick lost.

Saturday, May 16 @ 6:10 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (0-1, 4.15 ERA, 2.11 FIP) vs. LHP Connor Prielipp (1-1, 3.32 ERA, 4.37 FIP)

The only officially announced starter for Milwaukee, this will mark Henderson’s fourth start of 2026. He’s allowed exactly two runs in all three of his starts this year, including two runs over five innings against the Yankees on Mother’s Day, striking out five and taking the no-decision as Brice Turang ultimately played hero. One thing of note: each of Henderson’s last two starts ended before the 80-pitch mark (76 on May 3 against the Nationals, 74 on Sunday). This marks Henderson’s first career appearance against Minnesota.

Prielipp, 25, was born and raised in Tomah, Wisconsin. A second-round pick out of the University of Alabama in 2022, he made his MLB debut just a few weeks ago, as this will mark his fifth career start. Ranked as Minnesota’s No. 5 team prospect by MLB Pipeline, he has a 3.32 ERA, 4.37 FIP, and 21 strikeouts over 19 innings this year. He went five innings against the Guardians in his last appearance, allowing four runs (just one earned) on four hits and two walks, striking out six in his first loss. This marks Prielipp’s first career appearance against Milwaukee.

Sunday, May 17 @ 1:10 p.m.: TBD vs. RHP Bailey Ober (4-2, 3.46 ERA, 3.84 FIP)

Rookie right-hander Brandon Sproat would be lined up to take the ball in the series finale if the last turn through the rotation holds. Sproat is coming off a decent start on Tuesday night against the Padres, earning his first MLB win in appearance No. 12 as he went 5 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on six hits and two walks, striking out six. For the season, he has a 5.75 ERA, 5.74 FIP, and 36 strikeouts over 36 innings. This would mark Sproat’s first career appearance against Minnesota.

Like Ryan, Ober, 30, is in his sixth MLB season, all with Minnesota. The former 12th-round pick has turned in a few solid seasons during his career, but he’s coming off his worst season to date, as he had a 5.10 ERA and 4.90 FIP over 146 1/3 innings in 2025. He’s looked better thus far in 2026, though, with a 3.46 ERA, 3.84 FIP, and 39 strikeouts over 52 innings. He’s coming off a complete game shutout performance against the Marlins, in which he threw just 89 pitches and allowed just two hits (no walks) with seven strikeouts in a 3-0 win. This marks Ober’s third career start against the Brewers. Both of his previous starts came in 2023, when he totaled 11 innings with four runs allowed (3.27 ERA) and 10 strikeouts, picking up a win and a no-decision.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, May 8: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, May 9: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, May 10: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

Despite entering the season predicted to finish at the bottom of the AL Central (and possibly the entire AL or even MLB), the Twins have held their own thus far, as they’re just a few games under .500. Still, the Brewers seem to be playing some of their best baseball right now, which makes me confident they can take two of three here.

During a dreadful month of April, it felt like whenever the Mets fell into an early deficit, the game was over.

Of late though, they’ve started to show more fight. 

We saw it as they battled to take the series opener in extras last weekend in Arizona, and then in all three games of the homestand-opening set with the Detroit Tigers. 

For just the third time in franchise history, New York came back from multiple runs down in each of the matchups as they locked of their first series sweep of the season. 

“It’s great to see,” manager Carlos Mendoza said following Thursday's victory. 

New York fell behind 2-0 in the top of the second on Tuesday night before they rattled off 10 unanswered runs, sparked by a spectacular big-league debut from top prospect A.J. Ewing. 

They came from behind again on Wednesday night after Detroit was spotted a pair of runs in the first, eventually winning it in the bottom of the 10th on Carson Benge’s first career walk-off hit.   

And then on Thursday afternoon the offense homered five times and Nolan McLean put forward his gutsiest outing thus far, battling through seven innings of work despite not having his best stuff. 

Overall, it was one of the Mets’ most complete showings to this point in the season. 

"During that tough stretch it felt like every time we got down a couple of runs the game was over," Mendoza said. "Now we’re down three runs in the first inning and you still feel good out there -- you can just sense it in the dugout.

"The pitching is going to keep us in games, they’ve done it all year -- it’s good to see the guys fight back -- they’re resilient. They aren’t going to give up, they aren’t going to put their heads down, they are just going to keep going."

Even with the majority of their regulars in the starting lineup sidelined to injuries, the Mets have now won three of their last four series and eight of their first 12 games to open the month of May. 

They’ll look to keep rolling this weekend against the suddenly struggling Yankees in the Subway Series. 

“We just have to do it one day at a time,” Mendoza emphasized. “We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves -- you enjoy today, but then you have to come back tomorrow, understanding you have a really good team coming to town.

“It’s going to take a consistent, good brand baseball, executing and just playing our best at the highest level -- I’m confident with the personnel that we have in there that we’re going to be able to do that.”

After an especially tough loss — such as when you are quite literally a strike away from winning and lose — everything feels more bleak. Just as after an exhilarating win the team might feel invincible. As always the truth is somewhere in between.

As I write following a disappointing loss, I see more positives than negatives but that optimism is also measured. This A’s team, as currently constituted, is very talented and very flawed, so it feels about right that the team sits around the .500 mark, now 1 game over at 22-21.

The A’s have come by their record losing some games they should have won and winning some games should have lost. But they have ultimately achieved what had to be the overarching goal for April-May: stay with the Mariners, stay in contact with the .500 mark, hang in there while hopefully the roster gets some key fortification, e.g., perhaps Gage Jump sooner and even Leo De Vries later.

Now the way the A’s have kept pace with and even stayed ahead of, the Mariners has to do largely with Seattle playing surprisingly poorly the first 7 weeks. Projected by analysts to win more like 96 games than 80, nonetheless the Mariners have sputtered out of the gate and that has kept the A’s in good stead.

But here’s the reason for my “leaning towards optimism”. It’s not just that the A’s have gotten where they are with two key pieces, Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom, greatly underperforming, though this does offer some hope that “the best is yet to come” for this team. That’s not it, because as Butler and Soderstrom progress, surely Shea Langeliers and Carlos Cortes will not continue to masquerade as a batting leader and one who would lead even Langeliers if he had enough PAs to qualify. Though they are welcome to, of course.

The reason even today’s game was not as bad as it feels is that the A’s may have solved 2 positions that were very iffy going into the season.

Zack Gelof’s play at 3B combined with his work at the plate have been true revelations, to where it feels quite reasonably like the A’s may have found their 3Bman for the long haul. In the field, despite the limitations of his arm strength Gelof has looked smooth and effective, using the Mark Ellis great footwork/positioning and quick release, with accurate throws, to offset the weak arm.

At the plate, Gelof is not swinging and missing nearly as much and his contact is back to being more lethal. For the season now Gelof is up to .270/.316/.527, which is noteworthy when you put it next to his 2023 rookie half season that generated so much excitement: .267/.337/.504.

For the A’s to have found, in the most roundabout way, a quality every day 3Bman who contributes on both sides of the ball, is huge for the last 119 games.

Meanwhile, Henry Bolte’s debut was exciting enough but in some ways today’s game was even better. Bolte consistently hit balls hard, even though he wound up with only one single to show for it: EVs of 100, 104.4, 109.4 on the 3 balls he hit. He has also opened his big league career striking out in just 1 of his 8 plate appearances.

There is/was understandable concern around whether Bolte’s tantalizing skills would translate to the big leagues, and even if they did whether they would anytime soon. Just 22, Bolte has elite raw skills — speed, power, bat speed — but has come with some important red flags, e.g., high K rates, high whiff rates.

If Bolte is, in fact, at the level of “a legit starting CFer,” that’s also huge for a team that has crossed its fingers that Denzel Clarke can hit over the Mendoza line and has settled for throwing Butler out in CF even though neither his bat nor his glove have been adequate.

If today moved the needle on anything, it only solidified the notion that the A’s may have found a quality 3Bman and a quality CFer to carry them going forward. That depth also enhances a currently weak bench, allowing for players such as Butler, Cortes, and Max Muncy to potentially offer luxuries as utility players or part-time starters.

None of this analysis has really touched on the pitching, other than a passing mention of Jump. The A’s may go only as far as their rotation can provide some stability and more length than it has offered to date. The bullpen has been volatile and still has few relievers that allow fans to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

But here the A’s are, over .500, ahead of the Mariners in the standings, and having possibly identified quality players at two of their weakest positions going into the season. As Al Pacino would say, “22-21, 1 game up on Seattle……and I’m just getting warmed up!” Hoo-ah.

With baseball’s two challenge systems, it feels rare when the sport has a managerial ejection with some extra fire.

But A.J. Hinch brought back some of the old days during a Thursday matinee.

The Tigers manager was tossed in the fourth inning of Detroit’s 9-4 loss to the Mets at Citi Field when he boiled over following a controversial decision on a challenge call at third base.

With Gage Workman on second and nobody out in the top half of the frame, Zach McKinstry blooped a single in front of Mets left fielder MJ Melendez.

Workman saw the play in front of him and then bolted for third, but Melendez’s throw to third baseman Brett Baty was in time for a tag and the first out.

Or was it?

Hinch challenged the call, and multiple replays — including one on the big video board in center field — appeared to show Workman not only beat the tag, but stay on the base as Baty kept the glove on him.

After a lengthy review, home plate umpire Jordan Baker announced to the New York crowd that the call on the field stood. Hinch was incensed and started barking toward Baker, who, before turning off his microphone, could be heard saying: “Not me. You’re gone!”

Baker was likely referring to the fact that he was not the one in charge of making the decision on the review, as once a play gets challenged, the decision gets sent to the MLB Replay Command in Manhattan.

Either way, Hinch came barking out the dugout and pointed angrily at the home plate ump after he was officially tossed.

A.J. Hinch just got tossed arguing an out call at third base after the play was upheld pic.twitter.com/drm2WCom99

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 14, 2026

“They showed it on the board, which I think is the biggest board in baseball,” Hinch said afterward, according to The Detroit News. “If they’re going to do that, I’m going to defend my team.”

“[Baker] threw me out from the dugout. I didn’t say anything I thought was worthy of it. And then I’ve got to come out of the dugout. I was very frustrated with it. Just the whole thing, from the play being shown from multiple angles on the field, the fans, players, coaches, me we all watched it. But they didn’t see it in New York

He got his money’s worth for about 30 seconds before walking back to the visiting dugout and subsequently the clubhouse.

One pitch later, Spencer Torkelson hit into an inning-ending double play, and the Mets, who were trailing by three runs at the time, rallied for nine runs, largely on the strength of a season-high five home runs.

The Tigers, after getting swept three games in New York, have now lost eight of nine games.

The Mets are riding arguably their hottest stretch of the season, but David Stearns continues to take hits for his roster construction.

Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay blasted the Mets’ president of baseball operations over his offseason moves, which included shedding several franchise mainstays in favor of short-term deals for oft-injured veterans.

Even with their three-game winning streak, the Amazin’s 18-25 record is tied with the Giants for second-worst in the majors.

Superstars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto have both missed time with injuries, while offseason additions Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., Bo Bichette and Luke Weaver have battled prolonged absences or slumps of their own.

“Every move he made has not worked,” Kay said Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Michael Kay Show.” “It’s like some of these things didn’t even come to David Stearns’ mind as he was putting the team together.

“This guy is operating under his own guidelines when the rest of the sport is operating completely differently.”

Kay criticized Stearns for overlooking red flags in injury histories such as Polanco and Robert Jr., and for trying to fill the third base vacancy with a player (Bichette) who had never played the position.

Additionally, Kay hit Stearns for allowing Pete Alonso, the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs, to leave for the Orioles despite his durability.

“You took Pete Alonso and this is a guy who you wouldn’t sign to a five-year deal,” Kay began. “But one thing that Pete Alonso gave you was availability. He played every game; the guy was a bull. You never had to worry about him being scratched or being injured — he played every game.

“Instead, you sign a guy [Polanco] who can’t get healthy. How’s that looking now? Just an awful maneuver by David Stearns.”

During his seven seasons in Flushing, Alonso missed just 24 games, while Polanco already has missed 29 games because of Achilles and wrist injuries.

Kay praised the Mets’ decision to promote top prospect A.J. Ewing, who has enjoyed a hot start to his MLB career.

After reaching base four times in his debut Tuesday, Ewing hit his first career homer Thursday in the Mets’ 8-3 win over the Tigers, which sealed a three-game sweep.

“So you look at this, and you go, ‘Well, that’s kind of a panic move.’ And I go, ‘Good. They need to panic. They need to panic. They still have a chance,'” Kay said. “You can’t keep rolling out the same lineup that doesn’t hit and expect things to change.”

Nolan McLean gave up a three-run home run to the fifth batter he saw Thursday afternoon, but the Mets rookie still pieced together an encouraging outing. 

This despite clearly not having his “A” game in a 9-4 Mets win over an equally-flailing Tigers team that secured their first series sweep of the season.

After some early struggles with his command, McLean pushed through seven innings and finished with six hits, three earned runs and seven strikeouts. 

“I mean, got to take it for what it was,” McLean said after the victory. “Obviously, gave up the homer in the first, so it was a quick 3-0 lead for them. Like I’ve talked about a bunch, my job is to go as deep as I can regardless on how well I’m pitching or not. So I’m pretty happy with getting into the seventh today.” 

The 24-year-old exploded with emotion after capping the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts of Jake Rogers and Kevin McGonigle. 

In the wake of his slow start, McLean said he had to find what was working and get creative “a couple of times” to find the pitches that were connecting. 

He found his curveball late, he noted, before his sinker control came back to him a bit. 

“Man, he was pretty impressive,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Because not only did he give up that three-run homer, but I thought stuff-wise today was a little light. The sinker wasn’t there — just it took him a while. And for him to go seven innings there, it was pretty impressive. He fought, he battled, and he just kept trusting his pitches. I thought him and [catcher Hunter] Senger were on a really good page there. 

“He takes a lot. You get hit on the face the first inning and then you just see it, stuff-wise, it was a battle for him.”

Juan Soto was in the lineup after the Mets’ $765 million man exited Wednesday night’s game due to an injury scare.

He batted third as the DH, going 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs.

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Asked if he was concerned about an injury, Soto didn’t seem like it.

“I wasn’t concerned much,” he said. “I’d done it before. The point is, I wasn’t able to push. It was getting slow in big times, so I was just like trying to make a smart move, you know? But definitely, I know how to handle it.”

Francisco Alvarez underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee Thursday, Mendoza announced.

“The timetable is kind of what we announced, but we’re looking at the eight-week mark,” Mendoza said. 

Francisco Lindor isn’t expected to return to the lineup anytime soon.

“He’s getting better, showing sign of healing,” Mendoza said. “Now we’re moving to the phase where [it’s] the strength part. In the weight room, before he starts his running progression. Positive sign. We just got to let it heal.”

Mendoza said he didn’t think Lindor needed any more imaging done on his left calf, which he strained April 22 while running the bases against the Twins.

Though the Mets manager didn’t have an updated timeline, he acknowledged the 32-year-old infielder was still a ways away.

Jonah Tong was knocked around as he took the ball for Syracuse on Thursday night.

The Mets' right-handed pitching prospect lasted just 1.2 innings, giving up seven runs (six of which were earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out two. 

He served up a pair of homers and threw three wild pitches. 

Tong found himself in immediate danger, as an error and single put the first two Scranton runners on. An Oswaldo Cabrera single to right brought in the first run of the game, then another darted home on a wild pitch. 

A walk then put runners on the corners, but Tong scampered out of danger. 

He didn’t fare much better opening up the top of the second, though, as Jonathan Ornelas ripped just the third pitch he saw to deep center for a leadoff triple. 

After a walk, a force out brought home the third run of the game. 

Tong almost danced out of it without further damage, but he gave up a long two-out three-run homer to Marco Luciano and then a two-run shot to Seth Brown to bring his night to an end. 

The 22-year-old starter had pitched to a strong 1.64 ERA over his first two May starts (11.0 IP), but that number has clearly been inflated after his rough night at the park. 

Tong is now up to an ugly 5.68 ERA through nine outings. 

With fellow Syracuse starter Jack Wenninger dealing to start the Triple-A season, you have to figure he’s jumped Tong on the depth chart if a need were to arise in the big-league rotation.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Yankees play a three-game Subway Series at Citi Field starting on Friday night at 7:15 p.m.

5 things to watch

A Bo Bichette breakout?

Bichette's first (and potentially only) season with the Mets has been a series of fits and starts, with him showing signs of breaking out and then regressing.

He did have a late, game-tying hit in New York's comeback win over the Tigers on Wednesday night, but Bichette enters play on Friday with a .552 OPS -- 288 points lower than it was last season with the Blue Jays and 241 points under his career mark.

When will he come out of it?

"That’s kind of the question we’re asking ourselves, too," manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Thursday about when Bichette will come out of it. "You know at some point it’s going to come. I think that that break that he’s looking for – maybe that blooper yesterday. 

"He hits balls hard, they’re making plays on him. Then he goes two, three at-bats, a couple of games where it’s soft contact. But I think it’s just a matter of time for him. He’s too good of a hitter. Hopefully, a blooper like last night gets him going here."

In addition to not being locked in yet, Bichette has also been pretty unlucky on balls in play. His average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and squared-up percentage are all above average. Meanwhile, his expected batting average is .285, while his actual mark is .224. 

Bichette getting hot would be enormous for a Mets team that is without four of its regulars on offense, and is likely not getting any of them back in the near future. 

Mets' pitching has been carrying them

The Mets enter play Friday having allowed 178 runs this season. 

Only three teams in the National League (the Braves, Brewers, and Dodgers) have allowed fewer runs, and all three of those clubs are in playoff position.

While lots of attention has been on the success of starters Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Freddy Peralta, and the recent re-emergence of Christian Scott, New York's bullpen has been terrific lately.

Devin Williams is unscored upon in his last seven appearances, Luke Weaver has held the opposition scoreless in nine of his last 10 outings, Brooks Raley has a 1.06 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, and Huascar Brazoban has a 2.14 ERA and 0.95 WHIP.

The Juan Soto story

That Soto spurned the Yankees to head crosstown to the Mets will never stop being something that sticks in their fans' craw.

Soto was booed mercilessly at Yankee Stadium last season during the first three Subway Series games, going 1-for-10 (though he did draw four walks).

Things changed when Round 2 took place at Citi Field.

In those three games, Soto reached base 5 times in 13 plate appearances as he went 4-for-11 with a homer, double, three RBI, three runs scored, and a walk.

Holy Schlitt

The hard-throwing Cam Schlittler is becoming a legitimate ace in his second season in the majors.

In 53.1 innings over nine starts, Schlittler has allowed just 34 hits while leading the American League in ERA (1.35) and WHIP (0.80).

Schlittler is tops in the majors in FIP (1.64) and has an absurd 312 ERA+.

He gets the ball against Holmes on Friday in the series-opener. 

The Yankees' top-heavy offense

The Bombers are the highest-scoring team in the American League, so their offense is more than formidable.

But they're being carried by three specific players -- perennial MVP favorite Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger.

Beyond that, there hasn't been a ton of impact.

Trent Grisham, Ryan McMahon, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Austin Wells all have an OPS under .700, and rookie Spencer Jones has struggled to get going since being called up for his big league debut. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Bo Bichette

Bichette has a history of rising up in big moments.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Freddy Peralta

Peralta has been tremendous over his last four starts, lowering his ERA to 3.10. 

Which Yankees player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Aaron Judge

It's nearly impossible to keep Judge down unless you walk him every time.

You can't keep a good man -- or in this case, a good pitcher -- down.

It got hairy early for surging Mets right-hander Nolan McLean during Thursday afternoon's series finale with the Detroit Tigers. With two outs in the top of the first inning, tall lefty Gage Workman launched a McLean sweeper over the left-center fence for a three-run homer.

McLean wasn't fazed. In his words, he "just had to find what was working."

Throughout the next six innings, the 24-year-old righty reminded everyone why he's considered one of the most promising young pitchers in the game. Even factoring in the early mistake, McLean's final stats were impressive. Seven full innings, seven strikeouts, six hits, and three walks across 93 pitches is the type of efficient line aces record and bullpens greatly appreciate.

By the time McLean left the mound in the middle of the seventh inning, the game was already out of reach with the Mets leading 7-3. Juan Soto led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to deep center to punctuate that fact. 

As McLean carved up the Tigers' lineup, the Mets' batting order burst into life. Carson Benge, Marcus Semien, A.J. Ewing, and the aforementioned Soto all stepped up with two hits apiece for a combined 4 RBI to help secure the three-game sweep over the Tigers, 9-4 the final score.

Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza only needed to call on his bullpen twice today, opening the eighth inning with Tobias Myers and handing the ball to Craig Kimbrel to handle the ninth. Excluding a home run hit by Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler off of Myers, the two relievers didn't allow a baserunner.

McLean attributed his mid-game bounce back to a conscious decision to "get creative."

Breaking down his performance today, one aspect which certainly stands out is McLean decided to "mix in the cutters in counts [he] normally wouldn't throw them a ton." 

That cutter (8 percent usage) is the least-used in McLean's six-pitch arsenal, behind his sinker (36 percent), four-seam fastball (18 percent), sweeper (16 percent), curveball (12 percent), and changeup (9 percent). Today, 16 of McLean's 93 pitches were cutters, more than double his usual rate. 

That uptick supplanted the usage of his sweeper and changeup, which were both down during his outing.

With the team looking to extend their three-game win streak against the cross-town rival Yankees, McLean remarked that the Mets "know how good [their] clubhouse is, and that's all that matters... [they're] not worried about anybody else." 

His next start is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, the second game of a four-game road series against a familiar NL East foe, the Washington Nationals.

Sorry everybody, but stepdad David is in charge tonight. You will not be getting a detailed preview. What I can promise you is a screengrab of the Statcast Game Preview, ice cream before dinner and no bedtime. Don’t tell your mom.

Tonight it’s Anthony Kay on the mound for the White Sox, who hasn’t been the most steady of starters but has managed to justify his position thus far. A bigger challenge for the White Sox await in Kris Bubic, who has acquitted himself to a 3.50 ERA on this thus far massively disappointing Royals season.

As if Derek Hill isn’t already ruling the Vibes Chart on the White Sox, he gets the start in center tonight and has hit Bubic extremely well (in yes, an extremely small sample size).

First pitch is 6:40 P.M. CST. You can watch the game wherever you normally watch it. I’ll be watching on CHSN and then I’ll be back with you for the recap. Talk about the game below!

The Royals are back at it tonight on the South Side of Chicago versus the White Sox. Entering tonight’s contest, the Royals are 19-24 and tied for third in the American League Central. The Pale Hose, meanwhile, are 21-21 and in second place in the AL Central, just a game-and-a-half behind the inevitable Guardians.

Chicago’s won both games of this current series, taking the opener Tuesday night 6-5 before winning last night’s game, also 6-5. What are the odds of another 6-5 Chicago victory tonight? I don’t know the answer, that’s why I’m asking.

Last season, the Royals smoked the White Sox in their season series, going 10-3 while outscoring Chicago 61-37.

This season, that has not happened. Instead, through six games, the White Sox have the upper hand, going 4-2, including a four-game split at Kauffman in April, while outscoring the Royals by a single run, 20-19.

It sure would be nice for the Royals to win this evening. 20-24 isn’t great but it’s a lot easier on the eyes than 19-25.

And, yes, it’s somewhat personal: I have yet to write a winning recap for the Royals as they’ve lost every Thursday on which they’ve played in 2026. They are 0-5 on Thursdays. Was it something I said?

Let’s take a look at the lineups.

First, the Royals, who take on lefty Anthony Kay:

Ah, yes, with the lefty on the mound, must sit Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone while starting (and again batting third!) Lane Thomas.

Let’s check on Thomas’ 2026 splits. As we all know, he was signed to face lefthanders, so by Gawd, he’s going to face lefthanders. How’s he batting against them? .235/.409/.353 with a double, a homer, 10 walks, and seven strikeouts. Those are not the numbers of a) someone signed to hit lefthanders nor b) someone who should be batting third.

Lane Thomas, please make me regret those comments. I’d love to eat my words.

Now, the White Sox, who face fellow southpaw Kris Bubic:

Hey, Randal Grichuk gets the start! Thought about him the other day. When he started for the Cardinals, it looked like he and fellow young outfielder Stphen Piscotty would be stars for St. Louis for years to come. Unfortunately, as happens more often than not in baseball, that didn’t come to fruition for either player.

The White Sox are Grichuk’s seventh team since leaving the Cardinals, which includes, of course, a spell with the Royals last year. He has collected over 200 career home runs and more than 1,000 hits in his 13-year career. Overall, a solid career, despite not reaching stardom.

See you after the ballgame.

Had things gone according to plan, Friday would be Blake Snell’s 2026 debut with the Dodgers, who open a series against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. But instead this will be Snell’s second start of the season.

After back spasms sidelined Tyler Glasnow a week ago, the Dodgers approached Snell about throwing his planned five innings and 75 pitches in the majors instead of for Class-A Ontario, which he was obviously eager to do. But the rust was there in his first game back, needing 77 pitches to complete three innings, and he allowed five runs in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Jack Kochanowicz starts for the Angels, with his 3.97 ERA and 5.00 xERA through eight starts. He’s coming off his worst game of the season, with seven runs (six earned) allowed in four innings against the Blue Jays on Saturday in Toronto. Before that, the right-hander had a 2.17 ERA in his previous six starts.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Angels
• Ballpark: Angel Stadium, Anaheim
• Time: 6:38 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA, KTTV channel 11 (Angels broadcast)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)