Before the game begins, the Mets will retire David Wright's No. 5 jersey in a ceremony that will start at 2:30 p.m., with coverage of the event happening on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto is tied for ninth in MLB in home runs this season (24) and is slashing .284/.411/.627 over his last 30 games
Brandon Nimmo reached base three times on Friday and is hitting .333 with six XBH during a 12-game on-base streak
Edwin Diaz has allowed one earned run since April 21, and his season ERA of 1.66 ranks tied for third among MLB closers
Clay Holmes will take the mound and look to lower a 5.28 ERA and 1.37 WHIP registered through three July starts (15.1 IP)
REDS
METS
TJ Friedl, CF
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Matt McLain, 2B
Francisco Lindor, SS
Elly De La Cruz, SS
Juan Soto, RF
Austin Hays, DH
Pete Alonso, 1B
Gavin Lux, LF
Mark Vientos, DH
Spencer Steer, 1B
Jeff McNeil, CF
Tyler Stephenson, C
Ronny Mauricio, 3B
Jake Fraley, RF
Brett Baty, 2B
Noelvi Marte, 3B
Luis Torrens, C
What channel is SNY?
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For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
Sir Alex Ferguson was a guest at Rangers' training centre on Friday [Getty Images]
Russell Martin says the support he has had from Sir Alex Ferguson since taking over as Rangers head coach has been "incredible".
The former Manchester United manager paid his first visit to the club's Auchenhowie training centre on Friday, in the company of Rangers great John Greig.
Ferguson, 83, played for two seasons at Rangers from 1967-69, while Greig, 82, spent his entire career at Ibrox before a five-year spell as manager.
"Any team talk or message I give is done when those two speak about this club and what it means to them," Martin told RangersTV.
"They are both really behind us and what we are doing. They are desperate for this team to do well.
"They feel the same way as the fans. They want to see a team that fights and works for everything and has a way about them on the pitch that exemplifies what they believe this club to be about."
Martin played under Sir Alex's son Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United who made him captain when he was just 21.
"He reached out and said his dad wanted to give me a call," Martin added.
"I said 'of course' and since then Sir Alex has been in tough regularly. He's been great. He's been so supportive of me personally, which is incredible.
"It's the first time he's been here and it was just brilliant for everyone to see him."
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill, left, and catcher William Contreras celebrate after a 2-0 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
If you’re a Dodgers fan, of course, you would love to see the Dodgers win the World Series again. If you’re a baseball fan above all, though, you ought to be pulling for the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers served as a convenient bogeyman for owners of many other major league teams last winter. To fans pointing a collective finger at the owner of their local team, all too many of those owners pointed a finger in our direction: It’s not us. It’s them.
“The Dodgers are the greatest poster children we could’ve had for how something has to change,” Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Gazette last March.
How, those owners shrugged, can we compete against a team playing in a major market and spending half a billion dollars on a star-studded roster?
The Brewers play in the smallest market in the major leagues — Sacramento included, Denver definitely included.
The Brewers are 57-40.
This is not about a sprinkling of fairy dust. The Brewers have made the playoffs six times in the past seven years, prospering even beyond the financially motivated departures of star shortstop Willy Adames, Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and two-time National League reliever of the year Devin Williams, and even after manager Craig Counsell and president of baseball operations David Stearns left for teams in major markets.
“It’s not really an abnormal year,” said designated hitter Christian Yelich, the Brewers’ franchise anchor. “Each year, we’re picked to finish last or second-to-last in our division, regardless of what happened the year before.”
The Brewers cannot pay the going rate for power, so they do not try. Of the free agents signed by Milwaukee last winter, the most expensive one in the lineup for Friday’s victory at Dodger Stadium: outfielder Jake Bauers, signed for $1.4 million. Shortstop Joey Ortiz was obtained in the trade of Burnes; third baseman Caleb Durbin was acquired in the trade of Williams.
The Brewers rank in the bottom 10 in the majors in home runs, but they rank in the top 10 in walks, stolen bases, sacrifice bunts and fewest strikeouts.
Milwaukee's Caleb Durbin celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning of a 2-0 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
“We know what we are,” Yelich said. “We know we’re not going to have a lineup full of guys that hit 30 homers. You’ve got to force stuff to happen sometimes and try to put pressure on the other team and try to manufacture runs any way you can.”
They are one of two teams — the Detroit Tigers are the other — to rank among the top 10 in runs scored and in earned-run average. No NL team has given up fewer runs than the Brewers.
The Dodgers lead the majors in runs scored. In four games against Milwaukee, the Dodgers have scored a total of four runs.
“They can really pitch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The ’pen is lights out. They catch it. They play good defense. In totality, they do a good job of preventing runs.”
Whether they can do a good job of deterring a lockout, well, that might be a whole other ballgame.
The collective bargaining agreement expires after next season. The owners have not explicitly stated a salary cap is their goal but, at least the way the players’ union sees it, why else would commissioner Rob Manfred already be talking about a lockout as a means to an end?
At the All-Star Game, union chief Tony Clark blasted the concept of a salary cap.
“This is not about competitive balance,” Clark said. “This is institutionalized collusion.”
A salary cap would provide owners with cost certainty and potential increases in franchise values, not that fans would care much about either. So, to the extent that owners might settle on a talking point in negotiations, what Manfred said at the All-Star Game would be it: “There are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem.”
If you’re the union, you’ll say MLB has not had a repeat champion in 25 years. If you’re an owner, you’ll say no small-market team has won the World Series in 10 years.
If you’re the union, you’ll say expanded playoffs offer every team the chance to win a wild-card spot and get hot in October, as the 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks did two years ago. But, should the Brewers win the World Series this year, owners certainly would call it the exception that proves the rule.
Over the past seven years, the Brewers have made the playoffs as many times as the Yankees have. Yet, for all their success in the regular season, the Brewers have not won a postseason series since 2018.
Baseball has not lost a regular season game to a work stoppage since 1995, the last time the owners pushed hard for a salary cap. They might do so again next year, which would jeopardize the 2027 season, but to argue small markets need a salary cap to win after the team in the smallest market won the World Series might ring hollow.
If the Brewers’ success could derail the potential disaster that would be a work stoppage, America ought to be rooting on The Miz.
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. caught the New York Yankees off-guard with a spectacular throw to end the third inning in the Atlanta Braves' series-opening 7-3 victory Friday night.
The All-Star right fielder threw out Jorbit Vivas at third base when Vivas was trying to tag up on a deep fly to the corner in right.
“His accuracy is stupid,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He's a weapon in right field. His arm is so strong and accurate, and the ball carries, release is good. He's special out there.”
Acuña caught the ball just in front of the warning track with his back to the infield. He spun and fired a throw that reached third base in the air just in time Nacho Alvarez to tag a slowing Vivas, who ignored third-base coach Luis Rojas' signal to slide.
“I just always try to anticipate those plays,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “That's really what I always try to focus on, anticipating the play before it happens. I really wasn't trying to do anything besides that. Thankfully, I have a good arm.”
Alvarez was casual as the throw approached in an attempt to fool Vivas, who would likely have been safe if he had run hard all the way and slid.
“(Vivas) got deked,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “That just can't happen. I did that all my career at third base. Just kind of play dumb, play dead. And that's what (Vivas) read. The body language of Alvarez there, just deked him. He knew it was a deep fly ball, so it caught up to him. ... It's a lesson that that can't happen on a baseball field, especially in that situation.”
Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber celebrates with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, after winning the MLB baseball All-Star Game tiebreaker for the National League on Wednesday. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
As an old baseball traditionalist please give me home runs, RBIs and batting average; save me the slash line, WHIP instead of ERA and give me an extra innings game without a runner at second, or for heaven’s sake, a Home Run Derby to settle a tie game.
It left me to wonder if being a baseball traditionalist makes me the equivalent of a Supreme Court Justice originalist, or just old and cranky?
Ron Yukelson San Luis Obispo
So, after going 4-19 in the All-Star Game since 2000, the National League finally gets the American League monkey off their backs and “wins” the 2025 event.
Of course, they still can’t do it in the traditional sense and must pull out the victory in some newly concocted home run swing-off. Not to discredit Kyle Schwarber’s heroics. But, he went O for 2 with a walk against “real” pitching and then is awarded the MVP? Something is very wrong here!
Rick Solomon Lake Balboa
I’m probably in the minority, but the swing-off following the All-Star Game … really?
What a joke! Is this the best solution MLB could come up with to break a tie? These best-of-the-best players are making millions of dollars and they can’t go into extra innings to break a tied game?
Robert Parra Rowland Heights
Fair share
Bill Shaikin's column on the upcoming Major League Baseball player-owner negotiations was an eye opener. Salary caps have helped the NFL, NBA, and NHL maintain good levels of competition and give the fans of the smallest market franchises hope that their teams can compete regularly. Baseball owners should make it clear to the players' union that they will not consider sharing income outside of direct baseball operations without an agreement from the players to a salary cap.
Bill Francis Pasadena
Flip on out of here
Was Bill Shaikin serious when he suggested bat flips as a way to get the attention of fans? I can only imagine what would have happened had a batter flipped his bat after hitting a home run off Bob Gibson. Probably the same reaction that Vince Lombardi would have had if his players had dumped Gatorade on him. Now that would attract fans.
Evan Puziss Mar Vista
Don't call it baseball
Concerning the Home Run Derby, I like Dylan Hernández’s own words: “barely-watchable made-for-television event.” I might change “barely” to “not!” It just doesn’t come close to all the hype. It’s more like a county fair arm-wrestling contest. It’s not baseball and it’s not going to save baseball, whatever the changes. Baseball’s problem is a seemingly interminable, almost inconsequential, 162-game season, followed by an anyone-can-win postseason tournament. That’s not a formula for year-long excitement. Perhaps they could cut the season into halves or quarters and add some more tournaments. Whatever they do, keep it baseball, not “derbies”!
Bill Weber La Cañada Flintridge
Flashbacks
It looks like Tanner Scott is the new Pedro Baéz. I shudder when I remember those days when we saw him walking in from the bullpen.
I hope the poor guy finds his mojo.
Richard McCurdy Burbank
Don't forget
Bill Plaschke goes out of his way in his column about LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to depict the latter as truly beloved by all. He seems to forget Bryant's regrettable experience in Denver in which he was accused of a serious crime. The case was ultimately dropped after he settled with his accuser in a civil case. He was far from perfect so why depict him as such?
Bert Bergen La Cañada
Too much Bronny
Seemingly all Times Lakers' coverage is Bronny this and Bronny that. If the younger James did not have a famous father, there would be a minimum mention of this player, who has never proven himself as anything better than average at best in college and in the pros. End of story!
Jack Wolf Westwood
And furthermore
As a follow-up to letters letting The Times know your readers are not desperate for your articles on Bronny James’ summer league performances, here’s another. I think no one is particularly interested in reports on the LIV tour results. Of the 50 or so players on that tour, there are about five who could still compete on the PGA Tour. The rest are has-beens or never-weres. They are all in it for the (blood) money. Who cares whether Dustin Johnson’s or Sergio Garcia’s team wins or not? No golf fan that I know.
Jack Nelson Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers in the first inning of a 2-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Glasnow gave up just four hits and one run over six innings. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Tyler Glasnow’s problems have been the same for years.
Spending too much time caught up in his own head, and not enough time actually pitching on the mound.
Ever since the Dodgers acquired the tall, lanky and Southern California-raised right-hander, those two issues have plagued the $136.5-million acquisition in ways that have frustrated him, the team and its fan base.
Glasnow made 22 starts last year (a career-high in his injury-plagued career) before a nagging elbow problem ended his season early. This term, he managed only five starts before his shoulder started barking, landing him on the injured list for another extended stint.
Through it all, Glasnow has talked repeatedly about the need to be more “external” on the mound — focused more on execution and compete-level than the aches and pains in his body and imperfections in his delivery.
Yet, with each new setback, the veteran pitcher was left scrambling for answers, constantly tinkering with his mechanics and toiling with his mindset in hopes of striking an equilibrium between both.
That's why, as Glasnow neared his latest return to action, he tried to simplify things. For real, this time.
No more worrying about spine angle and release point. No more mid-game thoughts about the many moving parts in his throwing sequence.
“I don't even know,” he said when asked last week how he changed his mechanics during his most recent absence, the kind of physical ignorance that might actually be a good thing in the 31-year-old’s case.
“I'm just going out and being athletic and not trying to look at it. And if there's something I need to fix, or something the coaches see, then I'll worry about it. But I'm just going out … [and] getting in that rhythm. Getting back into a starting routine.”
Two starts in, that new routine looks promising.
After pitching five solid innings of one-run ball in Milwaukee last week, Glasnow started the second half of the season with another step forward Friday, spinning a six-inning, one-run gem in the Dodgers’ 2-0 loss to the Brewers at Dodger Stadium.
“I’ve been feeling good since rehab, making changes and stuff,” Glasnow said. “Feel solid right now. So gotta keep going.”
As the Dodgers (58-40) came out of the All-Star break, few players seemed as pivotal to their long-term success as Glasnow.
The club is counting on him and fellow nine-figure free-agent signee Blake Snell (who, like Glasnow, missed almost all of the first half with a shoulder injury but could be back in action by the end of the month) to bolster a rotation that has missed them dearly.
It is hopeful they can join Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and in some capacity Shohei Ohtani, at the forefront of a pitching staff seeking significant improvement as it tries to repeat as World Series champions.
Granted, the Dodgers — who would like to avoid adding a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, and might have a hard time finding an impact addition such as Jack Flaherty last summer even if they try — did have similar hopes for Glasnow last season.
Even when he first went down with his elbow injury in mid-August, the initial expectation was that he’d be back well in time for the playoff push.
Instead, Glasnow’s elbow never ceased to bother him. When he tried ramping up for a live batting practice session in mid-September, he effectively pulled the plug on his season when his arm still didn’t feel right.
Ever since, Glasnow has lived in a world of frustration, spending his winter trying to craft a healthier delivery only to run into more problems within the first month of this season.
“Certainly the talent is undeniable,” manager Dave Roberts said last week, ahead of Glasnow’s return. “But I think for me, for us, you want the dependability. That’s something that I’m looking for from Tyler from here on out. To know what you’re going to get when he takes that ball every fifth or sixth day.”
On Friday, Glasnow produced a template worth following in a four-hit, one-walk, six-strikeout showing.
Flashing increased fastball velocity for the second-straight outing — routinely hitting 98-99 mph on the gun — he filled up the strike zone early, going after hitters with his premium four-seamer and increasing reliance on a late-breaking sinker.
“It’s like the one pitch I can be late with, and it’s in the zone,” Glasnow said of his sinker, which he had thrown sparingly prior to getting hurt. “I don’t necessarily have to be perfectly timed up for it to have a lot of movement. I think if I’m late on it, it’s kind of my go-to.”
His big-bending curveball, meanwhile, proved to be a perfect complement, with Glasnow pulling the string for awkward swings and soft contact.
He retired the first five batters he faced, and didn’t let a ball out of the infield until Brice Turang’s two-out single in the third. He was late getting to the mound at the start of the fourth, resulting in an automatic ball to the leadoff batter, but remained unfazed, retiring the side in order.
Milwaukee's Caleb Durbin hits a run-scoring double in front of Dodgers catcher Will Smith in the fifth inning Friday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Glasnow did wobble in the fifth against Milwaukee (57-40). Suddenly struggling to locate the ball, he walked leadoff hitter Isaac Collins on five pitches before giving up an RBI double to Caleb Durbin in a 2-and-0 count, when he left a sinker over the heart of the plate.
But then he settled down, escaped the inning without further damage, and worked around a high-hopping one-out single from Jackson Chourio in the sixth by striking out William Contreras and Christian Yelich.
“It’s not turn [my brain] off completely,” Glasnow said of his new, in-the-moment mentality. “But it’s not like, when I’m feeling bad, I resort more to, ‘How do we fix this?’ As opposed to like, ‘This is what I got today. Let’s just go get it.’ And I think a lot of that was due to the changes. I’m just in a better position right now to go out and be athletic.”
The outing marked Glasnow’s first time completing six innings since April 13 against the Chicago Cubs, and was his first such start yielding only one earned run since June of last year.
“He's been able to stay in his rhythm, stay in his delivery, just be in compete mode,” Roberts said. “I think he's in a really good spot. He's healthy, feeling confident. And we're better for it, for sure."
Unfortunately for Glasnow, he was the second-best pitcher on the bump Friday. Opposite him, young Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester dominated the Dodgers over six scoreless innings, recording the second-most strikeouts of his career by fanning 10. Struggling veteran Kirby Yates didn’t help in relief of Glasnow, either, giving up a home run to Durbin in the seventh that sent the Dodgers to a disappointing defeat.
“They're pitching us well,” Roberts said of the Brewers, who have won four straight games against the Dodgers over the last two weeks while giving up only four total runs. “We gave ourselves a chance, but we just couldn't muster anything together tonight."
Still, for a team with a comfortable division lead and the shortest World Series odds of any club in the majors, getting good starting pitching remains the most pressing big-picture concern for the Dodgers.
At the end of last year, and for much of the first half this season, Glasnow was unable to help. Now, he might finally be showing flashes he can.
"[I want to] just go out and be athletic,” Glasnow said last week. “Just go out and compete."
Fresh off the All-Star break with a fully rested set of arms, the Mets' bullpen still struggled on Friday night in their 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Choosing to go with Sean Manaea, who is not yet totally stretched out after a lengthy rehab process, to start the second half meant New York would need to rely on its bullpen out of the gate to get late outs.
After Manaea went the first four innings, looking good in the process, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Alex Carillo in the fifth inning as the first reliever out of the bullpen with the Mets leading, 2-1. That lead quickly turned into a deficit after Carillo surrendered a two-run homer to Matt McLain.
"I needed to cover five innings there," Mendoza said. "We’re giving these guys a look here and it just didn’t happen today with him."
Still a one-run game after getting through the fifth, Carillo was asked to go back out for the sixth, but things got worse for the right-hander. Carillo allowed two more home runs in the inning, a solo shot by Austin Hays (his second of the game) and a two-run blast by Tyler Stephenson that put the game to bed.
Making just his third career appearance and first at Citi Field, Carillo went 1.1 innings and allowed five earned runs on three hits (all homers) and two walks. The 28-year-old mentioned "trying to do too much" in his home debut as a reason why he didn't have it on Friday night.
"The fastball still did its thing and they just put the bat out there," he said. "They’re a good hitting team. These are big league hitters, they’re gonna hit home runs, but when it comes to walks, that’s not acceptable on my behalf. Yanking the slider a little bit, changeup just staying away and just not competing as I should be."
Down a run in the sixth inning with his entire bullpen at his disposal, Mendoza's decision to stick with Carillo, a rookie who made his major league debut on July 8, was a head-scratcher.
"I needed to get a couple out of him," the skipper said. "It just didn’t happen today."
Overall, even with Brooks Raley getting activated off the IL, which certainly helps, the Mets' bullpen is shaky. Brandon Waddell, another unproven arm that has helped out in certain situations this season, mopped up and allowed two earned runs in 3.2 innings while giving up four hits and three walks.
Jose Buttó pitched a scoreless inning with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and his return will ease some of the burden, but for New York to be successful, it will need to get length out of its starters. Until then, Mendoza will have to continue to go with relievers who may lack the experience of pitching in high-leverage situations.
"Guys will step up," he said. "We feel comfortable with the guys that we have back there. Today was one of those nights where Carillo didn’t have it. But overall, we will continue to give opportunities to some of these guys… we’ll continue to evaluate the situation here as we’re trying to win baseball games, obviously."
It was a great sight to see. Sean Manaea was making his Citi Field debut on Friday night and it was a great start for the Mets' southpaw. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.
Manaea threw just 69 pitches (42 strikes) across four innings in the Mets' 8-4 loss to the Reds. It didn't look as if Manaea, who has missed most of the season due to oblique and elbow issues, was laboring and he had allowed just one run on one hit and two walks while striking out six batters in his first start since last October.
So, what was the deal?
Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza explained that he simply didn't want to push Manaea, making only his second appearance of the season.
"It’s like pitchers coming out of spring training. It’s that buildup, you’re not going from 60 to 85 (pitches) right away," Mendoza said after the game. "Especially for a guy that’s been through a lot, not only with the oblique, with the elbow issues and his setback. That’s where we’re at right now. Hopefully next time out, we can increase his pitch count a little bit more, but that was the plan today."
Manaea made his season debut on July 13 against the Royals. In that relief appearance, he threw 65 pitches (44 strikes) across 3.1 innings. In his final rehab start, Manaea tossed 73 pitches in 3.2 innings with Triple-A Syracuse back on July 8.
Clearly, the Mets are taking it easy with Manaea as he works his way back to a bigger pitch count. But the lack of length hurt the Mets on Friday as the bullpen could not hold the lead, a trend that has become a near-season-long one.
"I want to be out there as long as possible, but I understand the situation we’re in," Manaea said after the game. "It’s just not taking it too crazy, but just giving what I can with the pitches allotted."
Manaea admitted that he felt like he could throw more pitches but is not surprised by the pitch count. He said that while he knew the plan going into his start, there hadn't been an in-depth conversation on the team's progression for him. He goes out there and pitches as long as he can or is allowed. One way to combat that is being more pitch-efficient, which he wishes he was, so he could go at least five innings on Friday.
"That’s the most frustrating about today," Manaea said of his inefficiency. "Threw some good sliders but not some real competitive ones at all. Combination of that and the fastball location was kinda iffy. Those two pitches I definitely need."
Despite the outcome of Friday's game, Mendoza remains confident that Manaea can be stretched out for the rest of the season, it just may take some time.
"It’s outing by outing how he responds," he said. "I’m pretty comfortable and confident that if everything continues to progress and the way he continues to bounce back, we’ll get to a point where he’s 85-90 pitches. As of right now, that’s where we’re at with him."
Manaea's health will likely be a concern the rest of the year after a loose body was found in Manaea's elbow when he was rehabbing his oblique. That set him back weeks but the issue doesn't require immediate surgery. It'll be something to monitor, as Mendoza put it, outing to outing with the southpaw but Mets fans should feel encouraged that so far, Manaea is feeling good, even if Friday's loss stings.
"[I feel] great," Manaea said. "Arm feels good. Body feels good. At the end of the day, that’s all I can ask for."
The Mets began the second half of the season with a disappointing 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-Things couldn't have started better for New York following the break. Sean Manaea was making his first start after looking impressive in his season debut against the Kansas City Royals in the final game of the first half and he struck out the side in the first inning in his return to Citi Field.
-Juan Soto kept the energy inside the ballpark going with a solo shot in the bottom half of the frame that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. The home run was Soto's 24th of the season and he's now hit a league-leading 16 home runs since May 31.
-New York kept the pressure high on the Reds and Nick Lodolo in the second inning. Brandon Nimmo led off with a walk, stole second and came around to score on Jeff McNeil's RBI single.
-Holding Cincinnati to without a hit over the first three innings, Manaea allowed a home run to Austin Hays to lead off the fourth inning -- the lefty's only blemish of the night. Still not fully stretched out, Manaea was done after four terrific innings in which he allowed a run on a hit and two walks with six strikeouts while throwing 69 pitches (42 strikes). He's struck out 13 batters so far in 7.1 innings since coming off the IL.
-With Manaea out of the game, the Reds took full advantage of the Mets' bullpen, which continues to struggle. Alex Carillo was the first arm out of the pen and after getting two quick outs, the right-hander hit TJ Friedl before giving up a two-run shot to Matt McLain, which gave Cincy the lead.
-Carillo went back out for the sixth and the Reds continued to feast. First up was Hays, who hit his second solo homer of the game to lead off an inning and doubled the Mets' deficit. After a walk and a wild pitch, Tyler Stephenson smacked a two-run blast to bust things open and give his team a 6-2 advantage.
-Carillo was only able to record four outs and his final line was not pretty: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HR.
-The bullpen wasn't all to blame, though, as the Mets' offense was completely stifled after their encouraging start. Lodolo settled in and found his groove, going seven innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. Entering the ninth, the only baserunners for New York after McNeil's RBI single in the second inning came from Luis Torrens (single in the fifth) and Nimmo (infield single in the seventh).
-Both players did their part in trying to stage an unlikely comeback via a two-out rally in the final frame. With two outs, Nimmo doubled before Ronny Mauricio reached on an error, which scored a run. McNeil walked, pinch-hitter Brett Baty hit an infield single and Torrens made it 8-4 with another single.
-As the tying run at the plate, Francisco Lindor popped out to second base to finish an 0-for-5 night.
-Brandon Waddell mopped up the final 3.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks.
Game MVP: Austin Hays
Hays finished 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and two walks out of the cleanup spot.
The Mets and Reds continue their three-game series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. on SNY. Before the game, David Wright will have his number retirement ceremony.
RHP Clay Holmes (8-4, 3.31 ERA) goes for New York. He will be opposed by RHP Nick Martinez (7-9, 4.78 ERA).
The Yankees opened the second half of the season with an opener and it didn't work out in their 7-3 loss to the Braves in Atlanta on Friday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-With Max Fried and Cam Schlittler dealing with injuries, the Yankees went with Ian Hamilton as an opener and it was tough sledding for the reliever and the rest of the bullpen.
The Braves picked up three straight hits (two doubles, one single) to go up 2-0. Hamilton would allow a sacrifice fly before the first inning ended. The Braves put up three runs on three hits and one walk to give themselves the early lead.
Atlanta would add on in the third inning with an Ozzie Albies three-run shot off of former Mets reliever Rico Garcia.
The Yankees used four relievers to get through the game. Here's how it broke down:
Hamilton: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Garcia: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Scott Effross: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
JT Brubaker: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
-On the other side, Spencer Strider dominated the Yankees. After allowing a Trent Grisham single to lead off the game, Strider settled in, striking out four straight batters at one point. The Yankees would make Strider work in the third inning, working back-to-back one-out walks for Cody Bellinger. The Yankees outfielder hit a long fly ball to right field and Ronald Acuña Jr. gunned down Jorbit Vivas at third base for the double play. Vivas didn't slide into third base and was tagged out with Aaron Judge on the on-deck circle.
Despite walking three batters, Strider kept the Yankees off balance. He struck out eight batters and scattered three hits across six scoreless innings.
-The Yankees wouldn't actually score until the seventh inning against the Braves bullpen. Ben Rice hit a one-out double before Austin Wells singled. Giancarlo Stanton then ripped a pinch-hit double to drive in two before Bellinger singled to cut Atlanta's lead to 7-3. Judge struck out to end the inning and strand two runners.
The Yankees mustered eight hits but were 3-for-8 with RISP and left seven runners on base. Rice had the best offensive day for the Yankees, going 2-for-4 with two doubles. The worst game came from Jasson Dominguez, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Judge went 1-for-4 but also struck out three times.
Game MVP: Spencer Strider
Strider's six scoreless innings held down the Yankees long enough for the Braves batters to build a big enough lead.
What's next
The Yankees and Braves continue their three-game set on Saturday evening. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m.
Will Warren (6-5, 4.63 ERA) will take the mound while the Braves will send Joey Wentz (2-1, 6.32 ERA) to the bump.
After dazzling at the Futures Game, Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong took the ball to kick things off out of the break for the Rumble Ponies and delivered yet another outstanding performance.
Tong went 5.1 innings and allowed a run on two hits while walking two and striking out seven. He threw 73 pitches (43 strikes).
Binghamton handed the 22-year-old the lead by scoring a run in the top of the first, but Tong gave up his only run of the night in the bottom half of the inning, which included a leadoff walk and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt (Tong's second error of the season). A single and a groundout scored the tying run.
The right-hander settled down from there in a big way.
After a one-out walk in the second, Tong retired 11 straight batters before allowing his second hit of the night, a leadoff single in the sixth. Tong ended his outing with a flyout before getting pulled, though he left with a 2-1 lead after the Rumble Ponies scored a run in the top half of the inning.
Tong lowered his ERA to 1.71 across 16 starts and 84 innings pitched.
In Triple-A, things didn't go as well for Nolan McLean.
Entering the game in the second inning after Jose Buttó pitched a scoreless first inning while on rehab assignment, McLean's outing began oddly. He struck out the first batter he faced, but a passed ball by Francisco Alvarez allowed the runner to reach base safely. From there, it was a struggle for the right-hander.
McLean managed to get out of the second inning unscathed thanks to a double play, but he allowed a run in the third, three in the fourth and two in the fifth. In 3.2 innings -- his shortest outing with Syracuse -- the 23-year-old allowed six runs on four hits, including a three-run homer, and three walks. He struck out six and threw 84 pitches (45 strikes).
It was the worst start for McLean this season as he allowed the most runs he's given up this season, raising his ERA to 3.22. It also broke a streak of nine straight outings in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer.
Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez hit his ninth home run with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday night and it may have been his most impressive one yet.
With a runner on second and one out in the top of the first inning of a scoreless game, Alvarez blasted an 0-1 sweeper by RHP Thaddeus Ward 427 feet to left field that gave Syracuse a quick 2-0 lead. The ball left his bat at 111.8 mph and had a 23 degree launch angle -- a no doubter.
Alvarez went into the All-Star break hitting four homers in three games and picked up right where he left off with another bomb on Friday night after a few days off.
Now batting .258 with a 1.050 OPS (after a strikeout in the third), the 23-year-old is making a great case to be recalled to the major leagues after a disappointing start to the season, offensively and defensively.
PHILADELPHIA — Mike Trout arrived in Philadelphia in time to catch the unveiling of a new target in the deepest part of the ballpark -- the 2026 All-Star game logo, complete with the Liberty Bell in the center of the design.
The Angels slugger has something to aim for in Philly.
As a home run target? No, the oversized symbol that celebrates next year’s All-Star game is raised well beyond the centerfield wall and out of reach to even Schwarbombs in Ashburn Alley, closer to the retired numbers on the bricks at Citizens Bank Park.
As a potential destination for next season? Making the All-Star game is more on the nose for Trout, an 11-time selection who hasn’t been picked to play for the American League since 2023.
Yet each time Trout plays in Philadelphia, just over 40 miles from the slugger’s New Jersey hometown, talk tends to drift from All-Star games, his injuries, his upcoming career milestones -- he’s closing in on 400 homers and 1,000 RBIs -- or a rare Angels’ push at the postseason, and lands right on the possibility he’ll one day suit up for the Phillies.
“I hear it all the time,” Trout said with a laugh outside the Angels’ clubhouse on Friday. “Right now, I’m enjoying myself with this team in here. These guys come to the ballpark every day and play hard. It’s hard not for me to see it, because I see it and hear it all the time.”
He’ll settle at least a crack at the 2026 All-Star Game.
“It would definitely mean a lot,” Trout said.
Trout entered the start of a three-game series against the Phillies having the kind of season that has defined most of his last five seasons in California. When he’s healthy, he’s on. He has a .283 batting average, .433 on-base percentage and .478 slugging percentage with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 41 games since he came off the injured list on May 30. Otherwise, it’s more stints on the IL. This season, he was hampered by a bone bruise on his left knee that cost him time.
Trout was the designated hitter on Friday night against the NL East champion Phillies, who could certainly use a right-handed bat with pop in the outfield as they make their own playoff run. He did some light pregame work in the outfield (“get my feet under me”) and hoped he’d return to right field in the near future. Trout said his knee did feel “a lot better” after four days off and off his feet over the All-Star break.
“I’m just happy to be in the lineup, contributing,” he said. “Years past, it’s just come to the ballpark, not be able to at least hit. That’s been frustrating, that’s been tough.”
He again expected a full house of fans from his hometown of Millville, New Jersey, on hand to root him on as the three-time AL MVP started the game with 395 career home runs and 995 career RBIs.
“To think about it, it’s just how fast it’s going,” Trout said. “Just trying to enjoy every minute of it. The milestones are awesome. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting them.”
Trout would have blown by those numbers years ago had it not been for his injuries that have allowed him play more than 82 games only once since 2019.
“Things happen,” he said.
There are no guarantees he’ll chip away at those numbers over the weekend -- Trout has never gone deep at Citizens Bank Park.
The New Jersey native has kept his ties to the area as he blossomed into one of baseball’s great sluggers; his family still lives in the area, he collaborated with Tiger Woods on a new golf course, and yes, the Eagles season-ticket holder still bleeds Kelly green.
The Angels were 47-49 headed into Friday, but only four games out of a wild-card spot. Trout played in three career playoff games in 2014. Los Angeles’ 47 wins are the most for the franchise at the All-Star break since it had 49 in 2018.
“The team in there right now, we’ve got a great mindset,” he said. “We’ve got a great group in there. We pass the baton at the plate. We’re tough outs.”
None tougher at his best than Trout. He’s trying to become the 20th player in baseball history to hit his first 400 home runs with one franchise.
“This guy is a superstar,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I saw him when he first came up and he hit the ball as far as you could think. He runs down the first base line, it sounds like a horse, just big and strong and fast.”
PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Schwarber’s deep shots — from Philadelphia to the All-Star Game - often end up going, going, gone.
The Phillies aren’t ready to say goodbye to their star slugger quite yet as Schwarber’s four-year, $79-million contract expires at the end of the season.
Fresh off winning All-Star Game MVP honors after he hit three homers in the game’s first-ever swing-off, Schwarber’s status for 2026 — when Philadelphia will host the game — remained a pressing need for the Phillies.
“We love him. We want to keep him,” Phillies manager partner John Middleton said ahead of Friday’s series-opening game against the Los Angeles Angels.
In the All-Star Game in Atlanta on Tuesday night, he homered on all three of his swings, going down to his left knee on the final one, to give the National League a 4-3, swing-off win after a 6-6 tie through nine innings.
Schwarber enters the second half of the season with 30 homers and 69 RBIs for NL East-leading Philadelphia.
Schwarber led the NL with 46 homers in his first season with the Phillies and followed with 47 in 2023 and 38 a year ago. Often hitting from the leadoff spot until this season, Schwarber drove in 104 runs each of the last two season.
“We need no motivation whatsoever when it comes to Kyle Schwarber,” Middleton said. “He’s great. We thought he was great when we signed him years ago. We thought he was great consistently through the years. There’s nothing Kyle does that surprises us. No matter how great he is, we expect that from Kyle. He’s a great person in the dugout. He’s a great person in the clubhouse.”
The 32-year-old Schwarber should command well beyond the $79 million he signed for ahead of the 2022 season. Schwarber won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016. He also played in Washington and Boston, but has seemed to find a home in Philadelphia where his mammoth homers — dubbed Schwarbombs — have made him arguably the most popular Phillies star.
Schwarber said during the All-Star break that he wanted to keep the focus on helping the Phillies win their first World Series since 2008.
“We had conversations in the spring and obviously they didn’t progress,” he said. “We just kind of tabled them aside and wanted to focus on the season. Obviously, there’s interest on my side. I know there’s going to be interest on their side there coming up at the end of the year. We’re going to see where that takes us. If that’s us striking up a deal, that’s us striking up a deal.”
MIAMI — Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby will be sidelined for several weeks after having surgery on his wrist.
The procedure on Wednesday was to repair a broke hamate bone in his left wrist and was done by hand specialist Dr. Don Sheridan in Phoenix, the team said Friday. The recovery timeline is six to eight weeks.
Norby felt wrist soreness during Miami’s road series at Baltimore last week and was initially listed with wrist inflammation.
The Marlins acquired Norby from Baltimore last summer in the trade that also landed first-time All Star Kyle Stowers in Miami.
While Norby’s tenure with the Marlins started strong — he hit .247 with a .315 on-base percentage while hitting seven homers in 36 games — his performance had been uneven this year, with a .241 average and .289 on-base percentage, six home runs and 26 RBI in 72 games. He was sidelined the first two months of the season with an oblique injury.
“Speaking with Connor in Baltimore, he felt like things were starting to come around,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “He felt better about himself in the box. He felt like he was making some real strides defensively, and then not knowing at the time what the length of it was going to be and what it was. But he was sore. I think he was just more disappointed, if he was going to have to miss some time, he felt right now he was trending.”
The Marlins will turn to Graham Pauley and Javier Sanoja in Norby’s absence. Pauley has played 23 games at third base this season. Sanoja has played nine.
Pauley got the start at third on Friday against Kansas City as Miami began the second half of the season with a six-game homestand.
