TORONTO — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge drew his 23rd intentional walk of the season in the eighth inning Thursday night against Toronto, matching Mickey Mantle’s 1957 team record.
Baseball began tracking intentional walks in 1955.
Judge matched Albert Pujols (2010) as the only player to receive 23 free passes before the All-Star break.
Toronto led 6-5 when former Yankee Chad Green intentionally walked Judge with two outs and the bases empty. It was Judge’s fifth intentional walk of the series, the most ever by a Yankee in a single series.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves don’t want to hear they are running out of time to prove they can still compete for a playoff spot.
Continued offensive woes are making a case Atlanta could be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline.
Atlanta came within two outs of its second shutout loss in losing two of three games to the Los Angeles Angels. The Braves dodged what would have been their fourth shutout loss in their last seven games when Jurickson Profar hit a ninth-inning homer, but it was far too little to save the listless offense Thursday night in a 5-1 loss to the Angels.
The Braves were shut out by the Angels 4-0 on Tuesday night in the series opener.
The Braves (39-47) are fourth place in the NL East.
Manager Brian Snitker hoped the return of Profar from an 80-game drug suspension would spark the struggling offense, and Profar hit homers in back-to-back games. That wasn’t enough to save Atlanta from its first home series loss to the Angels since 2005.
“So hopefully that will be an added thing for us,” Snitker said of Profar’s return as the starting left fielder and No. 5 hitter. “If we get some guys going around him.”
The Braves were limited to three hits, all singles, in seven innings by Angels right-hander José Soriano, who didn’t allow a baserunner to reach second base. Matt Olson had one of the hits, a first-inning single to right field that extended his streak of reaching base safely to 33 games.
While Olson has boosted his batting average from .234 on May 27 to .267, others continue to struggle. Michael Harris is hitting .215 and Ozzie Albies is at .224 after each was held without a hit.
Those struggles add to speculation it may be time for the Braves to shake up the lineup at the trade deadline.
“Nobody wants to hear that,” Olson said. “We’re in here competing every day. We still have playoffs on our mind and I understand there’s going to be some outside noise when you have a record like we do but we still feel like we’ve got a good unit in here. We’re just not playing as well as we want to.”
The Braves also are burdened by a depleted rotation.
Bryce Elder (2-6) gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings for his third consecutive loss. The Braves trailed 3-0 after two innings.
“That’s on me,” Elder said.
“It’s tough to get the offense on a roll when you’re always coming from behind.”
Elder’s poor outing came one day after right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach landed on the 15-day injured list with a fractured right elbow on Wednesday. The rotation previously lost Chris Sale (broken rib), AJ Smith-Shawver (Tommy John surgery) and Reynaldo López (shoulder surgery) to injuries.
NEW YORK — Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt was placed on the 15-day injured list because of right forearm soreness on Friday, one day after his start at Toronto was cut short following three innings.
A 29-year-old right-hander, Schmidt was set to have an MRI on Friday.
New York also recalled right-hander Scott Effross and left-hander Jayvien Sandridge from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Right-hander Clayton Beeter had been optioned to the RailRiders after replacing Schmidt on Thursday night and taking the loss in the 8-5 defeat as the Yankees were swept in a four-game series and dropped out of the AL East lead.
Schmidt allowed three runs, four hits that included George Springer’s two-run homer and two walks. He said he’s been dealing with soreness in his arm since his June 4 outing against Cleveland.
“Earlier on in the game it felt OK,” Schmidt said. “As the game progressed it sort of tightened up a little bit on me. I felt like the whole night I was kind of guarding it a little bit on the breaking balls, really not ripping them or trying to get a lot behind them.”
Schmidt, who had Tommy John surgery in May 2017, is 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 14 starts. He left a June 21 start against Baltimore after throwing a career-high 103 pitches in seven hitless innings, part of a streak of 28 1/3 scoreless innings.
“Any time you’re getting an MRI on your forearm, or whatever the body part is, you’re not feeling happy about it,” Schmidt said. “I’m praying everything is going to be clean and minor. We’ll see what happens.”
As the torpedo bat craze stormed Major League Baseball to start the 2025 season, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were both asked about making the switch. “I’m very satisfied with my current bat,” Ohtani told the Japanese press after an April walk-off home run.
“What I did the past couple of seasons speaks for itself,” Judge said the morning after the Yankees hit a franchise-record nine home runs, including three by the captain himself. “Why try to change something if you have something that’s working?”
Turns out the sport’s two reigning MVPs and biggest stars use the same bat brand owned by Yoenis Céspedes, who spent nine seasons in MLB and knows a bit about hitting dingers, as a two-time Home Run Derby champion.
“2012 me would’ve just laughed,” Céspedes said in an interview when asked about being an entrepreneur after just defecting from Cuba. “I was focused on helping the A’s win. Owning a bat company? Then buying another one? A glove company too? That would’ve sounded crazy, but it is a beautiful thing. It means everything to me now.”
Chandler doesn’t have the name recognition of MLB’s official bat brands, Victus and Marucci, or Louisville Slugger, which was the official provider between 1997 and 2024. But MLB players know Chandler.
“Our business is really skewed towards the professional athlete, and that is inherent in the DNA of Chandler Bats,” Ben Chase, Chandler Bats CEO, said in a phone interview. More than 60% of their business is from people who get paid to play baseball, Chase said, adding that the company prides itself on meeting the customization needs of players when it comes to knobs, weights, cup depths and cup diameters.
Chandler’s MLB player market share was 10.4% on opening day, according to Bat Digest. It ranked fourth behind Victus (27.8%), Marucci (20.4%) and Louisville Slugger (15.2%).
Still, fourth is a miracle. “Chandler bats, the brand, effectively went under, and we had to rebuild everything from the ground up,” Chase said. “What good is a bat that you can’t get out the door?”
Chandler Bats was founded in Norriton, Pa., in 2009, and Céspedes used the brand during his big league career. In 2017, Céspedes loaned the brand’s parent company, RxSport, $700,000, and then acquired all its assets, including Chandler, in July 2019 after RxSport filed for bankruptcy protection. “It was a very challenging time to get into the bat business,” Chase said, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, which cut the 2020 season and limited clubhouse access, and the 2021 MLB lockout, which also canceled the winter meetings.
Chandler shut down production in mid-2021 and trucked everything from Pennsylvania to its new home base, Port St. Lucie, Fla., where Céspedes lived and still does. “It was triage for a number of years,” Chase said.
Céspedes, who made an estimated $130 million in playing salary during his career, infused more capital into the business to spur its rebound. Chandler expanded with the acquisition of Emery Glove Co. in late 2021. The company has focused on reducing delivery times in its consumer business. What used to take six or seven weeks from the time of order for a full custom has now been whittled down to 30 days or less. (Chandler offers a “rush production” option for custom models on its website for $50 extra.) The company has same-day shipping for in-stock models.
The direct-to-consumer business is up 5x since 2021 through its website. Distribution also continues to increase through its network of retailers, including Better Baseball, Hit Over Hit, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Bases Loaded; meanwhile, the torpedo bat mania triggered April sales to surge more than 100% versus the prior year. Chase wouldn’t disclose annual revenue.
Céspedes says his favorite part of the business is testing new products and working with his team on custom models. “That’s where I get hands-on to make sure everything we produce is the best,” he said.
Judge has been aligned with Chandler since the beginning of his career, which has seen him hit 346 home runs and win two MVP Awards. The company sells a pair of Judge bats, the AJ99 and AJ99.2, both listed for $239 on the company website. “We’re honored to have that level of trust, even as the company has gone through so many different transitions and hardships, and we don’t take that lightly,” Chase said about the Judge relationship.
Chandler sent Ohtani some custom bats during the 2022 offseason for him to try. Ohtani was intrigued by what Judge was doing, which included an American League record 62 home runs in 2022, according to Chandler Bats rep Chuck Schupp, who previously had long stints at Marucci and Louisville Slugger. Ohtani tested them in Japan and broke them out in games during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
It’s proven a good fit, as Ohtani has since posted by far his two best seasons for OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), and he’s on track for a third straight year over 1.000. The Japanese superstar also won his second and third MVP awards while swinging Chandler bats. The company does not sell an Ohtani model.
Baseball equipment manufacturers pay MLB players to wear their apparel, batting gloves, cleats, gloves and helmets, but bat deals are unique, as players are rarely paid to swing a bat.
“Bats are just a different animal,” Schupp said in a phone interview. “It’s such a custom product that players want to feel comfortable with. Part of this is player comfort, part of it is trust, and part of it is relationship.”
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The 20-67 Colorado Rockies, last in the National League, host the 28-59 Chicago White Sox, last in the American League, for the start of a three-game series Friday. Good luck getting a seat.
The Rockies are expecting a full house as the team continues to sell tickets despite its on-field struggles.
Colorado started the year 9-50, the worst record through that many games since 1889. It’s since recovered slightly, with a 10-17 stretch now putting the team on an expected pace for 113 losses on the year.
The White Sox set the losses record last year with 121; if they want to shed that spot in history, a sweep would be a big help. But while South Side fans have largely stayed away this year, leaving the team 27th in average attendance (16,612 fans per game)—above Miami and two teams playing in minor league parks—Colorado has posted a league average 29,501 fans per game.
The 1993 expansion franchise hasn’t posted a winning record since 2018, but it has stayed in the top half in terms of attendance throughout that entire stretch, even if it has slipped out of the top 10.
It seems that fans are coming more for the Coors than the Field, hoping to enjoy an evening in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains as much as the Rockies playing below them. Located in the heart of downtown Denver, the stadium finished seventh in Sports Illustrated’s preseason ranking of best ballparks, between Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium and Baltimore’s Camden Yards.
Fans online have complimented the team’s openness to outside food, while a rooftop patio serving $3 beers before the first pitch and priceless views all game long has been called “the best bar in all of baseball.” Rockies salespeople also benefit from Denver’s weather, boasting an average number of summer sun days on par with Miami and Los Angeles, with fewer scorchers.
Colorado is the 26th-most-valuable MLB team, according to Sportico’s valuations, and one of several clubs that have lost regional sports network partners in recent years. The Rockies entered the year with the 21st-highest payroll, at roughly $120 million. But the park remains a draw.
“There’s no better place to catch a game,” the team posted on X in June, with a link to buy tickets, even if there might be better games to catch elsewhere.
Tickets are close to sold out for Friday’s—and Saturday’s—games in large part because of the fireworks show the team has planned after each contest. Many of the seats still available for Saturday were along the third base line in areas clearly marked as “Fireworks Obstructed View.”
For those on the outside looking in, the White Sox and Rockies do battle again Sunday, but the fireworks won’t return until September.
In the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, pitcher Mick Abel had San Diego nine-hole hitter Jose Iglesias down 0-2 with a couple of runners on base. Getting out of the inning for the rookie righthander seemed almost foregone. But Abel then threw four straight balls and the flood gates opened in what turned into a five-run inning for the Padres.
Friday morning, the team let Abel know that he was being sent down to triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies recalled righthander Seth Johnson.
After a phenomenal start to his Phillies career where he gave up just one earned run in his first two starts which encompassed 11.1 innings, Abel has given up nine earned runs in his last 4.2 innings.
“Mick just needed to go down and breathe a little bit,” said manager Rob Thomson. “Just get a little reset. It’s not uncommon.”
Asked if he thought the issue with Abel was more mental or physical, Thomson said it was a little bit of both. “Just get his confidence back and be able to get through tough situations and adversity. He’s done it before. This guy has had a really good year this year. His poise, composure has been outstanding. He’s really grown. We just need to get back to that guy. He needs to attack the zone and get through adversity. When you get traffic out there, be able to slow the game down and get through it.”
Taijuan Walker will start on Tuesday in San Francisco, though the manager wouldn’t really commit to much after that. After a three game series in San Francisco starting Monday, the team will play three in San Diego which will take them to the All-Star break. Asked the ever-present question about Andrew Painter, Thomson had a flat “no” answer when asked if he may be the solution post All-Star break.
Thomson did watch Painter’s start for Lehigh Valley on Thursday night and came away pretty positive. “Five innings 94 or 95 pitches and he threw four really good innings. Fourth inning he let up four runs, gave up some hits and he left the ball in the middle of the plate but he got a lot of swings and misses in the other four innings. Threw strikes. Pitched up in the zone really well. I thought he was good.”
As for Johnson, Thomson likes what he’s seen so far. “Just his strike throwing ability when he’s been up here and it’s been going on for a while now,” he said. “His stuff is there and he can really spin it, too. If he throws strikes, he’s going to get people out.”
The latest on Nola
Veteran righthander Aaron Nola has picked up the pace in his rehab from a sprained ankle and then side injuries. Though the timetable for a return is likely far off, there seems to be some optimism surrounding his progress.
“He either did or he’s going to do another Williamsport (throwing from a slope) today and then he’ll throw a bullpen on Sunday and then he’ll go to Clearwater to continue,” said Thompson. “He’s going to need probably two more bullpens before BP and then he’ll have to do a few BPs.” Thomson said Wednesday that it is like spring training time for Nola, starting all over again after the injuries.
Harper update
Rob Thomson didn’t seem at all concerned when asked any questions about the health of Bryce Harper since his return to the lineup on Monday after being out with a sore right wrist, even after he sat Harper for the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Sure enough, Harper is back in the lineup for the series-opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
PHOENIX — At some point this weekend, as he’s getting his arm ready to face the Athletics, Logan Webb will think back to his own childhood.
Two decades ago, he was the young kid sitting on the berm beyond the outfield wall at what is now Sutter Health Park. Logan and his brother Chase would lean against the bullpen rail and throw balls down to prospects, hoping to capture the signature of the next A’s ace or closer.
These days, that energetic kid is known for becoming the ace of his hometown team. That will never be more true than on Saturday, when Webb pitches in a ballpark that is 30 minutes from his childhood home in Rocklin.
There is a lot of curiosity within the Giants clubhouse about what this weekend’s trip to Sacramento will feel like. But for Webb, there is only excitement. He went to so many games when Sacramento was home to the A’s Triple-A affiliate that he figured his family had season tickets.
“I got to go watch guys like Bobby Crosby and Jack Cust and Chris Carter — I mean, I could keep going and going,” he said Thursday, smiling. “It was cool for me to see those guys, and when I got drafted by the Giants, that was one of those things I looked forward to, was playing for the River Cats.”
Sacramento has traditionally been Giants territory and Rocklin was the same even before Webb’s emergence, but he grew up as an A’s fan because he spent so much time cheering for their Triple-A affiliate. He became a two-sport star at Rocklin High and got selected in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. A year later, the River Cats became a Giants affiliate.
It was fortuitous, but Webb has actually pitched at the ballpark just once. He threw seven dominant innings in his Triple-A debut in 2019 and the Giants sent him to the big leagues five days later. He has been back just once, for a rehab start that took place in Las Vegas.
“I remember that one Triple-A game in Sacramento was probably one of the more nervous ones for me because I had so many people there,” he said. “I’m just excited for that same feeling to happen again. I’m sure there’s going to be a million people there saying hi and it’s going to be really cool for my family to be there.”
Most of the Webbs still live in Rocklin, and a large group will be at all three games, along with dozens of others Webb grew up with. Some of his closest friends plan to attend games all weekend, and if he looks around on Friday night in the series opener, he’ll probably see teachers, coaches and neighbors dotting the stands.
“The grass area is going to be packed,” he said. “I’m excited to see it. Hopefully it almost feels like a home game.”
The Giants expect a ton of orange and black, but little else will feel similar to Oracle Park. For the A’s, there has been no escaping the fact that they are spending this season in a minor league ballpark. Luis Severino, their big offseason addition, made national news last month when he complained about the park and said publicly that it’s simply not big league caliber.
The Giants have several players on their current roster who have spent time with the River Cats this season, and they have few complaints. Their experience has actually been better this year because of the modest upgrades made when the A’s announced they would use Sacramento as a layover.
“They’ve done a much better job of upkeeping the whole facility,” said right-hander Mason Black, who arrived in the big leagues Wednesday. “The field is as good as it ever has been. That’s been a positive. It seems like the fans are a little more into it this year.”
While Sutter Health Park still looks like a minor league ballpark in just about every way, the Giants’ biggest challenges might be behind the scenes. Asked about the series, manager Bob Melvin said he figures it’ll be particularly tough on pinch-hitters who are used to having a cage in just about every clubhouse or right behind the dugout. The players who have experienced Sutter Health Park this season in Triple-A have also grumbled a bit about the new batter’s eye.
“There’s still some unknowns,” Melvin said. “When we were there (for an exhibition game) the ball wasn’t traveling that well. Now it’s going to be 90 degrees and it’s probably going to travel a little bit more.”
The weather should be relatively mild for Sacramento in July, but it’s still a minor league ballpark, and there have been some very high-scoring A’s games this year. Severino, who will face Webb, has a 3.04 ERA on the road but a 6.79 mark at home.
“I’m interested to see how it all works with a big league game — it’s a minor league stadium, so we’ll see,” Webb said. “But I really am excited to go back home and play there. I’ve seen all the stuff from guys complaining about it, and I get it. I understand that, but for me, it’s a little sentimental because it is my home. I’m excited to be going there.”
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Major League Baseball gambling investigation and was placed on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, two people with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the nature of the investigation.
The investigation is related to in-game prop bets on two pitches thrown by Ortiz that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his recent outing against St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.
ESPN reported the firm IC360 recently also sent an alert to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz.
The Athletic was the first to report that Ortiz's suspension was related to gambling.
MLB said Ortiz's paid leave is through the end of the All-Star break, when players return to their teams July 17 and games resume the following day. It can be extended if the investigation remains ongoing.
Chris Antonetti, Cleveland’s president of baseball operations, said before Thursday night's game at the Chicago Cubs that the team can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can't enter any of the Guardians' facilities. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Ortiz was slated to be the starting pitcher for Thursday night’s series finale. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.
“We learned very little last night, but knew we needed to get someone here today to start today’s game, and that really was our focus,” Antonetti said. "A lot has come out today, and that’s far more information than we have.
“Our focus is we’ll let the investigative process play out. To the extent Major League Baseball or anyone needs our support in that, we will obviously cooperate. But beyond that, there’s really not much we can do.”
Manager Stephen Vogt said he and Antonetti addressed the team about Ortiz's situation and tried to answer questions the best they could.
It is another setback for a Guardians squad that has dropped a season-high six straight games and is 9-18 since May 1.
“Honestly, when I got the news yesterday I didn’t know how to feel,” Vogt said. “There’s so much unknowns with this, but you know what? Every team goes through adversity, maybe different kinds, but this is a resilient group. I’ve been through situations similar to this before in my career as a player, and what would I have wanted to hear? How would I want the manager to have reacted, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
The 26-year old Ortiz is in his first season with Cleveland after he was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh last December. The right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 16 starts this season. The nine losses are tied for the most in the American League.
In four big-league seasons, Ortiz is 16-22 with a 4.05 ERA and one save.
The investigation into Ortiz comes a little more than a year after MLB suspended five players for gambling, including a lifetime ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023.
Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor leaguers - San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez - received one-year suspensions.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation.
Dustin May pitches in the first inning against the White Sox on Thursday. (Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
Dave Roberts had some goals in mind for starting pitcher Dustin May on Thursday. And they had little to do with the final result.
“The first thing is his ability to go deeper in games,” the Dodger manager said. “The sweeper has got to be a more effective pitch. His sinker has got to be more effective.
“I know he's working through some delivery things with the pitching coaches. I'm kind waiting to see what to expect tonight.”
May would give Roberts far more than he asked for, setting down the first 16 batters in order and pitching into the eighth inning for the first time in his career in a 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
The win was the Dodgers’ fourth in a row and ninth in their last 10 games.
The start was May’s 16th of the season and the seven innings he threw gave him 89.2 for the year, both career highs. Consistency, however, has been an issue. He won just once in June, when his 5.67 ERA was highest among Dodger starters.
His first start in July was a different story, with May (5-5) giving up just two hits and striking out nine — one shy of his career high — in seven shutout innings before tiring in the eighth.
The Dodgers needed just three batters to give the right-hander the lead with Shohei Ohtani drawing a lead-off walk, then scoring on Freddie Freeman’s one-out double into the right-field corner.
Freeman padded that lead in the third, going the other way and looping a two-run double into the left-field corner. It was Freeman’s first three-RBI game in nearly two months. When Michael Conforto followed two batters later with a two-run homer, it was 5-0 Dodgers.
And the lead could have been larger: Freeman lost a homer of his own in his next at-bat when Chicago right fielder Michael Tauchman reached a couple of rows into the right-field bleachers near the foul pole to bring his fifth-inning drive back.
Mookie Betts closed the Dodgers’ scoring with a one-out solo homer in the seventh, just his second since May 19.
May, meanwhile, was cruising, talking a perfect game into the sixth before Brooks Baldwin singled sharply to right. He took a shutout into the eighth before Baldwin ended that, too, with a two-run homer.
May got help from a couple of sterling defensive plays, with Conforto taking a hit away from Miguel Vargas with a sliding catch in left to the start the fifth and Freeman diving to his right to stab Josh Rojas’ low line drive to start the sixth.
Relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates followed May to the mound, throwing a hitless inning apiece to close out the win.
Mets pitchers going down with injury has seemingly become a daily occurrence and it happened again Thursday.
Paul Blackburn, Friday's probable starter, and reliever Dedniel Nunez were put on the IL before the Mets' series finale against the Brewers. So saying the team needed David Peterson to give them a quality start in the worst way is not hyperbole. But luckily for the Mets, their southpaw gave them exactly what they needed.
Peterson allowed just two runs (one earned) over 6.2 innings on Thursday night in the Mets' 3-2 win. It was the first time a Mets starter pitched six innings since June 17 (14 games) when he did it.
"It’s huge. We haven’t been able to get that consistently," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Peterson's night. "Petey, other than the last two, you know he’s going to get you through six and go back out for the seventh. I remember the outing in Atlanta, he went back out to the eighth and was only at 82 pitches. Especially when he’s getting ahead and weak contact early in the game, allows him to get to those later innings.
"Especially on a day like today, everybody in the ballpark knew how thin we were back there, for him to go back out there but to not only go deep but giving us a quality outing and allowing us to win a series is huge."
In his last two starts, Peterson was anything but reliable for the Mets. He allowed five runs in both starts and could not get out of the fifth. After the second start, the left-hander attributed his issues to a mechanical problem, which he seemingly fixed before Thursday's game.
"We worked on some things this week and was able to get back on line with my mechanics," Peterson explained. "Felt like I was getting down through the ball well and seeing what I wanted to see after the adjustments."
Peterson said his "direction" was out of whack, and he was able to straighten up in his delivery. Those adjustments resulted in a much-needed start and win for the Mets, who look to put their terrible June behind them -- they went 12-15 in the month but had won just one series in three weeks.
With the starting rotation going through so many changes due to injury, Peterson will be depended on more and more until they get healthy -- Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are seemingly close to returning -- but the 29-year-old isn't dwelling on the fact the team are losing arms. He's focused on what he can control, and that's what he does on the mound.
"Every team's going through it. We've kind of been battling it right now and it sucks. We wish those guys the best," Peterson said. "At the same time, we have a job to do. Being able to go as deep as I can and pass it off to [Ryne] Stanek and [Edwin] Diaz was a good night."
In relief of Peterson, Stanek retired a season-high four batters -- including striking out the side in the eighth inning -- and Diaz struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning to complete the strong pitching performance for the Mets.
"He threw a really, really good game. I'm really happy for him," Diaz said of Peterson's performance. "He’s dealing all year. Doing such an amazing job."
And the Mets will need Peterson to keep dealing as they welcome the Yankees for the upcoming weekend series, and beyond until reinforcements can arrive.
Holding onto a 3-2 lead Thursday night, Edwin Diaz entered the game in the ninth inning to get the save and help the Mets earn their first series win in nearly a month. Things felt like they were about to go south after Brewers' Christian Yelich singled with one out and stole second base on a 1-1 pitch to Brice Turang.
The call on the field was safe, but Luis Torrens and Francisco Lindor knew right away. Both players pointed toward the dugout for a challenge and it was eventually overturned for the second out.
Diaz then struck out Turang to end the game for the much-needed victory. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza praised Torrens' ability to control the running game and his history of coming up with big plays defensively.
"We know teams are going to be aggressive against Diaz, right, and usually they get great jumps," Mendoza said. "But for Luis not to give up. I don't think this is the first time. I remember one in Miami early in the year when he got a caught stealing, ended up being a huge play to win a game. Today, that's the same case there.
"Even though the runner gets a huge jump, he's not going to give up. Just having the ability to transfer, the exchange, the quickness, and then being able to put that much on the throw and then just put it right there. It doesn't get any better. Obviously, you got to give credit to Lindor, letting the ball travel as deep as possible. It's kind of like a team effort there between Luis and Lindor. But going back to Luis, just pretty impressive with how quickly he gets rid of the baseball and how much he's able to put on that throw, the carry and the location, too."
LUIS TORRENS MAKES THE THROW. FRANCISCO LINDOR MAKES THE TAG.
Torrens also complimented Lindor for getting the tag on Yelich to complete the play.
"It was phenomenal," Torrens said. "I think the ability he has to showcase the little things is what's really able to display a type of play like that."
The catcher entered the game with four Catcher's CS Above Average, per Baseball Savant, tied for second best in the MLB behind Boston's Carlos Narvaez (five). Overall, he's now caught 10 runners trying to steal this season (16 stolen bases allowed). When asked what's the most critical thing to make that play happen, Torrens said it comes down to two things.
"I think just throwing it as accurate as possible there," Torrens said.
He added: "I think Sugar got the ball off in good enough time, and I think that was the biggest part of that play."
Diaz praised Torrens for coming through with the big throw and reiterated that he's been "trying to be quicker to the plate" and called it a "huge accomplishment," adding that he was very happy with the advanced stats after the game.
With the win, New York is now 50-38 on the season, 1.5 games back of the Phillies for first place in the NL East. They'll hope to carry the momentum from Thursday's series-clinching win into the Subway Series this weekend with the recently struggling Yankees.
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt left Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays after the third inning with right forearm tightness.
Schmidt had thrown 55 pitches over the three innings, allowing three runs on four hits, but surprisingly didn't come back out for the fourth inning.
Clayton Beeter replaced him on the mound, making his season debut after being called up from Triple-A on Wednesday.
Schmidt lasted six innings in his previous start against the Athletics on June 28, which was pushed back a day after throwing seven no-hit innings against the Orioles on June 21.
After the game, manager Aaron Boone said Schmidt would get an MRI on Friday and hopes there's not anything seriously wrong with the young right-hander.
"It’s been a little bit of an issue for him the last few starts, just kinda recovering," Boone said of Schmidt's forearm. "Usually it comes on a little later in the game, today was a little bit earlier and had a hard time finishing his pitches. So got him out of there."
Boone said Schmidt was supposed to make at least one more start before the All-Star break but they'll have to wait for the MRI to determine next steps but said an IL stint is on the table, even if it's something minor.
An IL stint would be a big blow for the Yankees who are already dealing with injuries to their pitching staff. Of course, Gerrit Cole will miss the entire season after undergoing elbow surgery, and Luis Gil hasn't even played in a game yet this year but should be back after the All-Star break.
The team did just get Marcus Stroman back, but had lost Ryan Yarbrough in late June to an oblique strain. As of right now, the Yankees rotation has Will Warren, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Stroman and will now need to find someone to take Schmidt's spot.
Schmidt has been consistent for the Yankees this season. In 14 starts, including Thursday, he's pitched to a 4-4 record and a 3.32 ERA. He was amazing in June, pitching to a 1.95 ERA across five starts.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Yankees play the three-game Subway Series at Citi Field starting on Friday at 3:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
Can the Mets' offense find consistency?
Despite a strong top five in the lineup that features Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil, the Mets' offense has been hit or miss recently, including during last weekend's three-game sweep at the hands of the Pirates (when they scored a total of four runs) and their Game 1 doubleheader loss to the Brewers on Wednesday (when they mustered only two hits).
The two main issues have been the bottom of the lineup and overall struggles with runners in scoring position.
When it comes to the six-through-nine hitters, the Mets have been getting better at-bats from Ronny Mauricio lately, which has helped. Meanwhile, Mark Vientos recently returned, which lengthened the order.
If Vientos can get hot, it would be a boon for the rest of the lineup.
Meanwhile, a reinforcement should be coming soon in the form of Jesse Winker, who could return from the IL at some point next week.
Who will start on Friday?
Paul Blackburn was slated to start Friday's series-opener, but he just landed on the IL due to a shoulder impingement.
The right-hander had been ineffective lately.
He allowed four runs (three earned) in 3.2 innings against the Braves on June 18, surrendered three runs in 4.2 innings against Atlanta on June 23, and gave up three runs on six hits in his only inning of work against the Pirates on June 28 -- during a game that was interrupted by a lengthy rain delay.
It is conceivable that the Mets will use Justin Hagenman to start on Friday.
Hagenman made his major league debut on April 16 against the Twins, tossing 3.1 innings of one-run ball while allowing three hits, walking none, and striking out four. He also pitched on June 19 against the Braves, going 2.2 scoreless innings.
The Mets should get some rotation help soon, with the returns of Sean Manaea (likely after one more rehab start) and Kodai Senga (who is about to begin a rehab assignment).
The Mets also need a starter for Sunday
Sunday's start was supposed to go to Clay Holmes, but Tuesday's rainout and Wednesday's doubleheader pushed Holmes to Wednesday -- meaning New York now needs a starter for the finale of the series.
Their two options appear to be going with an opener/bullpen game or calling someone up from Triple-A Syracuse.
New York Mets starter Brandon Sproat (91) pitches against the Houston Astros at Clover Park. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
With Nolan McLean pitching on Thursday night for Syracuse, the Mets could theoretically turn to Brandon Sproat for Sunday's start.
The hard-throwing Sproat, who is currently in line to pitch on Friday in Triple-A, is coming off his best start of the season. He fired 6.0 innings of two-run ball on June 28 while allowing just two hits, walking three, and striking out six.
Following Stroman, the Yanks have Carlos Rodon lined up for Saturday and Max Fried set to pitch on Sunday.
Rodon is having a very strong season, with a 2.95 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to go along with 123 strikeouts in 106.2 innings.
Fried has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, with a 2.13 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
He did get touched up a bit in his last start, though, allowing four runs (including two homers) to the Blue Jays in 6.0 innings on Tuesday in Toronto.
Aaron Judge has "cooled off"
Judge was hitting .250/.400/.574 over his prior 20 games ahead of play on Thursday. That's tremendous for any other player, but a slump for Judge, who is possibly on track for another AL MVP award.
The slugger has also been more susceptible to the strikeout lately, and has already fanned 97 times this season -- that extrapolates to 183 over a full season.
Still, Judge is one of the most dangerous hitters on the planet. And the Mets would be wise to walk him any time there's a base open, and pitch incredibly carefully to him in every other situation.
The idea, as it was last season when the Mets faced the Yanks (when they still had Soto), should be to make anyone else in the lineup beat them.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
Soto didn't break through during Round 1 of the Subway Series. This time will be different.
