Category: Baseball

The commissioner who called off the World Series as striking players fought off a salary cap still sees merit to a salary cap in Major League Baseball.

“Three of the other major sports all have salary caps, and they’re working,” former commissioner Bud Selig said on the MVP Podcast. “And they’re working well.”

Former Angels first baseman Mo Vaughn, the 1995 American League most valuable player for the Boston Red Sox, is the host of the MVP Podcast.

Selig’s tenure as commissioner ran from 1992 to 2015. The players went on strike in 1994 when owners insisted on a salary cap. Selig had to call off the World Series, and the players returned in 1995 without a salary cap.

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 season, and several owners already have called for a salary cap, claiming competitive balance cannot truly be possible when teams like the Dodgers and New York Mets spend five times on payroll as teams such as the Athletics and Miami Marlins.

Read more:They said baseball was dying. How Rob Manfred and MLB officials revived it

The players’ union adamantly opposes a cap, arguing owners are more concerned about restricting spending and about how the sale prices of teams are not appreciating as greatly as those in other sports.

Selig did not directly advocate for a salary cap as much as he did for dialogue between owners and players. Rob Manfred, the current commissioner, has called an offseason lockout a negotiating tool that does not harm the sport so long as regular-season games are not lost.

“The last 22 years of my commissionership, we had no lockout, no strike, no nothing,” Selig said. “And that really helped us.

“I think, when you look back, some of the labor problems that we had really hurt us. So we have to be careful.”

Vaughn’s current business ventures include serving as an advisor at Perfect Game, which distributes the podcast. As he talked over old times with Selig, the former commissioner realized everything old is new again.

“We had a strike that cost the World Series,” Selig said, “and it was over things that they’re still fighting about.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Buster Posey remains committed to Giants' core despite down 2025 MLB season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants, perhaps for the first time in a while, have a formidable core of star players.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, it has not resulted in as many wins as it initially hoped when it added slugger Rafael Devers to a nucleus of Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and starting pitchers Logan Webb and Robbie Ray earlier this season.

However, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey remains committed to the team’s core moving forward.

“I believe in the nucleus,” Posey told KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Thursday. “What makes me feel good is the character of these players. Each year can be different. And again, we’ve got 30ish games left, and you never know what can happen, so we’re focused on this year, for sure. But yeah, we have total belief in this nucleus and understand this is the first year of them playing together, with Rafi not even having a full year.

“Excited about their leadership and the players around them on both sides of the ball that we’re going to get to watch going forward and continue to work and get better.”

The Giants (65-68) still have 29 games remaining this season, but likely are too far out of playoff contention, as they sit seven games back of the New York Mets (72-61) for the third and final National League wild card spot.

Despite the 2025 season likely ending without a playoff appearance for the fourth consecutive year, Posey does not foresee the Giants “blowing it up” this offseason and trading pieces of their core.

“As a front office we’ll look and see how we see best to put the best team on the field in [2026], but as far as ‘majorly blowing it up,’ whatever that means … I don’t see that happening,” Posey added.

It’s safe to say fans can expect to see, more or less, the same core players in 2026.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

In the waning days of the 1960s, when Don Sutton was starting his Hall of Fame career and Don Drysdale was finishing his, kids all over the Southland could turn on Channel 9 and catch a block of cartoons. Speed Racer came on first, followed by Ultraman.

In the lore: “A 130-foot tall red and silver giant of light, Ultraman came to Earth from another galaxy to protect humanity from invading aliens and giant monsters.”

Fortunately, the meet-and-greet version of Ultraman that showed up at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday was about 6 feet tall. I dropped by to say hello, although I had been warned he did not converse with humans.

“He’ll look at you quizzically, but also with endearment, knowing you are a little carbon-based unit that would like to become his friend,” said David Kornblum, president of Tsuburaya Fields Media and Pictures Entertainment.

Read more:Shaikin: The National League has one .300 hitter. What's up with that?

Ultraman turns 60 next year. Kornblum is based in Los Angeles, and his job is to take what his Tokyo-based company calls “Japan’s most beloved superhero” and revive his popularity in the United States. This fall, you’ll be able to stream new and classic episodes of Ultraman.

It’s not just that Shohei Ohtani is more popular than Ultraman in Japan these days. If you’re a Japanese company wanting to get the word out in America about your product, you’re in good company at Dodger Stadium.

“With the Dodgers, you’ve got a 50,000-seat stadium basically sold out for 80 games a year,” Kornblum said. “It’s a natural in terms of having exposure for this character in this market, the second-largest market in the country.

“You have the opportunity to showcase your character with the most popular team.”

The “Shohei economy,” as one team official dubbed it last year, has taken on a new dimension.

Japanese fans flock to Dodger Stadium, of course, taking stadium tours conducted in Japanese, enjoying a variety of national delicacies at concession stands and clutching shopping bags packed with hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of dollars' worth of Ohtani merchandise.

And, of the 24 corporations with advertising space between the foul poles at Dodger Stadium as of Tuesday, eight are based in Asia.

What’s new: With Ohtani as a global attraction, Japanese entertainment companies have used Dodger Stadium as a platform to popularize their star attractions.

“There is not a business sector that hasn’t weighed in with us,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said, noting the Dodgers’ league-leading attendance and global viewership. “We are an entertainment venue. We’re a place to go to get attention.

“If you’re a brand looking for attention, where else would you go?”

With each deal, Ohtani’s contract becomes even more magical for the Dodgers. Never mind, for the moment, the sponsorships with Asian airlines, retailers, beverage companies, and so on.

With four Japanese character appearances at Dodger Stadium this season, the Dodgers have made more than the $2 million they pay Ohtani in salary this year. (The other $68 million is deferred.)

And, as the entertainment companies reach customers in the United States, the Dodgers reach fans in Japan, where they have leveraged Ohtani to become the dominant major league team.

The Dodgers launched a fan club there this year. Kasten said they hope to expand their marketing presence there as Major League Baseball considers relaxing rules under which the league itself — rather than individual teams — typically controls international business ventures.

“FC Barcelona told me they have 300 million fans around the world,” Kasten said. “That’s a good role model.”

When Tokyo’s Cover Corp. opened a Los Angeles office last year, they brought their star animated character — Gawr Gura — to Dodger Stadium.

Read more:Clayton Kershaw is masterful again in Dodgers' win over Reds

“The fact that we could say we had a collaboration with the Dodgers, that is helpful to show we are that level of a brand,” said Motoaki Tanigo, the chief executive of Cover. “That was helpful to us, to introduce ourselves.”

The Dodgers sold 8,000 tickets as part of the Cover promotion, the company said and the team confirmed, with 80% of those fans visiting Dodger Stadium for the first time, and with many showing up super early to snap up commemorative merchandise. Cover staged a larger ballpark promotion this year.

Ultraman brought no merchandise with him, but he did bring an evil nemesis, who tried to steal the show during the ceremonial first pitch. If the point was to identify the evil nemesis called a kaiju for an unfamiliar audience, I suggested the company dress him in a Padres uniform.

“Or in a Giants uniform,” Kornblum said. “I would love if they would allow us to have a full smackdown, with a kaiju in a Giants jersey vs. Ultraman in a Dodgers jersey.

“A beatdown at home plate would be fun. But the corporate guys won’t let me do that.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

How Bryce Eldridge has handled sky-high expectations as Giants' top prospect originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey knows a thing or two about sky-high expectations. 

The Giants’ president of baseball operations was the fifth overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft and made his debut a year later. When he was called up for good in 2010, the Giants traded their starting catcher to clear the decks. All Posey did that year was lead them to their first championship in San Francisco.

Posey never, however, dealt with the kind of online noise that has followed Bryce Eldridge during his own journey as a top prospect. 

Twitter was in its infancy when Posey was coming through the minors, and he never had to worry about seeing his face on Instagram graphics or in TikTok videos speculating about his short-term and long-term future. That has been Eldridge’s reality since being taken in the first round two years ago, and the drumbeat seemingly gets louder every day.

Eldridge, who doesn’t turn 21 until October, has grown up with all of this, but still, at times it can be a lot. Far lesser Giants prospects have seen their Triple-A seasons derailed by rumors that a call-up is imminent.

On Thursday’s “Giants Talk” podcast, Eldridge said he’s doing the best to ignore the hype, even if those around him might get caught up at times. 

“Being a 20-year-old kid who uses social media, things kind of pop up on your feed,” he said. “It’s not like I’m missing all of it, but I’m not going into the comments reading stuff. I’m kind of just getting a little look at it, scrolling by or whatever, but yeah, people are sending me stuff. My loved ones are excited about what’s to come and that’s understandable. 

“I think I just tell them every time, ‘I’m in Triple-A right now. We’re going to focus in on this. Whenever [the call-up] happens, I better see all those people out there [at the ballpark].”

Eldridge has been a top 100 prospect throughout his time in the minors, and he currently is MLB Pipeline’s top-ranked minor league first baseman. He is 13th overall on Pipeline’s top 100 list and No. 20 on Baseball America’s version.

Eldridge needs only to look behind him in the Triple-A lineup to get a reminder that prospect lists guarantee nothing. Marco Luciano was a top 20 prospect for multiple seasons earlier in his career, but he now finds himself at a crossroads, and seemingly out of the Giants’ long-term plans.

The cautionary tales are one reason the Giants have been so patient with Eldridge, even with their second-half struggles at the big league level. The first baseman has a .837 OPS this season and 22 homers, but the Giants want to see him continue to play every day and work on his command of the strike zone and defense. 

Team officials have no doubts he’ll be the centerpiece of the lineup at Oracle Park one day, but they’re in no rush. At the moment, Eldridge is not expected to be called up in September. 

Posey will get asked about Eldridge every time he meets with the media for the rest of the year and next spring, but thus far he has resisted the temptation to stoke the flames. On the other end, Eldridge said he has leaned on his faith in an effort to manage expectations. He said that belief has given him peace of mind.

“Focusing on controlling what I can control is important,” Eldridge said.  

If the Giants do delay the debut until 2026, it will do nothing to calm the hype. Eldridge will push for an Opening Day job next spring, and if that ends up being the case, he would debut against the New York Yankees in the first game of the MLB season. 

It would be a lot, but it’s also what Eldridge wants.

Eldridge was nine when he homered for the first time, hitting one out to center at his Little League field in Vienna, Va., and he has seemed destined for this point ever since. A lot will be placed on his shoulders whenever he arrives, but it might be nothing compared to the bar Eldridge has set for himself. He said he thinks every day about how he wants to “be the man” in San Francisco and leave the kind of mark on the organization that Posey, Barry Bonds and Willie Mays did. 

“That’s just something that means a lot to me, and staying with the team who drafted me is something that means a lot, too,” he said on “Giants Talk.” “I hope I’m in their plans for the foreseeable future and I think just putting my name up in the talks with those guys as the greats of San Francisco would be a dream come true. That’s just something that is in my head and something that I want to do.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

There's a youth movement currently going on in the Mets' rotation. 

After Nolan McLean, who burst onto the scene two weeks ago and continued his dominance of MLB hitters with eight shutout innings against the Phillies on Wednesday, the Mets are calling up and starting Jonah Tong on Friday against the Marlins.

Tong, who is Joe DeMayo's No. 2 prospect in the Mets system, has quickly risen through the ranks of the minors, dominating Double-A and Triple-A, forcing the team's hand. 

In 22 minor league starts, Tong has pitched to a 1.43 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, allowing just 20 runs (18 earned) on 58 hits and 47 walks over 113.2 innings while striking out 179 batters. He was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse less than a month ago and in two starts with Syracuse struck out 17 batters in 11.2 shutout innings.

So, what can we expect from Tong on Friday? McLean was asked his thoughts on Tong after his win over the Phillies.

"That kid’s special," he said. "I remember when I first got drafted, I stood in one of those bullpens just to watch. Haven’t seen a fastball like that before. And I know he’s developed three more pitches since then and they are all plus. It’s going to be fun to watch him Friday. Can’t wait to see him."

McLean and Tong were teammates at various levels of the Mets' minor league system and will be again once Tong arrives in Flushing -- so McLean has come to know the 22-year-old flamethrower and what he can do.

When asked to elaborate about Tong's fastball, McLean, who was a two-way player in college for Oklahoma State, gave his perspective as a hitter and why major league batters may have a hard time figuring the youngster out.

"It just gets on you and it was only in the bullpen," McLean explained. "Can’t imagine being a hitter having to face him with the unique delivery he has as well as mid-upper 90s [fastball]."

Major League Baseball will get its first look at Tong's unique delivery and fastball very soon.

"That kid's special."

Nolan McLean talks about Jonah Tong's upcoming MLB debut and how good Tong's fastball is from a hitter's point of view: pic.twitter.com/YjCZmRW8eQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 28, 2025

The Phillies entered play Monday with a sizeable seven-game lead in the NL East over the Mets. But after Wednesday's 6-0 win by New York, completing the three-game sweep, the division is now in play.

New York now sits just four games behind the Phillies for first place in the division with four more games against Philadelphia still to be played. But Wednesday's win was also significant in that it improved the Mets' record against the Phillies to 7-2, securing the season series and the tiebreaker in the event of a tie.

But while the Mets are playing the best they've played in some time, winning five of their last six and eight of their last 11, they are keeping the series sweep in perspective. 

"We’re going to continue to take it one day at a time," Carlos Mendoza said after Wednesday's win. "Baseball‘s crazy, everything happens fast here. We have to continue to control the things we can control, and that’s coming in day in and day out with a mission and a purpose. That’s winning ball games. We know we’re good; that’s a good team there. Every game counts. That’s our mentality right now."

The Mets (72-61) still have 29 games to go this season, so there's a lot that can happen between now and the end of the regular season.

But it's hard not to feel something about sweeping the team that you're chasing for the division.

"It gives us some confidence, for sure. But I think that's just what we expect out of ourselves," Mark Vientos said of the sweep. "Feel like we know how great of a team we are and this is just what we do. It’s exciting. Just gotta keep taking it one game at a time."

The young slugger went 2-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. His two-run shot in the seventh gave the Mets the cushion they needed, and it is the sixth longball he's hit during his current streak. But Vientos is just part of a Mets offense that has been on a hot stretch of late and has helped them close the gap with the Phillies. 

Wednesday was the 12th time Mets hitters recorded double-digit hits over their last 16 games. In 23 games this month, the Mets are batting .281/.358/.491 and are ranked first in the majors over the month in slugging and OPS (.849), are second in batting average, OBP, home runs and runs scored.

They hope to continue that hot hitting and their winning ways when they host the Miami Marlins for a four-game series starting Thursday. The Phillies return home to host the Braves for four games of their own. It's plausible that the Mets could be tied or close to the Phillies in the division by the end of the weekend.

That seemed almost impossible just two weeks ago.

 

Ever since resuming two-way duties earlier this year, Shohei Ohtani had been throwing the ball well.

It wasn’t until Wednesday, however, that he finally pitched like a frontline starter, too.

Coming off his second career Tommy John surgery this year, Ohtani immediately lit up the radar gun with 100-mph fastballs and amassed gaudy strikeout totals with a devastating sweeper. In his first eight pitching starts of the season, he gave up just five runs in 16 innings for a 2.37 ERA, racked up 25 punchouts against just five walks, and looked every bit of the hard-throwing ace he was before spending a year-and-a-half rehabbing his right elbow and only serving as a designated hitter.

But, during that time, Ohtani was also throwing in only short bursts, as part of a deliberate effort to slowly build him up. He tossed one inning in his first two starts. Two innings, then three, then four, in each pair of outings after that. Rarely did he face a lineup two times through. At no point did he see the same batter three times in the same game.

He was, in effect, an opener.

And in that role, raw stuff was enough.

Recently, however, Ohtani had encountered a new challenge. Since getting the green light to make more typical five-inning starts, he had failed to actually complete the fifth in his first two attempts.

The struggles weren’t surprising, with five of the nine runs Ohtani had given up in his previous two outings coming in either the fourth or fifth innings. For all of Ohtani’s talent, it was clear there was tactical rust that still needed to be cleared.

“I think we’re still in the [process of] finding out who he is, what he is, getting his bearings for him,” manager Dave Roberts acknowledged ahead of Wednesday’s game.

“But,” the skipper added, “I’m expecting him to get through five [tonight], pitch well and just continue to get better.”

Read more:Shaikin: The National League has one .300 hitter. What's up with that?

In the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds, Ohtani was indeed better.

Both in his results, and his process for getting there.

The right-hander not only got through five full innings of one-run ball, but did so by adopting a new, more unpredictable plan of attack, keeping the Reds off-balance over the duration of his 87-pitch effort.

Instead of leaning predominantly on fastballs and sweepers as he did earlier this year, Ohtani threw the kitchen sink at the Reds; using his curveball a career-high 23 times and his splitter a season-high 11 times.

Along the way, he yielded only two hits (one of them a solo home run from Noelvi Marte in the third), recorded nine strikeouts (his most in a game in more than two years) and, for the first time this year, showed the kind of ability to work deep into a game that could be pivotal in determining his October pitching role.

Before Wednesday, there was still an open question over how the Dodgers might use Ohtani’s arm in the postseason.

Ideally, he could help headline their star-studded rotation, joining Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and maybe Clayton Kershaw to form the kind of deep starting pitching arsenal the Dodgers have sorely lacked in recent playoff treks.

But first, he had to show he was capable of navigating an opposing order multiple times.

“In general, I think it’s figuring out where the secondaries are at,” Roberts said. “I don’t think fatigue had anything to do with it.”

Against the Reds (68-66), Ohtani went to his secondary stuff early and often. His 12 curveballs in the first two innings alone were more than he had thrown in his 10 previous outings this year combined.

It led to temporary trouble in the second, when a lack of command led to two walks that Ohtani needed back-to-back strikeouts to strand. With one out in the third, he misfired on a first-pitch cutter to Marte, leaving it down the middle for a home run that was clobbered to the left-field pavilion.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: The 10 best right fielders in Dodger history

After that, however, Ohtani found a groove. He retired the final eight batters he faced. He finished his start by getting Cincinnati leadoff man TJ Friedl to ground out in their third meeting of the evening. And he concluded his performance with 14 swings-and-misses overall, the most whiffs he had generated in a game all year.

By getting through five innings, Ohtani also qualified for his first pitching win of the season.

The Dodgers (77-57) made sure they didn’t squander it.

After starting the game with nine straight outs against Reds starter Nick Lodolo, the club finally broke the game open with a four-run rally in the fourth, when Kiké Hernández and Dalton Rushing each had two-run, bases-loaded singles. Michael Conforto added a solo insurance homer in the eighth. And the bullpen tip-toed in and out of trouble over four scoreless innings of game-sealing relief.

The victory helped the Dodgers grow their National League West lead to two games over the San Diego Padres, who dropped a series rubber match to the Seattle Mariners earlier in the day. It ran the team’s recent winning streak up to four games, its longest since the start of a 21-25 run dating back to July 4.

What was most important, though, was the way Ohtani looked.

Long ago, he had erased any doubts about the life he still possessed in his surgically repaired arm.

Wednesday showed he remains capable of translating it into successful, full-length, dominating starts, too.

Freeman, Call out

The Dodgers were without Freddie Freeman and Alex Call on Wednesday, but are hoping both will be available for their next game on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Freeman was absent from the lineup because of a “stinger” in his neck and right shoulder, Roberts said. Freeman has dealt with similar issues before, and Roberts said they wanted to give him the opportunity for two consecutive days off (including Thursday’s off-day) to let it calm down.

Call was also out of the lineup after being removed from Tuesday’s game with a back flare-up. He, too, has dealt with similar issues in the past. Roberts described Call as “day-to-day” and said the team would re-evaluate his status Friday.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

With the Mets looking to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Citi Field to pull within four games of the NL East title and get right back into the division race, the stage couldn't have been brighter for starter Nolan McLean.

Not only was it a huge opportunity for New York, it was also just McLean's third career start. And although the right-hander aced his first two tests and entered the game 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA, there was certainly some added pressure facing the team the Mets are chasing in the standings and knowing what a sweep would mean.

But the pressure didn't faze McLean one bit. In fact, it looked like it added some extra motivation to the 24-year-old who rose to the occasion with eight scoreless innings against a loaded Phillies lineup.

"All I can say is wow," said manager Carlos Mendoza after the game. "That was super impressive. He dominated one of the best lineups in the league. He made it look easy. Just everything about the kid, you know? Not only what we’re seeing on the mound, but the way he’s carrying himself. 

"He’s got electric stuff, but he’s got pitch ability. He knows what he’s doing on the mound, he knows how to manipulate the baseball, he knows what hitters are trying to do to him. He’s not afraid to use all of his pitches."

McLean had Philadelphia in his pocket from the start. It started with a 1-2-3 opening inning in which he struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches and needed just nine pitches in total before walking back to the dugout. 

The right-hander was rolling from there and faced the minimum through six innings by utilizing his entire mix of pitches to keep the Phillies off balance and guessing all night. Bryce Harper's two-out single in the seventh inning was just the second hit McLean allowed after Alec Bohm had a single in the second (erased on a double play).

"I knew about the lineup going into it, that I was gonna have my hands full and was gonna have to have some good stuff," McLean said. "I mean, top to bottom, they’re stacked with hitters, so I definitely knew I had to bring some good stuff tonight."

Bring it he did.

With the Mets' offense continuing its hot stretch and giving their rookie some runs early, McLean was able to focus on making his pitches and attacking hitters, which he did the entire outing. In fact, McLean was so dominant, he entered the eighth inning with just 76 pitches thrown.

It was in that eighth inning that the first sign of trouble came for the rookie. Despite making what he believes to have been good pitches, McLean allowed the first two runners on after consecutive singles put runners on the corners.

While New York was safely up 6-0, the sudden traffic on the basepaths was enough to make anybody nervous, especially with the aforementioned offensive juggernaut that Philadelphia possesses. Yet, after a talk with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and with battery mate Hayden Senger, McLean was able to flip the script and, once again, rise up to the occasion by retiring the next three batters to not allow a run -- a microcosm of the pressure-filled game itself.

"First and third, and he continues to make pitches and kinda like ‘let me flip it back here and let me use my secondary pitches.’ That’s pitching there," Mendoza said while adding that he could tell McLean still had a lot left in the tank towards the end. "... You get to this level and guys like that, they’re wired differently. They take it to the next level. Obviously, trusting the catcher, the game plan, trusting your defense behind you."

Overall, McLean went eight shutout innings, allowed four hits, walked none and struck out six to notch his third win in his first three career starts -- the first pitcher in Mets history to accomplish that. His brilliant outing also lowered his season ERA to 0.89 in 20.1 innings.

With numbers like that, it's not a surprise to find that the right-hander exudes confidence and moxie on the mound.

"I’ve always been a believer in my stuff. I’m a confident guy," McLean said. "Obviously, the hitters here are the best in the world and I know that, but I also know I have good stuff and if I go out there and execute, I can get a lot of guys out as well."

In regard to pitching in big moments like Wednesday's game, McLean said, "That’s exactly what I want."

It's an attitude and a charisma that the Mets have lacked for much of the season, especially from their pitching rotation. But with McLean now appearing poised to break out and top prospect Jonah Tong getting ready to make his highly anticipated MLB debut on Friday, New York suddenly has a bolt of energy shot into the starting staff.

"We’ve been missing that type of performance pretty much the whole year and here we are when we gotta go," Mendoza said. "And just as a team, knowing that when he takes the baseball, you feel pretty good about your chances. That’s a really good feeling. It tells everyone in that room that I’m here with you guys, let’s go."

The Mets blanked the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 6-0 on Wednesday night, completing a three-game sweep to get within 4.0 games of first place in the NL East.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- Coming off two terrific starts, Nolan McLean was dealing once again, allowing one hit (an Alec Bohm single) but facing the minimum through three innings to go along with three punchouts. The 24-year-old made it look easy against a talented Phillies lineup, needing just 49 pitches to get through the fifth while still facing the minimum.

-- The Phillies rarely made hard contact off of McLean, but even when they did, they still couldn't get runners on base. With two outs in the top of the sixth, Harrison Bader smoked a ball to left center that looked to be at least a double, if not a homer, but Jeff McNeil made a terrific leaping catch at the wall to end the frame.

-- McLean was a strike-throwing machine and the definition of efficiency. With a pitch count in the mid-50s to start the seventh inning, McLean allowed a two-out single to Bryce Harper, breaking a streak of 15 straight Phillies retired in order. J.T. Realmuto popped out harmlessly to end the inning, though, as McLean finished the seventh at just 76 pitches. 

--The only bit of trouble McLean found himself in all night came in the eighth, when back-to-back singles put runners at the corners with no one out. But shallow fly balls to right and left, and strong throws by Soto and Brandon Nimmo, respectively, kept Bohm from scoring from third, and Bader tapped back to the mound to end the threat.

McLean's night ended after 8.0 pristine innings of shutout ball, as he allowed just four hits and struck out six without a walk. McLean now has a 0.89 ERA through three major league starts.

-- The Mets just kept passing the baton in the third inning, scoring three runs on five hits against former Met Taijuan Walker. What started with a Brett Baty hustle double eventually led to three straight RBI hits by Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso. The Mets took a 3-0 lead, and with the way McLean was throwing the ball, that would end up being more than enough.

Walker battled to give the Phillies 5.0 innings, but he gave up another run on aMark Vientos two-out RBI knock in the fifth. The right-hander allowed four earned runs on 10 hits while striking out three and walking one.

-- Vientos provided an exclamation point in the bottom of the seventh, again with two outs. This time, Vientos clobbered a two-run homer to left off of Tanner Banks, breaking the game open at 6-0. Vientos proved last season that he can carry an offense when he gets hot, and he certainly appears to be back in a groove at the plate.

Game MVP

McLean, who electrified the Citi Field crowd for 8.0 shutout innings. McLean became the first Mets starter ever to win his first three starts.

Highlights

Two strikeouts in the third for Nolan McLean! pic.twitter.com/vJvi7abp0k

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 27, 2025

Francisco Lindor opens the scoring by bringing home Brett Baty! pic.twitter.com/gpF1Vn1tcS

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 27, 2025

Juan Soto drives in his 79th run of the year! pic.twitter.com/v9BScpPMyG

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 27, 2025

Nolan McLean fans Bryce Harper 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hdnjm2soza

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 28, 2025

Jeff McNeil makes the leaping catch at the wall! pic.twitter.com/1aIOCLLUjq

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 28, 2025

MARK VIENTOS CRUSHES A TWO-RUN HOMER! pic.twitter.com/YV6JgYcbfg

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 28, 2025

EIGHT SCORELESS INNINGS FOR NOLAN McLEAN IN HIS THIRD MLB START!

He gets kudos from his teammates in his return to the dugout pic.twitter.com/KvtLeqBxEP

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 28, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Mets stay home for a four-game series against the Miami Marlins, starting on Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Clay Holmes goes for the Mets, while the Marlins have not yet announced a starter.

In his first game of a rehab assignment with Triple-A after suffering a right thumb sprain against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 17, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez had to leave in the top of the sixth inning after getting drilled on the left hand.

Already 1-for-2 in the game after a double in the first inning against Sean Boyle, Alvarez was plunked on the left hand by the right-hander on a 89 mph sinker that ran in on him. Clearly in pain after getting hit, Alvarez took his time getting to first base and was met by trainers who took a look at him.

After checking on his hand, Syracuse decided to remove the 23-year-old for a pinch-runner.

Beginning the season on the IL with a wrist injury, Alvarez has dealt with a lot of hand injuries in his career. The right thumb sprain he was rehabbing resulted from sliding head-first into second base, although he has been hit by numerous pitches and gets banged up behind the plate, as well.

After the Mets' 6-0 win against the Phillies on Wednesday, manager Carlos Mendoza was asked if he had an update on Alvarez. The Mets skipper said he hadn't heard anything yet, but he's getting "checked out." Mendoza did confirm that the backstop was hit in the pinky of his left hand.

Francisco Alvarez has left the game for Triple-A Syracuse after being hit on the hand pic.twitter.com/Y53td17K2t

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 28, 2025

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the White Sox in a four-game series starting on Thursday...

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Preview

Can Anthony Volpe get a hit?

Volpe is in a major slump, worse than he's experienced in his short career so far. 

Entering Thursday's series opener, Volpe is 1-for-37 with 14 strikeouts in his last 11 games. In the Yankees' 11-2 pounding of the Nationals on Wednesday, Volpe went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and was the only starter to not get a hit. 

The Yankees tried to give Volpe a breather and reset with two games off earlier in the week, but at this point, the team is going to try and push through and see if Volpe gets out of his slump by playing. 

On the other side of it, is the shortstop set up for another day off? Jose Caballero was the starting shortstop when Volpe was benched, so it'll be interesting to see how manager Aaron Boone writes up his lineups during this series. 

How much will Giancarlo Stanton play?

As Aaron Judge continues to work his way back to playing in the outfield, Boone has to decide whether to play Stanton in right field in his captain's stead. 

The Yankees need Stanton in the lineup as much as possible. Over his last 30 games, Stanton is slashing .362/.429/.819 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI. Over his last seven games, Stanton launched five long balls and hit .421. Stanton played the outfield in two of the three games at Yankee Stadium against the Nationals, but the last time the Yankees were on the road (and not at George M. Steinbrenner Field), Stanton sat out all three games against the Cardinals in St. Louis. 

Cam Schlittler, Will Warren trying out to be Game 3 starter

If the Yankees make the postseason, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon will pitch the first two games of any series they are in. But who will start Game 3?

Warren is set to start Thursday's series opener and will hope to bounce back from his rough outing against the Red Sox. In his four prior starts, Warren had allowed only four runs across 22.1 innings pitched. The 26-year-old is having a solid season for the Yanks. In 27 starts, he's pitched to a 4.47 ERA with 146 strikeouts across 131 innings pitched.

For the rookie Schlittler, he has the tougher matchup, going up against All-Star Shane Smith on Saturday. In only eight starts, the 24-year-old is pitching to a 2.76 ERA with 46 strikeouts across 42.1 innings pitched. But Schlittler has really started to blossom his last few times on the mound.

In his last two starts (Rays, Nationals), Schlittler has pitched 12.2 scoreless innings while allowing just five hits and striking out 16 batters. If Schlittler repeats that performance on the road against the White Sox, his name will be in serious consideration to pitch behind Fried and Rodon in October.

Is Aaron Judge back?

Judge is still trying to go on a tear like he did pre-injury, but Wednesday's performance may be the start of it. Against the Nationals, Judge went 2-for-4 with a home run in the Yankees' win. It's been tough sledding for the reigning AL MVP. Prior to the series finale against Washington, Judge was 2-for-17 in his previous five games. A series against the lowly White Sox could be what he needs to go on a run.

Taking care of business

The Yankees are one of the best teams in MLB against under-.500 teams and the White Sox come into the four-game set with the second-worst record in baseball.

Like how they did sweeping the Nationals this week, the Yankees need to take care of business and win the series in Chicago. It's hard to sweep a four-game set no matter who you're facing, but the Yankees should take three games from the White Sox. Doing so will continue to solidify their spot in the postseason and perhaps even help them bridge the gap with the Blue Jays and Red Sox.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Aaron Judge 

Judge seemed very comfortable at the plate on Wednesday and should be the start of a great run for him.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Carlos Rodon

Rodon has been the most consistent pitcher for the Yankees and going up against the White Sox, his former team, will continue that streak.

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

Colson Montgomery

The rookie shortstop is dealing with a left side injury that sidelined him on Wednesday, but his MRI came back clean, so he should be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Phillies get swept by Mets as lead in NL East shrinks to four originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK — The flight patterns for planes landing at nearby La Guardia Airport had them going directly behind Citi Field during much of the game between the Phillies and Mets. The patterns were a little more varied when it came to the Mets hitting Wednesday, as they flew the baseball all over the field in a lopsided 6-0 win.

It was the 10th straight loss against the Mets on their home field for the Phillies, who got swept in the three-game series and now have just a four-game lead in the National League East.

When things are going the way they are for the Mets at home in this rivalry, everything just seems to go a little better. Extra bases are taken without much thought, spectacular fielding plays seem to be the norm and driving in runs when they are out there to be had is expected.

New York did all of that in the three-game series and has climbed itself right back into the divisional race.

“We’ve got a series tomorrow and we’ve got to be able to turn the page and go out there and play the Braves,” Kyle Schwarber said. “I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of people that are going to be thinking about the series, whatever it is, try to do different. But when we show up tomorrow, it’s a new day. We’ve got to be able to walk out of the clubhouse and expect to win the game.

“I don’t think we’re focused on that (the Mets getting back into the race). I think we’re focused on ourselves. It’s about us, us as a team, we’ve got to get back. We have another important series in front of us. Moving forward, we still have another series against these guys. We’re not looking to that, we’re looking to the series ahead. Things happen.”

If the Phillies were itching to get away from the area, the stadium, the other team, their offense sure played like they wanted to climb on the bus and head south as soon as possible. Rookie Nolan McLean, making just his third start in the majors, stymied them during his eight innings as he allowed just four hits, two coming in his final inning of work, walked none and struck out six.

The Mets strung together five straight hits in the third inning off starter Taijuan Walker. Brett Baty started it off with a double to left-center, followed by a bunt single from catcher Hayden Senger that just got past a charging Walker. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso each followed with RBI singles and the familiar beatdown was on.

Walker was out after a fifth inning in which he gave up three hits, a walk and allowed the Mets’ fourth run of the night. In all, he allowed 10 hits and four earned runs.

“I feel like I made some good pitches,” Walker said. “They had a really good approach today. I feel like when I had two strikes, they really battled me, got to deep counts and put the ball in play and found holes. Just one of those series for us. We hit some balls hard, they were just in the right spot and the rest just didn’t go our way.”

McLean has now pitched 20 1/3 innings in his three starts and has given up only two earned runs and 10 hits while striking out 21. He’s also won all three games. So fooled did he have Phillies hitters that twice bats went flying out of hitters’ hands on swings and misses.

“He was as advertised,” Rob Thomson said. “Good sinker, good four-seam fastball and he can spin it. I don’t think we were pressing as much as it is not seeing him before. There are times that I think that guys try to do too much. I kind of chalk it up to not seeing him.”

Added Walker on the rookie: “He’s good. He’s got good stuff. Six pitches. I feel like you have young guys that have one or two pitches, maybe three. But he has a good six-pitch mix and I think that’s going to be key for him moving forward.”

The talk among Thomson and players during the series was often to debunk the idea that there is something more going on when the Phillies visit than just the Mets playing better baseball, that there may be some mental side of the competition that is leaning very heavily in the Mets’ favor. Understandably, manager and players must believe that. But to Phillies fans and observers, it certainly seems to be there for now.

The top of the Mets’ lineup destroyed the Phillies as the first five batters in the order went 9 for 19 with four runs scored and all six RBI. Mark Vientos had a pair of hits, including a two-run home run in the seventh inning. It was the third baseman’s sixth home run in his last 10 games. Brandon Nimmo had three of the Mets’ 12 hits on the night.

Perhaps results will be better for the Phillies when the Mets visit Philadelphia for four games in less than two weeks. What the standings will look like then is anybody’s guess after these three games.

“We’ve got an experienced group, I don’t think it does much,” Thomson said of the team’s confidence moving forward. “We know that we need to play better. It’s one of those series. We just need to flush it and move on. It’s one series and I know it’s against the Mets, but admittedly so, we need to play better. We will. We’ve got a good club and that’s not going to change.

“I think there’s disappointment, but again they’re experienced players. I don’t think they get too high or too low. They just keep moving on and that’s what you’ve got to do in this situation. The first game I didn’t think we played well, but the last two I think we battled. The kid today was good.”

The Phillies for three games were not and now the fun really begins with 29 games remaining.