Category: Baseball

The incessant chatter and debates about Juan Soto's comfort level with the Mets didn't receive much air time on Wednesday. In fact, the superstar slugger silenced his foolish critics the old-fashioned way, simply by doing what he's always done best.

As if the signs of a breakout at the plate weren't already present, Soto flaunted clutch power in the Mets' rubber game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, smashing a pair of solo home runs that proved to be the difference in a 7-1 win at Chase Field. It was the 25th multi-homer game of his already-illustrious career.

Soto's first homer of the afternoon broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning, and it was a no-doubter. He turned on a knee-high 1-1 fastball, driving it 427 feet over the uniquely tall center field wall for his sixth of the season. More damage was inflicted in the eighth, as he sat on a cutter up in the zone and drilled it just beyond the left field wall to bump the Mets' lead to 4-0.

The two blasts were befitting of Soto -- he has a knack for moonshots and opposite-field lasers -- and one couldn't help but notice the high exit velocities on both hits. Those still questioning his confidence should look at the latest numbers. Soto's hitting .346 over the last seven games. So, how's that for comfort?

"I've been seeing the ball well, just trying to make hard contact everywhere I go," Soto told SNY's Steve Gelbs after the win. "Right now, I feel pretty good. What I've been working on is going the right way. We still have a long way to go, but I think we're going the same way. Trying to make sure I be on time and make good decisions at the plate."

Soto now has 10 multi-hit games this season, and while his overall season average of .261 is still well below his standard, he's finally being rewarded for the disciplined approach that helped make him the league's highest-paid player. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza doesn't believe Soto is nearing a hot streak -- he feels he's already in the midst of one.

"I think he's been like that for a week now, 10 days or so. First at-bat, he hits one right at the center fielder, 110 [mph]," Mendoza said. "He continues to control the strike zone. What, maybe two weeks now he continues to have really good at-bats, day in and day out... It doesn't matter if it's against a righty or lefty... He's a special hitter, man."

Senga avoids trouble with "quick fixes"

Kodai Senga didn't seem equipped to stretch out beyond six innings of work and give the bullpen some getaway-day rest. He walked five of the first 10 batters he faced -- this hadn't been done by a Mets starter since 2013 -- and a tight strike zone from the home plate umpire didn't mix well with his patent lack of command from the get-go.

But with some help from his teammates, Senga worked out of three different jams in the first three innings, and ultimately settled down to complete six scoreless innings and lower his ERA to an eye-popping 1.16. It was the right-hander's third quality start of the season but arguably his most impressive, considering the early struggles.

"Those first three innings were rough. I didn't have anything," Senga said, via his translator. "Out of experience, I know when certain things aren't going certain ways, I have quick fixes for that. I was able to find [mechanical changes] to get me through the game.... I just have certain patterns that I have tendencies of going into, and I was able to find that one pattern and fix it throughout the game."

The defense behind Senga kept the game scoreless before Soto's bat finally broke the ice. In the first, catcher Luis Torrens gunned down Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll on an attempt to steal second, and one inning later, center fielder Tyrone Taylor and shortstop Francisco Lindor pulled off a flawless relay to nail Eugenio Suarez at home on an Alek Thomas double.

Arizona looked poised to finally break out in the third when Senga walked the first two batters. But an inadequate bunt attempt from Geraldo Perdomo allowed Torrens to throw down to Brett Baty at third for the forceout, and then Pavin Smith grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. Senga went on to face the minimum in the fourth and fifth innings and completed six frames with 89 pitches.

"After each start, during each start, I've been able to find certain objectives I need to hit, or things I need to fix," Senga said. "If I can, one by one, hit those marks, I think this year's going to be a successful year."

When minor-league reliever Matt Sauer showed up in the Dodgers clubhouse Wednesday afternoon, it was a sign that something was amiss.

In the middle of the first inning of the team’s 10-1 win against the Miami Marlins, the reason for his arrival finally became clear.

In yet another blow to their increasingly banged-up pitching staff, the Dodgers placed right-handed reliever Evan Phillips on the injured list with forearm discomfort, leaving an already overworked bullpen without one of its most trusted arms.

Phillips missed most of the first month of the season while recovering from a tear in his rotator cuff he suffered during last year’s postseason. He hadn’t given up a run in seven outings since coming back, but had been dealing with the discomfort in recent days.

The good news for the Dodgers: Neither he nor the team believe the injury to be serious. Phillips and Roberts described his IL stint as a “precautionary move.” They said they expected him to return once his minimum 15 days are up.

“I do feel like I can still contribute,” Phillips said, “but I think what it comes down to is we don't want to mess around with something in early May.”

On Wednesday, Phillips’ absence didn’t harm the team either. In fact, in the team’s ninth win out of its last 11 games, it was Sauer who got some of the biggest outs in a rubber match at loanDepot Park.

With the Dodgers protecting a 1-0 lead in the sixth, right-hander Landon Knack got the hook after back-to-back leadoff singles, ending his spot start after five scoreless innings. Sauer was then summoned, making his first appearance since an important five-inning relief outing against the Marlins (14-22) in Los Angeles last week.

This time, Sauer played the role of high-leverage reliever, getting a double-play and strikeout to extinguish the threat.

“I just want to come in and throw as many strikes as I can,” he said. “Eat up innings and get the outs.”

The next time he took the mound, the Dodgers (25-12) had broken the game open, exploding for a six-run rally in the seventh.

Read more:Dodgers' bullpen fatigue leads to extra-innings loss to Marlins

After a one-out pinch-hit walk from James Outman and a single from Kiké Hernández, Hyeseong Kim rolled an RBI single through the right side of the infield, part of a two-hit day that has him batting five-for-12 since being called up last week.

Shohei Ohtani, who helped the Dodgers get on the board in the sixth with a triple, came up next but was intentionally walked by Marlins manager — and former Dodgers first-base coach — Clayton McCullough with first base open, leaving the bases loaded for Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

They each promptly took advantage, with Betts drawing a run-scoring walk before Freeman cleared the bags with a three-run triple. Freeman finished his day three-for-four with four RBIs, extending a 12-game hitting streak and raising his early-season batting average to .362, trailing only Aaron Judge (.412) among MLB hitters with 90 at-bats.

“Obviously, I feel good,” Freeman said. “The swing’s going up through the middle. Kind of been looking for this swing for a long time, and finally found it.”

Outman later added a three-run insurance homer, his first long ball in the majors since July 28 of last year. Sauer remained in the game, too, pitching the rest of the way for a four-inning save.

“This was the perfect outcome for us,” Roberts said, relieved he was able to give the rest of his weary, shorthanded bullpen a much-needed break. 

Teoscar Hernández’s timeline

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a more encouraging update Wednesday on injured outfielder Teoscar Hernández, saying the veteran slugger could return from his groin strain in as little as two weeks if he progresses well.

“That’s my hope, and that’s his hope,” Roberts said. “But obviously we’re not going to activate him until he’s good and ready to get back and stay healthy.”

Though Roberts didn’t offer a timeline on Hernández’s injury — which he suffered running down a fly ball in right field Monday night — he had said on Tuesday that the MLB’s RBI leader would be “inactive for a while.”

By Wednesday, however, Roberts said Hernández told him he was already feeling better, raising hopes that his absence will ultimately be on the shorter side.

Clayton Kershaw’s return

The Dodgers have only four true starting pitchers in their rotation right now. But in a couple more weeks, that could finally change.

Clayton Kershaw is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on May 18. And Roberts said the future Hall of Fame left-hander is on track to be ready when that date arrives, showing more progress in his return from offseason toe and knee surgeries on Tuesday with six no-hit innings in a rehab start in the Arizona Complex League.

Read more:Dodgers place Teoscar Hernández on IL with groin injury, call up James Outman

Kershaw is expected to make one last rehab outing with triple-A Oklahoma on Sunday, Roberts said. After that, the 37-year-old left-hander should be ready to make his return to the majors.

In the meantime, the Dodgers will probably keep swingman Ben Casparius stretched out to pitch bulk innings every time the open spot in the rotation is up.

Roberts said the team’s other injured starters, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, are scheduled to begin throwing by the end of this week, an important step in their recoveries from similar shoulder inflammation injuries.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

USWNT star forward Mallory Swanson and her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, are expecting their first child. The couple announced the news in posts on their personal Instagram accounts on Wednesday.

The update brings closure to what had become one of the biggest mysteries in American soccer. Mallory Swanson, who scored the winning goal in the gold medal game of the 2024 Olympics, had not played for the USWNT or the Chicago Stars in 2025. She hadn’t acknowledged the reason for her months-long absence. Dansby Swanson has been an everyday starter for the Cubs, playing all but one of their first 38 games.

 

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When fielding questions about her absence, the Stars and the USWNT said it was her “personal matter” to share. Chicago stated that it was “fully supportive of her decision” ahead of their 2025 opener, with the winger having signed a contract extension through 2028 before the start of last year. The extension came a year after Dansby Swanson signed a seven-year deal with the Cubs, bringing the couple to the same market after he spent his first six big league seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

Mallory Swanson’s absence has made this a bit of a rebuilding year for Chicago. The team (then known as the Red Stars) narrowly claimed the final spot in last year’s playoff field largely on the back of her brilliance, but now sits at the bottom of the 14-team NWSL table. In her absence, the attack has been headlined by Ally Schlegel and Brazil international Ludmila. The club was the first team to make a coaching change this season, dismissing Lorne Donaldson — who had previously worked with Swanson during her youth club days in Colorado — after 26 regular season games on the job.

USWNT coach Emma Hayes has experimented with a host of new options amongst her player pool, minimizing the absence of Swanson and other key players. Swanson is the second player from last summer’s vaunted USWNT attack, nicknamed “Triple Espresso,” to expect a child. Portland Thorns striker Sophia Wilson (née Smith) has also missed all of 2025 and announced her pregnancy in March. The third member, Trinity Rodman, is also absent from the NWSL season as she hopes to address her ongoing back issues.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Chicago Cubs, Chicago Red Stars, NWSL

2025 The Athletic Media Company

Walker's eye-popping success in bullpen debut gives Thomson something to think about originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

TAMPA, Fla. — Taijuan Walker probably didn’t expect his first bullpen outing of the season to go like this. Who would have?

Walker didn’t just pitch the final three innings of the Phillies’ 7-0 win over the Rays on Wednesday night, he struck out the first five batters he faced and seven in total over three scoreless innings.

It was low leverage but it was an eye-popping night from a right-hander who has been far from a strikeout pitcher as a Phillie.

“To not even just give the bullpen a rest but dominate, it was really good to see,” said Trea Turner, who hit his second home run of the season to start the scoring. “It felt like he was locating everything, velo was there. I’m happy for him.”

Walker’s stuff played up. He exceeded 94 mph with his fastball several times, which would have sounded unthinkable last summer when he was struggling and throwing 88-89. But he worked tirelessly last summer to increase his velocity and then barely took any time off during the offseason.

It’s worked.

“I just felt good, I knew I had at the most three innings so I just went out there and attacked,” he said. “I was a little more aggressive than usual. I felt like I could empty the tank out knowing that it was three innings max. I just let it rip and threw all my pitches.

“That was fun. Body felt good, refreshed.”

Walker was thrust into starting duty when Ranger Suarez went down with a back injury in early March and gave the Phillies a 2.54 ERA over six starts. Suarez returned on Sunday and Walker transitioned to the bullpen, where he’ll serve as a long man or multi-inning reliever.

He could have a chance to pitch his way into more important situations if the stuff from Wednesday night sticks.

“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” manager Rob Thomson said. “The stuff jumped up. A lot of swing-and-miss, obviously. He pounded the zone. That was really impressive.

“Now you start thinking about different things, you know? But you still want to keep his pitch count up because we might go to a six-man rotation at some point. But, jeez, that looks pretty good for one inning, too. If that guy can dial it up for an inning or two, that’s really something.”

The Phillies could sure use the right-handed relief help. It’s one of their thinnest areas, especially after the early-season shakiness of Orion Kerkering and Jordan Romano. Leverage situations for Walker are likely a ways away if they happen at all, but having one more option can’t hurt.

“I mean, it’s something I feel like you have to work toward,” Walker said. “I do see myself as a starter still, but at the end of the day, whatever I can do to help the team win, whether it’s three innings, four innings, early in the game or late in the game. I’m always ready to pitch.”

He’s keeping the ball. Only 651 more to catch Mariano Rivera.

“Absolutely keeping the ball,” he said. “I didn’t ever think I would have a career save in my life so just to add that to my resume, it’s pretty cool for me, I like it.”

The Mets can't afford to have another injury to an everyday player, so when Jeff McNeil seemingly hurt his hamstring and was pulled in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Diamondbacks, there was some worry.

Luckily for the Mets, it seems McNeil came out of the game relatively unscathed.

"Felt like a cramp in the left hamstring, but he’s fine," Carlos Mendoza said. "I was going to be aggressive anyway with [Jose] Azocar there. Trainers took a look at him, he's fine. Nothing to worry about."

McNeil was pulled in the seventh inning when he stretched a double into a triple and appeared to slow down before sliding into third base. He could be seen grimacing as he rounded second and grabbed at his left hamstring before he gestured to his dugout.

Mendoza pinch-ran Azocar for McNeil while the Diamondbacks were making a pitching change.

McNeil has had a stop-and-go start to the 2025 season. He began the year on the IL with a right oblique strain he suffered in spring training being being activated in late April. Wednesday was McNeil's 10th game this season and he's hitting .229 with a home run and five RBI while playing second base and in the outfield.

It looks like McNeil will just need rest and with the off-day Thursday, McNeil could be ready for the start of the Mets' weekend series against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field.

New York is already dealing with a rash of injuries so McNeil coming out of the game relatively ok is great for the team. Left-handers Danny Young and A.J. Minter are undergoing season-ending surgeries while Jesse Winker was placed on the IL this week due to an oblique strain. Brandon Nimmo"dodged a bullet" after hyperextending his knee in Tuesday's win and was in the lineup as the team's DH on Wednesday.

Jeff McNeil appeared to hurt himself going from second to third base on his triple pic.twitter.com/sFVwjVU54X

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

The Mets wrapped up their six-game road trip on a high note, as Juan Soto clubbed a pair of home runs in a 7-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Kodai Senga struggled with command from the get-go, walking five of the first 10 batters he faced. But his jams in the first three innings were bailed out by strong defense from his teammates. In the first, catcher Luis Torrens gunned down Corbin Carroll trying to steal second base, and then one inning later, Eugenio Suárez was nailed at home on a perfectly executed relay between Tyrone Taylor and Francisco Lindor in left-center on a double from Alek Thomas.

Senga fell into more trouble in the third, allowing the first two batters to reach base on balls. But a poor bunt attempt from Geraldo Perdomo allowed Torrens to throw down to Brett Baty at third for the forceout, and then Pavin Smith grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. The right-hander settled down from there, facing the minimum in the fourth and fifth innings. It was also the first time a Mets starter walked five of the first 10 batters faced since 2013.

In the sixth, Senga maintained composure against the top of the Diamondbacks' order. While he gave up a leadoff single to Carroll (just his second of the game), he then induced a flyout, strikeout, and popout to walk off the mound unscathed once again. It wasn't a pretty performance -- Senga's five walks matched a career high -- but he ultimately struck out four across 89 pitches and lowered his ERA to a stellar 1.16.

-- Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly was far more effective than Senga -- he retired nine straight at one point and didn't allow a walk through five scoreless frames. But the veteran right-hander made the first costly mistake in the sixth, as Soto broke the ice with a towering solo home run over the elevated center field wall to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The 427-foot blast was Soto's sixth of the year.

-- Arizona allowed Kelly to begin the seventh, and that decision immediately backfired. He gave up a deep leadoff double to Torrens, who then scored on a one-out RBI single from Luisangel Acuña. The Mets produced their league-leading 10th triple of the season, as Jeff McNeil laced a ball into the right-center gap to bump the lead to 3-0. The three-bagger came at a price, however -- McNeil winced while approaching third base and the Mets quickly sent out José Azócar to serve as a pinch runner.

-- Soto's first multi-homer game of 2025 came against Arizona last week, and his second of the kind was solidified in the eighth, as he took lefty reliever Jalen Beeks deep to left for another solo shot. It was the 25th career multi-homer game for the superstar slugger.

-- Max Kranick took over in the seventh and needed only six pitches to register two outs. But the inning was anything but smooth, as he allowed a pair of singles before getting pinch-hitter Ketel Marte to ground out to second. Kranick then relinquished the shutout in the eighth by giving up a leadoff homer to Carroll, and Huascar Brazobán was called upon to register the final two outs in the inning. He did just that, inducing a flyout and strikeout.

-- The Mets had Edwin Díaz warm up in the ninth with the save opportunity in place, but they didn't need his services by the time the inning ended. The offense tacked on three more runs, as walks from Azócar and Taylor preceded a two-run double from Lindor. After the shortstop stole third base against a napping D-Backs defense, Soto drove him in on a sac fly to left.

Ryne Stanek then took the mound with a six-run lead and retired the D-backs in order.

-- Pete Alonso entered Wednesday with an 18-game on-base streak, and it almost seemed as if Suarez knew the story. While manning the hot corner, he robbed the Mets' slugger of two extra-base hits down the left-field line with stellar glove work and accurate bang-bang throws across the diamond. Alonso grounded out and struck out twice in his final three at-bats, finishing the day 0-for-5.

-- Brandon Nimmo was limited to DH duties after hyperextending his knee in Tuesday's loss, but the veteran outfielder didn't seem too bothered by any discomfort at the plate. He led off the second inning with a stand-up double to left-center, snapping an 0-for-14 slide. There was a noticeable hitch in Nimmo's step while rounding first, but it's possible he was deliberately running at three-quarter speed.

Game MVP: Juan Soto

Soto silenced his critics in the rubber game with two impactful homers, and he's now slashing .261/.385/.478 with seven long balls and 17 RBI through 38 games.

Highlights

Luis Torrens gets Corbin Carroll stealing! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/HUI3iD4fOB

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

FRANCISCO LINDOR WITH THE PERFECT RELAY THROW HOME! pic.twitter.com/ZkVWMexnM3

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

The Mets escape the third inning unscathed pic.twitter.com/qScTW6JgMK

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

JUAN SOTO TO DEAD CENTER! pic.twitter.com/5AvK8KVbwp

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

Luisangel Acuña drives in Luis Torrens to make it 2-0! pic.twitter.com/mYmie0BjLo

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

JEFF MCNEIL RBI TRIPLE! pic.twitter.com/233Wa2qbGY

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

Juan Soto with his second two-homer game of the season vs. Arizona! pic.twitter.com/mHJl8XdHbs

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

Huascar Brazobán gets the K to end the 8th!

His season ERA is 1.21 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4umjcMX6Lq

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

A 2-run double for Francisco Lindor makes it 6-1! pic.twitter.com/08Qhm0pR2T

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2025

What's next

The Mets (24-14) will fly back east and begin a six-game homestand on Friday night, with the first of three against the Chicago Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Clay Holmes (4-1, 2.95 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite veteran righty Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.86 ERA).

Phillies continue to mash, reach season-best six games over .500 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

TAMPA, Fla. — It took a month, but this is the Phillies lineup that was advertised.

The Phils pounded the Rays, 7-0, on Wednesday night at Steinbrenner Field to win their fourth straight series and eighth game in their last 10.

They chased Tampa Bay’s best starter, Shane Baz, with one in the fourth inning after forcing him to throw 83 pitches, so many of them stressful. A main theme of the series has been the Phillies’ ability to grind out at-bats up and down the lineup. On Tuesday night, Drew Rasmussen needed 58 pitches to get through the second and third innings and was out by the fifth.

“We’re seeing a lot of pitches,” manager Rob Thomson said. “We’re really working on the starter, getting his pitch count up and getting him out. We’re using the entire field. The fourth inning, we had four opposite-field hits. We’re controlling the strike zone and that’s what you’ve got to do.”

The Phillies haven’t been putting runners on base and leaving them there, either. They’ve scored 66 runs in those 10 games with seven-plus runs in seven of them. On Wednesday, they scored in every way — with power, by stringing hits together and even a little small ball.

“It just feels like everybody’s doing something, which is always nice,” Trea Turner said. “Moving runners but we’re also driving the ball again. Just the total package.”

Turner, hitting .397 over his last 16 games, pulled a 90 mph, middle-in slider that barely moved for a solo home run in the top of the third, his second of the season.

“The thing that was really impressive was that after the home run, he still got a base-hit to right field later in the game,” Thomson said. “That tells me he’s staying with that approach.”

The approach Thomson is referring to is the one he discussed with Turner before the season. The manager’s message was: Don’t worry about home runs. I want a .380 on-base percentage, 100 runs scored and 40 stolen bases, and everything else should take care of itself.

“It’s kind’ve always been my game and who I am but I think the walks have helped with that,” Turner said. “I’ve been walking, at least early on I was walking quite a bit. Lately, not as much but I think that comes with putting the ball in play and making good contact, you walk less.

“Just having that high on-base percentage is nice. If you hit .300, you should be getting on base higher than what I have in the past. That’s where I feel like I’m seeing the difference — controlling the zone and taking my walks.

“I just think it’s hard to do for me, personally. I make contact, so in the past, even if I swing at a bad pitch, I put it in play. And everywhere I’ve hit, I’ve been in lineups where there’s usually someone bigger and scarier behind me so I kinda feel like I’m ready to hit, they’re gonna attack me.”

The Phillies piled on five more runs in the fourth with six of seven hitters reaching before the second out was made.

One of the biggest plays in the five-run fourth was a safety squeeze bunt laid down by Johan Rojas with one out and runners on the corners before the Phillies had scored in the inning. Baz tried to flip to the plate but was unsuccessful, letting in a run and putting two men back on base for the top of the order. Bryson Stott and Turner followed with RBI singles and Bryce Harper drove in both with a double to the gap in left-center.

Harper has been frustrated over a two-week stretch during which he’s hit .200 on the nose, but he’s shown signs of coming out of it in recent days. He homered and smoked a single on Sunday. He has seen the lowest rate of pitches inside the strike zone of any hitter in all of baseball but has, for the most part, avoided getting too antsy. One of Harper’s many positive attributes is still finding ways on base during a slump.

Rojas found various ways to contribute to Wednesday’s win. After bunting his way aboard and scoring in the fourth, he singled, stole second and scored again in the sixth. Rojas is hitting .303 in 73 plate appearances this season. The bunts haven’t been perfect but they’re getting better. With his speed and defense, it’s hard to sit him when he’s playing like this. Thomson said pregame Wednesday that he called Rojas and Brandon Marsh into his office after the series opener to lay out the plans for playing time over the next nine days as the Phillies face a slew of right-handed starting pitchers.

Cristopher Sanchez had far from his best control yet made it work over six scoreless innings against the Rays’ weak offense. He walked three but allowed just one hit, a single to the third batter of the game. At one point in the sixth inning, Sanchez had thrown 39 strikes and 36 balls, but he made pitches when they counted. He didn’t want to make excuses but said postgame that there was a difference between the mounds in the bullpen and on the field at Steinbrenner Field which forced an adjustment.

Sanchez is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA through seven starts. He’s allowed one run in 18 career innings against the Rays, the team that traded him to the Phillies in November 2019 for Curtis Mead, who started at first base Wednesday and went 0-for-4.

“I thought his command and control was off a bit tonight,” Thomson said. “He was searching for his secondary pitches early in the game. The velocity fluctuated a little bit. But I thought he got better as the game went on, finally found his changeup and started to command the strike zone.

“But that’s the difference between Sanchy now and Sanchy a couple years ago. That could have just flailed. But he’s matured, he’s got some experience now, he trusts himself, he believes in himself and he keeps battling.”

Taijuan Walker pitched the final three innings for the first save of his career in his first bullpen appearance of 2025. His outing began with five straight strikeouts and he whiffed seven total. This was the perfect sort of confidence-building outing as Walker transitions to the ‘pen with Ranger Suarez healthy.

The Phils removed J.T. Realmuto in the bottom of the seventh, up seven, with a left foot contusion after he fouled a pitch off it in the top half. He was walking aroud fine after the game, Thomson said, and the Phillies did not send him for X-rays. They’ll check on him early tomorrow afternoon.

The Phillies are a season-best 21-15. They’re 8-3-1 in 12 series, the best series record of any National League team. Only the Mariners (9-2-1) have won more.

Phillies continue to mash, reach season-best six games over .500 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

TAMPA, Fla. — It took a month, but this is the Phillies lineup that was advertised.

The Phils pounded the Rays, 7-0, on Wednesday night at Steinbrenner Field to win their fourth straight series and eighth game in their last 10.

They chased Tampa Bay’s best starter, Shane Baz, with one in the fourth inning after forcing him to throw 83 pitches, so many of them stressful. A main theme of the series has been the Phillies’ ability to grind out at-bats up and down the lineup. On Tuesday night, Drew Rasmussen needed 58 pitches to get through the second and third innings and was out by the fifth.

The Phillies haven’t been putting runners on base and leaving them there, either. They’ve scored 66 runs in those 10 games with seven-plus runs in seven of them. On Wednesday, they scored in every way — with power, by stringing hits together and even a little small ball.

Trea Turner, hitting .397 over his last 16 games, pulled a 90 mph, middle-in slider that barely moved for a solo home run in the top of the third, his second of the season. The Phillies piled on five more runs in the fourth with six of seven hitters reaching before the second out was made.

One of the biggest plays in the five-run fourth was a safety squeeze bunt laid down by Johan Rojas with one out and runners on the corners before the Phillies had scored in the inning. Baz tried to flip to the plate but was unsuccessful, letting in a run and putting two men back on base for the top of the order. Bryson Stott and Turner followed with RBI singles and Bryce Harper drove in both with a double to the gap in left-center.

Harper has been frustrated over a two-week stretch during which he’s hit .200 on the nose, but he’s shown signs of coming out of it in recent days. He homered and smoked a single on Sunday. He has seen the lowest rate of pitches inside the strike zone of any hitter in all of baseball but has, for the most part, avoided getting too antsy. One of Harper’s many positive attributes is still finding ways on base during a slump.

Rojas found various ways to contribute to Wednesday’s win. After bunting his way aboard and scoring in the fourth, he singled, stole second and scored again in the sixth. Rojas is hitting .303 in 73 plate appearances this season. The bunts haven’t been perfect but they’re getting better. With his speed and defense, it’s hard to sit him when he’s playing like this. Manager Rob Thomson said pregame Wednesday that he called Rojas and Brandon Marsh into his office after the series opener to lay out the plans for playing time over the next nine days as the Phillies face a slew of right-handed starting pitchers.

Cristopher Sanchez had far from his best control yet made it work over six scoreless innings against the Rays’ weak offense. He walked three but allowed just one hit, a single to the third batter of the game. At one point in the sixth inning, Sanchez had thrown 39 strikes and 36 balls, but he made pitches when they counted. Sanchez is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA through seven starts. He’s allowed one run in 18 career innings against the Rays, the team that traded him to the Phillies in November 2019 for Curtis Mead, who started at first base Wednesday and went 0-for-4.

Taijuan Walker pitched the final three innings for the first save of his career in his first bullpen appearance of 2025. His outing began with five straight strikeouts and he whiffed seven total. This was the perfect sort of confidence-building outing as Walker transitions to the ‘pen with Ranger Suarez healthy.

The Phils removed J.T. Realmuto in the bottom of the seventh, up seven, with a left foot contusion after he fouled a pitch off it in the top half. He was walking aroud fine after the game, Thomson said, and the Phillies did not send him for X-rays. They’ll check on him early tomorrow afternoon.

The Phillies are a season-best 21-15. They’re 8-3-1 in 12 series, the best series record of any National League team. Only the Mariners (9-2-1) have won more.

The Mets have signed LHP Colin Poche to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.

Poche, 31, will report to Triple-A Syracuse after starting the 2025 season with the Washington Nationals.

He made 13 appearances with the Nats this season, all in relief, pitching to a 11.42 ERA and a 2.54 WHIP. His last appearance came April 30 against the Phillies, where he pitched a perfect inning.

Prior to this year, Poche spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he was much more effective. He had a combined 3.94 ERA with Tampa and saved 12 games. His best season came in 2023, when he appeared in 66 games while pitching to a 2.23 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He also had 22 holds and saved a game.

With the injuries to lefties Danny Young and A.J. Minter, the Mets will hope Poche can get back to form and help a bullpen that is in need.

Giants believe they have ‘good chance' every time Ray takes mound originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants like their odds whenever undefeated left-handed starter Robbie Ray toes the rubber.

“Knock wood, for sure,” manager Bob Melvin told reporters after San Francisco’s 3-1 series-clinching win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. “I mean, 5-0 is a pretty good record – sub-three ERA now. When he takes the mound, we feel like we have a really good chance.”

Ray, a 12-year MLB veteran who won the 2021 AL Cy Young award with the Toronto Blue Jays, is amidst a career year in the Bay. 

He has a 2.84 ERA through eight starts and has collected 46 strikeouts over 44 1/3 innings, all figures parallel to the 2.84 ERA and 248 strikeouts Ray finished with over 32 games and 193 1/3 frames during his Cy Young campaign.

Wednesday’s win in Chicago followed a similar tune to what Ray has produced all season. After the Giants handily beat the Cubs 14-5 on Tuesday, Ray followed by allowing three hits and one earned run through six frames. He needed 98 pitches to collect five strikeouts.

“After winning last night, Robby on the mound, we had a good feeling we were going to win today,” Melvin told reporters. “Get an off day tomorrow – it’s always nice to win before an off day too.”

Ray elicited 16 balls in play, but kept contact close to the ground.

Melvin can get used to Ray – who appeared in a mere seven games in 2024 due to recoveries from Tommy John Surgery and a left hamstring strain – being an automatic win.

“Today – in the past, maybe he just throws high heaters and lets them get the ball in the air – he had a lot of ground balls, just enough strikeouts, gave us six innings,” Melvin told reporters.

“He seems to be getting better as the season goes along, even though it’s been pretty good all season.”

Ray won a career-high 15 games as a 2017 MLB All-Star with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he has a chance to top that mark this season.

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Mets top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat hasn't found much consistency at the Triple-A level this spring, but the highly touted right-hander's latest performance on the mound reaffirmed his big league potential.

Sproat sparked optimism in his seventh start for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday afternoon, striking out five batters across 5.0 innings of one-run ball against Triple-A Jacksonville (Marlins' affiliate).

The 24-year-old induced eight ground outs, threw 52 of his 82 pitches for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 4.82 (28.0 total innings). His fastball touched 98 mph.

There's no telling when the Mets will promote Sproat or how they'd utilize him, but Wednesday's outing is a clear step in the right direction.

Sproat entered the game with a 5.48 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, still looking to harness a pitch mix that can inflict damage in the majors.

Palisades High baseball coach Mike Voelkel, who is in his 18th season, said he's been promised a new field after bulldozers did what they do best — removed anything remaining of the Palisades baseball field two weeks ago.

It just won't be him coaching, because he'll be long retired when a new field is built. The Los Angeles Unified School District is estimating 2029 when a new field will be completed, but everyone knows LAUSD estimates to finish building something are rarely accurate.

LAUSD will be putting temporary bungalow classrooms on the space to help the school rebuild from the Palisades fire. The rapid leveling of the field happened despite some wanting an alternative plan. The school had bungalows before the fire but they were destroyed. Suddenly the field became the lead option.

Here's the statement from an LAUSD spokesperson: "There were 21 classrooms destroyed in the fire that were housed in both permanent and portable buildings. Temporary portable classrooms have been placed on the baseball field and will be utilized until permanent structures are erected — which is expected to be complete in Q4-2028. At that time the portable classrooms on the baseball field will be removed and the baseball field will be reconstructed, which is anticipated to be completed in 2029."

This season the baseball team has been traveling to various sites for games and practices because the campus is closed. No plan has been announced for what they will do next year. Not having a field will not encourage baseball players to stick around at a school holding classes at the old Sears building in Santa Monica.

For alumni, the destruction of the field is disturbing. Millions of dollars were invested for improvements, including netting, fencing, pitching machines and batting cages. Rick Poulos, who had two sons play baseball at Palisades, said he helped put in "very expensive protective poles and netting."

All gone.

"It is an integral part of the community," he said.

Darryl Strawberry once hit a ball onto Sunset Boulevard during his playing days at Crenshaw High.

The whole Western League is facing a challenge with four of the seven schools having no baseball fields. Only Venice, Fairfax and Westchester have playable fields on campus at the moment.

Voelkel got one last look at his field when he was escorted to check out things in his office before the bulldozers cleared everything.

"I think I can go to heaven with my head held high with the blood, sweat and tears put into that field," he said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

How Phillies will handle Rojas-Marsh dynamic in CF during long stretch vs. RHP originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

TAMPA, Fla. — Rob Thomson pulled Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh into his office Tuesday night to go over the plan for the next week-plus.

Tuesday’s series opener at Steinbrenner Field was the first of a nine-game stretch in which the Phillies were scheduled to face a right-handed starting pitcher but Rojas is still going to get his chances in center field. He was in the lineup Wednesday night against right-hander Shane Baz.

“I went over the next six to nine days because they’re both playing well, both swinging the bat well, I don’t want either one of them to get rusty,” Thomson said. “We sort of planned it out over the next nine days who’s playing.”

The Phillies will likely alternate between the lefty-hitting Marsh and right-handed Rojas this week and start Rojas against the next lefty opponent, St. Louis Matthew Liberatore at home on Monday. The next lefty on the calendar after that is Pittsburgh’s Andrew Heaney next Friday.

“It’s going to be back and forth a bit and then towards the end of this nine-day run, there’s a back-to-back for Rojas and then a back-to-back for Marsh,” Thomson said.

Rojas is hitting .302 with a .343 on-base percentage in 71 plate appearances. In his last five starts, he’s 6-for-14 with a triple, homer and three RBI.

Marsh is 3-for-7 with a double and a walk in three games since returning from a two-week stint on the injured list. He had been held hitless in 38 straight plate appearances before straining his hamstring in mid-April.

The long run of right-handed opponents will also temporarily limit the playing time of Edmundo Sosa with Bryson Stott, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm all producing.

Bohm has hit safely in 16 of his last 20 games, batting .310 with a .359 OBP over that span. Turner has hit .391 with a .443 OBP in his last 15.

“I’d like to find a way (to play Sosa),” Thomson said. “Stott saw 24 pitches last night in the leadoff spot and hit two balls right on the nose, almost hit a home run to center field. Bohm hit a home run, he’s on a bit of a streak here, and Trea seems like he’s getting a base hit every night. It’s tough to fit him in but I’d really like to.”