Category: Baseball

The Yankees led early but allowed four runs to cross in the sixth inning and fell to the Blue Jays, 5-4, on Monday night in Toronto.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Carlos Rodón avoided first-inning damage after allowing a two-out double to slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Despite a hit-by-pitch, Rodón kept it a scoreless game through the second inning two with two strikeouts in the frame. The left-hander found himself in another tough spot in the third with two on and no outs, but got Guerrero to fly out and Alejandro Kirk to ground into a forceout.

Rodón continued to keep runs off the board in the fourth inning, striking out Will Wagner to escape the jam with runners on the corners. The lefty allowed his first run in the fifth after a wild pitch as Guerrero drove in Ernie Clement from third base on a groundout to make it 2-1. Rodón let up a leadoff double to Davis Schneider in the bottom of the sixth and that ended up being the last batter he faced.

Rodón's final line: two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks over 96 pitches across 5-plus innings of work.

-- Putting a bow on his scorching hot June, Jazz Chisholm Jr. blasted a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw from Max Scherzer in the top of the fourth inning to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead. It's his fourth homer in the past five games. Since returning from injury on June 3, Chisholm is slashing .318/.378/.614 with seven home runs, five doubles, and 19 RBI in 88 at-bats.

-- Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer battled through five innings of work and 71 pitches, holding the Yankees' bats to just three hits while striking out seven. New York was 0-for-2 with RISP and left one on base (Anthony Volpe after a double) against Scherzer.

-- Trent Grisham exited the game before the bottom of the fifth inning as Cody Bellinger moved to CF and Jasson Domínguez entered in LF. It was later announced that Grisham left with left hamstring tightness.

-- Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Rodón with a runner on second and immediately found himself in a bigger jam when Myles Straw singled and advanced to second on Volpe's throwing error. Nathan Lukes then made it a one-run game, and after a strikeout and wild pitch, Leiter let up a game-tying single to Clement. Jonathan Loáisiga came in for relief but allowed a two-run single to Guerrero, giving the Blue Jays a 5-3 lead.

-- Aaron Judge was intentionally walked by LHP Brendon Little with a runner on first base and one out in the top of the sixth inning, and the move worked against Chisholm, but not Giancarlo Stanton. The slugger drove in Domínguez to make it a 3-1 game. Judge was intentionally walked for a second time in the top of the eighth with no outs after Bellinger homered (No. 12) to cut the Toronto lead to 5-4. Domínguez singled in the ninth to give NY a chance, but Bellinger flied out to end the game.

Game MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladdy finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBI to give him 15 RBI on the month and 44 RBI so far this year.

Highlights

Jazz Chisholm Jr. opens the scoring in Toronto with a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/a2MxjYTqLq

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 1, 2025

An RBI single for Giancarlo Stanton! pic.twitter.com/sivEZVeh18

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 1, 2025

Cody Bellinger homers to right and cuts the deficit to 1 pic.twitter.com/Q5Nwjh64cP

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 1, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Blue Jays continue their four-game series in Toronto on Tuesday at 3:07 p.m.

Max Fried (10-2, 1.92 ERA) starts for the Yanks, opposed by Kevin Gausman (6-6, 4.21 ERA) for the Blue Jays.

Offense continues to scuffle as Giants lose another game, another infielder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

PHOENIX — The planned reset for Tyler Fitzgerald lasted just a week, and it wasn’t exactly stress-free. A few days after he returned to Triple-A Sacramento, Fitzgerald got drilled on the left hand, leaving him with an ugly bruise, but no fracture. Fitzgerald considered himself lucky, and on Monday, he found himself back in the big league lineup after Casey Schmitt went on the IL with a more troubling bone bruise. 

On his first night back, the Opening Day second baseman hit a pair of doubles, including one that tied the game in the top of the seventh. It was a needed night for a young player who was looking for ways to get his confidence back.

“It felt good to hit the ball hard again,” Fitzgerald said. “I haven’t done that in a while.”

TYLER FITZGERALD TIES IT UP 💥 pic.twitter.com/g64xcQDNxu

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 1, 2025

That was the silver lining for the Giants. The rest of this night fit in with the week that Fitzgerald missed, and really, with the last month-plus of baseball.

The Giants lost 4-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, falling to 1-6 in this two-week stretch that’s supposed to be the easiest on their schedule. They have scored just seven runs in four games on this road trip, but this goes much deeper. 

Over the last 40 games, the lineup has scored more than four runs just 11 times. In nearly half of those games (16), they have scored two runs or fewer. 

The frustration is boiling over, and it didn’t help that a potential game-tying rally Monday was possibly harmed by fan interference. A Diamondbacks fan reached over the wall to grab Christian Koss’ double in the eighth, and when a lengthy review left Koss at second, Rafael Devers and Heliot Ramos struck out. The Ramos strikeout — on a ball that was off the plate — set manager Bob Melvin off. He was ejected before the bottom of the ninth. 

“Heliot gets the bat taken out of his hands like that for the second time in the game,” Melvin said. “[The catcher] is literally set up underneath his armpit and the ball is off the plate, outside. That’s a tough one. But look, we’re in this position because we’re not scoring enough runs and doing much offensively, so it gets frustrating.”

Bob Melvin was ejected between innings after arguing with the home plate umpire 😡 pic.twitter.com/CzDCYYqNgb

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 1, 2025

There are a lot of reasons to be frustrated right now, including the fact that the Giants in many ways wasted one of the best months of Logan Webb’s career. He threw 40 1/3 innings in June and allowed just 10 runs, but the team went 3-3. Webb gave up three runs Monday on a lot of soft contact, but the Giants didn’t give him much support. 

A few weeks ago, Webb was asked about the offense’s struggles and pointed out that he’s seen much tougher times. This latest skid, though, is starting to climb the rankings. 

“It’s pretty tough,” Webb said. “It’s tough right now, but if we want to go to the places that we want to go to, we have to get through it. We’ve just got to kind of dig deep and show up tomorrow. That’s the only thing we can do.”

The latest loss took place in front of just about the entire front office, but if any changes are coming, they haven’t been telegraphed. Buster Posey has shown a lot of patience this year, and he is said to be exhibiting it now, as well. He had a long talk with hitting coach Pat Burrell before batting practice on Monday, and then he leaned on the rail and watched a team that continues to put the work in every afternoon, but has little to show for it. 

Posey already made his big move, acquiring Rafael Devers, but the slugger has an OPS under .700 as a Giant and struck out four times on Monday. The last one came with the tying run on second after the Koss fly ball. 

The Giants felt that the ball would have been a double had it not been touched, but it still stung, and not just in the moment. Koss wasn’t going to be able to stretch it even if the ball bounced off the wall, as he had pulled his hamstring earlier in the game. He won’t play Tuesday and there’s a chance he hits the IL.

Already without Matt Chapman, the Giants have lost fill-ins Schmitt and Koss over the past week. It’s bad luck, but all they had to do was look across the field to know that they’ve actually done pretty well in the health department this year. The Diamondbacks lost Corbin Burnes to Tommy John surgery and will play this series without star outfielder Corbin Carroll and catcher Gabriel Moreno. First baseman Josh Naylor was also out of the lineup Monday. 

“It happens. It sucks that it happens, but look around baseball and how many guys are going out, especially this part of the year,” Webb said of the latest injury at third base. “That’s why they call it the dog days of summer. It’s tough, but it’s next man up and find a way.”

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What we learned as Logan Webb strengthens MLB All-Star case despite Giants' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

PHOENIX — The 113-degree weather at first pitch on Monday night did nothing to help the Giants heat up at the plate.

For the sixth time in seven games, they were on the losing end, this time falling 4-2 to an Arizona Diamondbacks squad that is banged-up and desperately trying to stay in the wild-card race. The Giants have dropped three of four on this three-city trip so far, scoring just seven total runs. 

They went down quietly against right-hander Ryan Nelson until the seventh, when Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo did them a favor by going to his bullpen with two on and two down. Tyler Fitzgerald immediately greeted Juan Morillo with a two-run double to the gap in right-center, tying the game. 

TYLER FITZGERALD TIES IT UP 💥 pic.twitter.com/g64xcQDNxu

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 1, 2025

The Diamondbacks went back on top in the bottom of the inning, but in the eighth, it appeared another Giants infielder had tied the game. Christian Koss — playing third base because Casey Schmitt joined Matt Chapman on the IL — hit a high fly ball to left and went into his home run trot. Left fielder Tim Tawa made a leaping attempt at the wall, but the ball was caught by a Diamondbacks fan who reached over and interfered with Tawa. 

After Bob Melvin's challenge, this was ruled a double for Christian Koss due to fan interference 😳 pic.twitter.com/XnCVkz1ZYf

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 1, 2025

Koss was sent back to second, but the Giants challenged that it was actually a home run. After a lengthy review in New York, it was ruled that the ball would not have left the yard and Koss was left on second. That’s how it ended, as Rafael Devers and Heliot Ramos struck out as the fan was getting kicked out of Chase Field. An inning later, manager Bob Melvin was ejected. 

Bob Melvin was ejected between innings after arguing with the home plate umpire 😡 pic.twitter.com/CzDCYYqNgb

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 1, 2025

No June Swoon Over Here

Logan Webb went at least six innings in all six starts in June, and it wasn’t until the final one that he allowed more than two runs. The Diamondbacks put three runs on his line, but there was a lot of soft contact, including in the seventh. Webb gave up three hits in that inning: one at 68 mph, one at 70 mph, and one that bounced through the right side of the infield. After a run scored, Randy Rodriguez entered and mowed down the three-four hitters to protect a couple of Webb’s runs. 

The staff ace threw 40 1/3 innings in May and allowed 10 runs. He walked just seven and struck out 43, putting himself in position to potentially join Robbie Ray as a National League Pitcher of the Month. At the very least, Webb secured an MLB All-Star spot, and he should be in consideration to start the game. 

Welcome Back

Melvin didn’t really know what to say when asked before the game if Fitzgerald had enough time in Triple-A to actually get a mental breather. The young infielder barely even had time to unpack, and his four-game stint back with the River Cats included a hit-by-pitch on the wrist that had to be checked out by Giants trainers when he returned Monday to take Casey Schmitt’s roster spot. 

The Giants wanted Fitzgerald to get some confidence back in the minors, and he sure looked like he was carrying some swagger when he turned and yelled back to the dugout before the runners had scored on his game-tying double. Fitzgerald had a couple of doubles in his first game back. 

Slow Start

Devers struck out four times for the fourth time in his career. He did it twice in the shortened 2020 MLB season, and also this March 28 when he was still with the Boston Red Sox. On Monday, Ramos struck out three times, giving the Giants seven from their two-three hitters. 

Devers struck out about once per game this season in Boston but has 21 in 13 games in orange and black. He has a .670 OPS as a Giant, which is 235 points below where he was at before the trade that was supposed to lead the Giants to better offensive days. 

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Wilyer Abreu hits inside-the-park HR and grand slam in game vs. Reds originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Wilyer Abreu etched his name into Boston Red Sox history during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Abreu launched one roughly 420 feet off the center-field wall at Fenway Park and turned on the jets for an electrifying inside-the-park home run. It was the first Red Sox inside-the-parker since Eduardo Nunez’s in 2018.

WILYER WITH AN INSIDE-THE-PARK HR 🤯 pic.twitter.com/u4mltOFgij

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 1, 2025

Abreu’s rare feat gave the Red Sox an 8-5 lead, and he wasn’t done yet. In the eighth inning, he came through again with his first career grand slam to widen Boston’s lead to 13-5.

HAVE YOURSELF A NIGHT WILYER ABREU!

He has an inside-the-park home run AND a grand slam tonight 😳 pic.twitter.com/o7XjO4MDpw

— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2025

Those were Abreu’s 15th and 16th homers of the season. He is the first Red Sox player to hit an inside-the-park homer and a conventional homer in the same game since Pokey Reese in 2004.

The Red Sox went on to defeat the Reds in the series opener, 13-6.

Wheeler exceptional through 8 scoreless innings to hand Phillies win over Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Talk about starting the week (and the homestand) off right.

The Phillies wrapped up June on a strong note, collecting their 50th win of the season Monday against the Padres, 4-0.

The club finished the month 14-13, and while it was a stretch teetering along the .500 mark, the Phillies enter July sitting two games up on the Mets in the NL East. Only the Dodgers have a better record in the National League.

To be able to say that, even with the offensive coin toss they’ve had over the past few weeks, is a feat in itself.

It’s a broken record when it comes to Zack Wheeler starts but the Phillies are spoiled rotten when he takes the mound. Wheeler went 8.0 innings for the first time this season and didn’t allow a run on six hits. It’s the first time he’s reached double-digit strikeouts (10) since Apr. 18 against the Marlins (13). Monday also marked his third straight scoreless outing.

It’s greatness. Time and time and time again.

If you give up a leadoff walk in an inning, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay for it. In Matt Waldron’s second of six walks of the night, he sent Max Kepler to first on four pitches. Kepler would cross home plate two batters later.

One inning later, Kepler was inches away from helping the Phillies go up three more runs … if it weren’t for one of the best catches to ever happen at Citizens Bank Park.

With two men on, Kepler drilled a ball to deep center field and Jackson Merrill snatched it over the fence. The timing and extension from the 6-foot-3 center fielder was impeccable and he brought the ball, and everyone in the ballpark, back to Earth to end the third.

JACKSON MERRILL ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9zycPrPLvE

— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2025

It’s OK though because the next time the offense was up, utter chaos ensued on the basepaths. Bryson Stott walked, then stole his 13th bag of the season. Brandon Marsh out-hustled Luis Arraez on a groundout to first, which somehow scored Stott. A wild pitch advanced Marsh and he then read a Trea Turner dribble up the third baseline so well, both he and Turner were safe.

Given Turner’s level of consistency this season, it’s borderline absurd his offensive contributions have been discussed so little. Turner is the only player in the National League with over 100 hits (102). The closest to him is Shohei Ohtani, who has eight less with only a one-game differential.

Small ball was what got the job done Sunday in Atlanta to collect a series win. Perhaps the Phillies realized it was a solid enough recipe once again.

When you have your ace on the mound, usually a few runs is all you need.

The addition of a Nick Castellanos long ball was a nice touch, though. It was his second home run in four days.

For the first time in 24 days, Bryce Harper was back in the starting lineup. The club reinstated him from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game. Harper was dealing with right wrist inflammation, and at this point, he said he didn’t think he “was going to take any other steps forward of feeling better.”

It’s something he and the Phillies will be monitoring for the remainder of the season.

What’s clear though – is how much better the lineup operates with him. Yes, that’s a given because it’s Harper – but having a lineup that stretches out just that bit more is what the Phillies have desperately missed since he went on the IL.

Pitchers approach the Phillies differently when No. 3 is in. Harper didn’t have a hit in his return but walked and was hit by a pitch.

The Yankees announced right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain.

In corresponding moves, right-hander Geoff Hartlieb has been signed to a major league deal and added to the Yanks' active roster. To make room for Hartlieb, who had been pitching for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, on the 40-man roster, infielder CJ Alexander has been designated for assignment.

Curz sustained the injury while warming up with a medicine ball in the weight room on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters ahead of the Yankees series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. He went for an MRI on Monday morning, but the club is still waiting to know the grade of the strain to determine the length of time the reliever will be out. The IL designation was retroactive to June 28.

Cruz had been a stalwart of the back end of New York's bullpen during his first season in The Bronx, pitching to a 3.00 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 33.0 innings over 32 games. He had 54 strikeouts to 14 walks while allowing 13 runs (11 earned) on 19 hits.

Added this offseason in a trade with Cincinnati that sent catcher Jose Trevino to the Reds, Cruz's success is based on a devastating split-finger pitch that has bamboozled batters. He has a 60.2 whiff rate on the pitch, which he is throwing 59.3 percent of the time. Overall, the righty's 49.6 percent whiff rate and 41.2 percent strikeout rate are both in the 100th percentile for all MLB pitchers.

Hartlieb has pitched to a 3.34 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in 35.0 innings over 24 games at Triple-A this year. The 31-year-old has 38 strikeouts to 10 walks and finished 12 games, collecting two saves. He appeared in five games last season for the Colorado Rockies, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 13 hits and four walks over 9.0 innings pitched.

Alexander spent just 13 games in the Yanks organization at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after he was claimed by the organization following his DFA by the Athletics organization on June 5. The 28-year-old corner infielder had a .196 average and .498 OPS over his 46 at-bats there. In six games with the A's at the big league level this year, he had three hits in 17 at-bats.

This is the second time Cruz has been on the IL after right shoulder inflammation caused him to miss 15 days in late May.

Austin Wells dealing with finger issue

Wells is having a circulation issue in one of his fingers and will miss his second-straight game on Monday night.

Testing over the past two days ruled out any blood clots.

"It’s not something that bothers him from a performance standpoint," Boone told reporters, via Chris Kirschner.

Boone said he will likely not return to the lineup until Wednesday, which means JC Escarra will catch Tuesday's day game after a night game.

Through 69 games this year, Wells is slashing .214/.275/.424 for a .699 OPS (93 OPS+) with 11 home runs and 45 RBI.

John Oliver will rename this Minor League Baseball team the ‘Moon Mammoths' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Detroit Tigers’ Double-A Erie SeaWolves will be renamed the Erie Moon Mammoths after being picked by John Oliver of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.”

Oliver devoted a May 4 segment to names and promotions of minor league baseball teams, announcing: “We are willing to use all of our resources and stupidity to give one Minor League Baseball team a total rebrand. We will give you a new team name, a new mascot. We will even throw you a theme night. It will be personalized and it will be bespoke.”

Two weeks later, Oliver selected Erie from among 47 team submissions. Oliver said the northwestern Pennsylvania team had given 11 reasons it should be picked, including the team had pioneered cotton candy hot dogs and pointed out “The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.”

Oliver announced Sunday he had chosen Moon Mammoths, using Bob Costas’ voice as narrator of a promotional video introducing the moniker.

The name was inspired by the 1991 discovery of woolly mammoth remains by George Moon, a Summit Township resident who found a bone while scuba diving in Lake Pleasant, about eight miles south of Erie. The mammoth remains are housed in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.

Erie, which has won the past two Eastern League championships, will be renamed the Moon Mammoths for games on July 19, Aug. 19, Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.

Major League Baseball said Monday the team will wear jerseys with a rising moon with the team’s name across the chest, a moon on sleeves and a patch with a woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet.

Oliver is expected to attend the July 19 game against the Chesapeake Baysox, called a “Mammoth Fun” night. The first 1,000 ticketed fans will receive a Moon Mammoths squishy toy and there will be postgame fireworks. George Moon was also invited to attend.

Naturally, Terry Collins remembers playing with Dave Parker.

How could anyone not?

Parker was electricity incarnate, a 21-year-old budding superstar patrolling center field for the 1972 Salem Pirates of the Carolina League and honing the five tools that would eventually propel him into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But Parker, who died on Saturday at age 74, carried through life an even stronger memory of Collins, a scrappy infielder on that club who would go on to become the longest-tenured manager in the history of the New York Mets.

Parker’s 2021 memoir Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood (written with Dave Jordan), contains this anecdote about an experience that year with Collins, 23 at the time, and another teammate, Ron “Satch” Mitchell:

“After a day game, me and Satch were walking through Salem with Terry Collins, that feisty, skinny kid from up north. He generally didn’t look for trouble, but he wasn’t afraid of it, either. We just wanted a quick meal without going all the way back to Roanoke. As we made our way through town, these young men -- they were both actually pretty tall - sitting outside a general store yelled over, ‘You two don’t belong here.’

I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, and neither was Satch. But that didn’t stop Terry.

“What the hell does that mean? Ol’ Collins got right in their faces.

“I’m from Michigan! People don’t talk to other people like that!”

“I ain’t talkin’ to you. We’re talking to Leroy over there.”

Back then “Leroy” was the name racists used when they were tired of the N-word.

“You’re talkin’ to me now, and if I ever --”

At this point, Satch quietly dragged Terry away from the guys. Collins sure had some balls on him. What a good dude.”

Reached by telephone on Monday from his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Collins said that he had not read the passage in Parker’s book. But he remembered the incident well.

“I was appalled by what I heard,” Collins said. “I had heard stories about how [Black players] were treated in the Carolina League, but to see it in person -- I was shocked. Plus, Dave was my friend. He was my teammate.”

Collins remembers that Parker told him that he was crazy, and that the men probably had guns in their store. But Collins was the guy who won the Pirates “Red Ass of the Year” Award in ‘72. That honor came with a trophy of a donkey. He was not going to allow a few menacing racists to speak to his friend that way.

More than half a century later, Collins remains in awe of Parker’s talent.

“He could fly,” Collins said. “And I saw him hit a line drive off a pitcher’s shoulder, and that guy never pitched again. From then on guys would flinch when they threw the ball to him.”

The following year, Parker jumped from A-ball to Triple-A to the big leagues. He and Collins remained in touch.

In 1997, when the Anaheim Angels named Collins manager, Collins received a call from his friend Tony La Russa. La Russa was managing the St. Louis Cardinals and had earlier won a World Series in Oakland with Parker on his roster.

“Do yourself a favor and hire Dave Parker [as a coach],” La Russa said, unaware that the two had once played together. “He’s the best clubhouse guy I’ve ever had. I would hire him myself if I had room.”

Collins loved the idea, and made Parker his first base and outfield coach. The following year, La Russa brought Parker to St. Louis as his hitting instructor.

Parker and Collins remained in loose contact for a few years, then mostly lost track of one another -- with the exception of a time when Collins’ Mets were playing in Cincinnati, where Parker lived. Parker made a point to come to the ballpark to say hello to his old buddy.

“He was a fun-loving guy with a great sense of humor,” Collins said. “He was a great dude, just a good guy. And he had tools up the ass.”

With the Free Agent Frenzy less than 24 hours away, Will Cuylle and the Rangers still have not agreed to a contract extension. 

This means that Will Cuylle could become a restricted free agent on Tuesday with the risk of another team giving him an offer sheet. 

There’s now concern the Rangers could possibly lose Cuylle, but reportedly there isn’t much to be afraid of. 

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, there aren’t expected to be any issues regarding Will Cuylle’s potential contract extension with the Rangers. 

The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reported that the Rangers have already been in talks with Cuylle about a potential contract extension.

It’s unclear how far negotiations have gone between the two sides and if they are close to finalizing a new deal. 

What’s the hold-up? It’s certainly strange that Cuylle remains unsigned at this point in time and there’s no real explanation for it. 

There's Pressure On The Rangers To Finalize A Contract Extension With Will Cuylle Before The Unthinkable Happens There’s one upcoming restricted free agent on the New York Rangers that’s flying under the radar, but still needs to be signed. 

However, it would be hard to imagine the Rangers letting a 23-year-old leave who’s only beginning to blossom into a promising forward with an exponential amount of potential.

Duane Kuiper makes hilariously wild promise if Giants can sweep Diamondbacks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants aren’t playing their best baseball at the moment, but legendary broadcaster Duane Kuiper might have just given them some extra motivation as they begin a four-game series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.

Should San Francisco pull off a sweep at Chase Field, NBC Sports Bay Area analyst and former Giants pitcher Sergio Romo suggested Hunter Pence jump into the stadium’s famed swimming pool. But then Kuiper took it one step further, promised to take a dip wearing … a leather thong?

There’s no telling if Kuiper actually owns one of those, but it certainly would be a hilarious sight. But after the Giants went 1-5 against the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox this week, the team will need to figure out some issues if they want to complete a sweep.

If San Francisco does take all four games in Arizona, we hope someone holds Kuiper to his bet.

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Brewers play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

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5 things to watch

The Mets' starting rotation has been a big issue

As bad as the Mets' weekend sweep at the hands of the Pirates was, two of the losses can be chalked up to poor starting pitching, as David Peterson and Frankie Montas got jumped early to make Friday and Sunday's games relatively non-competitive.

In the cases of Peterson (who has had two bad starts in a row after being tremendous before that) and Montas (who was great in his first start back from the IL), it's fair to expect they'll be fine going forward.

Peterson gets the start in the series finale on Thursday, which will follow starts by Clay Holmes (Tuesday) and Blade Tidwell (Wednesday).

Holmes was solid against the Braves last Wednesday, tossing 5.0 innings of one-run ball while allowing three hits, walking four, and striking out two. His issues with bases on balls and his increased workload will continue to be something to watch, though.

As far as Tidwell, he was hit hard in relief against the Pirates on Friday, surrendering four runs in just 3.1 innings. That came after a decent showing against the Phillies on June 20, when he allowed two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings.

Can Mark Vientos shake off the rust?

Vientos returned on Friday but didn't provide much, going 1-for-13 while striking out five times.

That Vientos looked rusty shouldn't be a surprise, given the fact that his rehab assignment was relatively short and that he had gone nearly a month without an at-bat in a big league game.

But the Mets badly need Vientos to provide better at-bats, which would help lengthen a lineup that has been very inconsistent lately.

Vientos had been hitting relatively well in the six weeks before his injury, and he has the type of power bat that can make a serious impact if he finds his footing.

When are the reinforcements coming?

As the Mets hope for their rotation and offense to stabilize, help is on the way.

Sean Manaea, whose rehab was briefly paused due to a cortisone shot in his elbow after a loose body was discovered, is expected to make another rehab start this week. That could potentially be Manaea's final one before returning.

Then there's Kodai Senga, whose return could possibly come shortly after the All-Star break.

Senga recently said that he was nearing a rehab assignment. And once he gets in rehab games, it might not take long for him to return. Despite being out with a hamstring injury, Senga has continued throwing - and threw off the mound last week.

Another key cog the team could get back soon is Jesse Winker, who started a rehab assignment on Sunday with Triple-A Syracuse.

Jacob Misiorowski

Misiorowski, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, has been a force of nature since debuting on June 12.

In three starts, he has allowed just two runs on three hits while walking seven and striking out 19 in 16.0 innings.

The wiry right-hander features a fastball that regularly touches triple digits, and a devastating slider that he throws in the low-90s. He also mixes in a curve and changeup.

Misiorowski gets the start on Wednesday.

The Brewers have been hot

During a season that started with Milwaukee being a bit of an afterthought when it came to the playoffs, they're again right in the middle of things.

The Brewers have won eight of their last 10 games, trail the Cubs by just 2.0 games for first place in the NL Central, and are holding the second Wild Card spot.

A lot of that can be linked to Milwaukee's solid starting pitching, which includes Freddy Peralta, former Met Jose Quintana (who starts on Thursday) and now has Misiorowski.

Offensively, they're getting strong contributions from the usual suspects. That includes Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Rhys Hoskins, Sal Frelick, and Brice Turang.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Francisco Lindor

Lindor is overdue for a breakout.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Clay Holmes

Holmes carries a 2.97 ERA and 1.24 WHIP into Tuesday's outing.

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

Rhys Hoskins

Hoskins seems to relish playing the villain in New York.