Category: Baseball

How Chapman, Adames communicate as first-time Giants teammates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stars Matt Chapman and Willy Adames have helped the Giants to the top of the NL playoff race in their first year as San Francisco teammates.

In an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Rich Aurilia, the third baseman and shortstop explained how they’ve worked on their communication to man the left side of the infield during the 2025 MLB season.

“I think from an on-the-field aspect, getting used to playing with each other, I tend to cut in front of the shortstop from time to time, and I think that’s getting used to playing with each other,” Chapman told Aurilia. “Even at the beginning of this year, we’ve gotten a lot more comfortable playing with each other. We’re getting used to our spacing and how it goes. Our communication’s been key. 

“Willy lets me know when off-speed pitches are coming, which really gives me an advantage over at third base. I don’t wear the PitchCom, so Willy tells me what pitch is coming, keeps us communicating; we’re talking about what base we’re throwing to, what to do in certain situations.”

Adames wears the PitchCom earpiece, which he calls “way more comfortable and easier.”

Chapman, a five-time Gold Glove winner at the hot corner, also said that he and Adames are neighbors in Arizona, giving them time to heighten their chemistry in the offseason. Though they already link up plenty during the season, “hanging out, going to dinner, doing some fun stuff,” Chapman explained.

Adames has struggled all around in his first Giants season – and currently is on a short “reboot” break issued by manager Bob Melvin – but still had nothing but positivity to share about his experience alongside Chapman.

“Just getting adjusted to playing with him every day. Like, he covers so much ground,” Adames told Aurilia. “I was the one covering all the ground with the other organizations I’ve been a part of. Now with him, I can basically be like, ‘Yo, you take shortstop and third base,’ since he’s the best in the corner. 

“Getting comfortable with him and letting him have his space and not getting in his way – because, like I said, he covers so much ground – it just [makes] playing my position easier because I don’t have to worry about going to the hole … [adjusting] to how far he’s going to go … stuff like that. But it’s been pretty amazing, just to play along his side and learning from him and enjoying every day. I feel like it’s been amazing so far.”

As he mentioned, Adames appreciates playing with a jack-of-all-trades like Chapman after spending the bulk of his career as the primary infielder.

The Giants have Chapman on the books through 2030 and Adames through 2031, giving San Francisco at least five additional years of their star-studded, left-sided defensive duo. The pair is excited about what’s to come between them as they continue to stack repetitions, but Chapman and Adames also are proud of the strides they’ve already made.

“Willy coming in, we’re obviously super excited to have Willy – get to be next to each other for the next six years at least, hopefully seven,” Chapman told Aurilia, later adding, “Our communication’s been really good, and it’s only getting better throughout the course of the year.”

Chapman ended the joint interview with Adames and Aurilia with a message for the younger viewers out there.

“For the kids watching the show, I think communicating with your teammates will help you get better, will help you learn the game, will help you stay in tune with the game,” Chapman said. “And defense is a huge part. We’ve been able to win a lot of games because of our defense and our pitching. Hitting comes and goes, but your defense can always be there, and you’re effort and being involved in the game can always be there. 

“Doing those little things is going to make you a better player and a more well-rounded player.”

It’s probably wise to take notes from one of the best, if not the best, third basemen on the planet.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Year of ‘The Narv': Carlos Narvaez has been Red Sox' unexpected MVP originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

One of MLB’s best offseason additions barely made headlines on the day the Boston Red Sox made their biggest splash.

On Dec. 11, the Red Sox acquired ace Garrett Crochet in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox. That same day, Boston added little-known catcher Carlos Narvaez in an under-the-radar trade with the New York Yankees.

While Crochet has lived up to lofty expectations as Boston’s ace, Narvaez has shattered them as the club’s MVP so far in 2025.

It didn’t take long for Narvaez to unseat Connor Wong as the Red Sox’ starting catcher. The 26-year-old rookie quickly established himself as one of the game’s premier defensive backstops, currently ranking near the top of the league in framing, blocks above average, caught stealings above average, and pop time. He ranks third among MLB catchers with six defensive runs saved.

The biggest surprise has been Narvaez’s offensive production. Through 50 games, the Venezuela native is slashing .282/.361/.459 with six home runs and 22 RBI. He boasts the sixth-highest OPS (.859) among MLB catchers with at least 100 plate appearances.

Narvaez’s breakout season has seemingly stunned everyone except his ex-Yankees teammates, including superstar Aaron Judge.

“Narvy is a hard worker, a great teammate, one of the best we ever had over here,” Judge said after Sunday’s Red Sox-Yankees series finale at Yankee Stadium, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “I was sad to see him go, but excited for the opportunity he’s getting right now. He’s really doing his thing over there, swinging it well.

“He had a short time coming up with us for a little bit and the stuff I saw in Spring Training and stuff I heard about, everybody loved him. He outworked everybody in this room. So it doesn’t surprise me he’s having the success he is this year.”

Narvaez got a measure of revenge against his former team on Sunday, belting a three-run homer to help Boston take two out of three against New York with an 11-7 win.

GO AHEAD, NARVI. pic.twitter.com/V6qAZ5z2Pw

— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 9, 2025

Calling Narvaez the Red Sox’ early-season MVP isn’t hyperbole. As of Monday, he’s tied with slugger Rafael Devers for the third-highest fWAR on the team (2.2). Only Crochet (2.5) and star third baseman Alex Bregman (2.4) rank above him.

The Red Sox would be lost without Crochet atop the rotation, but he only takes the mound every fifth day. Devers is mashing toward his fourth All-Star nod, but he’s a designated hitter who caused off-the-field distractions with his refusal to play first base. Bregman was in the American League MVP conversation, but he went down with a devastating quad injury in May.

Narvaez, meanwhile, has been a steady presence both behind the plate and in the batter’s box. He’s one of the biggest reasons Boston’s disappointing season hasn’t yet spiraled out of control. At this rate, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him take the field in Atlanta next month for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

The Red Sox, still fighting their way back to .500 at 32-35, will look to carry their momentum back to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

It's become like clockwork for Mets prospect Nolan McLean.

When he takes the ball, good things happen.

On Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse, McLean piggybacked the rehabbing Frankie Montas and was fantastic over 5.1 innings.

McLean allowed one run on two hits while walking two and striking out four, lowering his ERA for the season to a sparkling 1.98.

In 11 games this season, McLean -- whose first five starts came for Double-A Binghamton before a promotion to Syracuse ahead of his appearance on May 9 -- has allowed more than two runs just twice.

He has been particularly nasty since joining Triple-A, surrendering only nine runs in 32.2 innings.

As McLean continues to dominate, the question of when his big league debut might come will start to percolate.

Right now, the Mets are pitching-rich in the big league starting rotation.

Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Griffin Canning are legitimate All-Star Game candidates, and Tylor Megill has held his own.

They also have depth with Paul Blackburn, who is currently pitching in relief after making one recent start when the Mets briefly went to a six-man rotation.

Beyond those six starters are Montas (whose rehab window is about to close) and Sean Manaea, who just started his rehab assignment.

If all of the Mets' current starting pitching options remain healthy and productive, and the club gets Montas and Manaea back soon, it's hard to see how they would fit McLean on the team in the near future.

However, it's also fair to wonder if the Mets would be comfortable essentially wasting McLean's bullets in the minors once he's deemed ready for the majors.

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

---

5 things to watch

Juan Soto and Pete Alonso are on another level

Following a brief period where Soto, Alonso, and Francisco Lindor slumped at the same time -- leading the entire offense to sag along with them -- New York's big weapons are carrying them once again.

During the Mets' just-completed bludgeoning of the Rockies in Colorado, Soto and Alonso were on another planet.

Soto had six hits and reached base 10 times in 16 plate appearances, raising his OPS for the season to .820.

Alonso had five hits -- including two homers and a double -- while reaching base seven times in 16 plate appearances. He has a .990 OPS and is on pace to finish the year with 42 home runs and 49 doubles -- a two-bagger mark that would shatter New York's all-time single-season record of 44, which was set by Bernard Gilkey in 1996.

Alonso now has 243 career homers, putting him just nine shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's all-time Mets record of 252.

Ronny Mauricio is starting to feel it

Mauricio struggled right after being called up, looking a bit anxious and overmatched at the plate. But he started to look really comfortable in Colorado.

The 24-year-old went 5-for-11 during the three-game sweep and also drew two walks.

He crushed a 456-foot home run on Saturday after doubling on Friday.

While Mauricio is heating up, the Mets are also getting tremendous production from Jeff McNeil (three homers in Colorado, .888 season OPS). Meanwhile, Brett Baty notched hits in the final two games of the series, including a long home run on Sunday.

So the Mets have a good problem on their hands regarding how to allocate playing time on the infield and at DH.

Kodai Senga in the series finale

Senga, who gets the ball on Thursday afternoon, is leading the National League with a 1.59 ERA.

The right-hander is also leading the NL with a 238 ERA+, and has allowed just 50 hits in 68 innings over his 12 starts.

Senga's Ghost Fork has been extra nasty this year, carving hitters up at an eye-popping level.

Opposing batters are hitting .118 with a .183 slugging percentage against Senga's forkball, which he has thrown 29 percent of the time this year.

Mackenzie Gore trending up, James Wood trending down

The Mets will face Gore during Tuesday's series-opener, and they'll have their work cut out for them.

Gore has a 2.87 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, and he's making batters miss at a truly elite level.

He leads all major league starting pitchers with a 12.9 strikeout-per-nine rate, and leads the NL with 108 strikeouts.

Wood is having a great season and remains incredibly dangerous, but he's been in a serious rut at the plate.

Over his last seven games, Wood has two hits in 22 at-bats and has struck out eight times.

Home Cookin'

The Mets have been fantastic overall, which is why they'll carry a 42-24 record into this series.

But their play at Citi Field has been nearly flawless.

They are 24-7 at home, which is the best mark in the majors -- a few ticks better than the Tigers, who have a 23-9 record in Detroit.

New York's home dominance has included sweeps of the Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Phillies, and series wins over the Cubs and Dodgers.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Francisco Lindor

Lindor had a solid but somewhat quiet series in Colorado.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Kodai Senga

Once again, it's crazy to pick against Senga.

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

Dylan Crews

It hasn't been an easy year for Crews, but he's homered in back-to-back games and oozes talent.

Krukow hopes Giants' Adames can ‘reboot' after two days off originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Giants slumping star shortstop Willy Adames received a pair of days off amid San Francisco’s five-game win streak leading up to Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.

Bob Melvin said Willy Adames will be off Sunday. Giants are off Monday, so that’s 48 hours to reset. Casey Schmitt is the backup shortstop.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) June 6, 2025

Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Monday and explained why he hopes Adames, who is slashing just .193/.281/.303 this season, can use his two days off to reset and find a rhythm.

“Well, you say, ‘What part of that guy needs the rest the most?’ His body or his brain? And I think that with Adames, it’s his brain,” Krukow told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “So you get two days off to reboot.”

Adames could use a “reboot,” given that he has been a shell of himself in San Francisco.

Just last year with the Milwaukee Brewers, Adames was a top-10 NL MVP finalist and slashed .251/.331/.462 with 153 hits, 32 home runs and 112 RBI. Adames has just 74 bases this year compared to a career-high 282 in 2024.

Maybe the change of scenery has been hard for Adames. Krukow, at least, believes that the shortstop could be in his own head negatively, making the short break a good opportunity for Adames to return to normal.

“When you are not producing the way you feel you should be producing – and you are, in your mind, holding this team back because you’re not able to put up your numbers and play the game you played your whole career, especially in a new environment – it is very difficult to rise above that feeling of depression; it’s very, very difficult,” Krukow said.

“And these two days, with him being able to get on the bench and reboot, hopefully, are going to be what gets him out of this funk and back into the player he was before he came to San Francisco.”

Krukow understands what Adames probably is going through. However, the broadcaster noted that, on the flip side, the shortstop is an energizer bunny, always seen amping up his teammates in the dugout and feeding off of positive vibes.

Adames’ personality reminds Krukow of a forever Giants icon: Pablo Sandoval.

“I mean, think back to Pablo Sandoval, and think about how we used to watch him get in the dugout before a game; he would touch base with every guy on the team, and he had a new handshake with every guy,” Krukow said.

“Think about that, he’s got 30 different handshakes that he walks up and down the dugout with, and that was how he gets himself prepared for the game – getting completely energized by everybody in that room; Willy Adames is the same way. He is a hands-on individual. He is going to touch base and he is going to plug into the energy of the whole club.”

Krukow is optimistic for Adames after his short rest. Baseball is a mental game after all, and any opportunity to ease the mind is a good one.

If one thing is certain, it’s that Adames wants to be himself – a star who contributes heavily in all facets.

“I mean, he wants it so bad to be able to make contributions – to make significant contributions, which is what he’s always been,” Krukow said. “And hopefully, this is what gets him back on track. But he needed it. He needed two days off. He needed a reboot. Hopefully, he lights it up in Denver tomorrow and gets going.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Aaron Judge crushed a 436ft home run off Boston Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins after the pitcher aimed a jab at the Yankees in the run-up to Sunday’s game.

Dobbins, a lifelong Red Sox fan, was asked about his team’s bitter rivals in the run-up to his start for Sunday’s game. “If the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire,” he told the Boston Herald. He added that his feelings towards the Yankees were not just down to playing for the Red Sox though. “I think whoever I was playing with or whoever I would have been drafted by, I’d still hate the Yankees,” he added.

Judge was told about Dobbins’s comments before the game, and duly cracked the first pitch he faced off the pitcher for a two-run homer. Judge was asked if he had thought about Dobbins’s comments when he took the at bat. “Well, once somebody tells you, yeah,” Judge said.

Dobbins had arguably the better night though. He gave up three runs in five innings, but came away with the win as the Red Sox completed an 11-7 victory, taking the series 2-1.

Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr, said he didn’t have an issue with the comments but thought Dobbins may have taken things a little too far.

“I love competitiveness,” Chisholm said. “But to say that, being a rookie, is kind of crazy to me, to say that you’re going to rule out one out of 30 teams to be a professional athlete.”

Judge hit a second home run in the ninth inning, for his fourth multi-homer game of 2025 and the 43rd of his career. He leads MLB in batting average, hits and OPS this season and is tied for second with Shohei Ohtani for home runs (23).

Growing up on the western tip of Cuba, Andy Pages excelled at every sport he played.

He was good at soccer and volleyball, arguably better at basketball. But he loved baseball for reasons that weren’t necessarily limited to the game.

Pages’ father, Liban, a carpenter who had a job repairing wooden boats, helped make his son’s first bats by hand, using leftover lumber given to him by friends. Soon baseball became the boy’s favorite pastime.

“When I was starting to play baseball in Cuba, when things were really bad, there were no bats. There weren't things like that,” Pages said in Spanish. “So he always tried to make me a bat so I could play.

“I became more motivated, and from that point on, we've been playing baseball."

Read more:Clayton Kershaw delivers exactly what the Dodgers need in win over Cardinals

The sport eventually proved to be a way off the island for Pages, who has emerged as one of the Dodgers’ brightest stars in just his second season with the team.

He entered the start of a three-game series Monday in San Diego hitting .288 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs, trailing only Shohei Ohtani in homers and matching Ohtani for third on the team in RBIs. He’s also tied for second in stolen bases with six and has yet to be thrown out.

If he can stay consistent, he has a chance to become the first Dodger center fielder to hit better than .250 with 25 homers since Matt Kemp in 2011.

Although Pages never played in Cuba’s elite Serie Nacional, the proving ground for stars such as Yuli Gurriel, Yunel Escobar and Orlando "El Duque" Hernández, he became one of the country’s top prospects after hitting .364/.484/.581 in a under-15 league.

That convinced Pages (pronounced PAH-hays) he had a chance to be a big leaguer some day. So at 16, the Athletic reported, he arranged to be spirited off the island alongside Jairo Pomares, another young Cuban star, traveling through Guyana, Curacao and Haiti before crossing in the Dominican Republic. He then waited eight months before the Dodgers signed him as an international free agent in March 2018, giving him a $300,000 bonus, more than 1,500 times the average annual wage in Cuba, according to CiberCuba.

Pomares signed with the San Francisco Giants at about the same time, but while he remains in the minors, Pages’ climb to the majors was steady. He reached triple A by the start the 2024 season. He didn’t stay at Oklahoma City long, however, hitting .371/.452/.694 with 15 RBIs in 15 games to earn a call-up to the Dodgers.

Before his rookie season was over, Pages was a World Series champion. He paid a heavy price for that though, going seven years without seeing his family in person.

Read more:'Big brother, little brother.' How Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages bond is helping Dodgers

“It was emotional since I hadn't seen them for a long time,” said Pages, 24, who returned to Cuba for the first time the winter before his big-league debut.

His sister, Elaine, a child when he left “was already a full-grown woman.”

“So those memories came back to me, and they were quite — how should I say it? — quite strong for me,” said Pages, who brought his father a few of the machine-made bats he used in the minor leagues.

But if his father provided the spark that made his son a baseball player, teammate Teoscar Hernández provided the help, guidance and mentoring that made Pages an everyday major leaguer.

“He's played in the major leagues for a long time now,” Pages said of Hernández, a 10-year veteran who signed with the Dodgers months before Pages made his big-league debut. “He's been through a lot of bad times. I went through that at the beginning of the season, for example, and last year too. And he's given me advice that's helped me a lot to get through that time.”

With Pages’ family still in Cuba, Hernández has become a big brother as well as a teammate, taking him out for dinner on off days or just getting together to play video games.

“Getting through bad times is sometimes a little difficult when you're alone, when you don't have anyone to help you, to give you good advice, and to make you understand that sometimes things don't happen when you want them to,” Pages said.

And that’s worked out well for Pages. Three games after Hernández returned from a rehab assignment last month, Pages started a streak that would see him hit in 13 of his next 14 starts, including 11 in a row, raising his average 24 points to .293. He’s batting .379 with a team-high 11 hits in seven games this month.

“We try to go out to my house. We go out to a restaurant with my wife, his wife. Just so we can get together, have time to enjoy and not think about baseball,” Hernández said.

Pages isn’t the first player to benefit from Hernández’s mentorship. During his six seasons in Toronto, Hernández took another talented rookie, fellow Dominican Vladimir Guerrero Jr., under his wing. Guerrero is now a four-time All-Star.

Hernández is still so respected in Toronto when the Dodgers played there last season, some Blue Jays players wore his old uniform number during batting practice. Earlier this year Guerrero offered to buy him a $300,000 Richard Mille watch; Hernández joked he’d rather have money instead.

Read more:Will Dodgers' pitchers ever get healthy? How the team is tackling its biggest problem

As the quiet Pages has grown more confident and comfortable with the Dodgers, his play has improved. A speedy outfielder with a plus arm, he also can play all three positions.

And while he left Cuba, he never fully left it behind, having expressed interest in representing the country in next year’s World Baseball Classic. The decision to go to the Dominican Republic as a teenager, after all, was a business one, not a personal one.

Pages would also like to bring his family to U.S. some day, though that dream was dealt a setback last week when President Trump signed an executive order restricting access to Cubans hoping to come to the U.S.

“Hope is always there,” said Pages, who has beaten impossibly long odds once. “But you have to follow the rules, get the papers, do whatever it takes to make sure everything's OK. And then get here and stay here.

“I’m just trying, trying until they can leave.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Krukow pinpoints key differences in Giants amid five-game win streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants have found new life since San Francisco’s president of baseball operations Buster Posey’sdrastic roster shakeup. 

And Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow, in talking to KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” on Monday, pinpointed exactly what’s behind the team’s five-game win streak.

“This team has the bullpen to win all those games,” Krukow told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “When you get into a one-run ballgame, whether it’s on the road or whether it’s at home, it really makes no difference because you have to be really good to win those games.” 

As it stands, the Giants are sitting at a season-high 10 games above .500 after improving to 38-28, with both San Francisco and the San Diego Padres sitting one game behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight National League West race.

And even though the Giants recently adopted a torturous– yet historic –path to victory, Krukow acknowledges the key differences powering San Francisco’s much-needed second wind.

“You have to be a good defensive team,” Krukow added. “You have to have a good bullpen that could throw strikes. You have to have a bullpen that has balls to challenge and get ahead in the count. 

“And you have to have the belief on your bench that you’ll find a way to score, finding ways to win. From wild pitches to just heads-up plays on defense to sac flies. Your little things they’re doing right now. That’s how you have to win those games.” 

With a 5-0 record since Wednesday’s flurry of roster moves and a roaring Oracle Park behind them, Krukow knows a mindset change also is behind the Giants’ newfound momentum.

“So, when you have that type of confidence, when you’re in the last three innings of the game and you have to play your best baseball, there’s pressure on the other team to match you,” Krukow concluded.

“Right now, they’re not feeling that pressure. They’re loose. They’re free. They’re confident. That’s the difference.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Krukow ‘appalled' by bizarre fan incident in Giants-Braves game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

You never know what you’re going to see at the ballpark on any given day — both good and bad.

In the top of the fourth inning of Friday’s Giants vs. Atlanta Braves game at Oracle Park, a fan from one of the top levels of the stadium seemingly threw a baseball onto the field near home plate as a play at the plate unfolded, causing confusion by both teams and broadcasters Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, who expressed their bewilderment on the call below.

Well that's a first 😬 pic.twitter.com/yHtdJ6T2Ft

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 7, 2025

Krukow joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Monday morning, where he was asked about the odd incident and if he’s ever seen anything like it in his 48 combined years as an MLB player and broadcaster.

“No, I’ve never seen that before in San Francisco,” Krukow said. “I’ve seen balls come out of the upper deck on the road. I’ve seen bottles come out of the upper deck on the road.

“I was appalled by it and it almost hit Andy Fletcher the home plate umpire in the head, it was about three feet from him. I don’t know if it was a rubber ball or a hard ball, I don’t know, but you’re just not used to it in our ballpark. Northern California fans get it.

“And as upsetting as it was, you come to the ballpark, and I don’t ever expect to see it again. I don’t think we’re getting into a scenario where you’re going to see it on a regular basis. It shocked everybody and everybody was upset by it. I just don’t think it’s something we have to worry about. Hopefully that’s the case. But wherever that clown is today, shame on you.”

Fortunately, the ball did not hit anyone on the field of play, but as Krukow pointed out, it did almost hit home plate umpire Andy Fletcher.

Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters before Saturday’s game that the Giants had yet to identify the fan who threw the baseball.

“I heard they didn’t get it, that it came out of the upper deck and the cameras weren’t shooting that high,” Melvin said. “Hope it doesn’t happen again.”

The Giants have not provided any update as of Monday morning.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast