Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani yells after taking a foul ball off his foot during the fifth inning of a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. (Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
The Dodgers’ offensive woes went from worrisome to a five-alarm emergency Saturday when they lost their second game in less than 24 hours, falling 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Nolan Gorman started the winning rally with a ground-rule double in the ninth. He gave way to pinch-runner Jose Barrero, who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Pages before scoring on Nolan Arenado’s pinch-hit single off Dodgers reliever Ben Casparius (4-1) to end the game.
The Cardinals appeared to have won the game in the eighth when Alec Burleson hit a one-hop comebacker that ricocheted off Casparius with two out. Casparius chased after the ball and made a hurried throw to first that pulled Freddie Freeman off the bag, allowing Masyn Winn to race home.
But the Dodgers matched that in the ninth on consecutive one-out singles by Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Freeman then struck out swinging, but the ball got away from catcher Pedro Pages, allowing Ohtani to score to tie the game.
The Dodgers left 12 runners on base and were hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They are one for 25 with runners in scoring position in their two games in St. Louis.
The slump couldn’t come at a worst time for the Dodgers, who begin a three-game series Monday in San Diego. The Padres entered Saturday a game back of the Dodgers in the National League West.
The Dodgers wasted a splendid performance from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed four hits while striking out nine in six scoreless innings, lowing his earned-run average to 2.20.
No Japanese pitcher has ever led an American major league in ERA; the Cubs’ Yu Darvish came closest when his 2.01 mark in the COVID-shortened 2020 season was second-best in the National League. Only two NL pitchers have better marks than Yamamoto this season.
The right-hander won four ERA titles in seven seasons with Orix in the Japanese Pacific League. Only Kazuhisa Inao, who debuted in 1956, won more. Three times Yamamoto had ERAs under 1.69 and his career mark in Japan was 1.72 in 188 starts.
Prior to Saturday's game with the Red Sox, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave updates on a number of injured players...
Volpe needs another day
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe left Friday's win over Boston early after being struck on the elbow with a pitch. Although Volpe ran the bases and took the field at the top of the next inning, he was pulled as a precautionary measure.
Volpe isn't in the starting lineup on Saturday and Boone said that he initially had the shortstop in, but once he got to Yankee Stadium and spoke to the training staff, they thought it was best that the third-year player took a day.
"Strength, everything’s good. He's got pretty good-sized swelling in there still," Boone said. "Talking to the trainers, it will do him well to try and get one more day and get some treatment. Hope to be back there tomorrow."
Boone said that Volpe is available if needed, but they will look to get past the Red Sox with Oswald Peraza starting at shortstop.
Jazz gets a planned off day
While Volpe's exclusion from Saturday's lineup isn't surprising, Jazz Chisholm Jr. being left off was.
Boone was asked about Jazz's status, and the longtime Yankees manager said it was just a planned off day for his third baseman.
"Plan from the start when he came back Tuesday," Boone said. "We were going to give him one as he built back up into the off day. And it made sense with the one lefty we're facing to give it today."
Since his return from the IL, Chisholm has been hotter than hot. Across four games, Chisholm is 8-for-16 with two home runs and six RBI. He also has back-to-back three-hit games.
Feb 15, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) participates in spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Minor updates on injured players
Boone was then asked about a trio of injured players looking to make their way back onto the team in the coming weeks.
First was Luis Gil, who had a side session recently but will need to go through a handful of them still before he faces live batters. Boone categorized it as "touch-and-feel" right now.
As for Marcus Stroman, he's throwing a side session on Saturday, so they'll see how he comes out of that. And finally, Boone was asked about slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
Boone gave a pseudo update earlier in the week, but gave a more solid plan for Stanton heading into next week.
"He's in Tampa still, I think he's coming back tomorrow or Monday and hopefully starting rehab next week up here," Boone said. "But he's doing well."
PITTSBURGH — Otto Kemp has a golden opportunity, one that he’s created for himself by hitting his way from Division II Point Loma Nazarene University to and through the Phillies’ farm system and up to the major leagues this weekend.
The 25-year-old, offensive-minded prospect made his MLB debut Saturday afternoon in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and fielding the three balls hit his way at third base.
Kemp was called up Saturday as Bryce Harper went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. It is unclear whether Harper will be able to return on June 16 when first eligible but given that it’s a recurrence of an injury he dealt with last season and it has lingered throughout much of this season, it’s safe to say the Phillies will take their time.
They didn’t call Kemp up with the expectation that he’d perform like Harper. They don’t need him to be The Guy, just a piece that helps a stagnant offense.
Kemp had hit .315 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple A Lehigh Valley, leading the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI. He’s been hot for nearly a year, reaching four different levels in the Phillies’ minor-league system a season ago, then performing well in the Arizona Fall League, spring training and the 2025 season.
“It still caught me by surprise,” Kemp said Saturday before debuting. “I try to do my best to live in the moment, be where I am on that given day. Was trying to not give a ton of thought to when it was going to be, just kinda let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it. I was just trying to keep it on the down-low and shut it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”
Kemp found out he was being called up around 1 a.m. Saturday. The IronPigs were in Charlotte playing the White Sox’ Triple A affiliate. Kemp knew something was up as soon as he opened his hotel room door and saw manager Anthony Contreras, hitting coach Adam Lind and bench coach Chris Adamson.
“AC, Tank and Adam Lind, they all came out and I kinda knew something was going on,” he said. “You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason. My dog was the first one to greet them. It was a good time, I got to celebrate with my wife yesterday. Packed up the room and took off this morning.”
Kemp caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh and was in the Phillies’ clubhouse by noon.
“I haven’t had a ton of time to really just sit down and think,” he said. “I think that’ll come as we go. But me and my wife had a good time last night, just soaking it in before we packed. Really just thank God for the blessing that we have in front of us and that our lives have been changed by this. It still doesn’t feel super real yet.”
The 37-27 Phillies are hoping it provides a jolt to a cold lineup. The Phils have lost eight of their last nine, scoring just 29 runs, 15 of which came in two games. In the other seven, they’ve averaged 2.0 runs per game.
“Whenever you bring up a guy like this, it pumps a bunch of energy into the clubhouse and on the field, everyone’s pulling for him and it’s kind of a neat experience,” manager Rob Thomson said.
“I’m really happy for him. He’s had a great year. We’re gonna get him some work at first, get him some more work in the outfield, but for today I just want to play him the place that he’s most comfortable, then we’ll keep moving forward.”
If he hits, Kemp has a chance to wrestle playing time away from Weston Wilson, who has not produced as the right-handed half of a left field platoon.
“I’m always down for whatever’s gonna keep me in the lineup,” Kemp said.
They aren’t alone, but the four members of the Phillies’ left and center field platoons simply have not hit enough. Max Kepler is hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage. Wilson is hitting .152. Brandon Marsh is at .211. Johan Rojas, who made a sensational, run-saving catch in deep left-center Saturday, is batting .245.
“I think you’ve got to send them out there, somebody’s gotta play out there,” Thomson said. “I think that those guys, I still have trust in them that they’re gonna hit. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ve got to get going.”
PITTSBURGH — Otto Kemp has a golden opportunity, one that he’s created for himself by hitting his way from Division II Point Loma Nazarene University to and through the Phillies’ farm system and up to the major leagues this weekend.
The 25-year-old, offensive-minded prospect made his MLB debut Saturday afternoon in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and fielding the three balls hit his way at third base.
Kemp was called up Saturday as Bryce Harper went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. It is unclear whether Harper will be able to return on June 16 when first eligible but given that it’s a recurrence of an injury he dealt with last season and it has lingered throughout much of this season, it’s safe to say the Phillies will take their time.
They didn’t call Kemp up with the expectation that he’d perform like Harper. They don’t need him to be The Guy, just a piece that helps a stagnant offense. He figures to play regularly at third base with Alec Bohm at first while Harper is out.
Kemp had hit .315 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple A Lehigh Valley, leading the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI. He’s been hot for nearly a year, reaching four different levels in the Phillies’ minor-league system a season ago, then performing well in the Arizona Fall League, spring training and the 2025 season.
“It still caught me by surprise,” Kemp said Saturday before debuting. “I try to do my best to live in the moment, be where I am on that given day. Was trying to not give a ton of thought to when it was going to be, just kinda let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it. I was just trying to keep it on the down-low and shut it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”
Kemp found out he was being called up around 1 a.m. Saturday. The IronPigs were in Charlotte playing the White Sox’ Triple A affiliate. Kemp knew something was up as soon as he opened his hotel room door and saw manager Anthony Contreras, hitting coach Adam Lind and bench coach Chris Adamson.
“AC, Tank and Adam Lind, they all came out and I kinda knew something was going on,” he said. “You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason. My dog was the first one to greet them. It was a good time, I got to celebrate with my wife yesterday. Packed up the room and took off this morning.”
Kemp caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh and was in the Phillies’ clubhouse by noon.
“I haven’t had a ton of time to really just sit down and think,” he said. “I think that’ll come as we go. But me and my wife had a good time last night, just soaking it in before we packed. Really just thank God for the blessing that we have in front of us and that our lives have been changed by this. It still doesn’t feel super real yet.”
The 37-27 Phillies are hoping it provides a jolt to a cold lineup. The Phils have lost eight of their last nine, scoring just 29 runs, 15 of which came in two games. In the other seven, they’ve averaged 2.0 runs per game.
“Whenever you bring up a guy like this, it pumps a bunch of energy into the clubhouse and on the field, everyone’s pulling for him and it’s kind of a neat experience,” manager Rob Thomson said.
“I’m really happy for him. He’s had a great year. We’re gonna get him some work at first, get him some more work in the outfield, but for today I just want to play him the place that he’s most comfortable, then we’ll keep moving forward.”
If he hits, Kemp has a chance to wrestle playing time away from Weston Wilson, who has not produced as the right-handed half of a left field platoon.
“I’m always down for whatever’s gonna keep me in the lineup,” Kemp said.
They aren’t alone, but the four members of the Phillies’ left and center field platoons simply have not hit enough. Max Kepler is hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage. Wilson is hitting .152. Brandon Marsh is at .211. Johan Rojas, who made a sensational, run-saving catch in deep left-center Saturday, is batting .245.
“I think you’ve got to send them out there, somebody’s gotta play out there,” Thomson said. “I think that those guys, I still have trust in them that they’re gonna hit. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ve got to get going.”
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin has been placed on the injured list because of discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
The number of Dodgers pitchers on the injured list grew by one Saturday when the team sidelined Tony Gonsolin because of discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow.
An All-Star in 2022 when he won 16 games, Gonsolin missed all of 2024 and the first 30 games this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned to make seven starts, going 3-2 with 5.00 ERA. In his last outing Wednesday against the Mets, he gave up two earned runs on three hits in five innings of a 6-1 loss.
Gonsolin, 30, is 37-13 with a 3.33 ERA in six seasons with the Dodgers.
His move to the IL further scrambles an already complicated situation for manager Dave Roberts, who is missing 16 pitchers because of injury, including three key starters in Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Gonsolin. It also leaves the Dodgers’ pitching rotation uncertain for this week’s key series with second-place San Diego.
Right-hander Dustin May is scheduled to start the first game Monday but Roberts will have to fill Gonsolin’s spot in the rotation Tuesday. One candidate for that opening is right-hander Matt Sauer, who has made seven appearances, including one start, for the Dodgers this season, winning his only decision and posting a 3.05 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. The Dodgers optioned Sauer to triple-A Oklahoma City on May 24.
Wednesday’s game could be a bullpen game, but that would be extra stress on a relief corps that already leads the majors in innings pitched.
Justin Wrobleski, who threw a career-high 104 pitches in a loss Friday to the Cardinals in his second start of the season, could get the start Wednesday.
The Dodgers made three other moves Saturday, activating relievers Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates from the injured list and designating right-hander Chris Stratton for assignment.
SAN FRANCISCO — Craig Kimbrel’s stay with the Atlanta Braves lasted just one day as the team designated the franchise’s career saves leader for assignment Saturday and recalled left-handed pitcher Austin Cox.
The Braves had selected Kimbrel from Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled left-hander Dylan Dodd before opening a road series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. Kimbrel pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Braves’ 5-4 loss in 10 innings.
Kimbrel had been called up from the minors a day after Atlanta blew a 10-4 ninth-inning lead against Arizona and lost 11-10, the first time the Braves lost a game after leading by at least six runs in the ninth since 1973.
Kimbrel spent his first five seasons in the big leagues with Atlanta, leading the league in saves each year from 2011-14. His 186 saves are the most ever for a Braves pitcher. He was traded to San Diego before the 2015 season opener, and he has pitched for several teams since. He was with Baltimore last season.
PITTSBURGH — The scuffling Philadelphia Phillies suffered a blow Saturday when they placed first baseman Bryce Harper on the 10-day injured list because of right wrist inflammation before their game against the Pirates.
Harper sat out Friday night’s 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. The move is retroactive to Friday.
The two-time National League MVP and eight-time All-Star is hitting .258 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 57 games. He missed five games from May 26 to June 2 with a bruised right elbow after being hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider.
“It’s been long enough,” Harper said when asked how long his wrist has been bothering him. “It’s got to the point where I can’t really function on a baseball field or anything like that. So, it’s a good time for me to take some time and get it right.”
Harper said he felt pain in the wrist during a large portion of last season, when he hit 30 homers while helping the Phillies win the NL East.
“It’s gotten progressively worse (this season),” Harper said. “I felt it early in the season, and I tried to play through it as long as I could.”
The Phillies do not have a timetable for when Harper might be able to return.
“I’m hoping it’s close to 10 days, but I really don’t know,” manager Rob Thomson said.
The Phillies are expected to play third baseman Alec Bohm at first while Harper is out, with utility player Edmundo Sosa taking over at third.
The Phillies have lost seven of their last eight games, going from leading the NL East by two games to trailing the New York Mets by 2 1/2 games entering Saturday. Philadelphia had won 11 of 12 games before the skid.
Infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp’s contract was purchased from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 25-year-old, who has yet to play in the majors, was hitting .317 with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and 11 steals in 57 games at Triple-A.
Kemp was the International Player of the Month in April. The right-handed hitter was set to start at third base on Saturday against left-hander Andrew Heaney.
The Phillies also recalled right-hander Daniel Robert from Lehigh Valley and optioned righty Alan Rangel. Rangel, 27, made his major league debut Friday night, allowing two runs in three innings of relief.
This will be Robert’s third stint of the season with the Phillies. The 30-year-old has given up one run in two-thirds of an inning over two games.
SAN FRANCISCO – Bob Melvin, without knowing it at the time, manifested what was to come from the Giants in their second game of a three-game set against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
While speaking with reporters in the dugout at Oracle Park two hours before first pitch, Melvin discussed how the past few games have come down to the wire for the Giants, both positively and negatively.
“It feels more dramatic because all of our games seem like they end on the last pitch of the game,” Melvin said.
A couple hours later, the game ended on … wait for it … the last pitch of the game.
Matt Chapman played hero after Heliot Ramos singled in the bottom of the ninth down one run, as the Giants third baseman walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to secure the comeback 3-2 win over Atlanta.
“Look, that’s why you keep playing. You keep fighting,” Melvin said postgame. “You get a guy on and all of a sudden you get a chance. One swing can do it, so you just keep battling to the end. We’ve seen it many times. What is that, our eighth walk-off? So we’re used to these kinds of games.
“It seems like as many as we’ve had like this, we’re battle-tested all the way to the end until that last out. We have a chance. This was obviously a sign of that.”
About 17 hours prior to Chapman’s walk-off, the Giants defeated the Braves 5-4 on a wild pitch walk-off in extra innings.
Saturday was San Francisco’s eighth walk-off this season, which leads all of MLB.
The down-to-the-final-pitch games haven’t always benefited the Giants, though, as most recently as Tuesday’s extra-innings loss to the San Diego Padres, San Francisco closer Camilo Doval, needing just one out to win the game, blew a save opportunity as San Diego won in the 10th.
But the Giants were on the right side of history Saturday, even if it comes with physical and mental pain.
“Torture. It’s torture baseball here,” Giants ace Logan Webb (6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K) said postgame. “But that’s just the way we like it. We play a lot of close games, especially in this ballpark. We played great defense again today. And we’re going to try to come up with a big hit when we need to.
“ … It’s exciting. We just got to keep it going. We talked about my last [outing], asked me if this was a low point, it’s ebs and flows. You just got to keep going.”
After Webb’s last outing Monday against the Padres, an eight-inning shutout gem that received no run support amidst an offensive slump for the Giants, Webb was asked where the vibes ranked amongst other low points in his career.
Webb quickly corrected the reporter, stating it wasn’t a low point but rather just part of what comes with a 162-game season. He also was confident the guys were going to be able to turn things around, and to a certain degree, he was right.
San Francisco dropped the next game the following night, but hasn’t lost since. Saturday’s win extended the Giants’ win streak to four.
That also coincides with a flurry of drastic roster moves made by the organization on Wednesday, which included designating first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., something the team isn’t shy to admit has led to a different vibe in the clubhouse.
“We get a little different flavor in here, and to this point, it’s worked,” Melvin said.
The Giants don’t want to get too ahead of themselves, and they won’t. While they’ll take any win any way they can, they understand the issue that still lies. And while a one-run win is still a win, they hope to reach a point where they can create a little more space.
“I wouldn’t love to play them [close games] every single day,” Chapman said. “It’s going to serve us because we know how to play those games, we know what it takes to come out on top when the pressure is on and you got to make a play. Everything’s heightened in those moments, so I think it’s good for us to get that experience.
“But it seems like we’ve played for three weeks straight, one-run games every single day. Everyone would prefer to probably score some more runs. But it’s nice that we’re coming out on top.”
The Giants improved to 37-28, just a half-game behind the Padres and 1.0 games back of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.
They head into Sunday’s series finale against the Braves with a guaranteed win before heading to Colorado to face the worst team in baseball in the Rockies.
They still have confidence the offense will reach a consistent groove, but for now, the Comeback Kids will continue to live up to their name.
“It says a lot,” Chapman said when asked what another walk-off win says about the team’s fight. “That’s kind of how we were playing at the beginning of the year when we were really rolling. It’s good that we can get back to doing it. I think it could’ve been very easy for us to roll over after losing the first two games to the Padres, being down 5-0, but we came back, rattled off a few wins in a row.
“So it just shows this team’s not going to quit. And that’s going to serve us going forward.”
SAN FRANCISCO – Matt Chapman played hero with a walk-off home run to lift the Giants over the Atlanta Braves in a thrilling 3-2 win Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park.
Outside a fourth-inning Wilmer Flores homer, the Giants’ wobbly offense struggled through most of the game. And it appeared that another Logan Webb gem was going to be wasted.
But as we’ve seen so often with this team, it ain’t over until it’s over.
Saturday marked San Francisco’s eighth walk-off win of the 2025 MLB season season, which leads all of baseball.
The always consistent Webb was dominant through six innings, but outside of Flores, he received no run support from the Giants’ struggling offense once again.
Meanwhile, Braves righty Bryce Elder recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts against San Francisco.
The Giants improved to 37-28 on the season.
Here are the takeaways from the win:
Another Walk-Off Wonder
Just hours removed from a wild pitch walk-off win over the Braves in the series opener Friday night, the Giants did it again.
This time it was Chapman, who approached the plate 0-for-3 and with all eyes on him.
He took an 88-mph curveball 365 feet to left to seal the deal and pull out yet another one-run victory for the Giants.
The last time Webb toed the rubber, the Giants’ struggling offense wasted another one of his gems in a 1-0 loss to the San Diego Padres. He tossed eight shutout innings in that game, scattering six hits and breezing through one of baseball’s best lineups with seven strikeouts.
Five days later, it was another Webb masterclass. He had nine strikeouts through four innings, and his final line was: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K.
Webb also limited damage in a sixth-inning, bases-loaded jam with no outs and facing the middle of Atlanta’s order. The Braves scored just one run.
Down to the final at-bat, Chapman salvaged Webb’s outing.
Offense Struggles … Again
And just like that, the Giants were brought back down to earth. Sure, they found a way to get the victory and that’s what matters in the end, but it’s definitely not something that will get swept under the rug.
The Giants, coming off a wild walk-off win Friday night, seemed to have rejuvenated their slumping offense amid a three-game win streak.
But outside of Flores’ fourth-inning homer, the offense struggled again.
PITTSBURGH — Bryce Harper has played 57 of the Phillies’ 63 games, feeling pain in his right wrist with nearly every swing he’s taken.
Harper was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with right wrist inflammation. It’s not the first time he’s experienced this. Last August, Harper revealed that he’d been playing through wrist pain for three months.
“It’s similar. It’s definitely similar,” he said Saturday from the visiting clubhouse at PNC Park.
The wrist pain went away during the offseason, Harper said, and he didn’t feel it again until early this season. It reached a level where he no longer thought it made sense to try to play through.
“It’s been long enough. It got to the point where I can’t really function on the baseball field or hit a baseball,” he said. “Just a good time for me to take some time and get it right. Felt it early in the season and tried to play through it as long as I could.”
The injury was initially caused by a wrist contusion, though it’s not clear when that took place. The pain has progressively worsened.
Harper is unsure whether he will be back on June 16 when first eligible to return. Manager Rob Thomson is hopeful. It will depend on how Harper’s wrist responds to treatment. He won’t be swinging for at least a few days.
“Just try to get through the treatment phase and see what I can do,” Harper said. “We’ve got to get it to calm down and get out there when I can.”
The wrist pain helps explain why Harper hasn’t performed up to his standard. He’s been a well-above-average everyday player this season, hitting .258 with an .814 OPS, but it hasn’t been MVP-caliber Bryce Harper.
“Every swing,” he said. “It’s tough. Obviously, I want to be out there. It’s frustrating. I never want to not be playing. It just wasn’t good for me to keep going out there. Didn’t want to get three, four, five weeks down the road and sit there.
“It was definitely a hard decision for me. I’ve played through pain in my career and did last year. I did it for most of this year but just don’t want to do it anymore.”
The timing isn’t ideal with the Phillies having lost seven of their last eight games. But the timing would have been worse if Harper had to miss games in September or October after playing through a wrist injury for five months.
“I don’t think getting hit in the elbow (last week) has helped it, just the drainage with all the fluid coming out,” he said. “Just try to get through it as best I can. It’s gonna take some time, obviously.”
The Phillies replaced Harper on the active roster by calling up prospect Otto Kemp, who has been on a tear all season at Triple A. Kemp was in the lineup right away Saturday, batting seventh and playing third base with Alec Bohm across the diamond at first.
Mike Krukow believes slumping shortstop Willy Adames could use some support from Giants fans.
With some social media posts suggesting, perhaps jokingly, that a standing ovation would take place during Adames’ first at-bat in San Francisco’s game against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Oracle Park, the Giants broadcaster was in favor of the idea.
“I think it’s great,” Krukow told Carlos Ramirez and Rich Aurilia on “Giants Pregame Live.” “I mean, he is a really, really sensitive human being. He plugs in energy every time he’s in the ballpark. He’s a giver. And when he’s going through a rough time, to me, he wears it, he takes it home with him. He cannot leave it.
“He needs confirmation, he needs love, and I think it’s a great thing and I hope they do. Today I hope the fans stand up and give a standing ovation to let him know that they believe in him. I think it’s very important to him.”
Adames, who entered Saturday’s game hitting just .195 with five home runs, 26 RBI and a .591 OPS through 64 games, could benefit from the Trea Turner treatment as he struggles to find his swing. The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop received standing ovations during all four of his at-bats on Aug. 4, 2023, as he hit .236 with 10 home runs, 35 RBI and a .656 OPS.
That season, Turner had just signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies after proving himself as one of MLB’s best players with the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers, only to underproduce early in Philadelphia.
Similarly, Adames enjoyed plenty of success with the Milwaukee Brewers before signing a franchise-record seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants this past offseason. As the shortstop attempts to get back on track in San Francisco, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey still has as much faith in him as he did when he recruited Adames to the Bay.
“For this guy to show up and be the same each and every day, it’s pretty remarkable,” Posey told KNBR on May 30. “He’s truly a leader, and I’ve got belief that offensively he’s going to find his groove here. He’s always been a bit of a streaky hitter, so hoping that hot stretch is right around the corner.”
After the support from Phillies fans, Turner went on to finish the season batting .266 with 26 home runs. He was an MLB All-Star in 2024 and so far in 2025 is slashing .306/.360/.452. The fan-led campaign even is chronicled in a Netflix documentary called “The Turnaround” that was released last October.
While Adames’ first at-bat came and went without a standing ovation on Saturday, perhaps he still can stage a turnaround of his own — with or without some help from Giants fans.
The Mets continue a three-game series with the Rockies in Colorado on Saturday at 9:40 p.m. on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Clay Holmes (6-3, 3.07 ERA) has held opposing batters to a .143 average with runners in scoring position, tied for the fourth-best mark in the National League and tied for the seventh-best mark in the majors (min. 50 at-bats w/RISP)
Despite a broken toe, Francisco Lindor delivered a clutch ninth-inning double on Friday night to boost his slash line to .400/.483/.920 over his last seven games. He is back in the starting lineup after not starting the previous two days
Juan Soto celebrates a milestone, appearing in his 1,000th career game. He is 6-for-19 (.316) with six runs, one double, two homers, four RBI, eight walks for a .536 OBP and .684 slugging through six games in June
Pete Alonso is riding a 15-game on-base streak, batting .310 in that span with four doubles, six homers, 20 RBI, and three walks
The Mets (40-24) own the majors' best team ERA at 2.84 and are sixth with 573 strikeouts. The starting staff has posted a 2.86 ERA this year, the best in the majors, while the bullpen has posted a 2.81 ERA, ranking second.
METS
ROCKIES
Francisco Lindor, SS
Jordan Beck, DH
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Thairo Estrada, 2B
Juan Soto, RF
Hunter Goodman, C
Pete Alonso, 1B
Ryan McMahon, 3B
Jeff McNeil, CF
Ryan Ritter, SS
Luis Torrens, C
Brenton Doyle, CF
Brett Baty, 2B
Sam Hilliard, LF
Jared Young, DH
Kyle Farmer, 1B
Ronny Mauricio, 3B
Tyler Freeman, RF
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When asked for an update on the situation by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Tristi Rodriguez before the second game of the series on Saturday, manager Bob Melvin relayed that the person wasn’t caught.
“I heard they didn’t get it, that it came out of the upper deck and the cameras weren’t shooting that high,” Melvin told reporters. “Hope it doesn’t happen again.”
The incident, described after the game by Giants infielder Tyler Fitzgerald as “dangerous,” occurred in the top of the fourth inning with the Braves up to bat. As right fielder Mike Yastrzemski threw the ball home on a Sean Murphy sacrifice fly, another baseball bounced onto the infield from the upper deck.
Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow described whoever threw the ball as a “clown,” and San Francisco players were visibly confused. The run scored, however, and play continued as usual following a brief meeting between the umpires.
Melvin didn’t disclose whether or not the Giants are investigating further. But as of right now, it looks like whoever threw the ball might get away with an offense that could have gotten them banned from Oracle Park.
PITTSBURGH — Bryce Harper was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday and Phillies prospect Otto Kemp, who has raked all season at Triple A, was called up to take his place on the active roster.
Harper is dealing with right wrist inflammation. It was revealed Friday by manager Rob Thomson that Harper has been playing through soreness in the wrist for “a little while,” and that it was likely caused by swinging rather than a specific event.
The Phillies avoided the injured list with Harper last week when he missed five games after being hit in the surgically repaired right elbow by a 95 mph fastball. They hoped to do the same this time with his wrist but sitting Harper for 10 days to help it clear up was determined to be the right move. He is first eligible to return on June 16 in Miami.
The other half of Saturday’s transaction was one Phillies fans have been calling for. The right-handed Kemp impressed in spring training and never stopped hitting once the IronPigs’ season began. He’s hit .313/.416/.594 and leads the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI.
With Lehigh Valley this season, Kemp has started 33 games at third base, 10 at second, seven at first and seven in left field. The Phils could play him at either infield corner with Alec Bohm on the other side.
The Phillies originally signed Kemp, 25, as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He put together a strong 2024, rising from Single A all the way to Triple A, and has been a major difference-maker with the bat this season at the minors’ highest level.
