Category: Baseball

Here's what's at stake for Red Sox in weekend series with Yankees originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

After unexpectedly losing the opening two games of their series in Arizona over the weekend, the Red Sox were in some trouble on Sunday.

Facing a 3-1 deficit through six innings, the Red Sox were facing the very real possibility of getting swept by a sub-.500 Diamondbacks team, a setback that could have suddenly put the team in peril of potentially flirting with the possibility of missing the playoffs.

Yet with a three-run seventh inning and a three-run ninth, the Red Sox salvaged a win in that series finale before winning their first two games in West Sacramento against the A’s. The Red Sox came up short of sweeping the A’s — with Aroldis Chapman’s historic streak of dominance ending — but finished the road trip at 3-3.

The Red Sox now have just five three-game series remaining in their regular season, and they have a rather significant one coming up this weekend at Fenway Park.

The Yankees will be coming to Boston for the second and final time this year. They’ll be coming off a home series loss after dropping the first two games of their series against the Tigers in rather ugly fashion.

After Wednesday night’s action, the Red Sox and Yankees are in a virtual tie for second place in the AL East, with the Red Sox having played two more games. And with the Blue Jays losing on Wednesday as well, the division crown remains a possible — if unlikely — goal for both the Red Sox and Yankees, who are both three games back of Toronto.

What’s more attainable for the Red Sox and Yankees this weekend is some control in the wild-card standings. They’re both three games clear of the Mariners, who currently hold the final wild-card spot, and they’re four games clear of the Rangers, who are the top team outside of the playoff bubble.

A sweep either way would obviously shift the picture dramatically, as the winner would maybe be a game out of first place while the loser could be stuck fighting just to make the playoffs.

Yet for the Red Sox, what’s really at stake this weekend is the opportunity to really assert dominance over the Yankees one last time before a potential meeting in October. Regardless of Thursday’s outcome, the Yankees will be headed to Boston feeling wounded, after getting outscored 23-3 in their first two games against the Tigers this week.

For the Yankees to deal with that beatdown from a playoff team before taking on the Red Sox, against whom they’re just 2-8 this season? That will surely test the confidence and belief inside Aaron Boone’s clubhouse.

A sweep for the Red Sox would be far too high of an expectation. Yet with the state of the Yankees, with Boston having an off day on Thursday, and with the Red Sox having Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Garret Crochet lined up for the weekend, Boston is certainly in the driver’s seat to at least take two out of three.

At the same time, the Red Sox have lost numerous series they were supposed to win in recent weeks — notably against Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Arizona — so the Yankees can’t be expected to simply roll over.

Whichever way it goes, this series represents a major opportunity for either side to deliver one final haymaker to either knock the opponent off cruise control in the playoff race or send a message for a potential wild-card series that could take place in just a few short weeks.

Kepler, Sánchez lead Phillies to rout over Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There seems to be a simple set of directions for the Phillies when pitcher Cristopher Sánchez starts a game. That is to score early, settle in and watch the master go to work, score some more runs and pretty much call it a game.

They followed that guideline Wednesday night against the Mets and it led to an 11-3 victory, their 10th win in their last 13 games. The Phillies sent eight batters to the plate twice. They got three hits and five RBI from Max Kepler and three hits and two RBI from Brandon Marsh in their 14-hit barrage that led to the lopsided win.

The Phillies are now 86-60 on the season, leading the Mets in the National League East by 10 games. They also lowered their magic number to clinch the division to seven.

The Phillies have now taken the first three games of this four-game series and have clinched their 31st series win on the season, sixth best in club history. With five series left, they have a chance to beat the club record – which is 34 – set in 2011.

After Thursday’s game against the Mets, the Phillies close out the season with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins.

In their last 151 games at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have posted 102 wins, have won 11 of their last 12 series and have victories in 29 of their last 40 games at home.

The outfield du-jour of Marsh, Kepler and Harrison Bader combined to go eight for 14 with five runs and seven RBIs.

“I think everyone’s on board with the same goal and everyone’s moving at the same pace,” said Kepler of the outfielders. “Even if you’re not playing and on the bench, people are contributing and they’re contributing as a teammate, by cheering the guy in the box or whoever is in the field. There’s a feeling of everyone has each other’s backs, if you’re playing or not.”

Phillies offense wasted no time in getting a lead for Sánchez, as they sent two to the plate in the first inning and six more by the seventh.

The Mets scored their lone run off Sánchez in the fourth when Juan Soto led off the inning with a fan-interference-helped double to deep left-center. He moved to third on a Pete Alonso single and scored on an RBI single by Starling Marte.

The Phillies and Sánchez got out of the inning when the newly formed double play duo of shortstop Bryson Stott and second baseman Donovan Walton turned it to end the inning.

It was Stott’s first appearance at short this season but may not be the last, with a hamstring injury sidelining Trea Turner.

“I just kept my focus on pitching and we’re at home so we have to take advantage of that,” said Sanchez, who let up six runs and eight hits in five one/third innings against the Mets a couple weeks ago. “Attacking with the plan that we had and just staying calm and keeping composure as well. That’s what you call adjustment. I think that we made the right adjustments, and we got the results to show that.

“There’s not many games left and we’ve got to keep going. This isn’t over until it’s over. We always have to keep going, winning games and step up, our defense, our pitching, everything. We just have to keep trying to win every game.”

The Phillies added two more in the fifth as J.T. Realmuto got an infield hit to third and scored on a double by Brandon Marsh. The Mets removed starter Clay Holmes and on the first pitch from reliever Gregory Soto, Kepler hit a broken-bat single to center to score Marsh.

They again had eight hitters go to the plate in scoring four runs in the sixth, which included two hit batters, a walk and three singles. Marsh drove in one with a single, Kepler two with a single and Otto Kemp had a sacrifice fly.

“I’m really proud of the ball club,” said manager Rob Thomson. “That’s the way it’s been here for a while. We’ve lost guys and other guys just step in and take hold of the situation. That’s what we’re going through right now. Everybody understands where we’re at and what we need to do to get this thing done. Things change in a heartbeat. I’m not counting my chickens right now. We’ve just got to keep moving.”

Bryce Harper hit his 25th home run of the season to right in the seventh for a run and Kepler blasted a solo shot to right in a two-run eighth inning. Juan Soto hit a solo homer off Jose Alvarado in the eighth for the Mets’ other run.

Sánchez left after six innings of work, allowing four hits, the one run and striking out six. He improved to 13-5 and lowered his ERA to 2.57.

“His changeup was really good tonight, better than last time (against the Mets),” said Thomson. “He had 11 whiffs, a little trouble in the fourth inning and worked out of it, only giving up one run. That shows his poise and character. He had a good night.”

As did Kepler. The Phillies are not 15-1 in games in which he homers. He also uncharacteristically broke his splintered bat over his knee after he singled in a run in the fifth.

“It’s a good feeling to smash one over your leg from time to time,” said Kepler. “That’s definitely not me. I’m not a hardo. That’s just in the moment I wanted to let that out and smash my bat. I’ve done that once before, also on a hit. I don’t know what got into me there. That’s a hardo moment, for sure.”

Call it hardo or maybe just relief that he and his outfield teammates are playing so well at just the right time of the season.

The Phillies close out the series on Thursday with a national broadcast on FOX. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. ET.

It didn't come as too much of a surprise to see Jose Caballero penciled into the Yankees' starting lineup instead of Anthony Volpe.

The third-year shortstop has struggled in 2025 and Tuesday's loss to the Tigers seemed like a tipping point. Volpe went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a failed bunt attempt that had the Yankee Stadium crowd booing the youngster as he walked back to the dugout.

"I just feel like [Caballero] deserves to play some," manager Aaron Boone said of the lineup decision before Wednesday's game. "Obviously, it’s been a tough stretch for Volpe offensively here and it's just that time of year, all hands on deck. It just felt like that was the best move for us today."

When asked how many starts Caballero would get with only 18 games remaining, the Yankees skipper said the decision is "day-to-day" and that they'll reassess after the game and heading into Thursday's series finale. Boone did say that Wednesday's decision was a combination of Volpe's struggles and trying to give Caballero some run before the end of the year and potentially into the postseason.

Since being acquired from the Rays on July 31, Caballero has shown flashes as a member of the Yankees. In 26 games, Caballero is 10-for-43 (.233) with an OBP of .346. While he doesn't have the pop of Volpe, Caballero is getting on base more and stealing bases. 

Caballero has stolen nine bases with the Yankees to add to his MLB-leading 43, which includes nine games of multiple stolen bases.

"Obviously, Cabby's been a really good player for us since coming over. He brings a lot of value in so many different ways," Boone said. "Have a lot of confidence when he's in there, when he's in the lineup. Love also having the bench versatility, and the things that he brings at different points in the game. Hopefully, he can go in there and be a little spark for us tonight and continue his good play." 

"He's a really talented, impactful player when he's going well. Hopefully, we can still get him to that point."

Aaron Boone was asked what he thinks has happened to Anthony Volpe: pic.twitter.com/XYCRUgmAuW

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 10, 2025

After going hitless Tuesday, Volpe is now hitting .206 for the season and is 2-for-17 with 10 strikeouts and no walks over his last five games. 

Boone pointed to the peaks and valleys of Volpe's season and career so far. But despite that, they believe there's a good hitter in there. 

"I think offensively, for the better part of the last six-eight weeks. It's been a struggle," Boone said. "He's had some pockets in there, where he's done well. There's a lot of the underlying stuff this year, offensively speaking, that has been better than ever in a lot of ways. He hasn't got to that point that we all wanted him to get to offensively...that real consistency. 

"I still think it's very possible even this year, and hopefully in October too [where] he's playing his best baseball. We saw some of his best baseball last October when he was at his best. As much as we want to get down on people in certain spots and write them off and stuff, this game can flip like that, and all of a sudden, you get it rolling and get it working a little bit. And he's a really talented, impactful player when he's going well. So hopefully, we can still get him to that point." 

In 14 games in the postseason last year, Volpe excelled, slashing .286/.407/.408 with an OPS of .815 to go along with one home run and six RBI. His grand slam in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series gave the Yankees a lead they wouldn't relinquish as the team staved off elimination. 

Volpe has fallen quite a bit since last October, but Boone and the Yankees continue to see him as their starting shortstop, even with Caballero's start, but they are in "day-to-day mode" and are playing for a lot right now. 

Going into Wednesday's game, the Yankees are three games back of Toronto for the AL East, and are in a virtual tie with the Red Sox for the top Wild Card spot. 

"I have the decision to make every day with the lineup and I'll make whatever tough decision," Boone said. "My hope, is that, [Volpe] can kind of get it going here to a point where he is that guy because I think when we're at our best, he's out there, impacting us on both sides of the ball, and it frees up Cabby to play a different role, too."

 

Carlos Mendoza confirmed prior to Wednesday's game that the Mets will officially be without Jesse Winker for the remainder of the season. 

Winker has been on the injured list since mid-July due to back inflammation. 

The veteran hadn't made much progress before beginning a rehab assignment out of the blue two weeks ago, but he was quickly shut back down from all activities after suffering a setback. 

He is still going through the process of visiting doctors and receiving multiple opinions, but the skipper has officially ruled him out the rest of the way. 

Winker was acquired ahead of last year's deadline, and he was brought back on a one-year deal this offseason after providing the spark they were looking for. 

He was limited to 26 games due to the back issue and an oblique injury suffered earlier in the year. 

The impending free agent hit .229 prior to the injury, but had eight XBHs and 10 RBI.

Aroldis Chapman's historic stretch of dominance ends in walk-off loss to A's originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Aroldis Chapman still hasn’t given up a hit or a run in a major league stadium since late July.

Unfortunately for him and the Red Sox, their game in a minor league stadium against the vagabond Athletics on Wednesday counted as a real, live MLB game, so the closer’s historic streak of dominance officially came to an end.

Chapman was called upon in the bottom of the ninth in West Sacramento, after Rob Refsnyder had tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI double in the top of the inning. To that point, Chapman had faced 50 consecutive batters without giving up a hit, a streak dating back to July 23 in Philadelphia.

Yet after falling behind 1-2, Shea Langeliers put a good swing on a well-placed pitch on the outside edge of the plate, driving a no-doubt double into the left-center field gap.

Shea Langeliers ends Aroldis Chapman's hitless streak at 50 batters with a leadoff double

Chapman had not allowed a hit since July 23rd pic.twitter.com/BePOCpxJ39

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 10, 2025

Brent Rooker followed that up with a productive out, flying out to right field to move the runner to third, before Lawrence Butler delivered a walk-off, line-drive single over shortstop to plate the run and win the game for the A’s.

we’re Law good pic.twitter.com/pFltH2URXT

— Athletics (@Athletics) September 10, 2025

The loss cost the Red Sox a chance for a sweep in West Sacramento, ending their road trip with a 3-3 record before they return home to host the Yankees this weekend.

Chapman’s stretch of 17 consecutive outings without allowing a hit was the third-longest stretch since 1901, but Chapman retired significantly more batters than the two relievers ahead of him on that list.

Longest streak of consecutive pitching appearances without allowing a hit in MLB history:

20 – Randy Choate (28 batters faced)
18 – Tim Byrdak (24 batters faced)
17 – Aroldis Chapman (49 batters faced)

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) September 8, 2025

Over the stretch, the 37-year-old was simply untouchable. After allowing a game-tying solo home run to J.T. Realmuto on July 23, Chapman retired the next batter he faced to get out of that inning. He then pitched 14.2 innings over his next 17 appearances, allowing just four walks while striking out 21 of the 49 batters he faced. His spotless ERA during that run came alongside a 0.273 WHIP.

The run reached an uncanny level on Sunday, when — due to a runner reaching base on a wild pitch on a strikeout — Chapman struck out all four batters he faced in his one inning of work in Arizona.

Chapman lowered his ERA on the season from 1.34 after the July 23 outing to 0.98 entering Wednesday. Now after allowing a run in his brief outing on Wednesday, the ERA is back up to 1.14 — which shows just how difficult it is for anyone to maintain a sub-1.00 ERA into September.

In 61 appearances this season, Chapman has allowed a run just seven times, and he’s yet to allow more than one run in any outing. Since May 28, he’s pitched 38 times, and he’s allowed a run on just two of those occasions.

It was certainly a bit shocking to see Chapman allow the hits and the run on Wednesday, but it was a remarkable stretch that had to end eventually. And with the playoffs now just a little over two weeks away, the Red Sox will hope Chapman can simply start up another streak through September and October.

Giants' path to MLB playoffs passing through Dodgers is torturously fitting originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – In an ideal world for the Giants, there would be a smooth path to the MLB playoffs. That’s not Giants baseball, though. Torture is. 

So is hating the Los Angeles Dodgers, and having that emotion run through your veins at the most important part of the season. The Giants didn’t look ahead Wednesday in their 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but they did make their upcoming three-game home series against the Dodgers that much more nerve-racking. 

Waking up early for afternoon baseball in front of their home fans, the Giants watched their bats go silent for far too long and saw a weakness in their starting rotation exposed. The Giants were no-hit until there was one out in the fifth inning, and their starting pitcher, Carson Seymour, only lasted 1 1/3 innings before being pulled by manager Bob Melvin. 

Now, they’ll need a little help entering a day off Thursday before gearing up to battle the Dodgers beginning Friday night. 

Handing 42-year-old Justin Verlander a $15 million contract in the offseason looked like a grave mistake, as the future Hall of Famer struggled mightily in the early portions of the 2025 MLB season. In his last three starts, however, Verlander has more closely resembled the pitcher who has won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP than the one who went 16 starts before finally getting his first win in a Giants jersey. 

Verlander in that span has gone 2-0 with a no-decision, allowing only two earned runs in 17 innings. He racked up 21 strikeouts while walking only six and didn’t give up any home runs in those three starts against the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals. Verlander has not pitched against the Dodgers this season. That will change come Friday night.

It sure sounds like he’ll be followed by the Giants’ two All-Star starting pitchers. Melvin didn’t give a firm answer, but did allude to Logan Webb and Robbie Ray starting after Verlander thanks to Thursday’s day off. 

“That’s definitely an option,” Melvin said Wednesday during his pregame press conference. 

Webb on Monday eclipsed 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career when he struck out seven and gave up one earned run in Monday’s 14-9 win against the Diamondbacks. The staff ace last faced the Dodgers on July 11, earning a win despite giving up two homers and six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. Although Webb has a 5.84 ERA against LA this season, he has won both of his starts against the rivals and the Dodgers are batting .185 off him. 

The Giants’ 5-3 win against the D-backs on Tuesday night put a stop to a rough stretch for Ray. After three straight bad starts, Ray earned his first win since Sept. 18, putting together five strong innings. He has pitched against the Dodgers just once this season. 

Ray was given a no-decision in the Giants’ 11-inning loss on July 13 as he gave up three hits and two earned runs in six innings. 

Even though the Giants can get a breather Thursday, it’s still a big day – specifically for Giants third baseman Matt Chapman. 

The league will hear Chapman’s appeal of his one-game suspension stemming from last week’s brawl with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Chapman has yet to serve his suspension and would miss one of the Giants’ three games against the Dodgers. In the game he was ejected from and given a suspension, Chapman didn’t have any plate appearances and didn’t play at all in the field. 

“I have a pretty good feeling that hopefully it’s reduced and he just gets fined like the other guys did,” Melvin said. 

There’s needing help from other teams to beat the New York Mets, currently ahead of the Giants for the third NL wild-card spot, and those on their heels in the standings. There’s hoping for good results when it comes to Chapman, and then there’s relying on their Big Three of Webb, Ray and Verlander. 

Scoreboard watching is natural with so much on the line. 

It’s up to the Giants to keep their focus on themselves. 

“What’s in our control is just trying to win a baseball game,” Melvin said. “There’s a lot of teams bunched up. A couple behind us, or whatever. A couple ahead of us. It’s just trying to win as many baseball games as we can. That’s what we’ve been talking about more so than who, where and when.”

This is what September baseball is all about. The Giants’ season coming down to two more series with the Dodgers, one at home and then one on the road, is perfectly – and torturously – fitting.

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Sanchez's evolution has been astounding to watch for Thomson  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The amazement in which Phillies manager Rob Thomson watches pitcher Cristopher Sanchez seems to surprise even him.

And why not? All Sanchez has done this season, before facing the New York Mets on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, is thrust himself firmly into the Cy Young conversation with his 12-5 record, 2.60 ERA, 20 quality starts and a 1.12 WHIP. He also hasn’t given up a home run in 48 and 1/3 innings and has given up more than three earned runs in just three of his 28 starts.

“I’m always astounded by him,” Thomson said. “I always think about the first time I saw him and it was trouble for him to throw a strike, to be honest. But with the great fastball and the great velocity and how he’s kind of evolved into this pitcher that has power, and his great changeup and the great poise and how tough he is. I’ve been around a long time, as we know, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the evolution of a pitcher like I have with Sanchez.”

That is extremely high praise coming from a man that spent close to 20 years in the New York Yankees organization before becoming a bench coach with the Phillies in 2018. Especially when you take into consideration how erratic Sanchez was when Thomson first saw him.

“I think he believed it. Me, I wasn’t quite sure,” Thomson said of the success level Sanchez has reached. “But that was one time seeing. You’ve got to see people over and over. I’m just really astounded where he’s come.”

Outfield a good problem 

The shuffling of the outfield has been talked and written about almost daily since the Phillies acquired Harrison Bader back on July 31. And while it’s been ever-changing, it’s always been a semi-hot topic.

Thomson had a wish when it all came about, and that was that all five of his platooning outfielders play well enough that no matter who he pencils in, the results are good. He’s pretty much gotten that of late from Bader, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, Nick Castellanos and Weston Wilson.

“He’s been really good,” Thomson said of Castellanos, who knocked in two first-inning runs on Tuesday. “He really has. He’s stayed within the zone for the most part. Big double last night to get a couple runs on the board early. I think he’s been good.”

Castellanos was not in the starting lineup on Wednesday in favor of Marsh, Bader and Kepler. Days off for the player who has played almost all of them for close to a decade seems to be working for Castellanos right now.

“I think it has to do more with having some days off,” Thomson said. “It makes their bodies feel a little bit better, a little fresher. I don’t think he’s working on anything in particular. I know he’s always trying to stay within the strike zone and use the entire field. I think that’s just his game plan. I think having days off, for all these guys at times, is good for them.

“It’s been great, it really has. I’m really happy with where we’re at right now. We’ve just got to keep moving forward. Everybody is contributing. It seems like a different guy every day that steps up. It’s been great.”

Bader seems to be firmly planted as the (nearly) everyday center fielder right now. Wednesday, he was at the leadoff spot for the second game in a row.

“He had a big night last night, so we’ll run it back through again,” Thomson said. “He works hard, and he’s improved his offensive game. But I think he’s fit in well in this clubhouse because he has a really good personality and brings a lot of energy, and I think that fits perfect with the group that we’ve got.”

Numbers game 

There were a lot of numbers to comprehend on Tuesday when you consider Kyle Schwarber became just the second Phillies player to hit 50 home runs in a season (Ryan Howard the other), Bryson Stott got his 500th career hit and Ranger Suarez struck out a career-high 12. So, what are some of Thomson’s favorite numbers to observe with this team?

“That’s a good question, I’d have to think about that,” he said. “There are so many numbers. The 50 home runs are pretty cool. The 500 hits for Stott are pretty cool. I think the fact that we’ve improved our discipline at the plate is really good. There’s a lot of stuff. I stay pretty traditional, to tell you the truth. For me, anyway, that’s the best approach.”

Thomson had the team roaring in the clubhouse after Tuesday’s game when the team toasted Schwarber on his huge accomplishment. 

“You’re a gift,” Thomson said to Schwarber, drawing huge laughs from his players. Turns out, that’s a Bader quip.

“It’s great. It’s been a long time not being able to do that,” said Thomson of his speech. “When I have an opportunity to celebrate somebody’s successes it feels really great for me. ‘What a gift’ is his saying, so that’s why I said it.”

What we learned as Carson Seymour, Giants' offense struggle in loss to D-backs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The red-hot Giants were cooled off in their pursuit of an MLB playoff push Wednesday at Oracle Park with a frustrating 5-3 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Carson Seymour earned his first big league win last Friday in his second career start. He wasn’t close to as successful in his third start. Seymour’s start began with a leadoff home run, and it ended with six hits and four earned runs over 1 1/3 innings pitched. 

Offensively, he and the rest of the Giants’ pitching staff didn’t get much help. The Giants were no-hit until Eduardo Rodriguez’ bid ended with one out in the fifth inning. At that point, the Giants already were trailing 4-0. 

Rodriguez was sporting a 5.22 ERA on the 2025 MLB season and stifled the Giants up and down the lineup. The veteran left-hander gave up only two hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings. 

Though Rafael Devers did drive in two of the Giants’ three runs with a deep double to right-center field in the eighth inning, the Giants’ first three batters – Heliot Ramos, Devers and Willy Adames – were a collective 2-for-13 and totaled five strikeouts.

Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ loss, dropping them to 74-72 on the season. 

Seymour’s Rough Start

The Giants’ two MLB All-Star starting pitchers, Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, secured a series win to inch San Francisco one step closer to the third and final NL wild-card spot. Seymour, making his third career MLB start, couldn’t complete the sweep. 

It was a bad day for Seymour right from the jump. After putting leadoff batter Geraldo Perdomo in an 0-2 hole, Seymour on the fourth pitch of the at-bat hung a sinker right over the heart of the plate. Perdomo made him pay, launching a solo shot 380 feet over the right-field wall. 

That didn't take long. pic.twitter.com/ioILbSP0Ip

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 10, 2025

All Seymour allowed the rest of the inning was a single to right field. The real damage came in the second inning. The Diamondbacks began the top half of the inning reeling off three straight singles to make it a 2-0 game. 

A sacrifice bunt brought Perdomo up for his second at-bat, and this time he knocked Seymour out of the game, hitting a sharp line drive to right field to bring in another run and put men on first and third. Seymour faced 10 batters in 1 1/3 innings, fooling nobody along the way. 

He now has a 7.71 ERA in 15 innings at Oracle Park this season.

Bats Get Silenced

Through the first two games of this three-game series, the Giants scored 16 runs and hit seven home runs. The Giants’ offense ran out of juice Wednesday afternoon. Their first 14 batters failed to get a hit before Casey Schmitt finally ended Rodriguez’s no-hit bid with one out in the fifth inning. 

What looked to be a rally in the making was nothing more than a tease in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adames walked and then was 90 feet from giving the Giants their first run after a single from Matt Chapman, putting runners at first and third with no outs. The Giants then laid an egg. 

As Adames begged to cross home plate, Wilmer Flores instead hit a pop fly sky-high to the catcher. The inning then ended when Schmitt struck out and the Giants had a gaffe on the bases, ending with Adames getting in a pickle and being tagged out at home. 

The two runs Devers drove in the next inning were simply too little, too late. As was the fight they showed in the bottom of the ninth.

Now What? 

There are two critical games the Giants will be watching as the day continues. First, the New York Mets, who came into the day two games ahead of the Giants for the third NL wild-card spot, play the Philadelphia Phillies. Then, the Giants will be glued to what happens between the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. 

The Padres have a firm hold of the second wild-card spot, but the Reds entered Wednesday just one game back of the Giants. 

To make matters even more intense, the Giants after a day off will serve as host to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series that starts Friday night. By the sound of things, manager Bob Melvin wants to ensure the trio of Webb, Ray and Justin Verlander toe the rubber against the Giants’ biggest rivals. 

Every game will have to be managed like a Game 7 going forward. The Giants will need help from others, but first they’ll have to get back to controlling their own destiny against the Dodgers.

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On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo take stock in the falling stock of the Mets as they struggle down the stretch

The guys check in on a rough road trip, which has seen good pitching from the young starters, but bad hitting and other issues leading to losses. 

The guys break down the Wild Card race, go Down on the Farm to talk about the minor league affiliates that are already in the playoffs, and answer Mailbag questions about the Mets’ chances in October, targeting Kyle Schwarber in the offseason, and future free agent pitching options from Japan. 

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

After 14 major league seasons, Anthony Rizzo has called it a career. 

The 35-year-old announced on Wednesday morning that the is retiring. He'll be honored by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday and will become an ambassador for the team. 

Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2007, Rizzo was traded first to the San Diego Padres in 2010 and then to the Cubs in 2012. Rizzo became a household name in Chicago, making three All-Star teams while winning four Gold Gloves, including a Platinum Glove in 2016 -- the year that the Cubs ended their championship drought by defeating Cleveland in the World Series.

Rizzo was traded to the Yankees during the 2021 season, and he went on to play 370 regular season games with New York, slashing .234/.326/.409 with 60 homers and 172 RBI. Rizzo was also a good postseason performer for the Yanks, posting an .878 OPS in 20 playoff games.

Rizzo retires with 1,644 career hits, 303 career home runs, and an OPS+ of 123.

With 17 games remaining in the regular season, the Mets are looking to hold off a handful of teams for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of play on Sept. 10...

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Mets: 76-69, 2.0 games up on Giants for third Wild Card

Next up: @ Phillies, Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY (Clay Holmes vs. Cristopher Sanchez)
Latest result: 9-3 loss to Phillies on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 2 @ PHI, 3 vs. TEX, 3 vs. SD, 3 vs. WSH, 3 @ CHC, 3 @ MIA
Odds to make playoffs: 87.8 percent
*Mets hold tiebreaker over Giants by virtue of winning the season series

Giants: 74-71, 2.0 games back of Mets 

Next up: vs. Diamondbacks, Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. (Carson Seymour vs. Eduardo Rodriguez)
Latest result: 5-3 win over D-backs on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 vs. ARI, 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ ARI, 4 @ LAD, 3 vs. STL, 3 vs. COL
Odds to make playoffs: 7.7 percent

Reds: 73-72, 3.0 games back of Mets 

Next up: @ Padres, Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. (Andrew Abbott vs. Nick Pivetta)
Latest result: 4-2 win over Padres on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 @ SD, 3 @ ATH, 3 @ STL, 4 vs. CHC, 3 vs. PIT, 3 @ MIL
Odds to make playoffs: 5.2 percent

Diamondbacks: 72-74, 4.5 games back of Mets

Next up: @ Giants, Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. (Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Carson Seymour)
Latest result: 5-3 loss to Giants on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 @ SF, 3 @ MIN, 3 vs. SF, 3 vs. PHI, 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ SD
Odds to make playoffs: 0.8 percent

Cardinals: 72-74, 4.5 games back of Mets

Next up: @ SEA, Wednesday at 9:40 p.m. (Michael McGreevy vs. Logan Gilbert)
Latest result: 5-3 loss to Mariners on Tuesday
Remaining schedule: 1 @ SEA, 3 @ MIL, 3 vs. CIN, 3 vs. MIL, 3 @ SF, 3 @ CHC
Odds to make playoffs: 0.6 percent

The Mets continue a four-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Juan Soto is hitting .306/.461/.667 with 12 home runs, 30 RBI, 31 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases over his last 30 games
• Francisco Lindor had a strong month of August, but he's gone 0-for-12 over his last three games  and is hitting .185/.395/.333 with no homers and one RBI during eight games in September
• Clay Holmes is coming off a start in which he allowed just two earned runs (three runs overall) in 4.2 innings against the Detroit Tigers

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What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 

• Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 

• Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

• Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

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• Sean Manaea was ineffective yet again, and the Mets dropped a second straight game in Philadelphia, falling by a score of 9-3
• Manaea, who now has a season ERA of 5.76, will remain in the rotation, with Carlos Mendoza calling the lefty "a guy that we're counting on"
• Mendoza said after the game that the Mets must continue to fight as they look to secure a spot in the playoffs
• A silver lining of the loss was Juan Soto stealing his 30th base, becoming the fifth Met ever to join the 30-30 club
• Prior to the game, the Mets activated Jose Siri from the IL and Mendoza outlined the plan for center field
• WATCH: Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford both homered for Triple-A Syracuse