Category: Baseball

The Mets face the Twins in Minnesota at 7:40 p.m. on SNY.

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

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Mets Notes

• The Mets' team ERA of 2.30 is the lowest in baseball
• Clay Holmes struck out a season-high 10 batters over 5.1 innings during his start against the Marlins last week
• Max Kranick has been close to perfect in 10.0 innings in relief, with a 0.00 ERA and 0.20 WHIP.
• Luis Torrens has been terrific while filling in for Francisco Alvarez, playing strong defense while hitting .333/.375/.567 in 32 plate appearances over 11 games

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Twins play a three-game series in Minnesota beginning on Monday at 7:40 p.m. on SNY.

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Preview

Is a Juan Soto breakout coming?

For the first time this season, Soto is struggling.

He has just one hit in his last 13 at-bats, and has been making mostly weak contact lately -- including lots of grounders to the right side of the infield.

Also absent at the moment is Soto's power. He has hit just one home run this season (in the second game of the year against the Astros), and his last extra-base hit came on April 7 against the Marlins at Citi Field.

Soto, as is always the case, is seeing the ball well. And he's continuing to get on base regularly, as evidenced by his .409 OBP.

But Soto doesn't look like himself at the plate -- something you figure will change any day now.

Clay Holmes looks to keep building as a starter

Holmes' final line during his last start did not match how he looked and how well he executed his pitches.

In 5.1 innings against the Marlins, Holmes struck out a season-high 10 batters, but was dinged with four earned runs -- due in part to multiple wind-blown hits. The bullpen also allowed two inherited runners to score.

While Holmes will enter Monday's start against the Twins with an ERA of 4.30, his FIP (2.39) is almost two full runs lower. That suggests he's been pretty unlucky during his first three starts and is due for a correction.

Another thing to keep an eye on is how deep Holmes goes.

After failing to escape the fifth inning in his first two starts, he turned in a 5.1 inning performance in his third.

How will Edwin Diaz look?

Diaz's season began with four dominant appearances where he held the opposition scoreless, allowed three hits, walked none, and struck out six.

Things couldn't have swung more wildly the other way in Diaz's last two appearances, as he has been unable to harness his stuff.

In those appearances (the first of which was a non-save situation during a game the Mets were losing), Diaz allowed five runs on three hits while walking four and striking out one.

An obvious negative is that Diaz's command has been off. An obvious positive is that his fastball velocity was up to 99 mph against the A's on Friday.

Even while being largely dominant over the last several seasons, Diaz always seems to have one stretch per year where he kind of loses it. He's in the midst of one of those stretches now. For the Mets' sake, it hopefully won't last much longer.

The Twins are sliding

Minnesota enters this series with a 5-11 record, a 3-7 mark over the last 10 games, and a -13 run differential that is the third-worst mark in the American League.

The Twins' pitching has been solid, as their 3.85 team ERA ranks 17th. But their offense has been abysmal.

Minnesota's team .OBP of .278 is the fifth-worst mark in the majors.

Carlos Correa (.488 OPS) and Byron Buxton (.673 OPS) have been struggling, and star Royce Lewis remains out due to a hamstring strain.

One bright spot has been first baseman Ty France, who is hitting .298 with a pair of homers and an .811 OPS.

Hello, Harrison Bader

Bader, who was a key part of the Mets' magical run last season, inked a one-year deal with Minnesota during the offseason.

As their starting center fielder, he's slashing .209/.244/.442 with three home runs and 10 RBI.

Bader has also been strikeout-prone, fanning 11 times in 15 games.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

It's just a matter of time before he erupts.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Clay Holmes

As is noted above, Holmes' line during his last start did not match how he looked.

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

Byron Buxton

Even when he isn't at his best, Buxton is very dangerous.

Admit it, there is worry.

Fess up, negative thoughts are swirling.

Could it be possible that the greatest team in baseball history isn’t even the best team in their division?

Is there a chance that a team so recently dubbed, “invincible” and “unbeatable” is actually more like “maddening” and “mediocre?”

Does baseball’s reigning emperor have no clothes?

That was some of the talk floating through the late afternoon haze Sunday as the Dodgers followed the worst loss in Dodger Stadium history with one of the most frustrating of the season.

One moment the Chicago Cubs were beating the Dodgers 16-0, then less than 24 hours later they were winning with a quarter of those runs. One moment the Cubs were embarrassing the Dodgers, the next moment they were enraging them, a 4-2 loss that dropped the Dodgers to 3-6 since their 8-0 start.

They have lost three consecutive series for the first time in nearly a year, and it only happened once last season, and, yes, late Sunday that was Max Muncy’s bat and helmet flying through the air.

“It’s just a bumpy two weeks,” said Mookie Betts, adding, “This isn't the first time we sucked for two weeks.”

Read more:Dodgers offense continues to struggle in loss to Cubs

The adjective in the first sentence was appropriate. The verb in the second sentence was perfect.

The Dodgers lost Sunday’s game despite six strong innings from Tyler Glasnow, who gave up a couple of runs on two homers and rebounded from a muddy beating in Philadelphia to pitch as wonderfully as the weather.

But starting pitching isn’t the problem. It’s everything else.

The fielding generally stinks, witness the misplayed fly ball in the left-field corner by Michael Conforto that led to the eighth-inning clinching run.

“Outs that we have to have, we gotta convert those,” said manager Dave Roberts for the umpteenth time.

The hitting, meanwhile, really stinks, this historic offense began the game ranking eighth in baseball in strikeouts and OPS while drawing only the 17th-most walks.

“We’re trying to get the job done,” said Betts. “We’re just not.”

In other words, the magic of all those wondrous plate appearances in October have at least temporarily disappeared. This Dodger team doesn’t work the count, they don’t wear down the pitcher, they don’t own the moment.

The top of the lineup has been decent, but the bottom of the order has been non-existent.

Kiké Hernández is five for 44. Miguel Rojas is five for 31. Muncy is nine for 51 and still without a homer.

Read more:Dodgers' Andy Pages trying to avoid sophomore slump and cement lineup spot

How bad is the group of background players who once stole the show and made this team’s stars shine? So far this season Shohei Ohtani has had seven plate appearances with runners in scoring position. All season.

“It’s a 162-game season and it's going to be like that,” said Hernández. “You're never going to have …every guy in the lineup be hot at the same time. I just feel like — we have more guys scuffling than guys that are feeling really good at the plate, so it's just one of those stretches right now.”

Standing in front of his locker after Sunday’s game, admirably facing the tough questions, Hernández made a promise.

At the beginning of the season it felt like a realistic promise. Suddenly it feels like a shaky one

“We're going to snap out of it and we're just going to start steamrolling people,” he said.

Maybe so, but they have to first rediscover what led them to steamrolling people in the first place. These glamorous defending world champions have to remember the time — not so long ago — when they were the gritty team with the chip on their shoulders.

“We just gotta…get back to who we are as an offense,” said Roberts. “Running counts, getting on base, taking walks when given to us, and not chasing, and trying to create stress. And when we do that, we give ourselves more opportunities. And when we don't do that, our margin is much smaller. Pitchers have to be more perfect, and that's a tough way to live.”

You know what’s a really tough way to live? Without Freddie Freeman. His ankle injury may be the key to this entire slide. Freeman grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning Sunday but he hasn’t been on the field much and the Dodger offense has crumbled without his cornerstone.

Freeman played virtually the entire season in six of the last seven years, but he’s only appeared in seven of 17 games this season, so you know something is wrong. His surgically repaired ankle is still obviously bothering him, and the pain is clearly killing the Dodgers.

“Freddie is wired very routine,” said Roberts. “Being hurt, the start-stop, the (injured list) — certainly not ideal for him, or for anyone. But he’ll get there. It’s not perfect, his ankle. It’s sort of a new normal, in my opinion. I just feel he’s going to have to calibrate the new normal for his ankle.”

Freeman is apparently going to have to battle his condition the entire season. And so, apparently, will the Dodgers. It is a battle they all must win. Their title defense depends on it.

Like Hernández, Roberts made a promise.

“We're going to be just fine,” he said. “I still expect to win the division. I still expect to win the World Series. I appreciate the passion, the concern from our fans. But we're going to be fine.”

OK. Sure. Absolutely. Gulp.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It took a few innings, but after a late start by the offense the Mets wound up pushing across eight runs on 11 hits to shut out the Athletics on Sunday and take the series in Sacramento.

Kodai Senga was superb over seven scoreless innings while New York got contributions up and down the lineup after managing just one run and five hits the day before.

Surprisingly, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso combined to go 0-for-7 while the biggest bat turned out to be Luis Torrens. Pegged to be the backup catcher this season after joining the Mets last year and used in a similar role, Torrens has been inserted to the starting job to begin the season with Francisco Alvarez on the IL.

Not known as the biggest offensive threat -- although he does have some pop -- Torrens has made the most out of his opportunity so far and had a 3-for-4 day with a double and two RBI to raise his batting average to .333 in 30 at-bats. The 28-year-old got off to a similarly hot start when New York called his number last season, too.

"His ability to use the whole field, especially with runners in scoring position," manager Carlos Mendoza said about what he likes the most out of Torrens' offense. "He’s not afraid to go the other way. He can impact the baseball and pull it when he wants to, but I think he’s just gonna give you a good at-bat overall.

"Knowing the situation, having the ability to slow the game down, but I think it’s just coming down to getting good pitches and thinking small and using the whole field."

Facing Luis Severino, who pitched for the Mets last season and who Torrens knew even before from their time in the Yankees organization, the veteran catcher had two hits and a walk against the right-hander, including an RBI single in the sixth inning that broke a scoreless tie.

So, did catching Severino help Torrens at the plate? After all, the rest of the Mets went 2-for-19 against him.

"Probably a little bit, but not much," Torrens said. "I know the type of competitor he is and that’s why in the box I just want to be ready for his fastball since that’s what he uses the most."

Regardless, Torrens is proving to be a valuable asset for New York, both at the plate and behind it.

Brett Baty gets his first ribeye

It has not been a good start to the season for Baty who is now getting his fourth shot at sticking in the majors. However, making his first start at his natural position of third base on Sunday, the 25-year-old made two sparkling plays to start a double play in consecutive innings to help Senga maneuver out of early trouble.

While Baty's defense has never been a problem (he's even begun to look more comfortable at second base), his offense has left plenty to be desired. And after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first four at-bats, it appeared the youngster was on his way to yet another disappointing performance at the plate.

However, he managed to salvage his day with an RBI triple in the ninth inning -- his first career triple. The hit also gave Baty his first RBI of the season before coming around to score the game's final run and his first run scored in 2025.

"That’s what you want to see," Mendoza said. "You want him to have fun, to continue to play the game and continue to contribute to help us win games. That [double] play was huge… For him to get the triple, it’s just good to see him having some good results here. He’s a good player."

It’s too early, the Dodgers say, to sound any alarm bells. Their lineup is too talented, they believe, for the narrative not to eventually turn.

But right now, the team’s biggest problem is not difficult to diagnose.

Their $400-million roster is not hitting, plain and simple.

And in a 4-2 defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, it cost them a third straight series loss in the wake of their roaring 8-0 start to the season.

“I’m not overly concerned right now, given where we’re at on the calendar,” manager Dave Roberts said, reflecting the frustrated — but not panicked — mood of his team. 

“I think we just haven’t gotten synced up offensively,” he added. “It’s gonna happen. It’s just in this last nine-, 10-game stretch, it just hasn’t.”

During the Dodgers’ unbeaten barrage to begin this year’s World Series title defense, their star-studded lineup was performing as expected — even if the team felt then it wasn’t quite clicking on all cylinders.

Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts set the tone at the top. Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman and Will Smith cashed in with runners on base. And despite struggles from the bottom of the batting order,, the Dodgers were still averaging more than 5 ½ runs per game, hardly seeming to notice Freddie Freeman’s early absence.

Over the last nine games, however, the offense has come to a screeching halt; averaging barely three runs per contest during their current 3-6 rut.

Ohtani and Betts have been solid, but far from superhuman. Everyone else is trudging along, if not toiling through a flat-out slump.

“I just feel like we have more guys scuffling than guys that are feeling really good at the plate,” said Kiké Hernández, one of five regulars in the Dodgers’ lineup batting .225 or worse. 

“It's a matter of time. We're going to snap out of it and we're just going to start steamrolling people. We're just going through a little bit of a rough patch.”

In Roberts’ view, the root of such scuffles has been a lack of quality “team at-bats,” with the manager bemoaning his hitters’ tendency to chase pitches out of the zone and make life easy on opposing pitchers.

“Our DNA as an offense, we do a really good job of beating the starter and getting the pitch count up and getting to the ‘pen,” Roberts said. “It’s not like guys are not trying to hit the ball hard. But I do think that if you look at the last 10 days, there hasn’t been a lot of loud contact. Just kind of building innings, creating stress, we just haven’t done that.”

That sobering reality became all the more apparent Sunday, when the Dodgers (11-6) did little against Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea; a swingman from the bullpen with a career 4.52 ERA.

Rea gave the Dodgers plenty of good pitches to hit early in the "Sunday Night Baseball" showdown. Roughly a dozen times, Rea offered up mid-90s mph fastball near the heart of the plate.

But of the 16 total heaters the Dodgers swung at against Rea, — a lanky 6-foot-5 right-hander with a deceptively low release point — they whiffed six times, put only three in play and recorded just one hit on a Michael Conforto single in the second.

Conforto eventually came around to score on a Hernández single, giving the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. But, on a day they were once again without Freeman (who got a scheduled day off after his return from the injured list at the start of the weekend), it didn’t do much to kick-start the offense.

“Each guy is trying to find their individual swing,” Roberts said. “When you get guys that are kind of searching, they’re looking more anxious than I think typically we are.”

On the mound, Tyler Glasnow bounced back from last week’s frustrating outing in Philadelphia, when he imploded during a third-inning rain shower for a disastrous five-run meltdown.

“He was frustrated at himself, rightfully so,” Roberts said pregame, having sought out Glasnow this week to ensure he’d flushed any lingering disappointment. “He’s coming into today with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder.”

Over a strong six-inning, two-run start, Glasnow just did that, striking out seven batters, walking only one and surrendering just three hits despite feeling off with his mechanics.

“Generally, when I feel like that, it usually ends a lot worse,” Glasnow said, noting his inability to locate pitches precisely how he wanted. “So glad I could just get through it.”

The only problem: Two of the hits Glasnow yielded left the yard.

Pete Crow-Armstrong blasted a tying solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the third. Ex-Dodgers prospect Michael Busch ended a nine-pitch at-bat in the sixth with a solo shot to the bullpen.

That gave Busch six hits in his Chavez Ravine homecoming this weekend, and the Cubs their first lead of the day at 2-1.

The Dodgers did get Glasnow off the hook for the loss in the bottom of the sixth. Conforto singled again to lead off the inning. Smith doubled down the line to set up Max Muncy for a tying sacrifice fly.

But the Dodgers — as has so often been the case over the last couple of weeks — failed to tack on.

That allowed the Cubs (11-7) to retake the lead with more long ball in the top of the seventh, with Crow-Armstrong launching on a hanging cutter from Blake Treinen to center for his second home run of the day.

The Dodgers then gift-wrapped an insurance run to the Cubs in the eighth, giving up another score after Conforto missed a fly ball near the left-field line for a leadoff double.

Given the way the Dodgers have swung the bats lately, however, Chicago didn’t need it. Over their final three trips to the plate, the Dodgers’ only baserunner came via a stranded seventh-inning walk from Betts.

“This isn't the first time we've sucked for two weeks,” Betts said. “It just happens that it's right now. If we panic, things get worse. If you don't panic, it looks like we don't care.”

Panic is certainly not what the Dodgers felt after the game, with Roberts and his players framing the last couple weeks as a temporary blip. 

Sure, three straight series losses (something that only happened once last season, also in April) might have come as a surprise. Their .218 team batting average in that stretch certainly wasn’t expected, either. 

But on the whole, an 11-6 record is one Roberts said he happily “would have banked” if offered back before opening day.

And while it “stings” to have come after an 8-0 start, he conceded, there’s virtually no scenario in which he sees the offense scuffling long-term.

“I know we’re going to hit. I know we’re going to score runs, things like that,” Roberts said. “We’ve just got to get back to who we are.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On Sunday afternoon, for the first time this season, a Mets starter pitched into the seventh inning.

Even more incredible? It was Kodai Senga who missed almost the entire 2024 season and who New York has been inching along this year.

But thanks to an aggressive Athletics squad, some quick outs and two fortuitous double plays, Senga outdueled former Met Luis Severino and pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mets beat the A’s, 8-0, in the series finale.

After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza was asked if he was tempted to send Senga back out there after an incredibly efficient 79 pitches.

“I thought about it,” Mendoza said with a smile. “But we’ve been keeping him at five innings the whole time and it’s already a big jump at seven innings. We were looking at 85 pitches and after that long inning because of the offense… I thought that was enough for him.”

In his previous two starts – both against the Miami Marlins – Senga went five innings each time, allowing two earned runs over 10 innings. With his seven scoreless against a team not from Miami (for now, at least), the Japanese right-hander now owns a miniscule 1.06 ERA.

While those numbers look great, what’s most important is how Senga feels following every start as he continues to work his way back to regular season form. By his own admission, he’s still only “80-90 percent” to where he wants to be, but Sunday’s start was a reminder of just how dominant he can be when he gets there.

“I think it’s a great stepping stone to get my body to adapt so I can throw further into the game and continuously throughout the season,” Senga said through an interpreter. “There are things throughout the game that I wish I could do better, but at the same time things are feeling a lot better so I’m getting close.”

If seven scoreless innings on 79 pitches is Senga “getting close”, the Mets can’t wait to see what’s in store for their starting pitcher when he’s 100 percent.

For now, Senga will continue his process and try to keep the momentum going. Part of that also means trying to get on the same page as Luis Torrens who has only caught Senga twice in his career, making Senga’s outing that much more impressive.

“I feel great throwing to him,” Senga said about Torrens. “Second game throwing to him and it’s definitely better and I think it’s gonna continue to get better. The conversations we’re having in the dugout between innings is great and I think the more I throw to him, the more he’s gonna understand how I throw and the more I’m gonna understand him. I think it’s a good chemistry.”

With Francisco Alvarezcurrently rehabbing from hand surgery but still out, Torrens will continue to be New York's starting catcher with Hayden Senger as the backup which means Sunday was a good sign.

As for Torrens, who went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Sunday, the veteran catcher was "proud" of Senga's performance and wants all of his pitchers to succeed.

"I feel good when the pitching does well," he said.

Before the Mets won their rubber game over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento, a pair of their injured starters contributed to the top of a minor league lineup back east in Florida.

Jeff McNeil (oblique) and Francisco Alvarez (fractured hand) continued their rehab assignments with Single-A St. Lucie, and the tandem combined to go 1-for-7 with a walk and three strikeouts in the team's 2-1 loss to Single-A Lakeland (Tigers' affiliate). The veteran infielder collected a single in three trips to the plate, while the fourth-year catcher went hitless in four at-bats but reached base on balls once.

McNeil's rehab stint began on Friday, and as the leadoff hitter manning second base, he went 1-for-2 with a walk and run across five innings. The former NL batting champion played seven innings on Sunday, and he's expected to play again on Tuesday -- this time with Triple-A Syracuse -- according to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

As for Alvarez, he played his second rehab game alongside McNeil (third total) and threw out a runner trying to steal second in the sixth inning. Mendoza recently said the plan is for the 23-year-old backstop to travel back to Citi Field on Monday for doctor evaluation and then join McNeil for Tuesday action with Triple-A Syracuse.

Francisco Alvarez got 'em 💪 pic.twitter.com/jqcRA6yGDy

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 13, 2025

The New York Rangers were eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention Saturday, and nobody in the organization can be happy with the way things have unfolded for them this season. But one Ranger in particular – veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan – has just made it publicly known how angry he is at the moment. And de Haan lashing out could be the precursor to major changes for the Blueshirts.

Speaking to the New York Post Sunday at practice, de Haan said, “How about the way I’ve been treated here? It’s f***ed." de Haan bit his tongue after that statement, but he told media he’d be “very transparent” at the end of the season. 

#NYR Calvin de Haan walked past us as he was about to get on the ice and commented on how it’s all finally over.

He said something to the effect of, ‘How about the way I’ve been treated here? It’s fucked.’

We asked if he wanted to talk, he said yes and that he would be “very…

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 13, 2025

And to be sure, you can understand why de Haan’s frustrations boiled over with Rangers management: He’s been a healthy scratch since March 3 – missing 18 straight games – and he had been playing third-pair minutes for the Colorado Avalanche before being dealt to the Rangers in the March 1 deal that sent blueliner Ryan Lindgren to the Avs. 

At 33 years old, de Haan – who will be a UFA at season’s end – is nearing the conclusion of his 12-year NHL career, and no player wants to be treated as a spare part. But de Haan’s criticism of the Blueshirts is going to be a stain on the team moving into the off-season, and it could give pause to free-agent NHLers who take in de Haan’s comments and decide to join a team that doesn’t have its players openly ripping team brass.

There’s no doubt de Haan was happy to play on an Avalanche team that, unlike the Rangers, was going places this season. And being forced to sit on the sidelines and watch helplessly as the Rangers nosedived out of playoff contention is obviously the straw that broke the camel’s back for de Haan.

If he had even the slightest inkling the Blueshirts would re-sign him for the 2025-26 campaign, de Haan would’ve kept his anger to himself, the way many players on losing teams choose to do. But clearly, he’s not concerned about burning bridges, and consequently, the Rangers look bad for not addressing the situation to de Haan’s satisfaction.

He’s going to be a free agent who will be, at best, a depth addition next year, so de Haan almost assuredly understands his place in the pecking order. But we don’t know the whole story behind him lashing out – and to be fair, we don’t know the Rangers’ side of the story – so Rangers GM Chris Drury will want to snuff out this human resources fire before it affects more people in the organization.

Indeed, de Haan has created a negative spectacle with his choice of words, and the public relations impact could affect Rangers fans and potential veteran additions this summer.

No player is bigger than a team, of course. But the way you handle your roster assets does reflect on you as a franchise. And that’s why de Haan’s outburst needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. It sure sounds like de Haan is going to be in a position to lash out to an even bigger degree when the season ends, so Drury has to do major damage control immediately to prevent that from happening. 

Because if he doesn’t, the odor of a player who feels betrayed or misled is going to linger – and the Rangers are going to take an even bigger PR hit than the one they’re dealing with now.

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The Mets' bats woke up late en route to an 8-0 win over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon to take the rubber game of the three-game series.

Here are the takeaways...

-Not having hit to their fullest potential in the early going this season, the Mets had a golden opportunity to get off to a fast start against former Met Luis Severino in the first inning, after the right-hander walked Francisco Lindor to lead things off and Juan Soto reached on an error. However, New York wasted the prime scoring chance following a double play by Pete Alonso and a groundout by Brandon Nimmo.

-Meanwhile, Kodai Senga toed the rubber for his third start of the season and fell into immediate trouble after a leadoff double by Lawrence Butler to left field. Nimmo made a diving effort on the sinking line drive but came up empty, although the outfielder's hustle back to the ball kept Butler from going to third base. Senga rebounded nicely and got a strikeout, flyout and groundout to strand Butler at second.

-Senga was living dangerously in the first few innings and had to deal with traffic on the basepaths. But the right-hander was bailed out with a nifty double play in the second inning, started by third baseman Brett Baty -- who was playing in on the grass -- and turned by Luisangel Acuña at second. The duo turned another double play in the third after Senga allowed back-to-back singles to start the frame.

-As for Severino, he and Senga were matching zeros and engaged in a pitchers' duel. After escaping the first inning, the former Met struck out three in the second (all looking), one in the third and two in the fourth, which came after a double by Nimmo and a walk to Luis Torrens. Severino got through five scoreless innings, and despite a high pitch count -- thanks to some tough at-bats by the Mets throughout the contest -- he went out there for the sixth.

-Alonso began the inning with a walk and ended up on third base after two groundouts. But before throwing another pitch, A's manager Mark Kotsay went out to talk to his starter and instead of pulling him, Kotsay let Severino try to finish the inning.

Against his former battery mate, Torrens made Severino pay with an RBI single, his second hit of the game, to drive in Alonso for the game's first run and end Severino's outing. Torrens finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a walk and a run scored. He's now hitting .333 with a .942 OPS to begin the year.

-Staked to a lead, Senga, who got better as the game went on, kept on rolling. The 32-year-old pitched a shutdown sixth and ended his day with a 1-2-3 seventh, including two strikeouts. In seven frames, Senga allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out four across just 79 pitches. He likely could've went longer, but the Mets are still taking things slow with the righty after his injury-plagued 2024 campaign.

-New York's offense tacked on two in the seventh with an RBI double by Lindor and a bases loaded walk by Mark Vientos -- just his second RBI this season. The Mets added another run in the eighth before the floodgates opened in the ninth, when New York scored four more to make it 8-0. The big hits belonged to Vientos (RBI double), Torrens (RBI ground-rule double) and Baty (RBI triple).

Baty's triple was his first hit of the game, and it drove in his first run of the season as he looks to get his year on track. It was also the Mets' second triple of the afternoon, after Tyrone Taylor reached third in the eighth.

-Every starter besides Soto (0-for-3, two walks) had at least one hit. Lindor, Nimmo and Torrens produced multi-hit games.

-A.J. Minter and Max Kranick followed Senga in relief and kept the shutout intact with a scoreless inning each.

Game MVP: Luis Torrens

Torrens got the Mets on the board and finished 3-for-4.

Highlights

What a job by Brett Baty to start the double play 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VgSNKSEjiQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

The Mets turn their second 5-4-3 double play in as many innings! pic.twitter.com/YOJ43LCMAr

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

Brandon Nimmo hits a double in the left-center field gap! pic.twitter.com/jvwFZEoAEQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

Five shutout innings for Kodai Senga 👻 pic.twitter.com/FWrH65YVnL

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

LUIS TORRENS DELIVERS!

An RBI single gets the Mets on the board in the 6th! pic.twitter.com/bWDXzOAepR

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

Luisangel Acuña comes all the way home from first on a hit from Francisco Lindor 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6uJHdbX22w

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

Brett Baty keeps the line moving with an RBI triple!

His first RBI of the year! pic.twitter.com/IRK8iSu8cM

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 13, 2025

What's next

The Mets continue their road trip with three against the Minnesota Twins, starting on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m.

RHP Clay Holmes (1-1, 4.30 ERA) will go up against RHP Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.65 ERA).

The Yankees insisted on a sixth-inning mound visit between starter Carlos Rodónand pitching coach Matt Blake before the Giants sent Jung Hoo Lee to the plate as the go-ahead run on Sunday. A proper time to talk strategy, considering that the southpaw allowed a solo home run to the lefty-batting outfielder just two innings earlier.

But the brief conversation didn't help solve the problem at hand. While ahead 1-2 in the count, Rodón hung a curveball that Lee launched into the right-field seats for a three-run blast. It was a go-ahead shot that ultimately spoiled Rodón's afternoon and lifted San Francisco to a 5-4 rubber-game win in the Bronx.

Of the 100 pitches that Rodón threw across 5.2 innings of work, only seven of them were curves. He relied heavily on a slider-fastball combo that yielded eight strikeouts and appeared to be the correct gameplan.

So, when he deviated from that approach to throw an infrequently-used breaking ball, he was at risk of further damage from Lee.

"[Lee is a] good hitter, hit my mistakes... Just terrible execution on a curveball that he punished," Rodón said following Sunday's loss. "Really frustrating. Up 3-1 in the sixth, obviously you want to hang up a zero. Just missed execution on a curveball and I got punished. It's not good enough... We have the momentum and I've just got to be better."

Rodón was cruising through five innings. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and looked well on his way to logging a quality start for the first time this season.

But the energy quickly shifted in the sixth. He gave up a leadoff infield single to Christian Koss, and after fanning Heliot Ramos for the first out, he put the tying run on base with a walk to Willy Adames.

The Yankees sent Blake to the mound to settle Rodón's nerves with Lee awaiting his third at-bat. Composed or not, Rodón found his way into control of the count before that fatal seventh and final curve.

"I thought he was excellent and a critical mistake with runners on. It's really one pitch that hurt his outing with two strikes, a hanging curveball," manager Aaron Boone said of Rodón. "It's that small of a separator between him being in a dominant position right now. The reality is, we've got to look at it as, he's throwing the ball incredibly well. It's that next level of avoiding that ball today. I thought the stuff was excellent..."

Rodón's ERA now sits a 5.48 through four starts this season (23 innings). He's already given up five homers, tied for most in the majors, and 10 of his 14 earned runs allowed have come on the long ball. Since the start of last season, the 32-year-old lefty has surrendered a league-high 36 blasts.

When looking at Rodón's full body of work in pinstripes, there's a clear history repeating itself. He's been plagued by walks, haunted by home runs, and tormented by winning efforts that evaporate.

The Yankees have no choice but to trust Rodón to work through the well-established issues and provide ace-type performances each week. He's getting paid to pitch like a No. 1 starter, after all.

"He's made a lot of big pitches. His stuff is prone to the long ball," Boone said. "Especially in certain situations, preventing that the best we can is a challenge."

The welcome return of comfortable April weather didn't assist the Yankees on Sunday afternoon, as they fell to the San Francisco Giants, 5-4, in a rubber game at Yankee Stadium.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It didn't take long for the Yankees to irritate Giants ace Logan Webb. After a blistering one-out double to center from Aaron Judge in the first inning, Paul Goldschmidt delivered a two-out RBI single to right to make the score 1-0. The bottom half of the order contributed in the second, when back-to-back doubles from Jasson Dominguez and J.C. Escarra and an RBI single from Ben Rice bumped the lead to 3-0. Webb limited the damage to those three runs, but he only lasted five innings.

-- Carlos Rodón relied on heavy use of his slider that proved largely effective, but a few mistake pitches to Jung Hoo Lee spoiled an overall strong peformance. His first hiccup came in the fourth, when he gave up a solo home run to the second-year outfielder after retiring 10 of the first 11 batters faced. Then, with two on in the sixth, he was punished yet again by Lee, as he hung a curveball that landed over the right field wall for a go-ahead three-run shot.

-- Despite striking out eight for a second straight outing, Rodón fell one out shy of completing six frames. He threw 100 pitches -- 62 for strikes -- and surrended four-plus runs for a third time this season. His ERA now sits at a bloated 5.48 across four starts (23 innings).

-- San Francisco tacked on its fifth run in the seventh, facing reliever Mark Leiter Jr. The inning began with a double from Casey Schmitt, and he managed to score from second when Goldschmidt committed a fielding error on a one-out grounder hit by Christian Koss. New York then turned to Ian Hamilton, who registered a pair of strikeouts and walks across five batters faced.

-- The Yankees showed signs of a rally in the eighth, when Jazz Chisholm Jr. snapped a ghastly 0-for-24 slide at the plate with a solo home run to right. But Giants closer Ryan Walker shut that door in the ninth, retiring pinch-hitter Austin Wells, Rice, and Judge in order. New York hit 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.

Game MVP: Jung Hoo Lee

Lee played the role of hero, driving in four with his pair of homers off Rodón. He finished the series with three jacks, four walks, a double, and seven RBI in nine at-bats.

Highlights

Paul Goldschmidt with a base hit to get the Yankees on the board! pic.twitter.com/pRGOkpfosa

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 13, 2025

J.C. Escarra's first MLB RBI 🚗

(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/Ja0w8iU98k

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 13, 2025

RICE RICE BABY 🍚

Ben Rice adds another!

(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/7mdO9oGJd1

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 13, 2025

WE GOT THE JAZZ 🎷

It's a one-run game in the Bronx! pic.twitter.com/5NRZbNBo0M

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 13, 2025

What's next

The Yankees (8-7) will continue their six-game home stand on Monday night, with the first of three matchups against the Kansas City Royals.

Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 7.71 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound, opposite Seth Lugo (1-1, 3.24 ERA) at 7:05 p.m.