Category: Baseball

Baseball News

Posted on

With yet another fresh face on the mound, Dodgers are shut out by Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar, left, is forced out by Los Angeles Dodgers.
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski, right, forces out St. Louis batter Lars Nootbaar at first base during the first inning of the Dodgers' 5-0 loss Friday night. (Joe Puetz / Associated Press)

The revolving door on the pitcher’s mound continues to spin for the Dodgers, who called Justin Wrobleski up from the minors to start Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

There’s a good chance Wrobleski will be on his way back to the minors by the start of Saturday’s game.

In between he pitched six innings in a 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers’ fourth loss in six games and their 11th loss in 20 games dating to May 16.

“I wouldn’t say, a problem,” manager Dave Roberts, who has used 13 different starting pitchers through 64 games, said of the revolving door. “It's certainly not ideal.”

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

Nor is it unusual for the Dodgers, who used 17 starters and 40 pitchers overall last season when they won the World Series. But that door is certainly spinning faster than it did last year with the Dodgers using 11 different starters before May 1.

The Dodgers’ bullpen leads the majors in innings pitched while their starters have thrown the second-fewest innings because of injuries.

The Dodgers have 15 pitchers on the injured list, among them Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow. Including bonuses, the Dodgers will pay the three pitchers more than $100 million combined this season. So far, that has bought them 15 starts.

In their absence, Wrobleski, Landon Knack and Jack Dreyer have made a combined 12 starts; none of them will make more than $800,000.

And it’s not just pitchers: The Dodgers have made 18 transactions in June and the month is just a week old, creating a constant shuffle between the majors and triple-A Oklahoma City that could disrupt Dodgers’ locker room chemistry.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Do the Dodgers do worse against good teams? Plus, top 10 shortstops

Roberts, however, said he’s not worried.

“It's part of the culture nowadays in the major leagues, as far as kind of having optionable players and kind of having guys in and out of clubhouses,” he said. ”For our particular club, the core is still the core. But certainly on the periphery or the ancillary players that kind of go up and down, they're kind of in and out, which is not easy for them.”

To combat that, Roberts said his coaches try to make sure the players feel comfortable during their stays, which can sometimes last less than 24 hours.

“It's still not easy when you're here for a couple days and then you're out, then you're back,” Roberts said.

Wrobleski (1-2), who made his second start of the season, agreed.

“Obviously, it's a challenge,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I kind of know how this works and I know that my next start is not guaranteed to always be in one place or another. I wouldn't say it's an excuse. I haven't pitched great up here.

“It's definitely hard. But at the end of the day, you have to be ready to pitch whenever you're called upon, no matter where you're at. That's kind of my mentality and wherever I'm at, I'm just going to continue to try to get better and continue improving.”

In a game delayed 77 minutes by rain, Wrobleski was undone by a pair of two-out pitches. The first was hit into the left-field stands by Pedro Pages for a two-run home run in the second inning. Brendan Donovan lined the other up the middle in the fifth to score two runners, both of whom reached on walks.

Willson Contreras accounted for the final run with an eighth-inning solo homer off reliever Chris Stratton.

But if injuries have crippled the Dodgers’ pitching, the offense simply crumbled Friday. They stranded nine runners, were one for 13 with runners in scoring position and struck out nine times. So while they lead the majors in runs, batting average and homer runs, they’re hitting just .228 in June.

All of which makes the absence of infielder Hyeseong Kim from the starting lineup all the more baffling. Kim, who is hitting .404/.436/.558 in 24 games, has just seven at-bats in June.

“I wish every time somebody got on base, we could get a hit and score,” said Mookie Betts, who had three of the Dodgers’ 10 hits. “I really wish every time runners are in scoring position, we could get those timely hits. But that's not how the game works.

“The game is going to go through its ebbs and flows. You have to just kind of ride the wave. You can't jump off.”

But you can’t get stuck in a revolving door either.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Francisco Lindor's ninth-inning pinch-hit double lifts Mets to 4-2 win over Rockies

Francisco Lindor, on a fractured pinky toe, came up to the plate as a pinch-hitter to break a ninth-inning tie and lift the Mets to a 4-2 win over the Rockies on Friday night in Colorado.

With the score tied at 2-2, and runners at the corners with two outs, Lindor came up as a pinch-hitter for Tyrone Taylor. Lindor turned on a cutter running in on him and pulled down the right field line to drive in Juan Soto from third and Pete Alonso from first, who made an incredible slide to avoid the tag at home.

The Mets (40-24) have now won all four games against the Rockies (12-51) this season.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Rockies used an opener for the first time this season to help Antonio Senzatela pitch around his first-inning struggles -- he's pitched to a 12.00 ERA in the first inning this season. And it's seemingly worked thanks to the Mets' continued futility with runners in scoring position. The Mets left five runners on base in the first three innings, with Alonso (strikeout) and Jeff McNeil (flyout) unable to get a run across in the third inning with runners on first and second and one out.

The biggest missed opportunity came in the sixth when the Mets loaded the bases with no outs on two walks (both by Senzatela before he was replaced) and a hit-by-pitch. However, Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio all struck out without scoring a run -- with a little help from a wide strikezone.

Alonso would make up for his earlier struggles in the seventh. After back-to-back one-out singles by Starling Marte and Soto, Alonso hit a double in the gap to drive in two runs and put the Mets in front, 2-1. Before that hit, the Mets were 0-for-8 with RISP.

-Mauricio started at shortstop for the first time this season afterLindor was held out of the lineup for a second straight game. The young infielder broke a 0-for-11 hitless streak to begin his season with a booming double off the wall (409 feet) in the eighth with two outs, but he was stranded. According to Statcast, the double would have gone out in 29 ballparks.

-Kodai Senga made his Coors Field debut on Friday and after two clean innings, he pitched into trouble in the third. Mickey Moniak hit a first-pitch sweeper 390 feet over the right-field wall to put the Rockies up 1-0. Senga allowed a double and a walk with one out to set up the Rockies for more runs, but he got Thairo Estrada to ground into a 5-4-3 doubleplay to end the frame.

Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar was placed on the IL earlier this week and called up Ryan Ritter, who started Friday. In his second at-bat, the speedy infielder drove a triple into left-center field to lead off the fifth. After Senga picks up a strikeout, Moniak hit a slow roller that Alonso charged and threw off-balance to home. Francisco Alvarez grabbed it and tagged Ritter, who was running on contact, to preserve the 1-0 deficit.

Senga has stretches of dominance but otherwise got through six innings, throwing a career-high 109 pitches (67 strikes), allowing just one run on five hits, two walks while striking out six batters.

-In relief of Senga, Huascar Brazoban started the seventh. The veteran right-hander gave up a one-out triple that came in on a Moniak single to tie the game at 2-2. Moniak tried to stretch it into a double, but Soto gunned him down. Brazoban has given up a run in four of his last six appearances.

Ryne Stanek was on for the eighth and allowed a leadoff single to Jordan Beck and then Estrada lined a double to right field that Soto bobbled. Beck was heading home, but the Rockies' third base coach put the stop sign on him. Estrada was almost at third when Beck went back, but no one was covering second, so the Rockies avoided running out of a big inning. After Stanek walked the bases loaded with no outs for Ryan McMahon. McMahon lined it at Baty, but the young third baseman caught it on a line and tagged Beck before he could go back to third for the unassisted double play. Stanek then struck out Brenton Doyle swinging on a slider down in the zone to get out of the inning.

Edwin Diaz sat down the Rockies 1-2-3 in the ninth to pick up his 14th save of the season.

-Soto went 3-for-4 with a walk, his first three-hit game as a Met.

Alonso finished 1-for-3 with two walks. Alonso now has an MLB-high 57 RBI on the season and has 14 RBI in six games this month. The Mets went 2-for-15 with RISP and left 12 men on base, but both hits were the difference in this game. Alonso is hitting .358 with RISP this season while the rest of the team is hitting below .200.

Game MVP: Francisco Lindor

When the Mets needed him, Lindor got it done on nine toes.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Rockies continue their three-game set on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 9:40 p.m.

Clay Holmes (6-3, 3.07 ERA) will take the mound while Carson Palmquist (0-4, 8.50 ERA) will be on the bump for Colorado.

Posted on

Jazz Chisholm Jr. homers and drives in four in Yankees' 9-6 win over Red Sox

The Yankees scored seven runs in the first two innings, including home runs from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe,and got three hits from Aaron Judge in a 9-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night in The Bronx.

New York scored eight of its nine runs with two outs and had the chances for a lot more, leaving 10 runners on base and going 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position through seven frames. And that left the door open for Boston to chisel a seven-run deficit down to three entering the eighth. But the bullpen combined to get the final six outs on 24 pitches, allowing just two base runners.

The Yankees improved to 39-23 on the year and dropped the Red Sox to 30-35.

Here are the takeaways...

-  Ahead of the game, manager Aaron Boone said the key for his batters was to let Red Sox Starter Walker Buehler work the edges, but “get him on the plate and hit our pitches.”

The Yanks did that in the first as Judge laced a hustle double into the left-center gap (113.2 mph off the bat) to put runners at second and third after Trent Grisham’s leadoff walk. Cody Bellinger smashed a fastball (103.7 mph) but right at Boston's shortstop for the first out, before Paul Goldschmidt was caught looking on a ball that looked just off the outside corner.

Chisholm Jr. cashed in, smoking a low knuckle curve 417 feet to center for a three-run homer. The 105.8 mph shot hit the top of the wall and kicked over. After Jasson Dominguez smacked a single (104 mph) to right, Volpe got a 2-1 fastball out over the plate and barreled it (101.8 mph) for a 369-foot opposite-field blast for a 5-0 first-inning advantage.

- After Judge cracked a one-out single in the second, Goldschmidt reached on a two-out error on a throw from third baseman Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox's 56th defensive miscue through 65 games. Chisholm notched his fourth two-out RBI of the game by muscling a jam shot over the first baseman's head for a single.

After Dominguez walked to load the bases, Volpe was hit on the left elbow on a 2-2 pitch to bring home another run. The shortstop got a long look from the training staff, and stayed in the game to run. (But he was lifted for the top of the fourth with a left elbow contusion.) Austin Wells’ bat shattered with a first-pitch slider off his hands, and the soft pop-up was grabbed by a charging, tumbling Trevor Story from short to leave ‘em loaded.

Bueheler lasted just six outs, allowing seven hits, two walks, and a HBP, keeping the damage to just seven runs (five earned) by stranding four on base and holding the Yanks to 2-for-6 with RISP.

- Judge notched his third hit of the night with a two-out single, scoring Wells from second. A better throw from Jarren Duran would have had the runner, but the throw hit Wells in the back, allowing Judge to grab his 51st RBI of the year.

- Will Warren got shelled early in his last start, allowing seven runs and recording just four outs. Friday was different: After a 25-minute rain delay pushed back the start, the right-hander wasted no time with a 12-pitch 1-2-3 first with two strikeouts. “He’s a confident kid and in a good spot,” Boone said ahead of the game. “He’s had his bumps in the road along the way, a lot of those early and since then has been very good until his last one. But I expect him to go out and get after it, and certainly has the stuff to be successful.”

The righty did just that, allowing a one-out single in the second, but was just mowing down Red Sox, getting nine of the first 10 he faced with five strikeouts on just 37 pitches. Mayer cranked a 1-1 down the middle fastball for a 410-foot shot to right to start the fifth. And trouble found him for the first time in the sixth in the form of a leadoff triple and a walk, a sac fly brought in a run, and that's when the righty lost his feel, walking the next two batters to load the bases.

And that ended the rookie's night for lefty Brent Headrick. But Red Sox manager Alex Cora countered with Romy Gonzalez, and the right pinch-hitter lined a single to left to score two. And the Sox jumped on Bellinger to put runners at second and third.

But Headrick got Story and pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder swinging to end the threat.

Warren’s final line: 5.1 innings, four runs, three hits, four walks on 84 pitches (51 strikes).

- Headrick got a third strikeout to start the seventh, but plunked Duran and left a fastball up in the zone to Rafael Devers, who clobbered it 419 feet to right, cutting the Yanks’ lead to 9-6.

Fernando Cruz came in and did what he's done all year: struck out the next two, getting three strikes looking and three swinging. Jonathan Loáisiga got the eighth and surrendered a leadoff ground-rule double, but stranded the runner. Devin Williams opened the ninth with a groundout before hitting Duran on a 3-0 pitch. But shut the door with a flyout and a strikeout for his seventh save of the year. 

- Goldschmidt entered Friday night’s game in a 2-for-21 funk, and that continued as he went hitless his first three times up before he got a Yankee Stadium special with a 346-foot solo shot to right to start the bottom of the sixth. Goldschmidt had a big chance with runners on second and third and two out in the seventh, but went down with a half-swing to strand two.

He finished the day 1-for-5 with two strikeouts and went 0-for-4 with RISP.

- Judge pumped his average back to .397 with the 3-for-5 night with an RBI and a strikeout swinging.

- Wells went 2-for-4, Dominguez 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts, and DJ LeMahieu 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

- Bellinger, who homered and had two hits on Thursday, yanked a double to the corner in the fifth to finish 1-for-5 with a strikeout.

- Boone said before the game he liked the at-bats from Grisham despite him not seeing many results at the plate of late, entering Friday, 1-for-18 over his last five games. He nabbed a single up the middle in his fifth time up. He finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.

- Volpe’s first-inning blast would have been a homer in just one other permanent MLB stadium (Cincinnati). He finished 1-for-1 with three RBI before he was replaced by Oswald Peraza, who went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

Game MVP: Jazz Chisholm Jr.

In his fourth game back from the IL, Chisholm went 3-for-5 with four RBI. He added two steals and one caught stealing.

Highlights

What's next

The two rivals renew their hostilities on Saturday night with a 7:35 p.m. start.

A battle of southpaw starters will see Ryan Yarbrough (2.83 ERA, 0.922 WHIP over 41.1 innings) get the ball for the home team against Garrett Crochet (1.98 ERA, 1.061 WHIP over 82 innings).

Posted on

All-Star Corbin Burnes set for Tommy John surgery, ending his 1st season in Arizona

CINCINNATI — All-Star right-hander Corbin Burnes of the Arizona Diamondbacks is set to undergo Tommy John elbow surgery, ending his season early in the first year of a $210 million, six-year contract that's the richest in team history.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Friday the decision was made with “a lot of people weighing in.” Lovullo said the surgery probably would be scheduled for next week with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team physician of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The announcement came three days after the Diamondbacks put Burnes on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

The 30-year-old left his most recent start with Arizona leading 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning Sunday. After Burnes allowed a single by Washington's CJ Abrams with two outs, he gestured toward the dugout with his glove and yelled in frustration.

Burnes allowed a run and four hits in 4 2/3 innings in the Diamondbacks' 3-1 victory. He is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts this season.

After the game, Burnes said he felt tightness in the elbow while getting the first two hitters out in the fifth.

“We're all with Corbin right now,” Lovullo said. "This is a tough day to get this news. But we’ll find a way to rally around him, play hard for him all year long. ... It’s a long road, and it takes time for him to heal and recover. And he will. He’ll be great for the Arizona Diamondbacks, I’m convinced of it.”

Burnes signed with the Diamondbacks after earning his fourth consecutive All-Star nod in his only season with Baltimore last year. He spent his first six years with Milwaukee before an offseason trade to the Orioles in early 2024.

Burnes can opt out of his contract after the 2026 season, a move that now appears unlikely since his return figures to come after the All-Star break next year. Burnes would give up $140 million in guaranteed money if he opts out.

Posted on

Anthony Volpe exits Friday's Yankees-Red Sox game after being hit on elbow

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe exited Friday night's game against the Boston Red Sox after he was hit by a pitch on the left elbow.

The team announced Volpe was lifted with a left elbow contusion and was undergoing X-rays and CT scans.

Batting for the second time of the game, Volpe was dinged by an 88.8 mph changeup from Walker Buehler on his left elbow. The hit-by pitch drove in a run, to put the Yanks up 7-0 in the second inning, and Volpe was in immediate discomfort, grabbing his hand and wrist area.

Volpe was examined by the team trainer for a long while as he walked slowly up the first baes line and then for a period while at the bag. But the 24-year-old was able to stay in the game to run the bases.

He was back out there the next half inning at shortstop, but when the top of the fourth inning began, Oswaldo Peraza had replaced him on the left side of the diamond.

Volpe finished the day 1-for-1 with three RBI after he smacked a two-out opposite-field home run in the home half of the first.

Posted on

Mets prospect Jett Williams avoids concussion after being hit in helmet by pitch

There was a scary moment involving Mets prospect Jett Williams in Friday night's game with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

In the first inning of the Binghamton-Somerset game, Patriots right-hander Carlos Lagrange threw a 1-2 fastball up and in to Williams. However, the pitch, which SNY prospects writer Joe DeMayo clocked at 98 mph, ran in and hit Williams near the ear flap of his batting helmet. Williams collapsed to the ground before he sat up as the trainer checked him out. After a minute or two, Williams got back up and walked off under his own power and was taken out of the game.

The team got good news on Saturday as Williams has appeared to avoid a concussion and should return to Binghamton's lineup soon, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

Williams, DeMayo's No. 2 Mets prospect, was having a solid first full season in Double-A. In 47 games, Williams is slashing .277/.381/.446 with four home runs, 12 doubles, 17 stolen bases and an OPS of .827.

Entering Friday's game, Williams had a two-game hitting streak going and reached base at least once in the last 10 games.

Posted on

More frustration for the offense and Romano as Phillies lose 7th of 8

More frustration for the offense and Romano as Phillies lose 7th of 8 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — The Phillies were already going through a cold spell before learning Friday afternoon that they’d again be without Bryce Harper, who is day-to-day with right wrist soreness after missing five games last week with right elbow swelling.

They haven’t hit much lately, they haven’t had Harper much lately, they’re experiencing perhaps Kyle Schwarber’s first cold spell of the season and the Phillies have lost seven of their last eight games, falling Friday night to the Pirates, 5-4, on a walk-off sacrifice fly.

“It’s weird, we either go really hot or really cold,” Trea Turner said. “I feel like especially veteran players and some of our young guys getting older, that consistency is kind of what we pride ourselves on and it hasn’t really been there. It feels like we can do everything a little bit better, need to find ways to win, moving guys, hitting them in, playing better defense, we can all contribute a little bit more.”

It has been another season of peaks and valleys for the Phillies, who have done this basically every year since 2022. They caught fire late in ’22 and rode the momentum all the way to a World Series advantage before the offense went silent. They completely dominated their opponents in the first eight games of the 2023 postseason until everything turned midway through the NLCS. They were on pace for 110 wins last July but struggled in the second half and were thoroughly outplayed by the Mets in October. Every team goes through streaks but the Phillies’ have been more pronounced in both ways.

It’s a good team, a veteran team, one that should win 90-plus games again in 2025, but the last six weeks have been up and down, up and down. The Phillies’ last 42 games have been five straight losses followed by 23 wins in 29 games, then seven losses out of eight.

“We’re in a little bit of a funk right now, we’ve just got to fight through it,” manager Rob Thomson said.

Turner did his part Friday, scoring the Phillies’ first two runs and driving in their next two as part of a three-hit night. The rest of the lineup was 4-for-29 and the Phils made 11 straight outs to end the game.

They’re receiving little production from all four members of the left and center field platoons — Max Kepler, Weston Wilson, Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas — and Bryson Stott has a .263 on-base percentage in his last 95 plate appearances.

It’s exacerbated by not having Harper or the locked-in version of Schwarber, who is 3-for-20 with 10 strikeouts since Sunday.

“That plays into it, there’s no doubt about it,” Thomson said, “but other people have got to pick it up because those guys can’t stay hot all year.”

The Phillies and Pirates traded single runs in the first and third innings and each scored twice in the fourth. The game remained tied until the Pirates loaded the bases on Jordan Romano with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and walked the Phillies off with a Nick Gonzales sac fly to deep left field.

It was Romano’s third straight appearance allowing a run and second straight loss. He is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA. There was some bad luck involved Friday night but he was uninterested in using it as an excuse. The Pirates started the inning with two softly-hit bloop singles and the biggest play was Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s bunt. He executed a perfect sacrifice down the third-base line and Romano let it roll because it appeared to be moving toward foul ground. At the last second, it took a sudden right turn on the lip of the infield and remained fair.

“For sure,” Romano said of the misfortune, “but bottom line, I’ve just got to be better. I’ve got to pitch better. I got a little bad luck but that’s baseball, other guys are getting through it. I’m not. Team’s scuffling a little bit and I need to step up. It didn’t happen.

“That bunt, it was like almost all the way foul and kinda just came right back. I’ve never had a bunt like that, not like that.”

His voice trailed off. It’s been a frustrating two months for Romano and a frustrating week for the 37-26 Phillies. The scuffling lineup draws Paul Skenes on Sunday so a win in the middle game would go a long way.

Posted on

Mets' Sean Manaea snakebit in first rehab start with High-A Brooklyn

Mets left-hander Sean Manaea pitched in his first rehab start on Friday, and it was tough sledding for the southpaw.

Pitching in game action for the first time since March, Manaea got off to an inauspicious start with High-A Brooklyn. After striking out the leadoff hitter on four pitches, Manaea allowed back-to-back singles. After hitting the next batter to load the bases, he got a fly out to secure the second out. T.J. White, the sixth batter in the inning, grounded to shortstop Marco Vargas, but the Brooklyn infielder threw the ball away. They ruled the play a hit, and had the runners advancing on the throwing error.

The next batter singled to score the fourth run of the inning before Manaea got his second strikeout of the game to put an end to the first inning. It took 26 pitches to get through the opening frame, but the defense behind him did him no favors.

Manaea's second inning was much better. He got the leadoff man to fly out before another fielding error allowed a runner to reach first. Manaea got the next batter to ground out, and his night was done with two outs in the inning.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that they expected Manaea to get two "ups" and throw around 35 pitches, and that's exactly how far they went with the left-hander.

Manaea threw 36 pitches (26 strikes) in his 1.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, no walks and striking out two.

Posted on

Giants players lament ‘dangerous' fan incident in win over Braves

Giants players lament ‘dangerous' fan incident in win over Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – For years fans across the country in major league ballparks have relished the idea of throwing balls hit for home runs back onto the field, as if that would take the run off the board. It’s a tradition that gets played out every year at every ballpark, and home fans bask in glory when they do it.

As the saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. And that’s the type of situation that arose in the fourth inning of San Francisco’s 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Oracle Park, a moment in the game that Giants infielder Tyler Fitzgerald described as ‘dangerous.’

With the Braves batting in the fourth inning, Sean Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Mike Yastrzemski made the catch then fired a throw back into the infield as Matt Olson rounded third base.

When Olson got near home plate as Yastrzemski’s throw was coming in, a second ball was tossed out of the stands, went over the protective netting behind home plate and landed on the field.

Olson scored but there was understandable confusion on the field in the moments immediately following the play.

“That’s a first,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “I’ve never seen that before. I don’t know where it came from and I don’t know what the rule is. It didn’t affect the play but it was extremely odd to see another baseball come on the field.”

Umpires met to discuss the play, although it wasn’t clear what they were talking about or what they could do if they determined the second ball had an effect on the play.

Ultimately play resumed without any changes.

It’s unknown whether security or police caught the offender, but there was plenty of outcry on social media about the incident.

Hayden Birdsong, the Giants starting pitcher Friday, was near the mound when the play happened and acknowledged that it confused him momentarily.

“Honestly I didn’t see it (initially),” Birdsong said. “I thought it was the ball that was thrown home and I was like, ‘Why is the ball way out here?’ Then I realized (catcher Patrick Bailey) had the other one.”

On a night filled with strange and unique moments – two runners picked off base and a third caught stealing, for example – whoever threw the ball onto the field took the cake.

It’s certainly no laughing matter. As Fitzgerald pointed out, the second ball could have easily hit one of his teammates on the field. “Then I would have been (angry),” Fitz said.

In some ways the incident can be viewed light-hearted, a fan having fun. On the other hand, the potential for injury – let alone mass confusion on the field because play was ongoing – was serious. The person who threw the ball, if ever identified, should have their rights to any further games taken away and they should be permanently banned from Oracle Park.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Ben Rice is obviously staying with Yankees once Giancarlo Stanton returns — here’s how it might work

Let’s get this out of the way: Ben Rice is staying with the Yankees once Giancarlo Stanton returns from the injured list. Obviously.

Only four MLB players are hitting the ball harder than Rice this season, as measured by average exit velocity: Oneil Cruz, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso. Rice is closer to gracing the cover of “MLB: The Show” than he is to earning a trip to Scranton.

But the team will have a redundancy at designated hitter once it activates Stanton, which could come as soon as late next week. Stanton, out since spring training with tendinitis in both elbows, is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment early in the week. Barring physical setbacks, he shouldn’t need many games before he is ready for the big leagues.

Once that happens, Yankees brass will face two challenges. The front office will have to figure out how to get Stanton back on the roster without optioning Rice, and Aaron Boone and his staff will have to find playing time for both.

The first problem is the easier of the two: assuming that everyone currently healthy remains so when Stanton returns, the Yankees can simply designate either Pablo Reyes or Oswald Peraza for assignment.

Peraza could have an edge to stay because he has more experience at shortstop, and every team needs a backup at that position (Jazz Chisholm Jr. has played 47 MLB games at shortstop and could slide over in an emergency).

It does not seem that the Yankees are seriously considering splashier roster moves, like designating DJ LeMahieu for assignment or optioning J.C. Escarra to make Rice one of the team’s two catchers. Jasson Dominguez has options, but his spot is not at risk, either.

Once Stanton arrives, Boone will have to find a way to play Stanton, Rice and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt regularly -- say, at least two out of every three games.

He can begin by easing Stanton in and using Rice against right-handed pitching. Beyond that, he can move Rice between first base and DH. Rice, a catcher by trade, had continued to work at that position before games with catching coordinator Tanner Swanson. He could start at catcher occasionally, but Escarra is Austin Wells' backup and shouldn’t see his playing time significantly reduced.

Rice recently took ground balls at third base, but he is not a candidate to play there. The Yankees do not plan to use Rice at any defensive position other than first base and catcher.

Posted on

Mets' Francisco Lindor feeling 'a little bit better,' could return to lineup Saturday

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was left out of Friday's lineup against the Rockies as he continues to nurse a fractured pinky toe.

It's the second consecutive game Lindor will not start, and manager Carlos Mendoza provided an update on his superstar's condition prior to the series opener in Colorado.

"A little bit better," he said of Lindor's condition. "Did some running, feeling his fracture. He’s going to continue to feel it. Was doing some cage drills and all that. Maybe we have some type of availability today."

Lindor was seen on the field doing some running and speaking with Mendoza and the Mets' training staff in warmups. While the shortstop wasn't penciled in on Friday, the talk left Mendoza encouraged about his player's availability this weekend. 

"I feel a little bit better today than how I felt yesterday," he said. "Watching him today, talking to him, I wouldn’t be surprised he’s in the lineup tomorrow or the next day."

In Lindor's place, Mendoza put rookie Ronny Mauricio at shortstop. The Mets prospect has started two games since being called up this week, both at third base. The Mets skipper explained that while they have put the work to teach Mauricio third base, his ability to hit from both sides gave him the leg up over Luisangel Acuna.

"Wanted to get a switch-hitter there," Mendoza explained. "This is his natural position. When he started playing his rehab games this year we put him at short. Adding another switch-hitter to the lineup and give him an opportunity."

In two games, Mauricio has yet to get a hit (0-8).

Posted on

Start of Friday's Yankees-Red Sox game delayed due to rain

The Yankees' series opener against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night will not start on time due to rain.

The team later announced the delay would be relatively short, with a new start time of 7:30 p.m.

Right-hander Will Warren (5.19 ERA, 1.423 WHIP in 52 innings) was set to make his 13th start of the season as he looks to bounce back from his worst outing of the season, when he allowed seven runs on six hits and four walks in just 1.1 innings Saturday at the Dodgers.

“He’s a confident kid and in a good spot," Yanks manager Aaron Boone said ahead of the series opener. "[Warren] is in the middle of what I think is a very good year and a year of growth for him. He’s had his bumps in the road along the way, a lot of those early. And since then, has been very good until his last one. But I expect him to go out and get after it, and certainly has the stuff to be successful.”

The visitors are set to start righty Walker Buehler (4.44 ERA, 1.307 WHIP in 46.2 innings) to make his 10th start in his debut season with Boston.

“A lot of really good young players, a lot of team speed, and we’re gonna see some good pitching this weekend, starting with Buehler tonight," Boone said of the Red Sox.

On the starter, who got the final three outs in Game 5 as Los Angeles clinched the World Series in The Bronx last October, the skipper said he expected him to show off his big arsenal and really mix in his pitches.

“He’s gonna throw a little bit of everything at you," Boone said. "He’s gonna work the edges a little bit, so get him on the plate and hit our pitches. That’s gonna be key."

First pitch was originally scheduled for 7:05 p.m., but the tarp covered the field ten minutes before 6 p.m. as thunder and rain descended upon The Bronx.

The Yankees (38-23) hold a 5.0 game lead in the AL East and are 9.5 games ahead of the fourth-placed Red Sox (30-34).

Posted on

What we learned as Giants outlast Braves in thrilling extra-inning win

What we learned as Giants outlast Braves in thrilling extra-inning win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Talk about a crazy way to get a walk-off win.

Tyler Fitzgerald scored on a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Giants a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park on Friday night.

It was a wacky but fitting end to a game during which the Giants flipped the tables on just about everything they had been doing this season.

San Francisco’s pitching, which has shouldered the bulk of the load this season, suffered through a tough evening as starter Hayden Birdsong struggled with his command and normally reliable reliever Ryan Walker was tagged for a momentum-changing home run by Braves slugger Matt Olson in the seventh inning.

Conversely, Camilo Doval shook off a month’s worth of ups and downs and struck out the side in the ninth inning.

Things were a little more encouraging at the plate, too.

With a history of failing to generate much offense this season, San Francisco opened with three runs in the first inning against Atlanta, the second-most runs put up in the opening frame by the Giants this season.

Leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos had three hits and scored a run. Wilmer Flores also had two hits and scored twice. Fan favorite Jung Hoo Lee reached base three times (single, two walks) and Dominic Smith drove in two runs.

Birdsong’s fourth start since being taken out of the bullpen didn’t go very far, primarily due to a heavy pitch count. The Braves were patient at the plate, forcing Birdsong deep into counts which quickly depleted him on the mound.

Birdsong allowed just two hits and two runs to go with five strikeouts before his night ended in the middle of the fifth inning.

Tristan Beck followed Birdsong and retired four batters before Ryan Walker took over.

Walker got Ronald Acuna Jr. to strike out swinging to end the sixth then ran into immediate trouble in the seventh. Austin Riley singled leading off the inning before Olson crushed an 0-1 slider over the brick wall in right field to tie the game at 4-4.

The game was paused briefly in the fourth inning when someone in the stands threw a baseball onto the field at the same time the Braves scored a run on Michael Harris II’s RBI single.

Here are the takeaways from Friday’s game:

Let’s Get It Started

The Giants’ offensive struggles over the past month have been well-documented, which made their first inning against the Braves impressive.

San Francisco began the inning with three consecutive singles, with Wilmer Flores’ bloop hit to right driving in Heliot Ramos. Dominic Smith added a sacrifice fly and Flores later scored on a wild pitch.

It’s the third time this season that the Giants have put up three runs or more in the first inning. Their season-high for runs in the first inning is five, which they put up against the New York Yankees in a six-inning rain-shortened game on April 11.

Hayden’s Control Issues

For most of the season Birdsong has done a fine job of not giving up free passes but the right-hander wasn’t able to sustain that against the Braves, which wound up being a big reason for his early exit after 4 1/3 innings.

Birdsong missed his target much of the night, throwing only 52 of 93 pitches for strikes, while matching his career-high of five walks.

To put that in perspective, Birdsong had given up 12 walks all season and just four in his previous five starts.

Baserunning Blunders

The Giants did a solid job of getting men on base. Keeping them there was another matter altogether and a big reason that the Orange and Black went quiet over the final half of the game.

Heliot Ramos singled leading off the eight but was thrown out trying to steal second base. The following batter, Lee, drew a walk but was promptly erased after being picked off by Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel. In the eighth, Fitzgerald reached on a two-out single but was picked off by Braves pitcher Pierce Johnson.

For a team that has struggled to score this season, the Giants have no reason to let up in situations like that. Rhose mistakes were magnified in a game this close.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

What we learned as Giants outlast Braves in thrilling extra-inning win

What we learned as Giants outlast Braves in thrilling extra-inning win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Talk about a crazy way to get a walk-off win.

Tyler Fitzgerald scored on a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Giants a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park on Friday night.

It was a wacky but fitting end to a game during which the Giants flipped the tables on just about everything they had been doing this season.

San Francisco’s pitching, which has shouldered the bulk of the load this season, suffered through a tough evening as starter Hayden Birdsong struggled with his command and normally reliable reliever Ryan Walker was tagged for a momentum-changing home run by Braves slugger Matt Olson in the seventh inning.

Conversely, Camilo Doval shook off a month’s worth of ups and downs and struck out the side in the ninth inning.

Things were a little more encouraging at the plate, too.

With a history of failing to generate much offense this season, San Francisco opened with three runs in the first inning against Atlanta, the second-most runs put up in the opening frame by the Giants this season.

Leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos had three hits and scored a run. Wilmer Flores also had two hits and scored twice. Fan favorite Jung Hoo Lee reached base three times (single, two walks) and Dominic Smith drove in two runs.

Birdsong’s fourth start since being taken out of the bullpen didn’t go very far, primarily due to a heavy pitch count. The Braves were patient at the plate, forcing Birdsong deep into counts which quickly depleted him on the mound.

Birdsong allowed just two hits and two runs to go with five strikeouts before his night ended in the middle of the fifth inning.

Tristan Beck followed Birdsong and retired four batters before Ryan Walker took over.

Walker got Ronald Acuna Jr. to strike out swinging to end the sixth then ran into immediate trouble in the seventh. Austin Riley singled leading off the inning before Olson crushed an 0-1 slider over the brick wall in right field to tie the game at 4-4.

The game was paused briefly in the fourth inning when someone in the stands threw a baseball onto the field at the same time the Braves scored a run on Michael Harris II’s RBI single.

Here are the takeaways from Friday’s game:

Let’s Get It Started

The Giants’ offensive struggles over the past month have been well-documented, which made their first inning against the Braves impressive.

San Francisco began the inning with three consecutive singles, with Wilmer Flores’ bloop hit to right driving in Heliot Ramos. Dominic Smith added a sacrifice fly and Flores later scored on a wild pitch.

It’s the third time this season that the Giants have put up three runs or more in the first inning. Their season-high for runs in the first inning is five, which they put up against the New York Yankees in a six-inning rain-shortened game on April 11.

Hayden’s Control Issues

For most of the season Birdsong has done a fine job of not giving up free passes but the right-hander wasn’t able to sustain that against the Braves, which wound up being a big reason for his early exit after 4 1/3 innings.

Birdsong missed his target much of the night, throwing only 52 of 93 pitches for strikes, while matching his career-high of five walks.

To put that in perspective, Birdsong had given up 12 walks all season and just four in his previous five starts.

Baserunning Blunders

The Giants did a solid job of getting men on base. Keeping them there was another matter altogether and a big reason that the Orange and Black went quiet over the final half of the game.

Heliot Ramos singled leading off the eight but was thrown out trying to steal second base. The following batter, Lee, drew a walk but was promptly erased after being picked off by Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel. In the eighth, Fitzgerald reached on a two-out single but was picked off by Braves pitcher Pierce Johnson.

For a team that has struggled to score this season, the Giants have no reason to let up in situations like that. Rhose mistakes were magnified in a game this close.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Braves call up franchise saves leader Craig Kimbrel a day after blowing a big lead

SAN FRANCISCO — The Atlanta Braves have called up franchise career saves leader Craig Kimbrel from the minors a day after having their worst blown ninth-inning lead in more than a half-century.

The Braves 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. Atlanta placed right-hander Daysbel Hernández on the 15-day injured list with right forearm inflammation, retroactive to Thursday, and traded right-hander Scott Blewett to Baltimore for cash considerations to make room on the roster.

The moves come a day after the Braves blew a 10-4 lead in the ninth inning at Arizona and lost 11-10. It was the first time the Braves lost a game after leading by at least six runs in the ninth since July 17, 1973, against the New York Mets, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Atlanta had won 766 straight games with a six-run lead at the end of the eighth inning, Elias said.

Kimbrel is set to make his first appearance for the Braves since being traded to San Diego just before the 2015 season opener. 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.

Kimbrel has pitched for several teams the last decade and spent the 2024 season with Baltimore, going 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves before being cut in September.

Kimbrel signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in March and was 1-1 with two saves, a 3.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 18 innings over 18 outings at Double-A Columbus and Gwinnett.

The Orioles also reinstated outfielder Ramón Laureano, who had been on the injured list for a couple weeks because of a sprained ankle, and designated outfielder Jordyn Adams for assignment to make room for Blewett, who will start his second stint with Baltimore this season.

Blewett is 2-0 with a 3.91 ERA in 15 games for the Orioles, Braves and Twins this season.