Category: Sports News

It took until August, but the sparkling starting rotation the Dodgers envisioned in spring training is coming into focus an outing at a time, by five — even six — different pitchers.

Vowing not to revisit the predicament they endured last postseason, when only two true starters and a stacked bullpen somehow patched together enough innings to win a World Series, the Dodgers added two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell to a rotation that already boasted four potential aces and several other candidates coming off injuries or ascending from the minor leagues.

Snell complained of shoulder inflammation April 2 after his second start and took his sweet time recovering — four months, to be precise. But if his performance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium is a fair indication, the wait was worthwhile.

Read more:‘Straight grinder.’ How new Dodger Alex Call became one of MLB’s toughest at-bats

Snell struck out 10 in five scoreless innings of a 9-1 Dodgers victory, living up to the "Snellzilla" nickname he stole from his older brother as a brash 11-year-old and still uses as his Instagram handle.

In two starts since coming off the injured list, the left-hander in the first year of a five-year, $182 million contract has 18 strikeouts in 10 innings. And he believes the best is yet to come.

"There are some things I want to do in my next start that I’m excited about," Snell said. "I still [have] a lot of work to do. I can be better. I'm trying to find a rhythm, trying to figure it out. It was only my second start."

He got support from the Dodgers' offense, which was fueled by the long ball early. Max Muncy belted a two-run, opposite-field home run in the fourth inning and Shohei Ohtani absolutely crushed his 40th long ball of the season 417 feet to dead center in the fifth. It marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that Ohtani has hit at least 40 homers.

A six-run rally an inning later put the game away. Two hit batters and two walks set the table, and Dalton Rushing and Mookie Betts each delivered two-run singles with none out. Andy Pages drove in the last two with a two-out double, his second hit of the inning.

The win was the second in a row against Toronto (68-50), which remains in first place in the American League East. The series concludes Sunday with another formidable starter — Tyler Glasnow — taking the mound for the Dodgers (68-49).

Glasnow took a similar if less pronounced path than Snell this season, going on the injured list before the end of April and not returning until July 9. He has given up only one run in four of his five starts since returning and most recently went seven strong innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.

It's clear that Snell and Glasnow are healthy, their arms as fresh and live as would be expected coming out of spring training. The same is true of Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw, two future Hall of Famers whose recoveries from injuries also were methodical and unhurried. Both are pitching well.

And so is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the only starter whose health hasn't cost him time off. He's made 22 starts, going 10-7 with a 2.51 earned-run average and leads National League starters with eight scoreless outings.

"This is how we hoped it would play out as far as every night, you see the probable [starting pitchers] and have a chance to prevent runs," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts aid. "And you look at the lineup and see you have an opportunity to score runs. Then you go play the game."

The Dodgers employ a sixth starter to give Ohtani and Yamamoto five to seven days off between starts. The job belonged to Dustin May until he was traded to the Red Sox at the deadline, creating an opportunity for Emmet Sheehan, who was impressive over 60 innings as a rookie in 2023, but had Tommy John surgery in May 2024.

Sheehan has pitched well, posting a 3.00 ERA over 30 innings, giving the Dodgers a luxury they haven't enjoyed in recent memory: trotting out a starting pitcher every night that can prevent runs through the middle innings.

"I’m pretty pleased," Roberts said. "You look at the starters and the next guy is going to try to outdo the next guy and that’s how you build momentum."

That leaves the bullpen to finish the job, and injuries and inconsistency continue to riddle the relief corps. Roberts said help is on the way, with several key relievers on the mend. If they return as effective as the starters, pitching could be a Dodgers strength entering the postseason.

“Honestly, right now, watching everybody, it’s a lot better than I thought we were going to be,” Snell said. “This staff’s stacked.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets weren't comfortable trusting Frankie Montas to solve his season-long first-inning struggles against a formidable Brewers lineup on Saturday night. So, they delayed the veteran right-hander's entrance by one inning, and appointed Reed Garrett as their opener.

But the expectation was for Montas to still provide sufficient length during the middle frames, and much to the Mets' chagrin, the plan backfired. While he wasn't solely responsible for the Mets' frustrating 7-4 loss at American Family Field, he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in just three innings of work. The effort required 72 pitches, too.

"I thought I threw the ball pretty good today," Montas said after the Mets' sixth straight loss. "I was making more pitches today, attacking the zone, to be honest. Besides that homer, I thought I threw the ball pretty well today... [The plan] was pretty much as it goes, was going to go after Reed and go as long as they needed me to."

Montas didn't have to face the Brewers' first three hitters, but the heart of their order made him sweat almost immediately in the second inning. After a one-out strikeout, Montas gave up back-to-back singles and then a two-out walk, and a fielding error from Francisco Lindor on a grounder with the bases loaded allowed two runs to score.

The third inning was much quieter for Montas, but he still walked one and threw a wild pitch. Then, in the fourth, he served up a game-tying solo homer to Brice Turang before completing the frame. It was by no means a meltdown performance, but Montas made the Mets burn through their high-leverage relievers early.

"We were just watching it, but three innings, 70 something pitches? It was a grind for him," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "I figured where we were in the game, up one with the lefties second time through, decided to go to the bullpen there."
It's unclear how long Montas' leash is as a rotation-type fixture, but the Mets' patience with him must be waning. The 32-year-old now owns a 6.38 ERA across eight appearances (seven starts) this season, and while his first-inning demons weren't a concern in this game -- he wasn't even allowed to face them -- the change to his routine didn't make things smoother.

Soon enough, the Mets will need to rely on someone else to complete the task at hand, and the incessant chatter about top prospects Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat as replacement options isn't going away. David Stearns said on Friday that both youngsters are progressing toward a big-league promotion, but the timeline remains vague.

"At the end of the day, I have to go out there and keep competing, keep trying to get people out," Montas said. "Don’t matter if it’s front, starting again or pitching out of the pen. Whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do."

Montas wasn't bothered by Saturday's arrangement -- he's taking the team-first approach and wants to contribute in any way possible. But in this case, availability shouldn't outweigh reliability with the Mets in the midst of another disconcerting, dog-days losing skid.

The Mets launched three home runs, but their bullpen and defense betrayed them late in their 7-4 loss to the Brewers on Saturday evening in Milwaukee.

New York has now lost six in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. The Brewers have won eight straight games.

The Reds won earlier in the day, and are now 2.5 games behind the Mets for the final wild card spot.

Here are the takeaways....

-The Mets decided to go with an opener on Saturday and Reed Garrett got the start. The right-hander struck out two in a 1-2-3 first inning and then gave way to Frankie Montas, who struggled in his first inning of work. 

Two singles and a walk allowed the Brewers to load the bases with two outs. Montas got what he wanted, though, as Joey Ortiz hit a chopper toward Francisco Lindor, but he whiffed, allowing two runs to score on the error. Montas would be unable to give the Mets length, as he only went three innings.

The veteran right-hander tossed 72 pitches (44 strikes), allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out three. 

-Alonso, meet the Straw. After going hitless in the series opener, Alonso greeted the booing Milwaukee crowd with a towering 413-foot blast on a 94 mph fastball up in the zone off of Tobias Myers in the second inning. It was Alonso's 26th homer of the season and the 252nd of his career. The blast tied Darryl Strawberry's all-time record. Alonso finished 1-for-4.

The Mets threatened some more in that frame, loading the bases with two outs thanks to hits by Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez and a walk by Cedric Mullins. However, Lindor struck out looking as Myers and the Brewers escaped further damage.

Lindor would swing into some more bad luck in the fourth. With runners on the corners and one out, he smashed a grounder to third baseman Anthony Seigler, who knocked the ball down with his body, threw to Brice Turang at second and he made a nice turn to barely get Lindor at first to complete the inning-ending double play. Lindor finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

-Starling Marte, who has been swinging a hot bat for weeks now, got the Mets back even at 2-2 with an opposite-field solo shot in the third inning. It was the second consecutive game he went yard. Prior to this series, Marte hadn't hit a home run since the first week of June. Over his last 30 games, Marte is slashing .320/.358/.490. He finished 1-for-4. 

Juan Soto joined in on the fun with a solo shot in the fifth. It was the third straight game the slugger has hit a homer and he now has 28 on the season. He went 1-for-4 with a walk.

Mullins has been struggling since arriving to the Mets at the trade deadline, but he blooped an RBI single in the fourth to give the Mets the lead. The veteran outfielder went 2-for-3 with a walk. 

-With the lead, Carlos Mendoza went to recently-acquired relievers to try and get the final 15 outs. Gregory Soto got the Brewers in order in the fifth and Tyler Rogers did the same in the sixth before Ryne Stanek took the mound in the seventh. Stanek pitched into trouble after a leadoff single and a ground-rule double put runners on second and third with one out. 

Sal Frelick hit a slow chopper to the right of Stanek and Lindor's only play was to first to get the second out, but the tying run scored. Ryan Helsley came in to try and get out of the inning, but Isaac Collins hit a scorcher the opposite way to Ronny Mauricio at third base and the young infielder muffed it, allowing the Brewers to score the go-ahead run. 

Even weirder, Helsley looked to get William Contreras to fly out on the first pitch he saw but was called for a pitch-clock violation. Helsley climbed the mound again after heading toward the dugout when he thought the inning was over. The next pitch Helsley threw, Contreras deposited the 100 mph fastball over the left-center field wall to put Milwaukee ahead, 7-4.

-That was all the Brewers needed, as they shut out the Mets in the final two innings, striking out five times in that span. The team struck out 12 times as a whole.

Game MVP: William Contreras

The young catcher's homer was a back-breaker, and with how cold the Mets' offense has been, those three runs were more than enough.

Highlights

Back-to-back strikeouts for Reed Garrett to end the first! pic.twitter.com/oWv1bmejEQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2025

"Darryl Strawberry, you've got some company!"

Pete Alonso officially ties the Mets' all-time home run record and puts the Mets on the board first!🔥 pic.twitter.com/DnZMzUY6sn

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2025

Starling Marte ties it!

Back-to-back nights with a home run 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TNsZDOhFTh

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 10, 2025

Cedric Mullins' RBI single gives the Mets the lead back!

His first RBI as a Met 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZSBYhQLSzk

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 10, 2025

SOTO! 💣

Three straight games with a home run for Juan Soto 😤 pic.twitter.com/9E9oWBlnj2

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 10, 2025

What's next

The Mets and Brewers complete their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m.

Sean Manaea (1-1, 3.52 ERA) will take the mound against Quinn Priester (11-2, 3.15 ERA).

Outfielders take center stage as Phillies top Rangers, win series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ARLINGTON, TX – While none of them would ever admit they’re in competition against each other, that is just what the Phillies outfielders are right now.

Rob Thomson has recently said he’s basing his decision for consistent starters in the outfield on who has the hotter hand. But that’s just a side story to the lead one, and that is to win baseball games as the Phillies try to hold on to their lead in the National League East over the New York Mets.

Saturday’s outfield consisted of Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler, as Nick Castellanos was given a rare day off. Two of the starter’s against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field will join Castellanos as regulars in the outfield at some point it seems, so Saturday it was fitting that the three teamed up to spark the Phillies to a 3-2 win.

Rangers starter and future Hall of Famer Jacob deGrom was cruising through six innings in a fun pitching duel with Jesús Luzardo. With deGrom clinging to a 1-0 lead since the first inning, he got J.T. Realmuto to hit a weak fly to left to start the seventh. Then left fielder Marsh singled, center fielder Bader walked and right fielder Kepler drove them both in with a double down the right field line. Kepler scored on a single by Bryson Stott for a 3-1 lead.

“It felt good, somewhat relieving, too,” said Kepler. “I’m just happy we got the W. (Hitting the ball hard but not getting hits) are always salty, they sting. The best you can do is put them behind you, but if they come in bunches then eventually I feel like they’ll get to me. They always hurt if you hit a ball over 100 and it’s right at a guy, it’s upsetting but the best you can do is get over it ASAP.”

It was a typical outing for the right-hander deGrom, now in his 12th season. Through six he gave up no runs and just four hits and struck out eight. It didn’t seem like a good day for the Phillies, as in his 21 career starts against them, deGrom was 9-1 with a 2.47 ERA. Furthermore, he was 7-0 in 10 starts following a Rangers loss, which this was.

”I don’t know that it’s much different, it’s all been really electric stuff,” said Thomson of seeing deGrom through the years. “It’s like (Zack) Wheeler, the combination of command and control. He’s really good and he has been for a long time and still is.”

And he was Saturday, until the dueling outfielders came to bat in that seventh. Marsh, who had previously struck out twice against deGrom, hit a 1-2 curveball on the ground between first and second to get on. Then Bader worked a five pitch walk, followed by Kepler who hit a shot to deep center in the third and singled in the fifth. He also got the go-ahead 2-RBI double with a liner to right.

“Marsh base hit,” said Thomson. “Bader, who has good at-bats against deGrom in the past, draws a walk and then Kepler, whose hit him in the past, bit double that was huge. And then Stott with a huge base hit. It was a really good game. We played some really good defense. I’m happy for (Kepler). There’s been a lot of talk, a lot of noise, he’s had good at bats for a bit and he showed it tonight, he came through. He hit three balls hard off deGrom. He can hit velocity.”

After giving up a run in the first on three singles, Luzardo settled in nicely for the rest of the game and got some real help from his defense, which has been the norm for Phillies pitchers of late. Catcher J.T. Realmuto gunned down to attempted base stealers, one at third, another at second, to prevent Ranger rallies.

Edmundo Sosa had an outstanding play in the third to save a run. With two outs and Sam Haggerty on second, Sosa slid on his knees towards short and snared and one-hopper off the bat of Wyatt Langford. He made the throw to first to end the inning.

Luzardo mixed in working out of jams and keeping innings clean as he finished the game with six innings under his belt. He gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out four while giving up just that one earned run.

“There was a lot of traffic on the bases and obviously we handled it pretty well,” said Luzardo, who improved to 11-5. “Obviously with J.T. and the defense, which was great. Just kind of understanding their game plan a little bit and just kind of making the adjustments that we needed to keep them off balance a little bit better.

“The plan is always to try and go scoreless but understanding who you’re up against and understanding that he’s a great pitcher, you know you’re not going to score many runs. It adds a little bit to it and you just want to show you can go toe-to-toe with anyone.”

Before the game, Thomson spoke of something he had to do during the game, and that was to get newly acquired sensation Jhoan Duran some work, as he hadn’t pitched since Sunday. After Matt Strahm gave up a solo home run in the eighth to Corey Seager, it couldn’t have played out at a better time for Duran to get work in.

“Bullpen was good,” Thomson said. “(Duran) was up in the eighth. We would have gone for a four-out save if we had to, but Strahmy did a nice job getting out of that inning.”

Pitching, defense and timely hitting are certainly a pretty good recipe for winning baseball … no matter who may be manning the outfield spots.