NEW YORK — Third baseman Mark Vientos was out of the New York Mets’ lineup Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals because of groin discomfort.
Vientos exited Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Cardinals in the fifth, one inning after making a leaping grab to rob Brendan Donovan of a hit.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Vientos was feeling a lot better Sunday.
Brett Baty started at third in the series finale and went 0 for 3 in New York’s 7-4 victory.
The 25-year-old Vientos is batting .167 with two home runs, six RBIs and a .565 OPS. He is 1 for 22 with runners in scoring position, but he went deep on Thursday and Friday for his first two homers of the year.
Vientos had a breakout season in 2024, hitting .266 with 27 homers, 71 RBIs and an .837 OPS. He added five home runs during the playoffs and set a Mets postseason record with 14 RBIs as New York reached the National League Championship Series.
In other injury news, Mendoza said catcher Francisco Alvarez and second baseman Jeff McNeil will be at Citi Field on Monday to get evaluated — but “most likely” they will then return to the minors to resume their rehabilitation assignments.
Both players are rehabbing with Double-A Binghamton. Alvarez was the designated hitter Sunday at Reading and finished 1 for 5. McNeil played second base and went 4 for 4, hitting a home run for the second consecutive day.
“We will check with them. Most likely they will continue to get at-bats,” Mendoza said. “I think from Alvy, from the medical standpoint, he’s clear. Now it’s just, continue to work on his timing and things like that. So maybe a couple of more games in Triple-A, and then we’ll see where we’re at. And same thing with Jeff.”
New York opens a three-game series Monday night against the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies.
Alvarez has been sidelined since March 9 with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand that required surgery. He was expected to miss six to eight weeks.
McNeil also got hurt during spring training and began the season on the injured list. The two-time All-Star and 2022 major league batting champion is recovering from a low-grade right oblique strain.
Also, right-hander Paul Blackburn (right knee inflammation) threw 38 pitches over two innings Saturday in a rehab outing for High-A Brooklyn at Aberdeen. He allowed one run and two hits with two walks.
“The reports from yesterday after he came out, he felt good,” Mendoza said.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Two-way star Shohei Ohtani returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup Sunday for the series finale against the Texas Rangers, activated off the paternity list after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child in Southern California.
The 30-year-old Ohtani, who didn’t address the media before the game, was in his accustomed leadoff spot.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani arrived in Texas late Saturday night.
“To get back here and to be a part of this certainly shows his ability to balance life and work,” Roberts said. “Good to have him back and most importantly I’m happy he and Mamiko have a healthy baby girl.”
Roberts said now that his star is a father, expect some “dad strength” exit velocities.
“Dad strength is real,” Roberts said. “It’s amazing how hard Shohei hits the ball now. So now that he is a father, you might see some 120 exit velos.”
Ohtani missed the series’ first two games, which the Dodgers split, matching the previous two World Series winners. He appeared in all of Los Angeles’ previous 20 games, hitting .288 with six home runs and 21 runs scored (one off major league lead).
“I am so grateful to my loving wife (28-year-old former professional basketball player Mamiko Tanaka) who gave birth to our healthy, beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”
Bologna shock leaders with stunning ultra-late winner
Real Madrid score stoppage time winner against Bilbao
A stunning last-gasp goal by striker Riccardo Orsolini gave Bologna a 1-0 home win against Inter in Serie A on Sunday in a blow to the visitors’ hopes of retaining their title.
Treble-chasing Inter stayed top of the standings with 71 points after 33 games but second-placed Napoli are now level on points with the leaders after securing a late 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Monza on Saturday.
The New York Rangers will have to make changes both with the roster and internally in terms of their culture.
After winning the Presidents’ Trophy and reaching the Eastern Conference Final just one year ago, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs in what was a disaster of a season.
Not only did the Rangers miss the playoffs, but the team dealt with issues of tension and dysfunction within the organization that spiraled out of control.
It started in the summer when the Rangers waived Barclay Goodrow without giving the player much notice as he was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks.
Goodrow was an important leader in the Blueshirts’ locker room and the manner in which he was released didn’t boil over too well with Goodrow.
During the offseason, the Rangers’ desire to trade Jacob Trouba became public and that situation carried into training camp when Trouba remained on the roster.
After some struggles to start the season, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury sent out a league-wide memo indicating his willingness to shake up the team’s core while specifically mentioning Chris Kreider and Trouba’s name. That also ultimately became public, which only plummeted the Rangers’ level of play even further.
Things quickly escalated and Trouba was shipped off to Anaheim after the Rangers threatened to place him on waivers if he did not waive his no-trade clause.
Now, the Rangers need to improve the roster and also do some damage control on their reputation which one NHL insider believes was badly hurt due to everything that transpired.
“I do think reputation wise, the Rangers have taken a hit this year,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. “Players notice how things like that happen. For them it is easier to bounce back because of who they are and where they play. You can recover quickly from that.”
The Rangers fired Peter Laviolette on Saturday, but it will take far more than just a coaching change to fix the damage that has already been done.
Steph Curry still is the greatest show the NBA has, and it’s not even close.
The Warriors superstar made numerous wild 3-pointers in the a thrilling 95-85 Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Toyota Center, helping Golden State pull off the upset over the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed.
After the win, Warriors forward Draymond Green spoke to Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike about Curry’s incredible shooting display.
“It’s crazy,” Green told Fitzgerald and Azubuike. “That deep one from the Toyota Center [logo] and the one out of bounds over here, absolutely insane. But that’s why he’s the GOAT.”
Curry got going early in the game by driving to the rim, but as the court opened up for him, he began to bury 3-pointers, starting with two late in the second quarter to extend the Warriors’ lead.
Dodgers infielders, umpire Nic Lentz and a team staff member check on starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow during the fifth inning Sunday during a road game against the Rangers. Glasnow suffered cramps in the fourth inning and left the game in the fifth. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Tyler Glasnow stood on the back of the mound, flexed his right leg to test how it felt, then threw his first pitch of the fifth inning on Sunday afternoon.
In the Dodgers’ 1-0 win against the Texas Rangers, it proved to be the right-hander’s last one of the day.
Though the Dodgers salvaged a series win at Globe Life Field, riding a stout bullpen and eighth-inning sacrifice fly from Freddie Freeman to victory in the series rubber match, they first had to overcome yet another injury concern from Glasnow, who left the game after just four innings with what he later said was cramping in both his legs.
“Ankles, calves, feet. Both sides,” Glasnow said. “After a while, it just gets to the point where it’s fully locked up. I’m not sure why.”
The good news for the Dodgers: Glasnow’s issue is not believed to be serious.
Among the many injury problems that have plagued his big-league career, occasional bouts of cramping have been among the most benign.
“We expect him to make his next start on Sunday at home,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So hopefully this is a one-time occurrence.”
Glasnow’s early exit didn’t derail the Dodgers (16-7) either. Instead, a sturdy bullpen came to the rescue once again.
Luis García and Anthony Banda each got two outs after Glasnow’s departure. Rookie standout Ben Casparius collected five more after them, marking his sixth-straight outing of more than one inning.
The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman follows through on a sacrifice fly that allowed Will Smith to score on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Another rookie surprise, left-hander Jack Dreyer, recovered from a leadoff walk in the eighth by retiring his next two batters. Evan Phillips then finished off that inning, before Tanner Scott got his eighth save of the season in the ninth — the game ending when Rangers baserunner Wyatt Langford was tagged out by second baseman Miguel Rojas after popping off the bag on a bang-bang play while trying to steal a base.
The Dodgers’ offense only produced three hits against the Rangers (13-9), but got their lone run in the top of the eighth inning. Will Smith led off with a pinch-hit single, moved to second on a walk from Shohei Ohtani — who was returning to the lineup after missing the previous two games for the birth of his daughter — then advanced all the way home on back-to-back fly balls from Mookie Betts and Freeman.
“It was just a great manufactured inning,” Roberts said.
In the end, the only real question was the severity of Glasnow’s cramping issue — and whether it signaled any reason for future concern given his lengthy history of injuries in the big leagues.
Glasnow said his legs started bothering him in the third inning. In the fourth, he initially stayed in the game after being checked on the mound by a trainer once. But when the problem persisted into the fifth — his lone pitch that inning was a 93.7 mph fastball, one of his slowest this season — signs of his discomfort were visible again, prompting Roberts and the training staff to remove him from the game.
“I’ve done all the hydration stuff. I do all the supplements,” Glasnow said. “I think we’ll try and figure some stuff out soon. And just hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”
Glasnow had a similar cramping episode last April in Toronto. Though he bounced back from that to complete a strong first half to the season, earning him his first career All-Star selection, he ultimately succumbed to an elbow injury in August that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Roberts wasn’t concerned about Glasnow’s long-term health after Sunday’s game, but did acknowledge a sense of frustration from the 31-year-old veteran — who has a 3.71 ERA in four starts this year, but only 17 total innings pitched.
Dodgers' Austin Barnes, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the team celebrate their 1-0 win over the Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
“I’m sure no one’s more frustrated than he is, especially when you’re pitching well,” Roberts said of Glasnow, who had another short start two weeks ago in Philadelphia when he failed to complete the third inning amid a light rain shower.
“But the bullpen has picked him up. And hopefully this one and some other things are behind us and he can give us some length [next] Sunday.”
Given the currently shorthanded state of the Dodgers’ rotation (which is still awaiting the return of Blake Snell and Tony Gonsolin from the injured list) and the heavy early-season workload that has fallen on the bullpen (which leads the majors with 96 ⅔ combined innings this season), the Dodgers will need it.
“It’s not a good feeling, just to have the bullpen throw so many innings this year,” Glasnow said. “But like I said, they’ve done an amazing job, and they helped me out today a lot.”
HOUSTON – Steph Curry and the Warriors returned to the NBA playoffs and renewed their heated rivalry with the Houston Rockets on Easter Sunday, fending off a back-and-forth battle at Toyota Center for a 95-85 Game 1 win to open their first-round series.
Curry fought off the Rockets’ physicality for 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting and made five 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler continued to be Batman’s Robin, adding 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, plus seven rebounds and six assists. His emphatic, roaring dunk as he hung on the rim put a loud exclamation on the Warriors’ win
The Warriors led by as many as 23 points, but then went ice-cold and didn’t make a shot in the final four minutes of the third quarter. Experience against youth. Size against speed and the greatest shooter ever. As the first installment showed, this will be a taxing showdown each game.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ Game 1 win.
Steph’s Response
Before he even suited up for a playoff game, Warriors rookie center Quinten Post made a guarantee that the Rockets wouldn’t hold Curry to three points again like they did two weeks ago. Curry missed his first three shots – all 3-point attempts – but then sliced through the Rockets’ defense to finish at the rim, connecting on his next three shots to score six points in the first quarter.
Curry sat for the first six minutes of the second quarter and cooked the Rockets’ defense once he returned. Over the final six minutes going into halftime, Curry scored 10 points and hit two threes. After scoring three points on 1-of-10 shooting two weeks ago, he was up to 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting through the first half.
Whenever he didn’t have the ball in his hands, Curry was running through a brick wall of Rockets defenders who were holding onto him all around the court. During the Warriors’ second timeout, Curry chatted with two referees but that didn’t stop Houston’s strategy. Nor did it stop Curry from putting on a show.
He shook his defenders on and off the ball, and found ways to make the impossible become possible without any surprise. After missing his first three shots, Curry made 12 of his final 16 the rest of the game.
The Warriors needed 75 combined points from Curry and Butler to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in their NBA play-in tournament game to advance to the playoffs. They’re two of the game’s greatest postseason performers, and the Warriors know they can jump on their backs to get wins. But they’re going to need help.
In the second quarter, players around the two stars rose to the challenge. Curry and Butler scored 12 of the Warriors’ 18 points in the first quarter. The Warriors then went on an 18-5 run through the first six minutes of the second quarter with Curry on the bench to take a 10-point lead, 36-26, before he checked back into the game.
Golden State in the second quarter got five points from Gui Santos, three from Brandin Podziemski, two from Draymond Green and two from Buddy Hield to hold a 13-point halftime lead. But as the game went on and the Warriors’ lead dwindled down, the impact of those players shrank.
However, Moses Moody scored five of his seven points in the fourth quarter and Podziemski was a game-high plus-17 with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Their contributions will be critical each game.
Possession Battle
Coach Steve Kerr in his pregame press conference said the outcome of the Warriors’ first-round series depends on the possession battle. The Rockets were going to use their size advantage however they could, and the Warriors knew it. Not only did they use their two-big lineup of Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams, but the 6-foot-10 Jabari Smith Jr. also joined them on the court.
The difference in height was a hard hill to climb for the Warriors, as it will be the rest of the series. Houston owned the glass over Golden State, outrebounding the Warriors 52-36. That was especially true on offense, where the Rockets grabbed 22 rebounds and the Warriors only came down with six.
Steven Adams’ five offensive rebounds were one shy of the Warriors’ team total. The Rockets took 11 more shots than the Warriors and scored 12 more second-chance points. But Golden State’s defense swiped 14 steals, five more than Houston, and had three fewer turnovers.
In the end, the Warriors draining six more threes made a major difference. Each possession was found gold, one way or the other.
Apr 20, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and forward Jalen Williams (8) celebrate against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
One win in the first round of the playoffs is not going to change the minds of Oklahoma City’s doubters, but this game came as close to that as it could.
It was this kind of game: Oklahoma City was already in control and up 13 when it went on a 20-0 second quarter run.
Or, it was this kind of game: Oklahoma City was up by 32 at the half, 68-36, and led by as many as 56 on a day their best player struggled. Shai Gilegeous-Alexander had a season-low 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting for the game.
Oklahoma City ran Memphis out of the Paycom Center in Game 1 of their series on Sunday — almost literally. The Thunder had a 27-5 fast break points advantage (and that undersells what really happened).
The final score of this thrashing was 131-80, giving Oklahoma City a 1-0 lead in the series, where the real question has become, can Memphis even win a game?
This game speaks more to how good the Thunder are than to the Grizzlies' issues — Memphis is a 48-win team that had a +4.7 net rating, the sixth-best in the league. While the Grizzlies faded during the second half of the season (which is why they fired coach Taylor Jenkins), this was not some Eastern Conference team that fell into the postseason because everyone behind them was tanking harder. Memphis was good. Legitimately good.
You would never have realized that Sunday.
The real difference in this game and between these teams lies in their defense. Oklahoma City’s defense just locked down Memphis, walling off their guards from getting into the paint, rotating sharply to any kick-out passes, and contesting everything, forcing the Grizzlies to resort to floaters from players they didn’t want to shoot that much (Zach Edey, for example). For the game, Memphis shot 34.4% overall and 17.6% from beyond the arc.
Only two Grizzlies scored in double digits. Ja Morant got to 17 points but on 6-of-17 shooting, and Marvin Bagley III — who was the best Grizzlies player of he day — also had 17.
Andrew Wiggins led the Thunder with 21 points off the bench, while Jalen Williams added 20 and Chet Holmgren 19.
The news of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava's transfer to UCLA leaked on Wednesday but he is now officially heading back to Southern California.
Toronto Maple Leafs host Ottawa Senators in thrilling game one of their first round matchup on Sunday
Sunday night is the ultimate opportunity for NHL fans, with a loaded slate of thrilling matchups on day two of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The game that sticks out is the Battle of Ontario between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators, which promises to be a physical war of attrition.
Both teams don't like each other as they meet for the 172nd time with Sunday being their fifth meeting in the postseason. Toronto holds an all-time record of 16-8 fuelled by four straight series wins.
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 13-5 record on our last 18 picks and our 18-6 record on our last 24 underdog picks.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
The Senators haven't made the postseason since 2017 when they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ottawa has struggled to put together a quality team since but this team looks very different with cornerstone players in Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle as well as a solid goaltender in former Vezina trophy winner Linus Ullmark.
They will be more competitive than people believe in this series as they have the best odds of any wild card team to advance to the second round at +164 odds.
Ottawa should keep things close to start off this one as they'll be lead by Tkachuk, who has been vocal about his love for the big moments like Sunday night.
The Senators captain has never played in the postseason before but I would expect a similar performance to his showing at the Four Nations where he recorded three goals in four games. His winger Tim Stutzle on the other hand, may suffer from the physicality of play in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Many hockey fans have heavily criticised Mitch Marner and other smaller-sized players for struggling to produce in the postseason as they can put up solid numbers but can't make an impact defensively.
Marner has taken a massive step forward this season but Stutzle has started to make headlines for getting pushed around.
The German winger will get his first taste of the playoffs and I expect him to struggle. At 192 pounds, he may get pushed off the puck by bigger players like Auston Matthews (217 pounds), Matthew Knies (227 pounds) or Brandon Carlo (220 pounds).
This is becoming a common belief as Stutzle is listed with very low odds to even get a point at -122 which is surprising for a the Senators top scorer. I expect Tkachuk will get on the board but not Stutzle.
Marner should get on the board as he excels in game one's with four goals and five assists for nine points over his last first-round game one's.
Elite goaltending has brought the over/under down to 5.5 for this one despite these two having a history of high-scoring affairs with six or more goals in 16 of their last 25 matchups.
The under has hit in two of their four matchups this season but I expect another high-scoring affair as the nerves of the playoffs should get the better of a couple players and will leave holes for offence to pierce through.
The over hit in both playoff games yesterday with the Devils Canes matchup today being the first to go under. The Leafs and Sens should continue the trend and add excitement to this series with a shootout to open things up.
Toronto will have home-ice to kick things off plus have the advantage of more experience in the playoffs that should carry them to a series-opening victory in game one.
A value bet to look at would be depth forward David Kampf scoring for the Maple Leafs. The 30-year-old Czech winger isn't known for being an elite goal scorer after recording 31 goals over the last four season with Toronto.
However, he has done well in the playoffs with goals in two of the last three first round game one's for the Maple Leafs. He may not be in the lineup but if he is, he's worth a look.
A day after going yard in his first game for Double-A, McNeil unloaded on the first pitch of the game against Moises Chase for his second home run in as many days to give the Rumble Ponies an instant 1-0 advantage.
The 33-year-old playing second base followed that up with a long double in the third inning, scoring the game's second run on Nick Morabito's sacrifice fly later in the frame.
McNeil finished the game 4-for-4 and was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. He swung at the first pitch on three of his four hits, wasting no time to make his mark and prove he's ready to re-join the big-league club as soon as possible.
Another injured player itching to return to the majors is Francisco Alvarez, who played in back-to-back games for the second time during his rehab. After catching nine innings on Saturday, the 23-year-old was the designated hitter on Sunday and finished 1-for-5 in the No. 2 hole.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said before New York's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals that it's "most likely [both players] will continue to get at-bats," but it'll be interesting to see if either McNeil or Alvarez has made enough of a case to get the call before the Mets begin a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
When playoff season rolls around in the NHL, it also signals award season for the league's best players and staff.
We had 40 writers and editors provide their picks for seven of the NHL's most prestigious awards, with some polls being extremely tight, and others not so much.
Here's who they think will win the Hart Trophy, Norris Trophy, Vezina Trophy and more.
1. Who will be the Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s regular-season MVP?
Four NHL stars got a considerable amount of votes here, but in the end, Oilers superstar center Leon Draisaitl emerged as the winner, with two more votes than Jets star goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Draisaitl won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy as the top goal-scorer in the league this season, and he’s done more than enough to earn his first career Hart.
2. Who will win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman?
Avalanche star Cale Makar has a Norris Trophy to his credit, and after posting career-bests in goals (30) and points (92) this year, he’s the runaway pick to win another. Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski had career-bests in assists (59) and points (82). And Canucks captain Quinn Hughes won last year’s Norris, but missing 14 games due to injury hurt his chances of repeating as Norris champ.
3. Who will win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender?
Only one category in this year’s poll had every voter in agreement, and it was this one, with 40 voters picking Hellebuyck to repeat as Vezina-winner. You can see why, as the 31-year-old set new personal-bests in goals-against average (2.00) and save percentage (.925). This will be Hellebuyck’s third career Vezina, as he’s earned every Vezina vote that’s come his way.
4. Who will win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward?
Aleksander Barkov is the reigning Selke-winner with two Selkes under his belt, and this year, the Panthers captain finished just two votes ahead of Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner, who is looking for his first career Selke, for first in this poll. Golden Knights centre Jack Eichel finished third in voting in this category, while one vote behind him were Florida’s Sam Reinhart and New Jersey’s Nico Hischier.
5. Who will win the Lady Byng Award as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player?
Eichel has only eight penalty minutes and 94 points in 77 games this year, and voters responded by giving him the most votes in this category. In second is veteran Kings center Anze Kopitar, who has won two Lady Byngs in his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, and who has just four PIM this season. And in third place is Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, who has only eight PIM this year.
6. Who will win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie?
Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson was the clear pick for this year’s Calder, as the 21-year-old posted 60 assists and 66 points in 82 games. The 24-year-old goalie Dustin Wolf had a .910 SP and 2.64 GAA for the Flames this season. San Jose center Celebrini generated 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games.
7. Who will win the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s best coach?
The credit for the Capitals’ stunning success this season – finishing with the Eastern Conference’s top regular-season record – goes to Spencer Carbery, who is in his second year behind Washington’s bench. No other coach got more than one vote in this category, as Carbery cruised to a landslide victory in our poll.
The Mets finished off a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 7-3 win on Easter Sunday at Citi Field.
Here are the takeaways...
-After ending Friday night's game with a solo shot, Francisco Lindor started this one off with a leadoff home run against Sonny Gray -- Lindor's third career homer against Gray, who has allowed five dingers already this season.
Lindor is now 9-for-20 when leading off the game and appears to have put his bad start to the year in the rearview mirror. He finished 3-for-5 and bumped his average up to .271.
-New York may have stolen its second run in the third inning, taking advantage of the scouting report on the Cardinals' outfield defense.
After Tyrone Taylor and Lindor singles put runners on the corners to bring up Juan Soto in another opportunity with runners in scoring position -- one in which Soto has struggled this season after excelling mightily in that spot last year with the Yankees -- the outfielder hit a shallow fly ball to Lars Nootbaar in left field. Without skipping a beat, Taylor raced home after the catch and beat Nootbaar's throw home to double the Mets' lead.
-Pitching with an early lead, Clay Holmes had his best outing for New York and was able to complete six innings for the first time as a member of the Mets. The right-hander allowed just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six and throwing 91 pitches (58 strikes).
The only run Holmes allowed came in the sixth inning, but it could've been more if not for Brandon Nimmo's leaping catch at the wall to rob Jordan Walker of a home run and end the inning.
-After being unable to get deeper into games as a whole, New York's pitching staff has now gone at least six innings in four of its past nine games after doing so only once in its first 13 games.
-Pete Alonso stayed hot with an RBI single in the fifth inning as the first baseman now leads the NL with 24 RBI.
-The Mets saw their lead disappear in the seventh inning after reliever Danny Young entered. The lefty allowed a hit and a walk and left after striking out Nootbaar for the second out of the inning. Looking for the final out of the frame, Jose Butto got jumped on by Thomas Saggese, who doubled his first pitch to drive in two runs and tie the game.
-New York got the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning as Nimmo, facing former Met Phil Maton, got his first hit of the day to drive in Lindor before the Mets piled on in the eighth.
On the strength of three doubles, the Mets scored three insurance runs to make it 7-3. Luisangel Acuña, who had another positive day at the plate by going 2-for-4, started things off with a chopper to the left side of the infield that was deflected by third baseman Nolan Gorman. It allowed Acuña to get to second base for a hustle double.
Taylor followed with his second hit of the day, a conventional double to right field, that scored a run before Soto brought in two with a slicing double to center field and cashing in on another RISP opportunity.
-Ryne Stanek pitched the ninth and allowed his first run of the season.
Game MVP: Juan Soto
Soto was in the middle of all the action, and his two-run double in the eighth put the icing on the cake.
