Category: Sports News

Big first inning dooms Phils in 6-3 loss to Brewers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

MILWAUKEE – It was Bark at the Park Night at Milwaukee’s American Family Field on Wednesday and canines were plentiful throughout the stands.

Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola got dogged for five runs in the first inning as the Brewers beat the Phillies, 6-3.

Just ten batters in, Nola had allowed a walk, hit a batter, gave up two singles, a triple, a home run and those five runs as the Phillies fell to 80-59 on the season but kept their lead in the National League East at five games as the New York Mets also lost.

In his previous outing last Thursday, Nola allowed three hits, two walks and three runs in his first inning. Not really what anyone wanted to see from Nola, especially after Zack Wheeler was lost for the season.

“My command was off to start out,” said Nola, who fell to 3-8. “They did a good job of putting the bat on it and putting it where we weren’t. I just kind of felt off, especially in the first. Felt like I settled in a little bit.

You saw it out there in the first. I wasn’t that crisp. I just got to make pitches. I think the first inning is kind of biting me in the butt the past couple of times. I feel like it’s been all year, even before I was hurt. Usually through the game it’s that one inning that’s kind of given me trouble.”

Milwaukee star outfielder Christian Yelich was a late scratch to the lineup with a lower back strain. It didn’t seem to matter much to his teammates, especially in the big first inning.

Brice Turang started it off with a walk before Jackson Chourio, who filled in for Yelich, was hit by a pitch. A William Contreras single loaded the base before Sal Frelick singled to center in front of Harrison Bader, scoring Turang. The Phillies centerfielder’s throw to third skipped past Alec Bohm and allowed Chourio to also score. Isaac Collins then smashed his second home run of the series to right field for a 5-0 lead.

In his last start, Nola was aided by his teammates who scored 19 runs and belted 20 hits, including seven home runs, four by Kyle Schwarber.

He didn’t get that support on Monday.

After Milwaukee (86-54) got their sixth run on an RBI double by Turang in the fourth, the Phillies countered with a run in the fifth. Nick Castellanos and Edmundo Sosa singled to start the inning and Castellanos scored on a single by Trea Turner. But Schwarber struck out and Bryce Harper hit into a fielder’s choice to end any threat of a bigger comeback.

“We have to figure that one out where he comes out and he’s got his command,” said Thomson of Nola. “In the first inning he was getting behind in the count and almost like he’s trying to make that perfect pitch and getting further behind in the count. We’ll figure that one out. But after that he settled in and gave us five innings and he was better. Not quite Nola-like but he was better.

Does Thomson have the confidence that Nola will become Nola-like before the playoffs?

“Full confidence, really,” he said. “I think in ’22 or ’23, one of the years we were coming into the playoffs he wasn’t throwing all that well. As soon as the playoffs started he got it going. I always have confidence in him because he’s always prepared and he competes. The bright lights don’t affect him.”

Weston Wilson hit a 444-foot bomb to left in the seventh, his fourth of the season, with Castellanos on first to cut the lead to 6-3. But that was all the bark the Phillies had left in them as they’ll try to win this three-game series Thursday afternoon.

“I think it shows we’re resilient,” said Wilson, who collided with Harrison Bader in left center as the two were chasing a double in the gap. “I think even though we get down early it’s not over for us. We’re going to play baseball and just try to grind our way back.”

Having used six relievers in Monday’s wild win, manager Rob Thomson had to have Nola eat up some innings, and he did after the woeful first. Nola went five innings and allowed six hits, six earned runs, walked two and struck out six. Going into the game, Nola had a 7-2 record with a 2.64 ERA in 14 starts against the Brewers since 2016.

Milwaukee starter Jose Quintana improved to 11-5 as he was pulled after Wilson’s home run. In his six and one/third innings, he gave up seven hits, three earned runs and struck out six.

The Phillies had nine hits on the night but left eight on base. Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Castellanos each had two hits.

Mets reliever Ryan Helsley had another rough outing in Wednesday's loss to the Tigers, giving up a three-run home run in the seventh inning to put Detroit up for good, 6-2.

The former two-time All-Star closer's ERA has ballooned to 11.45 over 14 appearances with New York since being acquired at the trade deadline from St. Louis. Overall, he's given up 14 earned runs in just 11.0 IP.

It's hard to make sense of Helsley's performances since joining the Mets, as he was pitching to a 3.00 ERA over 36 appearances with the Cardinals. Even manager Carlos Mendoza is confused by the poor outings, but the team will continue to look for answers to solve the right-hander's struggles.

"Yeah, I mean that's the frustrating part here," Mendoza said. "This is a guy, you look up and it's 102 [mph] and they continue to take some really good swings. Then the way they're taking the breaking ball, too. And I don't think it's tipping-related; he's made some adjustments.

"Talking to Hef [Jeremy Hefner], how do we help this guy? Because right now we're not doing it. When you got that type of stuff and they keep hitting it, something's going on here."

Mendoza pointed out that some of Helsley's issues come from not getting the right amount of elevation on his fastballs. The home run to Kerry Carpenter was a 100 mph fastball low and inside, allowing the lefty to turn on it with a 106.3 mph exit velocity and send it into the right field stands.

"I think for me, that's the biggest thing, his ability to elevate the fastball," Mendoza said. "We saw it again today, that homer there is a fastball in the power zone for the lefties. When he's effective, when he's at his best, he's able to elevate the fastball and right now we're not doing that."

Helsley said it's tough to figure out what's wrong when "everything's falling," but he knows he has to keep working when given the chance to pitch.

"Just trying anything and everything," Helsley said. "Feels like [I] make a good pitch and it gets hit and then mistakes obviously get hit as well. Seems like everything's falling. Obviously can't walk guys and got to compete out there. Just keep trying to get after it when I'm out there."

The reliever then noted that he needs to "get back to the basics" to improve his pitch execution.

"Yeah, I would say it's been OK, could probably be a little better," Helsley said. "Feels like guys are swinging at 100 like it's 91 right now, so when you feel like you got to be perfect out there, it's not a good thing. Just trying to get back to the basics and start at square one. Try to get back to form and be myself and help the team win."

Helsley was also asked about changes he's made to his delivery to avoid tipping pitches, saying they've gone well and he'll become more comfortable with those adjustments over time.

"A few things, I'm trying to work on it all," Helsley said. "Obviously, the hands have changed and the positioning has changed. It's felt pretty good, honestly, overall. I didn't love it at first and I think obviously the more I do it, the more I get comfortable with it."

Mendoza thought today's situation, with the Mets down 3-2 in the seventh, would have been a good spot for Helsley to right his previous outings. He still believes in him going forward and shot down any notion that pitching in New York has anything to do with his issues.

"I wouldn't say New York, this guy is a closer," Mendoza said. "Closers, especially when you're that good... Whether it's New York, St. Louis, whatever the case might be, big league players are going to go through stretches where it's hard. But I wouldn't put it on New York, this guy's built for it."

Starter Clay Holmes, who also struggled over 4.2 IP on Wednesday, spoke from experience as a closer about Helsley's rough stretch and expressed his and the team's belief in him.

"I've been traded midseason, I've been a closer, I've had a lot of success there, had some failures there," Holmes said. "I mean, there's a lot that goes with all this stuff. Especially moving teams, moving roles. You're in a playoff chase. There's a lot that goes on there. The game's never as easy as it is. When you add some of those things, there are times you may not be your best.

"I think we all have a lot of confidence in Ryan. Obviously, his stuff's still there, he has the makeup, he has the work ethic. You've got to keep moving forward and keep believing in yourself and finding ways to get better... Like I said, he has the makeup, he's putting the work in, he wants it. Guys like that, you can see him coming out the other end really good. It's just times like this can get rough."

Matt Chapman puts suspension appeal aside with multi-homer game in Giants' sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There was no doubt about it: despite picking up a one-game suspension hours prior to first pitch, Giants infielder Matt Chapman was going to do whatever it took to play on Wednesday night at Coors Field.

An appeal later, Chapman was eligible to play, which he did in grand style, hitting two home runs that powered San Francisco to a 10-8 win and a sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

In other words, it was Chapman’s revenge game. 

“It’s obviously unfortunate that I have to get suspended probably, but I wanted to appeal it to see what we can do,” Chapman told reporters after the Giants’ win. “I want to be out there and help this team no matter what. 

“Every game is super important for us, so the fact that I was able to be out there and make an impact is huge.” 

"I want to be out there and help this team no matter what."

Matt Chapman reflects on the decision to appeal his one-game suspension pic.twitter.com/txEswfxXWG

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

The impact was felt early on. Chapman gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the second with a 450-foot shot to center field off Germán Márquez.

Chappy suspends a ball 450 feet 💥 pic.twitter.com/MidFFl0OAZ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

Chapman’s second home run came after San Francisco had retaken Colorado’s 5-4 lead. It was his second multi-home run game this season and the 14th of his career.

You CAN'T stop Matt Chapman 😈 pic.twitter.com/n2gqMnDQs8

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2025

The Giants, now four games behind the New York Mets in the National League wild-card race, have homered in a San Francisco era-record 17 straight games.

Finally, the bats undeniably are hot for Chapman and Co.

“It’s good. Better late than never, I guess, right? It’s been a lot of fun,” Chapman added. 

“We obviously hit a rough patch, but I feel like we’re coming into our own right now and playing good baseball. We’re just trying to keep it rolling.” 

A final verdict on Chapman’s suspension has yet to be made, but in the meantime, there’s no doubt the Giants will need him as they look to keep their postseason dream alive.

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Jordan Hicks' Red Sox tenure goes from bad to worse in ugly outing vs. Cleveland originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jordan Hicks had a rough couple of months to start the season with San Francisco. He switched coasts in the Rafael Devers trade, yet the change of scenery didn’t help. In his first month with his new team, the right-handed reliever had a 4.91 ERA a 1.636 WHIP.

Yet Hicks felt encouraged after something clicked in Houston. He told reporters that he’d “take some ownership, throw the pitch I know is right and have that conviction.”

Nearly a month later, that new approach has not helped.

Hicks was called upon to replace Brennan Bernardino with two outs in the top of the first on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, a planned bullpen game for Alex Cora’s team after winning the first two games of the series against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. With Cleveland already up 1-0 and with a runner on first base, Hicks actually came through with a strikeout to end the inning, needing just three pitches to retire Jhonkensy Noel.

It was a positive step, but the good feelings were short-lived.

With Hicks being sent back out for the second inning, Bo Naylor led off with a double before No. 7 hitter Gabriel Arias sent a 414-foot homer flying over the left field wall.

C.J. Kayfus then followed that one with a ground-rule double to right, and then No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio singled.

Both of the runners left on base by Hicks scored, giving him the ugliest of final lines: four hits, four runs (all earned) in just 1/3 of an inning.

(Of note: Cleveland entered the game with an MLB-worst .224 team batting average, scoring the fourth-fewest runs in baseball this season while ranking second-to-last in team OPS.)

On a night when the Red Sox could have used an emotional lift after learning that Roman Anthony is likely out of the rest of the season with an oblique strain, Hicks’ outing ensured that the team — and the home fans — would be in for a long, painful evening. After taking a 7-1 lead in the second inning, the Guardians went on to win 8-1.

Hicks entered the game with a 6.38 ERA since joining the Red Sox. That ERA is now up to 8.20. His WHIP with the Red Sox is at 1.982.

Including his 13 appearances with the Giants, his ERA sits at 6.95 on the year.

Clearly, the “dominant late-inning reliever” that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow welcomed back in June has not panned out for the Red Sox.

To a large extent, that should have been expected. Despite elite velocity, Hicks has never fulfilled the dreams that numerous GMs have had for him in the big leagues. From 2018-23, he made 212 appearances and posted a 3.85 ERA with a 1.299 WHIP. His strikeout totals were high, but so were his walk totals.

Regardless, the Giants gave Hicks a four-year deal in free agency in 2024, reportedly outbidding Boston for the reliever’s services. Yet just a year later, after Hicks had compiled a 5-12 record, 4.83 ERA and 1.478 WHIP, the Giants were comfortable shipping him to Boston in the Devers deal.

It’s most likely his inclusion in that franchise-altering trade and the two years left on his contract that have kept Hicks on the roster to this point. He hasn’t pitched like a big league pitcher, and as the season has gone on, he’s made it increasingly clear that Alex Cora can’t trust him in any big moments … or even, apparently, in the second inning of a 1-0 game.

The Dodgers have had an illness running through their clubhouse lately.

And on Wednesday, it forced an alteration in their pitching plans.

While Shohei Ohtani was in the Dodgers’ lineup as designated hitter for their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two-way star was scratched from his scheduled pitching start at PNC Park after feeling “under the weather” the past few days, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“When you’re sick and potentially dehydrated, the tax of pitching in a game wasn’t worth it,” Roberts said.

Read more:‘Want to see that edge.’ How Dodgers hope Teoscar Hernández turns around difficult season

Instead, Emmet Sheehan will take the mound for Wednesday’s game, while Ohtani’s next pitching appearance will be pushed to “sometime this weekend” against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Just to give him a few more days to recover,” Roberts said.

Ohtani’s sickness certainly didn’t seem to hamper him at the plate Tuesday, when he had two doubles and a career-high 120 mph exit velocity on a solo home run — his 46th of the season and 100th as a Dodger.

However, Roberts said Ohtani’s pregame catch play on Tuesday was cut short, and that the risk of overexerting the reigning National League MVP by having him make a full-length start Wednesday wasn’t worth it.

“The toll of taking four or five at-bats versus pitching five innings, there’s no comparison,” Roberts said.

Ohtani’s symptoms have included chest and sinus "stuff" as well as “a deep cough,” Roberts added.

Several other Dodgers players have dealt with similar issues recently. Max Muncy was so sick last week, the team sent him home to rest and delayed the start of his minor-league rehab assignment to this week.

“We’re trying to manage it,” Roberts said. “But there are guys that are just not feeling great right now.”

Roki Sasaki unlikely to rejoin Dodgers this season

When rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki began a rehab assignment last month, in an attempt to return from a shoulder injury that cost him most of his debut MLB season, Roberts said the calculus would be simple for the Japanese phenom.

If he performed like one of the Dodgers’ best 13 pitchers, they’d find a spot for him on the big-league roster. If not, they wouldn’t.

After four triple-A outings, the latter has become the somber reality for the 23-year-old right-hander. And now, his chances of rejoining the big-league roster this season look all but dashed.

On Tuesday, Sasaki once again underwhelmed with the club’s Oklahoma City affiliate, giving up four runs (on a pair of first-inning two-run homers) in a five-inning, two-walk, two-strikeout performance. His fastball, which was advertised as a 100 mph weapon when he signed with the Dodgers this offseason, dipped back down to a 94.4 mph average. Overall, he now has a 7.07 ERA during his recent rehab stint. And on Wednesday, Roberts said there are no plans for Sasaki to rejoin the major-league team for now.

“The performance, the stuff hasn’t been there," Roberts said. "Against triple-A hitters, you would expect more."

Sasaki, of course, still figures to be a key piece in the Dodgers’ long-term pitching plans.

Because he signed as an international free agent, the team was able to secure him for six seasons of control at the cost of only a $6.5 million signing bonus. In time, they remain hopeful he can realize his potential as a possible MLB ace.

This year, however, has become a lost cause.

In eight MLB starts at the beginning of the season, Sasaki suffered from a lack of velocity and wild command while posting a 4.72 ERA in 34 1/3 innings. The theory then was that his nagging shoulder injury was partially to blame. But lately, Sasaki has continued to struggle even after returning to what Roberts said was 100% health.

“Roki has gone through a lot this year, and he still has a ton of talent,” Roberts said. “We just want to see more.”

The Dodgers certainly don’t need Sasaki to make a World Series run. They currently have six starting pitching options on the big-league roster, and a bullpen that is getting closer to full health thanks to this week’s activation of Michael Kopech and the expected returns of Alex Vesia (who will begin his own rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Wednesday) and Brock Stewart later this month. Brusdar Graterol could also be a late-season option after missing all of this year recovering from shoulder surgery, but his outlook remains unclear.

Read more:'We’ve got to find ways to win.' Inconsistency haunts Dodgers again in loss to Pirates

“The bar is high right now, because we’re in a pennant race,” Roberts said.

Still, when Sasaki arrived as a much-hyped (albeit still-developing) prospect in the offseason, the idea was that he could immediately contribute in the big leagues.

Instead, his fastball is still lacking life, his performances remain inconsistent, and his plan for the rest of this season is up in the air. Roberts said the organization is set to “huddle together and figure out what’s best for Roki and how we can get the most out of him."

“To warrant pitching on our staff right now, there’s got to be urgency on his part and really dominant performance,” Roberts added. “That’s the level of where we’re at.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What we learned as Matt Chapman homers twice to give Giants sweep vs. Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — Given how historically bad the Colorado Rockies have been this year, every series at Coors Field has felt like a borderline must-sweep for MLB playoff hopefuls. But for the Giants this week, there was no doubt. 

They needed to take all three in Denver to keep their playoff hopes alive and they did, capping an energetic and surprisingly interesting series with a 10-8 win on Wednesday.

The Giants have won 10 of 11 and they crept a game closer to the postseason race a few hours after the New York Mets lost in Detroit. They have won four consecutive series for the first time all season, choosing a hell of a time to do so. 

The charge in the finale was led by Matt Chapman, who homered twice on the same day he found out that he has been suspended for one game for his role in Tuesday’s benches-clearing incident. Chapman is appealing and likely will try to kick that can down the road as long as possible. Right now, the Giants are playing like a team that’ll need him through the final game of the season.

They’ll head to St. Louis just four games behind the Mets in the wild-card race, although New York does hold the tiebreaker, so it’s essentially a five-game deficit with 22 to go. They’re also just five games behind the slumping San Diego Padres, although again, the Giants would need to finish a game up because they don’t own the tiebreaker. 

Stranger things have happened, and right now the Giants certainly are feeling dangerous. Here are three things to know from the final night at Coors this season … 

Unlikely Record-Breakers

If you look at the lineup, it’s not necessarily a huge surprise that this group became the first in San Francisco Giants history to homer in 17 consecutive games. Rafael Devers already has 30 homers and Willy Adames looks like he’ll be next. Chapman’s two got him to 20 and Heliot Ramos could get there, too. There’s a good amount of power out there every day.

But … if you remember July and early August, this makes absolutely no sense. 

The Giants put themselves in a deep hole by going 2-13 over a span of 15 home games right before and after the MLB trade deadline, and over that stretch they homered in back-to-back games just once. For weeks, they had trouble just scoring a second run most nights, and now they’re taking turns rounding the bases. During this streak, they’ve gotten homers from 12 different players. 

The Giants are just two games away from tying the franchise record, set by the 1947 club in New York. That group got a 51-homer season from Hall of Famer Johnny Mize and had three other players hit at least 29. 

Tip Your Cap

During the Farhan Zaidi years, the Giants gained a reputation for finding gold where others saw a pile of rocks. But the reality is that they were doing a great job with minor league free agents and older flyers long before Zaidi was hired. They have continued to do well in the first year under Buster Posey and Zack Minasian, who formerly headed their pro scouting department, giving him an intimate knowledge of other organizations. 

Dom Smith is the best example this year, but recently, the Giants have gotten good work from Joel Peguero, a 28-year-old who signed in the offseason. Peguero recorded four outs Wednesday and has thrown nine scoreless innings since debuting in San Diego last month. He topped out at 101.5 mph in the thin Denver air. 

JT Brubaker contributed two scoreless innings on Wednesday — helping to settle things down after the Rockies rallied — before running into trouble with one out in the ninth. Ryan Walker entered to finish it off.

It’s a team effort when you find unexpected help, and Posey and Minasian lean heavily on assistant GM Jeremy Shelley, who has a strong reputation when it comes to digging up unlikely contributors. The analytics and pro scouting groups deserve a lot of credit, too.

Rough for Ray

Left-hander Robbie Ray started to walk off the mound in the bottom of the fifth, thinking a strikeout had held a 4-1 lead. He didn’t get the call and he ended up not making it out of the inning. 

Ray was charged with five runs — four earned — in 4 2/3 innings. Coors, man. 

He struck out eight, which moved him back into the top 10 in the NL. Teammate Logan Webb currently ranks second in the league in strikeouts to Zack Wheeler, who is done for the year.

Ray dealt with tough luck, but he should still be relatively happy with the night. His fastball velocity had been down in recent starts but he maxed out at 95.8 mph on Wednesday. 

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