Mark Vientos homered and drove in four runs, and Francisco Lindor and Francisco Alvarez notched three hits each as the Mets beat the Seattle Mariners 7-3 on Sunday night in the 2025 MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Penn.

Clay Holmes pitched around trouble to give the Mets five innings of one-run ball and the bullpen was effective to shut the door behind him as the Mets grabbed a series win, their first in the month of August.

New York improved to 66-58 on the year and is now 3.0 games behind the San Diego Padres for the second Wild Card spot.

Here are the takeaways...

- The Mets got the game’s first chance when Pete Alonso led off the home half of the second with a single through the left side of the infield and Jeff McNeil chunked a base hit down the line in left. Alvarez, on the fifth straight George Kirby slider, lined one into the left-center gap that just eluded Julio Rodriguez's glove for an RBI double. Brett Baty, against a drawn-in infield with two in scoring position, laced a 3-2 sinker up the middle for a run-scoring single before Vientos plated the Mets’ third run with a sacrifice fly to center.

Kriby gave New York a chance in the third, issuing a leadoff walk to Juan Soto and a one-out free pass to Alonso. But McNeil flied out to right and Alvarez grounded out to short to end the chance. The Mets created another opportunity off Kirby in the fourth as Vientos’ one-out single was followed by a Lindor single and Soto walk (featuring a Soto Shuffle much to the little leaguers' delight) to give Brandon Nimmo a two-out chance with the bases loaded. But he got jammed on a first-pitch 98 mph fastball to line out softly. 

- With two down in the fifth, Vientos came to the plate with runners on first and second thanks to sharply hit one-out singles from McNeil and Alvarez, and Kirby left a 1-1 heater over the heart of the plate and the third baseman didn't miss it, driving it 385 feet the opposite way (103.5 mph off the bat) for a much-needed three-run shot to put the Mets up 6-1.

Cedric Mullins, who was 0-for-2 to that point with two strikeouts, roped a double into the corner in right and Lindor, on the sixth-straight Kirby curveball, golfed a drive into the right-center gap that the Mariners misplayed as Rodriguez called off right fielder Dominic Canzone and the ball fell in for an RBI double, his third hit of the night.

- In the seventh, Alvarez cracked his third hit of the game with a double off the wall in right, just beating the throw with a head-first slide. But the Mets catcher appeared to jam his right thumb into the bag on the slide. He immediately called for time and was examined by the Mets’ training staff. Alvarez remained in the game to run the bases and was eventually stranded at third, but was replaced in the top of the eighth behind the plate by Luis Torrens.

- The Mets got another chance with one out in the eighth when Soto worked his third walk of the night, stole second, and Nimmo singled to cover the corners. But Alonso went down swinging and McNeil tapped out to first.

New York finished the night 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position with 10 runners left on base.

- Holmes’ night got off to an auspicious start: He beaned Randy Arozarena near the head with a 92 mph sinker on the game’s first pitch. But the veteran got Cal Raleigh swinging on a slider below the zone and Rodriguez to ground into a 5-4-3 inning-ender. Holmes worked around a one-out infield single in the second and a leadoff single in the third to keep Seattle off the board through nine outs, needing 46 pitches. 

Rodriguez smacked a 0-2 curveball of the outside corner for a double into the gap in right to start the fourth. Holmes got Josh Naylor looking at a changeup and Eugenio Suarez to ground out to short, but Jorge Polanco’s soft liner up the middle slipped past a leaping Lindor to score the Mariners’ first run. 

It was a play that the shortstop should have made, and Holmes suffered as Canzone singled to right and J.P. Crawford worked a walk to load the bases. After the starter fell behind 3-0 to nine-hole hitter Cole Young, Holmes got an inning-ending pop out to short, but had to throw 16 extra pitches after the missed liner, which likely kept him from going deeper in the game.

After an 11-pitch 1-2-3 fifth inning, Holmes exited having allowed just one run on five hits, one walk, and one HBP with four strikeouts on 88 pitches (58 strikes).

- Needing 12 outs and protecting a six-run lead, Brooks Raley was the first man out of the Mets bullpen and worked around a two-on and two-out jam for a clean frame.

In the seventh, Reed Garrett retired the first man he faced before Arozarena singled to right and Raleigh took a splitter virtually off the ground and just snuck it over the wall down the line in left for a 338-foot two-run shot.

The struggling Ryan Helsley worked around a two-out walk in a clean eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, sporing an effective cutter that got three whiffs (on five swings) and two called strikes.

Tyler Rogers worked around a pair of two-out singles in the ninth to close the door, stranding runners on the corners. The Mets staff limited their foes to 1-for-6 with RISP and left 10 men on base.

- The miscue in the field wasn’t Lindor’s only mistake of the day. After cracking a single to right to lead off the home half of the first, he was caught dancing off first base as the Mariners put a pickoff play on. It went down as a caught stealing, snapping the Mets’ streak of 39 successful steals.

Game MVP: Mark Vientos

Vientos, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, had the big hit of the game as his home run helped burst the game open. Honorable mention to Alvarez for going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Lindor, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a strikeout.

Highlights

Francisco Alvarez opens the scoring for the Mets 💪

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Xio3bxYLNp

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

Brett Baty brings home Jeff McNeil!

The Mets have four straight hits to start the inning 🔥

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/WAHIapugyP

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

Mark Vientos' sacrifice fly brings home the third Mets run of the inning!

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/COWuhReDnc

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

"LET'S GO!"

MARK VIENTOS HOMERS WITH SEAN MANAEA ON THE CALL!

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/CcYCIge7Qd

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

The Mariners misplay Francisco Lindor's fly ball and Cedric Mullins scores!

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/GqCVlkt3U6

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

Francisco Alvarez was visited by Carlos Mendoza and a trainer after diving into second base.

Alvarez is staying in the game after his double.

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/y1kPUiZ21y

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

What's next

The Mets have Monday off and will head to Washington for a three-game series against the Nationals before heading to Atlanta for a weekend series with the Braves.

Left-hander David Peterson (3.30 ERA, 1.276 WHIP in 136.1 innings over 24 starts) gets the ball for Tuesday night's series opener against right-hander Jake Irvin (5.14 ERA, 1.379 WHIP in 140 innings over 25 starts). First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. in D.C.

Francisco Alvarez was having a fantastic game in the Little League Classic on Sunday night in Williamsport, but a right thumb injury forced him out after the seventh inning.

Following an MRI, the Mets announced on Tuesday that Alvarez has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right thumb UCL sprain.

According to the Mets, Alvarez will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days for return to play.

The Mets have called up catcher Hayden Senger to take Alvarez's spot on the roster.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, manager Carlos Mendoza said that Alvarez will need to have surgery on his thumb, but whether that surgery happens in the near future or the offseason will be determined in the next two weeks or so.

"He needs surgery, obviously, but right now, talking to multiple doctors, the plan is to give him 10-14 days to calm down the inflammation and see where he’s at after that as far as gripping the bat, if he’s going to be able to swing," Mendoza said. "There are players in the past who [have] played through this, and that’s why we’re giving it a chance. If he goes and has surgery right now, he’s going to be done for the season anyway. 

"So, he wants to give it a try. We’re hopeful that he can play through this, but we’ll just have to wait and see."

SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino notes that if Alvarez is able to hold off on surgery until the offseason, it should not impact the start of his 2026 season, as this kind of surgery typically has a 6-7 week recovery period.

The injury occurred in the home half of the seventh inning when Alvarez cracked his third hit of the game with a double off the wall in right, just beating the throw with a head-first slide.

But on the slide, he appeared to jam his right thumb into the bag. Alvarez immediately called for time and was examined by the Mets’ training staff, but stayed in the game to run the bases. He advanced as far as third base before he was stranded there. When it came time for the top of the eighth inning, Luis Torrens was behind the plate.

Francisco Alvarez was visited by Carlos Mendoza and a trainer after diving into second base.

Alvarez is staying in the game after his double.

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/y1kPUiZ21y

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

Mendoza said that Alvarez's grip had "some strength" when he was examined on the field, but it was the manager who decided to lift the catcher before he came in to play defense.

"He was like, 'I'm good, I'm good, I'm good,'" the skipper said. "Then [after the inning] he's like, 'Let me play catch.' At that point, I was like, if you're still... let's not mess around with it and let's go inside. I basically took it away from him. I didn't want to even let him play catch."

Alvarez was seen exiting the Mets' dugout during the inning change and showed his right thumb to a few teammates as he headed back toward the clubhouse with a member of the training staff.

The 23-year-old, who missed the start of the season with a hamate fracture in his left hand and spent a chunk of the year working on things at Triple-A Syracuse, appeared to have found his stroke at the plate.

Since returning from the demotion in late July, Alvarez is slashing .323/.408/.645 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 71 plate appearances over 21 games.

The kids at the 2025 MLB Little League Classic wanted to see it. That much was obvious when they finally did see it in the bottom half of the fourth inning on Sunday night in Williamsport, Penn.

Juan Soto delivered in his third time up when he took a 1-0 offering from Mariners starter George Kirby low and dropped the Soto Shuffle.

The reaction was immediate: delight.

The Mets' outfielder worked a walk a few pitches later.

Earlier in the game, Soto was having a bit of fun at second base as he was teasing Seattle centerfielder Julio Rodriguez, showing the big leaguers were keen on having just as much fun in Williamsport as the Little Leaguers.

Soto went hitless in two at-bats but walked three times on the night, bringing his league-leading tally to 96 on the year, in the Mets' 7-3 win over the Mariners. He also added a steal in the eighth inning, giving him 20 for his first campaign in Queens.

The little leaguers in attendance got very excited for the Soto Shuffle

(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/9NsBnwSMzR

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2025

Little Leaguers were chanting for a Soto Shuffle and Juan Soto delivered to their delight pic.twitter.com/9BlKKUWyHx

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 18, 2025

For so much of this year, the Dodgers have been picking Mookie Betts up amid a career-worst season at the plate.

On Sunday afternoon, with a rivalry game and division lead hanging in the balance, he returned the favor with his biggest swing in ages.

After once leading by four, then watching the Padres claw all the way back to tie the score, the Dodgers completed a weekend series sweep on Betts’ go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth — his no-doubt, 394-foot, stadium-shaking blast sending the Dodgers to a 5-4 win and two-game lead in the National League West.

As Betts came to the plate in the eighth inning, Dodger Stadium was silent and tense.

In the first inning, the team had ambushed Padres starter Yu Darvish for four runs on long balls from Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages.

From there, a crowd of 49,189 watched the Padres slowly storm back.

Tyler Glasnow fizzled after two electric opening innings, leaving the game at the end of the fifth after giving up two runs.

A patchwork Dodgers bullpen couldn’t hold the Padres off, giving up runs in the top of the sixth and eighth that transformed the score into a 4-4 tie.

At that point, San Diego had the advantage. Their league-leading bullpen was fresh. Their closer, Robert Suarez, was on the mound. And the Dodgers were almost completely out of pitching options, having burned five relievers to get the previous nine outs.

But then, Betts delivered. In a 2-and-0 count against Suarez, he launched a center-cut fastball deep into the left-field stands.

It was the kind of moment that has eluded the former MVP so often this year. The kind of heroic act the Dodgers (71-53) had been waiting for despite his career-worst .241 batting average.

Just like that, the Dodgers completed their sweep against the Padres (69-55). They went from second place at the start of Friday to all alone back in first three days later.

Long before the dramatic ending, Sunday had started like the previous two nights. The Dodgers were getting good pitching, with Glasnow striking out four of his first five batters while pumping increased fastball velocity and generating foolish swings with his slider. The Padres were making mistakes; most notably, Freddy Fermín getting gunned down by Pages from center while trying to leg out a double in the top of the third, turning what could have been a crooked-number inning into only a one-run rally.

Darvish, meanwhile, made a pair of two-strike mistakes, leaving a fastball up to Freeman for a three-run homer before failing to bury a splitter to Pages for a solo shot.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on Padres' sloppiness to retake sole possession of first place

Things began to shift, however, in the fifth. Ramón Laureano lifted a solo drive just over the wall in right. And though Glasnow got out of a jam later in the inning, his fading command and rising pitch count forced him from the game after 91 throws.

That meant, with the Padres turning to their shutdown (and, after two defeats to start the series, well-rested) bullpen, the Dodgers’ shaky relief corps was asked to protect a narrow lead.

Once again, they couldn’t.

In the sixth, Anthony Banda gave up one run on a pair of doubles (the second one, a floating fly ball into the right field corner from Ryan O’Hearn that slow-footed Teoscar Hernández couldn’t track down).

And though Blake Treinen stranded a runner at third in the seventh — thanks in no small part to a generous strike call against Manny Machado that negated a walk — more trouble arose in the eighth.

Alexis Díaz started the inning by hitting a batter, then gave up a double to Laureano on a line drive to center. Alex Vesia took over from there and retired both batters he faced. But the first one was a ground ball from Jose Iglesias, just enough to get a runner home from third for the tying run.

For a fleeting moment, all the momentum the Dodgers had built this past week seemed to be fading.

Instead of retaking control of the division lead, they risked finishing this weekend tied atop the standings.

With one swing, Betts changed all that.

In a year of so much frustration, his moment of salvation finally arrived.

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 start of Sunday's MLB Little League Classic between the Mets and Mariners in Williamsport, PA., has been delayed due to rain.

The rain began to come down in buckets at around 5:45 p.m., and the tarp was placed over the field at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.

The game, the finale of the three-game set which began at Citi Field, will now begin at 7:45 p.m. 

Fortunately, the Mets players had plenty of chances to soak in some of the fun with the Little League World Series players before the rain.

When things get underway, right-hander Clay Holmes will climb the hill for the Mets, serving as the home team in the game, for his 25th start of the year. He has pitched to a 3.71 ERA and 1.349 WHIP over 126 innings with 101 strikeouts and 52 walks.

Holmes has struggled of late; in five starts since the All-Star break, he has pitched to a 5.56 ERA (3.95 FIP) and a 1.765 WHIP in 22.2 innings. He has just 18 strikeouts to 11 walks.

Seattle is sending out righty GeorgeKirby for his 16th start of the year. He has a 3.71 ERA and 1.071 WHIP over 85 innings with 90 strikeouts to 20 walks. After struggling to start the year (6.16 ERA over his first six outings), he has been solid since the break, with a 2.32 ERA (2.21 FIP) and 0.935 WHIP in 31.0 innings over his past five starts with 34 strikeouts to eight walks.

The Yankees secured a three-game sweep, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 8-4 on Sunday afternoon.

Here are the key takeaways…

-- For the first time in 46 games, Anthony Volpe was not the starting shortstop for the Yankees. Volpe is just 3-for-his-last-26 at the plate, and if you zoom out further, he’s 11-for-his-last-55 with 13 strikeouts.

Jose Caballero got the start at short, and he ended up playing a huge role in the victory. Leading off the top of the ninth in a 4-4 game, Caballero hit a high-chopper to second, and while Thomas Saggese had plenty of time to make the play, he ended up throwing it away, putting Caballero on second.

The Yankees would go on to load the bases, and Cody Bellinger found a hole between first and second, with the ball getting past Saggese for his second error of the inning, scoring two New York runs. The Yankees would add another on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. groundout, going up 7-4. 

Caballero went 1-for-4 with an RBI, but his speed was what put things in motion in the ninth.

-- Welcome back, Paul Goldschmidt!

After playing 836 regular-season games as a Cardinal, including winning an NL MVP in 2022, Goldschmidt got his first start as a visitor in St. Louis.

The crowd gave Goldschmidt a standing ovation in the second inning, and he ended up having a really nice day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI double in the ninth and a run scored earlier in the game.

--Goldschmidt was part of a three-run fourth inning for the Yankees against Miles Mikolas. After a Chisholmwalk and a Goldschmidt double, the bottom of the Yankees’ order delivered with three-straight RBI hits by Jasson Dominguez, Ryan McMahon, and Caballero, as the Yankees jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

-- It wasn’t a great afternoon for Yankees starter Will Warren, though the defense behind him didn’t give him a ton of help. After three scoreless innings to get things started, Warren ran into trouble in the fourth, allowing a pair of two-out runs after the inning began with a McMahon error.

Warren’s fifth inning started with a Chisholm throwing error, and after the Cardinals scored their third run of the game on an Alec Burleson RBI single, Warren’s afternoon ended shortly thereafter.

Warren went 4.2 innings, allowing one earned run (three runs total) on six hits to go along with three strikeouts and one walk.

-- The Yanks evened the game in the seventh thanks to some small ball. After Trent Grisham walked to get things started, an Aaron Judge soft hit to right moved Grisham to third, and the speedy outfielder came around to score on a Bellinger sac fly to center.

-- Both benches had some problems with home plate umpire Nick Lentz. In the fourth, after Aaron Boone was chirping at Lentz about the strike zone, it was major league field coordinator and director of catching Tanner Swanson who got tossed after the inning was over. Then, in the top of the seventh, Cards skipper Oli Marmol got the hook after being dissatisfied with the strike zone.

-- Camilo Doval allowed a game-tying solo home run to Cards catcher Yohel Pozo in the sixth inning, and has now allowed at least one earned run in four of his eight appearances with the Yankees. Doval owns a 6.43 ERA since being traded to the Yanks from the San Francisco Giants.

Game MVP

Goldschmidt, who had three hits in his first start as a visitor in St. Louis since his days as a Cardinal.

Highlights

Paul Goldschmidt gets a standing ovation in his return to St. Louis 👏 pic.twitter.com/g4QE2QvCGe

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 17, 2025

Ryan McMahon doubles the Yankee lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/apCKILpTh0

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 17, 2025

The bottom of the order delivers!

Jose Caballero makes it 3-0! pic.twitter.com/fq2djNX2an

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 17, 2025

Jose Caballero SPEED SPEED SPEED pic.twitter.com/hzCgC7yeGY

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 17, 2025

THE YANKEES TAKE THE LEAD IN THE 9TH! pic.twitter.com/wEq46QQy1g

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 17, 2025

Paul Goldschmidt plates the Yankees' fourth run of the ninth inning! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0ya8mEpsxa

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 17, 2025

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees have a day off on Monday before starting a quick two-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at 7:35 p.m.

Carlos Rodon is scheduled to face righty Shane Baz.