The Utica Comets have announced a free hockey school for young players in Oneida County, set to take place from August 19 to August 22 at the Utica University Nexus Center.
The four-day event, officially known as the Rob Esche Free Hockey School, is open to players of all skill levels and offers a unique opportunity to learn from top-tier coaches and former professional hockey players. The camp is named after Robert Esche, former NHL goaltender and current president of the Utica Comets.
Esche, who played in the NHL from 1998 to 2012 with the Phoenix Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers, now leads initiatives to grow the game in Oneida County. Utica, the county seat, is also home to the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils.
Announced on July 22, 2025, the free camp is already accepting registrations from Oneida County residents.
“Oneida County youth will not only receive elite coaching and mentorship—they’ll get role models who prove that big dreams can start right here in our own backyard,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “I’m proud to support opportunities like this that strengthen our community and invest in our future.”
The camp will be open to three divisions: Mites, Squirts, and Peewees. The coaching lineup features a wide range of talent, including NHL alumni, college coaches, and local hockey leaders:
Coaching Staff:
Robert Esche – Former NHL goaltender (Flyers, Coyotes), Olympian, Utica Comets President
Tom Sestito – NHL alum (Penguins, Canucks, Flyers)
Mike Zalewski – NHL/AHL alum (Canucks, Utica Comets)
Ryan Parent – Utica Comets Head Coach
Gary Heenan – Head Coach, Utica University Men’s Hockey
Andy Starczewski – Army Men’s Hockey alum
Adam Pawlick – Clarkson alum, former SPHL MVP
Keith Veronesi – Former Director of Scouting, Vegas Golden Knights; Stanley Cup Champion
Johnny Jackson – Utica Jr. Comets Premier Coach, Nazareth College alum
Louis Educate – Utica Jr. Comets NCDC Coach, Utica University alum
Nick Therrien – Assistant Coach, Utica University Men’s Hockey
Rich Zalewski – SUNY Oswego alum, SPHL alum
Annika Zalewski – Colgate Women’s Hockey alum, PWHPA alum
Steve Zalewski – NHL alum (Devils, Sharks)
Justin Allen – Coach, Notre Dame Academy; Utica University alum
Melissa Lomanto – Head Coach, Utica University Women’s Hockey
Ken Blum – OHL and ECHL alum
“This hockey school represents everything that’s possible in Oneida County because of the Nexus Center,” said Esche. “We have one of the best ice facilities in the country right here, and now our kids can learn the game we all love from people who walked in their same shoes and made it to the next level. This is about giving every young athlete a chance to grow, learn, and dream big.”
The event promises to be an inspiring experience for young athletes and a celebration of the region’s growing hockey community.
Saints recover from 46 points down at three-quarter-time
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera slots two late goals in frantic finish
St Kilda pulled off the greatest three-quarter-time comeback in VFL/AFL history, storming home from 46 points down to stun Melbourne in a crazy finish at Marvel Stadium.
Off-contract star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was the hero, slotting two goals in a frantic climax to pinch a miracle six-point victory. The Saints slotted nine unanswered goals in the final term to win 15.6 (96) to Melbourne’s 13.12 (90).
The United States swim team is battling an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis that has affected several athletes at the start of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Team officials confirmed the illness originated during a pre-meet training camp in Phuket, Thailand, and has compromised multiple performances as competition got under way on Sunday.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge, his teammates and New York’s fan base exhaled Saturday when the two-time AL MVP learned he has a flexor strain in his right elbow but no acute damage to his ulnar collateral ligament that might cause a long-term layoff.
Judge was sent for an MRI on Saturday and missed just his second game this season, a 9-4 loss to Philadelphia. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection and will go on the injured list but hopes to return to action in 10 days to two weeks, initially as a designated hitter.
“You never want to go in the tube. It’s never fun. You don’t know what’s going to show up,” Judge said. “That’s why I kind of pushed off a lot of that imaging and stuff like that because if I don’t know what’s going on, it can’t hurt you, I guess.”
Judge leads the major leagues with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS. He has 37 home runs and 85 RBIs for a New York team that opened a seven-game AL East lead by late May but dropped a season-high 6 1/2 games back of first-place Toronto on Saturday.
“All in all, we got good news today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think all of us kind of feared the worst.”
Knowing how tough Judge is, Boone had been worried. Judge told Boone of throwing difficulty during Friday’s 12-5 loss to Philadelphia.
“I couldn’t throw past 60 feet,” Judge said. “We’re going up against a Phillies team, they can hit the ball over the park. I just didn’t want to put our pitchers in jeopardy, just not be able to come up and make a play for them.”
Boone received results of the scan just before the start of Saturday’s game, when team officials were getting some more evaluation. Because pain impacted his throwing but not hitting, Judge fought going on the IL.
“With that strain, then if you go out there and play with it you put the UCL in jeopardy, so we got to get that healed up,” Boone said.
Boone said it was too soon to determine whether highly regarded prospect Spencer Jones will be brought up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Judge likely won’t throw for 10 to 14 days, then will need a few days throwing to build back arm strength before returning to the outfield.
“I really was reluctant about going on any IL or anything like that,” Judge said. “I was like, ‘If I can hit, let me hit.’” he said. “I’ll start DHing, I think, once this 10th day is up.”
Giancarlo Stanton, the team’s primary DH, will start to work out in the outfield next week in order to help fill in for Judge.
“It’s never a relief knowing he’s going to be out at all, but for what it is, I guess you could say best case,” Stanton said.
Judge said he first felt the pain in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game at Toronto, when George Springer singled to right in the sixth inning off Jonathan Loáisiga. Judge made a strong throw home in an attempt to prevent the tying run, but Davis Schneider just beat catcher Austin Wells’ tag.
An inning later, Judge winced after catching Alejandro Kirk’s seventh-inning fly in the right-field corner and throwing to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. as Bo Bichette tagged up and went from second to third. Judge was caught by a YES Network camera clenching his right hand in a fist.
“He’s about as tough as they come and for him to even show any vulnerability or pain or whatever,” Boone said. “I knew we had an issue probably. And so any time you can fear the worst with that, but that’s why you wait to react, though. … We got the MRI and got a clear diagnosis with it.”
Claressa Shields retained her undisputed women’s heavyweight championship with a commanding unanimous decision over Lani Daniels on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The judges scored the bout 100-90, 99-91 and 99-91 in favor of Shields, who improved to 17-0 (3 KOs). It marked the third straight main event appearance in Detroit for the 30-year-old Flint native and two-time Olympic gold medalist, who remains the only boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed champion in three different weight classes.
West Indies 205-9; Australia 206-7 | Australia win by three wickets
Green and Inglis hit 50s as Australia take 4-0 lead in T20 series
For the fourth time in as many games, Australia impressively chased down a West Indies total in their best-of-five Twenty20 series.
Glenn Maxwell lived up to his Big Show nickname and Cameron Green and Josh Inglis continued their hot form, as Australia swept to a 4-0 lead in the T20I cricket series against West Indies in St Kitts.
WhilePete Alonso has made a name for himself with his hitting and is just five home runs shy of breaking Darryl Strawberry's Mets franchise record, it's been his defense that's helping New York win games as of late.
Alonso dazzled in Saturday night's 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, making a couple of nice picks at first base and ending the game on an incredible leaping catch. His defensive performance earned praise from manager Carlos Mendoza, who made sure the first baseman was going to get the credit he deserves.
“Unbelievable. He doesn’t get enough credit because of his defense, but he’s elite,” Mendoza said. “Especially when we’re talking about receiving throws, using the whole bag, the footwork, just the target, and making plays that he can get to.
“We saw it again today. Hell of a pick on a [Francisco] Lindor play, that play to end the game right that, another throw where he had to come off the base. There’s a lot of positive from him defensively. I’ve been saying it all along. He doesn’t get enough credit.”
Starting pitcher David Peterson, who allowed just one run over six strong innings of work, also thanked Alonso for helping him get out of a couple jams. The left-hander added that it wasn't just Saturday's win where Alonso's defense came up big, but is instead something that's been going on all season long.
"He's been doing it all year,” Peterson said. "He had a couple really good ones today. He works his butt off before the games trying to get better. He's been really solid for us.
"To have a guy over there like that that you can trust and know that if you’re in a pinch and you need to get it out, he’s over there and he’s going to do his best to stay on or get the out however he can. It’s a comforting feeling knowing, especially for me trying to get the ball on the ground. It’s been awesome.”
When asked about comparing his jumping catch vs. a big home run, Alonso said he was simply happy to help the team win their sixth straight game.
"It's awesome to be able to end the game right there, it was big time,” Alonso said. “I know that our pitchers did an absolutely phenomenal job, but really happy I was able to contribute there."
He added: “I always want the ball hit to me. Just anticipating the ball. I was really happy to do it right there.”
Overall, Alonso is proud of the strides he's made with his glove.
“Defensively, I feel like I’ve improved as the season’s went on and I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now,” Alonso said.
Mark Vientos showing 'ability to turn the page'
New York couldn't get anything going offensively through the first five innings of Saturday's game. They left runners on base in two big spots, including a bases-loaded and no-out situation in the fourth inning as Mark Vientos struck out and Francisco Alvarez grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Vientos and the Mets got another scoring opportunity in the sixth inning, and this time they weren't going to waste it away. The third baseman drove in two runs on a double to give NY a 2-1 lead, which they'd hold on to for the win.
After the game, Mendoza said what he's seen recently from the 25-year-old has been "a really good sign" going forward.
“I think the biggest thing for me was, after he didn’t get the job done with the bases loaded there, he doesn’t get down and he gets another opportunity right there and comes through, Mendoza said. “So that’s a really good sign, especially when it’s been hard for you and that’s the case for Mark.
"So not missing pitches, even though he missed on the first at-bat with the bases loaded, the one he fouled off, but doing a better job of controlling the strike zone and finding holes. You need a hit like that the one tonight, ended up being the biggest hit of the night. I think his ability to turn the page was good to see tonight.”
Vientos extended his hitting streak to six games with the double and was happy to "come through" in the big moment.
"Felt really good, felt really good to get that second chance and come through for the boys,” Vientos said. “Got a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”
Vientos added that he's been focusing on the little things while at the plate and the results are now showing.
“Yeah I feel a lot better,” Vientos said. “The things that I’m focused on are a lot better at the plate. It’s helping me get better results for sure.”
“Sticking to my approach. Doubling down on it. When I get my pitch, not missing it.”
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self was released from Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Saturday, two days after having two stents inserted to treat blocked arteries.
The Mets offense was quiet through the first five innings on Saturday night, but scored two runs in the sixth, and held on to beat the San Francisco Giants, 2-1.
New York (61-44) extended their winning streak to six games and remain 0.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, who beat the Yankees again earlier in the day, for first place in the NL East.
Here are the takeaways...
-- David Peterson got some help from 3B Mark Vientos and 2B Brett Baty to avoid early damage, as Vientos snagged Matt Chapman's line drive and tossed it to Baty, who scooped the low and hard throw to complete the inning-ending double play. Peterson found himself in another situation with runners on first and second base with just one out in the second inning, but escaped thanks to a 4-6-3 double play.
It was then Pete Alonso's turn to help Peterson out in the third inning -- getting a tag on a wide throw for the first out and scooping a Francisco Lindor throw for the third out of the frame.
-- Peterson's luck ended in the fourth, loading the bases and allowing a run to cross on a force out, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. But the left-hander bounced back to get out of another jam in the fifth inning, keeping it a one-run game. He then found a way to get through the sixth inning, matching his career high of 121 IP on the season.
Peterson's final line: one earned run on eight hits (all singles) with four strikeouts and three walks over 91 pitches across the six innings. The outing lowered his season ERA to 2.38.
-- Francisco Alvarez tripled with two outs in the second, crushing a ball off the wall in right field that was misplayed by Luis Matos. However, the Mets couldn't capitalize as Robbie Ray struck out Tyrone Taylor for the third out.
Alonso hit a leadoff single in the fourth inning and advanced to third on Starling Marte's double down the line to left field, giving New York another scoring chance. Baty then reached first on a dribbler back to Ray, who was watching Alonso at third, loading the bases. But once again, the Mets failed to score as Vientos struck out and Alvarez grounded into a 5-3 double play.
-- Juan Soto walked and stole his career-high 14th base with one out in the top of the sixth inning, New York's 26th straight successful stolen base (the longest active streak in the majors and three shy of the Brewers' record 29). Marte walked and then Rafael Devers struggles at first base continued, bobbling a grounder and only getting the force out at first base. Vientos came through with a two-run double to flip the game around and put the Mets up 2-1, knocking Ray out of the game.
New York had a chance to add more to their lead after Alvarez and Taylor walked, but Brandon Nimmo struck out looking to end the top half of the inning.
-- Reed Garrett tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning in relief of Peterson. Ryne Stanek then breezed through the eighth with a 1-2-3 inning of his own. Edwin Diaz nearly let up a game-tying homer to Jung Hoo Lee in the ninth, but the ball hit off the wall in right-center field for a double. The closer settled down to strike out Mike Yastrzemski and Alonso made a game-saving, jumping catch on Patrick Bailey's line drive to end the game.
Game MVP: David Peterson
Peterson got out of multiple jams and allowed just one run on the night. It's the 13th time in 20 starts this season that he's thrown at least six innings.
Honorable mention: Alonso, for his stellar defense throughout the game.
Australia’s No 1 beats Frenchman 6-4, 6-3 to book place in decider
World No 13 to meet Ben Shelton or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Alex de Minaur is through to the final of the Washington Open after demolishing Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
In promising signs ahead of next month’s US Open, the Australian No 1 and seventh seed stormed to a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the event where he reached his maiden ATP 500 final back in 2018.
The Yankees acquired another infielder ahead of the trade deadline.
The Yankees and Nationals have agreed on a trade that will send Amed Rosario to the Bronx in exchange for RHP Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martinez.
Rosario, 29, gives the Yankees the right-handed utility man they have been looking for after trading for Ryan McMahon on Friday. Rosario has been solid for the Nationals in limited playing time. Across 47 games, Rosario is slashing .270/.310/.399 with a .707 OPS to go with his five home runs and 18 RBI. He's played primarily at third base this season but has seen time at second, shortstop and even in the outfield.
Over his nine seasons, Rosario has played for the Mets, Guardians, Dodgers, Rays, Reds and Nationals.
The acquisition is a smart one for GM Brian Cashman and the Yankees. He gives the Yankees more flexibility in the infield and potentially the outfield with Aaron Judge heading to the IL. His addition could mean Oswald Peraza's time with the Yankees could be at an end. The young infielder is out of minor league options.
Peraza, 25, has not taken advantage of his increased time with the club this year. While he was very good defensively this year, in 70 games he only slashed .152/.212/.241 with three home runs and 13 RBI. His OPS was just .453.
Beeter, 26, was the key piece when the Yankees dealt Joey Gallo to the Dodgers back in 2022 and was ranked as New York's No. 20 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He's made five major league appearances the last two seasons but has allowed eight runs across 7.1 innings with the Yankees. This season, Better has pitched to a 3.10 ERA while striking out 33 batters across 20.1 innings pitched in 18 appearances with Triple-A.
Martinez has spent the last two years in the Dominican Summer League. This year, in 18 games, he's slashed .404/.507/.632 with three home runs and 16 RBI to go along with a 1.139 OPS.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, right, scores in front of Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, and pitcher Clayton Kershaw on a sacrifice fly in the second inning of the Dodgers' 4-2 loss at Fenway Park on Saturday night. (Steven Senne / Associated Press)
But, in what became a frustrating 4-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Crochet bobbed and weaved around every knockout blow the Dodgers tried to land.
“I thought we played hard. I thought we competed,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He made pitches when he needed to."
Indeed, in a game that was decided on the margins — through high-leverage at-bats and two-strike battles and risky decisions that backfired on the basepaths — Crochet was just a little bit better than Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, using his heavy fastball and premium all-around stuff to wiggle out of trouble in a way his aging 37-year-old counterpart couldn’t.
While Crochet limited damage over the rest of his six-inning start, striking out 10 batters to prevent each of the eight other Dodgers who reached base from scoring, Kershaw faltered when his back was up against the wall, yielding the lead in a three-run second inning before exiting after another run in the fifth.
“Obviously, when you’re facing a guy like Crochet, there’s not gonna be a ton of runs,” said Kershaw, who once invoked such fear from opponents but now has to grind with gradually diminished stuff. “Our guys did a good job getting a lead there early and really having good at-bats. Just frustrating not to be able to hold it.”
Making his first career regular-season start at Fenway Park (he had only previously pitched here in the 2018 World Series), Kershaw appeared to be battling his mechanics from the start. He delivered a first-pitch strike to only five of the first 14 batters. Even worse, he couldn’t put guys away on two-strike counts.
It culminated in the three-run second inning from the Red Sox (56-50). Trevor Story worked a leadoff walk. Carlos Narváez belted a double off the Green Monster. And, on a night he had two triples and a double, Jarren Duran laced a line drive to center that got over Andy Pages’ head to plate two runs (Duran would later score on a sacrifice fly).
All three batters did their damage with two strikes.
“Needed to figure it out a little bit better,” Kershaw said of the second inning. “The last few innings [after that], I actually felt pretty good with everything. Just couldn’t make the adjustment that second inning. And that’s what cost us.”
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers in the first inning Saturday.
Boston starting pitcher Garrett Crochet delivers in the first inning Saturday.
Steven Senne / Associated Press
Kershaw eventually settled down. He rediscovered his command in the third, working around a pair of singles with a double-play grounder and strikeout of Story. He found the kind of rhythm that has keyed his surprisingly strong 18th season from there, retiring seven consecutive batters to work his way into the fifth inning.
But with two outs in the fifth, Red Sox slugger Alex Bregman outlasted Kershaw in another two-strike battle, bouncing a single through the infield on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. Then, rookie star Roman Anthony drove him home with a double off the Monster.
Kershaw’s night ended there, with four runs (tying the second-most earned runs he has allowed this season) and only two strikeouts over 4⅔ innings raising his season earned-run average to 3.62.
“Could have been a super frustrating day,” Kershaw said. “Now it’s only mildly frustrating — just that that’s still in there, I can still get people out. It’s just that second inning got to me.”
Crochet, meanwhile, never wavered after the Dodgers (61-44) did their early damage.
“When you’re facing guys like Crochet, you don’t get so many good pitches to hit,” Hernández said. “The ones that you do, you just have to put it in play and hopefully you can get good contact, do some damage, like we did in the first inning. After that, he was throwing the ball very good. He didn’t miss many pitches in the strike zone.”
The Dodgers, in an effort to manufacture extra offense, didn’t help their own cause on the bases, either.
After the first-inning home runs, another rally fizzled when Freddie Freeman was thrown out trying to go from first to third base on a Pages single that was initially booted by Duran in left field.
The Dodgers challenged the call, with Roberts applauding Freeman’s aggressiveness from the dugout, but the out was upheld. Tommy Edman lined out to end the inning an at-bat later.
"I thought that was a good play, I liked that,” Roberts said of Freeman’s decision. “He's got to make a perfect throw to get Freddie right there. But in a first and third [situation] with a two-run lead, if we get into a situational spot right there, it could've been a different game."
Instead, the rest of the night was more of the same.
The Dodgers had two other innings end with outs on the bases. Hernández was caught stealing for the final out of the fifth (on a close play the Dodgers were unable to review after burning their challenge earlier, but one Hernández was told likely would’ve been upheld). Will Smith was gunned down trying to turn a single into a double in the seventh, after Crochet’s exit.
“If you try to play it straight and try to collect a bunch of hits, it's just not going to happen,” Roberts said of the Dodgers’ game plan on the bases. “We had a chance early and then he started bearing down and the velocity ticked up. Then hits were harder to come by."
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani examines his bat before striking out in the fourth inning Saturday. (Steven Senne / Associated Press)
And if that wasn’t enough, Ohtani squandered several more chances in deflating sequences at the plate.
Despite extending his National League lead with his 38th home run to start the game, the slugger also moved into the top-five of the NL in strikeouts with three in each of his remaining at-bats Saturday, finishing with 124 on the season.
In both the second and fourth, No. 9 hitter Hyeseong Kim managed to single off Crochet (surprising results given Kim’s recent struggles, which Roberts said have been magnified by a recent shoulder injury). But both times, Ohtani followed with inning-ending Ks, chasing out of the zone on a fastball up and a cutter that was well away.
The Dodgers, nonetheless, gave themselves one last chance against Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate after a two-out walk from Esteury Ruiz.
The batter representing that tying run: Mookie Betts, who was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game after spending the week back home in Nashville following a death in his family, but arrived at the ballpark shortly after first pitch to be available to pinch-hit.
His number was called with the game on the line, in what marked just his second trip back to Fenway Park since being traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers in 2020.
Alas, the former MVP brought a night of missed chances to a frustratingly fitting conclusion, getting rung up on a called third strike to set up a series rubber match Sunday.
Predicting what 41-year-old LeBron James will want to do a year from now is a fool's errand. Even one of basketball insider Marc Stein’s sources tried to convey the same sentiment in kinder words when discussing LeBron's future: "It all really depends on how this coming season goes."
But what about the season after that, a 24th LeBon season where he turns 42? Stein speculated about that in his Saturday Substack missive.
I believe that, by saying what I just said in the previous paragraph, it means that I expect him to retire in a uniform that isn't purple and gold. It's pretty clear at this juncture that the Lakers have launched the Luka Dončić Era. It certainly appears as though they are approaching the 2025-26 season as LeBron's last in Tinseltown. If James doesn't want retirement forced upon him, as one suspects, that almost certainly means he would have to find a new team next summer...
I believe that the Warriors, who have shown an interest in acquiring James dating to the February 2024 trade deadline some 18 months ago, will remain in the mix if James ever does reach the point that he's looking for a last hurrah elsewhere.
Then there are the Dallas rumors, about LeBron wanting to team up again with two people he won a title with in Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks might be interested, but not in a trade that guts the roster, Stein said.
While there is a fascination with where LeBron might play next, this comment sums up the vibe NBC Sports has gotten when discussing this around the league: LeBron is a fun parlor game, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is the player teams are really watching closely.
I believe that Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee... still holds far greater behind-closed-doors interest among rival teams than the ongoing chatter about how much longer James is A) likely to play and/or B) be a Laker.
Briton falls 6-4, 6-3 after dropping first sets of tournament
Russian to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in final
Anna Kalinskaya outclassed Emma Raducanu 6-4, 6-3 at the Washington Open to advance to the final, where she will face Leylah Fernandez.
After a strong start from both players, Kalinskaya secured the first break to lead 5-4 and served out the opening set, handing Raducanu her first dropped set of the tournament.
Prior to Saturday's game against the Giants, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke on a number of topics with the media...
Mets making franchise history with stolen bases
One part of this year's Mets team that has excelled is the stolen bases. Entering Saturday's game, the Mets have safely stolen 25 consecutive bases, the longest active streak in the majors. It's also the longest single-season streak since the Brewers recorded 29 consecutive steals in 2024.
In Friday's game, the Mets stole three bases all against All-Star Logan Webb. Webb entered the game having only given up four stolen bases this season in his first 21 starts.
Mendoza was asked if stealing bases has become an emphasis this year, especially when the offense has been inconsistent.
"Not really, I think it's just part of the personnel, the situations," he said. "Got to give credit to [first base coach] Antoan Richardson with his preparation, and then credit to the players. They are buying in and executing the game plan. We’re not trying any harder, the situation presents itself and we’re going to take advantage."
The Mets lead the majors with an 89.4 percent stolen base rate, the highest rate in franchise history, and have only been caught 10 times this year.
Latest on Tylor Megill
Megill continues to progress from his right elbow sprain and is continuing to take the necessary steps to eventually return to the mound.
Mendoza said Megill threw a bullpen on Thursday and is set to make another on Sunday, and is "moving in the right direction."
The Mets transferred Megill to the 60-day injured list on July 8, but the team could use the big right-hander as they get deeper into the second half of the season. This year, Megill is 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 68.1 IP over 14 games.
