Amid unacceptable stretch, Giants left searching for answers after Padres sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Willy Adames was playing about as far up the middle as is allowed under the new rules regarding shifts. The Giants shortstop was positioned perfectly. 

When the ball left Jake Cronenworth’s bat at 61 mph, Adames took a couple of steps toward the bag. In his mind, he scrolled through all the different ways he might be able to turn an inning-ending double play. There was an obvious first choice: Scoop the ball on one hop, race to tag second, and then make a strong throw to first. 

“Hell yeah,” Adames said later. “It was a double-play ball. It was a jam shot. You could have turned a double play in any direction.”

Adames never got the chance. 

Cronenworth’s soft liner hit second base and ricocheted into the outfield, scoring two runs. By the end of the inning, the Giants trailed 7-0. The game effectively was over. 

The Giants ended up falling 11-1, losing for the 13th time in 14 games at Oracle Park. Over their last five, all losses, they have scored five total runs. 

It’s a stretch that defies belief, and the Giants have been left searching for answers. This won’t pacify anyone watching, but they truly, honestly, do not know what has happened. They are healthy, and when they hit the road, they occasionally still look dangerous. They took four of six on their last trip and the lineup looked like, well, a normal lineup. 

But at home, the losses have been automatic. The frustration continues to build. 

“It feels like for the last two months, it’s the same story,” Adames said. “It feels like for some reason nothing positive is coming. It’s either a jam shot hitting the base with the bases loaded [that was] a double-play ball. Something negative is in the air. We haven’t been able to figure out how to beat it and how to be better out there. It seems that it’s been the same story. 

“It sucks. It’s bad, because we have a really good team in here but it hasn’t gone our way lately.”

Adames stood in front of a large pack of reporters for seven minutes on Wednesday afternoon and spoke openly about the skid that has all but mathematically ended the season. The Giants are three games under .500 for the first time and trail the first-place San Diego Padres by 10 games. They have been caught by an Arizona Diamondbacks team that has had unbelievably bad injury luck and went into full sell mode at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. 

It has been an unacceptable stretch of baseball, one that leads to obvious questions about the future.

It wasn’t long ago that president of baseball operations Buster Posey picked up Bob Melvin’s option for 2026, but this is a brand of ball that does not reflect well on a manager or his coaching staff. This will not be a comfortable six weeks no matter what the contracts say. 

Melvin on Wednesday began his postgame session by defending Heliot Ramos for spiking a throw into the grass during the seven-run second inning. 

“It wasn’t his fault,” Melvin said. “It was more of how we were positioned for the cut-off.”

It was a fair explanation, but it brings to mind other questions. Why after 120 games are the Giants still so sloppy on defense? Why are people forgetting things like the infield fly rule? Why is the lineup, as Melvin talked about at length before the game, so poorly prepared to hit fastballs?

The mistakes are piling up, and that has to be particularly annoying to Posey. After he traded two of his best relievers and his starting right fielder at the deadline two weeks ago, Posey said he had talked to Melvin about the need to play a cleaner brand of baseball over the final two months. 

“We talk about being a pitching and defense team. We’ve pitched well but our defense has not been good — really, all year,” Melvin said. “That’s the main part that we need to clean up. That’s the part that really looks bad, when you play games like this.”

Melvin has six weeks to get the ship in order, and Posey has that much time to evaluate. At the moment, it feels like he needs to take a closer look at just about every part of the organization, which is a baffling place to be for a clubhouse that was full of energy for the first three months of the season. They have no idea how it all went so wrong so fast. 

“It’s just, like, every day, something happens,” Adames said. “Everybody feels the same way, or at least some of the guys feel the same way. It feels like in the dugout we kind of, like, lose the energy right away and from [there] it’s hard to come back when you don’t have it. It’s just tough. We have to be better. That’s the bottom line. We have to play better baseball, that’s how it is.”

Adames said this is the hardest stretch he has experienced as a big leaguer. He struggled at the plate early this season, but he was able to keep a smile on his face every day because the team was winning. Right now, just about the entire team is struggling, and it’s hard to find a light at the end of the tunnel. 

At some point during his seven minutes, Adames repeated something that Giants ace Logan Webb said earlier this week, and that other veterans have mentioned. “I don’t even know how to describe it,” he said. 

The Giants are at a loss. They show up every day thinking things will get better, because things have to get better. Nine innings later, they sit in a silent clubhouse, trying to make sense of another loss. 

“It’s a tough spot to be in,” Adames said. “We’ve got to do something different. We’ve got to figure it out.”

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Questions about Suárez arise, Reds show love for Schwarber originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CINCINNATI – In the latest round of health updates on his team, manager Rob Thomson didn’t shed much light at all on whether anything is wrong with starter Ranger Suárez.

In his Tuesday start, the lefthander got tagged for 10 hits and six earned runs during his 5.1 innings of work. It continued an alarming stretch for Suárez, who has compiled a 6.11 earned run average over his last six outings, which amounts to 35 1/3 innings.

“I haven’t talked to him today,” said Thomson. “We’re going to meet with him after we’re done here (pregame meeting with media). Just see how he’s doing, how he’s feeling. He hasn’t said anything to the trainers yet.”

Suárez said often after his outing Tuesday that he felt fine and that there is nothing physically wrong with him at this time. He did complain of back and shoulder pain after a start in Atlanta back in late June, but reiterated after his most recent start that he feels way better than he did back then.

With Aaron Nola seemingly ready to get back to the big club following his rehab, things could be changing quickly. Tuesday, Nola went 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and two earned run in his 84 pitches. He struck out 11, including striking out the side three times.

“Well, he’s feeling good,” Thomson said. “I haven’t talked to him but he told Paul (Buchheit, head athletic trainer) that he’s feeling good. He was going to work out today in Lehigh and then meet us in Washington.”

Low voltage offense

The Phillies have been battling against a little bit of a power outage early in games recently, but it seems to be just another one of those things that happen in the game of baseball.

Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning when Nick Castellanos hit a bouncer to short that got past Elly De La Cruz and was ruled a hit.

Monday, they also didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning. That followed two games in Texas against the Rangers in which the first hits didn’t come until the fourth and third innings.

Thomson had no explanation when asked about it, as he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I hope we score five runs in the first tomorrow.”

The wanted man

The Cincinnati Reds organization put on a full court press these past few days, the likes of which would make the 76ers jealous.

Their aim? Kyle Schwarber.

Tuesday, before the Phillies 6-1 loss to the Reds, there was Schwarber, crouching behind home plate to receive ceremonial first pitches from his father, Greg, and his youth baseball coach, Ron Groh. Greg Schwarber is the president of the local little league where Kyle played.

Schwarber, who will be a free agent following this season, was also presented with the keys to the city before Wednesday’s game. The Phillies designated hitter grew up in Middletown, Ohio, which is about 40 miles from Cincinnati.

While the Phillies, including president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, manager Rob Thomson and teammates, have professed their desire to keep Schwarber a Phillie, there is no doubt teams are doing some recruiting when the Schwarber comes to their town. Cincinnati was just a little more blatant in their pursuit.

As Pete Alonso was breaking the Mets' all-time home run record on Tuesday night at Citi Field, the struggles of Clay Holmes got lost in the shuffle.

After being given a 5-1 lead entering the top of the fourth, Holmes couldn't get through the inning as he dealt with command issues. He allowed four runs in the frame, exiting with two outs after throwing 85 pitches (just 46 strikes) over 3.2 innings.

Overall on Tuesday, Holmes gave up five runs on six hits while walking five and striking out four.

It was the second time in his last three starts that Holmes didn't make it past the fourth inning, with the other start during that stretch -- a strong, economical effort where he threw 75 pitches over 5.0 innings while allowing two runs -- kind of coloring why the situation with him is such a confounding one.

Holmes has been effective at times recently, with the above start and a 5.0 inning, one-run outing against the Giants on July 25 standing out.

But even when he's pitching well, he's been limited to just 5.0 innings by design as the Mets manage his workload in what is his first season since transitioning from being a long-time impact reliever.

That means that even when Holmes' stuff is doing what he wants it to do, the bullpen is given a heavy load.

It's a situation that seems untenable, and stands out more given how Holmes has pitched since July 8.

In 32.2 innings over seven starts during that span, Holmes has allowed 41 hits while pitching to a 5.79 ERA.

Holmes is up to 126.0 innings pitched this season after throwing 63.0 innings each of the last two years. His previous career-high for innings came in 2021, when he threw 70.0.

Before the season, Holmes said his goal was to throw at least 160 innings.

"It's hard to just put arbitrary numbers on things and say, 'If you hit this number, that's all you can handle.' I don't believe in that," Holmes said in December. "I think there's definitely things you need to monitor, to see how your body's holding up and the strength and mobility things. ... I want to throw as many innings as I can."

The Mets have said recently that Holmes is fine physically, and his fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph during his start on Tuesday. So it's clear he still has the ability to be effective this season. But it's hard to make the argument that he should remain in the rotation for much longer.

However, the Mets are facing several issues when it comes to potentially having Holmes switch to the bullpen sooner rather than later.

One issue is that Frankie Montas has been moved from the rotation to the bullpen, and is being replaced in the rotation by Nolan McLean. That means that if the Mets slide Holmes to relief for the remainder of the year, they will need another starting pitcher to take his place.

That could be easy enough, sinceBrandon Sproathas been dominating for Triple-A Syracuse over the last month-plus and could conceivably be that guy. But there would be a roster crunch in that scenario.

Ahead of Wednesday's game, the Mets are expected to call up Paul Blackburn for a bullpen role. The move for Blackburn will likely be optioning Justin Hagenman to Syracuse. When McLean is promoted ahead of Saturday's start, New York could possibly DFA Blackburn to make room on the 26-man roster.

If the next move after that is to slide Holmes to the bullpen and call someone up to replace him in the rotation, the Mets would have a hard decision on their hands.

Of all the pitchers in the regular eight-man bullpen, the only one with minor league options is Reed Garrett, who has a 2.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. So he's obviously going nowhere.

That leaves Ryne Stanek (5.31 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) as the potential DFA candidate if Holmes is moved to the bullpen soon. But Stanek has shown he can be a difference-maker when he's on, including during last year's run to Game 6 of the NLCS.

Because of all that, the Mets could perhaps wait until Sept. 1 to slide Holmes to a relief role.

At that point, active rosters will expand to 28, which would theoretically allow the Mets to put Holmes in the 'pen, call someone up to replace him in the rotation, keep Stanek, and still have one active roster spot left for an extra position player.

If the Mets choose the above route, they will have to send Holmes out to start two or three more times -- something that would be easier to handle if their other starters not named David Peterson began pitching into the sixth inning and beyond.

In an ideal world, the Mets reach the playoffs and have Holmes in the bullpen as a multi-inning weapon when they get there. But they're going to have to do some finessing between now and then in high-stress games, with someone's roster spot possibly on the line if things go haywire.

Roman Anthony keeps putting himself on short lists with Hall of Famers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

In the modern era of social media hype trains, rare is the athlete who can actually live up to the billing.

Roman Anthony, though? He has somehow exceeded even the loftiest of expectations placed upon him prior to his MLB debut this season.

The ascent of Boston’s former No. 1 prospect was accentuated on Tuesday night in Houston, when the 21-year-old turned in an ultra-rare stat line with four walks, four runs scored and a home run for good measure. (Anthony did technically strike out on a check swing on a 3-2 pitch in his third plate appearance, though the call certainly could have gone either way.)

According to the Red Sox’ media relations team, Anthony is the third-youngest player since 1901 to have four or more walks and at least one home run in a game, and the youngest to do so since Ted Williams did it for the Red Sox in 1939. Williams was 70 days younger than Anthony when he accomplished that unique feat, and only Mel Ott (at 20 years, 124 days) did it at a younger age.

Barry Bonds turned in that stat line when he was almost a year older than Anthony’s current age.

Anthony also was the first leadoff hitter since at least 1920 to score four or more runs, take four or more walks, and hit at least one homer in a single game.

While that stat line may be a bit of an oddity, it’s merely one of several short lists that Anthony has been joining lately — with most of them filled only with current or future Hall of Famers.

The Red Sox also noted that Anthony became the second-youngest player in franchise history to score four or more runs in a game. Only Bobby Doerr — a 1986 inductee of the Hall of Fame whose retired No. 1 hangs forever in right field at Fenway — did so at a younger age (back in 1938 and 1939).

The Red Sox were happy to share more Anthony stats, including the fact that he has the fourth-best on-base percentage of any player since 1950 through 52 career games at .406. Ahead of him on that list: Willie McCovey (.429), Albert Pujols (.416) and Juan Soto (.413).

That note also stated that Anthony is the third-youngest major leaguer since 1901 to record 30 or more walks and score 30 or more runs in their first 52 games, with only Juan Soto (19 years old) and Jason Heyward (20) doing so at a younger age.

Here’s one more, from former Red Sox media relations manager J.P. Long: Anthony has reach based the second-most times among players under 22 years old in their first 52 games with 89. That’s two fewer than Pujols and one more than Soto.

All of those tidbits came after Tuesday night’s game broadcast displayed an eye-popping stat: Anthony became the first Red Sox player since Ted Williams with 20-plus extra-base hits and 20-plus walks in his first 51 career games.

Any time any player becomes the first to do anything since Ted Williams, it’s going to draw plenty of attention. Yet the even-keeled Anthony — who signed an eight-year, $130 million extension with Boston last week — seemingly hasn’t been impacted by any of the increasing attention he’s continued to bring upon himself with his nightly performances.

It’s all perhaps even more impressive, considering Anthony started his MLB career on an ice-cold streak. He had just two hits in his first nine games, and from his call-up date on June 9 until June 25, Anthony was just 5-for-44 (.114) with a .291 OBP and .518 OPS.

Since that date, Anthony is hitting .341 with a .445 OBP and .967 OPS. And since being moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup on July 27, he’s hit .340 with a 1.028 OPS.

The Red Sox noted that since June 28, Anthony has the second-highest OBP, third-highest batting average and 10th-highest OPS in the majors.

Needless to say, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has enjoyed the show from the dugout.

“With him, everything is fast, right? Except his at-bats. He slows down everything,” Cora said during his weekly interview with WEEI on Wednesday. “I’m very impressed, just the way he controls the strike zone is something that when you start looking around the league, Juan Soto, he does that. He did it from the get-go. That’s what Roman is doing.”

Cora added: “It’s just fun to watch.”

At such a young age, Anthony obviously has a very, very long way to go before the story of his career is written. Yet as each passing night makes clear, it would have been nearly impossible for Anthony to have written a better opening chapter.