Category: Sports News

Worldwide Sports News

Posted on

Shaikin: Dodgers have lots of stars. Why Zach Neto should be Angels' lone All-Star

Tempe, Arizona February 20, 2025- Zach Neto poses for Angel photo day during spring training in Tempe, Arizona. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Zach Neto, shown during spring training in Tempe, Ariz., leads American League shortstops with 10 home runs. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The fans packed Angel Stadium last week, erupting when the star emerged from the dugout during pregame warmups, chanting “M-V-P” in his honor during the game.

Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees had arrived in Anaheim, and the old ballpark was abuzz.

“Anywhere we play,” Judge said, “it’s a playoff atmosphere.”

Angels fans haven’t seen a playoff game in 11 years, so there were plenty of good seats available for Yankees fans. In the top of the first inning, Judge grounded out.

In the bottom of the first, the Angels’ star strutted into the spotlight. Zach Neto led off the inning by launching a 440-foot home run — the longest of his career — and flipping his bat so dramatically that Major League Baseball celebrated on social media.

The Angels lost the game, but their shortstop rose to the occasion in a way his team so often has not. We would say Neto is a star in the making, with pop in his bat and swagger in his game, but he already is a star.

Read more:Mike Trout has three hits, including a 454-foot homer, in Angels' win over Red Sox

An All-Star.

“One hundred percent. For sure. No doubt,” said Angels closer Kenley Jansen, himself a four-time All-Star.

Baseball turns its All-Star ballot live Wednesday, and there is no shortage of Dodgers players worthy of votes. If Judge does not get the most votes overall, Shohei Ohtani should.

Freddie Freeman entered play Tuesday batting .368, and he leads National League first basemen in WAR. Will Smith is batting .331 and leads NL catchers in WAR. Shortstop Mookie Betts and outfielder Teoscar Hernández figure to attract some votes, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto should be one of the pitchers selected.

The Dodgers had six All-Stars last year. The Angels had one: pitcher Tyler Anderson.

This year, Neto ought to be that guy. His 10 home runs lead American League shortstops. Among all major leaguers, only Ohtani has more leadoff homers than Neto.

“It’s a no-brainer he is our All-Star this year,” Jansen said.

Angels shortstop Zach Neto, right, high-fives a fan, left before a game against the Marlins at Angel Stadium in May.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto high-fives a fan before a game against the Marlins at Angel Stadium in May 24. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Neto is one of seven major leaguers with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in their last 162 games. The others: Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr., Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez and Kyle Tucker.

Lindor is the only other shortstop in the group. That makes Neto a star in a rather bright constellation.

“He’s a superstar in the making,” Jansen said.

Neto almost certainly would need to be voted in by his peers, or selected by the league office. Even his manager admits Neto has virtually no chance to be voted in by the fans.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Neto is “definitely” an All-Star but suggested Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, the runner-up to Judge as AL most valuable player last season, would be voted the starting shortstop.

“I think he is going to be the guy,” Washington said.

And Neto?

“They need some backup,” Washington said. “It doesn’t matter if you make the All-Star team as a backup. You made the All-Star team.

“I think he’s got the opportunity to do just that.”

Angels shortstop Zach Neto gives the safe sign as he slides on his belly across home plate ahead of the tag.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto gives the safe sign as he slides on his belly across home plate ahead of the tag during a game against the Giants in April. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)

Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles started at shortstop for the AL last season. Jeremy Peña of the Houston Astros has a better WAR than anyone in the AL except Judge, according to Baseball Reference. Jacob Wilson of the Athletics has a better OPS than Witt, and he is batting .355 — better than anyone in the majors besides Judge and Freeman.

“With all the shortstops out there, he is just going to have to bide his time,” Washington said of Neto. “Hopefully, he gets chosen.”

The fans select the starters, and the players in the AL and NL select the backups in their respective leagues. If the fans vote Witt, do enough AL players appreciate Neto’s game?

“Yeah,” Washington said, laughing, “because he bust their [butt].”

Said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: “Love him. Certainly, his skill set plays. And, for him to be — what, a couple years removed from college? — I just love that he just has that feel for leadership. He’s already a leader. I can see it from the other side.

“He’s sort of like that old-school gritty ballplayer. He can beat you a lot of ways. He’s quickly going higher on the list of players I love to watch.”

The league office completes the All-Star rosters, in large part to ensure each team has at least one representative. It is not a given that Neto would be the Angels’ representative.

If two or three other shortstops are chosen, the league office could opt for catcher Logan O’Hoppe or, if position players are fully stocked, pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. If Mike Trout stays healthy and gets hot, the league office could give fans across America the Angels player they would most want to see.

Yet there is no question that Neto is the Angels’ best player this year, and a star for years to come.

“This guy,” Roberts said, “is going to be an All-Star for a long time.”

That time should start now.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Celtics player spotlight: Can Xavier Tillman fill larger role in 2025-26?

Celtics player spotlight: Can Xavier Tillman fill larger role in 2025-26? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Xavier Tillman Sr. was acquired by the Boston Celtics before the 2024 NBA trade deadline, and he gave them some good minutes in the playoffs during their championship run.

But he was not able to build on that momentum during the 2024-25 campaign.

Tillman was limited to just 33 games for the Celtics this past season. He appeared in 54 games between the C’s and Grizzlies in 2023-24.

What can we expect from Tillman going forward?

As we continue our “Celtics Player Spotlight” series, let’s recap Tillman’s 2024-25 season and analyze how he fits into Boston’s lineup for 2025-26:

2024-25 Season Recap

Despite the Celtics losing Kristaps Porzingis for 40 games and managing 39-year-old veteran Al Horford’s workload, Tillman still wasn’t able to carve out a consistent role in the frontcourt. He averaged 13.7 minutes, 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 20 appearances for Boston post-trade deadline in 2023-24, but those numbers dipped to 7.0 minutes, 1.0 point and 1.3 rebounds per game this season.

Tillman went from getting real minutes in the 2024 NBA Finals to only appearing in one playoff game this season — the end of Game 6 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tillman shot just 24.5 percent from the field and 15.6 percent from 3-point range. He hasn’t provided much offense at all, and his inability to be even somewhat of a threat from beyond the arc is concerning.

Tillman is an above-average defender who’s versatile enough to guard players on the perimeter and handle centers in the paint. But for him to earn a regular spot in the rotation, he has to give the C’s some kind of offensive spark off the bench.

Contract details

Tillman has one more year left on his contract. His salary cap hit for 2025-26 is $2.55 million, per Spotrac.

Xavier Tillman Sr.Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Xavier Tillman is a versatile defender, but his impact offensively has been low in Boston.

Potential roles for 2025-26

Scenario 1: Tillman helps C’s address lack of frontcourt depth

Tillman played a meaningful role in the Grizzlies’ playoff rotation two years ago, and he was given playoff minutes for the Celtics in 2023-24. He has shown an ability to be a useful player off the bench.

The Celtics could be lacking in frontcourt depth next season if Al Horford and/or Luke Kornet depart in free agency. In that case, Tillman likely would compete with Neemias Queta for more minutes.

Scenario 2: Tillman’s offense continues to struggle, role is mostly unchanged

The Joe Mazzulla-led Celtics take a ton of 3-pointers. They set league records this season for 3-point shots attempted and made. But you don’t have to be a lights-out shooter to thrive in this system — Luke Kornet has become a very effective player despite shooting almost no 3-pointers.

The difference with Kornet is that he’s able to score in other ways, particularly on pick-and-roll plays and lobs. Tillman has not shown that kind of ability on a consistent basis in Boston.

If Tillman worked on his 3-point shot in the offseason and was able to hit around 30 percent of his attempts next season, that would make him a lot more playable. Shooting 24.5 percent from the floor and 15.4 percent from 3-point range isn’t going to cut it.

Final thoughts

The Celtics shouldn’t give up on Tillman. When healthy, he can play 10-15 minutes per game and provide good defense and maybe a little scoring. He’s also making very little money, which is valuable to a team like the Celtics that has an expensive roster in the second apron. The C’s need as many low-cost contributors as they can get.

Posted on

Cora's tone shift after Red Sox' latest brutal loss is a troubling sign

Cora's tone shift after Red Sox' latest brutal loss is a troubling sign originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Tuesday night at Fenway Park featured all the hallmarks of a 2025 Boston Red Sox loss.

Poor fielding? Check.

The Red Sox made three errors, including a botched ground ball by pitcher Zack Kelly in the 10th inning that allowed the Los Angeles Angels to score the winning run. (Boston leads the majors with 53 errors in 63 games.)

Poor situational hitting? Check.

The Red Sox were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. With a runner on second and no outs in the bottom of the 10th, Carlos Narvaez and Trevor Story both struck out before Ceddanne Rafaela popped out to end the game. (Boston is hitting .234 with runners in scoring position this season with an MLB-leading 171 strikeouts. The next-closest team has 151.)

Failure to win close games? Check.

The Red Sox tallied just one hit from the seventh inning onward with the score tied at 3-3. (They’re now 6-17 in one-run games this season — no other team has lost more than 15 — and 4-7 in extra-inning games. Their .202 batting average in “late/close” situations is fifth-worst in baseball.)

So, why is the same script playing out on a nightly basis? Red Sox manager Alex Cora pointed the finger at himself after Tuesday’s loss.

“We keep making the same mistakes. We’re not getting better,” Cora told reporters. “At one point, it has to be on me, I guess, right? I’m the manager. I’ve got to keep pushing them to get better. They’re not getting better. They’re not. We keep making the same mistakes.

“I’m being very honest about it. Very open about it. You get frustrated, but at one point it’s like, ‘OK, what are we going to do? What’s going to change?’ Because we keep doing the same thing, same thing.

“We can keep talking about one-run losses — we have what, 17? It’s the same thing. Is it effort? Preparation? Attention to detail? I have no idea, man. I watched that game tonight and was like, ‘Wow, this is real.’ It’s frustrating.”

Cora deserves credit for holding himself accountable. But he’s also right — Cora should be responsible for much of what’s plaguing the Red Sox. Effort, preparation and attention to detail all fall under the manager’s purview, especially if his players continue to make the same mistakes.

Boston’s struggles aren’t all on Cora. Injuries to Triston Casas and Alex Bregman have exposed major holes on the roster that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should have done more to address this offseason. (The Red Sox’ No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 hitters Tuesday night were Rob Refsnyder, Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro, who went a combined 1-for-10.)

But two injuries shouldn’t completely derail a club that entered 2025 with playoff aspirations, and given how the Red Sox have been losing this season, it’s on Cora to start pushing different buttons.

Cora typically has been upbeat in the face of Boston’s struggles in recent years, but Tuesday’s tone shift was notable, and perhaps a sign of his exasperation with a team that continues to underachieve as it aims to end a three-year playoff drought.

If that drought extends to four years? A managerial shakeup may not be out of the question.

Posted on

Report: Maple Leafs Could Target Bruins Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco To Fill Lane Lambert's Vacated Role

The Toronto Maple Leafs could be after another coach to join their bench after associate coach Lane Lambert's departure.

Lambert, who joined Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube's staff last summer as an associate coach (the first of its kind in Toronto), headed the club's penalty kill. Toronto's PK finished the regular season at 77.9 percent, the 17th-best in the NHL.

He vacated his post last week to become head coach of the Seattle Kraken, leaving many to wonder whether the Maple Leafs would fill that spot again. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts, it sounds like they might be doing so.

"I believe Joe Sacco was told he will not stay as the head coach of the Boston Bruins," Friedman said. "I’m actually kind of wondering if he could end up in Toronto, in place of Lane Lambert. We’ll see. But I’m under the impression he was told he won’t be staying."

Sacco was named interim head coach of the Boston Bruins after Jim Montgomery was fired following an 8-9-3 start this past season. The club went 25-30-7 in the final 62 games of the season with a new head coach at the helm, while also trading key pieces in Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, and Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline.

Tanev, Gourde Contracts And Deferred Money Provide A Blueprint For Maple Leafs To Re-Sign John TavaresTanev, Gourde Contracts And Deferred Money Provide A Blueprint For Maple Leafs To Re-Sign John TavaresJohn Tavares wants to stay in Toronto. The former Maple Leafs captain made that clear when speaking to reporters shortly after his team was eliminated in the second round at the hands of the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers. This desire, coupled with the Maple Leafs' cap constraints, begs the question: How can both sides find common ground? Reportedly, the Maple Leafs would welcome him back, but not at the hefty $11 million per season salary cap hit that came with his first contract in Toronto. Recent contracts signed by other players offer a compelling glimpse into potential solutions.

Sacco, who just finished his 11th season with the club, headed the team's penalty kill before being elevated to head coach. Boston had the seventh-best penalty kill last during the 2023-24 season, operating at 82.5 percent.

Before joining the Bruins in the summer of 2014, Sacco was an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to that job, though, the 56-year-old spent four seasons as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

His record with Colorado through 294 games as head coach was 130-134-30.

Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano To Coach NHL Top Prospect Matthew SchaeferFormer Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano To Coach NHL Top Prospect Matthew SchaeferMark Giordano has been busy since last playing in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto's current coaching staff sees Berube at the helm, assistant coach Marc Savard manning the forward group and power play, and another assistant, Mike Van Ryn, leading the defense. Savard joined the organization last summer, while Van Ryn, who won the Stanley Cup with Berube on the St. Louis Blues, joined Toronto in the summer of 2023.

The Maple Leafs also have Curtis Sanford, who's been with the club since July 2022, as their goaltending coach.

It remains unknown whether Toronto will go ahead and fill this position once again. However, if Friedman thinks out loud about whether Sacco would fit in Toronto, it likely means the Maple Leafs are hunting for someone to fill Lambert's role.

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Posted on

Giants DFA struggling Wade, Huff; Dom Smith signed to contract

Giants DFA struggling Wade, Huff; Dom Smith signed to contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — On Tuesday afternoon, Buster Posey stood against a wall in the home clubhouse at Oracle Park and said the Giants were examining both internal and external options to provide a spark for the historically-cold offense. On Wednesday, the shakeup arrived. 

The Giants DFA’d struggling first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and backup catcher Sam Huff and also optioned backup infielder Christian Koss. The new first baseman will be veteran Dominic Smith, who was signed to a big-league deal a few days after opting out of his minor-league deal with the New York Yankees. Outfielder Daniel Johnson and catcher Andrew Knizner were selected from Triple-A to fill out the roster. 

In one series of moves, Posey and general manager Zack Minasian cleared out nearly a quarter of their active position players. The most notable move was with Wade, who was one of Farhan Zaidi’s greatest finds but has slumped for nearly a calendar year. Wade was hitting .167 with just one homer and had started to lose playing time against right-handed pitchers to Casey Schmitt. 

The Giants are coming off back-to-back brutal losses, both of which can be placed just about squarely on their lineup. They might have the best top-to-bottom pitching staff in baseball, but they lost 1-0 on Monday night and 3-2 on Tuesday. 

The lineup has gone 16 consecutive games without scoring more than four runs, the longest streak since 1965. Posey said Tuesday that the group is better than it has shown over the last two and a half weeks, but also indicated changes were coming. 

“We’re not satisfied with the production,” he said. “We’re trying to exhaust all options.”

The only external addition, at least for now, is Smith, who opted out over the weekend. The veteran had a .782 OPS and eight homers in Triple-A and was a little below league-average last year with the Red Sox and Reds, but right now, league-average might hit cleanup for this lineup. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

The Spin | Why neutrals should back South Africa against Australia in WTC final

Wealth of Big Three is skewing Test cricket and a big win for Australia at Lord’s would only emphasise this gulf

On a recent episode of The Grade Cricketer podcast, the hosts, Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, tore lumps out of South Africa in a foul-mouthed tirade about the World Test Championship final against Australia. Perry predicted a finish “inside three days” and Higgins, practically thumping the table, said: “If I don’t look at a scorecard and South Africa are three for spit my TV is going through the window.” Cue big alpha chuckles and main-character knee slaps.

I know they were joking, skewering Australian arrogance as much as South African frailty, and that they have built a formidable brand that runs on side-mouthed jibes and hyperbolic bluster. Still, the lizard part of my brain lit up in protest. How dare they dismiss my countrymen? I wasn’t alone in taking offence.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Florida Man v Canada: how the Stanley Cup final became a proxy war

Connor McDavid congratulates Aleksander Barkov after the Panthers’ victory over the Oilers in last year’s Stanley Cup final. Photograph: Nathan Denette/AP

This time last year the story of the Stanley Cup final between Florida and Edmonton was mostly about Connor McDavid, hockey’s generational talent, getting the chance to bring the Cup back to hockey’s generational home. And it almost went his way, after the Oilers overcame a three-game deficit to force a deciding Game 7. Instead, McDavid’s win came a little later. His series-winning goal against the US in February’s Four Nations Cup amid the febrile nationalism created by Donald Trump’s annexation threats and tariffs seemed to quiet the doubters about where hockey both belonged and who rightly owned its highest honours. But here we are again, on the eve of the final, with the Oilers back in Florida for the second season in a row – Game 1 is on Wednesday night – and with a team from that state contending for the Cup for the sixth straight year.

The easiest way to explain why the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-22) and Florida Panthers (2023-25) have each reached the Stanley Cup final as Eastern Conference champions in three consecutive seasons is that, well, they have both been very good teams. You can point to some common elements between the two, like scoring depth, a certain level of tenacity and grit, elite Russian goaltending, and Carter Verhaeghe. But there has also been something less obvious or quantifiable about these teams. Some characteristic that they share, beyond the on-ice talent and performance. It may be Florida itself.

Related: Stuck on repeat: NHL’s playoff format keeps delivering déjà vu matchups

There’s the income tax rate, for one thing, in that there isn’t one. Given that, the common refrain goes, Florida teams have an inherent advantage when free agents are looking for a new place to play. Indeed, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois confirmed it last summer, telling reporters that Florida’s “favourable tax situation” had helped entice players to sign. The Associated Press ran the numbers on Sam Reinhart’s new deal at $8.625m per year. In Florida, he will owe $3.15m in annual taxes – $1.1m less than if he lived in California, and $1.4m less than if he was in Toronto. Then again, there are no state income taxes in Tennessee, either, and Nashville finished third-last in the NHL last year. None in Texas, either. No Cups there recently. Nor in Washington. So, maybe there’s more to it – less bureaucratic and more geographic reasons, like the beach and the weather. Or it could be the vibe.

“Nothing in Florida is ever quite what it seems,” former Tampa Bay Tribune reporter Craig Pittman wrote in his book about the state, adding that “in Florida, the crimes tend to be weirder and the scams bigger.” Florida is where all the “nation’s unctuous elements tend to trickle down as if [it] were the grease trap under America’s George Foreman grill,” Kent Russell wrote in the New York Times. Both writers made those assessments in the summer of 2016. Since then, Florida has had quite the decade. And even for what was already America’s strangest state, it’s been an interesting few years. Much of that is due to Donald Trump’s ascension to the US presidency – twice – not in his original big-suited, big-dealing New York City tycoon form, but as something much weirder, angrier, and noticeably more sunkissed: that is, as a kind of alpha Florida Man.

Of course, all of that might have had little or nothing to do with hockey had it not been for Trump’s personal vendetta against Canada this year, all but vowing to annex it as the 51st state. Or if Wayne Gretzky wasn’t such a staunch Trump supporter – a fact that has made him persona non grata in the country he once led to Olympic gold. Or if Gary Bettman (and Gretzky) hadn’t been hanging out with Trump-nominated FBI director Kash Patel at Capitals games. Or if a Panthers minority owner hadn’t called a Toronto Maple Leafs supporter an “51st anti semite loser” on X last month. But all that stuff did happen, both setting and capturing the tone of the season, hounded at every turn by a Florida Man. To no small degree, it would make an Oilers win all the more satisfying for many Canadians.

Still, even if none of that off-ice stuff had happened, there is still undeniably a high level of that brash, unapologetic, and moderately crazed Florida attitude in the Panthers. They might not all be men from Florida, but they sure feel like Florida Men. It’s by sheer coincidence that the Panthers’ spirit animal is not the team’s namesake cat but is instead a rat. But let’s be honest, it fits with how many see the team (and not just because Brad “the rat” Marchand plays there now – that’s just fate). Because, as much as you might respect the rat’s hustle or its capacity to survive against long odds – as the Panthers did during their 2023 Cup run, beating the seemingly unbeatable Boston Bruins in the first round – most of the time you want them to go away for ever.

Yet, the life of a rat is also a story of a certain kind of success. It’s no easy feat to find your way when everyone hates you. Still harder to do it more than once. “Part of Florida’s appeal is that it’s the Land of a Thousand Chances, the place where people go who have screwed up elsewhere and need to start over,” Pittman wrote. He was thinking of guys like Carlo Ponzi, creator of the Ponzi scheme. But you could just as easily point to someone like Verhaeghe, who spent six years in the AHL and ECHL after being drafted before the Lightning and Panthers gave him a chance. Now he’s a two-time Cup winner.

Connor McDavid and the Oilers have a second chance in Florida now, too. Another opportunity to make the rats go away. Of course, that won’t be easy. The Panthers are relentlessly tenacious, with an aggressive offensive pinch. They’re gritty, some may even say dirty. And they’ve proven that they can scrape and scramble to the top. Just like the state they call home.

Posted on

Giants notes: Harrison to get a couple more starts as Verlander rehabs

Giants notes: Harrison to get a couple more starts as Verlander rehabs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When Justin Verlander first went on the IL, it was in part because he couldn’t guarantee he would be fully ready if the Giants kept him on the active roster and skipped just one start. There’s always a bit of extra optimism at the start of an IL stint, and Verlander will now miss at least four total starts. 

The right-hander threw a bullpen session Tuesday, and the next step is facing hitters at Oracle Park later this week. Manager Bob Melvin said left-hander Kyle Harrison already knows he’ll get one more start after Wednesday’s, but Verlander does appear to be making progress as he works his way back from right pectoral discomfort.

The bullpen session on Tuesday was a lengthy one. Melvin watched and said he liked the way the ball was coming out of Verlander’s hand. 

“It was a lot better today,” Melvin said. “It looked really good today.”

Harrison has allowed two earned runs on six hits in two starts since returning to the rotation. He said Tuesday that he’s happy to be fully healthy and proud of the way he handled a difficult second half last year and beginning of this year. An ankle injury led to shoulder inflammation that impacted his fastball velocity, but he averaged 95.3 mph on Friday in Miami, his best velocity in a big league start. Harrison cruised through five one-hit innings the last time out. 

“It’s the confidence and just having that attitude out there,” Harrison said. “I think a lot of times this sport is pretty monotonous. You know, you go out there and you’ve got to find that fire again sometimes. I know it’s weird to say but I think that time in Sacramento really helped me find that fire again. Every time I go out there now I take that rock with a lot of passion and I take pride in it.”

Without Verlander — and with Jordan Hicks moving to the bullpen before he went on the IL — the Giants currently have what might be their 2026 rotation. Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are joined by young starters Landen Roupp, Hayden Birdsong and Harrison. All are throwing well at the moment, and it won’t be an easy decision when Verlander is ready. Harrison is doing what he can to stay in the conversation. 

“I think it’s just staying the course and doing what I’m doing right now,” Harrison said. “Just staying consistent, trusting the process, looking forward to my routine the next day after an outing and controlling the things I can control. I’m here for the long haul hopefully. It’s just keeping that in mind and whatever they need from me this year, I’ll be ready for it. I’m just ready to get after it.” 

Another Notable Promotion

Bryce Eldridge wasn’t the only intriguing prospect to join the River Cats on Tuesday. Right-handed reliever Trent Harris was also promoted after a truly dominant run in Double-A. 

The 26-year-old has 25 strikeouts in 16 innings this year, with a 1.69 ERA. Harris has allowed just 11 hits and walked four. 

“He’s throwing the ball extremely well,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said. “It’s a great breaking ball. I think that pitch is most definitely plus … the breaking ball is unique. Getting a look at it in person this spring, it definitely stood out.”

Harris was brought up constantly last year when team officials were asked to name rising prospects. He had a 1.81 ERA across three levels, which got him several cameos in spring training. The big league bullpen is stacked, but he’s now just a step away.

Cuts in Triple-A

To open up a couple of Triple-A roster spots, the Giants released veteran Jake Lamb and utility man Brett Auerbach. Lamb was in big league camp and at one point looked like a potential bench option, but he posted a .706 OPS with just two homers in a hitter-friendly league at a time when the Giants were desperate for better first base options in the big leagues. 

Auerbach’s release was a sad one for a lot of Giants employees. He won the Barney Nugent Award in big league camp three years ago and was easy to root for as an undersized catcher who had gone undrafted, but he had a .722 OPS in Triple-A.

The Beginning

As he kicked off his professional career this week, one of the organization’s best prospects was getting used to a notable change. Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez will go by Josuar Gonzalez as a professional, using only his maternal last name. 

Gonzalez was in action for the first time Monday, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs in a Dominican Summer League game. The switch-hitting shortstop signed with the Giants in the offseason for about $3 million and will spend his summer getting experience in his home country. Gonzalez is only 17, but Giants officials rave about his well-rounded game and compare him to a young Francisco Lindor. 

“He has quickness with his hands, the ability to play shortstop with plus skills, a 70 [grade] arm,” senior director of international scouting Joe Salermo said in January. “He’s a plus hitter with sneaky power. He can beat you in many ways, with the glove, the bat, speed — that stands out. It’s just the ability to play a premium position. It’s so tough to find those types of guys.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

A few thoughts on Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau and what comes next

A few thoughts on the Knicks relieving Tom Thibodeau of his duties and what’s next for the franchise...

It’s hard to remember now, but things weren’t going well in Jalen Brunson’s first few weeks as a Knick. In early December of 2022, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks embarrassed the Knicks at home, outscoring New York by 26 in the third quarter of an easy win. The Knicks had lost six of eight and were getting booed at The Garden. They hosted Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers the next night. Thibodeau’s job was certainly on the line at that point. If Thibodeau was going down, team president Leon Rose was going down with him, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Knicks beat the Cavs that night and reeled off eight straight wins, changing the season and changing the immediate fate of Rose and Thibodeau.

You know how things played out from there. Behind Brunson, New York went on to win its first playoff series in 10 years that spring, beating the Cavs in the first round.

They won a first-round series the next season and won two series this spring, making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.

So why did Rose fire Thibodeau three days after the end of the Knicks’ most successful season in decades? Why was he willing to go down with Thibodeau in 2022 but willing to separate himself from the coach less than three seasons later?

The word out of the Knicks on Tuesday was that the team needed a new voice. They appreciated everything Thibodeau had done, but they didn’t view him as the right coach to get them to their ultimate goal: an NBA title.

“Everything now is looked at that way; it’s about winning (a championship),” one person familiar with the decision said.

ROSE’S CALL?

The decision, ultimately, was Rose’s to make. Yes, owner James Dolan supported the decision to fire Thibodeau. I understand, based on past history, why Knicks fans would think Dolan was being heavy-handed here. He has a long history of getting overly involved in basketball decisions. For what it’s worth, I think he stopped forcing his executives to make decisions once Phil Jackson came aboard as team president. Dolan obviously cares about all moves made and holds his teams to a high standard. But he didn’t force Rose to make a decision that the team president wasn’t comfortable with. IF Rose didn’t want to fire Thibodeau, he would have resigned alongside his head coach on Tuesday.

He didn’t do that, which tells you that he wasn’t forced to do anything against his will here.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

The Knicks are obviously making a big bet here. The bet is that the next coach they hire will get them to the next level. The bet is that this decision is worth the $30-plus million to the franchise. That’s the amount of guaranteed money Thibodeau had left on his contract, which was extended last summer.

At least $30 million. That gives you an idea of how strongly Rose felt about the decision and the degree to which Dolan supported it.

MEETING OF THE MINDS

As SNY noted Sunday, the Knicks conducted a review of players and coaches in the post-mortem of this season. The setup of these meetings was different than the traditional exit meeting. Based on what I know, these exit meetings are traditionally conducted by the leading executive. Each player meets individually with the top executive. Sometimes other front office members are present. I’ve heard of at least two instances where the head coach was present.

But this assessment was different. It didn’t involve all of the players. Only a select few were interviewed. I believe Thibodeau was interviewed as well as members of his coaching staff. Dolan was present as well.

So this was less an exit meeting and more of an assessment of what went wrong and what needed to be fixed. Obviously, the end result was Thibodeau getting let go.

So what happens next?

Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center.
Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

CANDIDATES?

Former Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is a finalist for the Phoenix Suns job, according to reports. The Suns are reportedly going to make a decision by the end of the week. If you connect the dots, it’s easy to wonder if the Knicks timed the firing of Thibodeau in a way that would allow them to hire Bryant. In talking to people in touch with the team on Tuesday, I don’t think the two events were tied together. I would be surprised if the Knicks made a decision on their next head coach by the end of this week.

Does that mean Bryant isn’t a priority in their search? It could. People in touch with the team recently also downplay the idea of Mike Malone being a slam-dunk hire here.

What about Jay Wright? I don’t see it. Neither does someone who has spent a lot of time around him recently.

My early read is that Dan Hurley isn’t at the top of New York’s initial list. So who is? Marc Stein reported late Tuesday that Ime Udoka and Jason Kidd are two coaches who are said to intrigue the Knicks. Udoka is a name that I’d heard as well. To hire Udoka, the Knicks would have to get permission from Houston and give the Rockets compensation to let Udoka out of his deal.

I can’t see Dallas even entertaining the idea of letting Kidd go.

Knicks executive Gersson Rosas hired Chris Finch in Minnesota. But the Timberwolves just reached consecutive Western Conference Finals under Finch. Why would they allow him to leave?

The Knicks have to have plans that don’t involve a current head coach leaving his team. Mike Brown, Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams and Taylor Jenkins are among coaches with experience who are available. Jeff Van Gundy is back in coaching, but I would bet a significant amount of money that Van Gundy wouldn’t take the job even if he were offered it. Why would he take a job that was vacated by his close friend?

WHAT ABOUT THE CURRENT STAFF/RICK BRUNSON?

The follow-up question from many media members on Tuesday was about the future of Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father and Thibodeau’s lead assistant. I can’t see the Knicks forcing any coach to keep Brunson. But I also don’t think they would have to force the issue. If you’re a new head coach and you want to connect with the face of your franchise, would you want to piss him off by firing his dad? It doesn’t strike me as a logical move.

Nov 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Nov 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE ROSTER/PURSUIT OF GIANNIS?

That’s unclear. Even before Thibodeau was fired, it seemed that the most likely path for the Knicks was to add a rotation player or two via free agency. The pie-in-the-sky scenario is the Knicks trading for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. But that was the case before the firing of Thibodeau. As it was, the odds of New York landing Antetokounmpo were not good. To make a deal happen, Antetokounmpo would have to request a trade and ask Milwaukee to send him specifically to New York. Milwaukee would have to work with Antetokounmpo on sending him to New York while eschewing stronger offers from other teams. So there are several massive hurdles in the way of Antetokounmpo to New York. The Knicks, like every other NBA team, will monitor the Antetokounmpo situation. But so much has to fall into place for them to have a shot at landing him.

What about Kevin Durant? I believe that it’s unlikely that the Knicks would ultimately pull the trigger on a trade for him.

FREE MEALS FOR THIBS

Whether you loved Thibodeau, hated him or fell somewhere in between, you have to acknowledge the strong record he had in New York. The Knicks reached the conference final this season for the first time in 25 years. They won 50-plus games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-94 and 1994-95. They made the playoffs in four of Thibodeau’s five seasons. They also won at least one playoff series in three consecutive seasons. From 2000-01 to 2019-20, the Knicks had won just one playoff series in total. So even Thibodeau’s biggest detractor would acknowledge that he helped build a winning culture here.

If the Knicks and their next head coach win the title, Thibodeau should be among the group of players/coaches/execs who never have to pay for a meal in New York again.

Posted on

Mets, Brandon Nimmo discuss play on Freddie Freeman's fly ball in 10th inning: 'It's not as routine as it looked'

The Mets and Dodgers were in the middle of another extra-inning classic when the teams entered the bottom of the 10th on Tuesday night.

With the score tied 5-5 and the Dodgers with men on first and second and one out, Freddie Freeman came to the plate looking to drive in the winning run. Jose Butto, who saved Monday’s game in the 10th inning, threw a first-pitch sweeper that the first baseman took the opposite way.

It looked good off of Freeman’s bat and the Los Angeles crowd reacted to what looked like a potential walk-off homer. However, as Brandon Nimmo went back toward the left field wall, he turned to see the ball, turned again to check the wall and by the time he checked for the ball, it dropped next to him as Tommy Edman -- the ghost-runner -- scampered around third and crossed home plate for the 6-5 win.

“Not an easy play, especially in that situation," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "He’s playing shallower than normal and that’s a tough play in left field for a lefty. It’s over your head. Playing in right there, not an easy play."

Mendoza said he wasn't sure if Nimmo lost the ball in the lights but knows that a fly ball from a lefty normally slices away and that the play is "not as routine as it looked."

Nimmo expanded on what happened on the play, echoing his manager that the outfielders were playing shallow to potentially cut off the runner at home on a base hit. He had a beat on the ball over his right shoulder as he scampered back toward the wall. When he went to check the wall and looked back up, the ball had moved about 15 feet over his left shoulder.

"[The ball] acted a little bit differently than I’m used to," Nimmo said of the play. "It’s unfortunate, would have loved to have made that play. Two outs and get out of there. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go the way you think."

He added: "I didn’t have enough time to put my foot on the ground and make up the play. I had a read on it, as long as it was staying in the park, I had a play on it. I knew we had to get back quick because we were playing for the base hit. I thought I was going to be able to make a play on it. It just did what I didn’t think it was going to do there at the end. I have a lot of years of experience that tells me the reaction of these things, and that was out of my reaction. I was very surprised to find it on the other shoulder. Very unfortunate time for that to happen."

Despite the loss, the Mets and Dodgers continue to play intense baseball for a game in June. The Mets took two out of three games when the two teams met at Citi Field -- that included a 13-inning affair -- and now the first two games in LA have gone to extras, with the teams splitting the matchups.

Nimmo appreciates the atmosphere of their series and likened it to the postseason.

"It’s been a playoff-type atmosphere. Dodgers Stadium has been rocking. It’s been a lot of fun," Nimmo said. "It’s unfortunate a game like that ends on a play like that. It’s been so good and so high-intensity and good baseball. That’s just the way it goes sometimes."

The two will meet again to try and take the series lead in the third of their four-game set on Wednesday night.

Posted on

Max Muncy's two homers make up for his error in Dodgers' win over Mets

Los Angeles, CA, Tuesday June 3, 2025 - Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) flips his bat after hitting a game-tying ninth inning homer against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Max Muncy flips his bat after hitting a tying ninth-inning homer Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Max Muncy’s 2025 season has been nothing if not enigmatic.

But lately, after a woeful opening month on both sides of the ball, the good (his bat) has been outweighing the bad (his glove).

In the Dodgers' 6-5 win against the New York Mets on Tuesday, such a duality came into plain view.

In the first inning, Muncy punctuated a four-run ambush of Mets starter Tylor Megill with a two-run home run deep to right field. In the fifth, he committed a costly error at third base that fueled New York’s go-ahead two-run rally. Yet, in the ninth, the veteran slugger capitalized upon his chance for redemption, clobbering his second long ball of the night to tie the score — and set up Freddie Freeman for a walk-off double (with a lot of help from Brandon Nimmo’s poor outfield defense) in the bottom of the 10th.

After an ice-cold opening month with the bat, Muncy has caught fire over his last 22 games, batting .314 with eight home runs (including six in the last seven games), 28 RBIs, 14 walks and only 10 strikeouts.

Freddie Freeman is doused by Andy Pages after hitting a walk-off, 10th-inning double Tuesday.
Freddie Freeman is doused by Andy Pages after hitting a walk-off, 10th-inning double Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

His defense remains a glaring weak spot, exposed repeatedly in key situations during the Dodgers’ slog through May and the opening days of June.

Read more:Dodgers star Freddie Freeman's family appreciated kind gesture from slain Baldwin Park officer

But for now, his production at the plate is giving him a long leash to work through such issues.

Without his offense Tuesday, the Dodgers likely would’ve lost their third straight game.

When Muncy came up as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers hadn’t scored since his first home run eight innings prior.

Megill had found his footing, retiring 16 of his final 17 batters over a six-inning start. The Dodgers had wasted a golden opportunity to come back in the eighth, coming up empty even after getting the go-ahead runs on second and third base with no outs.

Read more:Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball legend with ties to the Dodgers, dies at 89

Muncy, however, extended the game with one swing, connecting on an elevated fastball for a no-doubt missile that traveled 408 feet. He flipped his bat as he left the box. He rounded the bases with a steady, confident gait.

An inning later, after Tanner Scott broke out of his recent struggles by holding the Mets scoreless in the top of the 10th, Freeman walked it off on a fly ball that Nimmo let fall at the warning track in left, getting all turned around as the ball came barreling toward the earth to let automatic runner Tommy Edman score with ease.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Mets blow ninth-inning lead, lose 6-5 to Dodgers in 10 innings

The Mets fell short of a second straight extra-innings win over the reigning champions, as they fell in 10 innings to the Dodgers, 6-5, on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It didn't take long for the Mets to draw first blood against veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw -- they only needed 17 pitches, to be exact. After a one-out single from Starling Marte, who proceeded to reach second base on a wild pitch, Pete Alonso made the score 1-0 with a two-out single to left. It was the team-high 47th run driven in by Alonso, who won an eight-pitch battle with the future Hall-of-Famer.

-- Unfortunately for the Mets, their lead with Tylor Megill on the mound lasted just 11 pitches. The Dodgers knotted the score with one out and a runner on first when Freddie Freeman poked a double past Alonso down the right-field line. The relay throw from Juan Soto on the warning track was then bobbled by Jeff McNeil on the transfer, and that fielding error allowed Freeman to reach third and ultimately score on a groundout from Will Smith.

-- The first-inning mess didn't end there for Megill. With another runner on first -- Teoscar Hernandez reached on a one-out walk before Smith's groundout -- the right-hander grooved a fastball to Max Muncy, who smacked it 407 feet to right for a two-run home run. Megill threw 31 pitches in the four-run frame, which ironically started with an impressive strikeout of Shohei Ohtani.

-- New York cut its deficit to one in the third, with a two-run rally against Kershaw that began with a leadoff single from Francisco Lindor and ended with a loud two-run blast from Soto. The homer to right marked Soto's fifth straight game with an extra-base hit, and bumped his OPS over. 800 for the first time since May 21. Yet another sign indicating that the superstar slugger is finally busting out.

-- In the fifth, the Mets erased their deficit completely. With two on and two out, Alonso belted a game-tying double to the left-center gap that brought home Lindor and sent Marte to third. Three pitches later, Brandon Nimmo drove in Marte by beating out a chopper hit to first, making the score 5-4. The bang-bang play on the toss from Freeman to Kershaw covering the bag was initially ruled the third out, but the Mets challenged and the replay overturned the call. It was also the final pitch thrown by Kershaw, who entered Tuesday with a career 2.00 ERA in 11 starts against New York.

-- Megill collected himself after the early troubles, retiring nine straight at one point and 13 of 14 through five frames. He also received some help in the fourth from Soto, who flashed the leather with an impressive running catch in foul territory along the right-field side wall. The overall run support and gutsy recovery placed Megill in line for the win, and he finished the night with seven strikeouts (18 whiffs) across six innings at 105 pitches.

-- With the Mets' bullpen in need of a fresh arm, Brandon Waddell was called up from Triple-A and made his third relief appearance of the season. He pitched a scoreless seventh, inducing a pair of groundouts and one lineout with one walk sandwiched between. Reed Garrett was then called upon to handle the meat of the Dodgers' lineup, and he magically escaped a no-out jam with two runners in scoring position by striking out Freeman, forcing Hernandez into a fielder's choice groundout, and fanning Smith.

-- The tightrope act from Garrett was all for naught in the ninth. With the bullpen lacking its regular depth, Huascar Brazobán entered for the save opportunity and immediately blew it to the leadoff hitter in Muncy, who crushed a game-tying homer to right. The veteran right-hander managed to push the game to extra innings for a second straight night by striking out three straight.

-- The Mets' muscle stepped up to the plate in the 10th inning, but Dodgers closer Tanner Scott overcame Monday's letdown by impressively retiring Soto and Alonso on strikeouts and Nimmo on a ground out. The bottom half of the frame belonged to José Butto, and after he intentionally walked the leadoff hitter in Ohtani to create the force at any base, and Mookie Betts flew out, Freeman drove in the winning run with a deep fly to left that was mistracked by Nimmo.

-- Ronny Mauricio made his 2025 big league debut, batting seventh and playing third in place of the injured Mark Vientos. In his first at-bat during the second inning, the 24-year-old grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with an exit velocity of 100 mph. He struck out against Kershaw in his second trip to the plate in the fourth, grounded out to first in the sixth, and then popped out to short in the eighth.

Game MVP: Freddie Freeman

The veteran slugger drove in the Dodgers' first run of the game with a double and their last with a double. He's now hitting .369, which ranks best in the NL and second among all qualified hitters.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets (38-23) will begin the second half of their four-game set at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 p.m. on SNY.

Griffin Canning (5-2, 3.23 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite right-hander Tony Gonsolin (3-1, 5.23 ERA).