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Mets' Francisco Lindor reflects on 1,500th career hit, but more focused on 'playing good baseball'

Mets star Francisco Lindor joined an exclusive club during Monday's night 2-0 win over the Miami Marlins, recording the 1,500th hit of his MLB career.

Lindor singled on a line drive to left field against Marlins' Tyler Phillips in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving him three hits on the night and bringing his career total to the milestone number.

The shortstop recorded 896 hits over 777 games during his six years in Cleveland, and has totaled 604 hits over 607 games with the Mets in four-plus seasons.

"It means I've been in the big leagues for 10 years plus," Lindor joked after the game. "It's special, it's definitely special. I'm blessed, I'm blessed to be in the position I'm in.

"I've been blessed to be surrounded by a lot of good coaches, a lot of good hitting coaches, a lot of teammates that help me and give me good scouting reports and help me be successful in this league. I'm very appreciative of the moment and everybody that's contributed to my journey, but I'm just happy we won today."

He has a long ways to go to reach Yankees legend Derek Jeter's all-time total among shortstops at 3,465 hits, but is now the 24th active MLB player with 1,500 career hits. Freddie Freeman has the most among active player with 2,270 hits, and Mets teammate Starling Marte is tied for 18th with Jason Heyward at 1,562 hits.

Based on Lindor's career average of 175 hits per season, he'd need to reach that mark for eight more seasons and then get another 100 hits to get 3,000 career hits.

After the win, Lindor was asked about the thought of playing another decade and what that would mean for his career, including the possibility of making the Hall of Fame.

"No... it does go to a place where it's like, 'Wow, this is a cool moment,'" Lindor said. "But you just got to continue to put your head down and climb the mountain, you can't let it get too big."

"I would love to be there one day, but it's still very far for me," Lindor said on making the HOF. "I look at a guy like Carlos Beltran that has twice the numbers I have today and he's not in there right now and I think he should be a Hall of Famer. You have guys like Jimmy Rollins that I think should also be in the Hall of Fame, yet they're not in it. For me the Hall of Fame is still far-fetched. I would love to be there one day, it would be one of the biggest honors, if not the biggest, of my career, but still a long way to go."

Beltran missed out on the Hall earlier this year, his third year on the ballot. The outfielder with 2,745 hits and 435 HRs received 70.3 percent of the votes, just shy of the 75 percent of the vote required to enter. Rollins totaled 2,455 hits and won the NL MVP in 2007 and a World Series title in 2008, among other accolades. He got 14.8 percent of the vote this year and has increased his total each year over his three years on the ballot.

Regardless if Lindor makes the Hall one day or not, the 31-year-old is focused on helping this Mets team win early in the season -- especially compared to 2024's 0-5 start.

"It's way better than last year," Lindor said. "Winning brings teams together, as well as losing, but most of the time winning brings teams together. You can feel the vibes. Even though we had fantastic vibes during spring training, you can tell guys are in a much better place today than they were in the middle of spring training. This month you got to grind, it's cold, it's not fun. You got to get it done.

"And to be able to win games, close games, it says a lot about our pitching staff and a lot about our defense and our hitters... We're winning the games, but we're playing good baseball. That's what I care about."

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Mets’ dominant pitching continues as winning streak reaches five: ‘It’s contagious’

The Mets’ pitching staff continues leading the way early on. 

On Monday night, it was Kodai Senga’s turn and he battled through some cold weather to put together five strong innings of work facing a Marlins lineup he saw just six days ago in his first outing of the season. 

As was the case in that meeting, Senga fell into some trouble in the first inning after allowing a walk and a single to the first two batters, but this time he was able to escape the threat with some help from Hayden Senger’s first career caught stealing. 

The right-hander made some adjustments and settled into a groove from there -- before he was faced with some traffic in both the fourth and the fifth -- but he used a pair of double plays balls to again dance his way out of danger. 

Overall, he allowed two walks and five hits while striking out four in five shutout frames.

“That first inning I could tell they did their homework,” Senga said through a translator. “They researched me up pretty good -- but we had a good gameplan tonight, Senger did a good job calling the game and we had good results.”

Carlos Mendoza said he probably could’ve returned to the mound for the sixth, but with it still being so early in the season, he decided to turn things over to the bullpen. 

Danny Young entered and worked around a leadoff single in the sixth, before Jose Butto stepped up with two scoreless innings of work, and then Ryne Stanek slammed the door shut with his first save as a Met. 

With four more scoreless innings, the bullpen now has a league-best 1.13 ERA on the season. 

“It’s very much pass the ball off to the next guy and keep the line moving,” Stanek said. “Guys just see the guy in front of them doing their job and don’t want to be the one that doesn’t -- guys are throwing the ball good, attacking the zone and just getting after it.” 

And it’s not just the bullpen who has been getting the job done.

The starters haven’t been working deep into games in the early going, but they’ve still been putting together terrific results of their own -- the 1.72 team ERA is the second-best produced through the first 10 games of the season in franchise history.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Carlos Mendoza said. “But I said it before the game, it’s contagious, it’s like hitting -- they’re feeling pretty good about themselves right now. They know that they have each others back and that’s a good feeling as a unit.”

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Former NHL Goalie And Broadcaster, Greg Millen, Dies At 67

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

NHL goaltender-turned-broadcaster Greg Millen died at 67 years old on Monday, the NHL Alumni Association announced.

No cause of death was announced.

“It is with heavy hearts we share the sudden passing of Greg Millen today,” the NHL Alumni Association wrote in a statement. “He was known and loved by all in the broadcasting world.”

Millen played for six teams across 14 seasons from 1978 to 1992. He stood between the pipes for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings.

After his NHL playing days, Millen became a broadcaster and covered the Ottawa Senators for 11 seasons, beginning with their inaugural campaign in 1992-93. He joined Hockey Night in Canada in 1995 and worked alongside familiar voices in Bob Cole, Jim Hughson, Don Cherry and Harry Neale.

Millen covered 12 Stanley Cup finals, 12 NHL All-Star Games, three Olympic Games and two World Cups of Hockey, NHL Alumni wrote.

He also covered the NHL on Sportsnet, including Toronto Maple Leafs regional games. Most recently, he covered the Calgary Flames on Hockey Night in Canada.

"Greg left an indelible mark on the sport as as everyone who had the pleasure to know him, watch him, and listen to him," Sportsnet PR said in a statement. "With his infectious passion for the game, sharp insights, and quick wit, Greg was a trusted and familiar voice in the homes of millions of Canadians for more than 30 years."

The hockey community and old colleagues of Millen remembered him on Monday.

Former NHL goaltender Mike McKenna shared how much Millen meant to him and the impact he had on his life. 

“Greg Millen was my first hockey hero,” McKenna wrote on social media. “He's the reason why I became a goaltender. One day, Grandpa Bill took me to the St. Louis Arena for practice and took this picture. Years later we became friends. Thank you, Millsy. You gave me a reason to dream.”

Added Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on social media: “Awful day for everyone who worked with Greg. Loved hockey and his role in it. The only thing he loved more was his growing family: wife, children and, now, grandchildren. Very, very sorry for their loss.”

Analyst John Shannon said many people in the hockey and broadcast community lost a great friend who put family above everything else but was so passionate about the sport.

“As a player, Greg Millen accomplished something every Canadian kid aspires to do. He played in the NHL,” Millen wrote. “In fact, he played 14 seasons in the greatest league in the world. Greg worked hard every day at his craft, and that carried on when he became a broadcaster. I was proud to work alongside him in every NHL arena and at the Olympics.”

The Senators also paid their respects to the longtime former commentator. 

“The Ottawa Senators were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Greg Millen, the first ever Sens TV color commentator and a beloved national broadcaster,” the team said on social media.

The team remembered his memorable call in the 2017 playoffs when Erik Karlsson made a long stretch pass to Mike Hoffman, who completed "the ol' hockey school move," a one-handed tuck past Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask.

The Flames said they were fortunate to have him as part of the Flames on Sportsnet community.

Millen is survived by his wife and four children.

“To Ann and Caroline, Emily, Allison and Charlie, I am so sorry,” Shannon said. “You lost the greatest of husbands and the greatest of fathers. To the rest of Greg’s friends, I feel your pain on this day. I will miss his laugh, his stories and above all, his loyalty.”

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Rangers hurt playoff chances with second straight loss, fall to Lightning 5-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Brayden Point had two goals an an assist, Nikita Kucherov added a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 5-1 on Monday night.

Yanni Gourde and Brandon Hagel also scored, and Jake Guentzel had three assists for playoff-bound Tampa Bay, which was 3 for 4 on the power play. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 38 shots.

Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers, who lost their second straight and remain six points behind Montreal for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have five games remaining. Igor Shesterkin finished with 18 saves.

Kucherov opened the scoring on the power-play with 6:51 left in the first period, sliding the puck past Shesterkin for his 34th goal.

Gourde made it 2-0 just 36 seconds later, and Point scored on the power play with 5:06 remaining.

Zibanejad scored his 17th goal of the season the power-play at 3:16 of the second, just the third power-play goal by the Rangers in the 45 chances.

Point scored his second of the game and team-best 41st goal on another power play with 4:20 left in the third to make it 4-1, and Hagel had an empty-netter with 2:42 remaining.

Takeaways

Rangers: New York is 3-5-1 in its last nine games overall and fell to 18-18-3 at home one year after finishing with 30 wins at Madison Square Garden.

Lightning: Tampa Bay got its 45th victory to reach that mark for an NHL-leading eighth time in 11 seasons. The Lightning are two points behind Toronto for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Key moment

Kucherov’s first-period goal with the man advantage set the tone for Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old Russian forward has 115 points, tied for the league lead with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon.

Key stats

With his assist on Point’s first goal, Kucherov became the fourth player in NHL history with 80 assists in three consecutive seasons — joining Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr.

Up next

Lightning host Toronto on Wednesday, and Rangers host Philadelphia.

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Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto reach three times but Mets' pitching leads way in 2-0 win over Marlins

The Mets recorded their fifth straight win, defeating the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Monday night at Citi Field.

Here are some takeaways...

- Kodai Senga got the start against the same Marlins lineup he faced just six days ago, and he threw well. As was the case in that outing, Senga fell into immediate trouble when the first two batters reached on a walk and a hit -- but he got out of the jam this time with some help from Hayden Senger's first career caught stealing.

Senga settled into a groove from there, leaning on his fastball to pick up his first two punchouts in the second, and then generating another with the forkball in the third. Miami was able to get something going with back-to-back singles in the fourth, but a 4-6-3 double play quickly erased the threat.

Graham Pauley led off the fifth with a single, but Senga again rolled a double play before ending his night with another punch out. The right-hander threw the same number of pitches as his last time out (77) and he allowed just five hits while walking three and striking out five across five scoreless innings.

- The Mets' bullpen continues getting the job done behind their starters this season. Danny Young came in first and worked around a leadoff infield single in the bottom of the sixth, then Jose Butto threw two scoreless innings, before Ryne Stanek finished off his first save as a Met.

Even with on nights with some of their top arms unavailable, this group continues getting big outs.

- Francisco Lindor has quickly settled into a groove after a bit of a slow start at the plate. The All-Star shortstop led off the game with a bloop single, reached on a perfectly placed bunt single in the third, and then picked up the 1,500th hit of his career with another single in the fifth.

Lindor pushed his hitting streak to six and it was the fourth straight game he led off the first with a knock.

- Lindor also scored New York's first run of the game on Juan Soto's double in the bottom of the third. Soto was due to come up with a big hit for this squad sooner or later -- he reached base three times and is now riding a six-game hitting streak.

- Tyrone Taylor hasn't played much of late but he was back in the lineup tonight and took advantage of the opportunity -- finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, one of which drove in the pinch running Jose Siri for a massive insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

- Pete Alonso continues swinging a hot bat, reaching base two more times with a single and scorcher double off the left-field fence. The big man is now hitting .314 with three doubles, three homers, and a 1.086 OPS through 10 games this season.

- Mark Vientos has been struggling, but he put together some better at-bats in this one. He showed more patience as he drew three walks and was robbed of a run-scoring hit on a terrific sliding grab by Marlins LF Griffin Conine in the third.

- The Mets remain undefeated at home and have won five consecutive games.

Game MVP(s): The pitching (again!)

What more can be said, the Mets' pitching continues leading the way for them early on this season.

Highlights

Whats next

Clay Holmes (0-1, 2.89 ERA) makes his first Citi Field start as he continues the series with the Marlins on Tuesday at 4:10 p.m.

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Dodgers' defensive woes doom them to their third loss in four games

Washington Nationals' James Wood, right, steals second base against Los Angeles Dodgers.
Washington's James Wood, right, steals second base in front of Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas during the Dodgers' 6-4 loss Monday. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Defensive miscues cost the Dodgers two runs on Monday. Stellar defense from the Washington Nationals prevented two, if not more.

In the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss at Nationals Park to open a three-game series, that proved to be the biggest difference. And, with the team having lost three of their last four games, it reinforced what is fast becoming a disconcerting early-season theme.

As was the story in this past weekend’s series defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies, when defensive breakdowns and baserunning blunders ended the team’s 8-0 start to the season, the Dodgers continued to struggle with the fundamentals on Monday, digging an early hole from which they never fully recovered — even on a night Shohei Ohtani came up a double short of the cycle.

Read more:Dodgers celebrated at White House for 2024 World Series title by Trump

With two on and one out in the top of the second, Mookie Betts let a hard-hit one-hopper blaze by him at shortstop, misjudging a low bounce on an error that allowed an unearned run to score.

“I missed it,” Betts said. “Whether it hopped up or stayed down, doesn’t matter.”

With two outs, Miguel Rojas booted a more routine grounder at second base, resulting in yet another error and unearned run.

“Defensively today, we gave them a lot of chances for them to score some runs,” Rojas said. “So we gotta clean that up.”

The Nationals’ defense, on the other hand, twice took away hits that doused potentially dangerous Dodgers rallies.

In the top of the third, Max Muncy was robbed of extra bases on a diving catch in right field by Alex Call — just three batters before Ohtani whacked a two-run homer that otherwise would have scored three.

In the fifth, Rojas was denied a hit when shortstop Paul DeJong made a diving stop deep in the hole — just two batters before Ohtani laced a triple that would have brought him home, but instead was wasted in a scoreless inning.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a triple during the fifth inning Monday against the Nationals.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a triple during the fifth inning Monday against the Nationals. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Then, as the Dodgers tried to rally from a 6-4 deficit in the ninth, a leadoff double from Muncy was followed by a diving stop on a Hunter Feduccia ground ball from Nationals second baseman Luis García Jr., likely saving yet another run as the Nationals sewed up a series-opening win.

“It just seems like each night there's some things fundamentally that, we're just not playing clean baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Giving teams extra outs or giving up outs on the bases, or whatever it might be.”

Opposing teams’ defense, of course, is out of the Dodgers’ control.

But their own repeated mistakes have emerged as a growing source of frustration in this campaign’s opening weeks.

The Dodgers (9-3) have committed seven errors, all within the last six games. They have yielded 10 unearned runs, most in the majors. They have even struggled to slow the running game, giving up steals on all 12 attempts by their opponents so far, including three to the Nationals (4-6) on Monday.

“We need to clean some things up on all sides of the ball,” Muncy said. “We know we're better than what we've been playing.”

“We expect the best out of us every single day, and it's supposed to be good every single day,” Rojas added. “But I mean, it happens. We have to keep working on it … We gotta pay attention to details a little bit more.”

Some of this was to be expected. Betts is still reacclimating to shortstop after his three-month cameo there last year. A primary outfield alignment of Michael Conforto, Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages (who got a day off Monday amid his season-opening slump, even with left-handed MacKenzie Gore on the mound) is not exactly a full-proof defensive unit.

And generally, this year’s Dodgers’ lineup was built with offense as the primary consideration; helping them rank top-five in scoring, and second in home runs, even though they’ve been without Freddie Freeman (who remains on the injured list with an ankle injury) for all but three games.

But on Monday, their bats couldn’t bail them out.

The Dodgers (9-3) managed just two runs over six innings against Gore, who racked up seven strikeouts while yielding five hits. They scored twice in the eighth, but stranded the potential tying runs when Kiké Hernández struck out to end the inning. Then, in the ninth, they couldn’t do anything with Muncy’s leadoff double, even with Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan going for a five-out save on his third-straight day of pitching.

To make matters worse, their best moment of defensive excellence — when center fielder Tommy Edman threw out a runner at home in the seventh — came in an inning the Nationals (4-6) scored three other times off relievers Anthony Banda and Matt Sauer.

“If you lose a couple games and you don't play clean baseball, you look back at a game and you say, 'We could have done this, or that might have changed the outcome,’” Roberts said. “There's still some good things that happened tonight. ... But yeah, I just think in totality, the bar, the standard, is pretty high for our club. And I know they feel the same."

It all overshadowed Ohtani’s monstrous night at the plate, which included an infield single in the first, his two-run blast to the right-field bullpen in the third, the fifth-inning triple that hit off the top of the wall in center, plus a walk in the ninth one at-bat before Betts grounded out to end the game.

Read more:Pitching and defensive struggles prove costly as Dodgers drop series to Phillies

It also left starting pitcher Dustin May with a tough-luck loss, having given up just one earned run in a six-inning outing that — after some early command issues led to three walks that compounded the defensive miscues — saw him retire the last 11 batters he faced.

“We just gotta continue to come every single day and clean those things up,” Rojas said. “Hopefully we can start getting better overall, and not just waiting for the miracle to happen in the last couple innings. I think we’re gonna clean it up a little bit more defensively and on the bases, and we all know that.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Playoff Kings: Is This the Year Los Angeles Finally Breaks Through?

© Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Kings are returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs—again. With their latest 3-0 shutout victory over Edmonton on Saturday and a Calgary Flames loss to the Vegas Golden Knights later in the night, the Kings secured their playoff spot for the fourth consecutive year. 

Despite the Kings beating the Oilers on Saturday, the game still shouldn't mean much to the Kings or their fans because it was without arguably their two best players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have been out with injuries. The last time the Kings played a healthy Oilers team was on Jan.13, when they were held to zero points and lost the game with McDavid and Draisaitl healthy. 

The game will mean much more in a week when they meet again for the final time this season at Edmonton when, most likely, McDavid or Draisaitl will be back for that game, which will be very crucial in who will get home ice in this potential first-round matchup. 

But as the team seeks to possibly repeat the last three year's first-round series against the Oilers, fans and analysts ask: Will this year be different?

The Kings are no strangers to postseason disappointment the past few years. If they play Edmonton, it will be the fourth year the two clubs meet in the first round. Connor McDavid and his team shipped L.A. home in all three of the last series. 

The Kings' pattern of first-round eliminations is beginning to sound like a tough patch in franchise history between 1978 and 1981, during which the team did not get beyond Round 1 for four consecutive postseasons.

But there is an increased feeling around the NHL—and among the Kings themselves—that 2025 might be different.

A More Balanced, Battle-Tested Group

One of the most significant differences this season is the Kings' depth and experience. Having ridden out a rocky midseason stretch that included a change in coaches—firing Todd McLellan and promoting Jim Hiller—the Kings have caught fire. Under Hiller, L.A. has played a more physical, disciplined game, and the results are evident. The team has won four straight, outscoring opponents 19-3 in the process, and is now positioned for home-ice advantage in the first round.

Offensively, the Kings are getting good play out of their top six forwards. Kevin Fiala has restored his goal-scoring skills, Anže Kopitar is the pulse of the franchise, their newly acquired players in Warren Foegle and Andrei Kuzmenko have started to fit in very well, and young guns like Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere have become reliable contributors. Meanwhile, the blue line—led by Drew Doughty and Darcy Kuemper—is physical and disciplined.

Rob Blake's Best Roster Yet?

General Manager Rob Blake has received criticism since assuming the position in 2017. The Kings' rebuild has not been seamless, but Blake has built what could be his best roster to date through diligent drafting and impactful free-agent signings.

The franchise's pipeline—once one of the strongest in the NHL—is now producing as expected. Byfield and Adrian Kempe are receiving heavy minutes and have been making at a high level this season, especially Kempe, who scored over 30 goals, joining only Fiala in that feat. 

Blake opted for tweaks at the trade deadline rather than a splash, showing confidence in the current core. That confidence may be worth it, especially if the Kings' depth on defense can contain a high-powered offense come playoff time. 

Can They Beat the Oilers?

That's the million-dollar question.

The Kings have been the punching bag of the Oilers, a lot of which is because of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's tee-for-towing. Last season, the series saw Edmonton assert itself in the final two games by exploiting the mismatches and special teams' failures of L.A. 

Every year, the Oilers get rid of the Kings quicker in the playoffs because of their adjustments and rotations that exploit them. The Kings believe they've learned from those losses, however.

The Kings may also take advantage of Edmonton's injury concerns, which remain a question mark with six games remaining. Draisaitl and McDavid, who missed some time, are expected to return from injury before the playoffs, but if both are not 100%, it will be hard to ask them to beat a healthy Kings team. Still, a 75% McDavid and Draisaitl will be hard to beat in the playoffs, so the Kings must do everything possible to get the home-ice advantage over the Oilers. 

Los Angeles can stay disciplined, win the special teams game, and control possession, and it has a shot at reversing the script.

Why Could This Year Be Different?

There are several reasons to believe the Kings can avoid another early-season playoff exit:

Coaching Clarity: Jim Hiller has brought structure and clarity to the team in its systems. The Kings play faster and with purpose under his direction.

Defensive Identity: L.A. is one of the league's top teams in goals against per game, with a renewed focus on team defense and responsible puck management.

Depth Success in April: From Byfield to Fiala, the Kings' forward depth is more balanced than in past playoff forays. They're not relying on Kopitar, Danault, and Doughty alone to carry the load. It's easily the most balanced forward group in the Rob Blake era. 

Motivation and Maturity: With three straight heartbreaks behind them, this team isn't satisfied with just making the playoffs. The window is open now—and they know that.

Looking Ahead 

With only a few regular-season games left, the Kings are in charge of their playoff fate. They'll finish the season playing Seattle twice, the Ducks, Oilers, Avalanche, and Flames—games that will decide whether they begin Round 1 at home.

Whomever they face, the bar is raised: anything less than advancing past the first round would be a letdown. But if this truly is Rob Blake's best team, they'll have an opportunity to prove it—to a familiar foe, in the largest of stages.

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Tuesday’s Mets-Marlins game moved to 4:10 p.m. due to weather

The Mets have announced that Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field has been bumped up to a 4:10 p.m. first pitch due to weather. 

Gates will open at 3:10 p.m. and all tickets for the originally scheduled 7:10 p.m. start will be valid for the 4:10 p.m. game.

Right-hander Clay Holmes (0-1, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to make his first home start as a Met against Connor Gillispie (0-1, 3.60 ERA).  

Holmes was terrific during spring training, but he has been a bit shaky over his first two starts of the season, allowing a combined six walks and 11 hits in just 9.1 innings of work.