Three of the best marks I’ve ever seen on a footy field were from players sprinting back with the flight of the ball. If I was trying to explain the appeal of the sport to someone who’d never seen it, I’d show them the marks of Mark Harvey, Nick Riewoldt and Jonathan Brown. But why? I’d probably mumble something about courage and commitment and any of the other cliches peddled by coaches and commentators. The truth is there is something visceral about an act like that, a sort of car crash fascination that gets us out of our seats even more than a screamer or a close game.
It’s a young man’s act. Young men will do silly things under orders and out of fear of embarrassment. One of the first things you notice about older footballers, at least when the prefrontal cortex fully develops, is the different way they assess risk. Even Harvey, as reckless and as fearless a footballer to play the game, had a measure of restraint and self-preservation in his later years.
Carlos Rodon dominated the Angels for seven innings and the Yankees launched two home runs as they held on to win 3-2 on Tuesday night in Anaheim.
The Yankees have now won four straight games and their seventh consecutive series.
Here are the takeaways...
-There was a pitcher's duel going on in Anaheim with Rodon and Tyler Anderson trading zeroes until the fourth inning when Ben Rice took the southpaw deep for his 11th bomb of the season. Rice saw a 77 mph changeup that went over the middle of the plate, and launched it 423 feet over the right-center field wall.
The Yankees would push across another run in the sixth after an error by center fielder Matthew Lugo allowed Cody Bellinger to reach third with one out. Anthony Volpe cashed in with a single after jumping on a first-pitch changeup up in the zone.
-Rodon entered Tuesday's game allowing just one run over his last 11 innings pitched and continued that dominant stretch against the Angels. At one point, Rodon retired 11 straight Angels. He gave up a two-out double to Jo Adell in the seventh, and manager Aaron Boone came out to give his starter a blow and left him in to try and get the final out of the inning. Rodon paid off his manager's faith with his 10th strikeout of the game to keep the Angels off the board.
The Yankees' southpaw did it all, he got through seven innings despite a couple of innings where he threw at least 20 pitches. Rodon's final line saw him throw 105 pitches (69 strikes) without allowing a run and scattering five hits and no walks. He tied a season-high with 10 punchouts and lowered his ERA to 2.60.
Rodon even helped his own cause with a tremendous Jeter-esque jump throw to first base to complete the play.
-The Yankees would tack on against the Angels' defense in the seventh courtesy of an Oswald Peraza homer, his third of the season. The infielder's blast was off his bat at 111.8 mph, the hardest hit ball of the night and went 408 feet to dead center.
Aaron Judge picked up his 80th hit of the season with his first-inning single, raising his season average, briefly, to .401, but ultimately finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, having dropped his batting average to .395.
-Jonathan Loaisiga pitched a perfect eighth inning, and with Luke Weaver unavailable due to pitching two days in a row, Devin Williams was asked to close out the game and he made it very interesting. He allowed a leadoff homer to Yoan Moncada, and after Taylor Ward's single, Travis d'Arnaud flew out to the center field warning track. Luis Rengifo singled to put runners on the corners and pitching coach Matt Blake came out to talk to Williams.
Adell grounded into a force out, but drove in the Angels' second run. Young catcher Logan O'Hoppe came on to pinch-hit and got the green light to swing on a 3-0 count and popped out to Peraza in foul territory to pick up his fifth save of the season, his first in a month.
Game MVP: Carlos Rodon
Rodón has a 1.27 ERA over his last eight starts and his 90 strikeouts are second in the AL behind only Tarik Skubal.
Highlights
Aaron Judge gets his 80th hit on the year and is batting .401 🔥
Edmonton Oilers right winger Corey Perry continues to make his mark this post-season.
The veteran recorded two points in Edmonton’s 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Tuesday night’s Game 4, which gives the Oilers a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference final.
Both points were on the man advantage, beginning with a secondary assist on Leon Draisaitl’s opening goal.
Later in the game, he took an interference penalty that resulted in the Stars equalizing. But less than three minutes after Jason Robertson made it a 1-1 game, Perry avenged the penalty with a power-play marker of his own.
Perry's six goals tied defenseman Evan Bouchard for the second-most on the Oilers this post-season. He also joined elite company in NHL history.
Perry, 40, tied four Hockey Hall of Famers for the most goals in a single post-season by players aged 39 or older. He’s equalled Teemu Selanne in 2011, Mark Recchi in 2010, Ron Francis in 2002 and Jean Beliveau in 1971.
“There’s ups and downs in a game, in a series, at any time,” Perry told Sportsnet's Gene Principe post-game. “I was trying to get to the bench on that penalty, (the referees) thought I was setting a pick, it is what it is. It was nice to see that one go in and get that power play going again.”
Edmonton’s power play ended up being the difference in this game. The Oilers went 2-for-3 on the man advantage on Tuesday, improving their power-play percentage in this series to 35.7 percent.
“Our PP came through tonight,” Perry told Sportsnet's Gene Principe post-game. “Those were some big goals at crucial times in a hockey game.”
Perry took on a big role on the Oilers’ first line after Zach Hyman left the game with an injury in the first period. Perry finished the game with 16:51 of ice time, the most in a game that didn’t go to overtime for him in these playoffs.
Perry is also now one win away from playing in the Stanley Cup final for the sixth time in his 20-year career. He would be the 78th player in NHL history to accomplish that if the Oilers advance to the final.
The veteran does not have a contract for next season. However, he has not made any comments or hints at retiring, and his production suggests he has more to give.
With numerous arms down for the middle match of a three-game set with the White Sox on Monday night, Carlos Mendoza knew the Mets were going to have to piece this one together to get through the later innings.
Tylor Megill threw well despite not having his best stuff. The right-hander allowed a two-run homer to the second batter he faced and was forced to work around traffic for the majority of the night, toughing his way through five-plus innings before being pulled after issuing a pair of two-out walks in the sixth.
José Butto then entered and escaped a bases-loaded jam for the second straight night.
Butto returned for the seventh and found himself in some trouble of his own doing, as a pair of singles and a double resulted in two White Sox coming in to score, making it a one-run ballgame -- but lefty José Castillo bailed him out, striking out Edgar Quero on just three pitches.
“Honestly, I thought he was good today,” Mendoza said of Butto. “We got a groundball and couldn’t turn the double play, the inning was over there pretty much -- but he came in with the bases loaded again like yesterday and got out of it with one pitch.”
Castillo started the eighth, but was pulled after allowing a leadoff single to Austin Slater.
Reed Garrett then entered and continued his tremendous stretch of pitching -- striking out the pinch-hitter Luis Robert Jr. and center fielder Michael A. Taylor, before closing the door with an easy top of the ninth.
It was Garrett’s sixth career save, and his second in the last three days.
With another scoreless appearance, he’s now down to an incredible 0.76 ERA on the season -- which is good enough for the fourth-best among relievers in baseball.
“All of his pitches were working,” Mendoza said. “The cutter, the sinker, the split, really good -- he got swing-and-misses with all of his pitches. He got ahead and put them away, when he’s doing that he’s pretty nasty.”
As a group, the Mets continue to lead the majors with a terrific 2.80 ERA.
With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have their work cut out for them.
Since the Penguins have a total of 30 picks over the next three drafts, including 11 this year - which could reduce to 10 if the conditional first-round pick from the New York Rangers defers to 2026 - there will be plenty of opportunity for the Penguins to add impact players. Of their 11 picks in 2025, six of them are in the first three rounds.
After the results of the draft lottery on May 5, the Penguins will officially select 11th overall, dropping down two spots from where they originally were at ninth. As such, we have compiled a list of potential draft prospects that should fall around the Penguins' selection.
DOB: Oct. 14, 2006 (Age 18) Position: Defenseman Shoots: Right Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 196 pounds Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
In most mock drafts and projections, the defense position isn't particularly deep this year. However, that doesn't mean there aren't some hidden gems right around where the Penguins will be drafting at 11.
And Logan Hensler should be one of the names on their wishlist.
The right-side defender's stats may not jump out on the scoresheet - he registered just two goals and 12 points in 32 games with the University of Wisconsin Badgers in his rookie season - but he's certainly got all of the tools to become a threat on both sides of the puck.
Logan Hensler's draft stock is sliding lately, but his NHL upside is still real
He's a smart, consistent and reliable defender. Much better off-puck than on. Solid gaps, positioning and disruptions
Here are some clips from two games against #1 ranked Michigan State (#6 white) pic.twitter.com/eqyQsYVz0A
Logan Hensler (ranked 11th on Bob McKenzie's board) is a mobile RD who can play an effective shutdown style but hasn't overly explored his offensive game in the past years.
Flashes of on-puck skill are apparent in rushes like these where he uses his feet to create entries: pic.twitter.com/tYLMQklEyd
He's got size at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds. He's mobile, agile, and smart with the puck. He defends well, he skates well, and he's good with his stick.
Even though there are some question marks around his offensive production, Hensler's defensive game is already quite rounded out, and it's something that should earn him a role at the NHL level as a shutdown defender, at the very least. His gap control, stick work, and ability to get the puck out of danger in the defensive zone are all pluses.
Hensler played for Team USA in the World Junior Championship this season alongside Cole Hutson, and the Woodbury, Minn. native notched an assist in seven games leading up to Team USA's gold medal at the event.
Logan Hensler (#2025NHLDraft) found himself on the 2nd pair in his WJC debut and thrived with Cole Hutson.
Here is every clip of his eventful puck touches. Hensler finished with 15:55 TOI and a +3 rating in his debut. pic.twitter.com/tC17iLDTud
Even though his name may not be as big as others like potential no. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer, and, even, Kashawn Aitcheson, Hensler projects as a reliable shutdown defenseman at the least, which is something the Penguins need. And there is potential for a much higher ceiling because of his mobility.
There are still ways for him to improve his game in terms of physicality and offensive zone awareness, but nonethless, he's a reliable defender. The only potential trouble with the Penguins selecting Hensler at 11th overall is that he reads as more of a "safe" option. While "safe" isn't necessarily a bad thing, there are other talents around this area that could reap higher reward.
While Hensler's floor is low, the chances of him reaching his ceiling - despite all the tools being there - are a bit lower. So, if he is available at 11, the Penguins should consider risk v. reward.
The left-handed hitting slugger hadn’t appeared in a big-league game since 2023 with the Chicago Cubs, but David Stearns decided to take a chance on him this offseason -- handing him a one-year split contract.
Young impressed during spring training, but an injury set things back.
The 29-year-old eventually worked his way back into the lineup at Triple-A Syracuse and showcased the big-time power he displayed so often last season while playing with the Doosan Bears of the KBO.
He earned a call-up to the big-league team earlier this weekend and found himself inserted right into the lineup as the designated hitter for a big three-game series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Young was relatively quiet, but Carlos Mendoza said pregame Tuesday that the team was happy with the at-bats he’s been putting together, and they were just looking for him to get into a groove and do some damage.
A few hours later, he was able to do just that.
Young kept the Mets’ first inning rally going against White Sox righty Jonathan Cannon, crushing a middle-middle cutter over the right field fence for the team’s second two-run homer of the inning.
It was his third-ever long ball and his first MLB hit since October 2023.
Two innings later, he struck against Cannon again, this time lining a double just out of the reach of Michael A. Taylor in the right-center field gap to give him just the second multi-hit showing of his career.
He finished the night 2-for-3, bringing his OPS to 1.083 through five games.
“He’s getting an opportunity back in the big leagues after grinding,” Mendoza said. “Whether it’s minor leagues going up and down or going overseas -- getting the opportunity here in the States, here we are getting a chance and he’s taking advantage of it.
“Like I said pregame, I like the at-bats and it was good to see him get results today.”
With lefty DH Jesse Winker still having a ways to go in his recovery from an oblique injury, Young figures have an opportunity to continue showing what he can do at the big-league level over the next few weeks.
After just a few days, he feels right at home with this group.
“It’s awesome,” Young said. “Looking at this team from the top down, it’s pretty good ballplayers and winning a lot of games. To get thrown into it, I feel like I belong and I feel like it’s a good spot and a good fit. And hope we can just keep winning some ballgames.”
For the second time this week, the Florida Panthers will look to punch their ticket to a third straight Stanley Cup Final when they face the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night.
After scoring 16 goals during their first three wins over the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida couldn’t keep up with the Canes in Game 4 and were subsequently shutout 3-0.
That meant the Cats had to travel back to Raleigh for another chance to dissipate the Hurricanes.
Florida will look to recapture the momentum they built during their first visit to Lenovo Center, where they jumped all over Carolina and outscored them 10-2 while taking the first two games of the series.
Despite the loss on Monday, the Panthers remain in a good spot, but as they learned during last year’s Stanley Cup Final, a big series lead can disappear in the blink of an eye.
“We put ourselves in a great position, great situation, going on the road with a 3-1 lead,” said Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov. “We just have to bring our best. We were not at our best (in Game 4), and we'll learn from that and be better next game.”
The Panthers looked a step slow during Game 4.
Breakouts seemed sluggish at times and countless passes just missed, with many being deflected by the Hurricanes’ excellent stickwork.
“They played really well,” said Barkov. “They defended well. They attacked well. It was a great game by them. We were not at our best, so we need to be better.”
One thing that could help Florida improve on their Game 4 performance would be the return of one or more of three players who did not suit up due to injury.
Each of Sam Reinhart, A.J. Greer and Niko Mikkola were on the ice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday before the team boarded a flight to Raleigh.
Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice indicated there was a chance all three could play in Game 5, saying that they would all skate in the morning and then see how each was feeling.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 5 in Carolina:
Photo caption: May 22, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Even when the Mets’ star outfielder drives a ball, it somehow finds its way into an out.
Soto came up with one out in the bottom of the first and smacked an 0-1 changeup from White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon into the gap -- and Michael A. Taylor made a diving attempt to catch the liner.
Taylor trapped the ball as it dropped in for an extra-base hit, but Brandon Nimmo -- who had already rounded second on the play-- thought he was able to come up with the catch.
As Nimmo began quickly racing back towards first, Soto danced out of the base path to get out of his way and the White Sox threw the ball back in -- stepping on second to record the second out of the inning.
After the umps had a brief discussion, crew chief Sean Barber told the crowd that Soto was ruled out for passing Nimmo on the basepaths -- and it ended up going down in the books as a 354-foot unassisted lineout to the first baseman.
Juan Soto was called out after Brandon Nimmo passed him on the base paths on a hit that was trapped by Michael A. Taylor pic.twitter.com/SUgy5DuEbU
Nimmo explained postgame that he wasn't looking at the ump for a ruling when he turned around, and has been going off of instinct since the Mets' wrongly called triple play a few weeks ago against the Nationals.
“When Soto hit it, I thought that’s down for sure for a double or better,” he said. “I went to go around the bag and had my back to the play and then I heard the crowd act like the ball was caught, so I turned around and went to get back to first base -- that's what happened.
"I went and looked at the play afterwards -- probably shouldn’t be so aggressive, maybe just watch the play a little bit more, that’s the quick fix to it. But still, I looked at the play and he caught it short hop, so I can see where everyone was confused -- just one of those plays that's unfortunate.”
Luckily for Nimmo, the rest of the Mets’ offense was able to pick him up.
After his blunder, they went on to string together five consecutive two-out knocks against Cannon, including a pair of two-run homers from Pete Alonso and Jared Young to push themselves back in front for good.
“I mean, what a great inning,” Nimmo said. “I think almost the whole lineup had a hit, so that was fantastic. Definitely glad that Pete hit the home run there, but the whole offense did a great job there in the first inning -- it was a great start.”
The Knicks again fell behind by double-digits but could not overcome the deficit and trailed for the entire second half, falling to the Indiana Pacers 130-121 on Tuesday night and are now on the brink of elimination, down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points on 9-for-19 shooting (11-for-12 from the line) with five assists, two rebounds, and two steals, but he was a minus-16 in 37 minutes. The Knicks guard was no match for Tyrese Haliburton, who had a triple-double with 32 points (20 in the first half) on 11-for-23 shooting (5-for-12 from deep) with 15 rebounds, 12 assists, four steals and zero turnovers for a plus-16 in 33 minutes.
Karl-Anthony Towns shook off early foul trouble to score 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting with 11 rebounds and three assists. He was a plus-3 in 37 minutes. Towns, who was seen holding his left knee throughout the game, knocked knees late in the fourth quarter, adding injury to insult.
The Knicks committed 17 turnovers on the night, leading to 20 points for the Pacers, who had 22 fast-break points to the visitors' nine. After shooting 22 of 42 (52 percent) from the floor in the first half, New York was 16-for-40 (40 percent) after the half.
Here are the takeaways...
- The Knicks couldn't get anything cooking early in the fourth quarter: if they made a shot, they couldn't find a stop. If they got a stop, they couldn't hit a shot, and Indiana had a 15-point lead. New York could argue they got a tough whistle, at one point committing four fouls on one Pacers possession with some questionable 50/50 calls. (The third was another terribly silly one from Towns.)
And then it was Indiana’s turn for fouls, giving the Knicks a chance to further cut into the lead, but they missed 3 of 6 free throws after they started 26-for-29 from the line. Fortunately, the Pacers kept giving them chances after a Mikal Bridges three, OG Anunoby made up for misses with two at the line, and when Towns collected a miss for a lay-in and the 10-2 run cut the deficit to six with just over four minutes left.
With 2:10 to play and the hole seven points, the Knicks won their second challenge of the game, saving Towns his fifth personal. But Bridges missed back-to-back jumpers and Hart committed his sixth foul.
Obi Toppin’s three to put the Pacers up 10 with under a minute to play put the icing on the cake. Brunson and Towns combined to go 2-for-6 from the floor in the fourth quarter.
Bridges made his first basket of the night, but struggled in the first half, finishing just 2-for-7 for six points and was a minus-5 in 14 minutes. He went 4-for-8 in the second period (3-for-6 in the fourth) to finish with 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and a minus-13 in 34 minutes.
Mitchell Robinson, a key in previous games, was a non-factor, as despite his six points and seven rebounds (five offensive), he was a minus-20 in 19 minutes. Anunoby finished with 22 points (7-for-16 shooting, 1-for-7 from three) with four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and was a minus-1 in 40 minutes.
- The pace was all too much to the Pacers’ liking in the game's early goings, and when a miscommunication left Haliburton wide open for a three (completing a 13-4 run), the Knicks called for time down by 16-9 after less than four minutes.
Just four minutes into the game, Towns exited with his second foul on another silly play, and the starting lineup was gone as Josh Hart entered. With Towns on the bench, Brunson started to take over, hitting a jumper in the key before adding back-to-back threes to keep the Knicks in the game against another Pacers barrage from deep, 4-for-5 to start the night after they went 5-for-25 in Game 3. (Hart finished with 12 points and was a minus-1 in 36 minutes.)
Brunson added three the old-fashioned way, but the Pacers closed on a 12-5 run for a 43-35 lead. Indiana had a 12-2 fast-break point edge with seven points from four New York turnovers after 12 minutes.
- Despite the fouls, Towns started perfectly from the floor as he worked to continue being a force on the offensive end. The Knicks capped a 9-2 run when Anunoby found Delon Wright for three before he grabbed a steal and a falling lay-up tied the score and forced a Pacers timeout with 7:19 to play in the first half, and the score tied 51-51. Both teams were 18-for-29 (62 percent) from the floor at that point.
The big issue of the game: Turnovers (five in the second). But when a pair of deep three-point attempts from Haliburton got iron, Anunoby put the Knicks ahead by one with an and-1 with 2:12 left to play their first lead since two minutes into the game. Brunson's and-1 gave him 16 points in the first half (6-for-12 from the floor) to put New York ahead by one again with 1:45 to play. But the Knicks would miss their next three shots, and the Pacers' 6-0 run gave them a 69-64 lead at the intermission.
Haliburton continued to be a thorn in the Knicks' side: 20 points (6-for-12, 4-for-7 from deep) with 10 assists, nine rebounds in 18 minutes, he was a plus-12. Aaron Nesmith, who was a question mark before the game after turning his ankle, was a game-high plus-18 in 16 minutes with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
- The third quarter began with a Pascal Siakiam jumper, the Knicks committing back-to-back turnovers, New York missing four buckets, and Myles Turner hitting a wide-open corner three. Tom Thibodeau called time with his team down 12, the game's biggest margin to that point, after just 2:33 of second-half action. Siakam finished with 30 points (11-for-21) and was a plus-9 in 35 minutes. Turner had 13 points in 33 minutes.
The Knicks held the home side to 5-for-12 to start the third, but were shooting very poorly themselves (4-for-13). Despite some good work on the offensive boards, Robinson sat with his fourth foul midway into the period and the deficit at eight. Brunson scored nine straight (seven from the free-throw line) to give him 25 in the game, but the Pacers kept them at arm's length and had a seven-point edge with 3:04 to play after the Knicks’ 12th and 13th turnovers of the night. He finished with 13 points in the quarter, but the Knicks entered the fourth down 11. New York shot 7-for-18 (39 percent) from the floor in the period to Indiana's 12-for-24.
- Bench Watch: Precious Achiuwa got his first minutes of the game late in the first quarter when Robinson needed a rest and Towns was on the bench. Wright was on the floor to start the second quarter and Landry Shamet got the call early in the second. Along with McBride, Thibs played 10 players in the first half for the first time in the playoffs.
Wright was most impactful of the bunch, with three points (1-for-2) with an assist, steal, block, and turnover and was a plus-8 in seven first-half minutes, giving Brunson an extensive breather. (He finished a plus-11 in nine total minutes.)
Shamet had three points and was a plus-6 in 11 minutes. McBride had just three points (1-for-3 shooting) and was a minus-14 in 15 minutes.
The Mets have signed infielder David Villar to a minor league deal, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.
Villar was designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants last week before electing free agency after clearing waivers. Villar appeared in nine games this season for the Giants, going 4-for-20 with a double, one RBI and four walks.
The 28-year-old infielder does have major league experience beyond this year. For his career, he's slashed .200/.292/.391 with an OPS of .683 in 118 career games all with the Giants from 2022-25. While Villar's primary position has been at first base this season, he has experience at third and second base in his career.
Villar has done well in the minors this season, slashing .368/.439/.439 with an .878 OPS in 15 games in Triple-A.
The Mets pushed their winning streak to four games with a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
Here are some takeaways...
- The White Sox jumped out to an early lead on a Miguel Vargas two-run homer in the first, but the Mets responded right back in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, New York put together six straight hits, including two-run homers of their own from Pete Alonso and Jared Young to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
It was Alonso's 11th homer of the season and Young's first MLB hit since October 1, 2023, with the Cubs.
- Prior to the hit parade, there was even more craziness, as the Mets appeared to run themselves out of an inning when Juan Soto was called out after Brandon Nimmo passed him on the bases on a hit that was trapped by a diving Michael A. Taylor in the right-center gap.
Soto scorched the ball, but based on the scorer's ruling, he did not receive credit for a hit.
- Young followed up his homer with a hard-hit double in the bottom of the third. Carlos Mendoza said earlier in the day that the 29-year-old had been putting together some good at-bats; they were just looking for him to start doing damage -- he certainly responded well.
- After being handed the lead, Tylor Megill put together a scoreless inning, working around a double. He was helped out by his defense in the third, as Soto made a nice play to keep Chase Meidroth to a single, and Chicago's leadoff man was gunned down a few pitches later on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play.
Megill put together his first clean inning with a 1-2-3 fourth, and then worked around a one-out walk in the fifth. He struck out a pair to get to two outs in the sixth, but a single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases and brought his night to an end.
José Butto entered and escaped the jam for the second straight game thanks to a Jeff McNeil running grab in center -- closing Megill's line with just the two runs allowed on four hits while walking four and striking out six across 5.2 innings of work.
- Butto found himself in a jam of his own an inning later, and this time he wasn't able to escape. After the White Sox strung together back-to-back two-out hits, a wild pitch forced in a run and then Vargas crushed an RBI double off the left-field fence -- a mere inches away from a game-tying homer.
José Castillo was called upon, and he quickly put the go-ahead run on base with a hit-by-pitch, but just like he did in the series opener on Monday, he responded to punch out youngster Edgar Quero on three pitches.
- Castillo came back out for the seventh and allowed the leadoff man to reach on an infield single before turning things over to Reed Garrett, who punched out back-to-back batters, including pinch-hitter Luis Robert Jr., to end the inning. He then breezed through the ninth for his second save of the season.
- The Mets' offense was held in check after their early success -- managing just two baserunners after the third, but they were able to break through in the eighth. Three two-out hits from Jeff McNeil, Francisco Alvarez, and Francisco Lindor brought in a big insurance run -- that trio all reached base twice on the night.
- Brett Baty was bumped up to the five spot in the order because Mendoza likes how he's been swinging the bat of late. The youngster responded by getting two more hits and two runs scored -- he's now hitting just under .300 since returning from Syracuse.
- The Mets have now won four games in a row and are an incredible 21-6 at home this season.
Game MVP: Jared Young
Many were questioning why Young received his third straight start at DH, and he silenced them quickly.
Highlights
Juan Soto was called out after Brandon Nimmo passed him on the base paths on a hit that was trapped by Michael A. Taylor pic.twitter.com/SUgy5DuEbU
NEW YORK — The Chicago White Sox traded Matt Thaiss to the Tampa Bay Rays and reinstated fellow catcher Korey Lee from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday.
Chicago received minor league outfielder Dru Baker from Tampa Bay for the 30-year-old Thaiss, who hit .212 with a homer and eight RBIs in 35 games with the White Sox. He had a .382 on-base percentage and .676 OPS.
Thaiss spent his previous six major league seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He was acquired from the crosstown Chicago Cubs in December.
“Very professional,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Very positive guy that clearly has experience in this league and understands how to help a pitcher navigate tough lineups, understands how to have quality at-bats at the plate. Was just a total pro for us.”
The rebuilding White Sox have a strong catching pipeline, leaving no room for Thaiss. Edgar Quero is off to an encouraging start after making his major league debut on April 17. Kyle Teel, acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade in December, is playing well at Triple-A Charlotte.
“Excited about bringing Dru Baker in here. This opens up development time for some of our catchers," Chicago general manager Chris Getz said at Citi Field before the White Sox played the New York Mets.
"I didn’t love having Korey in Triple-A with Kyle from a development standpoint, playing-time standpoint, so we were able to free that up a little bit. And now Kyle can be the primary focus at Triple-A, where Edgar and Korey can make a solid tandem for us up with our major league club.”
Lee, 26, had been sidelined by a sprained left ankle. He is batting .333 (5 for 15) in nine games with Chicago this year. He was available off the bench Tuesday night against the Mets, with Quero in the starting lineup batting fifth.
Baker, 25, was a fourth-round selection in the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Tech. He has been on the seven-day injured list since April 22 with a left adductor strain.
Baker batted .245 with a homer and three RBIs in 17 games with Triple-A Durham this season. Now in the White Sox system, he will be assigned to Charlotte.
“Dru Baker offers speed and defense versatility. He’s a plus defender in the outfield, he’s got some history as an infielder. To be able to create some depth in the outfield was something that we found attractive enough to execute the deal,” Getz said. “I would imagine that at some point this year he could help us at the major league level.”
The addition of Thaiss gives Tampa Bay another catching option behind Danny Jansen. Ben Rortvedt has struggled this year, batting just .100 (6 for 60) in 25 games.
“They've been on the hunt to improve their catching for the last couple weeks, and we're in a fortunate position here with the White Sox where we've got some depth,” Getz said. “Matty did a nice job for us as well. You look at his on-base percentage, how he handled games behind the plate - he caught their attention and we were able to match up on a deal.”
Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca was transferred to the 60-day IL to create an opening for Thaiss on the 40-man roster. DeLuca is coming back from a right shoulder strain.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Bryce Harper took a knee and grasped his right arm -- the Phillies' star slugger's elbow was bruised, more than 40,000 Phillies fans stomachs were in knots - and the worst was feared as he took off for the tunnel.
“Whenever your top hitters, or your best hitter, gets hit like that," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, “there’s always some concern.”
Concern, yes. Just likely not a long-term one for the best team in the major leagues.
Harper left Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Atlanta in the first inning after he was hit near the right elbow by a 95.3 mph fastball from Braves starter Spencer Strider.
Harper sustained a bruise, and an X-ray was negative, the Phillies said.
A two-time NL MVP, Harper took a few steps from home plate, dropped to a knee and gripped his arm in pain. Phillies athletic trainers came out to check on Harper, and the first baseman - who wasn't wearing an elbow guard - headed to the clubhouse.
“I'm not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy,” Strider said. “I do feel bad for him, to see a person in pain that I caused.”
Thomson said Harper was in a lot of pain after he was hit and will be evaluated again Wednesday morning.
“He's a tough guy, too," Thomson said.
Strider was voraciously booed by Phillies fans when he left the mound as the inning ended and the jeers grew even louder when he trudged off the mound after 4 2/3 innings.
“Certainly not trying to hit him,” Strider said. “I thought in the moment, I just assumed he had a guard on and was just pissed that I hit him. Saw him in pain. That was tough. I'm definitely relieved he's OK. He's one of the best players this century. He needs to be on the field. It's best for the game. It's good for us, good to compete against him.”
Harper is hitting .267 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. He batted .323 (10 for 31) with three doubles, one homer and seven RBIs in seven games on the Phillies' recent trip.
Edmundo Sosa pinch ran for Harper and stayed in the game at third base. Alec Bohm moved to first base.
“I was anxious, but happy there's no break, for sure,” Thomson said.
Harper was 3 for 16 (.188) lifetime in the regular season against Strider. Strider made just his third start for Atlanta since returning from a strained hamstring strain.
The 32-year-old Harper had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow following the 2022 World Series and returned to the lineup just 160 days after the procedure. Harper, in the seventh season of a $330 million, 13-year contract, recently had his 1,000th career RBI and again played a key role in the Phillies' surge to the top of the MLB standings.
Harper missed 53 games in 2022 after he broke his thumb when he was also hit by a pitch.
With Harper on a hot streak, the Phillies remain atop the NL East with a 35-19 record and they had won nine straight games before dropping the finale of their road trip against the Athletics. They were set to play two more against Atlanta before a weekend home set against Milwaukee.
“These guys have been playing well for a while now,” Thomson said. “We've been doing it in different ways. We really pitched tonight.”
Michael Conforto reacts after hitting a home run in the sixth inning Tuesday. (David Dermer / Associated Press)
For a few weeks now, the Dodgers have been in the “treading water” portion of their season, trying to work through injuries in their pitching staff and inconsistencies in the lineup to remain atop the National League West standings.
On Tuesday, in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, two of their coldest hitters finally gave them some comfortable space to breathe.
In a game that was close until the final few innings, Michael Conforto and Max Muncy both showed long-awaited signs of life at the plate, each reaching base three times and each hitting late home runs to help the Dodgers pull away on a cool night in Cleveland.
“It’s big,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It adds the length [to the lineup] that we expected coming into this season.”
For much of this year, that length had been missing, the Dodgers forced to navigate around subpar production from both veteran sluggers — both at the plate and in the field.
Entering the night, Muncy had just three home runs and a .653 OPS. Conforto had only two long balls and a .562 OPS. Their defensive play had been glaring weaknesses, as well, with Muncy’s eight errors ranking second among MLB third basemen and Conforto’s negative-three mark in defensive runs saved 12th out of 15 qualified MLB left fielders.
It had made the pair the weakest links in the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup. And it had invited widespread scrutiny from the fan base, raising speculation about their long-term roles with the team.
“Sometimes this game can be brutal,” Conforto said. “There's a lot of failure.”
Late on Tuesday night, however, both finally enjoyed much-needed success.
After the Dodgers built an early 4-0 lead — they mounted a two-run second-inning rally and got a two-run homer from Shohei Ohtani in the fourth; his MLB leading 20th of the season and third-straight game going deep — the Guardians had gotten back within 4-3 by the time Conforto stepped to the plate in the sixth.
For the last several weeks, Conforto had slowly started turning his season around, hitting the ball harder and posting incrementally better results (not that things could have gotten much worse after he batted .134 in his first 36 games this season). This week, Roberts said the club’s hitting coaches were optimistic about Conforto’s recent cage work, as well, ever convinced the left-handed slugger was close to a more profound breakthrough at the plate.
It all came together in a full-count against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis, Conforto barreling up an inside fastball for a 406-foot drive to center that marked his first home run since April 5.
“To hit a ball hard and see it leave the park,” Conforto said, “it's kind of everything that we've been working on.”
Conforto also singled in the Dodgers’ two-run second-inning rally, and later drew a walk in the eighth, raising his OPS to .833 over his last 14 games.
When he returned to the dugout after his no-doubt blast, both Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernández were waiting at the top step, showering him with fistfuls of sunflower seeds.
“I heard Kiké as soon as I hit the ball, screaming,” Conforto said with a laugh. “He's been awesome and the rest of the guys have been awesome. They've kept it fun while it's been tough."
Muncy, too, continued his own recent turnaround at the plate.
In the second inning, the third baseman drew a walk, got a good jump against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee to steal second without a throw, then got a good read on Andy Pages’ flare single to right to score the night’s opening run. He also added an infield single in the eighth.
In the ninth, though, Muncy finally found an important missing piece in his offensive profile, hitting his first home run in almost two weeks on a three-run shot that had him bat-flipping out of the box.
“My swings have been feeling really good lately, and just haven't gotten the power results necessarily that I wanted,” Muncy said. “I've been getting hits. I'm hitting the ball hard. Just haven't been getting it to go where I wanted to go. So that swing felt really good.”
Mistakes were still in abundance for the Dodgers (34-21).
The team’s second-inning rally was cut short after Dalton Rushing, an at-bat after hitting an RBI single, failed to avoid a tag near second base on what became a double-play grounder from Tommy Edman (another slumping hitter in the bottom half of the lineup lately).
In the fifth, Teoscar Hernández was slow getting out of the box on a line drive off the wall in right-center, and was thrown out by a mile after making an ill-advised decision to still try for a double.
And in between that, starting pitcher Dustin May hit his lone speed bump in a five-inning, three-run, nine-strikeout start: Offering up a down-the-middle sinker with two aboard in the bottom of the fourth that Daniel Schneemann crushed for a three-run homer.
“The swing-and-miss was there, just one bad pitch,” said May, who has three consecutive starts with at least eight strikeouts but has also given up home runs in each of his last five outings. “The long ball has kind of got me the last however many starts. Gotta try and figure out a way to limit that going forward.”
Nonetheless, the Dodgers still held off the Guardians (29-25) to clinch a series victory. Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius provided three key innings of relief. Conforto and Muncy’s contributions made the two runs Luis García yielded in the ninth irrelevant.
And a club that’s simply been trying to keep its head above water lately was able to avoid any further sinking, ensuring they go no worse than .500 on this tricky Eastern road trip.
“It's definitely been better,” Muncy said. "Offensive side has been great. Pitching has been great … And the bullpen came in and did their job. Not putting too much stress on those guys, that's the key for us on offense, is to kind of give them a little bit of a lead to work with. And we were able to accomplish that.”
For the first time in a long time, thanks to contributions from Muncy and Conforto.
