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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the better part of the first three months of the season, Paul Goldschmidt often looked like his former MVP version.

Over his last 30 at-bats, though, he has gone completely missing.

The veteran first baseman’s recent skid hit a new low Tuesday night in the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Rays, when he struck out in all four trips to the plate to sink to 0-for-30 over his last nine games.

“I wish I had an answer for you,” Goldschmidt said on a night when the Yankees struck out 17 times for the second straight game. “Obviously the performance tonight especially was terrible. I like to try to be more positive than that, but you strike out four times and there were guys on base, really just a bad performance. [Monday] night was the same.

“Probably swung at too many balls, taking strikes. When I do swing at the right pitch, fouling it off or swing and missing. I’ll be ready to go [Wednesday] and every game, but there’s no excuses. I have not played well.”

Before this brutal nine-game stretch, which has coincided with some awful play from the Yankees overall, Goldschmidt was batting .301 with a .933 OPS through his first 55 games of the season.

His consistent presence as a right-handed bat, especially with the Yankees missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, was immensely valuable.

But the 38-year-old is now searching for answers on how to snap out of his recent funk.

“They beat me tonight, every time, badly,” Goldschmidt said. “You got to keep pushing and just be ready to go. Can’t carry over any bad things, like for me individually, to the next day. I don’t feel like I’ve done that, but obviously the performance hasn’t been better.”

José Caballero, who matched Goldschmidt with four strikeouts, started at shortstop for the second straight game, marking only his third start at the position since returning from the injured list in late May.

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While Aaron Boone continues to describe the shortstop situation as a “day-by-day” decision between Caballero and Anthony Volpe — the manager is unlikely to come out and declare one as the full-time starter even if he is leaning that way — now that the Yankees are closer to being whole, Caballero has a chance to be there more days than not.

With the Yankees facing Rays lefty Ian Seymour on Tuesday, it marked only the second time since Volpe was called up from Triple-A that he did not start against a lefty (the other came June 18, when the White Sox used a lefty opener).

Volpe did eventually enter the game as a pinch hitter for Ryan McMahon (who had hit for Amed Rosario earlier) in the eighth inning against lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger and grounded into a fielder’s choice.

Max Schuemann started in right field, giving Jasson Domínguez a day off for the first time since June 16 — though he also entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and went 1-for-2.

Domínguez, who remains a work in progress in right field, entered Tuesday batting just .209 with a .641 OPS in 30 games this season.

“Obviously want more production [from Domínguez]. I expect more production out of who I think he is as a hitter,” Boone said. “But I also feel like he’s kind of had competitive at-bats every day.”

Max Fried is scheduled to throw a third live batting practice session Saturday at Double-A Somerset, continuing his comeback from a left elbow bone bruise.

If it goes well, he could be in line to start a rehab assignment after the All-Star break.

The San Diego Padres appear to be at rock bottom for the 2026 season. Losing eight games after their one victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their home series that began on June 26, the organization is on the brink of being sellers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Their only other win over these last 10 games was Sunday, salvaging the last game in the four-game series in Los Angeles over the holiday weekend.

With the combination of poor performance in all aspects of their game and injuries that have devastated the roster, the Padres no longer resemble a team suitable for the playoffs. They played the Chicago Cubs to the most lopsided loss in team history, a 23-3 score that highlighted a horrendous trip to the windy and hot city.

Pitching problems

The pitching has been bad to inconsistent, and the offense has improved, but not enough.

The organization, and baseball at large, knew that the starting pitching needed to get lucky to be enough. With the loss, early in the season, of Nick Pivetta, the Friars had to resort to signing a pitcher in free agency who no one else seemed to want. Late signee, Lucas Giolito, has been a disaster. 

The reclamation projects the team signed before the season, Germán Márquez and Walker Buehler, have been both better and worse than expected. Buehler has risen to the challenge and battled back to respectability. Márquez is largely ineffective and was placed on the injured list after his shaky start to the season. He is now back with the team as a reliever, and maybe just a mop-up man.

The offense, late-inning heroes to start the season, has misfired ever since. Injuries have forced the team to bring up multiple minor league players from Triple-A El Paso for extended work in the major league lineup. Outside the fire provided by left fielder Samad Taylor, none have given the team any useful help.

Starters Michael King and Buehler have had the best performances, but both have been inconsistent. Neither can be depended on to be the stopper the team needs. 

The bullpen, the strength of the team at the start of the season, has faltered with the staggering performance of their teammates. 

There isn’t a lot to be optimistic about at this point 

There are increased rumblings among fans about the lack of experience with the manager and several members of his coaching staff. Having inexperienced coaches, with the team floundering, brings up questions about the ability of the coaching staff to pull the team out of its freefall.

The All-Star break is coming up. The trade deadline follows within a couple weeks. If the team can’t turn this around, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller might not have any choice but to sell off some players to acquire pieces for the future. 

It will be up to the players currently on the roster to determine the future of this season for the Padres. There is no help available elsewhere in the organization. The only pitcher that can be promoted to take the place of the injured Randy Vásquez is righty Jhony Brito. He is building up after his return from UCL surgery and looks to be the last option to join the major league rotation or bullpen.

Bad luck, injuries, poor offense, and bad pitching appear to have doomed this team for this season. Any recovery will be left to the players who have dug this hole.

Kudos for Rudolfo Durán

Backup catcher Rudolfo Durán deserves a mention for his efforts to save the bullpen during the Padres’ losing streak. In the 23-3 loss to the Cubs on July 1, Duran pitched in mop-up for two innings after serving the same role on June 27 in the 15-3 loss to the Dodgers. His three innings, allowing nine earned runs, saved at least two bullpen arms for other games.

Roster moves and injury updates

Reliever Jason Adam went on the injured list on July 3 with a right shoulder strain. He was replaced on the roster by Márquez, who started his rehab with El Paso as a starter but was used as a reliever before being activated by the Padres.

Vásquez, who started the season well but has been largely ineffective in his last eight starts, was placed on the injured list after being hit by a batted ball on his right ankle during his last start. X-rays showed no fracture, but he fainted while walking for testing and was taken to the hospital. He is listed as having an ankle contusion. Reliever Alek Jacob was brought up to fill his roster spot.

Catcher Freddy Fermin was removed from the game July 2 after being hit directly on his face mask by a foul tip. It is the second time he has been placed on the IL after direct hits behind the plate. Luis Campusano was activated after only three rehab appearances with El Paso. He spent almost two months on the IL with a fractured toe and an oblique strain.

Jake Cronenworth returned to the team on June 29 after almost eight weeks on the injured list with a concussion and its complications. He also only had three rehab appearances before being pressed into service for the Padres. Infielder Will Wagner was sent to El Paso when Cronenworth was activated.

Both Joe Musgrove and Pivetta are progressing in their throwing programs. Neither has a timeline. 

Giolito has not begun any rehab work and there has been no timeline discussed for his return. 

Matt Waldron is at Triple-A for his rehab and last threw four innings on July 1. He allowed eight hits and a run with a strikeout and has a week-and-a-half left in his rehab window before a decision has to be made about his position.

There has been no update on Jeremiah Estrada’s timeline. He has not begun a rehab assignment after being on the injured list for right knee inflammation.

Editor’s Note: This article was written and submitted prior to the start of the series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In Shohei Ohtani, who on Tuesday became the first Japanese player to hit 300 home runs in MLB, the Dodgers had the first National League All-Star voted in this year.

They still have a chance for a late addition.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been lobbying for two members of his pitching staff to be named replacement players: left-handed starter Justin Wrobleski and left-handed reliever Tanner Scott.

“There’s going to be some changes and some talks here,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. “There’s continual talks about both guys.”

Earlier Tuesday, MLB announced replacements for three NL pitchers who won’t be eligible to appear in the All-Star Game. Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft, Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo and St. Louis’ Riley O’Brien claimed spots as Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Miami’s Max Meyer bowed out.

“Obviously it’s disappointing,” Wrobleski said after holding the Rockies to one run through seven innings. “You want to be an All-Star. It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod. But like I said before, it’s just more reason to try and keep getting better. Hopefully I can gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year.”

There should continue to be movement on the All-Star roster, especially on the pitching side, with rotation schedules limiting which starters can participate. Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for example, is lined up to start Saturday, which may take him off the table for the All-Star Game next Tuesday.

That could open the door for Wrobleski and Scott.

Read more:'I wish she was alive.' Eliezer Alfonzo has emotional day as Dodgers lose to Padres

Asked to make his pitch for Wrobleski, Roberts pointed to his ERA (2.69, No. 8 among qualified NL pitchers), average of more than six innings per start and 10 wins.

“We run a six-man rotation, and I just don’t want him to get dinged for not making a couple more starts that he potentially could have had,” Roberts said. “I just think that he’s performed enough to earn that opportunity.

“And also, Tanner had a rough one [Monday], but I still think that … he’s one of the elite relievers in the National League.”

Scott, after notching just his second blown save Monday, compared to his 12 saves and 2.70 ERA, didn’t have an opening to improve on his All-Star campaign Tuesday.

Wrobleski, however, strengthened his.

He stayed true to his identity, pounding the strike zone and inducing weak contact to go with nine strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on a groundout in the sixth inning with runners on the corners.

In a nod to Wrobleski’s new nickname, “The Shark,” coined by Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martínez, Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruehle played a snippet of the “Jaws” theme to punctuate Wrobleski’s punchouts, and as he walked off the mound for the last time.

Once Wrobleski’s job was done, he paced in the dugout, interrupted once in a while by a hug or handshakes from a teammate. Catcher Dalton Rushing held his hand up to his forehead like a shark fin.

The name and attacking reputation had stuck. Would it be enough for an All-Star nod?

“If it happens, great,” Wrobleski said. “If it doesn’t happen, some time off and just chill for a couple days. Either way, I’m all good.”

On the offensive side, Ohtani’s leadoff homer made him the first player to notch 300 home runs and 100-plus stolen bases in his first nine MLB seasons, according to ESPN Insights. Tuesday was his 1,101st game with at least one plate appearance. By that measure, he was the fifth-fastest to 300 home runs, according to mlb.com and Elias Sports Bureau, behind only Aaron Judge (953), Ralph Kiner (1,086), Ryan Howard (1,091) and Juan González (1,093).

“It was quite the homer,” Roberts said. “I mean, it was [112 mph] off the bat, low launch angle. It was squared up, got out in a hurry. And 300 — he got there pretty quickly for us. I just marvel at him every day.”

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Dalton Rushing, Dave Roberts and a bunch of All-Stars

Defense unravels late

The Dodgers widened their lead to two runs but gave it up in the eighth on a pair of errors, including one on a sacrifice bunt.

Shortstop Miguel Rojas, who botched a grounder to his left earlier in the inning that enabled a run to score, was late breaking to cover third, leaving the bag wide open. Second baseman Alex Freeland tried to hit Rojas in stride with his throw and was charged with an error when it got away and the go-ahead run scored.

“Physical errors happen, and I’m OK with that,” Rojas said. “I’m not perfect, and I’m going to make errors, and physical errors are OK. But mental errors are the ones that are disappointing. I should have been on third base, I shouldn’t be putting Alex Freeland in the situation of throwing the ball with me on the run there. That’s the one that I kick myself for.”

Said Roberts: “This guy’s as dependable as they come. So that it happens, we don’t like it, doesn’t feel good, but you know that player. I give him a lot of grace, because he is very dependable.”

Right-hander Evan Phillips made his first major-league appearance in 14 months, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, and had two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. But the Dodgers offense didn’t muster a comeback, as the top of the batting order went down in order with two runners on.

Ohtani on track

Ohtani is still in line to pitch Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Roberts said.

The right biceps issue that flared in Ohtani’s final at-bat last Friday, and sidelined him Saturday, raised the question of whether he should skip his last start before the All-Star break. But Roberts said Ohtani’s catch play has been normal and he hasn’t reported any concerns with his biceps.

“As he goes through the next couple days, if he doesn’t feel great, we’ll pivot, and we’re prepared to pivot,” Roberts said. “But as we sit here, I don’t see that changing.”

Roberts said he doesn’t think Ohtani will pitch in the All-Star Game or participate in the home run derby. But he does expect him to take an at-bat or two as the NL’s starting designated hitter.

“He understands the responsibility he has,” Roberts said. “So I do think that there’s a middle for what’s best for him, what potentially could be downside, but also what’s best for the game.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

LOS ANGELES— The Dodgers were close to adding another walk-off win against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, but instead came up short in a 4-3 defeat.

Shohei Ohtani reached yet another milestone on Tuesday night, teeing off for his 300th career home run and leadoff homer run no. 25 as a Dodger to give his team an immediate cushion. Ohtani is now the 18th active player in baseball with at least 300 career home runs— 129 of them coming with the Dodgers.

Offense would be an unusually challenging feat against Lorenzen throughout his night, with the Dodgers producing an additional run on a bases-loaded walk to Andy Pages in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Dodgers scratched across another run in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI single from Alex Freeland, Unlike how they fared against Lorenzen in April, three runs was more than efficient for the Dodgers’ starter.

Tuesday was another spectacular night for the southpaw Justin Wrobleski, as he only made Colorado’s struggles against left-handed pitching more agonizing. Wrobleski managed to complete seven full innings allowing just one run and striking out nine. Although he still has a 6.55 strikeout per nine innings rate, the left-hander now has 20 strikeouts across 14 innings over his last two starts.

While Wrobleski was excellent yet again, the bullpen failed to secure a winning decision for him. Will Klein was the first man in relief, and immediately ran into trouble after putting two men on base with just one out. Tyler Freeman brought in the runner from third, and Klein was subsequently replaced by Jack Dreyer. Jake McCarthy was thrown out on a sacrifice bunt, but the relay throw from Alex Freeland sailed past Muncy into the Dodger dugout, allowing two runs to score as the Rockies took a one-run lead.

After two scoreless innings from Juan Mejia, Jordan Romano was called upon to try and close things out. The Dodgers looked to be mounting another walk-off after Freeland and Teoscar Hernández reached base with nobody out. Romano got both Ohtani and Andy Pages to fly out before striking out Freddie Freeman to give Colorado their first win at Dodger Stadium this year.

Evan Phillips made his return from Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, marking his first appearance since May 2025. Phillips tossed a scoreless ninth inning while allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out two.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (20)
• WP:Juan Mejia (2-6): 2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
• LP:Will Klein (3-3): 1/3 IP, 1 hit, 3 runs (0 earned), 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
• SV:Jordan Romano (6): 1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

The Dodgers wrap things up against Colorado on Wednesday (7:10 p.m. PT). Roki Sasaki faces Ryan Feltner.

The Atlanta Braves made a series of roster moves ahead of Tuesday’s contest in Pittsburgh. Most notably, right-hander Owen Murphy was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. In addition, the club selected the contract of lefty Connor Thomas, released righty Daysbel Hernández, recalled righty James Karinchak, and placed righty Tyler Kinley on the paternity list. 

22-year-old Murphy made his debut on Monday evening, where he was put in a difficult extra-inning situation against the New York Mets. He threw just one inning but allowed the game-winning runs. 

The remaining moves are refreshing Atlanta’s bullpen as the club continues the final road trip before the All-Star break. Thomas gives the Braves a fresh left-handed arm, while Karinchak returns after a brief stint in Triple-A to help cover innings with Kinley away on the paternity list.

More Braves News:

Hurston Waldrep struggled and the Braves suffered a 12-4 beatdown from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is reportedly nearing a rehab assignment. It could begin as soon as next week. 

MLB News:

The Minnesota Twins have placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list with a right hip strain. The move is retroactive to July 6. The injury will cause Buxton to miss the All-Star Game.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin will miss eight to ten weeks due to a torn tendon in his left hand. 

From the Feed:

Rowdy Tellez has rejoined the Braves on a minor league deal. 

A.J. Ewing is one of the bright spots for the Mets this season, and Tuesday night against the Royals showed exactly why.

The rookie outfielder went 4-for-4 -- his first four-hit game -- including a two-run shot and a career-high three RBI. It was an overall impressive game for Ewing, who has picked it up offensively recently. 

Over his last 22 games, since June 14, Ewing has a .311/.400/.568 slashline with five home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI, 12 runs and a .968 OPS. 

"I feel comfortable in the box right now. That’s pretty much it," Ewing said after Tuesday's game. "When I say comfortable in the box, I mean it. I’m relaxed." 

When asked specifically about his growing power numbers, five of his six home runs this year have come in the last month, Ewing reiterated his comfort at the plate, but emphasized that he's not intentionally going for the long ball.

"That's not really something I'm pushing for," he said. "It's more just line drive stuff, but the fact that I'm getting the ball in the air to the pull side, it's cool."

Tuesday was also the third time Ewing batted leadoff with the big league club. Although the series opener with the Royals was the first time he picked up a hit in that spot, the outfielder is accustomed to it. In 33 games batting leadoff with Syracuse before his call-up, Ewing slashed .342/.448/.525 with a .973 OPS.

Through 52 games, Ewing's OBP (.359) is ranked ninth among rookies and his 22 walks are 13th. Should be noted that only one rookie, the Giants' Bryce Eldridge, has more walks in fewer games, with the majority of the players ahead of Ewing having already played in at least 60 games.

Ewing was asked how his skillset fits with batting leadoff, and the 21-year-old gave a concise response.

"Naturally, I see a lot pitches," he said. "That's going to suit me well in that spot."

The Royals have right-hander Steven Cruz scheduled to start Wednesday's game as the opener. There's a good chance we'll see Ewing hitting leadoff and whether he can continue to use his particular skillset as the Mets' table-setter. 

Jays 9 Giants 3

Before the game, I asked the Jays to score and not just one run. And they did….I should have asked earlier.

The Jays scored:

• Three in the second: Brandon Valenzuela led off with a single. An out later, Sean Keys singled (108.5 mph). Then Jonatan Clase homered (362 feet, homer in 22 of the 30 MLB stadiums).
• Five in the third: Vladimir Guerrero started it off with a single to the opposite field. Kazuma Okamoto followed his lead, singling to the opposite field. Valenzuela singled to center, scoring one. A Daulton Varsho ground out put runners on second and third. Keys singled again, scoring both. Clase singled putting runners on the corners. Andrés Giménez singled one home. And Ernie Clement hit a sac fly.
• One in the ninth: Clement led off with a single. Lukes singled to give us runners on the corners. Then Vlad hit into a double play, which brought in the run, but it was a crappy swing.

We did go five inning there without getting a baserunner. But let’s focus on the nine runs instead.

We had 13 hits. Clement (leading off) had three hits. Valenzuela, Keys, and Clase had two each. Varsho was the lone member of the batter order not to get a hit. He did have a 102.7 mph lineout, .650 expected BA. But his other at bats were pretty sad.

And we were 4 for 10 with RISP, so a good day.

Spencer Miles got the start and wasn’t great. He gave up 7 hits in 4 innings, with just 1 strikeout. He was lucky to get through the four innings with just 2 earned.

Patrick Corbin gave up a run, going 2.1 innings. He started his 2.1 innings with a single and double allowed. Both of which I thought Nathan Lukes likely should have caught. The single, Nathan kind of ran parallel to, instead of going after. I guess he was playing it safe, but I though he should have made the catch. And the double was just over Lukes head, and again, I thought he could have made a better effort. So Corbin allowed one run in his 2.1.

Jeff Hoffman got the last two outs of the seventh, with a strikeout.

Mason Fluharty pitched a quick eighth. And Louis Varland pitched the ninth on 19 pitches. More than I would have liked him to throw, but he didn’t allow a baserunner.

And our pitchers didn’t give out a walk.

After the defense was so awful yesterday, it was pretty good today.

Jays of the Day: Clase (0.25 WPA) and Keys (0.09).

No one gets the other award, tho Vlad came close at -0.08.

We have a day game tomorrow. 3:45 Eastern start time. I was out in the sun all day today, so I might just about be up by that time. Dylan Cease (5-4, 2.79) vs. Logan Webb (5-6, 3.66).

Maybe we could score again tomorrow.

Whatever momentum seemed to have been gained by the offensive outburst last night was immediately lost 24 hours later. We are right back in the same spot we were in when we got here yesterday. Really a frustrating night for a team that was hoping to turn a corner after last night and get some momentum going.

The team turned as they have done all season to their former ace to be a leader and put this team on his back, but Zac Gallen faltered once again. He allowed 4 runs in the first inning and his team seemingly shut down behind him. Gallen was able to keep the Padres at 4 for the next 5 innings which was kind of nice, but the damage had already been done. Overall, the line for Gallen wasn’t terrible going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs, however allowing all 4 of them in the first inning seemingly really killed this team’s momentum. The Dbacks TV commentary was really trying to push the narrative that tonight was somehow an improvement for Gallen, however I am not really buying it.

As for the Dbacks offense what else can really be said at this point? Nobody hit. Pavin Smith should’ve been DFA’d 3 weeks ago but is still somehow inexplicably getting starts. And guess what? He went 0-3. Shocker!

Corbin Carroll appears to have a hole in his swing again at the top of the zone that pitchers have been exploiting the past couple of weeks and it doesn’t look good. It took him quite a while last season to make an adjustment on that pitch and the Dbacks really need him now.

Really not an approach that is going to allow you to score runs when you cant avoid the groundball with runners on base. After the Marte double in the first inning, After loading the bases with 0 outs in the first inning, a fielders choice, a walk to score the lone run, Nolan Arenado lined into an inning ending double play. Definitely a missed opportunity. This would be the first of 3 inning-ending double plays on the night for the Dbacks offense, 2 of which by Arenado. After the first, the Dbacks managed only 3 hits the rest of the game, all singles. Especially frustrating after getting the Padres starter Marquez to over 30 pitches in the first inning.

Like I said, there’s not much that can be said that hasn’t already. This offense got outslugged by the worst offense in the league tonight. Something needs to change.

The Dbacks will look to rebound in a big way tomorrow and get back to .500. They will turn to the youngster Jose Cabrera and the offense will have their hands full facing Michael King. These games over the coming weeks are too important to be handing them away like they seemingly did tonight. If the Dbacks are going to be buyers, we need to see something quick.

Tuesday's game between the Mets and Royals will be one to forget if you're in New York's bullpen. 

Before the Mets' rollercoaster 16-12 loss, they had never lost a home game when scoring 11 or more runs. Their 12 runs scored is also tied for the franchise record for the most runs scored in a loss, period.

And those marks fell on the Mets bullpen.

After two straight games in Atlanta that required a lot of pitchers, interim manager Andy Green was short on the pitching side Tuesday. It didn't help that he had to deploy a bullpen game in their series-opener with Kansas City. Despite that, the Mets pushed on.

Cionel Perez was the opener with Kodai Senga allowing four runs in his three innings of work. The Mets' offense blitzed the Royals' pitching staff and overcame Senga's performance, grabbing a 9-4 lead heading into the fifth inning. That's when Austin Warren took the mound and allowed five earned runs on four hits and one walk without recording an out.

"It was a tough day for us. No other way around it," Green said of the pitching staff after the loss. "Perez got us off to a good start. [AJ] Minter had a really good inning in there. [Huascar Brazoban] came in and did some decent stuff. Everything else just was a tough day. Austin Warren’s been somebody we’ve relied on all year long; he’s been very very good for us. It wasn’t his day today."

Green explained that they hoped Warren would pitch a few innings, but since he didn't they had to use recently-acquired RHP Matt Seelinger in the seventh with the score tied at 9-9. Seelinger, a 31-year career minor leaguer, was making his major league debut and allowed seven runs in the frame, essentially putting the game out of reach. 

"As a group, have a ton of confidence in Austin Warren. He had a night that was really tough. We looked at it pretty confidently, he would give us a couple of innings tonight. It didn’t turn into that," Green said. "It was at that point we knew we had to put Seellinger in a tough debut spot you prefer not to. We believe in Austin, we’ll continue to believe in him. He’s been great for us all year. That’s where we tripped up a little bit. And that happens."

"We were light today, I knew I needed to cover some innings," Warren said of his performance. "Doesn’t change the way I go about my business. Just didn’t work out. Bad outing." 

Warren has been great for the Mets this season, but his last two outings have been subpar. On July 4 against the Braves, he allowed four runs in two innings of work. And after giving up five on Tuesday, Warren has now allowed nine runs in the last two times on the mound (2.0+IP), which equals what he allowed the entire season leading up to that (33.0 IP). Warren chalks it up to missing his spots, but doesn't want to make excuses, just find a way to get the job done.

With the Mets playing five days in a row before the All-Star break, New York needs Warren and the rest of the pitching staff to pick up the slack or more games like Tuesday will happen.