Mets’ quiet bats spoil patchwork pitching strategy in loss to Marlins

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Mets relief pitcher Jonah Tong (21) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. , Image 2 shows Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 22, 2026 in Miami, Florida. , Image 3 shows New York Mets pitcher Tobias Myers hands the ball to manager Carlos Mendoza after being relieved from the game

MIAMI — The Mets’ patchwork pitching plan worked out just fine Friday night, but a sputtering lineup couldn’t help the cause.

After scoring just two runs in Washington a day earlier and escaping with a victory, the Mets went backward.

Juan Soto homered in the first inning and silence followed for the Mets in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins.

The Mets, who had only four base-runners, wasted a solid pitching performance from Tobias Myers, Sean Manaea and Jonah Tong, who combined to limit the Marlins to five hits.

Access the Mets beat like never before

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.

Try it free

Tong was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before the game, with Craig Kimbrel designated for assignment.

Soto had the Mets’ only two hits (he also singled in the fourth) until A.J. Ewing’s single in the eighth.

But Ewing was thrown out attempting to steal second for the final out.

In the ninth, Carson Benge drew a two-out walk from Pete Fairbanks before Bo Bichette was retired.

“We have been playing a good baseball the last couple of days,” Soto said. “I feel like we scored a good amount of runs in D.C., and before that we took care of business [at home]. We have been doing well. It was a tough day today and sometimes you have got to tip your cap to a guy who is throwing 100 [mph] and then his offspeed.”

Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 22, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images

Eury Pérez’s heat created much of the Mets’ angst, but the right-hander also entered the day with a 5.33 ERA.

He toyed with the Mets over 6 ¹/₃ innings before the Marlins’ bullpen finished strong, with five strikeouts over the final 2 ²/₃ frames.

“You take the positive, obviously it’s not what you want as far as the results,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But on a night we went in there trying to piece it together there was a lot of good things from the pitching staff. We just didn’t get anything other than a couple of at-bats from Soto, a couple of hard-hit balls from Benge. Other than that, we couldn’t put together anything against Perez.”

Soto’s fourth home run in as many games gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Soto’s 449-foot blast to right-center against Pérez continued a sizzling stretch for the All-Star outfielder, who began the day with a 1.357 OPS over his previous eight games.

Soto’s thunder included a two-homer game on Wednesday in Washington.



Tobias Myers, as the opener, worked 1 ¹/₃ innings and allowed one earned run.

Esteury Ruiz doubled and stole third, before he scored on Owen Caissie’s ground out.

Myers served as an opener for a second time this season.

New York Mets relief pitcher Jonah Tong (21) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Caissie’s RBI single in the fourth against Manaea put the Mets in a 2-1 hole.

Manaea got two quick outs in the inning before Ruiz hit a slicing fly ball to right that bounced as Benge slid toward the foul line.

Ruiz raced to third base.

Tobias Myers, right, hands the bal to manager Carlos Mendoza, left, after being relieved during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Miami. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Nick Morabito’s diving catch in left helped prevent a run in the fifth.

Javier Sanoja doubled leading off the inning and stole third with two outs before Connor Norby hit a sinking line drive that Morabito snagged on a dive.

MEts merch shop
  • 47 Brand logo cap
  • 1986 eco tote bag
  • Mets fiber beach towel
  • 14-ounce sculpted relief mug
  • Customizable jersey
  • Color block logo backpack
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.

Jakob Marsee’s leaping catch near the top of the center-field fence deprived Benge of an extra-base hit for the Mets’ final out in the sixth.

Manaea gave the Mets 3 ²/₃ innings in relief and allowed one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts.

It was the lefty’s first appearance since last Sunday in the Subway Series, when he allowed two earned runs over four innings in relief.

Manaea has struggled for most of the season before showing glimpses of hope more recently.

“He’s just a different guy right now with the way he’s moving on the mound, with his delivery, the way the ball is coming out,” Mendoza said. “He’s attacking and it’s just good to see him get swings and misses with his fastball. When he’s at his best he does that, he can elevate it, the two-seamer going into righties, it makes all the other pitches more effective.”

Tong was also effective, with three hitless innings in which he struck out two and walked one.

“It was awesome to be out there with the boys again,” said Tong, who started five games for the Mets’ last season.

Brayden McNabb injury update: Golden Knights D-man limps off, returns

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb limped off the ice in the first period of Game 2 after a check.

McNabb delivered a hit to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski, whose skate came up and appeared to catch the Vegas player in the leg.

ESPN cameras caught McNabb limping toward the dressing room and unable to put weight on his right leg.

McNabb was not on the bench in the second period, leaving the Golden Knights with five defensemen during the second game of the Western Conference finals. But he was able to return for the beginning of the third period.

McNabb had been averaging more than 21 minutes in the playoffs. He had one goal, two assists and 19 penalty minutes in 12 games.

Brayden McNabb injury update

The Golden Knights defenseman was back on the ice at the start of the third period and helped Vegas kill two Colorado power plays.

He hit Martin Necas up high with his glove in the third period, but the on-ice officials conferred and no penalty was called.

The Golden Knights rallied in the third period on a goal by Jack Eichel and two by Ivan Barbashev for a 3-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Josh Manson injury update

McNabb wasn't the only defenseman to leave the game. Colorado's Josh Manson went to the dressing room after he tried to check Barbashev and went face first into the boards during the second period.

He, too, returned in the third period.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brayden McNabb limps off ice with leg injury after check

Game Thread: White Sox (25-24) at Giants (20-30)

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 10: Davis Martin #65 of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Rate Field on May 10th, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. The dominant righthander will take the mound in San Francisco on Friday.
Dominant righthander Davis Martin will take the mound in San Francisco on Friday. | (Photo by Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)

After back-to-back to back road trips to the West Coast, this series represents, in late May, the White Sox final games in the Pacific Time Zone. Tony Vitello and the San Francisco Giants look to give the South Siders their first series loss since April 26, while Munetaka Murakami and friends will look to not drop back-to-back games and series.

On the mound to protect the club’s quickly-building reputation as a threat in the league is this season’s ace, Davis Martin. The dominant righthander is coming off of a thrilling win at home against the Cubs where he went six innings, gave up one run, and struck out seven. His 10th start of the season could tie him with former White Sox great Chris Sale with seven wins to lead baseball.

Martin was recently name No. 10 on the MLB’s pitching power rankings, a standing that should be higher but nonetheless has been earned given his third-ranked 1.61 ERA. He ranks in the top 5% of MLB pitchers with a 4.7% walk percentage. He has only struck out 59 batters over his 56 innings of work, but of the 45 hits he has given up so far this season, only 38% have gone for extra bases. Martin’s quick work of batters is also allowing him to get further in games this year. In 2025, Martin had a total of nine quality starts to his name. Not even halfway through 2026, only two of his nine starts haven’t been quality.

Opposing Martin is 25-year-old Trevor McDonald. The 18th-ranked Giants prospect was called up back on May 4. On May 5 he was sent back to Triple-A, but before he could get too comfortable. he was called right back to San Francisco before his next start. The rookie righty has been given three games so far. In them, he is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA. His 19 innings of work have resulted in 17 strikeouts, three walks, and two home runs. The White Sox are likely to see a good mix of 94 mph sinkers and 87 mph sliders.

Here’s how the Giants line up behind McDonald:

As for the White Sox, after this graphic was posted it was announced that Jarred Kelenic was scratched due to a back contusion. Derek Hill will replace him in right field. The bottom of the lineup will now have Edgar Quero batting seventh, Tristan Peters batting eighth, and Hill batting ninth.

It is a late one tonight. First pitch will be thrown at 9:15 PM CDT. If you are staying up past your bedtime with us, you can catch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN 1000.

Mets’ offense muted in Miami

May 22, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) reacts from inside the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Mets’ offense once again could not get anything going in their 2-1 loss to the Marlins. With this loss they now drop below Miami in the standings to become cellar dwellars once again in National League East.

Marlins starter Eury Pérez had been struggling heading into this game so of course he gave up just one run and pitched into the seventh inning against this pitiful offense. Juan Soto was the only Met batter to get to Pérez when he turned on a 100mph fastball and deposited it 449 feet away into the centerfield stands. The rest of the offense did not put up much of a fight except Carson Benge who had two great plays made against him in the outfield.

Tobias Myers got the start for the Mets but the team ultimately went with a bullpen game with all long men. None of the three pitched poorly but extra base hits combined with pesky Marlins baserunning ultimately doomed them. First it was Myers who departed in the second inning after he gave up a double with one out. A stolen base and a groundout later against Sean Manaea and the game was tied at one apiece.

Manaea for his part looked much better on the mound until he gave up a triple with two outs in the fourth. He couldn’t work out of it when he gave up a hit to Owen Cassie and Miami took a 2-1 lead.

The newly recalled Jonah Tong came in after Manaea and pitched well. He didn’t allow any hits in three innings and struck out two. It certainly was an encouraging appearance for the youngster who was having a bit of an uneven year in Triple-A.

While a bullpen game isn’t ideal, this loss is squarely on the shoulders of the offense who managed just two runs in the finale against Washington and now only scored one in the opener against the Marlins. They still have an opportunity to come out ahead in Miami, but this wasn’t an ideal way to start a series against a team ahead of you in the standings.

SB Nation GameThreads

Amazin’ Avenue

Box scores

MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Jonah Tong, +13% WPA
Big Mets loser: Nick Morabito, -20% WPA
Mets pitchers: +15% WPA
Mets hitters: -65% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto home run in first, +10 WPA added
Teh sux0rest play: Owen Cassie RBI single in fourth, -11.4% WPA

Guardians Shutout Phillies in Series Opener Classic

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 22: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians is congratulated in the dugout after completing the fourth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Guardians won 1-0. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In what would only be described by your dad or your grand-pappy as “A good old fashion pitchers’ duel”, runs were at a premium in Philadelphia tonight. Both Gavin Williams and Chistopher Sanchez were lights out all night long. 

As the game went on, it felt like each pitcher was just trying to outdo the other, inning after inning. There was little drama to speak of. Bryce Harper would hit a two out double in the 1st, but The Big Rig would strike out the next hitter Alec Bohm. The Guardians would follow in the top of the 2nd inning with a leadoff single by David Fry, but Sanchez would go on to retire the next three hitters in order. Adolis Garcia would reach base on a fielding error by José Ramírez on a softly hit grounder, but Williams would not be phased, as he retired the next 2 hitters on just 2 pitches!

Both pitchers would toss a 1-2-3 3rd inning, and back and forth it went. Neither pitcher would allow more than 1 baserunner at any point in the game. The Phillies were able to get a 1 out single from Brandon Marsh, but after a few attempts to steal second (with Garcia up to bat) that were foiled by foul balls, on a 3-2 pitch The Big Rig would finally get the swing and miss he needed. Marsh would be thrown out with the combination of a great throw and an even better catch and tag by Austin Hedges and Travis Bazzana.

Both teams would also get a 1 out baserunner in the 8th, but both pitchers would again get out of the jam with relative ease. Sanchez, with two soft outs from Petey Halpin and Angel Martínez, and Gavin Williams, with a 4-6-3 double play ball off the bat of Justin Crawford. The final line for each pitcher was 8 IP 4H 2BB 6Ks for Sanchez, and 8IP 4H 0BB 11Ks for The Big Rig.

After that, it was closer time for both teams. The Phillies brought in a familiar face in Jhoan Duran to try for a scoreless 9th. He would be greeted by an old friend in José Ramírez, who lined a 2-1 splitter down the right field line. In typical José fashion, he was looking for two, but the former Gold Glove Right Fielder Garcia cut the ball off before it could get into the corner, and fired a bullet to second to get José out at 2nd base. On a night where offense felt like it was at a premium, it was hard to feel hopeful after that gut punch from the Phillies, but then out of the dugout to pinch hit for Rhys Hoskins came Kyle Manzardo. He drilled the first pitch he saw from Duran the opposite way to Left Field over the wall to give the Guards a 1-0 lead.

There would be no more for the Guards in the 9th, however, and the fate of the game would now lie with our own closer, Cade Smith.

It would be no easy task, as Smith would have to face the top of the Phillies lineup in the bottom half of the inning – Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper – or so you would think. On the first pitch of the 9th, Turnerhit a weak popout to Rocchio, and after working a full count, Smith blew a 98 MPH fastball right by Schwarber. That was the only Fastball he saw in that at bat as well. All hope for the Phillies would lie with Bryce Harper, but he somewhat poetically would weakly top a ground ball to the (just into the game) first baseman Kyle Manzardo, who fielded it and easily jogged to first to record the final out of the game. In all, it would take Smith just 8 pitches to hurl a scoreless 1-2-3 9th inning and secure for the Guards their 7th consecutive win!

The Guards will look to take the series tomorrow afternoon at 4:05pm. It’ll be Slade Cecconi on the mound for Cleveland, up against Zach Wheeler for the Phillies.

How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago White Sox

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 16: Trevor McDonald #72 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants welcome the Chicago White Sox to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.37 ERA, 3.47 FIP, with 17 strikeouts to three walks in 19 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Athletics last Saturday, in which he allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk in six and two thirds innings.

He’ll be facing off against White Sox right-hander Davis Martin, who enters tonight’s game with a 1.61 ERA, 2.39 FIP, with 59 strikeouts to 10 walks in 56 innings pitched. His last start was in the White Sox’ 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, in which he allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!

Game #51

Who: San Francisco Giants (20-30) – Chicago White Sox (25-24)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 7:15 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The St. Louis Cardinals Victor Scott II Dilemma – Would Minors Help Him?

May 16, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) runs to second on a stolen base attempt against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals were clear that this season would be a constant desire to compete, but the priorities would be player development and the future. The only thing that is clear right now about Victor Scott II’s development is that what he’s doing to make adjustments is not working against Major League pitching. Is it time to utilize one of his minor league options or is there wisdom to continue on the road the Cardinals are on with him staying in the lineup? The numbers don’t seem to favor the latter.

It was almost exactly one month ago when our own Jake Wood did an excellent deep dive into Victor Scott II and what he did during the offseason to adjust his swing and approach. I won’t rehash all that Jake shared, but I highly recommend you check it out if you haven’t already. The Cliff Notes version is Victor spent the offseason with a biomechanical specialist at his alma mater of West Virginia trying to improve swing efficiency. As Jake mentioned then, the early Statcast numbers didn’t reveal any great improvement other than an effort to direct the all up the middle to allow himself the opportunity to beat out more infield hits. He also moved back in the batter’s box to support that approach.

One month later, where is Victor Scott II now?

As of today, Victor Scott II has 138 plate appearances and he’s below the Mendoza line with an average of just .185. He’s making very little solid contact with a barrel rate of only 1.1 and a hard hit rate of just 27.7 according to Baseball Savant. Most of his offensive metrics are in the bottom 13th percentile with the exception of his whiff rate of just 22.9. I was surprised to see that Victor’s defensive numbers have regressed with only a 2 outs above average compared to his stellar 17 OAA last season.

Why won’t the Cardinals use one of Victor Scott II’s remaining minor league options?

The question is who would take Victor Scott II’s place on the major league roster if he gets another stint in the minors. The Cardinals just placed Nathan Church on the injured list which resulted in the callup of Bryan Torres. Torres would have been one of the likely candidates for Scott II’s roster spot if he were sent down. I have to wonder if St. Louis might be approaching the time when this would make sense for everyone involved since I’ve seen estimates that Lars Nootbaar will be ready to return to the Cardinals lineup around the start of June. Victor still has 2 minor league options remaining and the end of May/beginning of June timeframe might be the time to utilize it once Lars is ready for prime time again.

I love having players like Victor Scott II on the major league roster. His speed off of the bench and his ability to be a late inning defensive replacement are valuable. However, I would much rather he be allowed more development time out of the major league spotlight if he can manage to overcome the offensive struggles to become a complete player. I’ve seen Oli Marmol and the other Cardinals coaches talk about how hard Victor is working pre and post-game and I don’t doubt that effort, but I think the reappearance soon of Lars Nootbaar gives the St. Louis Cardinals the opportunity they need to allow VSII to see if he can ascend into the kind of all-around player they need him to be for the long term.

Mets drop series opener against Marlins with 2-1 loss

The Mets' offense couldn't get anything going and New York lost to the Miami Marlins, 2-1, on Friday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It looked like the Mets might get to feast against struggling Marlins starter Eury Perez after Juan Soto blasted a tank of a solo shot in the first inning that gave New York a 1-0 lead. The home run, which traveled 449 feet, landed in the second deck and was Soto’s longest career homer.

-- Also in the first, Carson Benge led off the game with a deep fly ball to center field that Jakob Marsee made a splendid running catch at the wall. While the play was impressive, Mets hitters appeared to be on Perez early.

-- But after Soto’s home run, Perez retired the next eight hitters in a row before Soto stayed hot with a single. Soto has had a terrific road trip with eight hits, four home runs, five RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base. He’s also hit safely in nine of the last 11 games and has had multiple hits in seven of those games.

-- Unfortunately for the Mets, Soto was the only player to show up in Miami as the rest of the offense went hitless against Perez, who settled in after the dicey first and looked incredible in his 6.1 innings of work.

-- Perez left with a lead after the Marlins scored once in the second and once in the fourth. The first run was charged to Tobias Myers, who got the start and lasted 1.1 innings, leaving the game after giving up a double to Esteury Ruiz.

-- Sean Manaea was the bulk reliever and the first one out of the bullpen and was unable to strand the runner in scoring position, giving up the tying run on a groundout after Ruiz stole third base. The left-hander looked better than he has in recent outings in his 3.2 innings of work. He struck out three while reaching 94 mph on his fastball, which the Mets have not seen this year.

Still, he allowed the go-ahead run in the fourth after Ruiz reached third base on a two-out triple down the right field line that Benge just barely missed before Owen Caisse singled Ruiz home.

-- The only other hit New York had aside from Soto was A.J. Ewing, who singled with two outs in the eighth inning. Trying to make something happen, the speedster immediately took off for second base, but he was gunned down on a perfect throw by catcher Joe Mack to end the inning.

-- Perhaps the biggest star for the Mets was Jonah Tong, who, in his season debut, came in after Manaea and looked dominant, facing the minimum over three innings and striking out two on just 28 pitches.

-- Benge made a bid to tie the game in the sixth with another shot to center, but there was Marsee once again making a tremendous catch high up the wall for the out. Benge finished 0-for-3 with a walk and had 801 feet worth of flyouts.

Game MVP: Jonah Tong

The right-hander looked unhittable in his season debut, which could be great news for the Mets and their patchwork starting rotation.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets continue their three-game series with the Marlins on Saturday, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Freddy Peralta (3-3, 3.31 ERA) goes for New York and will be opposed by RHP Max Meyer (4-0, 2.85 ERA).

One to Nothing: Guardians 1 Phillies 0

May 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians infielder Kyle Manzardo (9) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The weekend Memorial Day series is going to be filled with weather issues. It’s projected to rain all day tomorrow, which could force a doubleheader for Sunday before they play a day game in San Diego on Monday. They did not get batting practice in today because of rain and showers filled through as Cristopher Sánchez and Gavin Williams dueled for eight scoreless innings each.

So even if the Phillies lost this game, there is some good news for it going quick.

Sánchez entered tonight’s game with a 29.2 inning scoreless streak that began back in April against the Giants. Even if he threw eight shutout innings against a surprisingly competent Guardians offense, it didn’t always look like his A stuff.

He was cutting his changeup often early in the game but it didn’t matter. Angel Martínez and Rhys Hoskins couldn’t stop biting on it in the first.

David Fry took a hanging changeup into left field for one of his two hits off Sánchez for the night but the next three batters couldn’t do anything.

Skipping to the 5th, Brayan Rocchio took a single to left field for a knock but it led to nothing again. This time, it was JT Realmuto who fired a dart to keep the Guardians out of scoring position. They did not have a runner on second or third base for a single pitch of this game.

The seventh inning was the Guardians best chance of ending Sánchez’s streak. Rhys Hoskins crushed a sinker at 99.9 mph off the bat but it died into Justin Crawford’s hands. David Fry hit a 106.2 mph line drive over Bryson Stott’s head and after a Bazzana strikeout, Sánchez fell 3-0 to Rocchio.

Rocchio got the green light to swing 3-0, got a good pitch to crush, but the ball died at the warning track in Crawford’s hands.

Sánchez would fire a scoreless eighth inning to put his streak at 37.2 innings for second most in Phillies history. It’s incredible.

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams more than matched Sánchez pitch-for-pitch with 11 strikeouts, 17 whiffs, four hits allowed, and no walks. The command and feel for his sweeper and curveball tonight were elite and the Phillies didn’t stand a chance.

Bryce Harper smacked a two out double past a diving Rhys Hoskins into right field but Alec Bohm struck out to end the threat. Adolis García reached first base on a José Ramírez error but nothing could follow.

The single worst at bat of the entire night might’ve been in the fifth inning by García. He has not been able to find any sort of offensive stroke for two weeks. He entered tonight just 1 for his last 32 with 17 strikeouts in his last ten games. He chased three different Williams sweepers that weren’t particularly close and went back to the dugout.

They tried to start something right after with Bryson Stott slapping a single and stealing second base. However, the bottom of the order couldn’t get the job done and the game stayed scoreless.

Moving forward to the bottom of the seventh, there could’ve been a spark. Brandon Marsh took a curveball to right field for a one-out single and was looking to run. García worked a seven pitch at bat, laying off a few down and away sweepers but wasn’t ready for the high fastball and Marsh was caught stealing.

Jhoan Duran entered the ninth inning with a game still searching for it’s first run of the night. As both starters threw body shots and uppercuts at the opposing lineups for eight innings, it was time for both teams’ top-tier closers to send the game into extra innings.

José Ramírez was ready for a splinker and sent one down the right field line for what should’ve been a leadoff double. Adolis García had other plans, throwing an absolute strike to second base to nail JRam by multiple feet.

It seemed like the game would remain scoreless forever… well for only a few extra minutes.

Stephen Vogt went to his bench and called on Kyle Manzardo to hit for Rhys Hoskins with the right handed Duran on the mound. He looked for a splinker up in the zone, got it, and sent it into the left field seats to finally break the tie.

Cade Smith, one of the game’s underrated closers, entered to shut down the top of the Phillies lineup. Trea Turner popped up a first pitch sweeper to shortstop. Kyle Schwarber saw a steady diet of splitters and sweepers to work a full count but was not ready for the one fastball he was going to get and walked back to the dugout. Bryce Harper ended it quickly by chasing a first-pitch sweeper to Manzardo to end the inning.

The Phillies are once again below .500, with the offense being shutout by the Guardians. As things were heading in the right direction to begin the Don Mattingly tenure, the club has now lost three in a row.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole shuts down Rays in six-inning season debut

Gerrit Cole's long-awaited return fell short of spectacular, but was the solid shot in the arm the New York Yankees badly needed.

Pitching for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, Cole pitched six shutout innings against the first place Tampa Bay Rays Friday, May 22 at Yankee Stadium.

Cole missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, his right elbow finally giving way during spring training. He underwent a steady and successful rehab since, and rejoined the Yankees after they jumped out to a 30-21 start − but still 4½ games behind the Rays.

Gerrit Cole pitched six shutout innings in his 2026 season debut against Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium.

Amid that backdrop, he took the Yankee Stadium mound and delivered efficiency, giving up just two hits in six innings, but walking three and striking out just two. Yet he finished striking, fanning Jonathan Aranda looking on a full-count 96-mph fastball.

Thanks to an Austin Wells home run, Cole left with a 1-0 lead.

Cole, who won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award, is in the seventh year of a nine-year, $324 million contract.

Yankees bullpen blows lead

Alas, the Yankees bullpen could only preserve the advantage provided by Wells and Cole for one inning. Shortstop José Caballero committed an error on a grounder by leadoff batter Chandler Simpson, and after a Junior Caminero single, Jonathan Aranda followed with a game-tying double off lefty Tim Hill.

Richie Palacios then followed an intentional walk with a go-ahead two-run single, producing a 3-1 lead and chasing Hill.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did Gerrit Cole do in 2026 Yankees debut?

Arizona Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #50: 5/22 vs. Rockies

A hiker looks at the Phoenix skyline from the top of the Hole In The Rock trail during a record heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 19, 2023. The extreme heat in the northern hemisphere is putting an increasing strain on healthcare systems, hitting those least able to cope the hardest, the World Health Organization said July 19. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Lineups not yet announced

We did previously highlight how well the D-backs’ bullpen is pitching this month. While their ERA has crept up a little from the sub-two figure, it’s still a thoroughly respectable 2.08. That’s fourth-best in the majors, and they are also the only bullpen to have a WHIP below one. Over 47.2 innings, they have allowed only thirty hits (that’s a minuscule .181 average against) and fifteen walks, for 0.944 WHIP in May. However, a league-low BABIP of just .227 is clearly a factor there. They also haven’t allowed a home-run this month: the last reliever to do so was Brandon Pfaadt on April 30th. Let’s hope I’m not tempting fate by mentioning this. It’s why their xFIP – FIP with a normal home-run rate – is a much less impressive 4.30.

But it’s worth nothing that the rotation have been getting on board the performance train of late. As noted the other day, they have been working hard, having thrown 119 innings across nineteen starts. That’s an average of 6.26 IP per start. The next-highest figure for May is the Phillies, down at 5.84 IP/GS. At the other end? The Tigers, barely at four. They have one win in nineteen efforts this year. But it’s not just length, it’s quality length. A 3.18 ERA by the rotation this month is fourth-best, and certainly deserving of more than the eight wins, also in nineteen starts.

It’s when we combine the two that we get the really startling number. Because it’s not often that the D-backs have had both the rotation and bullpen firing on all cylinders. Combined, through 19 games in May, Arizona has an ERA of just 2.86. It has been almost twenty-four years since the Diamondbacks have posted a figure that low over the course of a calendar month. You need to go back to August 2002 to find a lower figure of 2.63. [Kinda fun to look at the contributors – not just the obvious!] There hasn’t even been an ERA for a month under 3.20 since August of 2018. Hopefully that can continue tonight against the cellar-dwelling Rockies.

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!

Gerrit Cole looks like an ace again with six shutout innings in long-awaited Yankees return

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throws the ball during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Gerrit Cole throws a pitch during the Yankees' May 22 game.

Prior to Friday’s game, Aaron Boone made it clear what it meant to the Yankees to have Gerrit Cole back on the mound: “We’re excited to get our ace back.”

Access the Yankees beat like never before

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

Try it free

Cole returned against the Rays in The Bronx, having last pitched in a major league game in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.

And he looked every bit as good as the Yankees remembered after missing a year-plus following March 2025 Tommy John surgery.

The 35-year-old pitched six shutout innings, allowed two hits and three walks.

He struck out just two and was removed after just 72 pitches- with lefty Brett Headrick taking over to start the seventh.

Gerrit Cole throws a pitch during the Yankees’ May 22 game. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

It was exactly what the Yankees wanted to see from Cole.

He started off with a 96-mph four-seam fastball to Chandler Simpson before the speedster poked a single over shortstop to lead off the game.

A walk to Junior Caminero put the Yankees and Cole in a dangerous spot, but Cole got Simpson leaning off second and got him caught in a rundown for the second out before the right-hander struck out Yandy Diaz looking to end the inning.

The right-hander, who was initially expected to make one more minor league rehab start before his return to the Yankees rotation, was certainly major-league ready.

After allowing a leadoff walk in the second, Cole retired the next 10 batters he faced before Cedric Mullins’ one-out single in the fifth.

And he threw hard throughout the outing, consistently hitting 96-plus and topping out at 98.6 mph before Boone went to the bullpen with the Yankees leading, 1-0.

Chet Holmgren Named to NBA All-Defensive First Team

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense on Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the game during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren was considered a top-two defender in the NBA. He only trailed San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, the 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year, for the most total votes by 10, 200-190.

The pair of ‘cream of the crop’ shot blockers are going head-to-head in the Western Conference Finals as you read this. They have disliked each other since the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Riga, Latvia, when USA’s Holmgren won the gold medal over France’s Wembanyama. Holmgren won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award.

The lanky challenger at the rim is coming off an NBA All-Star appearance for the first time in his career. He’s on the chase for a second-straight NBA championship, becoming only the fourth Zag to win an NBA title last summer (Los Angeles Lakers’ Adam Morrison in 2009 and 2010, Miami Heat’s Ronny Turiaf in 2012, and San Antonio Spurs’ Austin Daye in 2014).

Through 69 starts for the Thunder, the 7-1 talent averaged 17.1 points on a shooting split of 55.7 percent from the field, 36.2 percent on three-pointers, and 79.2 percent at the charity stripe. His 8.9 rebounds per game rank tied for No. 11 in the NBA, while his 1.9 blocks per game are tied for No. 2. Most importantly, the world’s up-and-coming basketball star listed a defensive rating of 104.1.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

Gilgeous-Alexander, bench propel Thunder past Spurs 123-108 after historic slow start for 2-1 lead

Gilgeous-Alexander, bench propel Thunder past Spurs 123-108 after historic slow start for 2-1 lead originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder climbed out of a 15-point hole minutes into the game to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in their series.

Jared McCain had 24 points and Jaylin Williams added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder were without Jalen Williams, who sat out with left hamstring soreness.

Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 76-23, including 15 points by Alex Caruso.

Victor Wembanyama had 24 points for San Antonio. Devin Vassell added 20 and De’Aaron Fox had 15 in his series debut.

The Thunder have won two straight after the Spurs’ double-overtime victory in Game 1. Game 4 is Sunday.
Fox (sprained right ankle) and Dylan Harper (right adductor soreness) were cleared to play 45 minutes prior to tipoff.

Fox’s return sparked a historic start.

The Spurs raced to a 15-0 lead, the longest run to open a game in the conference finals since the play-by-play era began in 1997.

Fox opened the run by wrapping in a driving layup and Wembanyama followed by crossing over Isaiah Hartenstein to drill a 3-pointer. Vassell’s 3-pointer put the Spurs up 10-0, leading to an early timeout by Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.

Hartenstein broke the drought with a runner over Wembanyama, but the center was immediately greeted with thunderous boos after his physical play against the Spurs in Game 2.

The Thunder went on a 13-2 run when Wembanyama went to the bench and closed the first quarter trailing 31-26.

It was a pattern the Spurs could not overcome.

The series continued to be chippy with emotions boiling over early in the second half. Stephon Castle hit the court on back-to-back dunk attempts. The second resulted in a flagrant 1 foul against Ajay Mitchell and technical fouls on Mitchell and Vassell after the two exchanged words following the foul.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams extended Oklahoma City’s first lead to 35-31.

Gilgeous-Alexander, bench propel Thunder past Spurs 123-108 after historic slow start for 2-1 lead

Gilgeous-Alexander, bench propel Thunder past Spurs 123-108 after historic slow start for 2-1 lead originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder climbed out of a 15-point hole minutes into the game to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in their series.

Jared McCain had 24 points and Jaylin Williams added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder were without Jalen Williams, who sat out with left hamstring soreness.

Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 76-23, including 15 points by Alex Caruso.

Victor Wembanyama had 24 points for San Antonio. Devin Vassell added 20 and De’Aaron Fox had 15 in his series debut.

The Thunder have won two straight after the Spurs’ double-overtime victory in Game 1. Game 4 is Sunday.
Fox (sprained right ankle) and Dylan Harper (right adductor soreness) were cleared to play 45 minutes prior to tipoff.

Fox’s return sparked a historic start.

The Spurs raced to a 15-0 lead, the longest run to open a game in the conference finals since the play-by-play era began in 1997.

Fox opened the run by wrapping in a driving layup and Wembanyama followed by crossing over Isaiah Hartenstein to drill a 3-pointer. Vassell’s 3-pointer put the Spurs up 10-0, leading to an early timeout by Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.

Hartenstein broke the drought with a runner over Wembanyama, but the center was immediately greeted with thunderous boos after his physical play against the Spurs in Game 2.

The Thunder went on a 13-2 run when Wembanyama went to the bench and closed the first quarter trailing 31-26.

It was a pattern the Spurs could not overcome.

The series continued to be chippy with emotions boiling over early in the second half. Stephon Castle hit the court on back-to-back dunk attempts. The second resulted in a flagrant 1 foul against Ajay Mitchell and technical fouls on Mitchell and Vassell after the two exchanged words following the foul.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams extended Oklahoma City’s first lead to 35-31.