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Mets' bullpen implodes, gives up another big inning in 10-2 loss to Phillies

The Mets played another dreadful game against a division rival, this time losing to the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-2, on Friday night. New York is now one game behind the Phillies for the NL East lead.

Here are the takeaways...

-In just his second career start in the majors, Blade Tidwell faced off against two-time Cy Young award runner-up Zack Wheeler and did well -- matching the former Met by going the first three innings without allowing a run. During that stretch, the 24-year-old gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out three to keep it a scoreless game.

Things got messy for Tidwell to start the fourth after singles by Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto sandwiched a strikeout to put runners on first and second with one out. Following a mound visit by pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, Tidwell lost Bryson Stott to a walk with all four balls not even close. With the bases loaded, New York kept the rookie in for one more batter and the righty got the ground ball he was looking for for a potential inning-ending double play, but the Mets couldn't turn two on the high chopper to third base which resulted in the game's first run.

Tidwell's night was done after that after throwing 74 pitches (43 strikes). Despite not being able to give New York more length, the youngster's second major league start went far better than his first back on May 4 when he allowed six earned runs on nine hits (also in 3.2 innings) against the St. Louis Cardinals.

After Tidwell's exit, the Phillies scored another run in the fourth on Brandon Marsh's RBI single. The run was charged to Tidwell whose final line looked like: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. His ERA went from 14.73 to 9.82 through 7.1 innings.

-On the other side, Wheeler wasn't at his sharpest over his five innings of work, but he kept runs off the board against his former club and struck out eight, including Juan Soto as the tying run with a runner on second base to end his outing.

-With Wheeler out of the game, the Mets went to work immediately on the Phillies' bullpen, namely another former Met in Taijuan Walker. Pete Alonso greeted his former teammate with a solo shot to dead center leading off the inning that cut New York's deficit in half. Jeff McNeil erased it entirely with a solo jack three pitches later as the Mets went back-to-back to tie the game.

-That's where the game stood until the bottom of the seventh inning. Reed Garrett entered to keep things where they were as he's done so well and so often this season, but it turned into a disaster for the reliever. The right-hander allowed back-to-back doubles that gave Philadelphia the lead, walked a batter and then served up a run-scoring single before exiting without recording an out.

Both of Garrett's baserunners came into score against Justin Garza who had a rough inning of his own which included a double, single and a walk. All told, the Phillies scored six runs in the inning -- four charged to Garrett and two to Garza -- as the Mets have made it a habit of allowing crooked innings lately. Garrett's season ERA almost doubled from 1.23 to 2.45 after his outing.

For good measure, Philadelphia tacked on two more in the eighth on Castellanos' two-run homer off Garza who was tasked to finish the game.

-Offensively, the Mets had seven hits and scored just the two runs. During their seven-game losing streak, the offense has gone ice cold, scoring 16 runs during that span and just seven runs over their last four games -- all against NL East opponents.

-Francisco Lindor went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and hasn't had a hit in his last 18 at-bats (five games) which has seen his average drop to .264.

Game MVP: Nick Castellanos

He finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Phillies play the second game of a three-game series on Saturday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on FOX.

RHP Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA) will face RHP Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21 ERA).

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Luke Weaver allows go-ahead runs in return from IL, Yanks fall to Orioles 5-3

The Yankees were defeated by the Baltimore Orioles, 5-3, on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Here are some takeaways...

- Both offenses have been up-and-down of late, but they came out flying in this one. The Orioles loaded the bases and struck for two thanks to a Gary Sanchez single in the first, but the Yankees answered right back and evened things up on a Jazz ChisholmJr. RBI knock and Jasson Dominguez sac fly in the bottom half.

Both Chisholm and Dominguez were able to reach base twice on the night.

- New York jumped in front a few innings later on an Aaron Judge solo homer on his bobblehead night -- it was his 27th long ball of the season and the 48th of his career against Baltimore, which is the most by any player against any opponent since 2017.

Judge was on-base four times on the night with a homer, single, and a pair of walks.

- Max Fried found a feel for his pitches and settled in nicely after his rocky first inning. The ace southpaw went into cruise control as he picked up five punchouts and settled the next nine hitters in order before allowing a two-out double to Coby Mayo in the fourth -- he struck out the next batter to strand him there.

But the Orioles pushed men into scoring position again in back-to-back innings. Fried stranded Jackson Holiday after he walked and then stole second in the fifth, but Baltimore broke through in the sixth as three straight softly hit singles evened things back up at three.

After the lefty talked his way into staying in the game, he retired the next two Orioles to escape further damage and end his night with a final line of three runs allowed on seven hits and seven punchouts over six innings -- his ERA is now at 2.05 on the year.

- After Jonathan Loáisiga put together a scoreless top of the seventh, Luke Weaver entered and was greeted rudely in his return from the injured list. Ramón Urias lifted a solo homer just over a leaping Judge into the short porch, putting Baltimore back in front for the first time since the first inning.

Weaver would allow two more singles and was pulled with two on and two outs in the inning -- Tim Hill allowed another run to score before ending the inning.

- The Yanks offense had numerous opportunities, but they weren't able to scratch anything across against the Baltimore bullpen. Hard-throwing right-hander Felix Bautista put the finishing touches on, recording his ninth consecutive scoreless appearance.

- Anthony Volpe's recent struggles at the plate continued -- he went 0-for-4 with a pair of ugly looking strikeouts, pushing his hitless streak to 24 at-bats dating back to last Saturday's loss against the Red Sox.

- New York has now lost seven of their last eight, and their lead in the AL East is down to 1.5 games.

- They are now 8-12 against their divisional opponents thus far this season, and 35-20 against everyone else.

Game MVP: Ramón Urias

He went just 1-for-5 on the night, but his one knock was the big one against Weaver in the eighth.

Highlights

What's next

The Yanks and O's continue this three-game set in the Bronx on Saturday at 1:05 p.m.

Clarke Schmidt (3-3, 3.16 ERA) takes the ball against right-hander Zach Eflin (6-3, 4.81 ERA).

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Angels manager Ron Washington out indefinitely because of health concerns

MLB: New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels

May 26, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington (37) sits in the dugout prior to the game against the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington will be out indefinitely because of health issues, and bench coach Ray Montgomery will manage Friday night’s series opener against the Houston Astros.

Washington, 73, experienced shortness of breath and appeared fatigued toward the end of a four-game series against the Yankees. He was cleared by Yankees doctors to fly home with the team Thursday night and underwent a series of medical tests on Friday.

General manager Perry Minasian announced Washington’s status before the game.

The Angels did not specify what symptoms Washington is experiencing, but said the manager was able to address the team in the clubhouse along with Minasian on Friday, and he was planning to watch the game from the GM’s Angel Stadium suite. Washington was not made available to the media.

“Wash has not felt great the last couple of days,” Minasian said. “We want to make sure he’s 100% before he’s back in the dugout and managing. How long it’s going to take, I don’t know. I don’t expect it to be too long.

“We all know how important this is for all of us, but health is more important than anything, and me personally, I’m not letting him back in the dugout until I know he’s 100% OK. I love the guy too much.”

Washington, who managed the Texas Rangers to back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, was hired by Minasian before a 2024 season in which the Angels lost a franchise-record 99 games.

The Angels entered Friday night’s game at 36-38 —- 6 1/2 games behind the Astros in the AL West. The Angels are 15-6 in one-run games, a major league-best .714 winning percentage, and 5-0 in extra innings.

“He wants to manage–I don’t know if he’s ever missed a game–but at the end of the day, you have to make tough decisions,” Minasian said. “For me, I want to make sure the guy is absolutely healthy, and physically, he’s in the right place before we put him back in the dugout.

“We play some close games. They’re not the types of games you can sit back, kick your feet up and just watch. They’re pretty tight games, stressful games, and I want to make sure he’s good to go health-wise before he gets back in the dugout.”

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Kraken Announce Two-Year, One-Way Contract With Cale Fleury

Seattle Kraken defenseman Cale Fleury (8) warms up before a game against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

The Seattle Kraken have re-signed Cale Fleury to a two-year, one-way deal carrying an $890,000 average annual value.

The 26-year-old defenseman has been with the Kraken organization since the 2021-22 season, playing 36 games in the NHL, recording two assists. The majority of his Kraken tenure has been spent with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL, where he's scored  14 goals and 62 points in 104 games. 

Fleury recorded his highest game tally with the Kraken this year, skating in 14 games and averaging 12:52 of ice time. Fleury was consistently the first defenseman the Kraken would call up to replace any injured or ill Kraken defenseman.

Listed at 6'1, 204 lbs, the former third-round pick (87th overall) of the Montreal Canadiens has become a safe option for the Kraken to call up when needed, and it's why he's earned a one-way contract. The contract, being a one-way contract, is an important piece of business for Fleury. For Fleury to play in the AHL, he'd need to clear waivers, like John Hayden and Ben Meyers, who recently signed one-way contracts with the Kraken as well.

The Kraken have made quick work of a lot of minor deals prior to the opening of free agency, which should allow them to put their focus on other free agents and their own restricted free agents, which are headlined by Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans and Tye Kartye. 

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

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Dave Roberts suspended one game by MLB for actions during Dodgers-Padres game

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 19, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Dodgers manager gestures at Padres manager Mike Shildt after benches cleared in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 5-3 loss Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will serve a one-game suspension Friday night against the Nationals after Thursday’s benches-clearing altercation against the San Diego Padres.

In addition to the suspension, Major League Baseball announced Roberts was fined an undisclosed amount. Padres manager Mike Shildt also was suspended one game and fined, and Padres right-handed pitcher Robert Suarez was suspended three games and fined for “intentionally hitting” Shohei Ohtani with a pitch in the ninth inning.

Read more:Contentious Dodgers-Padres series ends with benches clearing and managers ejected

“I support it. I think that obviously, I never want to make the game about the managers, it shouldn’t be,” Roberts said Friday. “It should be about the players and winning.”

He continued: “It unfortunately came to a point where we became the focus and that’s not the way it should be.”

Bench coach Danny Lehmann will manage the Dodgers against the Nationals.

The back-and-forth animosity on the field came to a peak Thursday when Dodgers relief pitcher Jack Little hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch in the ninth inning.

Shildt exited the dugout and pointed at Roberts, causing the Dodgers manager to charge toward home plate. Roberts bumped Shildt, causing the benches to clear and bullpens to empty. Both managers were ejected.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Brad Marchand Sends Message To Rangers About Niko Mikkola

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, Brad Marchand sent a message to the New York Rangers. 

Marchand took a photo of many of his Panthers teammates and thanked opposing NHL teams for essentially giving up on certain players and allowing them to come to Florida. 

That includes Niko Mikkola who once played for the New York Rangers. Marchand posted a picture of Mikkola with a caption that read “THANKS @NYRANGERS.”

Mikkola was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Rangers in February of 2023 and he played in just 31 games for the Rangers. 

A few months later during the offseason, Mikkola signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract and has helped the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups. 

Why The Rangers Can't Do What The Panthers CanWhy The Rangers Can't Do What The Panthers CanAs the Stanley Cup was paraded around Amerant Bank Arena by the two-time champion Florida Panthers, a Ranger fan could not be faulted for asking: "Why not us?"

Through the Panthers’ 2025 playoff run en route to winning the Stanley Cup, the 29-year-old recorded three goals, three assists, and six points while averaging 20:13 minutes per game.

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Red Wings Could Be Circling Islanders’ Noah Dobson in Trade Talks

New York Islanders exploring options for defenceman Noah Dobson with Detroit being a potential destination

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The Red Wings head into the offseason looking to upgrade several areas of their lineup, with help on the blueline high on their list as a deep pool of talent is available in this year’s free agent market.

Luckily for Detroit, another big name looks like they will be joining the picture as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman explained on his podcast 32 Thoughts that the New York Islanders are testing the market on restricted free agent Noah Dobson. 

The 25-year-old Summerside native has stood out in recent seasons, peaking with 10 goals and 60 assists for 70 points just a year ago. However, he experienced a significant drop this past season, posting only 39 points, his lowest total in four years. A change of scenery may be the right move for the former 12th overall pick back in 2018, and the Islanders could command a strong return in a trade. 

More NHL:Should Detroit Go All-In For Canucks' Brock Boeser?

That said, time is a factor as if the team waits too long, rival clubs could present offer sheets for Dobson, potentially reducing the return to draft pick compensation based on the value of the contract offered. New York is currently testing the market for the young defenceman to see what more they can get besides draft picks and this could open the door for Detroit to make a move. 

The Islanders were middle of the pack defensively last season but their offence looks to be the team's biggest problem as they finished bottom five in goals per game. The Red Wings have plenty of players that would be able to slide into a middle-six role for the Islanders as well as a very deep prospect pool and draft capital with four first-round picks over the next three seasons. 

A potential trade package featuring forward J.T. Compher, typically a 30-50 point producer, along with 24-year-old NHL-ready prospect Jonatan Berggren and additional draft picks, should be enough to land the Red Wings a defenceman for the future.

More Red Wings: Red Wings’ Potential Buyout Targets Ahead of Key Offseason Window

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Mets’ Sean Manaea extremely sharp, Mark Vientos drives in three as rehab continues in Syracuse

Two of the injured Mets showed some positive signs in Syracuse on Friday. 

Sean Manaea took the next step in his rehab assignment -- making the jump up to Triple-A after putting together three up-and-down outings with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. 

The southpaw was very sharp this time out -- allowing one run on two hits while issuing zero free passes and striking out seven over 5.1 innings in the first game of a double-dip with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. 

The lone run came in on an RBI groundout in his first inning of work, but then he cruised from there -- setting down the next 15 hitters he faced, including a stretch of four consecutive strikeouts.

Manaea finished his day with an efficient 62 pitches and 45 strikes to bring his ERA down to 1.69 in four outings.

He'll likely have one or two more appearances before returning, as, according to Mike Puma of the NY Post, the tentative plan is for the lefty to slot back into the Mets' rotation during the first week of July.

Mark Vientos also enjoyed a nice day in what was his second appearance with Syracuse. 

The young power hitter struck out and then flew out in each of his first two at-bats, but then stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth and was finally able to do some damage. 

Vientos worked the count to 2-2 before lining a low changeup into the right-center field gap to clear the bases and make it a tie ballgame -- he ended up being stranded a batter later when Drew Gilbert lined out. 

He flew out and then grounded out during his final two at-bats, but it was still very encouraging to see him battle and then deliver the big two-out, game-tying hit.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said pregame Friday that the current plan is for Vientos to remain with Syracuse through this weekend, and if all goes well he could potentially be an option as soon as Monday.

Other Notes

- Prior to the game being suspended, top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat was on the hill for Syracuse and he allowed three runs to score on a long Matt Mervis homer during his lone inning of work.

- Power-hitting utility man Luke Ritter has been on fire thus far in June and he also continued that on Friday -- picking up three hits, including a solo homer in the bottom of the second.

- Travis Jankowski has gotten off to a bit of a slow start since returning to the organization, but he had his hands all over this one -- picking up three knocks of his own, including a grand slam in the seventh.

- Recently signed right-hander Julian Merryweather worked around a leadoff double and two-out walk in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the victory -- he now has a pair of scoreless appearances thus far.

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New Draft 25 Event And NHL 26 Rewards In NHL 25 HUT

New Draft 25 cards and NHL 26 Rewards are available in NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team.

The 96 overall master set players are James Hagens, Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, Victor Eklund, and Porter Martone. 

Each master set costs three 93+ NHL Draft cards and any two 93+ cards. 

A 93+ NHL Draft card costs three 91+ NHL draft players, a 91+ card costs any three 89+ cards. 

There are also NHL Draft Collectible sets where players can trade in 30 event collectibles for a 95 BND Draft Player, a 93 UT players, a tradeable 91 player, or players can trade 40 collectibles for 4x 89+ players.  

This event also allows players to earn rewards that will be redeemable in NHL 26.  

You can earn packs in NHL 26 by opening a pack, playing three games with NHL Draft Event Players, and playing 10 games with Draft Event Players. 

This is a fantastic way to bring players to HUT later in the games cycle and motivate people for NHL 26. 

More info can be found in the slide in the video above, by scanning the QR code, or visiting the EA NHL news page.  

All new cards are pictured in the video above.

For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.  

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What we learned as Giants' offense fails to deliver big hit in loss to Red Sox

What we learned as Giants' offense fails to deliver big hit in loss to Red Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – A day that began with questions swirling about how Rafael Devers would handle facing his former team five days after being traded away ended with more questions. Not about Devers so much as the state of the entire team following the Giants’ 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Oracle Park.

Specifically, the pitching.

Manager Bob Melvin had to reach deep into San Francisco’s bullpen after starter Hayden Birdsong got knocked out of the game in the fifth inning. Birdsong wasn’t nearly as sharp as he has been, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings.

There wasn’t a whole lot of relief from the bullpen, either.

Sean Hjelle allowed two hits and one run in his one inning of work. Erik Miller retired two batters before giving way to Joey Lucchesi, who gave up a run and got one out.

Things weren’t that much better for the offense.

Two of the Giants runs came on double plays, earning Christian Koss a place in history. Koss grounded into both and became the third player in major league baseball over the last 50 years to ground into two bases-loaded double plays that scored a run in the same game.

Heliot Ramos and Casey Schmitt had two hits apiece. Willy Adames reached base three times and scored a pair of runs, and Patrick Bailey walked three times

In spite of everything the Giants had a chance to make things a lot more interesting with two outs in the eighth before Mike Yatsrzemski struck out swinging with the bases loaded.

The Giants scored off Boston starter Hunter Dobbins early and led 3-0 after two innings before Boston’s bats woke up.

The Red Sox got a two-run home run by David Hamilton in the third, tied the game on Cedanne Rafaela’s single in the fourth then scored twice in the fifth to lead for good.

Here are the takeaways from Friday:

DEVERS FACES FORMER TEAM

The newest Giant star has been treated like royalty since arriving in town, and Friday’s game against his former team wasn’t much different.

Devers received a standing ovation from the Oracle Park crowd when he strolled to the plate for his first at-bat that ended in a groundout to first.

There wasn’t as much fanfare for Devers’ second AB but he gave the fans a jolt with a deep drive to left-center that Rafaela caught before bouncing into the wall in center field.

In the fifth inning Devers grounded into a fielder’s choice that got Ramos into scoring position before Wilmer Flores’ RBI single. Devers came up as the tying run in the seventh and flew out to center, then struck out swinging against Aroldis Chapman in the ninth.

An O-for night is never good but the energy at Oracle Park is definitely different with Devers in the lineup.

NO DEFENDING BAD DEFENSE

The fifth inning looked more like something out of a Bad News Bears movie rather than a professional baseball game due to the wacky defense the Giants put on display.

Center fielder Jung Hoo Lee fielded Roman Anthony’s single and tried to throw home to get Jalen Duran but the throw was short and off target. Catcher Patrick Bailey grabbed the ball and went to throw to second as Anthony neared the bag but Bailey’s throw sailed into center field.

Boston’s next batter, Abraham Toro, hit a grounder to right that went underneath the glove of second baseman Christian Koss for a run-scoring error.

BIRDSONG BLUES

Birdsong has had varying levels of success since being promoted to the rotation, and that was the case when he toed the rubber against the Red Sox Friday.

The right-hander gave up seven hits and five runs (four earned) before he was chased from the game with one out in the fifth inning after three of the four batters he faced reached safely.

The ending was in stark contrast to how Birdsong’s day began. The right-hander’s fastball was clocking in at the mid-90s in the early-going and helped the starter retire the first seven Red Sox batters before Rafaela’s double broke up the no-hit bid.

Part of the problem was Birdsong’s control. Although he walked only one, Birdsong threw 85 pitches (34 for balls) while getting only 13 outs. That continued a trend of high pitch counts and shortened outings that have plagued the pitcher over his last five starts.

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Behind Wheeler and massive 7th inning, Phils beat Mets and grab sole NL East lead

Behind Wheeler and massive 7th inning, Phils beat Mets and grab sole NL East lead  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies poured on the runs in the seventh inning and extended a miserable run for the Mets on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Behind Zack Wheeler and a six-run seventh, the Phils earned a 10-2 victory over the Mets in the series opener. They grabbed sole possession of first place in the NL East and moved to 46-30 this season. New York dipped to 45-31 with a seventh consecutive loss. 

Wheeler tossed five scoreless innings, scattering four hits, walking three and striking out eight. 

The Mets loaded the bases in the top of the first inning through a Brandon Nimmo single and walks by Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. Wheeler prevented any immediate damage by inducing a Jeff McNeil double-play ball. 

While Wheeler’s command remained a bit worse than his excellent norm — he needed 61 pitches to complete three innings — the Phils’ ace otherwise mowed down the Mets. Over the third and fourth innings, Wheeler racked up five strikeouts. 

Mets righty Blade Tidwell fared well in the early stages of his second big-league start. He retired the first five Phillies hitters and threw strikes on 15 of his first 19 pitches.

Tidwell didn’t finish the fourth inning and the Phils pulled in front. 

Nick Castellanos and J.T Realmuto singled, Bryson Stott walked, and Otto Kemp got a bases-loaded opportunity with one out. He just about cashed in, hitting a chopper to third base, hustling to first and avoiding a double play. Tidwell exited and lefty Jose Castillo entered to face Brandon Marsh, who built the Phillies’ lead to 2-0 with an opposite-field RBI single. 

Wheeler wiped out a two-out Mets threat in the fifth inning. With Nimmo on second base, he appeared to have struck Soto out. However, Soto received a generous-looking check swing call to stay alive in the at-bat. Wheeler made sure it didn’t matter, throwing a sharp 3-2 sweeper that Soto whiffed at. 

After turning to their bullpen, the Phils’ advantage disappeared.

Alonso crushed a leadoff solo shot to center field off of Taijuan Walker and McNeil followed by smashing a middle-of-the-plate splitter over the right-field wall. Not Walker’s finest hour in a middle-relief role. 

Tanner Banks replaced Walker and provided some stability with 1 and 2/3 scoreless innings. Kemp chipped in a couple of nice defensive plays at first base, leaping to catch a Tyrone Taylor jam shot in foul territory and snagging a Soto one-hopper to his backhand side. 

Marsh kicked off the bottom of the seventh by lining a double down the left-field line. Trea Turner dinked a two-bagger to right, Alec Bohm and Castellanos kept the Phils’ rally rolling with base hits, and the game was suddenly much less tense.

The most memorable play of the inning was Stott’s one-out, bases-clearing double off the left-center wall. Realmuto was close to clipping Castellanos’ heels, but both slid in safely — simultaneously, almost — and the Phils went up 8-2. 

“I basically made a decision rounding third base,” Realmuto said. “In my head, I was like, ‘We’re either going to both be out or both be safe.’ Luckily, we both snuck in there.” 

Realmuto couldn’t recall ever being part of a similar play as a catcher.

“It kind of felt like playing a Little League game,” he said. “Even getting back into the dugout, everyone was laughing and having fun with it. Just a different scenario than you usually see in a game. To be able to have that fun … it was a special moment.” 

When he nailed a two-run dinger in the eighth, Castellanos had the luxury of jogging around the bases.

“Hitting’s contagious and when you’ve got the momentum going like that and everyone’s rolling, it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

The Phillies will try to lock down a series win Saturday night. Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21 ERA) is set to face the Mets’ Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA).

Harper swinging again 

Bryce Harper took a step forward Friday in his rehab from the right wrist injury that’s kept him out since June 5. 

“I felt good today,” Harper told reporters pregame. “I threw and that felt good, and then I took 20 dry swings and 20 off the tee. Felt better than I thought it was, so I’m happy about that.”

Harper is unsure why his wrist pain returned, though he noted “there’s no structural issues” and he “won’t need surgery or anything like that.”

“We haven’t really gotten too many answers about it,” Harper said. “It’s been pretty sporadic I guess, trying to get some answers on stuff. Obviously, there’s a lot of inflammation in there. Just try to calm that down as best we can and do the best we can with that.”

He’s hopeful that the rest and rehab enables him to come back without pain. 

As for a return timeline, Harper doesn’t have anything firm yet. 

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s the first day swinging a bat, so I’ve just got to see how it feels tomorrow, see if we can progress. Once we do, then I’ll ramp up and see where I am.”

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Behind Wheeler and massive 7th inning, Phils beat Mets and grab sole NL East lead

Behind Wheeler and massive 7th inning, Phils beat Mets and grab sole NL East lead  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies poured on the runs in the seventh inning and extended a miserable run for the Mets on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Behind Zack Wheeler and a six-run seventh, the Phils earned a 10-2 victory over the Mets in the series opener. They grabbed sole first possession of first place in the NL East and moved to 46-30 this season. New York dipped to 45-31 with a seventh consecutive loss. 

Wheeler tossed five scoreless innings, scattering four hits, walking three and striking out eight. 

The Mets loaded the bases in the top of the first inning through a Brandon Nimmo single and walks by Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. Wheeler prevented any immediate damage by inducing a Jeff McNeil double-play ball. 

While Wheeler’s command remained a bit worse than his excellent norm — he needed 61 pitches to complete three innings — the Phils’ ace otherwise mowed down the Mets. Over the third and fourth innings, Wheeler racked up five strikeouts. 

Mets righty Blade Tidwell fared well in the early stages of his second big-league start. He retired the first five Phillies hitters and threw strikes on 15 of his first 19 pitches.

Tidwell didn’t finish the fourth inning and the Phils pulled in front. 

Nick Castellanos and J.T Realmuto singled, Bryson Stott walked, and Otto Kemp got a bases-loaded opportunity with one out. He just about cashed in, hitting a chopper to third base, hustling to first and avoiding a double play. Tidwell exited and lefty Jose Castillo entered to face Brandon Marsh, who built the Phillies’ lead to 2-0 with an opposite-field RBI single. 

Wheeler wiped out a two-out Mets threat in the fifth inning. With Nimmo on second base, he appeared to have struck Soto out. However, Soto received a generous-looking check swing call to stay alive in the at-bat. Wheeler made sure it didn’t matter, throwing a sharp 3-2 sweeper that Soto whiffed at. 

After turning to their bullpen, the Phils’ advantage disappeared.

Alonso crushed a leadoff solo shot to center field off of Taijuan Walker and McNeil followed by smashing a middle-of-the-plate splitter over the right-field wall. Not Walker’s finest hour in a middle-relief role. 

Tanner Banks replaced Walker and provided some stability with 1 and 2/3 scoreless innings. Kemp chipped in a couple of nice defensive plays at first base, leaping to catch a Tyrone Taylor jam shot in foul territory and snagging a Soto one-hopper to his backhand side. 

Marsh kicked off the bottom of the seventh by lining a double down the left-field line. Trea Turner dinked a two-bagger to right, Alec Bohm and Castellanos kept the Phils’ rally rolling with base hits, and the game was suddenly much less tense.

The most memorable play of the inning was Stott’s one-out, bases-clearing double off the left-center wall. Realmuto was close to clipping Castellanos’ heels, but both slid in safely — simultaneously, almost — and the Phils went up 8-2. 

When he nailed a two-run dinger in the eighth, Castellanos had the luxury of jogging around the bases.

The Phillies will try to lock down a series win Saturday night. Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21 ERA) is set to face the Mets’ Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA).

Harper swinging again 

Bryce Harper took a step forward Friday in his rehab from the right wrist injury that’s kept him out since June 5. 

“I felt good today,” Harper told reporters pregame. “I threw and that felt good, and then I took 20 dry swings and 20 off the tee. Felt better than I thought it was, so I’m happy about that.”

Harper is unsure why his wrist pain returned, though he noted “there’s no structural issues” and he “won’t need surgery or anything like that.”

“We haven’t really gotten too many answers about it,” Harper said. “It’s been pretty sporadic I guess, trying to get some answers on stuff. Obviously, there’s a lot of inflammation in there. Just try to calm that down as best we can and do the best we can with that.”

He’s hopeful that the rest and rehab enables him to come back without pain. 

As for a return timeline, Harper doesn’t have anything firm yet. 

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s the first day swinging a bat, so I’ve just got to see how it feels tomorrow, see if we can progress. Once we do, then I’ll ramp up and see where I am.”

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Giants insider explains why Kyle Harrison should excite Red Sox fans

Giants insider explains why Kyle Harrison should excite Red Sox fans originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The drama around Rafael Devers’ departure from the Boston Red Sox has overshadowed the trade that sent him to the San Francisco Giants. What about the players Boston received in the blockbuster deal?

The Red Sox acquired left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, minor-league outfielder James Tibbs III, and minor-league righty Jose Bello in exchange for their homegrown slugger. While Harrison and Hicks should be able to help the big-league club this season, Red Sox fans can’t help but wonder if they could have gotten more for a player of Devers’ caliber.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Giants insider Alex Pavlovic shared his thoughts on the Red Sox’ return during Friday’s Early Edition.

“I was a little surprised by the overall return,” Pavlovic said. “I think just from what I know about this team and their system, I think it was a little bit light, probably.

“Having said that, I am a huge fan of Kyle Harrison, and I know the Giants are as well. He’s about a year and three months removed from being the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball.”

Indeed, Harrison was MLB’s No. 1 ranked left-handed pitching prospect heading into the 2024 season. The 22-year-old posted an underwhelming 4.56 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 24 starts, but those numbers were partially tainted by nagging injuries.

“Just some context on his career here: He looked really, really good when he came up in 2023. He looked like a future star here,” Pavlovic added. “Last year, he tried to pitch through an ankle injury and tried to help these guys because they needed the rotation help, and that led to some shoulder inflammation and really just set him back the second half of last year and put him in a tough spot in the offseason.

“But he did come back last month. He was throwing 96, 97 (mph), looked like the Kyle we saw two years ago. I will say, I mean, he is as mature a young man as I’ve ever covered here. So I think he’s gonna be a good one, I think the Red Sox did very well there. The rest of the package, they probably could have done a little bit better.”

Harrison’s boasts an outstanding high-90s fastball, but the Red Sox optioned him to Triple-A Worcester to work on the rest of his pitching repertoire. A reliable third pitch would help him immensely as he aims to work his way into Boston’s starting rotation.

As for the rest of the return, the hard-throwing Hicks spent his first seven MLB seasons as a reliever before joining the Giants starting rotation in 2024. He hasn’t fared well as a starter, compiling a 4.83 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 42 appearances (29 starts) over his one-and-a-half seasons in San Francisco. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Hicks will come out of Boston’s bullpen when he returns from the injured list.

Tibbs was the 13th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, one pick after the Red Sox’ selection of fellow outfielder Braden Montgomery, who was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of the offseason Garrett Crochet trade. The 22-year-old was San Francisco’s No. 3 prospect and hit .246 with 12 homers, 32 RBI, 42 walks and 45 strikeouts in 57 games for High-A Eugene this season.

Bello, 20, was signed by the Giants as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2023. He recorded a 2.00 ERA across eight rookie-ball appearances (18 innings) this season, striking out 28 batters and walking three.

Trading an elite hitter like Devers typically would bring a bigger haul, but the Red Sox managed to dump all of the $254 million remaining on Devers’ contract. Rather than focusing on the best possible return, Breslow and Co. jumped at the opportunity to get Devers’ money off the books.

Devers will play his first game against his former team Friday night when the Red Sox and Giants begin a three-game series at Oracle Park.