Jack Studnicka and Nolan Foote, a pair of two-way forwards signed this off-season, could be valued additions to the Florida Panthers organization at both the NHL and AHL levels.
The Charlotte Checkers have aspirations of working their way back to the Calder Cup finals. Although their top scorer, John Leonard, one of their top prospects, Justin Sourdif, and veteran Rasmus Asplund have left the organization, the team believes it possesses the depth to overcome the departures.
Jack Devine, the Panthers' top prospect, is expected to play the 2025-26 season with the Checkers, which will be a major boost. Additionally, Gracyn Sawchyn and Hunter St. Martin should provide young scoring.
The most impactful moves may come from off-season signings. Studnicka and Foote are skilled wingers who, although they haven't translated all too well at the NHL level, have been efficient AHL producers.
Studnicka was a second-round pick (53rd overall) to the Boston Bruins in the 2017 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-1, right-handed winger has scored 57 goals and 162 points in 255 career AHL games, but has also notched six goals and 16 points in 107 NHL games.
At the AHL level, Studnicka's skill and speed thrive, but at the NHL level, he's struggled to carve out a role. Studnicka can fit into the Panthers' bottom-six if needed throughout the season, but evidence has proven that he is better suited for the AHL game.
Foote, on the other hand, hasn't been given a real chance in the NHL yet, due to playing on a deeply skilled New Jersey Devils team. Throughout his AHL career, the 24-year-old has recorded 62 goals and 129 points in 191 games. In the NHL, he's scored six goals and nine points in 30 games.
Foote was a first-round pick (27th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 NHL Draft. Injuries halted his development in the 2023-24 season, but there appears to be a scoring touch that hasn't been tapped into at the NHL level just yet.
It's unlikely that Studnicka or Foote make too many appearances with the Panthers throughout the season, and when they do, their role will likely be limited. But strong AHL campaigns could earn them extensions and help the Checkers find success once again.
As the Montreal Canadiens take the next step in their rebuild, you can expect to see a change in attitude from coach Martin St-Louis towards specific players. Last season, many fans complained that the bench boss was too harsh on Arber Xhekaj, making him pay dearly for mistakes, but that’s what happens when a team is not just looking for development but also for results.
We saw St-Louis have a similar attitude toward Patrik Laine at the tail end of the season. The big Finn wasn’t buying what the coach was selling, so he paid in ice time and opportunities—finding himself skating on the fourth line and off the first power play. Laine had had enough time to adapt, and eventually, the coach turned up the accountability setting on his account, which makes sense.
This upcoming season, there are a couple of players who will be candidates for increased accountability. First and foremost, Juraj Slafkovsky. Why? Simply because while he is still only 21 years old, the power forward now has 200 NHL games under his belt, and it’s time to take the next step. Plus, St-Louis now has something he must have been craving for ages: options.
The arrival of Ivan Demidov means that if the big Slovak doesn’t deliver, the coach has a ready-made option to replace him on the top line. In previous years, the Canadiens didn’t have a player who could have ridden shotgun with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, but now they do.
Should Slafkovsky struggle out of the gates as he has done in the past, he will be met with a very different reaction. St-Louis will be less patient with him, and that’s perfectly fine. There comes a time when a coach needs to stop shielding a player.
The Canadiens have been patient with Slafkovsky so far and have helped him develop the parts of his game they believe will be the key to his success in the NHL. He wasn’t drafted to be a points-producing machine, but to play the role of a bona fide power forward. The left winger now knows and understands this, as evidenced by his comments to the media last season about having to play more like Brady Tkachuk to be successful in the NHL.
Slafkovsky demonstrated last season that he can adapt to the team's expectations and play the way the team needs him to, but he needs to dig deep and find a way to do it consistently. If he doesn’t, Demidov will be waiting in the wings to get a chance to skate alongside Suzuki and Caufield.
Furthermore, the fans will likely start grumbling now that he will be entering the first year of his eight-year, big-money contract. We’ve seen some complain about what they considered to be an unsatisfactory points output, but the big contract will mean more intense scrutiny on what he does on the ice daily.
Kirby Dach will be another candidate for increased accountability. As the big center enters his contract year, St-Louis will be a lot less tolerant. He was last season and shielded the player by pleading with the media that patience was needed, given the fact that the pivot was coming back from a serious injury.
However, at the end of the season, when Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes spoke to the media, it became evident that the team was not impressed with the shape he was in when he reported for camp.
Dach is now 24 and will be entering his fourth season with the Canadiens. Injuries or not, it’s time for him to deliver. While he will more than likely be given another chance at centering the second line, which he likely wouldn’t have had if the Habs had been able to find another option on the trade market, he can’t expect St-Louis to be as patient as he was in the past.
The Canadiens took a step forward last season by making the playoffs, and they’ll want to build on that. Furthermore, he will likely skate alongside Demidov on the second line, and there’s absolutely no doubt that St-Louis and company will want the rookie to be put in winning condition. Having an underperforming center is not what the Russian phenom needs.
While there wouldn’t be an option as obvious to replace Dach as there is to replace Slafkovsky, the coach would still have to make a move, be it giving Zachary Bolduc a shot at center or Oliver Kapanen a shot on the second line.
The Canadiens are improving, and with that come higher expectations. It’s perfectly normal and something players cannot be shielded from indefinitely.
Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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Welcome back to another Vancouver Canucks 2024–25 report card. In this series, The Hockey News - Canucks site discusses the 2024–25 seasons of active Canucks who played at least 10 games with Vancouver. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how Elias Pettersson (D) performed in the 2024–25 season.
Pettersson was one of the biggest surprises of the 2024–25 season for the Canucks. This season was his first with the Abbotsford Canucks, where he was expected to stay for at least the year to hone his game. The 2022 third-round pick started the season in Abbotsford, racking up two assists in his first five games with the team.
While he did spend the first half of the season in the AHL, clearly, his NHL debut was imminent. His performance during the first few months of his career in Abbotsford earned him a spot at the 2025 AHL All-Star Challenge, though Ty Mueller skated in his place as Pettersson was busy playing with the Canucks at the time. February 15, 2025, marked his final AHL game of the season. He finished his AHL season with a goal and 12 assists in 38 games.
Pettersson made his NHL debut on January 25, 2025, in a 2–1 home victory for Vancouver against the Washington Capitals. He recorded his first NHL point two games later against the Detroit Red Wings and scored his first NHL goal on April 5 against the Anaheim Ducks. However, what impressed people the most about Pettersson was his calm but confident demeanour on the ice — something that isn’t very common for a 21-year-old prospect who has less than 40 games worth of AHL experience.
Another aspect of Pettersson’s game that helped him stick in the lineup was his willingness to throw his body around and stand up for his team. Again, as a young rookie, it’s not often that players would get into skirmmishes within the first few games of their NHL career. With that being said, Pettersson stepped up to the plate even during his first couple of NHL games, making solid hits and even defending his own teammates. He even got into his first NHL fight on April 10, taking on Colorado Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor in a 4–1 win.
By the end of the 2024–25 season, Pettersson carved himself out a full-time position within the Canucks’ D-core. His success in the NHL made Carson Soucy expendable, leading to the veteran defenceman’s trade only a day before the NHL Trade Deadline. His demeanour, style of play, and positive impression on the team have earned him an A for the 2024–25 season.
As it stands, it looks as though Vancouver will be bringing back the same blueline that they iced in 2024–25, as Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, Marcus Pettersson, and Derek Forbort are all under contract with the team next year. Pettersson is an early favourite to start in the sixth and final spot on Vancouver’s blueline; however, that doesn’t mean he is without competition. Victor Mancini (right-shot) and free agent-signing Pierre-Olivier Joseph (left-shot) could also push for a spot during training camp in the fall.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
On July 17, 2025, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov requested a trade, according to a statement published by his agent, Shumi Babaev.
Babaev posted a statement from Chinakhov on X, which read:
“I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here.”
Yegor Chinakhov: I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here @BlueJacketsNHLpic.twitter.com/DQ1qU2oHFb
The announcement sparked immediate speculation about where Chinakhov might land. Among the potential rumored suitors? The New Jersey Devils.
At 24 years old, Chinakhov brings size [6'1"], speed, and a high hockey IQ. His shot placement and skating ability make him an intriguing addition for any team looking to boost offensive depth, particularly on the right wing.
Of course, New Jersey isn’t the only team being floated. Chinakhov has also been linked to the Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs as possible destinations.
Babaev stated that he is in active communication with Blue Jackets management and emphasized that Chinakhov’s desire to move is mutual and understood:
“I always stand by the player, especially in this case, and I understand that Yegor’s desire to be traded did not come out of nowhere.”
I always stand by the player—especially in this case—and I understand that Yegor’s desire to be traded did not come out of nowhere.
“However, we are fully aware that there is an active contract in place, and if Yegor’s request for a trade does not materialize, he will continue to give 120 percent in fulfilling his responsibilities.”
Babaev’s player-first approach has earned him trust amongst players. He currently represents six NHL players, including two on the Colorado Avalanche, one on the Philadelphia Flyers, one on the Pittsburgh Penguins, and notably, Arseni Gritsyuk of the New Jersey Devils.
While the connection doesn’t guarantee anything, it certainly helps to have a familiar relationship between the agent and the front office when a player is exploring trade options.
Chinakhov is entering the second year of a two-year, $4.2 million contract ($2.1 million AAV). That’s a manageable number for a team like the Devils, if they can make the cap work. New Jersey is nearing the salary cap ceiling, with less than $7 million in space remaining, and they still need to sign Luke Hughes.
In the end, Chinakhov to the Devils isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but it’s also far from certain. Cap constraints and other roster needs may push the Devils to look elsewhere. Still, imagining Chinakhov in red and black raises an interesting question: how would he fit in, and could he thrive in New Jersey’s system?
Angels closer Kenley Jansen reacts after a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 18. Should the Dodgers try to pull off a reunion with Jansen? (Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
Kenley Jansen signed his first professional contract with the Dodgers 21 years ago. He was Clayton Kershaw’s catcher in rookie ball. He has been honored as an All-Star four times. He has saved more games than all but three men in major league history, all of them Hall of Famers. He won a World Series with the Dodgers.
For all that Jansen has accomplished in his two decades in pro ball, there is one thing he has not experienced: He never has been traded.
That could happen in the coming days, with baseball’s trade deadline next Thursday. As we talked about that possibility Friday at Angel Stadium, and about how the sport can be a cold business at times, he dropped 11 words that stood out.
“I thought,” he said, “I would play my whole career with the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers are urgently shopping for right-handed relievers. In Anaheim, Jansen is enjoying a season that by some measures is his best since 2021, his last season with the Dodgers.
First things first: Jansen did not sign with the Angels just to rack up saves. He is 36 saves shy of 500, a milestone reached only by Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.
“I came here with one goal in mind,” Jansen said, “and the goal was to help this team turn around, to end that playoff drought. That’s what I’m here for.
“If they move me, I’d definitely feel disappointed we didn’t accomplish it.”
But let’s be real: The longest playoff drought in the majors is likely to hit 11 years. The Angels are 4-1/2 games out of a postseason berth, but they would have to pass six teams to sneak into the last wild-card spot in the American League playoffs. Baseball Prospectus projects their chance of making the playoffs at 2%.
The Angels demoted their fifth starter this month. They have been running bullpen games because they had no one in their farm system ready to fill the vacancy. They only have two starters you could pencil into their 2026 rotation.
They need pitching depth, and it would be organizational malpractice not to get some by trading their pending free agents, Jansen included.
Kenley Jansen pitches for the Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS on Oct. 19, 2021. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For the Angels, the optimal outcome would be a team desperate for a closer overpaying to get Jansen.
However, such a team would be more likely to overpay for the marquee names on the market, including Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins, Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians and Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles, with a second tier led by David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers hate to overpay.
Jansen has 17 saves and one blown save, with a 1.00 earned-run average in save situations and a 3.19 ERA overall. The latter is his lowest ERA since 2021. By ERA+, a statistic that accounts for league and ballpark factors, Jansen is at 133 — or 33% better than league average.
The only Dodgers relievers with an ERA+ above 133: left-handers Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer.
Dodgers relievers have thrown 49.1% of the team’s innings pitched; the highest percentage of any major league team. Vesia, Anthony Banda and the injured Tanner Scott rank among the top 20 in appearances. Ben Casparius, who earned his first major league save Friday, ranked second among major league relievers in innings pitched.
Phillips is out for the season. Treinen could return from the injured list next week, with Kopech possibly to follow next month and Graterol in September, but it is risky to count on injured players to return healthy and effective.
In a major league career that started in 2010, Jansen never has been on the injured list because of an elbow or forearm issue, and his two stints for shoulder inflammation were brief.
The Dodgers could drop Jansen into their mix of high-leverage right-handers. They would not want Jansen if he would want to be the unquestioned closer.
He is getting the job done as a closer, and he is getting closer to 500 saves. But the Dodgers' analysts would probably take note of his career highs in exit velocity and hard-hit balls, and a .774 OPS against left-handers that compares unfavorably to his .600 career mark, and might want to spot him against a run of right-handers. Could be the sixth inning, could be the ninth.
Whether it’s the Dodgers or any other contending team, would Jansen consider a role outside the ninth inning?
“At that point, it’s just about getting rings,” Jansen said. “My goal is to win. You play for that, always. I understand there is a milestone I am close to. But, at the end of the day, it’s what you play for. You play to win. You play to win a World Series.
“If I have to go throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I would do it. I’m a professional. I would do what I do best, and that is pitch.”
Jansen said he hasn’t given up on this Angels team, or this Angels season. He would love to win in Anaheim. The Angels could help him do that: Trade him for another pitching piece that could help them next year, then sign Jansen again over the winter.
In another sign of how name, image and likeness payments have fundamentally changed college football, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley admitted this week that player payments became such a contentious issue on his team that it caused strife in the locker room.
Pezzetta signed a two-year, $1.625 million contract with Toronto as a free agent when free agency opened up on July 1. The annual average value of his contract is $812,500. He's been with the Montreal Canadiens ever since being drafted by them in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
In 200 career NHL games with the Canadiens, Pezzetta has 15 goals and 23 assists. He's likely to play a depth role with the Maple Leafs within their bottom six. Pezzetta grew up a Maple Leafs fan, idolizing players such as Mats Sundin and Curtis Joseph, among others.
"I know my mom's super excited that I get to stay home, it's been a while. And then even all my friends and everybody's like all Leafs fans, just through and through, and they're so excited," Pezzetta said in his first media availability as a Maple Leaf.
"So many people messaged me the last day-and-a-half now, and it's just surreal. Like, to think that it's a possibility I get to put this sweater on, so I'm just really grateful for the opportunity."
Pezzetta, though, isn't the only Maple Leafs player who's visited the kids at Maple Leafs hockey school. Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann, and Morgan Rielly, each of whom is spending a lot of time in Toronto this summer, have also stopped by to take photos at the camp.
The two-week-long event, held by the Maple Leafs' development team, is "a recreational/beginner level camp that welcomes players of all ability levels. Participants will have fun, step outside their comfort zone, learn and improve upon their hockey skills while also continuing to develop their fundamental movement skills," their website reads.
"Our program is designed to provide young athletes with an all-around professional hockey camp experience both on and off the ice. Off-ice programming includes dryland training, special guest seminars and team building activities."
Other Maple Leafs who've surprised the kids in recent years at the camp are John Tavares, Chris Tanev, Joseph Woll, and former Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe. The organization has even had Toronto Sceptres forward Emma Maltais as a guest at the camp.
The Warriors superstar sat down with Complex’s Speedy Mormon during a recent interview to unveil his answer.
“The greatest team I’ve played on, which is kind of weird to say, it’s a tie between the ’15, ’16 [Warriors] team and the ’16, ’17 team, for different reasons,” Curry said. “The chemistry, the placement of roles, everybody had a specific job to do out there on the court, we had the highest of skill, we had the highest of IQs, we had the highest of athleticism, good coaching, everything.
But in 2016, one major asset was added to those legacy years. The addition of 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant. Together, they won two championships with the teams Curry views as the best he’s been a part of.
The Warriors’ 2016-17 and 2017-18 teams consisted of key contributors such as Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney, Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, Jordan Bell and Nick Young and others.
Curry also considered another team as which some might view as the greatest assembly of talent: The 2024 USA Team, which won gold at the Paris Summer Olympics.
“That’s the greatest collection of talent,” Curry said. “The ’24 Olympic team, when you talk about the Dream Team, it’s hard to find a collection of guys with the resumes in their prime and the up-and-comers. It just all fit.”
Shohei Ohtani spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before joining the Dodgers [Reuters]
Los Angeles Dodgers v Boston Red Sox
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston Date: Sunday, 27 July First pitch: 18:35 BST
Coverage: Live coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Red Button and the BBC Sport website and app, from 18:30
After winning last year's World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers picked up from where they left off.
They made a flying start to the current Major League Baseball season, becoming the first defending champions to win their first eight games.
It had many saying this is the best MLB team that has ever been assembled.
Three months later, the Dodgers remain top of their division, but they are struggling.
After Tuesday's defeat to Minnesota, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was desperate to stop the rot, saying: "It better be rock bottom."
Now his team visit the Boston Red Sox hoping to get their title defence back on track, and you can watch the final game of their three-game series live on the BBC.
How did the Dodgers get even better?
Speaking to BBC Sport after last year's championship win, former World Series winner Chase Utley said that the Dodgers' "entire line-up has the ability to hit a home run and they play great defence. They're just really good at all aspects of the game."
And in the off-season their roster got even better. After their starting pitcher rotation was hit by injuries last year, they brought in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to add greater strength in depth.
They also re-signed veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw and knew that at some point Shohei Ohtani would be able to pitch again after recovering from elbow surgery.
The Dodgers' offensive line-up also features two former MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who are part of a nucleus of players on long-term contracts.
And the team bolstered that core with Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez signing extensions.
It's a good job the Dodgers secured that pitching insurance for this season because their injury woes returned, with four of their starting pitchers having had spells out.
That has meant they could not sustain that early-season form and have had to use their relieving pitchers - known as the bullpen - far more than any other MLB team.
That has taken its toll, with six relieving pitchers currently out injured, and the team generally struggling for form - in the outfield, on the mound and at the plate.
Betts has hit three home runs in his past 49 games and Freeman one in 61.
At the start of this month, the Dodgers lost seven games in a row for the first time since September 2017. And since that 8-0 start to the season, their record is 53-43.
Manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday: "It better be rock bottom, as far as how we've been pitching, how we've been playing defence.
"I think the offence is kind of starting to tick up, which is good. There's certainly more in there. But I think as far as quality of baseball, it's been a tough watch. It really has."
Ohtani's class continues to shine through though. Only Seattle's Cal Raleigh (39) has hit more home runs than Ohtani (37) this season.
Ohtani homered in five consecutive games over the past week, and in one of those games he also had three strikeouts as a pitcher.
So far he has made six starts, with his innings gradually being increased, and in his third game back, Ohtani threw his fastest MLB pitch ever (101.7mph).
Red Sox also looking to regroup
Ohtani is not scheduled to pitch again until Wednesday, with Dustin May set to be the Dodgers' starting pitcher for Sunday's game against Boston.
And there will be a familiar face on the Fenway Park mound.
Walker Buehler left the Dodgers for the Red Sox in the off-season and before the start of their three-game series on Friday, some of his former team-mates presented Buehler with his World Series ring for last season's championship triumph.
The Dodgers won Friday's game 5-2 to improve their record to 61-43 atop the National League West division.
Boston are 55-50 and sit third in the American League East, with Wilyer Abreu (20 home runs) their leading hitter.
After going into the All-Star break on a 10-game winning streak, the Red Sox have won just two of their seven games since.
As it stands, they would end their three-year play-off absence, but they too need an upturn in form to be sure of securing a wild-card spot.
BBC Sport will be showing an MLB game live every Sunday evening until the end of the regular season on 28 September.
The teenage phenom from Canada is chasing five golds in Singapore, but her showdown with the sport’s longtime 800m free queen could signal a passing of the torch
For the first time in more than a decade, Katie Ledecky may not be the most feared swimmer in the pool. That honor now belongs to Summer McIntosh, the Canadian teenager looking to do what only Michael Phelps has done before her: win five individual gold medals at a single world swimming championships.
Their clash in the 800m freestyle on 2 August is set to be the defining moment of the weeklong meet in Singapore. Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history, is bidding for an unprecedented seventh world title at the distance she has dominated since 2013. McIntosh, just 18, is the only swimmer to have beaten her at 800m in the past 15 years.
It wasn't long ago when Francisco Lindor was in the worst funk of his career, but the Mets shortstop has turned things around at the right time.
After breaking his career-worst 0-for-31 skid in the team's series finale against the Angels on Wednesday, Lindor picked up where he left off in Friday's impressive 8-1 win over the Giants.
Lindor went 3-for-5, but as skipper Carlos Mendoza put it after the game, it's how his at-bats look that is encouraging to him.
"His ability to use the whole field, and going the other way, that’s when he’s at his best," Mendoza said. "Some really good signs and it’s good to have him feeling that way."
Mendoza broke down Lindor's three hits and said there was something to like about each of them. His first hit was a single up the middle in the first inning. The second was when he pulled an inside fastball over the right field wall for his 20th home run of the season. And even though he struck out the next two times, his final at-bat in the ninth saw Lindor go the other way for a ground-rule double down the left field line.
"I got rhythm. I feel good," Lindor said of his swing of late. "I did what I wanted to do today. Had a game plan and was able to execute it. That means my swing is in a good spot. Stay the course, continue to be better every day."
It's been a rough few months for Lindor, who was hitting .283 entering June and was looking every bit of the MVP-caliber player that helped the Mets get into the postseason last year. At the lowest point of his skid in July, Lindor was hitting only .245. But after his five hits in two games, he's looking like himself at the plate again.
Lindor credits the team, and especially the hitting staff, for keeping him positive and getting him back to a good spot with his swing.
"It was coming and going. I work, feel good, then it disappears," Lindor said of why his swing went awry. "It’s human nature when you go through tough times … you rely on the people around you and hope to get a hit or two."
Lindor closed his answer with his signature smile. And there's a lot to smile about with the Mets right now. Friday's victory pushed their winning streak to five games and they are clinging to first place in the NL East over the Phillies. But if the Mets hope to win their first division title since 2015, they'll need Lindor and his swing to feel good to get there.
-Against a Cy Young-caliber pitcher in Logan Webb,the Mets jumped on him early in the first. Brandon Nimmo lined a double just over the head of left fielder Heliot Ramos -- who took a bad route to the ball -- and Francisco Lindor followed with a single. Lindor stole second before Juan Soto rolled over a grounder to the right side to plate Nimmo and move Lindor to third. Pete Alonso drove in Lindor with a sac fly to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead.
Clay Holmes wasn't much better in his half of the first, allowing a single to Ramos and a double to Rafael Devers to lead off. Willy Adames grounded out to drive in the Giants' first run. After a walk to Matt Chapman, Holmes bounced back by getting Mike Yastryzmski to fly out and Wilmer Flores to ground out to end the 33-pitch opening frame.
-Webb's struggles continued in the fourth as Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez led off with back-to-back singles. Ronny Mauricio walked to load the bases for Tyrone Taylor with no outs. Taylor chopped a grounder up the middle but Adames made a nice scoop and flip to second base, but Taylor beat out the potential double play as Baty scored. After Taylor stole second, Nimmo hit an opposite-field single to drive in two and push the Mets' lead to 6-1.
Webb would not last beyond the fourth, pitching his shortest outing of the season.
-Holmes did not last much longer as he struggled in the fifth. The right-hander allowed back-to-back singles to the No. 8 and 9 hitters, but Holmes got Ramos to pop up and Devers to strike out. He then got Adames to pop up to get through the fifth.
Holmes tied a career-high with 104 pitches (64 strikes) through his five innings. He allowed just one run on six hits, one walk while striking out two batters.
-The Mets' lineup wouldn't get much going against the Giants' bullpen, but it didn't matter as New York's bullpen was just as sharp with the team using three arms to get the final 12 outs of the game.
Husacar Brazoban: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K
Rico Garcia: 2.0 IP, 3 K
Jorge Castillo: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 K
-Alonso went 0-for-4 with a sac fly RBI in this one, but he helped the Mets on the defensive end, saving Holmes, Lindor and Mauricio from errors with his glove.
Lindor was struggling mightily before the series finale against the Angels, and his hot bat has traveled to the West Coast. After his single in the first inning, the Mets shortstop got around on an inside pitch from Webb and deposited it over the wall in right field for his 20th homer of the season. Lindor's last at-bat saw him drive a ground-rule double down the left field line. He finished 3-for-5.
The Mets scored their final two runs in the ninth after Luisangel Acuna scored from third on a wild pitch and Soto's single drove in Lindor from third.
-The Mets were 3-for-3 (Nimmo, Taylor, Lindor) on stolen base attempts against Webb. Webb entered Friday's game, having only given up four stolen bases this season in his first 21 starts.
Game MVP: Brandon Nimmo
Nimmo went 2-for-5 but his two-run single in the fourth put this game to bed.
Highlights
Brandon Nimmo leads off the game with a double, Francisco Lindor follows with a single, and Juan Soto drives in Nimmo with an RBI groundout for the game's first run pic.twitter.com/nhL9wbYfwW
The Yankees optioned right-handed pitcher Scott Effross and infielder Jorbit Vivas to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Friday's trade with the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Ryan McMahon to prepare for his arrival.
Will McMahon play for New York in Saturday's 1:05 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies?
The 31-year-old Effross threw 23 pitches (13) strikes and allowed four runs on four hits in one inning, the ninth, where the Phillies (59-44) put Friday's game out of reach. He has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits while striking out six and walking three in 10.2 innings pitched over 11 games.
Vivas, 24, entered Friday's game at third base in the eighth inning and flew out to right field for the ninth's second out. He is slashing .161/.266/.250 with one home run and five RBI through 29 games.
The 30-year-old McMahon, who was a 2024 All-Star, joins the Yankees (56-47) at a pivotal time. He does so with a .217/.314/.403 slash line, 16 home runs and 35 RBI through 100 games this season.
"He's a really good player, great defender," said first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. "... He's a good hitter, and he's going to help us."
McMahon will take Vivas' spot on the roster while a corresponding move for Effross -- likely a fresh arm for Saturday's game -- was not announced.
HOUSTON (AP) — Nick Kurtz became the first major league rookie to hit four homers in a game, leading the Athletics to a 15-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
Kurtz went 6-for-6 with eight RBIs and six runs scored. He’s just the second player in Major League Baseball history to have four homers in a six-hit game, joining Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 23, 2002 at Milwaukee, and he matched Green’s MLB record with 19 total bases.
It was the first six-hit game for the Athletics since Joe DeMaestri on July 8, 1955 at Detroit.
The 23-year-old also had a single and a double that hit just below the yellow line over the visitor’s bullpen in the fourth inning.
Kurtz singled in the first and his two-run homer in the second put the Athletics ahead 5-0. His solo shot in the sixth made it 10-2. His third homer was his longest, a 414-foot drive into the second deck in the eighth.
Kurtz’s final homer came against outfielder Cooper Hummel, a three-run, opposite-field line drive to the Crawford boxes in left field that made it 15-2.
Kurtz extended his hitting streak to 12 games and his 23 home runs are the most for an A’s rookie since Yoenis Céspedes in 2012 and fourth most in franchise history.
Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers also homered for the A’s, who had a season high in runs.
Jeffrey Springs (9-7) allowed two runs over six innings. Zack Short hit a two-run homer for Houston in the fifth.
Ryan Gusto (6-4) allowed eight runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Key moment
Hummel had allowed one run and retired two batters in the ninth when Kurtz hit a 77 mph, 2-0 pitch for his fourth homer.
Key stat
Kurtz is batting .553 (26 for 47) with nine homers and 20 RBIs during his 12-game hitting streak.
Up next
Houston RHP Hunter Brown (9-4 2.57 ERA) opposes LHP Jacob Lopez (3-6 4.60 ERA) when the series continues Saturday.
Panthers Prospect Pool Receives Solid Grade From Draft ExpertThe Hockey News' Tony Ferrari is currently putting together his 2025-26 prospect pool overview for each NHL team, and recently, he covered the Florida Panthers, who received a fair bit of praise.
