Worldwide Sports News

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

MONDAY

The Mets scored five runs in an inning for the tenth time this season. Three of those instances have come against the Braves (July 5, July 27, August 10). It was the first time the Mets scored five runs in the first inning of a game since Opening Day against Paul Skenes and the Pirates.

Brett Baty’s grand slam was the first of his career, and his first home run in Atlanta since he homered in his first big-league at-bat on August 17, 2022.

TUESDAY

Nolan McLean began his outing with four no-hit innings for the third time this season, having previously done so on April 3 in San Francisco and April 21 against the Twins.

The Mets suffered their thirteenth shutout loss of the season, tying them with the Pirates for the most of any team in the majors.

The Mets recorded seven outs on batted balls of 100+ mph, tied for their second-most in a game this season behind a loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 19 in which they hit eight.

WEDNESDAY

Zac Thornton became the first Mets pitcher with at least five quality starts in their first eight career games since Jacob deGrom. The only other Mets debuting since 2000 to accomplish that feat were Dillon Gee and Matt Harvey.

Thornton’s 2.78 ERA through eight career games is the 10th-best among Mets pitchers with a minimum of five innings per outing, behind: Nolan McLean (2.06), Nolan Ryan (2.09), Rick Aguilera (2.14), Masato Yoshii (2.25), Robert Gsellman (2.42), Tom Seaver (2.50), Jim McAndrew (2.53), Jason Jacome (2.67), and Tylor Megill (2.68).

FRIDAY

The Mets won the series-opener against the Nationals at Citi Field. They have now won seven straight series-openers against the Nats at home, and 10 of their last 11.

SATURDAY

The Mets saw 51 pitches in the first inning from the Nationals. That’s the most pitches they’ve seen in the first inning of a game since June 16, 1989, in Philadelphia, when they scored eight runs on 52 pitches against Phillies starter Bruce Ruffin. They blew the lead and trailed 10-9 three innings later in that game, but eventually came back to win 15-11. Since 1969, there was only one other time the Mets had pulled off a 51-pitch first inning, and it was one day shy of exactly 38 years earlier, on August 16, 1988, in San Francisco, when they scored nine runs in the first. 

Francisco Lindor recorded his seventh walk-off plate appearanceas a Met, tying him for fifth-most in franchise history behind Wilmer Flores (10), David Wright (9), Pete Alonso (9), and Kevin McReynolds (8).

Lindor’s walk-off single marked his 228th RBI at Citi Field, tying him with Brandon Nimmo for 2nd-most in the ballpark’s history behind Pete Alonso (350).

Carson Benge’s 98.1-mph throw to the plate was the 3rd-fastest outfield assist by a Mets player in the Statcast era (since 2015), trailing only a pair of other throws made by Benge earlier this season. (source: Sarah Langs on X)

Francisco Alvarez’s game-tying double was his 161st RBI as a catcher, moving him into sixth place in franchise history behind Mike Piazza (595), Todd Hundley (383), Jerry Grote (350), Gary Carter (333), and John Stearns (287).

Jefry Yan became the sixth Mets rookie to earn a win this season, along with Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton, Jonah Tong, Chayce McDermott, and Jonathan Pintaro. That ties them with the Twins and Angels for the most rookies on a team to earn a win this season. It also ties them for the fifth-most in franchise history, behind 1995 (9), 1983 (8), 1965 (7), and 2015 (7).

SUNDAY

Christian Scott struck out five or more batters for a 10th consecutive outing. He is one of only eight MLB pitchers with an active streak that long, along with Dylan Cease (30), Jacob Misiorowksi (23), Cam Schlittler (13), Jesús Luzardo (12), Gerrit Cole (11), Tarik Skubal (11), and Gavin Williams (10).

Carson Benge recorded his seventh assist of the season in right field, the fourth-most behind Wilyer Abreu (12), Jordan Walker (8), and Cam Smith (8).

After entering the week with zero career saves, Kodai Senga became the second Japanese-born player in MLB history to record a save in three consecutive appearances, joining Koji Uehera.

Bo Bichette recorded his 11th three-hit game of the season, tied for seventh-most in MLB behind Luis Arraez (14), Yordan Alvarez (13), Otto Lopez (13), Yandy Díaz (12), Michael Harris II (12), and Gunnar Henderson (12).

With a fourth-inning single, Jared Young extended his hitting streak to six games, marking the longest single-season hitting streak of his career.

Luis Torrens hit his fourth home run in seven games, something he hadn’t done since July 4, 2021, with the Mariners. He’s the first Mets catcher to do it since Francisco Alvarez on July 18, 2023.

The Mets have now swept the Nationals at Citi Field seven times in their past 13 series in New York, dating back to August 10-12, 2021.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

In the expansion era (since 1961), only 10 teams have won at least two-thirds of their games in a season, excluding the shortened 2020 season:

2022 Dodgers
2018 Red Sox
2001 Mariners
1998 Yankees
1995 Indians
1986 Mets
1975 Reds
1970 Orioles
1969 Orioles
1961 Yankees

The Mets and Yankees are the only two franchises to have a team on this list and to have eliminated a team on this list in the playoffs (the Mets defeated the 1970 Orioles in the World Series, while the Yankees defeated the 2001 Mariners in the ALCS).

On August 17, 2003, Jorge Posada went 0-2 with a pair of walks and the Yankees won 8-0. He turned 33 that day. The win moved the Yankees to 4-0 on his birthday when he was in the lineup (winning World Series titles in 1999 and 2000). They advanced to the Fall Classic in 2003, though they ignominiously fell to the Marlins. The next year, they lost 8-2 to the Twins (!!!) on Posada’s birthday. Two months after that loss, the unthinkable happened in the ALCS-that-shall-not-be-named. Coincidence? I think not.

Random anecdote aside, I am an unabashed Jorge Guy. I authored his entry for the Pinstripe Alley Top 100 Yankees of All-Time and I was one of the biggest Posada boosters on the staff, ranking him at No. 11 on my personal list. I have no regrets. In this house, we respect switch-hitting catchers who hit for power and average and who look like they would crawl barefoot over broken glass to win a baseball game.

Long after the Yankee dynasty ended, Posada was my guy when I played MLB The Show. For some reason, I murdered breaking balls when hitting left-handed with him. My now sister-in-law, who’s since become a Blue Jays fan (sigh), used to gleefully shout “Hip Hip, Jorge!” when the Yankee backstop went yard while we watched the Yanks play, even against Toronto.

I have a ton of fond memories of Posada and he’ll always be one of my favorite Yankees. It’s a pleasure to wish him a happy birthday (though I am about 99 percent sure he’ll never read this).

Name: Jorge Rafael Posada
Born: August 17, 1970 (Santurce, Puerto Rico)
Yankees Tenure: 1995-2011

Having written 3,000 words on Posada, it would be both repetitive and long-winded if I just dug back into his biography. Instead, I’ll use his birthday as a chance to reminisce on my two favorite moments in his long, decorated career. My apologies to The Flip Play, as I’ve seen enough fielding nincompoopery from Yankees over the years that I no longer take it for granted that Posada remained alert and in position to field Jeter’s absurd flip to the plate and tag Jeremy Giambi.

When I say Posada struck me as the type who would crawl barefoot over broken glass to win a game, I think back 20 years ago to a game against the Rangers, one we featured in our Top 25 Games of the Past 25 Years series.

After an inning and a half, the Yankees found themselves trailing 9-0. It would have been extremely easy for them to pack it up and head for the showers as soon as possible. Instead, we got a comeback for the ages, and Posada’s imprint was all over it. An RBI single in the third, a sacrifice fly in the fifth (the latter cut the deficit to 10-5). In the top of the sixth, future teammate Mark Teixeira obliterated him at home plate. Posada held onto the ball and saved a run from scoring.

Finally, trailing 13-12, in the bottom of the ninth representing the winning run, Posada put the finishing touches on one of his finest performances, in one of the most entertaining Yankees games in my lifetime. Take it away, John Sterling.

If you want to nitpick Posada, I guess you can point to his career postseason OPS being more than 100 points lower than his regular season (.745 vs .848). I’ll point out that he was playing in the playoffs after donning the tools of ignorance for months and absorbing incredible punishment. But it’s a fair criticism.

That doesn’t mean he is bereft of signature playoff moments. So, let’s talk about The Grady Little Game. We all know it. One of the greatest baseball games ever played in the playoffs.

The eighth inning. The only reason there was even hope was Jason Giambi’s two home runs off Pedro Martinez and Mike Mussina’s three shutout innings in relief of Roger Clemens.

Then, Bernie knocked in Jeets. 5-3. A Godzilla double put runners on second and third for Posada who was 0-for-3 on the night. For his career, Pedro owned Jorge. Posada strode into the box that night 10-for-53 (.189) in his career against the Hall of Famer including the postseason, having whiffed 30 times.

Channeling his inner Wee Willie Keeler, Sado hit it where they weren’t. The wounded duck off his bat fell into a devil’s triangle in shallow center field. Bernie scored easily, waving Matsui around to follow him. Posada, as he rolled into second base, unleashed a primal scream as millions wanted catharsis in real time. We all know how the game ended. But Aaron Boone doesn’t get his chance at immortality without that eighth inning and one of the greatest single moments of Posada’s career.

The New York Yankees know a thing or two about having all-timers behind home plate. Posada is not the first pinstriped backstop to make himself forever part of franchise lore. Hopefully, he is not the last. I’m not old enough to have seen Thurmon Munson, let along Yogi, or Bill Dickey, legends all. For me, Jorge remains the gold standard of Yankees catchers in my lifetime. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to see if I can dig up MLB The Show 09.

Happy 56^th birthday, Jorge Posada.

As the regular season nears its end in MLB, it’s time to turn the focus away from who can reach the playoffs and instead hone in on who can win it all. In modern baseball it’s clear that not all division winners are the same, and a 100-win Wild Card team shouldn’t be the underdog against a 92-win division champ.

But wins and losses alone don’t give the full picture at the end of the regular season. As of publish the Detroit Tigers would be on the outside looking in on the playoffs. While just a game out of the final Wild Card spot, there are two other teams still ahead of them trying to catch the Baltimore Orioles, including the last place Toronto Blue Jays. Normally this could just be chalked up to a sub-par A.L. Central, but the Tigers might not be as bad as their record indicates. Detroit has a +83 run differential, meaning they have scored 83 more runs this season than they have allowed. That’s good enough for second best in the A.L. behind only the New York Yankees.

Run Differential has been a good indicator for which teams can win a World Series, but that may just be a correlation as the most talented teams that win the most tend to have the best run differential. But for a team like Detroit, could they play spoiler in the postseason if the ball bounces their way a few more times than it has in the regular season? If enough of those one-run losses turn into wins the Tigers might have a real shot at making a deep postseason run. If the standings hold, that last Wild Card spot would play the Boston Red Sox who sport a run differential of +81, remarkably close to where the Tigers sit. If they get by Boston, all of a sudden the path to the ALCS looks a lot easier with the Chicago White Sox (+47) waiting for them.

There are, to be fair, a whole lot of “ifs” in that scenario. But if run differential supports arguments for who is the best, it’s not too far of a leap to have it explain the future for the rest of the postseason as well.

Be on the lookout for results to this survey and the rest of the SB Nation Reacts surveys later this week.

Right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 3rd as the NL Central rivals of the Cincinnati Reds needed 40-man roster spots for other acquisitions. The Reds, meanwhile, had openings on their own 40-man roster after dealing away Caleb Ferguson and Nathaniel Lowe, and scooped up Marinaccio off waivers to help add depth to their beat-up bullpen.

That marriage simply did not work out.

The Reds themselves designated Marinaccio for assignment on Monday morning, doing so after the righty walked 3 and served up a dinger in an ugly 5-run 9th inning performance on Sunday in the series finale against the Miami Marlins. He allowed earned runs in each of his four appearances with the Reds (10 ER total in just 5.1 IP), and now finds himself back on the waiver wire.

The Reds announced the move prior to Monday’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, noting that they were adding reliever Zach McCambley to the roster as the 27th man for the day while adding lefty Kent Emanuel to both the 40-man and active rosters to replace Marinaccio.

Emanuel, 34, is a veteran of two separate big league seasons with two different clubs. Back in 2021, he broke in with the Houston Astros and pitched to a 2.55 ERA (albeit with a 5.49 FIP), in a small 17.2 IP sample. He bounced through the systems of the Philadelphia Phillies, Pirates, and Marlins after that before returning to the big leagues with Miami for another 17.2 IP stint in 2024. He threw in indy ball in 2026 before landing with Louisville for a single 6.0 IP outing, and now finds himself back in the bigs with Cincinnati.

Emanuel will start the first game of Monday’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals as the two clubs begin a five-game series.

The state of the pitching staff right now is, shall we say, not very bueno.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

A fresh week is here, so let's get after it!

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for tonight's slate, which include a double-dip selection of the St. Louis Cardinals in their doubleheader vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our MLB picks on Monday, Aug. 17.

MLB moneyline picks for August 17

Matchup	Pick
Cardinals vs Reds (Game 1)	-113
Orioles vs Rays	+147
Marlins vs Phillies	+223
Cardinals vs Reds (Game 2)	-117
Tigers vs Pirates	-106
Diamondbacks vs Red Sox	+133
Padres vs Mets	+113
A's vs Royals	+174
Braves vs Twins	-122
White Sox vs Cubs	+147
Dodgers vs Rockies	+239

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-17.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for August 17

Cardinals vs Reds Game 1: Cardinals (-113)

Cardinals win probability: 53%

Are the St. Louis Cardinals coming off a big series win over the Cubs? Of course, but that should not shy us away from backing the team clearly performing at a higher level. The Cincinnati Reds own a 69 wRC+, .247 wOBA and .611 OPS over their last 12 games, while the Cardinals have posted a 122 wRC+, .344 wOBA and .782 OPS during that same stretch.

To add insult to injury, the Reds send out Chase Petty, who owns a 9.00 ERA, 8.88 xERA, and 2.25 WHIP over his last three starts.

It is the Cardinals or nothing in Game 1.

Orioles vs Rays: Orioles (+147)

Orioles win probability: 40%

The Tampa Bay Rays have been dangerous all season long, and they still are, owning a 132 wRC+ over their last 12 games. However, their lack of hard contact, which has been an issue throughout 2026, is a concern against a lineup generating a 45% hard-hit rate and 11% barrel rate over its last 12 games, while sporting a 117 wRC+.

Shane McClanahan has been regressing over his last three outings and is coming off an IL stint. Brandon Young has also scuffled, but the Birds have been swinging a hot bat. At nearly +150, this is worth dabbling on. 

Marlins vs Phillies: Marlins (+223)

Marlins win probability: 31%

From a moneyline price standpoint, nobody should be looking to pay $2.28 for a team to secure a regular-season win, especially when Janson Junk has been tossing some filth over his last five outings. The former punching bag owns a 3.97 ERA over his last five, but in his last three starts, he has posted a 1.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

We all know how great Cristopher Sanchez has been this season. However, he has struggled with walks, and the Miami Marlins have been pretty disciplined at the dish, owning a 10% walk rate over their last 12 games. If they can get ducks on the pond and drive them in, they have a chance.

Cardinals vs Reds Game 2: Cardinals (-117)

Cardinals win probability: 54%

Real simple: I am not backing an ice-cold offense just because its starter has some solid underlying metrics across his last three starts. On the other side, the Cardinals have a pitcher who owns a 1.80 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over his last five outings.

Take the hot team in both games today.

Tigers vs Pirates: Tigers (-106)

Tigers win probability: 52%

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski owns a 9.72 ERA, 7.43 xERA, and 2.16 WHIP over his last three starts. Meanwhile, Framber Valdez has improved over his last three, owning a 2.75 ERA while limiting opponents to a 5% barrel rate.

The Tigers' bats have gone cold, but there is no reason to trust an arm with a near 10.00 ERA.

Go Tigers.

Diamondbacks vs Red Sox: Diamondbacks (+133)

Diamondbacks win probability: 43%

The Boston Red Sox's fall from grace has been very sad to watch, but getting the Arizona Diamondbacks at +133 with Mitch Bratt on the bump feels like a steal.

The Arizona southpaw has a 1.50 ERA, 2.49 xERA, and 0.89 WHIP over his last three starts, and has also done a great job limiting hard-hit balls and barrels.

Brayan Bello has had a great turnaround over his last five. However, the Red Sox offense continues to cool off, and there is far more value on the Diamondbacks with how hot their bats have been as well.

Padres vs Mets: Padres (+113)

Padres win probability: 47%

The San Diego Padres being a short underdog on the road feels a little odd. Their lineup is on fire, owning a sub-20% strikeout rate, while posting a 127 wRC+ and .808 OPS over the last 30 days. They draw New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean, who has a 4.15 ERA over his last three starts.

Walker Buehler has been solid for the Friars over his last five starts, posting a 3.20 ERA while limiting hard-hit balls and barrels.

At +113, the Padres are the pick.

A's vs Royals: Athletics (+174)

Athletics win probability: 36%

Question for the reader: should the 2026 Kansas City Royals ever be a $1.78 favorite? No.

Sure, Michael Wacha owns a 2.45 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over his last three starts, while Mason Barnett has an 8.78 ERA during that stretch.

However, the Athletics' offense has been heating up over their last six games, owning a 131 wRC+, .820 OPS, and .217 ISO. The Royals, during that same stretch, have posted just a 58 wRC+, .112 ISO and .255 wOBA.

Give me the dog.

Braves vs Twins: Braves (-122)

Braves win probability: 55%

Braves southpaw Martin Perez has been lights out over his last five starts, owning a 1.08 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. With Bailey Ober on the rubber for the Twins, the Braves are the lean here.

Ober sports a 5.41 xERA over his last three starts while allowing a near 15% barrel rate to opposing hitters. With how dangerous the Atlanta bats can be, they should be able to handle anything Ober offers.

White Sox vs Cubs: White Sox (+147)

White Sox win probability: 40%

Sure, some will see Luis Castillo and rush to bet the Chicago Cubs this evening. But are we forgetting that Shota Imanaga has a 4.71 xERA over his last three starts? Both starters could be in for a long evening with how hot both lineups have been.

Tonight will come down to which bullpen can hold it down, and the Cubs' bullpen has been atrocious all season, owning a 4.47 xERA and 4.52 FIP while allowing a 41.41% hard-hit rate.

The never-say-die Chicago White Sox look tasty on the North Side.

Dodgers vs Rockies: Rockies (+239)

Rockies win probability: 30%

Reread the first sentence for the Marlins vs. Phillies breakdown.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' offense has been very cold over their last 12 games, posting just an 87 wRC+, .293 wOBA, and .660 OPS. The Rockies have been no better, but at least they are drawing more walks and limiting strikeouts.

Tomoyuki Sugano is a punching bag, but he has done a great job limiting walks and hard-hit balls as of late. Blake Snell is back and looked fantastic in his first start coming off the injured list, but I am hoping for some regression here. If he does, I like the Rockies to take advantage.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.