Entering Saturday's game, Pete Alonso had gone 13 straight games without hitting a home run for the Mets.
The first baseman had been hitting the ball well during that time, just not over the fence like he's accustomed to -- stuck on 18 home runs for the season and 244 for his career.
But against the Yankees in the Subway Series, Alonso broke out of his power outage and made up for lost time by hitting two in a 12-6 win. He made them count, too, one of them a two-run shot and the second a three-run bomb. Both extended Met leads in a game that was never safe, especially with the Yankees' high-powered offense and the Mets' ultra-thin bullpen.
Alonso's career home run total is now at 246 which puts him six homers away from tying Darryl Strawberry's franchise record of 252. So not only did he end his homer-less drought, he's that much closer to entering the Mets' record books as the most prolific home-run hitter in team history.
And if we know anything about Alonso's power, his dingers tend to come in bunches -- just ask the Yankees.
That means the Mets might need to gear up the celebration paraphernalia sooner rather than later as they get ready to honor their home-grown slugger.
But if you ask Alonso about the record, he'll tell you he's just trying to focus on helping his team win as many games as possible.
"I mean I know it," he said of the record, "but I just want to help the team win. That’s really all I want to do."
It's the right attitude to take for a team that has gotten hot again after enduring a terrible 3-14 stretch that had many people wondering about the legitimacy of this team.
After four straight wins, the Mets are 52-38, 0.5 GB of the Philadelphia Phillies for the division lead and will start to get much healthier in the coming weeks. They also have a chance to sweep the crosstown rival Yankees on Sunday if they can pull out a win without a true starter on the mound.
Nevertheless, despite being in the thick of a playoff race, whenever Alonso does, in fact, break Strawberry's record, the Mets will be able to let their guard down, just for a second, to celebrate Alonso's accomplishment.
It seems the only question now is, can he do it before the All-Star break?
Munster given time to grieve with his family after death of his father
But he still plans to lead Maroons in Origin III to honour his dad
The death of Cameron Munster’s father Steven has come as devastating news just days out from the State of Origin series decider.
The Queensland captain, in a brave decision to honour his dad, plans to still lead the Maroons on Wednesday night after taking time away to grieve with his family.
Judge came to bat in the sixth with a small bandage that was still affixed near his right eye after the game. He had a mark right around the eye but said he was fine.
Mark Vientos lined out to Yankees second baseman Oswald Peraza to end the fifth at Citi Field, and New York players began tossing the ball around as they trotted toward the dugout as many major league teams do at the conclusion of an inning.
The ball went to Volpe, and the shortstop made a high, arcing throw in Judge’s direction as the slugger jogged in from right field. Judge, however, appeared to be looking the other way as he approached the infield and the ball hit him on the side of the face, knocking off his sunglasses.
“Yeah, I mean, confusion. I didn’t know what happened initially. I just saw kind of a, what felt like something happened,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So yeah, of course I was concerned. Had a little cut. In the end I don’t think anything too serious, obviously. But yeah, initially, obviously very concerned.”
The sloppy Yankees were handed their sixth consecutive defeat, matching a season worst.
“It’s been a terrible week,” Boone said.
New York also dropped six straight from June 13-18, marking the first time since 2000 the club has endured two six-game losing streaks in one year.
“Just got to play better. That’s what it comes down to. Just fundamentals. Making the routine play routine,” said Judge, the Yankees’ captain. “It’s just the little things. That’s what it kind of comes down to — but every good team goes through a couple bumps in the road.
“We’ll clean some things up. We know what we need to do. We’ll take care of business.”
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani follows through on a pitch during a game against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers’ starting pitcher had no problems on Saturday afternoon.
It was the bulk guy who followed him who ran into issues.
But, in a reminder of the still-tenuous pitching depth the Dodgers have relied on for much of this first half, long man Justin Wrobleski came back down to earth in a five-run, 4 ⅔-inning outing thereafter, sending the team to a defeat that clinched a series loss to the Astros.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is tagged out by Houston third baseman Isaac Paredes while trying to stretch a double into a triple at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“It's a good club over there,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Now we got to find a way to circle up, regroup and salvage this series.”
In the big picture, this weekend has offered hope for the Dodgers’ long-term pitching plans.
On Friday, manager Dave Roberts said injured $136.5-million right-hander Tyler Glasnow is on track to return from his shoulder problem during next week’s road trip.
Before Saturday’s game, injured $182-million left-hander Blake Snell threw his second live batting practice of the week, striking out four of the eight hitters he faced in what is expected to be his final simulated session before going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Both he and injured reliever Blake Treinen, who also threw an inning of live batting practice Saturday, are lined up to be activated from the IL “at some point in time shortly after the All-Star break,” per Roberts.
Then there was Ohtani, who despite once again being limited to a short workload in his fourth pitching start of the season, was also once again dominant in a 31-pitch display.
After Isaac Paredes singled to lead off the game, Ohtani broke Cam Smith’s bat on a 96-mph fastball for a double-play grounder to second. In the second inning, Ohtani fanned Christian Walker with a slider, then Victor Caratini and Yainer Díaz on a pair of big-breaking sweepers — all while also touching 101 mph on the radar gun.
“I think the stuff continues to get better, the command, the feel for making pitches,” Roberts said of Ohtani, who also celebrated his 31st birthday Saturday. “Really impressed how he's continuing to get better and better each time out."
In his six total innings this year, Ohtani has given up just one run, one walk and four hits while striking out six batters.
And though it remains unclear exactly when he’ll be fully stretched out in his return from a second career Tommy John surgery — Roberts called it “feasible” to eventually get him up to five or six innings if needed — the Dodgers are inching steadily closer to having the rotation they envisioned this year: One with Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow joining likely All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a star-studded quartet the club has spent lavishly the last two offseasons to build.
“We can see a little squint of light,” Roberts said. “It's taken a little longer than we've all expected or hoped for, as far as getting our guys together. So we haven't gotten there yet. But we're hopeful and excited.”
In the short term, however, the Astros have put a dent in the optimism the club had clung to among its stable of young pitching depth.
After Ben Casparius was knocked around in a historic blowout on Friday night, Wrobleski suffered a similar fate against Houston’s surging lineup. Upon entering the game at the start of the third, he quickly blew an early 2-0 Dodgers lead, giving up a leadoff single to Cooper Hummel and back-to-back two-strike doubles to Mauricio Dubón (who fouled off fastball after fastball before whacking a full-count heater the other way) and Zack Short (who got three-straight off-speed pitches, pulling the last one down the third-base line to score two runs).
Miguel Rojas, tapped to play third base Saturday in place of the recently injured Max Muncy, made matters worse by misfiring on a tough throw to first on a soft ground ball from Smith with one out, allowing a run to score. Then Walker, an unlikely Dodgers killer over his career, lined a two-out single to right to make it a four-run inning and a 4-2 Astros lead.
“I just think my mechanics were a touch off there those first couple innings,” Wrobleski said. “It was just kind of a matter of finding them, getting back into a rhythm, getting ahead in counts, which overall, didn't do a great job of today.”
Wrobleski, who had a 2.73 ERA in an impressive June before Saturday’s regression, did eventually settle down, but not before Díaz homered at the start of the third to put the Astros up there.
Astros catcher Yainer Diaz greets second baseman Mauricio Dubon (14) at home plate after hitting a solo homer off Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
That deficit proved insurmountable for the Dodgers. They made it 5-4 when Rojas homered in the fourth (he also had an RBI single in the second inning, and drew a walk in the fifth) but stranded a string of opportunities down the stretch, finishing the day one-for-five with runners in scoring position and with nine men left on base.
The biggest blunder came in the seventh. Having already homered in the first inning, Mookie Betts flashed another encouraging sign in the seventh, lacing a line drive that got all the way to the wall after left fielder Cooper Hummel came up empty on an over-aggressive diving attempt. As Hummel recovered the ball, however, Betts made an ill-advised decision of his own, trying to stretch a double into a triple as Hummel retrieved the ball and threw to the cutoff man.
The relay beat Betts to third in plenty of time. Afterward, Betts acknowledged he made a bad read after seeing the ball thrown to the shortstop.
“When I was running, I was like, if he throws it and I see it not going toward third base — because it was more toward shortstop — that’s why I just kept going,” Betts said. “So a misread for sure.”
From there, the Dodgers fizzled, stranding two runners in the eighth and another in the ninth against Astros closer Josh Hader.
“I think that we gave ourselves an opportunity to get back in the game, to win the game,” Roberts said, “and just couldn't cash in.”
In time, a healthier Dodgers pitching staff could render such mistakes mute. But on Saturday, they led to the team’s first series defeat in almost a month, and another day of waiting on their full stable of arms to be fully available again.
“We gotta finish [the season] healthy,” Betts said. “We’ve only been healthy for like a week. So we’ll see.”
DETROIT - Saying that it was time for a “new chapter” in his life, former Detroit Red Wings forward Christian Fischer has announced his retirement from the NHL at only 28 years of age.
Fischer, who played a total of 124 games while wearing the Winged Wheel from 2023 to 2025, thanked those who he encountered along his NHL journey and expressed gratitude to those who helped make it possible.
“I’m very thankful for all the people I’ve come across, and I’d tell you right now: I didn’t get here on my own,” Fischer said, via Max Bultman of The Athletic. “It makes me look back and just appreciate the whole journey, and it makes me very thankful for it all.”
During his time with the Red Wings, Fischer was used in a bottom-six role while also playing a regular part on the penalty kill. He ultimately played in 79 games for Detroit during the 2023-24 season, scoring five goals while adding 14 assists.
It was also his first NHL campaign in four years in which he didn’t record a negative plus-minus rating.
Selected with the 32nd pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, Fischer would make his NHL debut at only 19 years of age after getting his feet wet at the professional level with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners.
He would go on to play parts of six seasons with the Coyotes, the last of which yielded a career-high 13 goals. Fischer then signed a one-year contract with Detroit, and would later earn a one-year extension for the 2024-25 season.
However, his second campaign in Detroit wasn’t as productive, as he scored only once while adding six assists in 45 games played.
Designated a healthy scratch in 12 of Detroit’s 26 games leading up to the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Fischer was placed on waivers on March 6 and subsequently claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with whom he played a single game.
Fischer finishes his NHL career with 62 goals and 75 assists in 523 career games with the Coyotes, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets.
Carlos Mendoza continues to mix and match with the Mets’ lineup.
Brandon Nimmo has been red-hot since being bumped to the leadoff spot, but facing Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon on Saturday afternoon, the skipper decided to turn back to Starling Marte.
Mendy explained his thought-process pregame.
“This is a guy that has been in this league for a very long time,” he said. “He’s been in that position before facing a left-hander today, we just felt like it was a pretty good day to put him back up top there.”
Well, Marte immediately made the decision pay off.
Leading off the bottom of the first, the veteran dropped a double into the left-center gap, and after a sacrifice bunt and two walks he was able to trot home on Brandon Nimmo’s second grand slam in the last four days.
The double was the 1,600th hit of Marte’s career.
An inning later he would strike again -- this time taking advantage of a Jazz Chisholm Jr. throwing error on what should’ve been a routine groundout, lining an RBI single over left fielder Jasson Dominguez’s head.
Marte was robbed of an infield hit on a great play by Oswald Peraza in the fifth before being lifted for a pinch hitter a few innings later -- he finished the day 2-for-3 with a single, double, and his 20th RBI of the season.
In a small sample size, he’s now hitting an even .500 with a 1.483 OPS out of the leadoff spot.
“I like the combination of him and [Francisco] Lindor,” Mendoza emphasized. “This is a guy that can impact the baseball, he puts the ball in play, he can put pressure on the defense with the way he runs the bases -- there’s a lot of like with him in that spot and I’m glad it paid off today.”
The Mets will turn to right-hander Chris Devenski to open Sunday's Subway Series finale.
It'll be interesting to see how much the Mets lean on Devenski, who hasn't pitched more than two innings in an appearance this season.
The right-hander has posted a 3.60 ERA and 0.80 WHIP across his four big-league outings.
Lefty Brandon Waddell, who was recalled from Syracuse this week, will likely serve as the bulk reliever behind Devenski.
Waddell has pitched well during his brief stints in the majors this season, recording a 2.55 ERA and striking out 12 across 17.2 innings of work.
The Mets will need as strong a pitching performance as they can get facing off with Yankees ace Max Fried (10-2, 2.13 ERA) as they look for their fifth consecutive victory.
Alvarez wasted no time on Saturday against the Worcester Red Sox, hitting a two-run blast in the first inning to give Syracuse a 2-0 lead. The home run travelled 348 feet to right field -- an opposite field pop by Alvarez whose power has resurfaced since getting demoted to Triple-A in late June.
It had been three games since the catcher last went deep. In fact, Alvarez hit a homer in three straight games, the final two games against Rochester and the opener of the series on the road against Worcester.
Saturday's long ball was Alvarez's first home run hit at home inside NBT Bank Stadium.
Jesse Winker was also in the lineup, on rehab assignment from a right oblique strain he suffered in May.
It was his first game with Triple-A, previously playing one game for High-A Brooklyn and two games with Double-A Binghamton, going 3-for-7 with a home run, double, five RBI, three walks and two runs scored.
However, on Saturday, Winker finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout as the designated hitter. He was batting second, in between Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña who went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored in the leadoff spot.
The Mets were beating up on the Yankees and Citi Field felt like a party, with a 12-6 score and three outs to go. In the span of four days they’ve managed to change the vibe dramatically, from the embarrassment of that lopsided sweep in Pittsburgh to once again looking like a team headed for October.
And yet here came Edwin Diaz, six-run lead or not, because for all the good the Mets have done, their starting rotation is still decimated by injury, leaving them without an obvious starter for the final game of this series on Sunday.
So manager Carlos Mendoza wasn’t taking any chances.
Or as he put it, “I wasn’t going to mess around.”
It was absolutely the right move, considering the Mets came into this second installment of the Subway Series with the odds stacked against them because of the pitching matchups.
And here they were with a chance to steal not one, but both of the first two games. No reason to tempt fate by trying to save Diaz for a save opportunity on Sunday that, again, seems highly unlikely.
Hey, at this point anything is possible, especially the way the Yankees are playing, now having lost six straight games as their pitching continues to falter, this time not the bullpen but in the name of starter Carlos Rodón.
And the Mets, well, they’re hot again and their stars are playing like stars, with Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonsocombining for three home runs and nine RBI to run away from the Yankees on Sunday.
It’s been that way since Nimmo hit the grand slam in the second game of the doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, the first step toward stopping the bleeding of that 3-14 stretch they endured.
It’s the only way it was going to happen. It’s the way they’re built, the main reason their payroll exceeds $300 million.
Yes, the Mets have shown a collective toughness again, to be sure, but more than anything this four-game winning streak has been driven by the big boys in the lineup, with Nimmo, Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto.
And never mind that Soto thought it was a good idea to bunt in the first inning on Saturday after the first two hitters reached base. You could hear the collective groan from the fans in the ballpark, one day after Soto had hit that electrifying home run in the first inning to change the nature of Friday’s game.
But when you’re going well in baseball, things tend to go your way. And so while Soto’s sac bunt only served to get Alonso walked semi-intentionally, it paid off when Nimmo hit his second grand slam in four days.
Even Mendoza couldn’t hide a chuckle when asked about Soto’s bunt.
“It’s part of the show,” he said. “I definitely want him swinging the bat. But I trust these guys with their decision-making.”
Then he smiled again, knowing there really was no defending the decision.
“Hey, it worked out for the best.”
Nimmo and Alonso took care of that. Alonso went deep twice, accounting for five runs and raising his home run total to 20 and his career total to 246, drawing him to within six of Darryl Strawberry’s club record.
Soto had a quiet day, sac bunt and all, but he was the star on Friday and continues to look locked in at the plate.
Finally, Lindor has come alive again lately as well, and was in the middle of all the scoring on Saturday, with two hits, two walks, a stolen base and four runs scored.
The Big Four. They’re a little bit like the Los Angeles Dodgers in that way, dependent on the top of the lineup if they’re going deep into October.
It’s the way it is. The young kids haven’t delivered to this point on their potential, and even with Jesse Winker back soon and a pick-up of some kind at the trading deadline, it’s possible not a lot will change this season.
A lot could and likely will change on the pitching side. Help could be on the way in the next several days in the form of their top two starters, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea each expected to make a start at least by next weekend, going into the All-Star break.
But for now, it’s a day-to-day proposition. Two days after Justin Hagenman and Austin Warren got them through five innings, the Mets again will try to patch together a game on Sunday with names no one expected to be anywhere near their starting rotation this season.
Lefty Brandon Waddell, a 31-year old with all of 30 innings pitched in the big leagues, is expected to get the bulk of the innings, whether as a starter or in relief of an opener, perhaps Huascar Brazoban again.
It’s the reason Mendoza didn’t think twice about sending Diaz out there for the ninth inning on Saturday with that six-run lead. He actually got the most recent acquisition, Zach Pop, up briefly in the bottom of the eighth in case the Mets made it, say, a 10-run lead.
But no, the manager wasn’t messing with the karma. The odds are stacked higher than ever against them Sunday, with Max Fried pitching for the Yankees. So while Mendoza would never say it publicly, he’s probably perfectly fine going 2-1 in this series and getting one day closer to having his two best pitchers back on the mound.
Until then, well, going 2-0 against the Yankees felt like a party.
Aug 1, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Bobby Jenks throws a pitch during the ninth inning at US Cellular Field. The Sox won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images
Jerry Lai-Imagn Images
CHICAGO — Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star closer and World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, has died, the team announced Saturday. He was 44.
The White Sox said Jenks died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, where he was being treated for adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer.
Jenks helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while saving 41 games in 2006 and 40 in 2007.
Ozzie Guillén, who managed that World Series-winning squad, had a signature move to summon Jenks from the bullpen, throwing his arms wide open to show that he wanted the 6-foot-4, 275-pound closer. Jenks died weeks before the White Sox were set to hold a 20th anniversary reunion for the franchise’s most recent title-winning team.
“Everyone remembers the moment when I called for the big fella in the World Series,” Guillén said in a statement. “Everyone has a favorite story about Bobby, so the 2005 reunion will be a great opportunity to get together with all his teammates and coaches and relive some of our greatest memories of him.”
Jenks retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.
“He was embarrassing guys, good hitters, right away,” former White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said in a video tribute.
Jenks saved 173 games for the White Sox from 2005-10 before finishing his career with 19 appearances in 2011 for the Boston Red Sox. For his career, he was 16-20 with a 3.53 ERA and 351 strikeouts in 348 appearances, all in relief.
“He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate,” White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said. “He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”
The Colorado Rockies honored Jenks’ memory with a moment of silence before Saturday night’s game against the visiting White Sox.
Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.
“As a teammate,” former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand said, “he was the best.”
Lakers forward Cole Swider goes up to shoot and gets fouled by Golden State's Blake Hinson, left, during the second half Saturday in San Francisco. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
The Lakers dropped their first game of the California Classic at Chase Center to the Golden State Warriors 89-84 on Saturday after leading by double digits in the first half.
The Lakers struggled defensively in the second half, giving up 30 points in the third quarter, when they trailed for the first time.
Bronny James traveled with the team but did not suit up.
Darius Bazley was the Lakers' only constant on defense, switching on the perimeter while contesting shots at the rim. Perimeter defense was a clear struggle for L.A., forcing late challenges by bigs leading to 25 free throws.
Cole Swider was a bright spot all game for the Lakers, using his ability to shoot from deep to tally a game-high 24 points on seven-for-10 shooting, including, six of eight from three. Swider, entering his fifth year in the NBA, played seven games for the Lakers his rookie season.
DJ Steward also stood out, scoring 20 points on seven-for-10 shooting. Steward’s ability to get to the rim and draw fouls allowed for catch-and-shoot threes for teammates.
“This is a good opportunity to be myself," Steward said. "There’s a lot of things [the coaching staff] wants me to hone in on, controlling the controllables, picking up 94 feet, communicating, and getting guys involved.”
In his fifth summer league appearance, Steward was the game's second-leading scorer and assist co-leader with six.
Steward said he will push for a win when the Lakers play their next game on Sunday.
“We got to get the guys together to go out there and play harder than we did today," Steward said. "We have to make sure we're picking up 94 feet and being more physical.”
The Lakers' first round draft pick last season, Dalton Knecht, looked a bit rusty scoring only 10 points on three-for-13 shooting, missing all six shots from deep. Knecht is coming off a season for the Lakers where he averaged 9.1 points on 46.1 % shooting in 78 games.
“It took a while for me to get going; I didn’t get going at all,” Knecht said reflecting on his performance. “I just have to come out ready to play better tomorrow and shake off the rust. My teammates were great, they came out competing, picking up full court, rebounding and crashing the glass, so I’m proud of my team.”
The California Classic will continue tomorrow when the Lakers take on the Miami Heat. Tip off will be at 1:30 p.m.
In a bit of an odd moment in Saturday's game between the Yankees and Mets, Aaron Judge was struck by a baseball as he was jogging off the field after the bottom of the fifth inning.
The culprit? Anthony Volpe.
Obviously an accident, Volpe threw the ball to an unaware Judge as the team was headed back to the dugout following the inning -- customary for the Yanks to do.
Not looking, Judge got plunked near the eye and needed a bandage to cover the wound for the rest of the game.
"I didn’t know what happened initially," manager Aaron Boone said after the 12-6 loss. "I just saw kind of a what felt like something happened. So of course I was concerned. (He) had a little cut. In the end I don’t think anything too serious obviously, but initially obviously very concerned."
Judge finished the game 0-for-4 with a walk and was asked how he felt after being hit to which he responded, "good."
As for Volpe, he was clearly apologetic about the whole situation and said "yeah, obviously" when asked if he had a helpless feeling watching what was happening.
For his part, the shortstop hit a solo shot in the seventh inning off Richard Lovelady that got the Yanks closer at 7-5. Volpe finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
New York has now lost six straight games as its downward spiral continues.
During the Mets’ tough stretch, they had a hard time coming up with the big knock when they needed it the most.
That was until earlier this week when Brandon Nimmo lifted a second inning grand slam off of young Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski to break things open and help push them to a skid-snapping Game 2 victory.
Since then, things have turned around for this offense with Nimmo leading the way.
The outfielder has been scorching hot and that continued on Saturday, as he launched a first inning grand slam off left-hander Carlos Rodón to get things going in what ended as their fourth consecutive win.
It was Nimmo’s third grand slam of the season, and his second in the last four days.
“We had some great at-bats leading up to that,” Nimmo said. “Even Juan [Soto] giving himself up there, he felt like he wanted to lay a bunt down and at the worst he was able to get guys over into scoring position -- he’ll break that out sometimes.
“That was inspiring to me, I was like heck yeah -- and then I knew with Pete [Alonso] going up there, there was a good chance that they were going to pitch around him to get to me, so I was just trying to come up with a gameplan and get the barrel on the ball.”
Nimmo would reach again with a single in the bottom of the fifth and stole a base but was retired in his other two plate appearances -- finishing the day 2-for-4 with four RBI and his ninth stolen base of the season.
After a slow start to the season, he’s now up to 18 homers and 52 RBI.
He’s been particularly hot as the weather has started getting warmer -- hitting an even .300 with nine of those home runs, 22 RBI, and a .916 OPS over his last 30 games.
“It sets the tone and takes pressure off of everyone,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s been locked in for a good stretch now -- driving the baseball with authority, controlling the strike zone, going the other way when he needs to, taking tough pitches out of the zone.
“Even the ones he’s fouling off there’s been conviction, there’s balance up there, there’s just a lot to like about his at-bats right now.”
Nimmo wishes he had some sort of magic potion behind his dramatic turnaround at the plate, but he says it’s simply the name of the game thus far this year.
“It’s just staying the course, trying to not panic and kind of trusting that things will come around -- but it’s definitely been nice to be able to help the team out,” he added.
Carlos Mendoza doesn’t necessarily want to see it, but in this case it worked.
Juan Soto has been scorching hot of late, but after the first two Mets reached base against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón in the bottom of the first on Saturday afternoon, he elected to lay down a bunt.
It wasn’t exactly clear whether or not he was bunting for a hit or a sacrifice, but it got the job done either way as the runners were able to advance into scoring position.
After Pete Alonso draw the second walk of the inning to load the bases, Brandon Nimmo then stepped to the plate and crushed his second grand slam of the week to open an early 4-0 advantage.
It was just Soto’s third sacrifice bunt of his eight-year big-league career.
“That’s part of the show,” the skipper said. “I definitely want him swinging the bat there -- I trust a lot of these guys with decision making, he got the bunt down and we hit a grand slam after that, so we’ll take it.”
Soto went hitless over his next couple of at-bats but he was finally able to get in on the fun in the bottom of the eighth, as he cracked an RBI single off the right-center fence to put the icing on the cake.
The star outfielder is now hitting a scorching .337 with 11 homers, 23 RBI, and a 1.180 OPS over his last 30 games.
