The Rays’ evened up the series with a 7-3 win on Saturday night. Yandy Diaz homered while Jonathan Aranda was on base four times for the Rays. Starter Nick Martinez pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

Travis Bazzana was the offensive bright spot for the Guardians with two hits, including a solo homer.

For the Rays

1. Yandy Diaz – DH
2. Jonathan Aranda – 1B
3. Ryan Vilade – RF
4. Junior Caminero – 3B
5. Chandler Simpson – LF
6. Jonny DeLuca – CF
7. Liam Hicks – C
8. Brandon Williamson – 2B
9. Taylor Walls – SS

SP: Drew Rasmussen

For the Guardians

1. Steven Kwan – LF
2. Jose Ramirez – 3B
3. Chase DeLauter – RF
4. Jo Adell – DH
5. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
6. Travis Bazzana – 2B
7. Patrick Bailey – C
8. Petey Halpin – CF
9. Brayan Rocchio – SS

SP: Parker Messick

The post ALCS Game Thread: Rays vs. Guardians, 5 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Syracuse Mets

The 21-year-old went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in his first game for the Gigantes. He was also slated at third base for his debut, a position he’ll most likely be in the mix for in spring training of 2027.

Overall, the Gigantes del Cibao won the game 4-1. Rojas batted seventh in a lineup that featured Agustin Ramirez of the Marlins and Marcell Ozuna.

The team Rojas and the Gigantes faced was the Águilas Cibaeñas. Their roster featured former Met Christopher Morel, who went 0-for-4, and Cardinal outfielder Victor Scott II. Chris Suero is also on the roster for the Águilas Cibaeñas, but did not appear in the game.

The Gigantes del Cibao face off again Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Tigres del Licey.

The post Jefferson Rojas Record Hit in Winter League Debut appeared first on Metsmerized.

A 2025 National League Championship rematch kicks off in high fashion Sunday in Milwaukee.

The Dodgers and Brewers will throw both their aces — and arguably the two best starting pitchers in the entire league. Lefty Tarik Skubal will get his second start in Dodger blue, looking to build off his stellar debut against the Braves in the NLDS.

Meanwhile, righty Jacob Misiorowski will take the bump for the Milwaukee, looking to bounce back from his four-inning, lackluster start against the Padres. The likely 2026 Cy Young was on the postseason roster in 2025 during the Brewers’ run, but looks to be a difference maker against the defending back-to-back champs.

Misiorowski registered one start against the Dodgers in the regular season. He pitched six innings against the club on August 15 in Los Angeles, striking out six in route to a 4-1 Brewers win. The one run came via a Shohei Ohtani RBI triple.

Due to interleague play, Skubal started two games against the Brewers this season. The first came as a Tiger on April 23, where the lefty allowed four earned runs over six innings. The second start as a Dodger was much better, where Skubal struck out seven and allowed two runs (one earned) across six innings.

Skubal’s average fastball velocity this season was 96.6 miles per hour. Misiorowski’s was 100.6. Try not to blink while watching Game 1 tonight.

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

For the Dodgers

1. Mookie Betts – SS
2. Freddie Freeman – 1B
3. Will Smith – C
4. Shohei Ohtani – DH
5. Teoscar Hernandez – LF
6. Max Muncy – 3B
7. Andy Pages – CF
8. Kyle Tucker – LF
9. Enrique Hernandez – 2B

Starting pitcher: Tarik Skubal

For the Brewers

1. Jackson Chourio – LF
2. Brice Turang – 2B
3. William Contreras – C
4. Jake Bauers – 1B
5. Andrew Vaughn – DH
6. Blake Mitchell – CF
7. Cooper Pratt – SS
8. Luis Lara – RF
9. Joey Ortiz – 3B

Starting pitcher: Jacob Misiorowski

Fun fact: Last year in Game 1 of the NLCS, the Brewers went with a bullpen game… and almost won! Aaron Ashby, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill, and Abner Uribe combined for nine innings, four strikeouts, and only one earned run. The Brewers fell 2-1, getting dominated by Blake Snell, who struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings.

The post NLCS Game Thread: Dodgers vs. Brewers, 8 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Life comes at you fast.

The White Sox stunned the Guardians with two wins in Cleveland, taking a 2-0 series lead and pushing the series back to Chicago. But with their backs against the wall, the Guardians then dominated the White Sox over two games to push the series back to Ohio.

Bullpen games did the White Sox in. But in Game 5, they’ll be backed by their ace Sean Burke. The ace had a breakout season for the White Sox this season, striking out 185 batters and posting a 3.34 ERA. The righty also put in a solid outing against the Guardians in Game 1, allowing just one earned run across 5 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, the Guardians counter with Gavin Williams. The righty has been a force in this series, striking out 11 in the Game 1 loss and then securing a Game 4 win with a scoreless ninth. Cleveland will turn toward their ace one final time and attempt to reach the American League Championship Series again.

Gavin Williams. Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

For the White Sox

1. Sam Antonacci – LF
2. Kyle Teel – C
3. Miguel Vargas – 3B
4. Munetaka Murakami – 1B
5. Andrew Benintendi – DH
6. Tristan Peters – RF
7. Chase Meidroth – 2B
8. Colson Montgomery – SS
9. Brenton Doyle – CF

For the Guardians

1. Steven Kwan – LF
2. Jose Ramirez – 3B
3. Chase DeLauter – RF
4. Jo Adell – DH
5. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
6. Travis Bazzana – 2B
7. Patrick Bailey – C
8. Petey Halpin – CF
9. Brayan Rocchio – SS

The post ALDS Game Thread: White Sox vs. Guardians, 8:00 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Atlanta was able to hold off Philadelphia in a commanding Game 3 win. Their reward? The two-time defending World Champion Dodgers.

Game 1 will go through Tarik Skubal, who is among the best starters in the game year in and year out. The Braves meanwhile will counter with their own lefty, Dylan Dodd. The Braves starter pitched two-thirds of an inning against the Phillies in the wild card round, allowing one earned run on one hit.

It’s a 2021 National League Championship Series rematch between the two squads. Atlanta handled the Dodgers at in six games, but that was back when Freddie Freeman donned the A on his cap. It’s the third time these two ball clubs have faced off this decade, with the first coming in the 2020 NLCS. It’s also the fifth time these two teams have battled in October this century.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

For the Braves

1. Drake Baldwin – DH
2. Ronald Acuna Jr. – RF
3. Ozzie Albies – 2B
4. Matt Olson – 1B
5. Michael Harris II – CF
6. Mauricio Dubon – LF
7. Austin Riley – 3B
8. Sean Murphy – C
9. Ha-Seong Kim – SS

SP: Dylan Dodd

For the Dodgers

1. Mookie Betts – SS
2. Shohei Ohtani – DH
3. Will Smith – C
4. Freddie Freeman- 1B
5. Teoscar Hernandez – LF
6. Kyle Tucker – RF
7. Andy Pages – CF
8. Max Muncy – 3B
9. Tommy Edman – 2B

SP: Tarik Skubal.

Tarik Skubal will make his Dodgers postseason debut Saturday for the Dodgers. Surprisingly to some, Skubal made a start earlier this season as a starter with the Tigers. He struck out seven batters and allowed two earned runs across seven innings back on April 29.

The post 2026 NLDS Game Thread: Braves at Dodgers, 4 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Buckle up. Both American League Division Series are bound to get messy.

Kicking off the ALDS format will be two division rivals in the White Sox and Guardians. Despite both of their over 100 year histories in the AL, neither side has ever faced off in the playoffs.

It’ll be exciting. And both teams will reignite their season rivalry for one last time in 2026. The Guardians edged out the White Sox for the division crown by one game this season, getting a boost with their series victory late in September. Still, the White Sox handled Cleveland throughout the year, and finished 7-6 against them.

It’s the first time in the ALDS for the White Sox since 2021, where they were bounced by the Astros. Chicago hasn’t advanced further than the division series since 2005, when they won the World Series. Also against the Astros.

Meanwhile, Cleveland is already further in the playoffs this season with Saturday’s Game 1. The club was bounced from the wild card round in 2025 by the Tigers, and were bounced out of the ALCS in 2024 by the Yankees. It’s the third straight season that the Guardians have won the Central, and they’re looking to ride their imposing rotation to a pennant.

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

For the White Sox

1. Chase Meidroth – 2B
2. Randal Grichuk  – LF
3. Miguel Vargas – 3B
4. Munetaka Murakami – 1B
5. Tommy Pham – DH
6. Brenton Doyle – CF
7. Kyle Teel – C
8. Braden Montgomery – RF
9. Colson Montgomery – SS

Hagen Smith gets the Game 1 start for Chicago. The lefty has been used as an opener throughout the season, and is tasked with retiring Cleveland the first time through their order. Smith pitched three innings against the Astros in Game 1 of the AL wild card series, notching three scoreless innings in a crucial win.

For the Guardians  

1. Steven Kwan – CF
2. Jose Ramirez – 3B
3. Chase DeLauter – RF
4. Jo Adell – DH
5. Angel Marintez – LF
6. David Fry – 1B
7. Travis Bazzana – 2B
8. Austin Hedges – C
9. Brayan Rocchio – SS

Parker Messick takes the bump for Cleveland in Game 1. The righty was absolutely dominated in 2026, pitching to a 2.56 ERA with 193 punchouts in 186 2/3 innings. The lefty tossed three games against the South Side in 2026, punching out at least eight and never allowing more than three earned runs in all three starts.

The post 2026 ALDS Game Thread: White Sox at Guardians, 1 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Now that doesn’t mean that the playoff brackets are all set. The American League playoffs could look entirely different despite there being less than 10 games. Six teams are still technically alive in the race, but really three teams on the outside have a fighter’s chance. The White Sox are desperately hanging on to the third wild card, and have the Rangers trailing them in the standings by one game, the Blue Jays by two games, and the Orioles by three. Yeah, Chicago might wanna dethrone the Guardians for the AL Central (which they have the tiebreaker for).

Meanwhile the National League is all but set. The only team on the outside that’s alive is the Diamondbacks. They trail the Padres by five games with six left to play, but play their final three games against the Friars. The two teams also enter their final series with a 5-5 record against each other, leaving for a juicy end to their seasons.

The interesting aspect of the NL wild card will be home-field advantage. The Cubs, Phillies, and Padres enter Saturday with identical 85-69 records, leaving the destinations for the majority of the playoff teams up in the air. Buckle up everybody. Jumbling will soon take place.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

1. Dodgers

The Dodgers always seem to figure everything out right before October. Look no further than Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker.

The two had been struggling the entire season. Some injury. Some lackluster play. But the two are absolutely crushing baseballs with October only two weeks away.

Betts is slashing .356/.457/.729 over his last 13 games with six homers, 18 RBIs, and 11 walks. Tucker is slashing .306/.407/.776 with six homers in his last 15 games. This team won 94 games entering Saturday without those two being factors. Imagine what they’ll do in the most important month of the season with their superstars performing.

2. Brewers

The Crew survived extra innings Friday in Baltimore to pick up their 96th win of the season.

Entering Saturday, the club holds the best record in the majors, and they’ll try to hold on to secure home-field advantage for as long as they survive October. As of now, the Dodgers are their primary threat, but they should be able to pick up wins with five of their last eight games coming against the Orioles and Cardinals.

They’ll need Kyle Harrison to bounce back, however, down the stretch and in October. The lefty was providing the club with ace-like performances in the first half, but has pitched to a 21.00 ERA in his last four starts.

3. Braves

Last week was detrimental for the Braves’ chances at an NL East crown. And they delivered.

The club took a series against the Phillies at home, including a dramatic 6-5 win on September 11. Trailing 5-4 with two outs in the 11th, Ha-Seong Kim tied the game off Brooks Raley, then Drake Baldwin doubled into the gap to walk it off.

The win propelled a series victory, and has led the Braves to a five-game lead over the Phillies entering Saturday. This club is poised to knock off the Dodgers for the 2026 pennant, especially with the offense clicking and deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle pitching to a 1.28 ERA in eight Atlanta starts.

4. Yankees

Maybe Aaron Judge should have taken that rehab assignment.

Baseball’s best slugger hit the IL again, this time with a right calf strain. The star has no timetable to return, and leaves the Yankees with a huge question mark heading into October.

Still, even without Judge, this team is dangerous. They’ve won 89 games this season with Judge missing significant time, and could pave the way for Ben Rice to lead the team through October.

This club definitely has the pitching to carry them in a short series format. We’ll see if they get the offense.

5. Cubs

Chicago might have lost the division to the Brewers, but this club is a dark horse to win the whole thing.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and company enter Saturday with the best OPS (.771) in the majors, most runs scored (821), and most homers (212). It’s easily the best offense in baseball.

The pitching also doesn’t get talked about enough. Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman at the top of the rotation are a strong duo to contend against other playoff teams in the NL. Shota Imanaga as the three also plays.

6. Padres

A sizzling September has placed the Padres firmly in playoff contention for 2026.

The club enters Saturday in a three-way tie for the top wild card spot in the NL, and going 12-4 in September has been the culprit. The Friars seriously turned their season around, and any thoughts of San Diego missing October are behind us. Barring a major collapse in the final series of the season, San Diego will enter October with a rejuvenated offense and the best closer in baseball.

Jackson Merrill has been a driving factor during the Padres’ resurgence. The 23-year-old is slashing .303/.344/.571 with seven homers in his last 30 games, bringing his season OPS to a respectable .752 with a couple weeks left in 2026.

7. Rays

It’s weird to say Yordan Alvarez might win the triple crown and lose the AL MVP. Anyway, that’s the long-winded way of saying Junior Caminero should be the AL MVP.

The 22-year-old has carried the Rays the entire season, and will be the sole reason the Rays won the AL East. He’s slashing .277/.365/.533 with an AL-leading 41 homers. Caminero was responsible for two wins himself last week, walking off the A’s twice with homers.

Caminero is the it factor in the lineup. He’s the reason the Rays are seventh in the majors in OPS. He’s also clubbed 41 of the team’s 161 homers entering Saturday.

8. Red Sox

Boston may be eliminated from AL East contention. But they sure helped their No. 1 rival with a win over Tampa Friday.

Roman Anthony clubbed a solo homer in the first and drove in three runs in Friday’s win, leading the Red Sox to a 4-3 win on the road. It kept their hopes for the top wild card alive, and trail the Yankees by five games entering Saturday for a home series in October.

We’ll see how the club holds up with some tough series down the stretch. They finish with the Rays Sunday, then face the Guardians and Cubs to end the season.

9. Phillies

It’s go time for Philadelphia. They’re tied with the Cubs and Padres for the top wild card, and easily have the toughest schedule before the season’s end.

The Mets are a trap series on the road due to their health, and after that, the Phils take on the Brewers and Rays. They’re also without Cristopher Sanchez right now, leading to a bullpen game every five days. Yeesh.

Fortunately, Bryce Harper has heated up for this club at its most dire hour. The first baseman is slashing .333/.426/.486 with 12 RBIs over his last 30 games, and is attempting to jumpstart an expensive, struggling offense.

10. White Sox

The White Sox picked a terrible time to have a 3-8 stretch.

The losing has resulted in the club entering Saturday outside first place in the AL Central, which was emphasized by the Guardians taking two of three from the club in Cleveland. Of all the losses, the biggest came September 15. The club held a 6-5 lead entering the ninth, then Grant Taylor promptly gave up two runs to lose the game, leading to a series loss.

All hope isn’t lost, however, for the White Sox. Their end-of-season schedule has been drawn up perfectly. After a series against the Tigers, the Sox will play six straight games against the Royals and Rockies. The Guardians will also get a go at Kansas City, but face Boston as well.

Rest of the Field

11. Guardians
12. Diamondbacks
13. Pirates
14. Astros
15. Rangers
16. Marlins
17. Orioles
18. Nationals
19. Cardinals
20. Tigers
21. Blue Jays
22. Mets
23. Twins
24. Mariners
25. Reds
26. Giants
27. Royals
28. Angels
29. Rockies
30. Athletics

Previous Rankings: W19 | W18 | W17 | W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 |  W8 | W7 | W6 | W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week 20 Update appeared first on Metsmerized.

The top two spots are being held safely by the Cubs and Phillies, but below for the third spot is five teams battling. The Padres hold the final spot entering Saturday, but the Diamondbacks are only half a game back, the Cardinals and Marlins are both three and half back, and then the Pirates are four and half games back.

Whether or not the Padres hold will be seen. They end the season at home against the D-backs, but also host the Marlins in the middle of the month. The standings will see many jumps and falls. Which, for someone not implicated, will be fun to watch.

1. Braves

Last week Atlanta got a practice test of October. And they aced it.

The club went 8-2, including a three-game sweep of the Dodgers and a Friday night 5-2 win over the division rival Phillies. The stretch opened up the Braves’ division lead to five games, and improved them to an 84-57 record.

A big reason for their resurgent season? Michael Harris II. The 25-year-old is slugging .501 with 24 homers on the season, and over his last 15 games, is slashing .309/.333/.618 with four homers. It’s an incredible bounce back after he posted a .678 OPS with 20 homers in 2025.

2. Brewers

The Crew was also tested by division rivals last week.

Milwaukee went to Chicago, where they split a series in a tough environment against the Cubs. They improved to a major-league-best 88-54 and put the Cubs eight games behind them in the standings.

The offense carried the club in that series, scoring 18 runs in two of the four games while bailing out Jacob Misiorowski, who allowed a season-high five earned runs and failed to post five innings for the first time in 2026. Jackson Chourio continues to be a churning chog in the lineup, who clubbed a homer against the Cubs after smacking seven in August.

3. Dodgers

A 4-6 week is nothing to brag about for the Dodgers.

They were swept by the Cubs, won a series against the Tigers, then dropped two of three at home to the Cardinals. Still, their +149 run differential is the second-best in the majors, and their 10-game lead in the NL West over the Padres is the largest in baseball.

The major concern for them, however, is Shohei Ohtani. The best player in baseball has been dealing with a neck issue and right arm issue, which could land him on the injured list with October right around the corner. Dave Roberts and the Dodgers are hopeful the superstar will be able to work through his issues with rest, but it would be a massive blow for a club looking to three-peat.

4. Cubs

Everybody wants to talk about Pete Crow–Armstrong. And that’s fair. He’s going to win the NL MVP. But let’s not take anything away from Alex Bregman.

The third baseman was lost in the first half of the season. He clubbed only nine homers, posted a .696 OPS, and looked like an albatross in a potent lineup. He was truly a problem for the Cubs. Well since the second half has started, Bregman has posted a .990 OPS, knocked in 41 runs (40 in the first half), and has launched 15 homers. 13 of which has come in the last 30 games.

His offense and rotation play of Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman have catapulted the Cubs into a comfortable wild card standing. They do have a shot at the NL Central still, but eight games is a large hole to climb out of with 20 games left.

5. Yankees

Friday night saw the Yanks lose in more ways than one.

Leading 2-1 in the 10th, Paul Blackburn served up a walk-off bomb to Luis Campusano to spoil Max Fried‘s solid outing. The second loss came earlier in the third inning. Trent Grisham reached base, stole second, then was removed in the top of the third with hamstring tightness. Losing the outfielder for a long stretch would be brutal, as he’s been a staple on defense and a threat in the power department.

On the bright side, Aaron Judge checked off another mark on his return back from injury. The slugger took batting practice ahead of the series in San Diego, and the organization is discussing whether he needs a rehab assignment. Getting Judge back in September could be crucial, as the club is only four games behind the Rays and have a series against them starting September 22.

6. Phillies

Philadelphia enjoyed a five-game winning streak last week, helping them keep pace with the Braves in the standings.

One of those wins was absolutely exhilarating in Anaheim. Down to their final swings, Bryson Stott had a go-ahead home run robbed, leaving the game in the hands of Edmundo Sosa. The utility infielder promptly hit his first career grand slam, putting the Phils ahead to win 5-3.

Despite the strong play, the Phillies still have a small hill to climb in their attempt to win the NL East. They’re five games behind the Braves and lost to Atlanta Friday to open the four-game set. These next two weeks will be exciting, as Philadelphia and Atlanta play each other seven times in nine days.

7. Rays

Tampa has the best record in the AL. So why are they so low on the list?

Well, with the club only four games ahead of the Yankees in the standings, let’s look at the underlying stats. Their run differential is only +46. Their expected record is 75-66. Both numbers lower than the Yankees and Red Sox.

Last week also saw the first-place team lose two of three to the Mets at home without facing Nolan McLean or Christian Scott. Yikes. The offense has been better of late, but whether it holds up in the final month will decide whether this club is a division winner or wild card.

8. Red Sox

Rays or Yankees? Hold on, what about the Red Sox?

Boston could sneak their way into a division win. And here’s the argument. The club is only seven and a half back of the Rays, and will get to face them three more times in September. Factor in they also get to play the Royals, Rangers, Angels, and Guardians in the month, and it’s feasible to say the Red Sox could rocket their way past the Yankees in the division.

Thursday and Friday was also a great start to the month, as Boston won back-to-back one-run games against the division rival Orioles. Thanks Mickey Gasper.

9. White Sox

The White Sox are getting a big bat back in September.

The club activated Kyle Teel off the 10-day IL, giving the roster a much-needed boost at catcher. Drew Romo had been filling in with Edgar Quero, but the two of them posted OPS+s of 47 and 53. Look, Teel wasn’t much better when he played (58 OPS+), but the top prospect only played 20 games this season and posted a .886 OPS at Triple-A last season.

10. Padres

The NL wild card race is tight right now.

San Diego is currently hanging on to the third spot, all thanks to the Campusano walk-off dinger Friday night against the Yankees. It’s going to be a tight race the remainder of the stretch, and to make the playoffs, the Padres will need more heroics.

It’s been Fernando Tatis Jr. down the stretch, who was struggling mightily before August. He’s only clubbed 19 homers this year, but 11 of them have come in his last 3o games. Right now the Padres only lead the Diamondbacks by half a game in the standings for the final playoff spot, and the final six games of the season for San Diego come against the Dodgers and then D-backs. Buckle up.

Rest of the Field

11. Diamondbacks
12. Guardians
13. Astros
14. Marlins
15. Cardinals
16. Orioles
17. Pirates
18. Nationals
19. Rangers
20. Blue Jays
21. Twins
22. Mets
23. Reds
24. Royals
25. Tigers
26. Mariners
27. Angels
28. Giants
29. Rockies
30. Athletics

Previous Rankings: W18 | W17 | W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 |  W8 | W7 | W6 | W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week 19 Update appeared first on Metsmerized.

To say McLean was stellar would be an understatement. The 25-year-old twirled seven innings against the AL Central-leading Astros, relying heavily on his fastball to record outs.

 John Jones-Imagn Images

He threw 93 pitches overall, 41 of which were sinkers, 20 cutters, and 15 four-seamers. 82 percent of his pitches were of the fastball variety, and yet, he mowed down an Astros team that is 10th in the majors in OPS.

It was an efficient pitching performance, and because so, McLean wound up with only four strikeouts on the day. An outing, however, that shouldn’t concern those who are glued to analytics.

During McLean’s bounce-back August, he’s now thrown three starts where he’s struck out three, three, and four. Both three-strikeout starts that came earlier in the month were six-inning, one-run performances. Gutsy outings like Saturday.

The win over the Astros lowered McLean’s ERA to 3.06 on the season. He now holds the 13th-lowest ERA in the majors and is more than back on track to battle with Sal Stewart for National League Rookie of the Year honors. McLean did allow one run, but it came unearned as Jeremy Peña advanced to third on a Brett Baty throwing error to lead off the game.

More importantly, McLean’s outing Saturday allowed for the Mets offense to pick the right time to strike. They were held to just one run through four innings, but erupted for three to go ahead in the fifth.

Francisco Lindor was the catalyst in the inning. He doubled to lead off the inning, which could have been an error as Taylor Trammell dropped the ball, and came into score on Juan Soto‘s first base knock since coming off the injured list.

Two more runs came into score after Carson Benge singled to put runners on the corners, and Jared Young flipped a ball down the right field line for a two-run triple.

It was Young’s second RBI base hit of the day, a Saturday that saw the lefty first baseman finish 3-for-4 with three runs batted in. The first RBI hit came in the first inning off lefty opener Bennett Sousa with two outs, which tied the game at the time.

Francisco Alvarez also broke out of his slump with a ringing two-run double in the eighth. Alvarez smoked a hanging slider off Kai-Wei Teng that exited his bat at 98.9 miles per hour, almost clearing the wall by the old M&M seats.

It was a badly needed knock for Alvarez, who was in the midst of a 2-for-27 slump. His last extra-base hit had come on August 15 against the Nationals.

The bullpen rebounded in Saturday’s affair with the Astros. Daniel Duarte struck out two in the eighth but did allow a solo homer to Yordan Alvarez. Then Kodai Senga entered the ninth with a four-run lead and worked around a lead off double via Jose Altuve.

Player of the Game

Nolan McLean was the player of the game for the Mets Saturday. He went seven innings and allowed an unearned run, lowering his ERA to 3.06.

On Deck 

The Mets and Astros will play a rubber game Sunday for the series at 3:10 PM. Zac Thornton takes the mound for New York, looking to build off his six-inning, one-run outing against the Brewers. He’ll be opposed by opener Ethan Pecko. The game will be televised on Peacock and broadcast on WHSQ 880 AM.

The post Nolan McLean Dominates Astros in 6-2 Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Soto was placed on the IL on July 25 with a left calf strain. It was the second calf injury Soto sustained during the 2026 season, the first coming back in April when he strained his right calf.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Soto returning to the major league club without a rehab assignment shouldn’t come as a shock. He told the media during the Brewers series that he felt as if he didn’t need a rehab assignment, and was nearing a return.

The Mets’ superstar was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season when he hit the shelf in July. Soto was slashing .283/.408/.539 with 21 homers in 84 games.

In a corresponding move, the Mets optioned Eric Wagaman to Triple-A Syracuse. The 28-year-old was slashing .191/.269/.319 in with two homers in 52 plate appearances.

The post Mets Reinstate Juan Soto From 10-Day IL appeared first on Metsmerized.