The Mets and the Yankees met for the second Subway Series of the year, with the series opener taking place on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The pregame ceremony made for an emotional event, with both the Mets and the Yankees doing New York proud.

On the field, the Mets lost two out of three to drop this series. However, the two city rivals split the yearly series three games apiece, with both teams winning the three-game series they hosted.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the weekend in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

STATEMENT GAME

Zac Thornton rose to the occasion. The rookie was sensational in his Subway Series debut, providing seven innings of two-run ball while allowing five hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Thornton was also incredibly efficient, needing fewer than 12 pitches per inning. The lefty continues to show his mental fortitude. Coming off his worst start of the year, Thornton largely shut down the contending Yankees. No matter what is thrown his way, he takes it in stride and seems to thrive under pressure. Thornton’s resiliency and mental toughness, along with his talent, could well make him a big part of the 2027 roster.

YANKEES KILLER

Francisco Lindor entered the weekend hitting .310/.388/.569 with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs in 61 career games against the Yankees. Well, the shortstop gave the Bronx Bombers more nightmares in this series, including a monster day on Saturday. Lindor hit a leadoff homer and a grand slam, finishing with five RBIs to lead the Mets to a big win. More importantly, he’s looking more like his old self offensively.

DO IT ALL CARSON

Carson Benge continues to show that he’s the real deal. The rookie seems to be able to do everything at such a high level, and he’s a thrill to watch. Benge broke his 18-game skid without a homer by hitting a solo blast on Saturday. He also made a superb diving catch to rob Aaron Judge in the same game. Benge is putting together an impressive all-round rookie season. He also plays the game the right way and is just so easy to root for. 

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

3 DOWN

NOT MEETING THE MOMENT

Nolan McLean laid an egg in his Subway Series debut. The rookie struggled, allowing five earned runs on a career-high 10 hits. He also gave up a homer on his curveball for the first time in his career, with Cody Bellinger‘s three-run home run proving to be the difference. McLean didn’t have it, and while not a big game for the Mets, he will want to return to form when it comes to pitching on the big stage.

HOT AND COLD

Offense, or a lack of it, proved to be the Mets’ undoing in the Bronx. The lineup managed just four runs and seven hits in the series opener, while going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven runners stranded on base. Of course, the offense exploded in the middle game of the series, before being shut out on Sunday for the 14th time this year. It seems this lineup, although improved, still has problems when facing great pitching.

NOT IMPROVING

We seem to talk about Francisco Alvarez in a negative light every week, but for good reason. The catcher seems to be going backwards. He went a combined 1-for-6 with one walk and two strikeouts in two games against the Yankees. He struggles with runners in scoring position, he swings at everything, and there just seems to be no tangible improvement. There should now be real concern for the Mets as it pertains to just how much they can rely on Alvarez in 2027 and beyond.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Falter In The Bronx appeared first on Metsmerized.

Most notably, Thornton was able to get Anthony Volpe to ground into an inning ending double play in the seventh after a conversation with Mets interim manager Andy Green. When asked about his conversation on the mound, Green told reporters that Thornton, “said he was going to get a double play ball.” And he did exactly that.

Despite the season being a lost cause, Green has done a fantastic job of leading the Mets and allowing for the young players to develop in situations that might not be available for a competing team.

Saturday was a great display of perseverance for Thornton. In his previous start against the San Francisco Giants, Thornton gave up six earned runs on four home runs. Against the Yankees, he was able to do exactly what he needs to do to be successful: throw strikes (75.3% strike rate) and limit damage (both runs coming at different times, one off of a solo home run).

Just because Thornton doesn’t have stuff like Nolan McLean doesn’t mean he can’t be a successful major league pitcher. While he is inevitably going to have games where he gets hit very hard, he has shown that he can string together multiple quality starts and get deep into games.

Zac Thornton. Photo credits: Roberto Carlo

As Mets fans know all too well, pitchers are going to get hurt. It’s a part of the game, and the MLB season is a marathon. Pieces, like Thornton, who can eat innings and rack up quality starts are always going to have value, no matter what team they play on.

One of the differences between his last start against the Giants and Saturday night was his pitch breakdown. Thornton has shown this year that he is going to throw his cutter and fastball much more than any other pitch. This is especially true versus right-handed hitters. There needs to be the development of a third pitch to throw more versus righties, but that is for the offseason.

Against the Yankees, Thornton threw his sweeper at a much lower rate than he did against the Giants. Part of this has to do with the extreme platoon lineup that the Yankees sent out. Only three of the starting nine players were lefties, meaning that he was more likely to stick to his fastball and cutter. The other part of this has to do with the trend that we are seeing with his arsenal.

As the season has gone on, Thornton has thrown cutters and fastballs at a much higher rate than his other pitches. What’s interesting is that those two pitches have not been super effective, despite throwing them a ton. Opposing hitters are hitting .268 off of the cutters and fastballs this year, and .294 off of the cutter alone. Compare this to the .167 batting average off of his sweeper, and it poses a legitimate question as to why he doesn’t trust it more.

Starts like these are incredibly encouraging for the Mets long-term outlook. With so many question marks heading into 2027, it would be fantastic if they could pencil Thornton into a role at the bottom of the rotation. Someone who can eat innings, rack up quality starts, and survive the dog days of the season.

The post Zac Thornton Guts Out Seven Strong Innings appeared first on Metsmerized.

Roberto Carlo

Lindor Hits Two Home Runs, Five RBIs

Mets Offense Scores 12 Runs On 14 Hits

Thornton Throws Seven Innings

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

On Deck

The post Offense Backs Thornton’s Strong Outing in 12-2 Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

The third baseman conjured some late heroics on Sunday to guide the Mets to a win over the Giants in the series finale. Bichette’s clutch hit also sealed the series win.

The three-game set against San Francisco featured many positives and some negatives for the Mets, who are now 65-78 on the year.

With that, let’s recap everything from the Giants series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Bo Bichette by Berto Carlo

3 UP

BO KNOWS CLUTCH

Bo Bichette delivered a true statement moment on Sunday. The infielder has shown a prowess for coming through with runners in scoring position throughout his career. He flashed that ability once again in the series finale. At the plate with runners on the corners, two outs, and the Mets trailing 2-1, Bichette came up clutch with a three-run shot that turned the game on its head. As a result, Bichette’s heroics gave his team the lead for good. More importantly, the third baseman is looking more and more like a key piece who can contribute at a high level in 2027.

SLUMP BUSTER

A.J. Ewing appears to be waking up from his slumber. The rookie has been mired in one almighty tough patch, hitting .197 with no home runs over 46 games entering Saturday. Well, that cold streak ended with one thunderous swing of the bat in the middle game of the series. Ewing launched a 407-foot home run to show important signs of life. Furthermore, he also drew two walks before recording two hits and a run scored on Sunday. All rookies endure slumps. The fact thatEwing appears to be emerging from his slump is a huge positive for the Mets.

SHOWING HIS WORTH

Brett Baty‘s future with this team appears to be very much up in the air. However, he clearly isn’t going to give up without a fight. The super-utility player enjoyed a productive series, including recording three RBIs on Saturday. To be more exact, he drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, and came up with a two-run double in the ninth. In other words, Baty did his best to try to get his team back in the game. What happens next remains to be seen, but a strong finish to the season will only help Baty’s cause.

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets infielder Marcus Semien (10) looks on while batting against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

MINOR HICCUP 

Let’s not overreact to Zac Thornton‘s rough start. Yes, the rookie was shelled on Saturday. He was rocked, allowing six runs on seven hits, including giving up four home runs. That’s hardly ideal, but again, all players will have off days, especially rookies. And, while the six earned runs reached a season-worst mark, Thornton did still strike out six batters. It is possible that some natural fatigue could be creeping in, too. All in all, while Saturday’s start was one to forget, it shouldn’t be overblown into something it isn’t.

SHINE WEARING OFF

Jefry Yan was a nice story when he was first called up. However, whether he can actually become an effective major league reliever remains to be seen. The latest evidence suggests not. Yan made two outings against the Giants, giving up a combined three earned runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. While the lefty is showing an ability to strike out hitters at a high rate, his command has always been an issue. Now optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, it remains to be seen if Yan will get back to the bigs.

GROWING DILEMMA 

How will the Mets handle Marcus Semien going forward? The veteran has not been good in his first year in Queens. While he’s shown some offensive consistency since the All-Star break, he’s also regressed again as of late. For instance, Semien went a combined 2-for-10 with one walk, one run scored, no extra-base hits, and no RBIs in the Giants series. Furthermore, he is no longer a sure thing defensively. With two more years left on his contract, Semien looks to be a concern that will carry over into spring training with no clear fix.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Late Heroics Seal Giants Series Win For Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

“Obviously the home runs are not what he’s looking for there …  it’s a day where the wind is blowing out,” interim manager Andy Green said Saturday after the 9-5 loss in front of 30,046 at Citi Field.

Thronton (3-5) saw his ERA jump from 2.93 to 3.53 after he gave up a career-high six earned runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out six, walked one, and threw 59 of 82 pitches for strikes.

The New York Mets (64-78) were trailing 3-2 with two outs in the top of the fifth with nobody on base when the Giants put together four straight hits, including homers by Christian Koss and Rafael Devers, who each homered off of Thornton earlier in the game.

“In one sense, he’s two outs in the fifth inning with three runs given up, mostly from like Rafael Devers taking a good swing (on a first-inning homer),” Green said. “He was one pitch away from getting out of that inning and then there’s two home runs and a single in between, so not what he wanted. Not the outing that I think we saw before, just some kind of middle-of-the-plate misses that got hit.”

Thornton has thrown 129 innings combined between the majors and minors this year, which is 56 1/3 more innings than he pitched last season when he missed the second half with an oblique injury. Green was asked before the game if the larger workload was a concern for the 24-year-old.

“Where we’re at right now, he looks and has been very strong,” Green said. “We feel good about where he is.

“Certainly hope that continues through the end of the year. As long as he continues to not give us any pause on anything we’ll continue to run him out there. And like Christian (Scott) I think most all of his starts going forward are more than four days’ rest, which I think makes sense given where he’s coming from.”

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Zac Thornton vs. Braves

Thornton Has Rough Day

Thornton entered Saturday’s outing with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts in his first season in the big leagues, but on Saturday, Thornton fell victim to the long ball and the hardships of being a rookie pitcher. It didn’t help matters for Thornton when Devers greeted him in the first inning with a solo home run. The Mets gave Thornton a lead in the bottom of the second inning on an A.J. Ewing two-run home run, but Thornton allowed a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to Christian Koss as the Giants went ahead 3-2. 

After retiring eight in a row and it looked like Thornton would settle in, Koss struck again with his second home run of the day in the top of the fifth inning. After a Jonah Cox single, Devers notched his second home run of the game, and third of the series, to the opposite field for a 6-2 Giants lead. Thornton went five innings and allowed four home runs and seven hits. His ERA went up to 3.53.

AJ Ewing Back in the Lineup and Contributes  

Speaking of Mets rookies, it’s been a rough patch for A.J. Ewing for a while now. Ewing entered the game on Saturday batting .126 in his last 23 games with 29 strikeouts. With Nick Morabito called up, and Juan Soto off the injured list, plus manager Andy Green giving him a “reset”, Ewing did not see the field over the last two games. He was in there and playing center field and had his best game at the plate in almost a month. 

With the Mets down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning and Marcus Semien on first base, Ewing notched the only hit by a Mets batter off Molina, launching a changeup over the right-field wall for a two-run home run. Ewing hit it at 105.7 MPH and 407 feet. Ewing also walked twice and scored two runs. A lot of eyes will be on Ewing in the season’s last month to see if he can take Saturday’s game and turn it into a good finish for his season. Especially with the way Carson Benge is playing. 

Mets Offense Halted

Aside from Ewing, the Mets weren’t able to follow up a five home run performance on Friday as they were held in total to just four hits against Giants pitching. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Bo Bichette, and Benge were all left hitless in the loss. The Mets went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and their best chance with the game still in reach came in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Mets loaded the bases with one out. However, Francisco Alvarez struck out swinging, and after Brett Baty walked in a run to make it 6-3, Lindor grounded out to end the Mets’ rally.  The Giants would pull away in the eighth and ninth innings with home runs by Osleivis Basabe and Grant McCray. 

Player of the Game: AJ Ewing

Ewing returned to the lineup after a few games off with a two-run home run and two walks.

On Deck: 

After Thornton and Nolan McLean, the Mets will now turn to Christian Scott on Sunday afternoon against Cesar Perdomo. The game will begin at 1:40 pm EDT and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880AM.

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The Mets lost two out of three to Houston for their third straight series loss. As a result, they have now lost four of five and seven of their last 11.

Still, it is hardly about wins and losses at this point. There were some positives to take from the three games against Houston.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the Astros series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

3 UP

RETURN OF THE KING

Juan Soto was activated from the IL over the weekend, and he made his presence immediately felt. The superstar recorded an RBI single in his first game back on Saturday. He followed that up with a solo home run on Sunday. In all, Soto finished with two runs scored and two RBIs over his first two games back. Even with nothing to play for, Soto’s return to the lineup ensures that games are still worth watching.

DOING THEIR JOBS

Both Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton stepped up to the plate in their respective starts in this series. McLean was stellar on Saturday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. That marked McLean’s fourth straight quality start. Meanwhile, Thornton also did his part, providing five solid innings with two runs and five strikeouts on Sunday. With the end of the season nearing, McLean and Thornton keep providing hope for the future.

YOUNG AND FREE

Okay, yes, Jared Young committed an error on Sunday that led to two runs scored. That wasn’t great, although the Mets’ offensive struggles was the biggest reason for the loss. In any case, Young deserves to be in this category for his exploits on Saturday. The infielder recorded his first career three-RBI performance to go along with a three-hit day. Young proved to be the heart of the offense in the Mets’ only win of the series. Furthermore, he continues to show he can be a full-time contributor for this team.

Christian Scott by Berto Carlo

3 DOWN

MELTING DOWN

The bullpen was not great in this series. Nate Lavender allowed three inherited runs to score in the loss on Friday. Daniel Duarte gave up a home run in his outing on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Jonathan Pintaro and Jefry Yan combined to allow four runs across just two innings. It is probably fair to expect some down days from the bullpen this late in the season.

GETTING TIRED?

Christian Scott may benefit from some extra rest down the stretch. The young starter is nearing the end of his first season post-Tommy John surgery, and it is possible that fatigue may be settling in. Scott held the Astros to just one run through the first five innings of Friday’s game, but walked three straight in the sixth to load the bases. That led to the deciding runs being scored. Scott just lost the zone, and he’s faded late in games before. This could be a situation worth keeping an eye on.

CONTINUED STRUGGLES

A.J. Ewing‘s slump at the plate continues. He went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts in the first two games of the series. Now,Ewing did finish strong with a walk, a double, a run scored, and a stolen base in the series finale. Still, he’s hitting just .152/.204/.378/.174/.378 over his last 12 games. Hopefully, Ewing can use his performance on Sunday to get the trainback on the tracks offensively.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets’ Struggles Continue in Series Loss to Astros appeared first on Metsmerized.

Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, but the Mets scored just one run on three hits the rest of the way and fell 6-3 to the Astros on Sunday in front of 25,227 at Citi Field. The Mets (61-76) have lost the rubber game in three consecutive series.

Zac Thornton allowed two runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.

“Felt like a grindy outing, like really gutsy, never felt quite as sharp as he is sometimes, but when you look up and you say that about a guy and it’s five innings and two runs you can’t help but be pleased that he’s got a way to fight through that outing and to do that,” Andy Green said.

The rookie has given up three earned runs or less in 10 straight starts. Jonathan Pintaro (2-1) surrendered a go-ahead, two-run homer to LaMonte Wade Jr. in the sixth. James Villani has more in a recap here.

Bo Bichette went 2-for-3. It was only the 29th time that Lindor, Soto and Bichette were in the lineup together this season, per the NBC broadcast.

Lindor’s homer was No. 155 as a Met and moved him into sixth place on the franchise’s all-time list. He passed Dave Kingman. Next up is Howard Johnson at 192.

Next up for New York is a trip to Tampa Bay to play the team with the American League’s best record (82-54) on Monday at 6:40 p.m. ET on SNY. Robert Stock (0-3, 7.40 ERA) will try to earn his first win in seven years against lefty Ian Seymour (9-5, 4.21 ERA).

Mark Vientos
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

Mark Vientos, rehabbing at Triple-A Syracuse, hit three home runs and six pitchers combined on a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The pitchers: Kevin Herget, Saul Garcia, Tobias Myers, Chayce McDermott, Joe Jacques and Zach Franklin. For more, visit metsminors.net here.

Vientos is 9-for-18 with five homers in five games at Triple-A.

Jefferson Rojas and Mitch Voit homered in Double-A Binghamton’s 14-5 win over the Reading Fightin Phils. Rojas went 3-for-6 with four RBIs and Voit was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two walks. Marco Vargas went 4-for-6 with two doubles and three stolen bases. The Rumble Ponies are 4 1/2 games back of Reading for a playoff spot.

Infielder Sammy Stafura, acquired in a trade with the Pirates for Luke Weaver, went 2-for-5 with two home runs in High-A Brooklyn’s 5-2 victory over Hudson Valley.

Latest MLB News

Toronto’s Max Scherzer struck out Seattle’s Cal Raleigh to move past Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry into ninth place on the all-time strikeout list. Scherzer has 3,535 strikeouts, including 294 with the Mets.

The Twins placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list with a right hip impingement. The team said the plan is for him to return this year, but that surgery is a possibility.

The Mariners placed RHP Emerson Hancock on the 15-day IL with a strained left adductor.

Latest on MMO

The Mets placed slumping Triple-A prospect Ryan Clifford on the development list on Aug. 19. But what is the development list? Robert Colonna has the answer.

Nolan McLean hasn’t allowed an earned run in 17 innings and John Stocum writes that he has pushed his way into the Rookie of the Year race.

Jonah Tong was wonderful (seven innings, no runs, one hit, eight strikeouts) and Rojas and Billy Amick homered. James Villani was on it all in a recap of Saturday’s minor-league games.

On This Date in Mets History

2020: Tom Seaver died in his sleep at his home in Calistoga, Calif., due to complications from Lewy body dementia and Covid. He was 75.

2012: R.A. Dickey tosses a five-hit shutout for his 17th win and strikes out seven in a 3-0 win at Marlins Park. Ike Davis hits his 25th homer.

2005: Carlos Beltrán goes 1-for-4 in an 8-2 loss to the Phillies. Veronica arrives at 10:13 p.m. Beltrán is a 49-year-old Met managerial candidate now and she’s a senior in college. Time flies.

1985: Dwight Gooden takes the loss in a 3-2 defeat to the Giants to fall to 20-4, ending his personal win streak at 14.

On This Date in 1986 Mets

Fernando Valenzuela throws a complete game at Shea Stadium in a 7-4 Dodgers win. Ron Darling is tagged for all seven runs over 6 1/3 innings and his ERA jumps to 3.08. Backup catcher Ed Hearn hits the last of his four career home runs. The Mets are 87-43, 19 games up on the second-place Phillies.

Born on This Date: Ramón Ramírez (1981), Hideo Nomo (1968), Pat Howell (1968), Claudell Washington (1954), Tracy Stallard (1937).

The post Morning Briefing: Rehabbing Vientos Rips Three Homers appeared first on Metsmerized.

New York fell behind the eight ball early, as Jeremy Pena took Mets’ starter Zac Thornton deep to lead off the game. Thornton settled in after, allowing only one more run over the next four innings. In all, the Mets’ rookie went five innings allowed the two runs on six hits, no walks, and struck out five. His season ERA rose slightly to 2.93.

The Mets’ offense responded quickly after the lead-off Pena homer. Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto went back-to-back in the bottom of the first to get the Mets back on top. Luis Torrens then grounded into a double play bringing home A.J. Ewing who walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a bad throw.

The three runs, on only five hits, was all the Mets’ offense generated which was not enough. Bo Bichette was the lone Met to have a multi-hit game (2-for-3).

After the Torrens’ double play, Jonathan Pintaro served up a go-ahead home run to LaMonte Wade Jr., who replaced Cam Smith as a pinch-hitter, in the sixth inning. The Astros added their fifth and sixth runs after Jared Young‘s throw home went awry as New York tried to turn a 3-3-2 double play. Jefry Yan was hit with two runs, one earned, in the seventh.

New York had a last-ditch effort in the eighth frame when Carson Benge came to the plate as the tying run, however, he popped one up to shallow right field.

The Mets have now lost four of their last five games after being one of the hotter teams in baseball since the trade deadline.

Player of the Game: Juan Soto

New York’s superstar has not missed a step since returning from injury. He reached base twice in four plate appearances, including a solo home run to give the Mets’ a brief 2-1 lead. His OPS is at .950 which would be one of the top marks in the major leagues if he qualified.

On Deck

The Mets travel to Tampa Bay to begin a three-game set on Monday. The first game of the series is slated for a 6:40 pm ET first pitch. The projected pitching matchup is Robert Stock versus Ian Seymour. The Rays are one of the best teams in baseball.

The post Mets Drop Series To Astros In 6-3 Finale Loss appeared first on Metsmerized.

Saturday afternoon the New York Mets and Juan Soto surprised everyone. Soto was activated off the injured list four hours before the start of Saturday’s game.

Following, Nolan McLean though stole the show. He pitched seven innings allowing only one unearned run as the Mets went on to win the game 6-2. Now the Mets have an opportunity to win the series against the Astros this afternoon.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Carson Benge – RF
5. Jared Young – 1B
6. Luis Robert Jr. – LF
7. A.J. Ewing – CF
8. Marcus Semien – 2B
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Zac Thornton

Zac Thornton has pitched 56 1/3 innings over 10 starts this season with a 2.88 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.154 WHIP, and a 142 ERA+. Thornton has allowed either three or four runs in five of his 10 starts. In is other five starts he has allowed either none or one.

His last time out he allowed only one run over six innings from seven hits against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Astros have one of the top offenses in the league, hitting 180 home runs already this season (fourth in the league), so Sunday will be another good test in Thornton’s development.

Astros Lineup

1. Jeremy Pena – SS
2. Yordan Alvarez – LF
3. Isaac Parades – DH
4. Jose Altuve – 2B
5. Daulton Varsho – CF
6. Christian Walker – 1B
7. Yanier Diaz – C
8. Cam Smith – RF
9. Nick Allen – SS

Starting Pitcher: Ethan Pecko

The Mets’ bats will get a look at rookie Ethan Pecko Sunday afternoon. In his first two major league starts he has allowed seven runs from eight hits and seven walks over eight innings. He faced the Yankees in the Bronx earlier in the week who scored five runs and hit two home runs against him.

Pecko is currently listed as the ninth-best prospect in the Astros system by MLB Pipeline. He throws a mid-90 mph fastball that can be anywhere between 93 and 98. He mixes in a slider, cutter, curveball, and changeup to round out his arsenal.

Game Notes

Luis Robert Jr. was placed on waivers Saturday. It is very unlikely he is claimed.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Juan Soto. Juan Soto had a quiet return to the lineup Saturday going 1-for-4 with an RBI. The RBI was his 750th in his career. He still has a high .941 OPS on the season. If he qualified for the leader board he would be behind Yordan Alvarez (1.044) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (.944), but ahead of James Wood (.928). Soto’s next big milestone is 1,000 career walks. He needs 31 before the end of the season which is not impossible but would be difficult to do with a month to go.
2. Jared Young. Young cooled off for four games, going 2-for-15 at the plate with a double. Then, Saturday, he went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Since August 5, Jared Young has slashed .338/.350/.532 over 21 games with 26 hits including six doubles, three triples and home run.
3. Marcus Semien. Semien has six hits in his last four games. Specifically, he has collected exactly two hits three times in his last four games. He’s looked a lot better in August slashing .253/.330/.349 over 24 games raising his season line from .210/.266/.351 to .219/.279/.350.

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