Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Mets Machine Overpowers Nats; Williams Gets 1st W

 

Trevot Williams pitching to Juan Soto in the third inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets beat the Washington Nationals, 10-0, on Tuesday night, for their fifth straight win as they improve to 34-17 on the season.

They will look to sweep the homestand tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm, and if you want to see New York’s other 34-win team, the Yankees, they will be hosting the Los Angeles Angels at 7 pm, making it a doubleheader day in New York City.

Trevor Williams got the start for the Mets, his fourth of the year, and was looking for his first victory. 

The big right-hander threw a solid five innings of shutout ball, in which he allowed just three hits and two walks, and notched a strikeout. He did it on an economical 80 pitches, 48 of which were strikes.

This victory was a long time coming, as it came in his ninth overall appearance of the season. He made two appearances on the Mets' western trip. He lost a start in Colorado in the second game of the doubleheader on May 21, in which he gave up four runs on three hits and a walk, with two strikeouts, in four innings in a game the Mets went on to lose, 11-3. He came on in relief on May 25 at San Francisco, and he threw 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball, with one hit and a walk allowed, with five strikeouts, in a 9-3 loss. 

Just as they did Monday night, the Mets wasted no time going to work against the Nationals' starting pitcher, Patrick Corbin, who entered this one with an uncharacteristic 1-7 record with a 6.30 ERA.

Mark Canha led off for the Mets in this one, as they played the righty-lefty matchups, and he singled, and that was followed by a blast from Starling Marte for a two-run home run his sixth of the season, along with 31 RBI.

The Mets looked to add to their 2-0 lead as Alonso drew a one-out walk with a seven-pitch at-bat, and then McNeil got a two-out single, but Corbin got Eduardo Escobar to hit a soft liner to second base. Corbin threw 31 pitches in the first inning.

The Nationals then had a chance in the second, as Dee Strange-Gordon singled with two outs, and then with Victor Robles up, Mets catcher Tomas Nido tried to pick him off first, and Strange-Gordon ran to second, and Alonso proceeded to throw it into center field, so Dee ran for third. Robles wound up walking but Alcides Escobar grounded into a force out to end the threat.

In the third, with two outs, Juan Soto grounded one to Alonso, and Williams got to the bag quicker than Pete figured, so hit toss went behind him and rolled to the Mets dugout, allowing Soto to reach base. It was Alonso's second error of the night, in as many innings, very uncharacteristic of a guy who has become a quality defender in addition to being a premier hitter.

The Nationals once again coundln't take advantage, as Bell grounded one to Alonso, who took it himself to the bag for the out.

The Mets tacked on another pair in the third, as Alonso, Davis, and McNeil all got one-out singles, and after Escobar struck out, Luis Guillorme laced one to left to bring home two and make it 4-0 Mets. On the pitch before his big it, it appeared Guillorme was hit by a pitch up and in, which would have forced in a run, so Washington challenged, and the call was reversed, bringing him back to the plate. 

The Mets went to work again in the fifth, as they notched three more singles off Corbin, the last of which from Nido went off his glove, and with the lining turning over, and Canha, who ha three hits to that point, up next, that was all for the left-hander.

Erasmo Ramirez came out of the bullpen for the bases-loaded, one-out situation, and Canha greeted him with a double down the right field line to score two, and make it 6-0. It would be the second four-hit game in his career for Canha, who spent his career with Oakland before joining the Mets this season.

After Marte struck out for the second out, Lindor hit one into right field to score two and blow it open at 8-0. It is his ninth straight game with an RBI, tied for the third-longest streak in Mets history. It comes on the day he was named the National League Player of the Week. He has 42 RBI on the season.

That closed the book on Corbin, as he went 4 1/3 innings, and allowed seven runs on 12 hits and two walks, with six strikeouts.

The Mets made it an even 10-0 in the sixth when Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run homer, his third of the season.

Nick Plummer's Persistence Paying Off As He Becomes Mets New Sensation

 

Nick Plummer being greeted after his three-run home run on Monday night. Photo by Jason Schott.


Mets fans love their stars like Pete Alonso and Jacob DeGrom, but New Yorkers love a story of persistence, and that certainly is the word to describe new Citi Field sensation Nick Plummer.

Monday, May 30, 2022

Mets Methodical Offense Wears Down Washington

 

Soldiers lined the warning track before the game (more information below).  Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets rolled to a 13-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Memorial Day Monday night at Citi Field. This was the Mets' fourth straight win, and they are now 33-17, right there once again with the Yankees (33-15) and Los Angeles Dodgers (33-14) for the best record in Major League Baseball.

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Bassitt Bounces Back, Mets Finish Off Sweep Of Phillies

 

Chris Bassitt firing a pitch to Alec Bohm in the first inning Sunday night. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets beat the Phillies, 5-4, in 10 innings, on Sunday night at Citi Field to complete the sweep of their three-game Memorial Day weekend series. The Mets are now an astonishing 9-3 against their division rivals this season.

The Mets run their record to 32-17, and are maintaining their comfortable lead in the National League East. They are 8 1/2 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves (23-25), and now 10 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies, who drop to 21-27.

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Games 46, 47, & 48

David Cone.

From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of the current Yankees with the 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

THROUGH 48 GAMES:

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Darryl!!! Mets Announce Strawberry Will Be At Old Timers' Day

 

Darryl Strawberry during the 1986 World Series. @Mets on Twitter.


The Mets recently announced that Darryl Strawberry, one of the best players on their 1986 World Championship team and their run of success in the 1980s, will attend Old Timers' Day on Saturday, August 27 at Citi Field.

Friday, May 27, 2022

Lesley Visser Receives Lifetime Achievement Award At Sports Emmys

 

LesleyVisser with her Emmy statuette.


Lesley Visser, one of the pioneers for women in sports broadcasting, was honored with the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd Annual Sports Emmy Awards on Tuesday night at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She is the first woman to receive the honor.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Yankees Tracker: Games 44 & 45

 

Hideki Irabu in 1998.

From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of the current Yankees against the 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Sears A Craftsman On The Mound In Yankees Win

 

JP Sears on the mound for the Yankees Wednesday night in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


On Wednesday night, the Yankees shut out the Baltimore Orioles, 2-0, to win the series, and run their Major League-best record to 31-13 as they travel to Tampa Bay for a four-game series with the Rays (26-17), who are in second place in the American League East, 4 1/2 games behind the Yankees. 

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Book Chat: Jack Curry On His New Book With Paul O'Neill, "Swing and a Hit"

 



Swing and a Hit: Nine Innings of What Baseball Taught Me

By Paul O'Neill and Jack Curry

Grand Central Publishing; hardcover, $29; available today, Tuesday, May 24th

Jack Curry is an award-winning sports journalist who has been an analyst on the Yankees pregame and postgame shows on the YES Network since 2010, and is a winner of five New York Emmys. He covered baseball for twenty years at the New York Times, including as the Yankees beat writer in the 1990s.

Curry is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher, with David Cone (click here for our coverage from 2019), and The Life You Imagine, with Derek Jeter.

In this new book from Curry, Swing and a Hit, which will certainly take its placeas a cherished baseball book capturing one of its most memorable players, he collaborates with Paul O'Neill on his memoir of his career, form his time with the Cincinnati Reds and leading the Yankees back to glory as one of the key parts of their 1990s dynasty. They are currently colleagues on the YES Network.

O'Neill also focuses on what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires, and sometimes water coolers, which Paul gives interesting insights into; and the advice he would give to current hitters. He recalls how he started to swing a bat competitively as a 5-year-old and kept swinging it professionally until he was 38 years old, when he retired after the 2001 season. O'Neill took a lot of inspiration from Ted Williams, who said using a round bat to hit a round ball is the most difficult thing to do in sports, and once received a call from The Splendid Splinter, which was filled with hitting advice.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Jack recently, and here is our conversation (lightly edited and condensed):

Jack Curry. Photo credit: E.H. Wallop


Jason Schott: Do you think Yankee fans, especially younger ones, remember, or comprehend, just what this team was like when Paul O'Neill was acquired in November of 1992?

Jack Curry: I can't get inside everyone's head, but I think the answer to that question depends on how young or how old we're talking. If you're 36 right now, that means when you were ten years old, it was Derek Jeter's rookie season, and Joe Torre started, you were used to that endless winning and World Series titles, so I do think when you've witnessed all that success, and been used to all that success, it sometimes is difficult to just go back a few years prior, as you mentioned, and having been a beat writer around some of those Yankee teams that really struggled and lost more than 90 games, I do think it is sometimes hard for fans whose introduction to the Yankees was '90s success to understand exactly where that success came from and how it was built because there were some lean years in there.

JS: It's funny you mention 36 years old as a barometer for a Yankee fan's view of the team because I am 37 and first really following the Yankees in 1993 when I was eight years old. In covering that team, what did you see in covering Paul in how he changed the tone and made that team a contender that season?

JC: When you watched Paul O'Neill's preparation and the way he approached games, and then the way he played in games, the word that you immediately thought of was intensity. Intensity and passion and the will to be a perfectionist, and as I got to know him, and got to talk to him about hitting, I realized that that was not a joke, that that's who he was, and one of the things we talk about in this book that I think is incredible, and he says it to this day, he never thought a pitcher got him out. He always thought that he made the out, and by that he meant, if he popped out on a low-and-away slider, his point was, at some point in his career, he took that low-and-away slider, drove it into left-center field for a double, so why did he pop this one out? He never wanted to give the pitcher any credit, and when we live in a world where we know what a .300 average is, you're failing seven times every ten at-bats, for O'Neill to take that approach I think it just speaks to that intensity, that passion, and that willing nature to try and be a perfectionist that he had.

JS: I forgot he flirted with a .400 average in 1994.

JC: It was an interesting season because, and I wrote this in the book, I'm pretty sure it was .400 into mid-June or something like that, and when we tried to talk to him that season, I don't want to say it annoyed him, but it distracted him, and Paul was not a guy who, especially before the game, and he would talk hitting with you - I have a line in the book where he says, 'I have to tell reporters nothing I say to you before the game is going to help me get a hit during the game,' and that was that fire and that intensity, again, that, I mean that was a huge story. You're in New York and the Yankees are turning things around, and here's this guy who has a swing that kind of looks like Ted Williams and he's hitting .400 deep into June, it was probably about 60 games into the season, so as much as I remember how hot he was, I also remember as a reporter trying to pin him down. I do think during that streak I did get him to sit and talk to me for 15 minutes once about hitting and I learned a lot about his approach there. It really was preparation, it really was taking a lot of swing;, he was never satisfied with the amount of swings he took before a game. In fact, he told me he would take outdoor batting practice with the Yankees, and if he didn't think his swing was right, minutes before the game, he would run down to the indoor batting cage because he didn't want to give that first at-bat away. That first at-bat might have been the chance to help your team win a game, you never know.

JS: That seems incredibly consistent with what one would expect of Paul O'Neill.

JC: Totally consisent with who he was, and that's why he and Don Mattingly jelled so well. He felt like Mattingly's work was his work, Mattingly's approach was his approach, and that they talked the ame language of hitting. They were superstar, All-Star type players who were also grinders. They didn't show up at the ballpark and think, 'okay, I got four hits yesterday, I'm good for today.' O'Neill got four hits and was thinking, 'how do I avoid going 0-for-4 tomorrow?'

Paul O'Neill. Photo credit: E.H. Wallop.


JS: The one thing that I think is unfair to Paul, and by extension Bernie Williams, was that when the Core Four phrase was conferred on Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada in 2010, it kind of indirectly ignored their role in the dynasty when they were also a massive part of it. Where do you place Paul and Bernie in terms of how much of the dynasty they were responsible for?

JC: It's a great question, and I think the Core Four nickname is a wonderful nickname and I do think it groups those four players together perfectly, and they did play 17, 18 years together. I've always thought that Bernie gets the short end of the stick on that, and the way that I describe it is by using the words of the people who were there. Posada and Jeter have both told me that Bernie paved the way for them, and because a young player came up, and after some initial stuggles, found his way, that he made it easier for those that followed him because, maybe the Yankees, if Bernie had stuggled, would have traded one of those young players, and there were opportunities to do that. There was an opportunity to trade Mariano to Seattle at the start of the '96 season because they weren't sure if Derek was ready, so I think Bernie gets his due from the guys in the Core Four.

Then, as far as O'Neill goes, and I have this in the book, Don Mattingly, as respected as any Yankee in the last 50 years, he said that O'Neill was the one who created the sea change, and if you wanted to lokk for a moment where the fortunes of the Yankees changed, go back to that trade, go back to where the Yankees got O'Neill and he just wouldn't accept mediocrity, he wouldn't accept being average, so though they're not part of the fancy Core Four nickname, I think the people who were around and saw the development of what became a dynastic team, I think they all know what Bernie meant and what O'Neill meant.

JS: The fans know too, as proven by their overwhelming reaction to his number being retired, basically "about time," since they don't give the number out anyway.

JC: It's interesting, we completed the book in January and Paul got that call in Feburary, so I was excited for Paul as a friend and co-author, I was happy for Paul, but I immediately had to call my editor and say, 'we have a real-life version of stop the presses right here, we've gotta put this in the book!' and fortunately, we were at a point and there's a chapter, 'The Final Bronx Tale," it was a perfect place for us to tuck in his thoughts on having 21 retired. It did take awhile, you never how long or why these things take as long as they do, but as you said, it was almost as if the number was unofficially retired. The only player who ever wore it during the regular season was Latroy Hawkins, and he only wore it briefly because of all the fan blowback. 

I know that Paul is beyong honored that that happened, and he actually told me that he and his wife were very teary-eyed when he got that call from the Yankees.

JS: He already has the plaque in Monument Park, but this seems a bit more valuable.

JC: Oh my gosh, yes, and I think once you get the Monument Park distinction and you get that plaque, and I'm not trying to get into Paul's head, you kind of think, 'well, that's the crowning achievement, I'm really excited and that's great.' There have been some players who have the plaque combined with a number retirement, so I think tehe fact that this finally came his way, now that's the crowning achievement. He said that it almost hit him really hard when his kids said - they all were sitting around as a family - and his kids said this is a legacy. A hundred years from now, some kind might walk into Yankee Stadium and say, 'hey Dad, how come no one's wearing number 21?' and that Dad will be talking about Paul O'Neill.

JS: One of O'Neill's biggest at-bats was in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series with the Mets, when he drew a walk to open the ninth inning against Mets closer Armando Benitez that started a rally to tie the game, which they went on to win in extra innings. How much of a turning point was that?

JC: I've had Mets people, and Al Leiter is quoted in the book talking about, if the Mets win Game 1, who knows where that series goes because there was pressure on the Yankees. The Yankees were the defending champions, they were the big brother to the Mets' little brother, andin a short series, if you lose some momentum at the beginning, who knows where that series is going to go, so I absolutely believe that if you look at the box score, and say it was quote 'only a walk,' that walk was as big as any walk I've ever covered or seen in my career as a journalist, and Paul kind of gets a kick out of it in the fact that he hit some postseason home runs, he had some big hits to help the Yankees win postseason games, but when he talks to people, a lot of them want to talk about that at-bat, that that's where their mind and their memories go, and when you think about it, that's pretty cool bevause he was really kind of a struggling player at that point, slumping, body didn't feel great, really thought thqat if Benitez threw three straight fastballs, he would might've been in the dugout after three pitches. Going back and watching that at-bat, I probably watched it a dozen times over again, and we talked about it a lot, I mean Jason, he was flailing at pitches, he was flailing at them to try and stay alive, and what I had forgotten about too was in the midst of that, maybe the sixth or seventh pitch, he popped the ball behing the third base dugout, and Robin Ventura almost made a miraculouys play going into the stands. He barely missed making a phenomenal play, which had he made that play, we'd be talking about that today not Paul's walk.

JS: I didn't realize Paul came up in 1985 in Cincinnati, with Pete Rose as his manager, but he really came alive as a hitter with another great Yankee who played similarly, Lou Piniella, took over in 1990, a year the Reds won it all.

JC: 100 percent, and that was something that was of interest to me too when we talked about this for the book. That's what I think is interesting about this book, and I've tried to reinforce that to people, yes, we talk a lot about Paul's career and all of his accomplishments and we get into some of the personalities of his family and things like that, but we also intersect all of the hitting influences, and the hitting stories that most impacted him throughout his career, so that's why you'rll hear about Rose and Piniella and Mattingly and Jeter and Ted Williams and Torre. That's where I had the most fun with this book, and I think that's part of the reason Paul was excited about doing the book. He, believe it or not, is not a guy who loves talking about himself, but I said to him, we're going to incorporate all the people who helped you, all the people you learned from, and even the people you might have taught something to, that's going to help other people, so that idea was attractive to him.

JS: It also illustrated how Paul's carrer bridged so many eras, from when Pete Rose was still active to joining a Yankees team that was in rebuild mode, and then the dynasty. It's an incredble career.

JC: Right, he touches the era of Pete Rose up to a Derek Jeter or an Andy Pettitte or a Mariano Rivera, and then mix in a little Ted Williams and Yogi Berra, so you've got a lot of different generations of baseball covered.

JS: One thing he stressed in the book and I love how you threw in that he told Kramer this in that famous "Seinfeld" episode, that he didn't view himself as a home run hitter.

JC: He says that, and he's not trying to, I mean the guy hit almost 300 home runs, but he always thought, if he hit a home run, it wasn't a mistake, but everything had to be perfect. He much preferred to be a guy who hit line drives, that's what he was trying to do. Now, homers happen - he hit a home run off Norm Charlton in 1995 in the playoffs that he absolutely to this day loves to talk about - but, right, he was a line drive hitter, that's what his Dad taught him when he was younger, and that's who he tried to remain for his whole career.

JS: I thought it was kind of pointed to today's players how he said, to paraphrase, 'I could never hit .200 with 200 strikeouts if it meant 40 home runs.'

JC: That would have kept O'Neill up at nights. I know that we are in a world in 2022 where strikeouts are more accepted and there are players who kind of fit that profile, but that was not who O'Neill ever wanted to be. He was about contact, and he did strike out a hundred times a couple of years, and that infuriated him...He talks about Ted Kluszewski in the book, he was one of his minor league hitting instructors, and if you look at  Ted Kluszewski's numbers sometime, this guy was hitting 40 homers and striking out 40 times, I mean, that just doesn't exist anymore. 

JS: After the success of your book with David Cone, how did this project come about?

JC: The same editor asked me if I had another idea, he said, 'I enjoyed working with you, let's do another book, and I gave him one idea because, again, I already ha kind of talked to O'Neill about hitting, and he said, 'I love that idea, let's do it,' and we jumped right back in. The writing and the reporting and all that is wonderful.

JS: What was similar and/or different about writing this book and David's?

JC: Similar; the book that was different, probably for me, was the Jeter book that came out in 2000, and only different in the way that, when we wrote that book, we were capturing Derek's life up to that point, but he was only 25 or 26. The Cone and the O'Neill books, these guys are in their mid-50s, and they've already had their career, they've been out of baseball for several years, and I think they have more perspective on their career. With Paul, I did all of the interviews either via Zoom or phone because of the pandemic. With David, we ended up metting and having some face-to-face interaction, which is always preferable. I sat down at my house and watched the perfect game with David, which is still a highlight for me as a journalist because he'd never done that before, but I never felt that just because Paul and I were talking on the phone that it was ever a hindrance. We know each other well enough that the conversation just flowed, and there were times when I would talk to him about a play or an at-bat, and either I would have it called up on YouTube or he might have it, or he might have looked at it previously. So, really very similar approaches to both books. This book was shorter, and that was intentional. The Coney book was over 400 pages, whereas this one we shot for a lower word count, this one was 240 pages, so it got done a little faster, but very similar experiences.

JS: David's felt more like a biography, whereas this one certainly is a biography, but it also had a lot of his thinking on hitting, like an attempt at Ted Williams' Science of Hitting.

JC: You're right, we did go a little more in-depth with David's career and some more personal stuff, and with Paul we mentioned it, but we kept it on the field more than we did with David, and tried to intertwine a lot of those hitting influences that I talked about, and also talked to some pitchers about Paul. Leiter's quoted, and Jesse Orosco, and Tim Wakefield, and I talked to some of Paul's teammates about him, so we just tried to make it all work whether you're a hitting fan, or a baseball fan, or a Paul O'Neill fan, or a Yankee fan, something that would be attractive to you.


Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 43

 

From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of the Yankees against their 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season. 

Through 43 Games: 

Monday, May 23, 2022

Yankees Unveil New Yankee Stadium Tower Garden

 

All photos by Jason Schott.


On Monday afternoon, the Yankee Stadium Tower Garden was unveiled inside Gate 2, with attendees including Yankees pitchers Michael King and Nestor Cortes.

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 42

 

From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of the current 2022 Yankees team against the 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Games 40 & 41

 

From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of the current Yankees to their 1998 World Championship counterparts, who won 114 games in the regular season.

Through 41 Games:

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Yankees Beat White Sox In A Heated Game At A Steamy Stadium

 

DJ LeMahieu about to touch the plate on his grand slam. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 7-5, in a heated, tension-filled, marathon game on a steamy Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are now 29-10 on the season, by far the best in Major League Baseball and six games ahead of Tampa Bay in the American League East.

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 39

 


From now until the end of the season, we will be following the progress of the current Yankees against the 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

Through 39 Games:

"There definitely is a buzz" When Nasty Nestor Is On Mound, Says Boone

 

Nestor Cortes. @Yankees on Twitter.


Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes burst on the scene with sterling performances at the end of last season, and has continued to flourish this season, a big part of why the Yankees have the best record in baseball, at 28-10 entering Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox.

Yankees Place Chad Green On IL; Boone Calls It A "Significant Injury"

 

Chad Green. @Yankees Twitter.


Yankees relief pitcher Chad Green exited Thursday's loss to the Orioles in Baltimore with forearm discomfort, and he was placed on the 15-day injured list with what the team termed a "right elbow strain."

Friday, May 20, 2022

Another Friday, Another Rain Out For Yankees

 

Yankee Stadium's famous facade. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees had to postpone their Friday night game with the Chicago White Sox, and it will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday. 

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Pete Powers Mets Past Cardinals To Take Series

 

Jeff McNeil at-bat in the bottom of the first with Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso on base. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets beat the Cardinals, 7-6, on a two-run home run by Pete Alonso in the 10th inning on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. The Mets took three of four in this pivotal early series to improve to 26-14 on the season.

Max Scherzer Diagnosed With Oblique Injury

 

Max Scherzer pitching to Nolan Arenado during the first inning on Wednesday night. Photo by Jason Schott.


While the Mets took on the St. Louis Cardinals in the finale of their four-game series on Thursday afternoon, the big news of the day would be the result of Max Scherzer's MRI diagnosing the injury he suffered during Wednesday night's game.

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 38

 

The Yankees and Baltimore brawl on May 19, 1998.


From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of this current Yankee team to the 1998 World Championship squad that won 114 games in the regular season. Ironically, the 38th game both seasons came against Baltimore, with far different stakes at play.

Through 38 Games:

Mets Rout St. Louis, But Scherzer Gives Them A Scare

 

Max Scherzer firing a pitch to Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets routed the St. Louis Cardinals, 11-4, on Wednesday night at Citi Field, as they scored nine runs off their bullpen. The Mets improved to 24-14 on the season, and maintain their comfortable lead in the National League East, up six games on Philadelphia.

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 37

 

David Wells during his perfect game May 17, 1998.


From now until the end of the season, we will be tracking the progress of the current Yankees with the 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games during the regular season.

Through 37 Games:

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 36

In 1998, Yankees Bench Coach Don Zimmer, shortstop Derek Jeter, and Manager Joe Torre.


From now until the end of the season, we will be keeping track of the 2018 Yankees and how they measure up to the 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

Through 36 Games:

Mets, St. Louis Split Tuesday Twinbill

 



After a rainout on Monday night, the Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals began their four-game series with a Tuesday twinbill. The Mets took the opener 3-1, while St. Louis won the second game, 4-3. The Mets' record is now 24-14, in first place in the National League East, six games ahead of Miami and Philadelphia.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 35


From now until the end of the season, we will be comparing how the current 2022 Yanees team stacks up with their 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

Mets Postponed on Monday Night; Another Tuesday Doubleheader On Tap

 

Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets postponed their game with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night, setting up a single-admission doubleheader on Tuesday at 3:10 p.m. Gates will open at 2:10 p.m., and tickets for Monday's game will not be valid.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Mets Rock Ray, But Seattle Steals It Late To Take Series

 

Cal Raleigh and Abraham Toro after scoring on Raleigh's home run in the sixth inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets lost a heartbreaker to the Seattle Mariners, 8-7, on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. Seattle took two of three in the series, handing the Mets (23-13) their first series loss of the season.

Yankees 1998 Tracker: Game 34

 

From now until the end of the season, we will be comparing how the current 2022 Yankees team stacks up with their 1998 World Championship team that won 114 games in the regular season.

Through 34 games: 

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Mets Outlast Mariners, Win It On Mazieka Homer

 

George Kirby fires to Starling Marte in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets beat the Mariners, 5-4, on a home run from Patrick Mazieka in his season debut, on a rainy Saturday night at Citi Field. 

The Mets are now 23-12, on top in the National League, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are 20-12 after dropping a pair to the Phillies, who are now at .500, at 17-17, 5 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East.

Yankee Stadium To Host Joel & Victoria Osteen August 6th

 

Photo by Jason Schott.


Joel and Victoria Osteen will host a night of hope and inspirations at Yankee Stadium on August 6, their third time holding servies there, Yankee Stadium Events announced recently.

Friday, May 13, 2022

Mets, Despite Strong Start From Scherzer, Fall To Seattle

 

Max Scherzer warms up...even when the mound is being worked on. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets lost a nailbiter, 2-1, to the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Citi Field in their first game back home after a 4-2 road trip in Philadelhia and Washington. The Mets fell to 22-12 on the season, and they remain the only team with a winning record in the National League East.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Yankees Welcome Special Guest Dominick Krankall

 

Dominick Krankall, with his parents Maria and Aaron, and Yankees Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, and Jordan Montgomery. All photos provided by the New York Yankees.

On Wednesday, the Yankees had a very speciael guest for their aftenoon game against the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-year-old Dominick Krankall.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Torres 5, Toronto 3 As Yankees Sweep

 

Gleyber Torres crosses the plate after rounding the bases on his home run. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium to sweep their brief two-game series, with Gleyber Torres knocking in all five runs.

Yankees Host Bronx Education All Star Day

 

@Yankees.


On Wednesday morning, ahead of their game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees, in conjunction with the NYC Board of Education, hosted Bronx Education All Star Day.

Stanton & Judge Powering Yankees’ Historic Start

 

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge surveying the field during a recent batting practice. Photo by Jason Schott.


On Tuesday night, the Yankees pulled off a stirring comeback win against the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, and it was not hard to see where their offense came from.

Sunday, May 8, 2022

Yankees Split Doubleheader With Texas

 

The Yankees mob Gleyber Torres at the plate after his walk-off homer in the first game. Photos by Jason Schott.


The Yankees split their Mother’s Day Sunday doubleheader with the Texas Rangers, as they won the first game, 2-1, on a walk-off home run by Gleyber Torres, and dropped the second game, 4-2.

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Yankees Washed Out Again Saturday, To Be Made Up Monday

 

Photo by Jason Schott.


For the second straight day, the Yankees had to postpone their game with the Texas Rangers due to the massive rain storm in the New York area. 

Friday, May 6, 2022

Books: "Killing The Killers" By Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

 



Killing the Killers: The Secret War Against Terrorists

By Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

St. Martin's Press; hardcover, 304 pages; $30.00

Bill O'Reilly, the trailblazing journalist who can be heard on WABC Radio in New York nightly, and is the host of "The O'Reilly Update," which can be heard on 225 radio stations, and the "No Spin News" every evening on BillOReilly.com, has added another ledger to his acclaimed Killing series, which now comprises 11 books. 

Yankees Game Postponed Friday Night; Doubleheader Sunday

 

Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees announced on Friday morning that their game that night with the Texas Rangers is postponed, and it will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday starting at 1:35 p.m.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

The Force Was With Atlanta In Series Finale With Mets

 

Star Wars was the theme of the day on the video boards. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Atlanta Braves were stifled by Mets starter Tylor Megill early, but once they found the force on May The Fourth Star Wars Day at Citi Field Wednesday afternoon, they put up seven runs in the sixth inning on their way to a 9-2 win.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Mets Sweep Braves In Doubleheader Thanks To Superb Pitching

 

David Peterson on the mound for the Mets during the first game. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets swept the Braves in a doubleheader on Tuesday at Citi Field, as they won the first game, 5-4, and shutout Atlanta, 3-0, in the nightcap as Carlos Carrasco threw eight shutout innings. The Mets are now 18-8 on the season, best in the National League.

Though it’s early, they have opened up a seven-game lead on the defending World Champions, who fell to 11-15, in the National League East. Miami is currently in second with a record of 12-11, and Philadelphia is third at 11-13.

This was precipitated by their brief two-game series, which would have taken place on April 4 and 5, in the first week of the season being lost due to the lockout. The other game will be made up on Saturday, August 6 as part of a day-night doubleheader, with games at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

GAME 1: METS 5, BRAVES 4

The Mets won this one with tremendous pitching, as David Peterson earned his first win of the season with a solid outing in a spot start, and then Adam Ottavino, Drew Smith, and Edwin Diaz provided four scoreless innings in relief.

The Mets jumped out to the early lead in this one against Braves starter Charlie Morton, who entered this one with a 1-2 record and an uncharacteristic 7.00 ERA.

In the first, Pete Alonso and Eduardo Escobar had RBI singles in the first inning to make it 2-0.

Atlanta got one back in the second whan Adam Duvall drew a one-out walk, followed by a Dansby Swanson double that brought him to third, and he came in on a sacrifice fly by Travis Demeritte.

The Mets went right back at it in the bottom of the second, as Luis Guillorme walked to open the inning, then  after Tomas Nido popped out, Travis Jankowski walked, and Mark Canha hit one to second that Ozzie Albies fielded and tried to get Jankowski at second, but Dansby Swanson did not get over in time, so everyone was safe.

Francisco Lindor hit one to second that was a force out, and it brought in Guillorme, and Alonso got another RBI single to bring in Jankowski and make it 4-1 Mets.

They tacked on another run, which would turn out to be very valuable, in the fourth when Jankowski reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and reached third on a throwing error on the attempt by Atlanta catcher Travis d'Arnaud. A Canha sacrifice fly would bring home Jankowksi and make it 5-1.

In the fifth, Atlanta put some pressure on Peterson, as Demeritte led off with a single, and then with one out, Albies hit a dribbler that Peterson couldn't handle, so instead of having an inning-ending double play, the inning continued.

Braves first baseman Matt Olson took advantage, and he ripped a three-run home run to pull Atlanta within a run, at 5-4.

In the sixth, with Morton still in there for Atlanta, the Mets had a chance to add some insurance. Guillorme and Janksowski each had singles, and Atlanta turned to Jesse Chaves with two on and two out for Canha, and he struck him out.

Morton went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. He was one or two well-timed hits away from being knocked out in those first two innings, but he did what veterans do and kept his team in the game.

Peterson went five innings, and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks, with six strikeouts. 

Ottavino was in next, coming off a nice outing Monday night in which he struck out the side in the ninth inning. He kept that going in this one, as he retired Duvall and Swanson and then got Demeritte to ground to second to complete another perfect inning.

Drew Smith, in his first action since he threw 1 1/3 innings in Friday's combined no-hitter, threw two innings in this one, in which he didn't allow a hit, surrendered just a walk, and struck out two.

Edwin Diaz came on for the ninth, and struck out Swanson and Demeritte before allowing a single to pinch-hitter Orlando Arcia. He then got Albies to ground out to second to end it and earn his fifth save of the season.  

GAME 2: METS 3,BRAVES 0

Carlos Carrasco’s last outing at Citi Field, in which he shut down the San Francisco Giants on April 21 was an appetizer to what he did to Atlanta.

The right-hander nicknamed Cookie, which was ironically a trivia contest question during the game, threw eight shutout innings, scattering six hits and two walks, while notching five strikeouts, to improve to 2-1 on the season, with an ERA of 3.30.

Carrasco was off a tough outing in St. Louis last Wednesday, got the start for the Mets in this one, and he ran into trouble in a hurry.

Ronald Acuna, Jr. led the game off with a double, but Carrasco settled in to retire Matt Olson on a grounder to second base, which did move Acuna to third with one out. Austin Riley struck out, removing the chance at a sacrifice fly, and Marcell Ozuna grounded back to Carrasco to end the inning.

Just as they did in the first game, the Mets cashed in quickly in the bottom of the first. Brandon Nimmo, back to his customary leadoff spot after having Game 1 off, led off with a single, and then Jeff McNeil got a one-out single before Pete Alonso grounded out.

Dom Smith, who did not play the opener, was at first base in this one, and he received a nice ovation as the crowd was reacting to the Mets keeping him around when the roster was trimmed yesterday. He rewarded their cheers with a double into the left field corner to bring in Nimmo and McNeil and make it 2-0 Mets.

In the second, Atlanta got singles from Ozzie Albies and Adam Duvall to open the inning, but just as in the first, Carrasco got out of it, striking out Travis Demeritte, getting Dansby Swanson to pop out to the catcher,and striking out William Contreras.

Smith had another big chance in the bottom of the third, after McNeil and Alonso got two-out singles, but he grounded to short to end the inning.

Carrasco settled in, with the Duvall hit in the second being the last one until he allowed a single to Contreras with two out in the fifth before he got Acuna to ground out. The only runner between the base hits was Acuna, who walked to open the third, and he was erased when Olson hit into a double play.

Atlanta got a lead off double from Olson in the top pf the sixth, and he moved to third on a Riley ground out to second, but Carrasco once again got out of it with a strike out of Ozuna and he got Albies to ground out.

In the bottom half, Alonso led off with a home run into the Mets bullpen in right field, his fifth of the year and 21st RBI, to make it 3-0.

After Edwin Diaz closed out the first game, it was up to Seth Lugo to finish off Game 2, and he did, working around an Albies single and getting Demeritte to hit into a double play to end it, and earn his second save.


Mets To Host Second Annual Military Transition Summit This Saturday

 


The Mets will host the second annual Military Transition Summit at Citi Field this Saturday, May 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Veterans, active service members, spouses, and organizations are invited to attend.

Monday, May 2, 2022

Braves, Driven by d'Arnaud, Take Opener From Mets

 

Chris Bassitt looking in for the sign against Travis Demeritte. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets lost a tough one to the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves, 5-2, on Monday night at Citi Field, as old friend Travis d'Arnaud drove in three runs for Atlanta.

The Mets fell to 16-8, while Atlanta improved to 11-13, in what already feels like a pivotal four-game set - which includes a one-admission doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon starting at 3:00 p.m - in terms of setting the tone in the National League East.

Max Fried got the win for Atlanta to improve to 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA on the season, as he went six innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and no walks, while striking out six.

Chris Bassitt, who sailed through the first five innings before surrendering a 2-1 lead in the sixth, went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk, with eight strikeouts, fell to 3-2 on the season and his ERA ticked up to 2.61.

The biggest news on the day for the Mets came in the morning when they decided to designate second baseman/designted hitter Robinson Cano for assignment with two years and around $40 million left on his contract, and option right-handed pitcher Yoan Lopez to Triple-A Syracuse as the roster trimmed down to 26 players from 28, which owed to the shortened spring training. To read about the Mets letting Cano go, click here.

In the game, the Mets jumped out to an early lead in the second inning as Starling Marte manufactured a run. Marte got a one-out double, moved to third on a fly ball to center by Jeff McNeil, and came in to score on a wild pitch. 

The Mets doubled their lead in the third when Mark Canha, who has been superb in his first year with the Mets after coming over from Oakland, hit his first homer of the season, to make it 2-0 Mets.

Atlanta got one of those runs back in the fourth when Austin Riley launched a home run to center field, and they took a 3-2 lead in the sixth when d'Arnaud got an RBI double and Adam Duvall got a sacrifice fly.

The Mets had a big chance in the seventh as they loaded the bases against Tyler Matzek with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Atlanta turned to Collin McHugh, who began his professional career with the Mets, including with the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2009, and he struck out Canha to end the inning.

Atlanta added to their lead in the eighth against Mets reliever Trevor May. Matt Olson led off the inning with a walk, and after the next two were retired, Ozzie Albies singled to keep the inning alive for d'Arnaud, who delivered a double to bring them home and make it 5-2.

The Mets turned to Adam Ottavino, who blew Saturday night's game against Philadelphia, for the ninth, and he had a nice bounce-back outing, as he struck out the side.

Kenley Jansen, the longtime Dodger in his first year with the Braves, came on to close it out, and he worked around a Marte single to earn his seventh save of the season.





Mets Tell Cano It's Time To Go

 

Robinson Cano with the Mets in 2019. 


On Monday morning, the Mets released infielder/designated hitter Robinson Cano on Monday morning, in a somewhat expected move, as they had to trim their roster from 28 players, which was meant to make up for the truncated spring training, to the normal 26.