Giants face Tyler Rogers for the first time, get clobbered by Mets 12-6
To add to their hurt, longtime Giants reliever Tyler Rogers made his first appearance for the Mets in their 12-6 victory at Citifield, allowing a single to leadoff man Heliot Ramos before retiring the next three hitters. It was Rogers' first outing ever for a club other than San Francisco.
On the San Francisco side, it was a relatively new Giants reliever, Matt Gage, who allowed the Mets' game-tying and go-ahead hits when he came in with two on and one out in the fourth. Brandon Nimmo's single made it 4-4, and Francisco Lindor's bunt toward first sent in the second run of the inning. Dom Smith charged the ball, but Gage didn't cover first and Smith couldn't get any outs on the play. (Gage then got Juan Soto to ground out sharply into an inning-ending double play.)
San Francisco's bullpen allowed seven more after that, Grant McCray made a throwing error in the eighth, and the Giants, who scored runs in the second, third and fourth innings, couldn't add on against the Mets relief corps until Willy Adames homered with two outs and one on in the ninth.
The series brings a lot of old-home vibes; reliever José Buttó made his first appearance for the Giants on Friday after coming over in that Rogers deal, Dom Smith, a former Mets player, knocked in the game-winner for San Francisco in the 10th Friday and crunched a two-run homer off Senga on Saturday, and Wilmer Flores, who remains a fan favorite in New York, had two hits and a walk Friday before leaving with hamstring tightness.
Flores said Saturday that he doesn't believe he'll need an IL stint for the minor hamstring tightness he incurred beating out an infield single the night before, and manager Bob Melvin said he believed Flores might even be available to pinch hit this weekend.
Flores continues to get big cheers in Mets-land long after leaving as a free agent in 2019. He became something of a folk hero in 2015 when he cried on the field after hearing he'd been traded; that deal with the Brewers wound up not going through, but Flores' reaction endeared him to New Yorkers. 'When you ask people about me here, they only remember me crying,' he said with a smile.
Buttó was spotted looking upset in the bullpen after learning he'd been sent away Wednesday, shades of Flores 10 years later. 'The first time you're traded is hard,' Flores said, 'but it's a fantasy to think you're going to play for one team your entire career.'
Flores was, along with Justin Verlander, one of the pending free agents not to be traded at the deadline; he has '10 and five' rights, in the league 10-plus years and with his current team five years, so he could turn down any deal, but he said he had not been approached to do so. 'I'm glad I'm still here,' he said. 'They've treated me right.'
It's likely the Giants fielded calls on Flores and didn't have interest in moving him, given his value as a clutch pinch hitter and a respected team leader, especially for the Latin players.
Melvin said he hadn't been alerted to interest in Flores but said, 'I'm sure there were teams inquiring about him.'
Outfielder-first baseman Jerar Encarnacion's rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento ended Saturday, so he's expected to join the team in New York. He's a right-handed hitter, meaning that unless Flores goes on the IL, Luis Matos is the most likely player to be sent out.
Encarnacion was hitting .348 in his most recent rehab assignment as he returns from an oblique strain, and he was riding a six-game hitting streak going into Saturday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
35 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ex-Giants running back LeShon Johnson found guilty in largest federal dog-fighting case ever
Ex-NFLer LeShon Johnson was convicted of six felony counts related to his role in a federal dog-fighting bust earlier this year. A federal jury in Oklahoma found the former Giants running back guilty last week of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act's prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures, the Department of Justice announced on Monday. Johnson will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years behind bars and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Advertisement 3 Leshon Johnson holds a press conference at the practice field of Giants Stadium in 1998. New York Post/Mike Norcia Authorities seized 190 dogs and Johnson has surrendered them to the government, which is pursuing forfeiture of the animals. 'This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'This case underscores the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting animals from abuse — 190 dogs are now safe thanks to outstanding collaborative work by our attorneys and law enforcement components.' Advertisement Johnson had been charged in March in what federal law enforcement dubbed the largest seizure of dogs ever in a federal case and had said that he had nearly 200 'pit bull-type dogs,' which were used in an 'animal fighting venture.' During the multi-day trial in Oklahoma, prosecutors presented evidence that Johnson had bred and trafficked dogs for his operation, called 'Mal Kant Kennels,' in order to fight them. 3 LeShon Johnson scoring a touchdown in 1999. New York Post/ W.A. Gunches Jr. 3 LeShon Johnson carrying the ball for the Giants in 1999. New York Post/ W.A. Funches Jr. Advertisement 'The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,' FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. 'Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.' Johnson spent five years in the NFL and was drafted by the Packers in the 1994 draft before playing from 1995-97 with the Cardinals and playing the 1999 season with the Giants.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mets erase five-run deficit but lose to Guardians in extra innings, 7-6
The Mets erased a 5-0 deficit but suffered a heartbreaking 7-6 loss in extra innings to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Citi Field. Here are the takeaways... -Locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel entering the sixth inning, things changed in a heartbeat for Sean Manaea. With the top of the order due up, Steven Kwan started the ambush with a single. On Manaea's next pitch, he hit Angel Martinez. After a Jose Ramirez flyout advanced Kwan to third, Manaea unleashed a wild pitch that had a lucky bounce to catcher Francisco Alvarez that prevented Kwan from scoring, with Martinez able to reach second. Things spiraled from there. First, David Fry singled home a run (Juan Soto did well to quickly get the ball in to prevent another). Soto's effort proved futile as Carlos Santana followed with a run-scoring single of his own on the next pitch. The big blow came off the bat of Gabriel Arias, who smashed a three-run homer 440 feet to left center to make it 5-0 as it all came crashing down on the left-hander, who left after 5.2 innings. -There was something about that sixth inning, though, because after New York was stifled by Guardians starter Slade Cecconi for most of the night, the offense broke out thanks to a little bit of luck. Francisco Lindor began the inning by striking out but ended up on first base on a wild pitch strike three. Soto also reached base fortuitously after hitting a ground ball right to the second baseman Brayan Rocchio, who just completely missed it. What was an easy double play turned into runners at the corners with nobody out. Given a gift, Pete Alonso did not waste it, although he wasted no time by attacking the first pitch he saw and depositing it into center field for a three-run home run that sent Citi Field into a frenzy. The long ball was Alonso's 251st of his career, one shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's franchise record. Alonso, already 3-for-3, came up to the plate in the eighth inning with another chance to do big damage after Lindor and Soto singled in front of him. With the crowd on their feet, hoping for the slugger to tie Strawberry, Alonso -- again attacking the first pitch -- ripped a run-scoring single that got the Mets closer at 5-4. Jeff McNeil's fourth straight single of the inning loaded the bases before Mark Vientos hit a sac fly that tied the game. New York left two runners in scoring position following groundouts by Cedric Mullins and pinch-hitter Brett Baty. -After scoreless outings by Brooks Raley, Tyler Rogers and Reed Garrett, Edwin Diaz kept the game tied in the top of the ninth with a scoreless inning of his own, stranding a runner on at third base and nobody out in the process by striking out two in between a popout. -The Mets had a chance to win it in the last of the ninth. After Alvarez singled and was taken out for pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor, Lindor doubled down the right-field line. With the speedy Taylor running, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh could've sent him, but elected to hold him at third base. The Guardians intentionally walked Soto to bring up Alonso, who was 4-for-4 on the night and chasing history. But Alonso struck out and McNeil lined out to send the game to extra innings. -Staying in the game for defense after pinch-hitting earlier, Baty made a costly error in the 10th when he threw wide of shortstop on a bunt attempt. The error brought home a run and put Ryan Helsley in a big mess with runners at second and third and nobody out. Helsley allowed a second run (neither of them earned), and New York entered the bottom of the 10th down 7-5. -Baty did his best to make up for his error by singling home a run to cut the Mets' deficit to 7-6 with two outs, but Luis Torrens, in his first at-bat of the night, ended the game with a deep flyout to right field. -Before that nightmare inning, Manaea was in total control of Cleveland's hitters and looked great in his fifth appearance and fourth start of the year. Efficient with his pitch count through the first five innings and just 57 pitches thrown, it looked like Manaea was well on his way to his longest outing of the season. And while he did pitch into the sixth inning for the first time as a starter this season, he failed to join David Peterson as the only other Mets starter to complete six innings since Clay Holmes did so on June 7. His final line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K on 85 pitches (62 strikes). Game MVP: Gabriel Arias His three-run bomb was the cap to the Guardians' five-run sixth inning, but his sacrifice fly in the 10th inning was the insurance run needed to come away with the win. Highlights What's next The Mets' homestand continues on Tuesday night with another game against the Guardians. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. RHP Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.45 ERA) matches up with RHP Logan Allen (7-9, 4.06 ERA).
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Giants' Justin Verlander gets a no decision as Pirates score twice in 9th to win
PITTSBURGH — Justin Verlander rediscovered his youth Monday night at PNC Park, pitching like he was in the prime of his sure-fire Hall of Fame career. In his best outing by far for the San Francisco Giants, Verlander allowed one run, and that unearned. He struck out three — including getting Joey Bart looking at, essentially, a 98 mph fastball to end the fifth. And still, Verlander did not get a W, such is his fate with the Giants. He went six innings and he was in line to win his second consecutive decision when the Giants did their ultimate deny-Verlander act, with new closer Randy Rodriguez walking one and hitting another batter in the ninth before Bart tied it up with a base hit against his former team. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa's tapper to first ended it, a 5-4 walkoff win for the Pirates when the Giants were unable to get the safe call at home overturned. Verlander has made 10 starts this season in which he's worked at least five innings and allowed no more than two runs, and San Francisco is 1-9 in those games. More For You What are the best outcomes possible for Giants in their first Buster Posey season? Giants opt for Jerar Encarnacion, send Luis Matos back to Triple-A Sacramento "I'm not shying away from it - everybody knows where I'm at wins-wise," said Verlander, who's 37 away from 300 for his career. "I'd like to get some, you know, but at the same time, you just control what you can control. It's a s- run in a long career, and nothing I can do about it. You just try to pitch better consistently and keep us in ball games and give us a chance to win, give myself a chance to win, and do that more times than not and see where things end up." Verlander's fastball has averaged 94.1 mph this season, and he hadn't hit 98 mph this season before Monday, but he threw Bart one 98.3 mph fastball, his hardest pitch since Game 1 of the 2022 ALCS. The one he struck Bart out on was 97.9, a velocity he hadn't recorded since his second start on April 9. "I was just talking to IKF and I was like, 'I really wouldn't want to see that guy in his prime,' " Bart said. "He's got a different fastball. He made some really good pitches against a lot of us, but especially against me. Facing a guy like that, you just hope you're ready for one mistake, and if you don't capitalize you probably won't get another one." The oldest player in U.S. pro sports, at 42, Verlander appeared as if he felt a dozen years younger, too. In the sixth, he dove to his right for Spence Horwitz's tapper. He missed, amusing the infield; third baseman Matt Chapman tipped his cap at the attempt before giggling in his glove with shortstop Willy Adames as Verlander smiled and assured them he was fine. "That was fun, all those guys came out there, and I'm just like, 'Hey, we don't need to call an ambulance here, I'm OK,' " he said "Everybody's just kind of like looking at me, like, wide eyed. I'm all right, not a little fragile egg, I can move around on the mound. I am a fielder, after all." Verlander's velocity wasn't the only strong aspect of his night; his curveball was the best it's been, catcher Patrick Bailey said. Verlander entered the game using the pitch about 14 percent of the time and upped it to 23 percent Monday. Helping things along are some mechanical changes he's made lately, including moving his glove position up near his neck and shifting to the left on the rubber. The results: He's allowed one earned run over his past three starts and 16 innings. Run support remains elusive for Verlander, with just 33 runs of backing in his 18 starts entering Monday, the fewest in the majors among pitchers with that many starts. Monday, his teammates pasted two runs on the board right away, with Dom Smith knocking an RBI single and Casey Schmitt drawing a bases-loaded walk from Johan Oviedo, making his first start since 2023 after recovering from elbow surgery. The Giants took their walks Monday, drawing five, including two to open the fifth. With two outs, Jung-Hoo Lee tripled to right center to send in both. Little-used Carson Seymour, pitching in only his fourth game since July 2, had a 1-2-3, 12-pitch sixth but walked Liover Peguero and gave up a homer by Jack Suwinski in the seventh.
