Your Saturday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
The Mets went back and forth with the Rockies last night, ultimately falling behind 6-4 in the top of the 8th before tying the game in the bottom of the frame and winning it in the ninth on an RBI single off the bat of Pete Alonso to put the team up 2-0 in the series over Colorado.
Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, NY Post, Daily News, Newsday, North Jersey, MLB.com
Today is Old-Timers Day, and it will represent the culmination of a remarkable shift in how the Mets embrace their franchise history.
Buck Showalter is one person who is very excited about the return of this tradition.
Dwight Gooden offered a sneak peak at the shoes he will be rocking for the Old-Timers game.
Alonso continues to be the heart and soul of this Mets team.
Tommy Hunter made his return from the injured list to add an extra arm to the Mets bullpen, which meant that Michael Pérez was sent down to Syracuse.
Brett Baty hit his second homer last night, helping to make the case for him to remain on the Mets with Eduardo Escobar’s impending return.
Escobar could be back from the injured list as soon as tonight.
A small adjustment has helped Mark Canha rediscover his power.
Max Scherzer has enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about Jacob deGrom from watching him up-close.
The Mets are continuing to be very cautious with deGrom’s pitch count.
A Queens school is being named after former Mets hero Tommie Agee.
Around the National League East
The Braves put up double-digit runs against the Cardinals pitching staff and Spencer Strider had another solid outing as Atlanta kept pace with the Mets with an 11-4 victory.
The Phillies got themselves a much-needed boost to their lineup in time for the September push for the postseason, activating Bryce Harper from the injured list after two months on the sideline with a hand injury.
Philadelphia scored four in the first inning—with Harper contributing an RBI single in his first at-bat back—en route to a 7-4 victory over the Pirates.
The Marlins and Dodgers went back and forth in an extra inning affair, but Los Angeles scored five runs in the 10th inning to put the game away, and Miami fell 10-6.
The Marlins said goodbye to Jesús Aguilar, designating the former All-Star for assignment in the midst of a disappointing season.
The Nationals made a number of roster moves, including releasing veteran third baseman Maikel Franco and calling up top prospect Cade Cavalli.
Cavalli made his debut against the Reds and gave up an unseemly seven runs in 4.1 innings, and the Nationals suffered a 7-3 defeat.
Around Major League Baseball
Julio Rodríguez has been rewarded for his impressive rookie season with a sizable contract extension which will keep him in Seattle for years to come.
The Mariners were not the only team getting in on the extension game yesterday, as the Rays inked Tyler Glasnow to a deal which will keep him in Tampa Bay through the 2024 season.
There is both anecdotal and statistical evidence to suggest that players contracting COVID can have impacts on their performance in the aftermath of their returns.
Tim Anderson is the latest MLB star to signal that he is preparing to suit up for Team USA in next year’s World Baseball Classic.
Hall of Famer Rod Carew gave Rob Manfred a piece of his mind about the state of the game at a recent dinner.
Albert Pujols has looked a lot like his old self recently.
MLB.com looked at nine prospects who could potentially make a difference in the pennant race.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Robert Wolff talked about former All-Star catcher John Stearns on the latest episode of UnforMETable.
This Date in Mets History
On this date two years ago, the Mets and Marlins walked off the field and elected not to play to protest racial injustice.