MLB Player News

The Giants had just taken a 1-0 lead in the top half of the fifth inning before Neto launched Justin Verlander’s first pitch of the sixth inning for a game-tying 428-foot (109.3 mph EV) solo home run. Neto drew another run and RBI when he was plunked with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and scored on Jo Adell’s three-run double. He also lined out to right field and bounced into a double play in the ballgame. He has done a nice job in his first three games since returning from the injured list, hitting .222 (2-for-9) with a homer, double and three RBI.

Chisholm was replaced by Oswald Peraza at third base to open the bottom of the fifth inning. He went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks before departing shortly after suffering a groin injury while advancing to third base on Anthony Volpe’s fifth-inning double. He’ll presumably undergo further evaluation and testing to determine the severity of the issue. There should be an update on his status heading into Thursday’s series finale in Kansas City.

What a moment for Peterson. He was met by a roaring ovation from the Citi Field faithful on his way to the mound just before finishing off the first complete game shutout of his career. An incredibly rare feat in this day and age, Peterson was very efficient on his way to this gem. He’d thrown just 32 pitches after the first three innings and forced 18 total ground balls on 25 balls in play. This was also the third time in four starts he’s completed at least seven innings and he now has a sterling 2.49 ERA, which is the fourth-lowest in the National League. He’s heading into a huge two-start week against both the Braves and Phillies on the road with some serious momentum.

Nimmo certainly loves playing against the Nationals. This was his second multi-homer game of the season, and both have come against them. He tied a franchise record with nine RBI in his other two-homer game, so only driving two runs this game is a bit of a disappointment. Nevertheless, Nimmo has looked much more like himself since moving back to the two-hole in the Mets’ lineup and feels well on his way to a strong summer hitting in the heart of this fantastic lineup.

García was practically the only Nationals hitter that could do anything against David Peterson here as he threw a complete game shutout. He accounted for two of their six total hits and that double was their only extra-base hit. Which is ironic, given García’s notable struggles against left-handed pitchers. Such is life though when one’s as hot at the plate as García is right now with a 1.006 OPS over his last 15 games.

Usually strong against the Mets, Irvin struggled against them here. Pete Alonso jumped on him in the first inning with a laser beam over Jacob Young’s head in center field that brought a run home. Then, Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo smoked a pair of home runs. In all, Irvin allowed nine hard-hit balls mostly due to some inconsistent command. He’s scheduled for an intriguing two-start week coming up, first against the Rockies at home and followed by the Dodgers on the road.

Clearly chomping at the bit to return, Westburg has now homered in back-to-back games since coming off the injured list. His late three-run shot helped to break this game open after the Orioles and Tigers were locked in a tight affair through the first seven innings. He looks ready to go on a tear and this situation serves as a good reminder that more players than we think could be struggling because they’re trying to play through an injury, as Westburg clearly was earlier this season.

While Eflin’s strikeout numbers are rarely gaudy, he’s at his best when he’s mixing his deep pitch-mix and living around the edges of the plate like he did in this game. He threw each of his changeup, sinker, cutter, fastball, and curveball at least 12% of the time and allowed just two hard-hit balls before the Tigers’ slight seventh inning rally that chased Eflin from this game. Nevertheless, this was a great game for him. He’s lined up for a two-start week coming up with road matchups against the Yankees and Rays.

The Tigers struggled to muster up any offense against Zach Eflin and the Orioles in this one. Keith’s double was their only extra-base hit and it drove home their only run. Alas, he’s put a sluggish start of the season behind him with a .797 OPS over his last 30 games.

There was plenty of both good and bad to take out of this start by Mize. His seven strikeouts are the second most he’s had in any start this season and most in four starts since coming off the injured list. His splitter was lethal working as his primary pitch forcing seven swings-and-misses while not allowing a single hard-hit ball. Yet, his usage of that pitch became a bit predictable late in this game and strikes were tougher to come by. In the end, he was a tad too inefficient to get through the sixth inning and earn a quality start. He’s scheduled for a two-start week coming up against the Pirates at home and Rays on the road.

The struggling Hernández had gone 17 games without a homer before taking Jeremiah Estrada deep in the sixth inning. The ball left his bat at 108.6 mph and traveled a projected 420 feet. It was his only hit of the game to go along with two strikeouts and two routine flies, but hopefully it will get him going. He had been 3-for-38 with one RBI since May 31.