Joze Azocar elects free agency, Génesis Cabrera to sign with Cubs
In just 20 plate appearances, Azocar hit .278/.350/.278 with an 88 wRC+, and he only got into 12 games after the Mets called him up from Triple-A Syracuse.
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Cabrera threw 7.2 innings for the Mets and had a 3.52 ERA with a 4.11 FIP. He struck out seven, walked three, and gave up one home run in that span.
Azocar was replaced on the Mets' active roster by Jared Young, who has already gotten nine plate appearances, nearly half of Azocar's total. And Cabrera was replaced, at least temporarily, by fellow left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell.
Both replacements have options and give the Mets some roster flexibility, particularly on the pitching side as the team is set to activate Paul Blackburn in the near future—with the returns of Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea in the works. Montas made his first rehab outing of the season in Brooklyn on Saturday.
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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets drop series against Nationals after losing rubber game, 9-3
The Mets dropped the rubber game against the last-place Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon, losing 9-3. Here are the takeaways... -For the first time since late July, it looked like Sean Manaea was poised to have a good day on the mound. The left-hander began his outing by retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced, including seven via strikeout. The only hit Manaea allowed over the first three innings was a ground-rule double by Brady House that got stuck in the left-field wall padding and barely missed being a home run. Still, after the first hard-hit ball against him and the first Nationals chance to score, Manaea came back to strike out two to end the inning and leave the runner stranded at second. -From then on, though, things got tricky for the lefty. The fourth inning began with another strikeout, Manaea's eighth of the game, but catcher Hayden Senger couldn't stop the sweeper and CJ Abrams reached safely on the wild pitch charged to Manaea. After a lineout, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Abrams came around to score on Dylan Crews' groundout to second base. Brett Baty made the play going to his right, cutting off Francisco Lindor who might have had a chance to step on second and double up Crews even with his speed. -After surrendering just the one run in the fourth, Manaea was back out for the fifth and paid for another defensive misstep. Following a single to start the inning, Jacob Young laid down a sacrifice bunt which was handled by Pete Alonso. Instead of getting the sure out at first base, Alonso threw to second to try and get the lead runner out, but his throw was too late. Alonso's aggressiveness put runners on first and second with nobody out and had Manaea in some more hot water. The left-hander got one out before hitting his second batter of the game to load the bases once again. Met killer Paul DeJong hit a sacrifice fly to get Washington closer, but Manaea was one out away from escaping further damage. However, he was unable to close the door and walked Andrés Chaparro to end his outing and left with the bases loaded. -Up by one, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Tyler Rogers to get the final out of the inning and hold onto the lead, but the submariner came in and immediately gave up the lead on a two-run single by Riley Adams. Both runs were charged to Manaea, who went 4.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on three hits, a walk, two HBPs and a wild pitch. It's the fourth consecutive outing that Manaea has allowed four earned runs or more after coming off the IL and pitching to a 2.08 ERA in July in four games (three starts). Manaea has an ugly 7.98 ERA in four August starts. His season ERA now sits at 5.15 in 36.2 innings. -On the other side, pitching for the Nationals, MacKenzie Gore lasted just 4.1 innings and was touched up for three runs, including Lindor's leadoff home run to start the game -- the shortstop's eighth time leading off a game with a homer, a new franchise single-season record. Starling Marte also tagged Gore for a solo shot in the third to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. -But against Washington's bullpen, which has struggled all season, New York couldn't get anything going. Five pitchers held the Mets scoreless for 4.2 innings and before Lindor's two-out single in the ninth, their last hit was a single in the fourth inning by Cedric Mullins. Instead, it was New York's bullpen that let the game get away. -After Rogers failed to bail out Manaea in the fifth, the roof caved in on Ryne Stanek in the eighth. The right-hander allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. The big blow came off the bat of the struggling James Wood, who unloaded on a three-run bomb to break the game open and give the Nationals a 9-3 lead. Stanek now has a 5.65 ERA this season and an 18.56 ERA over his last seven appearances (5.1 innings). -Senger notched his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that put New York ahead 3-0 at the time. Game MVP: Riley Adams He finished 2-for-3 and his two RBI in the fifth gave his team the lead that it would not relinquish. Highlights What's next The Mets continue their road trip with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves starting on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. RHP Nolan McLean (1-0, 0.00) will make his second career start after a superb outing in his MLB debut and will face off against LHP Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72 ERA).
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Mets blow chance to win another series after cratering in embarrassing loss to lowly Nationals
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free WASHINGTON — Woof. It was all set up on Thursday for the Mets to win a second straight series rubber game — an accomplishment for a team that has floundered for most of the last month — but somehow this underachieving bunch managed to flatline. Pitching, both starting and relief, faltered. Bats that earlier looked ready for a breakout afternoon silenced. Lowly or not, the last-place Nationals kept fighting while the team allegedly competing for a postseason berth stopped. The Mets took a three-run lead into the fifth inning then cratered, surrendering nine unanswered in a 9-3 loss at Nationals Park that sliced their lead on Cincinnati to a half-game for the NL's third and final wildcard spot. 7 Sean Manaea gets pulled during the Mets' loss to the Nationals on Aug. 21. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Mets' deficit on Philadelphia for first place in the NL East swelled to seven games. So much for the small step forward the Mets took last weekend by winning two of three games against the Mariners. 7 Jacob Young singles during the Nationals' win against the Nationals on Aug. 21. Brad Mills-Imagn Images 7 Sean Manaea throws a pitch during the Mets' Aug. 21 loss to the Nationals. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect They now head to Atlanta for a rematch against a team that feasted against Mets pitching in winning two of three games last week at Citi Field. Sean Manaea was close to untouchable early, but got sloppy in the middle innings and departed in the fifth. The left-hander allowed four earned runs on three hits and one walk with two hit batters over 4 ²/₃ innings and was removed after 91 pitches. Francisco Lindor homered leading off the game, setting a franchise record in the process. The blast was his eighth leadoff homer this season, which eclipsed the mark he shared with Curtis Granderson (who twice hit seven). Starling Marte smashed a homer in the third that extended the Mets' lead to 2-0. It was the seventh homer this season for Marte and third in his past seven games. 7 Sean Manaea reacts after throwing a pitch during the Mets' Aug. 21 loss to the Nationals. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 7 Pete Alonso reacts after striking out during the Mets' Aug. 21 loss. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Mets loaded the bases in the fourth against MacKenzie Gore and received a sacrifice fly from Hayden Senger for the rookie catcher's first career RBI. Brett Baty and Cedric Mullins each singled in the inning, sandwiched around a walk to Tyrone Taylor — who was in the lineup with Brandon Nimmo sidelined by a stiff neck. Manaea surrendered a run in the fourth on Dylan Crews' RBI groundout. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS The Nationals had threatened after CJ Abrams reached on a strikeout/wild pitch to open the inning, followed by Andres Chaparro's single. Manaea plunked Riley Adams to load the bases, but then retired the next three batters, with the run allowed. Gore was removed in the fifth after walking Marte and Pete Alonso successively. 7 Mackenzie Gore reacts after allowing a home run to Starling Marte on Aug. 21. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 7 Francisco Lindor rounds the bases during the Mets' Aug. 21 loss to the Nationals. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect But Jackson Rutledge retired Mark Vientos and struck out Baty. Manaea surrendered three runs in the fifth after Alonso's throw to second was late trying to nail lead runner Brady House. Jacob Young reached first on the grounder, and after Abrams got drilled to load the bases, Paul DeJong's sacrifice fly sliced the Mets' lead to 3-2. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Chaparro walked to reload the bases before Tyler Rogers entered and allowed a single to Adams that brought in the tying and go-ahead runs. Young's RBI single in the sixth against Rogers extended the Nationals' lead to 5-3. Daylen Lile singled and stole second in the inning before Young delivered with a two-out shot off Mullins' outstretched glove while diving. Ryne Stanek dumped kerosene on the fire by surrendering four runs in the eighth. House stroked an RBI single before James Wood delivered the haymaker with a three-run homer.
Chicago Tribune
28 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Kyle Tucker returns, but Chicago Cubs lose series finale to Milwaukee Brewers in thriving rivalry
Kyle Tucker was back in the Chicago Cubs lineup Thursday after a three-game respite from manager Craig Counsell to get his head together and his swing back. Did anything positive come out of the time off? 'We won a few games,' Tucker said. 'So that's positive.' Tucker's return coincided with a 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the finale of the five-game series at Wrigley Field, as the Cubs fell seven games back in the National League Central race that isn't really much of a race. Tucker went 0-for-4 with a walk, and the Cubs wasted another fine outing from Shota Imanaga (8-6), who made only one mistake in seven innings — a two-run home run to Brice Turang in the second. It only seemed as if the Brewers were in town longer than a Wendella boat ride, with five games and one rainout since Monday afternoon. The Cubs won the series, but it felt like another missed opportunity. 'Look, I describe this series as we kind of held serve,' Counsell said. 'We probably needed it a little bit more. We win three out of five. That adds up to three wins. Today stings a little bit. Getting today's game obviously would've been a big one. They played a better game than us.' The Cubs finished with five hits and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, finishing the five-game series with a .187 average off Brewers pitching. Counsell rested his hottest hitter, Matt Shaw, using him as a defensive sub in the ninth. Despite the wind blowing in again, it was still Tucker's chance to show the time off was put to good use. But he grounded out twice, hit a soft liner to second and flied out to center. It was an eventful week for the Cubs slugger, who was booed, benched and baffled by being in the eye of a media hurricane in Chicago, after years or being a solid but unassuming member of the Houston Astros' menagerie. Tucker's summer slump apparently was the result of a small fracture in his right hand near his ring and pinkie fingers from a June 1 slide. Or maybe not? Photos: Chicago Cubs lose to Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 at Wrigley FieldNo one is quite sure because Tucker hit well for a stretch after the injury, which was not fully disclosed at the time, and then stopped slugging completely, with no home runs since July 17. The Cubs kept the results of an imaging test quiet while Counsell and President Jed Hoyer repeatedly insisted Tucker was fine the last two months, before Counsell finally confirmed an ESPN report on the small fracture after Wednesday night's game. Tucker said he was OK playing through some pain, though that decision looked bad when his slump, combined with the poor stretches of several teammates, contributed to the Cubs' free fall from first place to wild-card contenders. 'I was just like, 'I'm going to keep playing,'' he said before the game. 'There wasn't really a need to go on an IL, because I could still do everything. It was more like a pain tolerance at that point rather than like I physically couldn't do anything.' Tucker is headed toward free agency and projected as the top available hitter. Missing time could've cost him on the market, where he stands to make $400 million or more. But he kept playing until Counsell finally benched him after Monday's game for a mental reset. Why the deception? Counsell said many player injuries are not disclosed when that player is still good enough to play. He didn't feel the Cubs misled the media 'because (Tucker) was playing' and hitting well for a while. 'So, again, we still don't know the answers completely,' Counsell said of Tucker's struggles. 'We made a decision together to keep playing him. He was playing well and able to manage it, tolerate it, which is something players choose to do to maybe get through things. So …' And so it goes. Turang's two-run home run off Imanaga gave the Brewers a quick lead in the second inning, and the Cubs were held to one run off Quinn Priester and five Brewers relievers. The Cubs put the tying run on with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Tucker's soft liner to second turned into a double play when Michael Busch misread it and couldn't get back, and Seiya Suzuki fanned. The Brewers added on in the eighth on Isaac Collins' two-run single off Ryan Brasier, whose ERA zoomed to 14.86 (11 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings) over his last eight appearances. The Cubs led off the eighth with back-to-back walks but failed to score again. The Cubs left for the West Coast after the game to open a three-game series Friday in Anaheim, Calif., against the Los Angeles Angels, followed by trips to San Francisco and Denver. They still control their fate in the NL wild-card race, and a 5-3 homestand was at least a sign they might be emerging from their post-All-Star Game doldrums. Brewers fans made themselves at home this week at Wrigley, which remained packed despite three weekday days games due to a rainout and most kids being back in school. On Thursday the Cubs replayed a video of late Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker performing the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley, a moment that united fans from both cities. A memorial for Uecker, who died Jan. 16 at age 90, will be held Sunday at the Brewers-Giants game in Milwaukee. But that's it for the season series, which the Cubs won 7-6, for whatever that's worth. It was a lot of fun, with plenty of fan taunting, some great endings and manager Pat Murphy's crazy assertions the Brewers were still 'underdogs' to the Cubs despite their huge division lead. We can only hope the Cubs and Brewers meet again in the postseason with a chance to end each other's season. That would be a fitting conclusion to a rivalry that gets better and better every year.
