Francisco Lindor's go-ahead homer sparks 4-run 8th inning as Mets beat Cubs 6-2
NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead homer to start a four-run eighth inning and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Sunday to avoid losing their second home series this season.
Lindor snapped a 2-2 tie against Porter Hodge (2-1) by getting ahead in the count and lifting a full count sweeper over the right-center field fence. Lindor connected after hitting the same pitch for a double play in the ninth inning against Hodge in Saturday's 6-5 loss.
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New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
How three MLB pitchers, including Spencer Strider, are faring in their returns from injuries
A little over two months into the season, pitchers are returning from injury and working to reestablish themselves in their respective rotations. In this column, I'll focus on three starters — Lance McCullers Jr., Spencer Strider and Tony Gonsolin — who are coming back from surgery. I'll check in to see how they've looked so far and explore what lies ahead for them in 2025. Advertisement McCullers returned to the majors this year for the first time since the end of 2022. He underwent right elbow surgery and experienced a setback in his recovery, delaying his return to the mound. Through six games started this season, he has a 3.93 FIP, 29% strikeout rate, and 11% walk rate. The two major differences I am seeing from McCullers are in his velocity and command. Starting with his velocity, his fastball average has decreased from 93 mph in 2022 to 91-92 mph. His cutter and changeup are back at about 87 mph, and his slider is down from 85 mph to 83 mph. His slider is his primary weapon against right-handed hitters, followed by his sinker. He has not been as effective against righties this season compared to pre-injury (5.31 FIP vs. 3.81 FIP in his career). This is likely due to command inconsistencies, which may be related to mechanical adjustments made after surgery. This has impacted his ability to locate both the sinker and the slider effectively, as well as the results of each pitch, leading to huge reverse splits. McCullers is throwing his slider 6% less against righties so far this season, but it is still his go-to pitch. Despite adding movement on the pitch (+2 inches of depth and sweep), it is getting … To understand why the slider isn't performing as well, we also need to examine McCullers' other major weapon against righties — his sinker. The sinker is getting more chase this season compared to pre-injury results. However, it has resulted in the most damage, with a poor 68% hard-hit rate and a .597 xSLG. One thing McCullers did really well pre-injury was use both sides of the plate. Looking at his heat maps from 2022, he mixed the location of his sinker and focused on the outer edge with the slider. This season, his slider is ending up higher and middle more frequently, and he is not throwing his sinker inside at the same rate. A good sign, however, is that during his June 3 start, he showed better command of his sinker. He was throwing it inside more frequently, like he had pre-injury: An interesting observation from that start is that McCullers also avoided throwing the sinker to the bottom of the zone. Pre-injury, sinkers to the bottom third of the zone resulted in ground balls. However, McCullers has not been generating ground balls at the same rate. The heat map below shows the location of the sinkers that were hard-hit so far this season, most of them being in the lower third: My theory for the reduction of ground balls is that the velocity is impacting the effectiveness of the pitch lower in the zone, allowing hitters to square the ball up better. Adjusting this location based on the results is a step in the right direction for McCullers. His slider command is still a work in progress, but ideally, he'll get it back to the lower, outer edge, as he has in years past. Advertisement Against lefties, he is throwing his knuckle curve 21% less. This is a big change because the knuckle curve was his go-to pitch against lefties pre-injury. It is a strong pitch with above-average movement, above-average velocity and good results throughout his career. Despite its limited usage, McCullers is still doing very well against lefties, with a 2.44 FIP (vs. 2.91 in his career). Additionally, in his June 3 start, McCullers threw the knuckle curve a season-high 40% of the time. This is a good sign that he is starting to feel more confident in the command of this pitch. McCullers still has work to do in terms of regaining his command, but he is showing signs he is on the right track. If he can remain healthy, he can continue to have the same success and return to a reliable mid-rotation starter. Strider missed most of the 2024 season and the beginning of this season due to undergoing arm surgery (UCL) and experiencing a setback. As a result, he's been limited to only four starts so far this season with a 6.39 FIP, 23% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. Strider's fastball has always been his go-to pitch against both righties and lefties, and that hasn't changed. At 98 mph with plus ride in 2023, the pitch was among the best in baseball. His secondary was the slider to both hands, with an occasional changeup to lefties. He was able to get away with throwing the two pitches the majority of the time due to their exceptional velocity and shape. Post injury, Strider has a lower arm slot (going from high three-quarters to three-quarters), and his pitch shapes look a little different. He's added movement to all of them: He's also added a curveball and has been mixing it in rarely against lefties. The two areas Strider needs to continue working on are his velocity (which has decreased by 2 mph across the board) and his command. As a mainly two-pitch pitcher, command is vital to Strider's success, especially now that he has lost velocity. His game plan this season remains very similar to years past and is predictable. Looking at the tables below, we can see Strider relies on his four-seamer in every count against righties, and most counts against lefties. Data from Baseball Savant Now that the pitches have declined in velocity and he is not commanding them as effectively, he is not getting the same results. His four-seamer is getting 17% less in-zone miss and 6% less chase. His slider is getting 15% less chase and 24% fewer ground balls. Both pitches are also getting hit harder and resulting in more damage. Advertisement His control and command are integral to his future success. In terms of control, his zone rate and first pitch strike rate are at career lows. In terms of command against righties, he is still doing a good job of locating his four-seamer up in the zone, but the same cannot be said for his slider. His slider is missing its location and breaking out of the zone. He is not getting chase on the pitch as a result. He needs to tweak the location and land it in-zone for it to start getting swings again. Against lefties, he is locating the slider well in the lower third of the zone. He is also locating his four-seamer well on the outer edge of the zone, but he is leaving too many over the middle. In 2023, when the pitch was better, he was able to get away with pounding the zone (even the heart) with the pitch, as it would still generate miss. This season, the four-seamer has a poor .571 xSLG allowed. Strider is still in the beginning stages of his return from injury. Looking ahead, he can no longer rely only on dominant stuff to be successful. If he can get the velocity back to where it was, or at least start locating better, there is a path to better results. Gonsolin was placed on the injured list on Saturday, June 7, due to right elbow discomfort, which is likely the reason he has struggled in his past few starts. However, I wrote this section about three days before his injury and still believe it is relevant for why he has not performed as hoped so far. After missing the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery and having a delayed 2025 start due to a back injury, Gonsolin has a 5.96 FIP, 24% strikeout rate, and 12% walk rate through seven starts. Gonsolin's velocity is back to where it was in 2022, which is great news. He's also added some movement on his pitches. His four-seamer now has more run, his curveball more sweep and his splitter more depth. His primary areas for improvement are in his mechanics/pitch tunneling and his command and control. Starting with his mechanics, Gonsolin's arm slot is down 5 degrees from a high three-quarters slot to his three-quarters slot of 2022. He also threw from this slot in 2023 but struggled that season with an ankle injury and forearm inflammation. Advertisement This slot adjustment is affecting his control and his pitch tunneling. In terms of control, Gonsolin's below-average 12% walk rate is up from his average 7% walk rate in 2022. In terms of tunneling, Gonsolin has not been able to tunnel his pitches as effectively. Tunneling pitches provides deception and makes it more challenging for hitters to read pitches out of hand. This season, we are seeing a greater separation between his pitches on the way to the plate. Looking at the graphics from Baseball Savant below, the pitches had a much tighter tunnel in 2022 (left) before reaching the plate. Diving into his mix, Gonsolin's been throwing his slider less this season against righties and increased the usage of his splitter and curveball. The reduction in the usage of the slider makes sense, as the splitter is proving to be more effective. Looking at the slider location this season compared to 2022, the locations are much more inconsistent, and he is not getting the pitch up as frequently. As a result, the slider is generating 38% fewer ground balls than in 2022, has a poor 50% hard-hit rate and a .539 xSLG. The splitter, on the other hand, is getting 14% more in-zone miss compared to 2022 and has maintained the same ground ball rate. It also has an elite 0.033 xSLG and 47% whiff rate. This is because Gonsolin has been able to command it consistently: This change in pitch usage is helping Gonsolin stay competitive against right-handed batters. His 4.51 FIP this season against righties is very close to his career 4.42 FIP. The same cannot be said against lefties (7.36 FIP this season vs. 3.90 in his career). Looking at his usage, Gonsolin is throwing the four-seamer slightly more and the splitter less against lefties this season. While the four-seamer and curveball are still getting chase, the splitter is being chased 20% less. Many of the splitters are ending up too far below the zone to fool hitters. That being said, the contact quality of all three pitches has been well below average. While the tunneling and command remain components of why these results have not been better, for the most part, the pitch locations have been competitive. After reviewing video of the hard-hit balls Gonsolin has given up to lefties, it becomes clear that they are limited to above-average hitters such as Juan Soto, Ben Rice and Kyle Stowers. While ideally, Gonsolin could get every hitter out, this is not as big of a red flag as the command and tunneling issues discussed earlier. There are some promising pieces here, but reestablishing pitch tunneling and improving control and command are key steps required before Gonsolin returns to his pre-injury success. (Top photo of Spencer Strider: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
25 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
MLB Power Rankings: Tigers remain on top, Pete Alonso powers Mets
Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, Pete Alonso climbs the Mets' all-time leaderboard, the Phillies' slide continues, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are red-hot since coming off the IL, the Rays and Blue Jays are rolling, hope is fading for the Braves, and much more. Let's get started! (Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook) Eric Samulski, Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, June 9. Last week: 1 Everything is coming up Tigers right now. Nothing signifies this more than this catch by Zach McKinstry, which left him in a state of disbelief. HOW DID THEY DO THAT?! Last week: 3 Fresh off a sweep of the lowly Rockies, the Mets have won 12 out of their last 15 games. Pete Alonso has drive in 18 runs in eight games this month and crushed two homers on Sunday to pass David Wright for second on the Mets' all-time home run list. He's just nine away from catching Darryl Strawberry (252) for the No. 1 spot. The Polar Bear strikes again! Pete Alonso passes David Wright for 2nd place on the @Mets all time home run list! Last week: 2 In a possible World Series preview, the Cubs dropped two out of three to the Tigers over the weekend. It was their first series loss in a month. Last week: 6 With his new '70 percent' mindset, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with two homers since coming off the injured list. Maybe just stay away from the in-game interviews. "DAMMIT" Last week: 4 It's pretty much history watch every time Clayton Kershaw gets on the mound. The southpaw played the role of stopper on Sunday five innings of one-run ball against the Cardinals and is now just 17 strikeouts away from joining the 3,000 K club. Last week: 7 All eyes are on the Padres and Dodgers to start the week, as the divisional foes will meet for the first time this season. The Padres are just one game behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. This week's three-game set will take place in San Diego and they'll meet again next week in Los Angeles for a four-game series. Last week: 8 The Giants will carry a five-game winning streak into the week; all of the victories came by the margin of just one run. They have a chance to stay hot as they square off against the Rockies in Coors Field for three games. Last week: 5 A stunning fall for the Phillies, who have lost nine out of their last 10 games. Bryce Harper hit the injured list on Saturday as he deals with a recurrence of a right wrist injury from last year. Not great. Last week: 11 Jeremy Pena is quietly enjoying the best season of his career. Even with an 0-fer on Sunday to snap his 12-game hitting streak, he's batting .361 with a .975 OPS over his last 30 games. The Astros have gone 19-11 in that time to climb into first place in the AL West. Last week: 9 After a bit of a stumble, the Cardinals took two out of three from the Dodgers over the weekend. Sonny Gray got the win on Friday and now owns a 13 1/3-inning scoreless streak. Last week: 18 What a turnaround by the Rays, who are 14-4 over their last 18 games. With the exception of Saturday's slugfest against the Marlins, they haven't allowed more than four runs since May 18. Last week: 15 The Rays aren't the only red-hot team in the AL East, as the Blue Jays have won nine out of their last 11 games. Only the Dodgers, Mets, and the aforementioned Rays have scored more runs over the past two weeks. Last week: 14 Big blow to the Twins over the past week, as right-hander Pablo Lopez suffered a Grade 2 teres major muscle strain and is expected to miss 8-to-12 weeks. Last week: 13 The wait continues for Brandon Woodruff, who was hit in the elbow by a 108.2 mph comebacker last Tuesday in what was supposed to be his final minor league rehab start. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative, but he'll need some downtime before starting a new rehab assignment. Last week: 12 The key question for the Guardians is if they can get any semblance of consistent offense from someone outside of José Ramírez and Steven Kwan. Ramírez is currently riding a career-best 34-game on-base streak. Last week: 10 George Kirby did what aces are supposed to do, stopping a five-game losing streak on Sunday while notching a career-high 14 strikeouts against the Angels. Last week: 16 Any time you can get in the same sentence with Bo Jackson is usually a good thing. .@Royals with a four-hit contest within their first six MLB games: Bo Jackson, Sept. 11, 1986 Jac Caglianone, today Last week: 22 Christian Encarnacion-Strand has provided quite the jolt since coming off the injured list, as he homered in all three games during the Reds' weekend sweep over the Diamondbacks. Last week: 20 Hey Red Sox? It's time. 497-FOOT GRAND SLAM FOR ROMAN ANTHONY ‼️@RedSox | @WooSox | @RedSoxPlayerDev Last week: 21 The Rangers' offense has been a massive disappointment this season, but Marcus Semien is finally waking up. The 34-year-old is hitting .517 (15-for-29) with three homers, three doubles and nine RBI over his last nine games. Last week: 19 With Corbin Burnes needing Tommy John surgery, it's increasingly clear that this isn't going to be the Diamondbacks' year. It will be interesting to see which players end up going on the trade block in the coming weeks. Zac Gallen? Merrill Kelly? Eugenio Suarez? Last week: 24 As someone who is constantly fielding snack requests from my two young children, it's nice to know that it never truly ends. Kudos to Eric Young Sr. as Father's Day approaches this Sunday. Gotta have snacks at the ballpark 🏟️@Angels third base coach, Eric Young Sr., left snacks out for his son, @Mariners first base coach Eric Young Jr. 🙂 Last week: 23 As James Wood develops into a star, we're also seeing MacKenzie Gore become one of the game's best left-handed starters. Also acquired in the Juan Soto blockbuster with the Padres, Gore holds a 2.87 ERA through 13 starts and currently leads the NL with 108 strikeouts. Last week: 17 As the kids say, the Braves are crashing out. A seven-game losing streak, including a sweep at the hands of the Giants over the weekend. Spencer Strider is showing diminished stuff with a 5.85 ERA in four starts since coming off the IL last month. Last week: 27 Some recent momentum for the Orioles, who won six straight before dropping two out of three to the lowly Athletics over the weekend. Last week: 28 Paul Skenes has one win in his last seven starts despite posting a 1.12 ERA (six ER with a 51/12 K/BB ratio in 48 1/3 innings) during that time. Last week: 25 The A's aren't winning many games these days, but Jacob Wilson can't be stopped. He's hitting .461 over his last 19 games and has amassed at least two hits in five straight games. Also, I'd be remiss to leave out the best catch of the past week. DENZEL CLARKE FULL SPEED UNBELIEVABLE CATCH 🤯 Last week: 26 The Marlins have lost six out of seven (including a humiliating sweep by the Rockies), but the good news is that stud right-hander Eury Perez is set to make his return from Tommy John surgery on Monday. Last week: 29 A former top prospect for the Dodgers, Miguel Vargas is beginning to realize his potential. After getting off to a slow start, he's hitting .289 with nine home runs and a .900 OPS over his last 41 games. Last week: 30 A rollercoaster week for the Rockies, who managed to pull off a three-game sweep of the Marlins on the road before being swept by the Mets at Coors Field over the weekend.
Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
NBA legend Don Nelson wears Luka Doncic shoes to protest 'tremendous mistake' by Mavericks
Don Nelson, the former Dallas Mavericks head coach, accepted the Chuck Daily Lifetime Achievement Award before Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. Nelson, who has been living in Hawaii since being away from the game, carried a message with him for the franchise he used to lead on the court. During his press conference, Nelson made sure everyone in the building knew that he was wearing Luka Doncic's new shoes from Nike. Why? He thinks the Mavericks and GM Nico Harrison made a "tremendous mistake" trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers. "I want everybody to know I'm wearing Luka's shoes, his new shoes from Nike…and I'm wearing them in protest for the trade from Dallas," Nelson told the crowd. "I think it was a tremendous mistake by the Dallas franchise to trade him. I want everybody to know that." Nelson is a part of a mass group that believes Harrison made the wrong move in trading Doncic to Los Angeles, which was one of the most shocking trades in recent memory anywhere in professional sports. Mavericks fans let Harrison know it, too, as chants filled stadiums home and away, while a group of fans even held a fake funeral outside American Airlines Center days after the deal went down in February. Dallas, though, may have gotten bailed out after the NBA Draft Lottery saw them win the No. 1 overall pick. The Mavericks will presumably take Duke's Cooper Flagg later this month. Still, Mavericks fans weren't happy to see Doncic, who helped lead the team to the NBA Finals last year, moving out west. While the Lakers didn't make a deep NBA Playoffs run, Doncic had similar numbers with the Lakers compared to the Mavericks. He averaged 28.2 points per game (28.1 in Dallas) with 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game over 28 contests. Nelson and many others have their opinions, but what's done is done now for the Mavericks. Time will tell who exactly won the trade. Nelson is a Hall of Famer coach, and one of the best in league history with San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich being the only one with more coaching wins all-time. He had 1,335 regular-season wins and 75 more in the playoffs during his time coaching the Milwaukee Bucks (1976-87), Golden State Warriors (1988-94), New York Knicks (1995-96), Mavericks (1997-2005), and Warriors once more from 2006-10. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
