Incredible Mets misplay allows Dodgers to tie game in 4-run comeback
Blowing a four-run lead to the Los Angeles Dodgers was a bad enough time for the New York Mets on Thursday. The game-tying play made it even worse.
With the Mets up 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, reliever Reed Garrett seemingly got a big out when Andy Pages hit an easy grounder right at third baseman Brett Baty. Dodgers catcher Will Smith had no choice but to make a break for home from third base, where he should have been tagged out.
The Mets turned an easy out at home plate into a "Three Stooges" skit. (Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
However, Baty spiked the throw to home and catcher Francisco Alvarez couldn't get a hold of it. As the ball bounced into the air and came down, Alvarez and Garrett collided into each other in a play worthy of a "Three Stooges" episode.
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Had Alvarez not essentially set a basketball-style pick against Garrett after losing the ball, Smith still probably would have been out. Instead, he tied the game.
It was the kind of play that harkened back to the days when the Mets inspired more mockery than fear as a large-market team. They're doing everything they can to shed that reputation under owner Steve Cohen, but plays like that can happen to any baseball team.
The inning got worse three batters later when former Mets All-Star Michael Conforto punched an RBI single into the outfield for the go-ahead run.
That single was Conforto's first hit with a runner in scoring position since March 31, the Dodgers' fifth game of the season. It was his first with two outs of the entire 2025 season, which hasn't quite gone according to plan after he signed a one-year, $17 million deal to join the reigning World Series champs. He entered Thursday slashing .167/.311/.270.
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With the Dodgers suddenly leading, they brought in Tanner Scott, another new acquisition who has been struggling, for the ninth inning. He struck out two and allowed a single before ending the game on a Luisangel Acuña flyout.
The Dodgers' win split the four-game series with the Mets and kept them in first place in the NL West at 38-25. In arguably the hardest stretch of their season — with series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees and Mets — they went 9-7 despite a heavily depleted pitching staff.
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Early grades for top 25 MLB free agents this past season
The Arizona Diamondbacks' difficult start to the season took another unfortunate turn this week when ace Corbin Burnes, in the first season of a six-year, $210 million contract, went on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation. Burnes' velocity had dipped dramatically in the fifth inning of his most recent start, prompting him to call for the team athletic trainer and cut his outing short. The team subsequently confirmed the ever-ominous diagnosis that it was indeed elbow-related, necessitating a visit to Dr. Neal ElAttrache to further clarify the injury. This is a devastating setback, depending on the severity of the diagnosis, for a D-backs pitching staff that was already in a rather tenuous position even with Burnes healthy and pitching well. The Snakes stunned the baseball world when they landed Burnes just before the new year, seemingly securing a certified ace to headline a rotation that was already quite talented on paper. Instead, the pitching staff surrounding Burnes, with the exception of Merrill Kelly, who has been solid, has woefully underperformed. Now Burnes is out for at least half of this month, and even with an elite offense, the D-backs have quite an uphill battle to climb if they want to stay relevant in the NL West race, let alone the wild-card picture. Advertisement While Burnes' injury feels painful considering the massive contract he signed, he's hardly the only big-ticket free-agent addition whose tenure with their new team is off to a rocky start. Such is the nature of free agency: sometimes these splashy additions completely alter the complexion of the team for the better, but adding star-level talent for star-level prices does not always immediately provide star-level production. While it's certainly unfair to evaluate the totality of these long-term contracts after just a couple months, here's an early report card for this past offseason's biggest free-agent signings, featuring the top half of our top 50 list: 1. Juan Soto, Mets OF Contract: 15 years, $765M Grade: B- Soto's uncharacteristic 16-game swoon in May, during which he went 7-for-59 with zero homers, put his overall statline in a hole that the spectacular slugger is still digging out of. A player who receives the largest contract in baseball history and is universally hailed as a generational offensive talent should be held to the highest possible standard, and he simply hasn't met it yet. That's not to say he has been downright bad on the whole. This modest grade reflects that. We all know how much better he can be. Soto's recent power surge and renewed shuffling swagger has rightfully restored optimism that he's trending in the right direction, which is great news for Mets fans and bad news for pitchers. 2. Roki Sasaki, Dodgers RHP Contract: minor league deal; $6.5M signing bonus Grade: C Advertisement Without a traditionally titanic free agent contract attached, and as a 23-year-old adjusting to a new league in a new country, Sasaki does not deserve to be graded nearly as harshly as his veteran counterparts on this list. But it'd also be disingenuous to suggest that his first eight starts as a big leaguer were especially encouraging — and that's before even factoring in the shoulder ailment that now has him on the injured list without any clarity about when he could return to LA's rotation. There is still ample upside attainable here if Sasaki can get healthy, but there are also clear developmental hurdles for the right-hander to clear for him to become a reliable big league starter. For as special as his splitter is, Sasaki's fastball is just not a good pitch as currently constituted, and his command remains shoddy at best. There's plenty of time for Sasaki to figure these things out and become a star, but expecting it to happen in his rookie season may be overzealous at this point. 3. Corbin Burnes, D-backs RHP Contract: 6 years, $210M, opt-out after Year 2 Grade: B/Incomplete Advertisement The ramifications of Burnes' injury cannot be fully understood until the severity becomes more clear. A short-term absence would obviously be an ideal outcome and a bullet dodged for the Snakes, but even a handful of missed starts could make a big difference considering how little margin for error the D-backs currently have in the standings. If it's indeed a longer-term injury and Burnes is out for the year, that's a much more daunting hole in the roster to overcome, especially with how unreliable the rest of the pitching staff has been. It could also influence the likelihood of Burnes opting out of the remaining four years and $140 million on his deal after next season — which could be viewed as good or bad news for Arizona, depending how he looks in 2026. For now, it's simply a massive bummer for both player and team, as Burnes has been such an enjoyable constant as one of baseball's aces over the past half-decade. 4. Alex Bregman, Red Sox 3B Contract: 3 years, $120M, opt-out after Year 1 Grade: A- Advertisement For all the drama involving the construction of the roster that has swirled around the Red Sox since Bregman's arrival, Bregman himself was thoroughly fulfilling his obligations until his quad injury last month. Though he was striking out a bit more than usual, Bregman's slugging and underlying power indicators had skyrocketed to start the year, suggesting he was on track for a season resembling his 2018-2019 peak more so than the merely very good level he had performed at in recent years with Houston. It'll be fascinating to see where the currently scuffling Red Sox are in the standings when Bregman returns from his injury later this summer. 5. Willy Adames, Giants SS Contract: 7 years, $182M Grade: C- Advertisement Durability hasn't been an issue for Adames, who has started all 62 games for San Francisco, including 61 at shortstop. But Adames' track record of high-level offensive production from a premium position that warranted his sizable contract has yet to carry over as a Giant. While Adames' plate discipline metrics remain in line with his career norms, the quality/genre of his contact has suffered this year, with a dramatic decline in how often he is pulling fly balls, which he was near-elite at over the previous two seasons. After batting second for the first 41 games, Adames has been hitting fifth or sixth lately, depending on the matchup as he looks to find his stride. For now, Adames remains one of the more glaring holes in a San Francisco lineup that has collectively struggled to find a rhythm. 6. Blake Snell, Dodgers LHP Contract: 5 years, $182M Grade: D/incomplete Advertisement Trying to predict which Dodgers starting pitcher was the best bet to stay healthy was a fool's errand from the beginning, yet it was especially frustrating to see Snell be the first one to hit the injured list this season after just two starts. Snell is reportedly working his way back from his shoulder injury and is scheduled to throw a bullpen in the coming weeks, but for now, he's just another high-profile hurler on the shelf for the defending champs who has yet to meaningfully contribute on the field for his new team. 7. Max Fried, Yankees LHP Contract: 8 years, $218M Grade: A Fried's excellence would be praiseworthy in any context, but has proven especially crucial for the Yankees in the absence of ace Gerrit Cole and reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. Fried's consistently crafty deployment of his ultra-deep arsenal has fit in brilliantly within New York's impressive pitching infrastructure, and he's formed one heck of a duo of southpaws atop the rotation alongside Carlos Rodón, another recent high-dollar free-agent addition who is enjoying his best season as a Yankee yet. 8. Pete Alonso, Mets 1B Contract: 2 years, $54M with an opt-out after Year 1 Grade: A Advertisement As disappointing as it may have been for Alonso to not secure a monster contract in his first go at free agency — and several other teams should be regretting not pursuing Alonso more aggressively — this has worked out rather brilliantly for both sides so far. Alonso continues to anchor New York's new-look lineup with Soto and Francisco Lindor while re-establishing his bona fides as one of the game's most reliable and fearsome sluggers, priming him for a deserved, if delayed payday this winter if/when he chooses to exercise his opt-out. 9. Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers OF Contract: 3 years, $66M Grade: B Advertisement From a slugging and run-producing standpoint, Hernández has hardly missed a beat in his second year in Dodger blue, and remains a key contributor in the heart of Los Angeles' lineup. It's also been a strange season for the 32-year-old outfielder by certain measures, as he's currently running career-low strikeout (23.4%) and walk (3.6%) rates. The improved contact is a pleasant surprise, but his complete refusal to draw free passes has left his OBP (.306) in a less-than-stellar state. In this loaded lineup, Hernández's sketchy on-base skills are probably not a nit worth picking, but for a player whose value is entirely derived from his bat — the defense remains well below-average — it's something to monitor moving forward. 10. Christian Walker, Astros 1B Contract: 3 years, $60M Grade: D+ Advertisement No, Walker hasn't been quite as bad as Jose Abreu was in the first year of the nearly identical contract (3 years, $58.5 million) signed to solidify Houston's first base situation, but he hasn't been markedly better either. It's been a discouraging introduction to the Astros for Walker, whose strikeouts have spiked and walks have plummeted. He's provided terrific defense at first, as expected, and he's still hitting the ball reasonably hard, so perhaps there is a hot streak ahead of him. But Walker has thus far failed to help backfill the offensive production lost by the departures of Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, and that's a troubling trend for a first baseman who just turned 34. 11. Anthony Santander, Blue Jays OF Contract: 5 years, $92.5M Grade: D- Advertisement Besides a career-high walk rate (11.5%), it is awfully difficult to find much positive about the first couple months of Santander's Toronto tenure. Coming off a 44-homer season with Baltimore, Santander was brought in to help address the Blue Jays' severe lack of power in the lineup outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He has barely made an impact so far. His .304 SLG% ranks last among qualified Blue Jays bats and in the bottom 10 of all qualified big league hitters. Now on the injured list with a shoulder injury, it's unclear when Santander will have a chance to validate his hefty contract in a Blue Jays lineup that could still use a power boost. 12. Jack Flaherty, Tigers RHP Contract: 2 years, $35M Grade: B- Advertisement Flaherty has been more good than great in his return to the Motor City following a prolonged free agency that didn't seem to garner much interest from a wide swath of teams. His strikeout-to-walk ratio remains sterling, but he allows a bit more hard contact than you'd prefer from one of your best starting pitchers. That said, Flaherty doesn't need to be a no-doubt ace for Detroit with Tarik Skubal firmly entrenched as the ultimate frontline arm. He just needs to be good — and Flaherty has broadly met that standard thus far. 13. Luis Severino, Athletics RHP Contract: 3 years, $67M Grade: C Severino's performance hasn't been nearly the biggest problem on a problematic pitching staff that has completely sabotaged the Athletics in the standings in recent weeks. But as the pitcher who received the largest free-agent deal in franchise history, Severino's effectiveness has been a letdown. One key split worth noting: Severino has a 0.87 ERA in 31 innings across five starts on the road, but a 6.99 ERA at the supremely hitter-friendly confines of Sutter Health Park, the Athletics' temporary home. Yikes. Advertisement 14. Sean Manaea, Mets LHP Contract: 3 years, $75M Grade: Incomplete The popular lefty who endeared himself to the Mets' fan base last season has yet to throw a pitch for New York this season after suffering an oblique strain during spring training. He's scheduled to make his first rehab start with High-A Brooklyn this week. 15. Jurickson Profar, Braves OF Contract: 3 years, $42M Grade: F You fail a PED test, you get an F in this exercise. Profar played just four games before being suspended 80 games for testing positive for a banned substance. He's eligible to rejoin the Braves' lineup on June 29, but it's tough to know what to expect from the 32-year-old outfielder upon his return. He also would be unable to participate in the postseason, though that doesn't feel like an especially relevant concern at this stage considering Atlanta's current place in the standings. 16. Gleyber Torres, Tigers 2B Contract: 1 year, $15M Grade: B+ Advertisement Torres' continued defensive deficiencies at second base keep this grade from being an A, but he's been a fantastic addition to the top of the Tigers' lineup and is setting himself up well to secure a significant multiyear deal this winter. While he still isn't slugging anywhere near his early-career peak, Torres' plate discipline has been elite with Detroit. He has a career-low strikeout rate, a career-high walk rate and the second-lowest chase rate in baseball, with only Soto ranking better. 17. Yusei Kikuchi, Angels LHP Contract: 3 years, $63M Grade: C+ He's eaten innings and the ERA looks solid, but nothing about Kikuchi's underlying numbers indicate that he's having an especially strong season. Most notably, Kikuchi's command and control have regressed badly — his 12.9% walk rate isn't just a career-high mark, it's the highest of any qualified starting pitcher in MLB. 18. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers RHP Contract: 3 years, $75M Grade: A- Advertisement Before Eovaldi went on the injured list with triceps inflammation, Texas' decision to retain the right-hander was looking like one of the best moves any team made last offseason, as Eovaldi was downright dominant across his first dozen starts. This recent injury scare is a relevant data point for a 35-year-old who has had his fair share of ailments over the course of his career, hence the A- and not A. But strictly from a performance standpoint, it's tough to argue with Eovaldi's tremendous results. 19. Nick Martinez, Reds RHP Contract: 1 year, $21.05M (accepted the qualifying offer) Grade: B- Many were surprised when Martinez accepted the QO coming off a quietly splendid season in 2024, and now it'll be interesting to see what kind of deal he can command this winter. He's been perfectly cromulent in his second year in Cincy, albeit hardly a standout in a Reds rotation that features some pitchers with far more eye-catching stuff, like Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. 20. Ha-Seong Kim, Rays INF Contract: 2 years, $29M Grade: Incomplete Advertisement Still working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, Kim has yet to appear for Tampa Bay but is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham. 21. Tyler O'Neill, Orioles OF Contract: 3 years, $49.5M Grade: D Much of the frustration surrounding Baltimore's wayward start to the season has understandably been directed at the ill-equipped pitching staff, but O'Neill's complete lack of production stands out as another major blemish on the Orioles' front office's résumé. Currently on the injured list with a shoulder issue, O'Neill is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon. 22. Tanner Scott, Dodgers LHP Contract: 4 years, $72M Grade: C- Advertisement For years, Scott's pure stuff from velocity and movement standpoints have been so overwhelmingly good that it hasn't much mattered that he'd frequently walk batters — he could always find a timely whiff when he needed it to get out of trouble. Suddenly and strangely, Scott is throwing more strikes than ever in his first year with the Dodgers, but his stuff has not been nearly as nasty — and he's getting hit hard as a result. We've still seen flashes of dominance, but Scott's struggles are a sobering reminder of how fickle relievers can be, even the best ones. 23. Walker Buehler, Red Sox RHP Contract: 1 year, $21.05M Grade: C+ Advertisement Amid a tumultuous first couple months for the Red Sox, Buehler hasn't been a stabilizing force in the rotation. He's had a handful of quality outings along the way but on the whole, he's looked like more of a No. 4 starter than the No. 2 starter Boston may have been hoping for after Buehler's high-profile postseason run last October. 24. Shane Bieber, Guardians RHP Contract: 2 years, $26M opt-out after Year 1 Grade: Incomplete Bieber appeared to be nearing his highly anticipated return from Tommy John surgery before reporting soreness after his most recent bullpen session. That's hardly the news Guardians fans want to hear at this stage, but if Bieber can get back on track and return sooner rather than later, he should provide a much-needed jolt to a Cleveland rotation that has sorely missed him since he went down last April. How he performs in the second half could play a huge part in whether the Guardians can return to the postseason. 25. 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Cardinals Welcome Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers to Busch Stadium
Cardinals Welcome Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers to Busch Stadium originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Coming off back-to-back series losses to the Rangers and Royals, the Cardinals will play host Shohei Ohtani and to the reigning World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend at Busch Stadium. Advertisement Despite dropping their last two series, the Cardinals are still six games above .500 entering play this weekend, with a record of 34-28. Unfortunately for St. Louis, the Cubs are still red-hot and now have a five game lead in the NL Central. The Dodgers are coming off a four-game series split against the Mets. With a record of 38-25, they currently hold a two-game lead over the Padres for first place in the NL West. Cardinals celebrate after Willson Contreras' walk-off singleJeff Curry-Imagn Images Friday, June 6, 7:15 p.m. CT How to watch/listen: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, Matrix Midwest, KMOV-4, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM Probable starters: Cardinals: Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.65 ERA) Dodgers: Justin Wrobleski (1-1, 8.00 ERA) Advertisement Saturday, June 7, 1:15 p.m. CT How to watch/listen: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM Probable starters: Cardinals: Erick Fedde (3-5, 3.82 ERA) Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.39 ERA) Sunday, June 8, 1:15 p.m. CT How to watch/listen: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM Probable starters: Cardinals: TBD Dodgers: TBD What to watch for: 1. Can Cardinals pitchers right the ship? After the Cardinals' pitching was lights-out for the majority of the month of May, it's been a rough last week or so. In their last six games, the Cardinals are allowing an average of nearly seven runs per game. Their starters haven't been able to go deep into games, and the bullpen has looked shaky to say the least. Advertisement 2. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers stars It's no secret that this Dodgers' lineup is absolutely loaded. Alongside Shohei Ohtani are former MVP winners Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, as well as Will Smith, who will likely be the NL's starting catcher in this year's All-Star Game. In 12 career games vs St. Louis, Ohtani is hitting .275 with two homers. 3. Michael McGreevy returns? With the starting pitching seemingly on the ropes and the Cardinals playing 13 games in 13 days, manager Oli Marmol has hinted at going back to a six-man rotation. With Sunday's starter still yet to be announced, it seems likely McGreevy will be making his return to the big leagues this weekend. McGreevy has shined is his brief time at the major league level, posting a 1.57 ERA over 28.2 IP. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Stanton's rehab remains uncertain despite 'progress'
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