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The New York Mets were taken to the brink in both of their games against the Pittsburgh Pirates so far, but they won both. They beat the Pirates 2-1 on Tuesday after beating them 4-3 on Monday, and are now three games ahead atop the NL East.
Left fielder Brandon Nimmo gave the Mets (28-15) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a RBI double before infielder Brett Baty hit a solo homer to break a 1-1 tie in the seventh.
The latter player smashed the ball 365 feet to left, a triumphant moment in a chaotic season for him. He revealed the key to his recent success after the game, via SNY.
"Just staying within myself, having the great support of our fans and everything," he said. "But yeah, it's going good."
Baty has five homers in his last seven games and is establishing his worth after being optioned to the minors on April 24.
"Just staying within myself, having the great support of our fans and everything"
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2025
Brett Baty talks with @SteveGelbs after hitting a home run in the Mets' 2-1 win over the Pirates! pic.twitter.com/BQAnqaJDid
New York did that to make space for Jeff McNeil when he returned from his oblique injury, but called him back up on May 5 due to Jesse Winker's oblique ailment. The 25-year-old is now slashing .239/.270/.521 with five homers and 11 RBI in 25 games.
The Mets have already won their series against the Pirates (14-29) ahead of their game on Wednesday night. After that, they'll face the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium before traveling to face the Boston Red Sox. Then, they'll host the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Colorado Rockies.
More must-reads:
- Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
- Phillies' Kyle Schwarber inches closer to franchise history vs. Yankees
- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear After Yankees’ Big Trade
The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.
‘In What World Does This Make Sense?????’: Oilers and $63M Forward
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
Former Eagles champion announces retirement from NFL
One veteran NFL defender is ready to trade the football field for the golf course. Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks announced in a post to social media on Friday that he is retiring from the NFL. Hicks is calling it quits after 10 career seasons with four different teams. “I walk away with peace knowing I gave football all I had, and that the best is yet to come,” Hicks wrote in his post. You can see the post in full here. Now 33 years old, Hicks was a third-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2015. He spent the first four seasons of his career with them and was a member of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl-winning team in the 2018 campaign. Hicks later went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Cleveland Browns as well. The former University of Texas star Hicks was one of the more versatile linebackers of his era, capable of playing all three positions (inside, middle, and outside). He tied for third in the NFL with five interceptions during the 2016 season and also later ranked third in the NFL with 150 combined tackles during the 2019 season. Hicks made 12 appearances in 2024 for the Browns but is now content with walking away from the game. He also dealt with a dangerous physical condition that required hospitalization a couple years ago and has thus decided to move onto his next chapter.
Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
The New York Yankees’ first move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline falls a bit flat. They traded two prospects most fans have never heard of to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, a lackluster move that indicates New York is throwing in the towel on the 2025 season. McMahon is an upgrade — but only a slight one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman replaced a .147 hitter in Oswald Peraza with a .217 hitter in McMahon, who also happens to lead the National League in strikeouts (127). But really, New York just added another Anthony Volpe — one of the biggest problems in the Bombers’ lineup — to the left side of their infield. The two infielders’ 2025 stats tell virtually the same sad tale: McMahon: .217/.314/.403, 16 home runs Volpe: .214/.286/.400, 13 home runs The Yankees should have risked a top prospect or two for Arizona Diamondbacks power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A 2026 free agent, Suarez is a rental, but with his .252/.325/.593 slash line, 33 home runs and MLB-leading 86 RBI, he’d be a huge upgrade at third base, rather than a slight one. Instead, the Yankees opted for a player who they’ll have control over until 2028 and cost them almost nothing to acquire. Apparently, they believe McMahon will prove valuable in the long run, based on his advanced analytics. After all, he’s been crushing the ball in 2025, averaging a 94 mph exit velocity. However, his ability to hit the ball hard doesn’t mean he’s just been unlucky this year, as his xBA is just .232 — not too far below his .240 career actual batting average. Compare that to another guy who’s known for hitting the ball hard in Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who is hitting just .232 but has an xBA of .289. It doesn’t matter how hard McMahon hits the ball if he tends to hit it directly at a fielder. There’s still a week until the trade deadline, but don’t expect the Yankees to make any truly splashy moves. Suarez was the better choice to fix New York’s third base issues, and their pivot to McMahon was disappointing.
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