Joe and Chelsea break down why now was the time the team chose to part ways with the manager, share their thoughts on comments from David Stearns, and look ahead to what the Mets can possibly sell for value at the MLB trade deadline.

They also go Down on the Farm to check in on Jonah Tong, and answer Mailbag questions about the failed strategy of Stearns, questionable player development, and what prospects to look forward to seeing before the end of the season. 

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The decision was not one that was taken lightly by Lee, who has spent his entire 14-year career with New York and who has been the Isles captain for the past seven seasons after being named the 15th captain in franchise history on Oct. 4, 2018.

Despite the Islanders improving their offer in the late stages, Lee and the organization were still unable to come to an agreement, per LeBrun. Nevertheless, the door remains open for New York to re-sign Lee, although the soon-to-be-36-year-old will start hearing from other teams on Wednesday.

According to NHL Network’s Stefen Rosner, the gap came down to contract length. Lee’s camp is believed to be looking for a two-year pact while the Isles were unwilling to go past one year.

A sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Lee defied the odds and became a tremendous player for New York. In 923 games played in his career, the left winger has 308 goals and 241 assists (549 points) while playing with passion and heart on the ice.

Last season, Lee played in every game for the Isles and totaled 19 goals and 23 assists. Over the last four seasons, Lee has been a true iron man, missing just one game.

In 2019, shortly after getting named team captain, Lee was rewarded with a seven-year, $49 million contract by New York. During that deal, the Islanders made the playoffs four times, getting as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019-20.

If New York wants to stay under the second apron, the franchise would need to shed existing salary to make Robinson a competitive offer.

As things currently stand, the Knicks’ team salary is at roughly $213 million. They have 11 players under contract. The NBA’s second apron in team salary is $221.7 million. Knicks owner James Dolan said in an interview with WFAN earlier this month that he did not want to exceed the second apron. It is unclear if that decision was made in concert with his front office or if it was purely a financial decision. Dolan did reiterate his stance on the second apron internally prior to the NBA Draft.

If Dolan and the Knicks don’t change their stance on the second apron, they would need to shed salary – presumably by trading trading Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek or Miles McBride – in order to make Robinson a solid offer.

What is the market for Robinson?

That’s unknown. The Lakers were oft-mentioned as a Robinson team. DeAndre Ayton picked up his player option for 2026-27. But that wouldn’t automatically take them out of the running for Robinson. As of Tuesday morning, Los Angeles was still active in the center market. The Lakers were among several teams who would have interest in Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili during the free agency period, per sources. As of Tuesday morning, Los Angeles was comfortable offering Mamukelashvili a deal worth $10 million-plus annually.

What about the Nets? They were reportedly interested in Robinson but the Nets also are expected to show strong interest in Orlando’s Mo Wagner in free agency, per sources. Brooklyn obviously wouldn’t sign both Robinson and Wagner.

Portland reportedly agreed to a deal with Robert Williams III for $13+ million per season. Jock Landale reportedly agreed to a deal with Atlanta for a $14 million annual salary.

The Knicks would need to shed significant salary to offer Robinson a deal that approaches $14 million in annual value (Another team salary note: the plan entering free agency for second-round pick Jack Kayil is that he play next season overseas with his current club in Germany).

But maybe Dolan is willing to go into the second apron for Robinson this season if he can get out of it next year? WFAN’s Craig Carton said that Robinson’s return to New York depends on Karl-Anthony Towns’ extension. Towns is extension eligible on July 10. If he accepts a lower salary than his 2027-28 player option of $61 million, perhaps the Knicks can exceed the second apron in 2026-27 to re-sign Robinson and then dip under it in 2027-28.

Why would the Knicks want to avoid the second apron? ESPN’s Bobby Marks offers a great breakdown here.

Markstrom, 36, had a 3.07 GAA in 44 games (43 starts) last season for New Jersey.

Rodrigues, 32, had 11 goals and 20 assists last season for Florida.

In 11 NHL seasons with the Panthers, Avalanche, Penguins, and Sabres, Rodrigues has 107 goals and 163 assists.

Morel, 27, struggled badly for the Marlins this season before being released.

In 73 plate appearances over 22 games, Morel slashed .162/.219/.206 (.425 OPS, 22 OPS+) with zero home runs.

He had a .684 OPS in 105 games for the Rays in 2025 after posting a .634 OPS in 152 games with the Rays and Cubs in 2024.

Morel's best season came for the Cubs in 2023, when he had an .821 OPS and 26 homers in 107 games.

The versatile Morel has experience at every defensive position except catcher, but is a below average fielder at nearly all of them.

They didn’t need to do something historically bad – the Yanks had not given up that many unearned runs in a game without also allowing an earned run in more than 100 years – to invite scrutiny, however. They’ve had several high-profile head-scratchers on defense this season and insist on playing Anthony Volpe at shortstop when José Caballero might be the better glove story there. 

And, let’s face it, Game 5 of the 2024 World Series wasn’t all that long ago and many of the same players are still in pinstripes. Yankees defense flopped in that key game against the Dodgers and they blew a 5-0 lead, allowing five unearned runs.

Yeah, there’s still scars from back then, at least in reputation. 

But maybe the 2026 Yankees are a decent defensive team that sometimes has eye-grabbing flubs that commandeer the conversation around their gloves? Even if their competence is hard to keep in focus since they’ve given up 14 unearned runs in their ongoing five-game losing streak. That’s the most in a five-game span since 1990, according to statistician Katie Sharp. Those 1990 Yankees finished 67-95, by the way.

We’ll sort through it all as we determine in our first-half grade for the Yankee defense, including the good, which starts with Cody Bellinger.

He made an error in Monday’s loss, but he’s generally one of baseball’s best all-around defenders, capable of playing center field and truly shining in left. He’s good in right field and at first base, too. Bellinger ranks third in the AL in defensive WAR, according to Baseball Reference. 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is athletic and sometimes spectacular at second, though that sometimes comes with adventure. Ryan McMahon is a strong defender at third base and the Yanks often praise Austin Wells’ work behind the plate.

Entering play Tuesday, the Yankees as a team were ninth in MLB in Statcast’s Fielding Run Value metric and 11th in Outs Above Average. In Baseball Info Solutions’ Defensive Runs Saved Above Average, they rated just below average.

At the same juncture, the Yanks had made 47 errors, four more than the league average, and had allowed 42 unearned runs, 10 more than MLB average. Only three teams have allowed more unearned runs.

Let’s start with the eye test, which sometimes leaves their fans groaning. On that fateful Thursday in Boston, the Yanks made a season-high four errors, not counting an errant outfield throw from Caballero and the pop up that plopped between Wells and Cam Schlittler when neither took command. 

“We just didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball,” Aaron Boone said after the game. “Not up to the way we’ve been playing or capable of playing and ultimately too much to overcome.” 

A few days later, Boone called that game “really sloppy.” 

There have been other lapses, too. In a recent series against the Reds, a grounder up the middle got past Chisholm, setting off a slopfest that ended with an overthrow to the backstop. In April, Chisholm also famously made a comment that appeared to show he didn’t know a rule on a potential force play and how it pertained to a play on which the Yanks lost to the Rays. 

But the eye test reveals gems, too. Chisholm has made several and he’s capable of eye-popping plays. In May, he purposefully let a popup drop so he could get a force play at second and erase a faster runner, garnering praise from Gerrit Cole, who could be seen saying, “Nice play, Jazz, thatta baby” afterward. 

According to Statcast, Chisholm has the most OAA on the Yankees – seven.

Bellinger has made several noteworthy grabs and throws. In early April, a deep fly hit the heel of Bellinger’s glove and plummeted toward the outfield grass, but he snapped his glove down to snare it, completing a memorable catch. 

With Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham injured – both capable or better on defense, by the by – the Yanks have moved Caballero around, including using him in the outfield. That prompted complaints from fans who’d prefer Caballero were the regular shortstop, but Volpe has gotten time there and perhaps has been better than the online mob might opine. 

In 36 games at short, Volpe has made two errors and has five OAA, second-most on the team to Chisholm.

Caballero, meanwhile, has made appearances at six different positions – all three in the outfield, plus short, second base, and third base. 

“I think he’s great wherever I put him,” Boone told reporters in Boston. 

Since Caballero is a natural infielder, teams will try to run on him when he plays the outfield. He knows it. “They’ve been challenging me a lot,” Caballero said in Boston. “They know I’m kind of new in the outfield.”  

McMahon can be a key defensive asset at third, but his offensive struggles had led the Yanks to give at-bats against lefties to Amed Rosario. That affects their defense, especially because the Yanks’ pitching staff is among the leaders in inducing ground balls and McMahon is better than Rosario as a defender.

First base is a mixed bag – Paul Goldschmidt is a reliable veteran who owns four Gold Gloves. But Ben Rice ranks in the ninth percentile of Statcast’s Fielding Run Value. 

GRADE: B (with potential upside)

It’s the Yankees, so when it’s not smooth, the howling begins. The high-profile gaffes influence the optics, but the Yanks generally get the job done, sometimes spectacularly. When Judge, Grisham and Max Fried, who won a Gold Glove last year, return, they’ll be better, too. 

Comparatively, these are excellent deals for New York. 

Collin Gillespie is signing for $12 million a year and Marcus Smart is declining his $5.4 million option, while Alvarado was open to taking less than most exceptions offer. Shamet-esque shooters like Kevin Huerter and Julian Champagnie agreed to deals worth $9 million and $15 million a season this offseason, while he received a fraction of those amounts. 

This was thanks to the goodwill the team earned on this magical championship run, the chemistry and loyalty that strengthened during it, and the endorsements and attraction New York offers like no other. This is no small feat for the Knicks, securing their backcourt depth as they grapple with staying below the second apron while trying to compete yet again. 

And compete they do when these two are on the court. Both played major roles in the regular season and even bigger ones come playoff time.

Shamet returned on the veteran’s minimum after essentially spending a rehab year with the Knicks a season ago, nearly getting cut during training camp. But he was a feisty defender and knockdown shooter, close with Mikal Bridges, and wanted to prove he could earn a spot with a team for the long haul.

That he did, going off for 36 points in an NBA Cup game with Jalen Brunson on the mend, finishing the year with 9.3 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting from the field. He had another injury and was in and out of the rotation, even riding the pine as the postseason got into swing.

But that changed in the second and third rounds. He was a big boost off the bench vs. Philadelphia, then hit three of the most pivotal threes of his career in Game 1 against Cleveland, when New York came back from 22 down in the fourth quarter to win. 

Shamet carried that over into a couple of double-digit performances to start the Finals up 2-0. Now he’ll be a mainstay for years to come.

The Knicks, desperately needing additional ball handling, traded a couple second round picks and salary filler for Alvarado at the midseason deadline. The diminutive but big-hearted point guard was renowned for his competitive fire on a flailing Pelicans team, but the Knicks gave him a chance to compete for something real on his home turf.

That lit a fire under him, as he scored 12 points and came away with two steals in his debut win against Boston. Two games later he had a 26-point outburst on eight threes.

Alvarado’s playing time also fluctuated though, but in a testament to his professionalism never wavered. His number got called down 2-1 to the Hawks to help alleviate Brunson’s burden and provide some electricity off the bench, and that he did, scoring 12 in Game 5.

His contributions didn’t jump out on the box score as the Knicks ran roughshod over the East. But then came the NBA Finals, where Alvarado was consistently undeterred by perhaps the league’s best defense led by its best defensive player. 

The highlight was playing a major role in the Knicks’ 29-point comeback in Game 4, including scoring all eight of his points in the fourth quarter. His spinning layup and gutsy three in the final minutes blew the ceiling off Madison Square Garden in arguably the team’s biggest moment in recent franchise history. 

Now, Brunson and the Knicks have their complementary guard rotation locked for the foreseeable future, and they couldn’t be better positioned. These guys fit, ball out in the biggest moments, and love playing in New York.

Worse, it became practically symbolic of their disappointing season when six errors in an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Cubs last week seemed to be the tipping point that led to the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza. 

That said, the Mets weren’t as bad defensively overall in the first half as the isolated lowlights made it appear. 

They weren’t great, to be sure, and their errors often seemed to prove costly, in part because they weren’t good enough in other areas to overcome them. As was the case on Monday night in Toronto, when Juan Soto and A.J. Ewing combined to turn what should have been a single by George Springer into a triple and an error -- a Little League home run, if you will. 

It cost the Mets one run and stood out as another humiliating moment, but at least partly because they couldn’t score runs themselves, losing 2-1, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. 

As such, if we’re ranking the causes for the Mets’ 35-50 record, defense isn’t as high on the list as the anemic offense and lack of quality starting pitching. 

That’s not high praise, I know, but worth noting because the defense seemed to get too much blame overall, likely because the roster construction was in such contrast to Stearns’ run-prevention comments. Especially how it pertained to replacing Pete Alonso. 

I’ll get to Alonso, but let’s start with the bigger picture. 

Up the middle, which is usually considered the most vital part of the defense, the Mets were relatively strong.

At catcher, Luis Torrens has played in 51 games, due partly to Francisco Alvarez’s knee injury, and he is regarded as being superb defensively, especially throwing out base-stealers. Alvarez, when he did play, fell back into his bad habit of trying to backhand balls in the dirt rather than block theme and needs to be better, as he was last year after his demotion to Triple-A.

In center field, Luis Robert Jr. was solid before he went down with a back injury, just not as good as expected after winning a Gold Glove with the Chicago White Sox. As it turned out, however, Robert’s injury has proven to be a break of sorts for the Mets, allowing them to call up Ewing from the minors.

Ewing’s speed, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all MLB players, via Statcast, allows him to cover a ton of ground and has resulted in several outstanding catches since his call-up on May 12. His weakness has been that he doesn’t always get great reads of balls off the bat, resulting in false steps here and there that have cost him, but as a converted infielder he’s likely to only get better, and all in all has been a great addition defensively.

At second base, Marcus Semien has slipped significantly via various defensive metrics, especially regarding his range compared to last season, when he won a Gold Glove. But at least until recently, when he may have been affected by a hip flexor injury that landed him on the Il, Semien was at worst solid with the glove, making the plays he was expected to make.

At shortstop, Francisco Lindor got off to a weird start, making head-scratching mental mistakes, and then he made the first of the six errors against the Cubs in his first game back from his calf injury, but he is still a very good defender. In his absence, Bo Bichette, moving over from third base, played an adequate shortstop, though hurt by his limited range.

All in all, that’s a good core around which the Mets should be able to build an above-average defense, especially with Carson Benge making his share of difference-making plays -- even pulchritudinous, as Gary Cohen might say -- in right field.

Even Soto, his misplay Monday night notwithstanding, has played a very acceptable left field, seemingly putting in more effort to cut off more hits down the line and to the gap to prevent doubles than he did in right field last season.

OK, let’s get to the bad stuff, which mostly means first base. 

The position has been something of a disaster and the biggest reason the run-prevention theme became such a punch line.

It started with Stearns’ decision to go into the season without a true first baseman to replace Alonso, believing that Jorge Polanco could transition there from being a middle infielder. However, Polanco didn’t look comfortable during his brief time at the position and then he missed most of the first half with an Achilles tendon injury.

From there, the Mets tried Mark Vientos, a poor defender with little range who does have one strength, making strong throws to second to start double plays and home for plays at the plate. Vientos seemed to be in the middle of some crucial errors, failing to field balls or dig them out of the dirt.

Brett Baty got some time there, too, and though he’s proven to be athletic enough to play well at both second and third base, his unfamiliarity at first base led to some awkward moments there.

Finally, Jared Young has become the primary first baseman since coming off the IL a few weeks ago, and aside from a few early problems, he’s looked very capable and should improve the defense there in the second half.

In any case, the defense at first base certainly was costly at times, but it likely would have been less glaring had anyone delivered offensively while playing there. Indeed, Mets first basemen collectively rank next-to-last in the big leagues in wRC+, a stat that measures offensive output.

In totality, then, it’s obvious the defense wasn’t an asset in the first half, but I’d make the case it wasn’t quite as bad as the perception. Some stats support such a notion: the Mets rank eighth in the majors in outs above average, according to Baseball Savant’s Fielding Bible, though they are 24th in Fangraphs defensive rankings, a disparity that makes it hard to put too much stock in defensive metrics.

Bottom line, the biggest issue is that so many of the misplays seemed costly as the losses added up. And then when the six-error game led to Mendoza’s firing, its significance all but assured that Stearns’ run-prevention comments would linger as part of the Mets’ 2026 narrative.

GRADE: C-

Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing is hitting .316/.402/.506 (.909 OPS) with three homers, six doubles, and four stolen bases in 92 plate appearances over his last 24 games dating back to June 3
• Juan Soto is leading the National League with a .975 OPS
• Luke Weaver hasn't allowed a run since April 30. In 23.0 innings over 21 appearances since then, he has given up just 10 hits while walking five and striking out 31

Today's Lineups

After ripping a double in his first at-bat in the top of the first and getting stranded at third base, Soto was immediately put to the test in the bottom half of the inning when George Springer lined one to left field.

Playing aggressive on the artificial turf that can sometimes be tricky at Rogers Centre, Soto charged in on the ball thinking he had a chance to catch it. After realizing the ball was going to drop, Soto pulled back and was ready to play it on a hop, except the ball bounced over his glove and trickled towards the left-field wall.

“I was actually trying to think right before that [play] to come through the ball because weird hops and everything,” Soto said. “Just took a weird hop on me and bounced a little differently.”

To make matters worse, A.J. Ewing, who was backing up on the play, got to the ball in a hurry but had it pop out of his glove on the exchange which allowed Springer to run around the bases and score the game’s first run.

And while only Ewing was charged with an error, the play began with Soto who spoke about what went wrong on the play and his thought process after the game.

“When you have an outfield like that [where the ball] bounces a lot, you have to be aware because you can give up extra-base hits really easily,” he said. “You just gotta be aggressive, that was my mindset. Just be aggressive, come through the ball instead of trying to play back and maybe bounce over my head, but I actually just stopped.”

Despite the misplay, interim manager Andy Green came to the defense of Soto who made some nice plays in the outfield after the first inning blunder.

Just like Soto said, Green saw his outfielder trying to be ultra aggressive on the play and mentioned it’s actually a common occurrence at this stadium.

“I think he’s playing it aggressively on the outset hoping to get to it because he made a lot of really good catches out there today,” Green said. “... I think he’s playing it aggressively hoping to get to it and sometimes on turf if you get caught in between -- I think every single time I’ve come to Toronto I’ve seen that particular play, not necessarily the finish of that play, A.J. usually makes that transfer fine, but that play happens frequently here and it got us in the first.”

The comedy of errors made it a 1-0 game in the first inning and Sean Manaea did a good job of keeping it there until he allowed a second run in the fifth. Unfortunately for the left-hander, other than a Francisco Lindor solo shot in the seventh, the Mets’ offense couldn’t get much going all night and lost 2-1, making the run scored in the first inning the difference in the game.

“I thought I had a chance and then it just kept dying,” Soto said. “Definitely thought [I had] a good first step, but the ball just kept dying.”

"Just saw him right now," Boone said. "He's in concussion protocol, so we'll kind of see how he's doing tomorrow."

Chisholm has not been diagnosed with a concussion, Boone added.

"No," Boone said when asked if Chisholm was diagnosed with a concussion. "No, he's just in the protocol."

Chisholm left the game after colliding with Jasson Domínguez in shallow right field on Hao-Yu Lee's fly ball, which Domínguez caught for the second out.

"Looks like he kind of got smoked there," said left fielder Cody Bellinger. "I haven't watched it yet, but hope he's doing good. I haven't seen him yet, so, obviously, probably get an update tomorrow on it."

Domínguez's left arm made contact with Chisholm's head after Chisholm did not peel off the route to the ball while Domínguez charged in.

"It was really unfortunate," Domínguez said. "I mean, they were playing infield in. So, as soon as he hit the ball, in my mind, I decided, 'I've got to go catch that ball.' I called it, but obviously I didn't call it loud enough. But really unfortunate, what happened."

Chisholm, who is slashing .222/.305/.398 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI through 81 games, struck out in the second inning -- his only at-bat of the game -- while batting from the cleanup spot.

He was replaced by Oswaldo Cabrera, whose 0-for-3 evening included two strikeouts.

Takeaways

1. Ryan Weathers' shortest outing of 2026 came at a time when the Yankees (48-36) needed a boost. The Tigers (36-49) knocked New York's southpaw out after he allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits in his season-low 1.2 IP. Weathers (3-6, 4.08 ERA) threw 35 strikes on 55 pitches before manager Aaron Boone pulled him for right-handed reliever Yerry De los Santos with Detroit jumping out to a 5-0 lead on the Yankees after Hao-Yu Lee's two-run single in the second inning. While catcher Austin Wells' first-inning passed ball and third baseman José Caballero's second-inning fielding error hindered Weathers, New York's starter was ultimately not on his game. Weathers struck out three and walked one in his shortest start since April 4 when he lasted 3.2 IP during the Yankees' 9-7 win over the Miami Marlins.
2. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s collision with right fielder Jasson Domínguez on a one-out fly ball by Lee in the fourth inning and the Yankees' deficit at 7-0 after Kevin McGonigle's two-run single added injury to insult. Domínguez recorded the out, but not before Chisholm's face hit Domínguez's left arm. Oswaldo Cabrera replaced Chisholm after an injury timeout and posted an 0-for-3 night with two strikeouts.
3. The Yankees were scoreless until pinch-hitter Amed Rosario's three-run home run against Drew Sommers in the eighth inning. Rosario's eighth homer of the season gave New York a pulse but was too little, too late with one out in the eighth inning and the Yankees needing four more runs over the remaining five outs.
4. New York's skid ties a season-high five games, the longest since the Yankees' April 8-12 stretch with defeats against the Athletics (two) and Tampa Bay Rays (three). With the Yankees' loss to the Tigers, the Rays (48-33) are a full game and a half ahead of New York in the AL East standings.

Who's the MVP?

Casey Mize. The Yankees had no answers while the Tigers' starting right-hander struck out 10 and allowed one hit -- center fielder Spencers Jones' leadoff double in the third inning -- while throwing 58 strikes on 88 pitches in seven innings.

What's next

The Yankees and Tigers continue their three-game series Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. New York RHP Cam Schlittler (8-4, 1.62 ERA) and Detroit LHP Tarik Skubal (3-4, 3.32 ERA) are set to start.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- Sean Manaea made his fourth straight start since joining the starting rotation earlier this month and his defense failed him from the first batter of the game when Juan Soto misread the bounce on the artificial turf after charging hard on a leadoff hit by George Springer. The ball hopped over Soto’s glove and rolled all the way to the left field wall.

Backing up was center fielder A.J. Ewing, who got to it as quickly as he could, but he juggled the ball in his glove and let it pop out, which allowed Springer to keep rounding the bases and sprint home for a leadoff little league home run. The play was officially ruled a triple and a fielding error on Ewing, but it was Soto’s misplay that was most costly.

The run was charged to Manaea after two groundouts, a hit by pitch and a single followed, but if Soto kept the ball in front of him and kept Springer at first base, Manaea would have gotten out of the inning unscathed.

Nevertheless, the left-hander pitched well and limited the Blue Jays to two runs over 5.2 innings while allowing three hits, two walks and a HBP. He would’ve made it through six innings, and possibly more, but once again an error, this one by Francisco Lindor with two outs in the sixth, extended his outing. Manaea walked the next batter he faced before getting pulled.

-- Meanwhile, the bats were quiet for the Mets for the first six innings against Toronto starter Trey Yesavage. Yesavage held New York scoreless and to two hits for six innings until Lindor made up for his error and hit a home run to lead off the seventh inning. 

Yesavage hit Ewing two batters later and left after 6.2 innings with a runner on first base. Mason Fluharty came in for relief but only threw two pitches before Ewing was caught trying to steal second base to end the inning. It was Ewing’s sixth caught stealing this season.

-- The Mets’ bullpen kept the Blue Jays off the board for 2.1 innings to give their offense a chance to tie or take the lead, but the offense squandered chances in the eighth and ninth innings.

In the eighth, Francisco Alvarez doubled with one out before Soto was intentionally walked with two outs which brought up Bo Bichette who was making his return to Toronto for the first time since he left in free agency. Bichette got a standing ovation in his first at-bat, but he finished 0-for-4, including in the eighth when he grounded out to the pitcher to end the threat.

Then, in the ninth, Jared Young got on base with a one-out single and Ewing walked to put the tying run at second base and the winning run on first. But in a similar spot late in the game as Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets couldn’t cash in as Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio both struck out swinging to end the game. Mauricio’s at-bat was particularly bad as he swung at two pitches out of the zone.

-- New York went 0-for-9 with RISP.

Game MVP: Trey Yesavage

Yesavage continued his rookie season, after bursting onto the scene in the postseason last year, with another great outing. 

Highlights

Bo Bichette gets a nice hello from Rogers Centre☺️👏 pic.twitter.com/CyurseSjZN

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 29, 2026

Austin Warren throws a strike with the bases loaded to end the 6th inning😤 pic.twitter.com/XjlIZGZaTD

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 30, 2026

FRANCISCO LINDOR HOME RUN!! pic.twitter.com/mkCOVqkSvb

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 30, 2026

What's next

The Mets and Blue Jays continue their three-game series on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Nolan McLean (4-5, 4.03 ERA) and RHP Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.36 ERA) are set to start.

Robert has been sidelined for more than two months with the injury and last played on April 26.

New York acquired Robert in the offseason, trading Luisangel Acuña to the Chicago White Sox for the outfielder and took on the remaining $20 million in the final year of his contract to be the Mets' every day center fielder. However, Robert was not off to a great start for his new team, slashing .224/.327/.329 with two home runs, two steals and a .656 OPS in 24 games.

Throughout his career, Robert has been injury-prone and played just 210 games over the past two seasons with the White Sox with middling results. A year earlier, though, the 28-year-old slashed .264/.315/.562 with a career-high 38 home runs, 36 doubles and an .857 OPS in 145 games.

The Mets took a gamble and were hoping to get that version of Robert, suspecting a change of scenery could help the slugger. Even if he didn't hit to his full capability, New York believed his defense in center would be worth it.

Yet, a month into the season Robert went down with an injury which resulted in the Mets promoting top prospect A.J. Ewing. Since then, the rookie has been the every day center fielder and has been quite impressive in the field and in the batter's box, slashing .279/.359/.422 in 44 games.

Once Robert is ready to return to the team, New York will have an interesting decision to make in the outfield with Ewing as well as rookie Carson Benge playing well.

The deal was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania.

Begley also reports that Shamet's decision to re-sign with the Knicks and avoid free agency means that he turned down the opportunity for bigger offers elsewhere to defend the title -- offers that were coming had he become a free agent.

Instead, the shooting guard will remain in New York for the long-term after spending the last two seasons with the Knicks and averaging 7.5 points in 101 games (12 starts). 

According to Begley, bringing back Shamet was a priority for the club. He becomes the second player to return after winning the NBA Finals following the contract extension to Jose Alvarado.

If the Knicks stay under the second apron, it will be very difficult for them to retain Mitchell Robinson now, per Begley.

Shamet has played for six teams in his eight-year career and has averaged 8.4 points across 449 games (109 starts). During that time, he's also made the playoffs seven times and is a great option off the bench.

The decision came after Myers pitched three innings in a bulk relief role in the series finale and allowed three earned runs on six hits which raised his ERA to a season-high 6.21. 

In fact, since Myers was recalled from Triple-A after getting optioned in late May, he has not pitched well at all. In four appearances this month, the right-hander has allowed 14 earned runs on 17 hits (two home runs) and five walks in 8.2 innings for an unsightly 14.54 ERA.

Myers was optioned to Triple-A the first time due to bullpen necessity and flexibility because the 27-year-old had options remaining. Still, it came on the heels of a few rough outings after he had been exceptional early on in many roles out of the bullpen for New York -- he had a 2.05 ERA through May 2.

However, lately Myers has been unable to recapture his early-season form or even pitch to his career numbers (3.71 ERA in 230.2 IP) and has been optioned once again to try and find his groove.

Meanwhile, Gerber is getting recalled by the Mets for the fourth time this season. In limited action this year, the right-hander has a 1.80 ERA in five innings and has a career 3.24 ERA in 25 IP between three clubs. He last pitched for New York on June 9 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

June 29, 2:55 p.m.

According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, there will be mutual interest between the Knicks and center Kevon Looney as the free agency period opens on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Begley notes that Looney and Knicks head coach Mike Brown maintain a relationship from their time together in Golden State, which could make Looney a potential replacement for Mitchell Robinson, should he leave for another team.

Looney, 30 spent the first 10 seasons of his pro career with the Warriors before playing 21 games last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The big man has career averages of 4.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. 

Following the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza this past Friday, president of baseball operations David Stearns was somber and clear-minded about the potential fate of the 2026 team.

"We all remain very focused on doing everything we can to win as many games as we can this year, while recognizing where we are in the standings," Stearns said Friday afternoon at Citi Field.

The Mets then went out and lost two of three to the Phillies over the weekend, with Sunday's 5-4 defeat being managed more like an audition for Kodai Senga's future than a must-win for a team that is starved for victories. 

Ahead of a seven-game road trip that opens on Monday in Toronto, the Mets are 35-49 and 9.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. They have lost eight of their last 10 games, and would likely need to finish on a 50-28 clip (or better) to have a chance to reach the postseason.

That means that barring a very hot stretch over the next month, the Mets will be selling ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline -- something that felt unfathomable when the season started.

But New York's task likely now becomes deciding just how big their sell-off will be, and how many true keepers they have for 2027 and beyond.

Here's how we would go about things...

KEEPERS

Juan Soto
Francisco Lindor
Carson Benge
A.J. Ewing
Nolan McLean
Christian Scott
Francisco Alvarez
Luis Torrens

There have been some wild suggestions about the future of Soto, who is under contract for the next 13 seasons after this one. But despite how awful the end of last season was and how demoralizing the first half of this season has been for the Mets, there is no reason for them to even begin to think about trading Soto -- a 27-year-old hitting savant who is leading the NL in OPS. 

Lindor, who did not seem off-limits this past offseason, has finished in the top-10 in MVP voting each of the last four seasons, plays through discomfort, is always accountable, and is one of the things that is actually good about this team.  

The rookies Benge and Ewing, who have established themselves as possible difference-makers on both sides of the ball, are obvious keepers. As are McLean and Scott.

There is sure to be some consternation regarding Alvarez's inclusion here, but he's been above average offensively over the last three seasons (108 OPS+) and has plus power. Perhaps his future is as someone who is the designated hitter five times a week and catches twice, but he should be part of the plan.

The same goes for Torrens, who recently signed an extension and is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball.

AVAILABLE

Freddy Peralta
Luis Robert Jr.
A.J. Minter
Brooks Raley
Tyrone Taylor

The five players above are all set for free agency after the season, meaning they will all certainly be very available.

Peralta has struggled this season, which could impact the return, but he has a history of pitching near the top of a rotation. Beyond that, the Mets just got a legitimate prospect from the Cubs for David Peterson (who had an ERA above 6.00 when he was traded), meaning New York should be able to pry something of serious value from a pitching-needy team in exchange for Peralta.

Robert is a tricky one, since he is still rehabbing his back injury. But if he makes it back in time, he could be of interest to a team searching for a plus defensive center fielder with pop. There is close to zero shot the Mets will exercise their team option on Robert for 2027, which should make this an easy call for them.

Minter and Raley have both been terrific this season, and should net relatively strong returns in a market that has 22 teams at various levels of contention.

SEE IF SOMEONE BITES

Brett Baty
Mark Vientos
Huascar Brazoban

Baty has had a very disappointing season after posting a career-best .748 OPS in 2025. He carried a .589 OPS and just three homers into play on Monday. And given that this is his fifth year in the majors, it feels like his chance to prove he's part of the Mets' future as a lineup regular is nearing its end. If he sticks around, Baty could fit as a versatile bat off the bench in 2027.

Vientos has a .680 OPS over the last two seasons, and has not been able find any consistency (his OBP this season is .253). Add to that his defensive shortcomings and the presence of Jorge Polanco (who is under contract through 2027 and is best-suited as a DH), and it makes sense to see if there's interest in Vientos.

As far as Brazoban, the Mets should try to capitalize on his impressive season as he seems to be pitching a bit over his head. If the offers aren't to their liking, they can simply keep Brazoban -- who is under team control through 2029.

VERY HARD TO MOVE

Sean Manaea
Kodai Senga
Jorge Polanco
Marcus Semien

Manaea (owed $19.2 million for 2027), Senga (owed $15 million), and Polanco (owed $23 million) will all be entering the final guaranteed year of their respective deals next season, but they'll be close to impossible to move.

Manaea has showed flashes lately, but likely not enough to garner interest. Senga has been moved to the bullpen, and Polanco hasn't played since the middle of April.

Semien is under contract through 2028, and was ineffective offensively and defensively (.612 OPS, -5 OAA) before landing on the IL with a hip injury.

Aside from Polanco, who could be a legitimate DH option if he's healthy, the Mets are probably going to have tough decisions to make about these players when it comes to their expected contributions next season.

THE COMPLICATED CASES

Bo Bichette
Clay Holmes
Luke Weaver
Devin Williams

If Bichette is planning to opt out of his three-year deal after this season, it would be a no-brainer for the Mets to make him available. But even though Bichette has been much better lately (.878 OPS since May 18), his uneven season and uncertain future could make a trade difficult to pull off.

When it comes to Holmes, who is working his way back from a freak leg injury, it seems all but certain he'll decline the $12 million player option he has for 2027. If I'm the Mets, I approach him now with an extension offer. If those talks don't progress, make him available.

Weaver, who is under contract through 2027, has been a revelation this season and is comfortable in the New York market. The Mets should only trade him if they're overwhelmed by an offer.

The same goes for Williams, who is signed through 2028. His performance this year (Williams' 2.81 FIP is much more indicative of how he's looked than his 4.28 ERA) has been largely dominant since April 26 -- 2.21 ERA in 20.1 innings.

Sharpe's deal will be for two years and $20 million, while Minott will sign a two-year contract for $9 million, per Shams Charania of ESPN. 

Sharpe, 24, averaged a career-high 18.7 minutes per game this past season, scoring 8.7 points and grabbing 6.7 rebounds per game.

Minott, 23, also averaged a career-high in minutes during the 2025-26 campaign, playing 17.0 minutes per contest as he split the year between the Celtics and Nets.

After being acquired by Brooklyn in February, Minott averaged 10.8 points per game. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of transportation have announced that temporary street signs will be going up in Manhattan on Monday to honor each member of the Knicks 2025-26 championship squad.

“This championship is bigger than basketball. It represents what our city is capable of when the odds are stacked against us. For as long as we live, every New Yorker will remember the feeling of our city coming together — not because of tragedy or adversity, but out of joy and happiness,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This championship belongs to every fan who packed our parks and plazas and every neighbor who high-fived a stranger after another impossible comeback. These street signs are a tribute to the players who delivered the championship generations of fans waited their whole lives to see and the city that stood behind them every step of the way. Long after the confetti is gone, New Yorkers will be able to walk these streets and remember the team that brought our city so much joy. Knicks in five.”

The signs, which will stay in place for four weeks, will run along Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

Here are the exact locations:

Here are a few bold predictions for the 2026 offseason...

Mitchell Robinson re-signs with the Knicks

Let’s get crazy off the bat. The Knicks appear to have a mandate to keep out of the second apron, and the reported offers out there for Robinson go well beyond that room before New York gets to try to retain anybody else. 

All signs point to Robinson being a Laker or Net this time next week. But neither offers him the chance to compete or the camaraderie the Knicks do, and maybe that can outweigh pure dollars and cents.

Maybe this is a pipe dream, but Robinson’s a career Knick and seems to enjoy it. If the team can work the numbers a bit, perhaps offload other salary, it’s possible a reunion isn’t as far-fetched as expected.  

Kyrie Irving gets traded to the Pistons

The Mavericks have a new general manager and new head coach who said they want to see Irving and the to-be sophomore sensation Cooper Flagg share the court. But we’ve heard these declarations around the league before, and if Dallas has a chance to reorient its team on Flagg’s timeline, they sure will consider it.

Enter the Pistons, who have been stacking picks and prospects through their rise up the Eastern Conference standings. They can use a big talent upgrade to help make the leap to contender, and with few remaining options on the board that fit their needs, a trade for Irving is a logical fit. 

Something in the realm of Ron Holland II, Duncan Robinson and a host of picks could get it done. Detroit gets its outside punch and Dallas stocks up for the rebuild. 

Jaylen Brown gets traded to Utah

Brown’s departure from Boston seems likely after they reportedly included him in their Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit and continued to shop him in the days to follow. One destination that hasn’t claimed as many headlines as it should is Utah.

The Jazz have flirted with competence as they’ve drafted their way to solid talent, but are clearly looking to start really winning basketball games after acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. via trade last season. Throwing him or Lauri Markannen along with some salary filler and picks in a deal with Boston would catapult them much closer to that goal by picking up a Finals MVP to steer their young squad. 

Meanwhile, the Celtics get to change up their style with a dynamic big and perhaps a prospect they scrape off the Jazz, too. And Brown gets to lead his own team in the Wild West. 

Knicks trade Pacome Dadiet or Miles McBride 

New York is facing the potential departure of Robinson and can’t go into the second apron to fill that hole or upgrade elsewhere. While many expect the team to largely stand pat following a successful championship run, the cap dynamics make it extremely difficult.

Dadiet is an intriguing prospect, but didn’t contribute much at the NBA level over two seasons and could help facilitate a deal or clear some cap room. McBride had a mixed playoff run but still has one of the most attractive contracts in the league at a position the Knicks are deep in, opening the door to flip him for a new option.

If they do make a trade, and that scenario shouldn’t be written off, these two are likely candidates to go, holding value to other teams without upsetting the core rotation or prospect pool too harshly. Knicks fans may not love the idea, but it may be necessary and bear surprising fruit. 

LeBron James rejoins the Cavaliers for one last run

The slow play between the Lakers and LeBron to start this offseason, along with this likely being close to, if not his final season, suggests a break-up between the two is waiting to happen. While it’s not the story right now, where James decides to play next season could swing the trajectory of the league. 

He’d complete potential superteams by joining his former team the Miami Heat, or his good friend Stephen Curry as a Golden State Warrior. But a re-return home to Cleveland, in order to finish his career as a Cavalier and potentially win them another chip, can’t be ignored. 

They might be the most desperate team for LeBron’s services, offering him a storybook ending and a clean basketball fit. Those factors may be enough to land him back in the wine and gold. 

It’s a big part of the Aaron Judge Yankees, too, even with Judge currently injured. Just past the midpoint of the 2026 season, the Yanks boast one of the most potent lineups in the game, one that will be a big reason the team gets to the postseason. 

But even though these Yankees can score in different ways – entering play Monday, the Yanks led the majors in home runs and also paced the AL in both stolen bases and walks – there are pockmarks on offense, especially after a disastrous weekend in Boston.

The Yankees got swept at Fenway in a four-game series and scored only nine runs. They were 9-for-93 (.097) over the final three games, managing just three hits in each. It’s just the third time in franchise history the Yanks have had three hits or fewer in three consecutive games. The last time it happened was 1914, according to statistician Katie Sharp.

"Obviously, a terrible weekend for us," Aaron Boone told reporters afterward. The manager added, "Gotta get it going a little bit offensively." 

The Yankees have swoons at times and when you heap that upon what their fans perceive as annual October outages, too, it leaves the Yanks with plenty to prove going forward, despite some gaudy stats. That will affect our SNY first-half grade for the Yankee attack. 

Let’s start with the good. Ben Rice has become one of the most lethal threats in baseball and, with 22 home runs, is just four shy of his total from all of last year. He’s also among baseball’s leaders in slugging and OPS. 

Rice earned notice for all the hard contact he made last year, lighting up Statcast metrics such as average exit velocity and others. But now he’s hanging up the kind of traditional numbers that get you into the league MVP conversation, too. 

As Boone told reporters: "He controls the zone and hits the ball really hard. That’s where you want to live as a hitter."

The 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, the oldest position player in the majors, has been a revelation. Brought back to offer defense and righty punch at first base, he’s been so much more. With Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out, his power has emerged as crucial.

On June 24, Goldschmidt slammed two homers off Tarik Skubal, the lefty star he dominates to reach 14 homers in his first 54 games. Last year, he hit 10 in 146 games. Goldschmidt and Babe Ruth in 1933 are the only Yanks 38-plus years old to slug at least 14 longballs in the first 54 games. "Young Goldy" even moved past Judge on the all-time homer list, however temporarily. 

Speaking of Judge, he was perhaps slowed by the rib injury that finally put him on the shelf and still holds a .907 OPS, low for him. He’s got 17 home runs, too, and he and Rice seemed poised to duel all year for the team lead. Other major contributors include Cody Bellinger, who hits for contact and power and is a terrific baserunner, and is especially dangerous at Yankee Stadium.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s preseason hot take was that he had a shot at 50-50 – homers and steals. That seems unlikely, but he’s still an entertaining power-speed threat with 12 homers and 24 thefts, even if his choice of mid-inning snack – a lollipop? Really? – garners more attention.

Chisholm and José Caballero (19 steals) offer basepath chaos, a dimension that can destabilize opposing pitchers.

Injuries slowed Trent Grisham as he was emerging from a slow start, and the Yanks are trying to find thump from the likes of Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones while they await Judge’s return. The Yanks are 12-12 without Judge this year, but are 43-51 in the regular season without him since 2023.

What team wouldn’t be worse when losing the sport’s best offensive player? 

Which brings us to several pinstriped trouble spots. If you stare long enough at the aggregate numbers in run production, it’s easy to forget droughts like the series against the Reds in June when the Yankees went 2-for-32 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-22 over the final two games, both losses (no surprise). 

From June 18-28, the Yanks scored 29 runs in 11 games and went 3-8. Against the Red Sox, they were just 4-for-24 with RISP. Sonny Gray took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against them on Sunday night.

While the offense seems sound when you consider its boldface names within, it’s fair to fret about the bottom of the lineup. From 7-9 in the order, the Yanks are a below-average offensive team. 

Overall, the 7-9 spots had a .218 average (12 points worse than MLB average) and a .640 OPS (20 points worse). 

Yankee catchers have been a black hole of offense – their .264 slugging percentage is the worst in baseball and their .526 OPS is 29th. Austin Wells, who had 21 homers last year, seems lost and is hitting just .157. Overall, Yankee catchers are batting .178 (28th) and the production has been so bad that they probably should consider making a trade to squeeze some sort of punch out of the position. 

FIRST-HALF GRADE: B

It’s hard to criticize the best offensive team in the American League -- one that takes patient at-bats, hits the ball hard, has more than just power in its arsenal, and leads the circuit in runs per game (4.93). But we’re going to hold the Yanks to a high standard. Issues at catcher, third base and, perhaps, shortstop, contribute to the fits-and-starts quality of the offense. 

They sure can pile up runs. And splurging is great. But while they’ve scored eight or more runs 17 times, they’ve been held to two or fewer 19 times, too. The question, as always for these Yankees, will be this: can they score consistently enough against top-flight pitching come October? That month is always the Yankee yardstick. 

Maybe Young Goldy’s game against Skubal is a harbinger of happy hitting to come when it really counts.

5 things to watch

Which Nolan McLean will the Mets get?

McLean, who has hit a few speed bumps since starting the season on fire, was dominant in his last start until he wasn't.

He fired four scoreless innings out of the gate against the Cubs, striking out six along the way, and was up to eight strikeouts and 4.2 scoreless before he gave up a single, double, and homer in rapid succession in the fifth inning to surrender a 3-0 lead.

Something similar happened to McLean in the sixth inning, when he was victimized by two weak-contact hits and a two-out, three-run homer off the bat of Dansby Swanson.

McLean has looked a lot more comfortable lately, and his stuff -- with him looking to establish his four-seamer early -- has been pretty nasty. But he's still battling inconsistency, which he'll look to straighten out when he starts on Tuesday.

A.J. Ewing is excelling

Ewing, whose MLB debut came on May 12 -- much earlier than expected -- has looked comfortable from the jump. 

He hit the ground running, reaching base 14 times in his first 31 plate appearances, and is now in the midst of his best prolonged stretch as a big leaguer.

The 21-year-old is hitting .325/.398/.519 (.917 OPS) with three homers, six doubles, and four stolen bases in 88 plate appearances over his last 23 games dating back to June 3. His OPS for the season is up to .781.

Ewing has also been striking out a lot less, fanning just twice in his last 10 games -- a stretch of 35 plate appearances.

His center field defense has also been a plus, giving the Mets a tremendous center field/right field combo with Carson Benge.

Francisco Lindor's playing time

Lindor is being eased back in since returning from a calf injury that cost him a little more than two months.

After starting on June 24, Lindor got the 25th off before playing back-to-back games on June 26 and 27.

Lindor was then given Sunday off, leaving the Mets a man short on the bench, which came back to bite them in their one-run loss to the Phillies.

One spot especially screamed for Lindor, when they had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth inning and Ronny Mauricio due up. Mauricio saw one ball out of the strike zone and then popped out.

After the game, interim manager Andy Green said that Lindor had the entire day off. 

The Blue Jays are reeling

Like the Mets, the Jays are having a very disappointing season.

One of the favorites to win the AL East before the year started, Toronto is 39-45 -- 10.5 games behind the Rays for first place.

They have lost six in a row, have a -33 run differential, and have been giving up runs in bunches -- surrendering an average of 6.3 runs per contest over their last nine games.

Despite their largely brutal season, the Jays are within striking distance of a playoff spot thanks to the overall weakness of the American League. The Blue Jays are just 2.5 games back of the Mariners for the third Wild Card spot, with Seattle holding that spot with a record of 42-43.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn't been himself

Pitching has been a big issue for Toronto, but Guerrero's down year hasn't helped.

The slugger is having the worst season of his career, slashing .268/.348/.349 (.697 OPS) with just four home runs in 80 games.

Guerrero's OPS+ (91) is roughly 40 points below his career average, and he enters this series in a deep funk.

Vlad has just two hits in his last 20 at-bats dating back to June 24. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Francisco Lindor

After shaking off rust in his first game back, Lindor has looked more comfortable. 

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Nolan McLean

McLean seems close to fully finding it again.

Which Blue Jays player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Kazuma Okamoto

Okamoto has already bashed 19 homers in his first season since coming over from Japan. 

At one point in spring training, David Stearns summed up the new philosophy by saying, “We wanted to have a lineup with more competitive at-bats 1-9. I believe we have that.” 

It turned out the Mets had anything but that, at least through the first half of this season. The newly acquired proven clutch hitters, Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco, either failed or were hurt, while the concept of a deeper, more competitive lineup proved all but laughable, as the bottom half was full of easy outs.  

Throw in the injuries to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, and the result was worse than even the resentful Pete Alonso fan might have predicted.  

Indeed, the numbers spell out a level of futility that seems almost unfathomable for a team with the second-highest payroll in baseball.  

Consider that, in MLB rankings, the Mets are: 27th in batting average (.231), 28th in slugging (.375), 29th in on-base percentage (.300), 27th in OPS (.678).  

Also, they are dead last in doubles, with 101.  

And with runners in scoring position, the most common measure of clutch hitting, where the changes were supposed to be most impactful, the Mets are 22nd in batting average (.238) and 29th in OPS (.675).  

Ouch, ouch, and ouch.  

“It’s hard to be that bad across the board with some of the high-level talent they have,” one MLB scout told me. “It’s like their lineup was infected by some virus that they couldn’t stop from spreading. At the same time, I thought they created a lot of uncertainty about what they’d be offensively with some of the gambles they took.” 

Yes, particularly in some cases, the offensive failures reflect poorly on the president of baseball operations for what have proven to be bad gambles.  

Most notably, Luis Robert Jr. and Polanco each had an off-putting history of injuries that have reared their ugly heads in their first season in Queens, a development that Stearns admitted recently at a news conference might force the Mets to change the way they evaluate and approach such acquisitions.  

For that matter, the same injury-related red flags applied to the Frankie Montas free-agent signing from the previous winter, perhaps the most head-scratching Stearns’ move of them all. Turned out to be a waste of $34 million over two years. 

But this is about the offense, including the other move that raised eyebrows at the time, the trade of Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien.

Stearns sold it as a move to bolster his offseason theme of run prevention, even if it seemed driven at least as much by his desire to get out from under the five years remaining on Nimmo’s contract, compared to three for Semien.

As such, it had the feel of a small-market move that a Steve Cohen-owned team didn’t need to make when in pursuit of a championship, though it could be argued it was also made partly to open an outfield spot for Carson Benge, one of the few bright spots of the first half.

Even in that case, however, Semien hasn’t played well enough to justify the deal. At the plate, he has pretty much performed as poorly as his two-year decline with the Texas Rangers predicted, with a .613 OPS that is second-worst among all MLB second basemen, while his Gold Glove defense has slipped significantly, at least according to various metrics.

Finally, Stearns bet that homegrown holdovers Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Francisco Alvarez would finally grow into dependable offensive players, after a few years marked by ups and downs, and that hasn’t happened either.

All of it made for a disastrous first half. Even when Soto was swinging a hot bat, eventually joined by Benge and finally Bichette in recent weeks, the Mets have been prone to days when nobody hits.

In fact, they have scored two or fewer runs in 32 different games, the most in the National League.

With all that said, there were also important developments that bode well for the future, as rookies Benge and A.J. Ewing emerged as major contributors.

Benge struggled for the first month or so of the season, but then began living up to the Mets’ belief that he can be a star player, as he shortened his swing a bit and learned how to catch up with high-velocity fastballs, hitting .288 since the beginning of May.

Ewing, meanwhile, was a revelation from the moment he was called up on May 12, showing remarkable plate discipline for a rookie and a short, quick stroke that likely makes him an ideal leadoff hitter in the future.

“Those two kids are really good pieces for anybody’s offense,” a second MLB scout said. “It all went wrong for the Mets in the first half, and injuries were a factor, but with their big guys healthy now, especially if they get Polanco back, they could be much better in the second half.”

Whether it’s too late to make any sort of run toward wild-card contention remains to be seen. All we know for sure is the Mets dug a huge hole for themselves, and while a lack of strong starting pitching became their biggest problem over the last several weeks, the anemic offense was at the root of the 7-19 record in April from which they have yet to recover.

GRADE: F

Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing is hitting .325/.398/.519 (.917 OPS) with three homers, six doubles, and four stolen bases in 88 plate appearances over his last 23 games dating back to June 3
• Juan Soto is leading the National League with a .972 OPS
• Luke Weaver hasn't allowed a run since April 30. In 23.0 innings over 21 appearances since then, he has given up just 10 hits while walking five and striking out 31

Today's Lineups

“Obviously, a terrible weekend for us,” Boone said after losing an eighth game in the last 11.

“It’s one of those crap moments of the season, crap times of the season, where you have a really rough weekend against a division rival,” the skipper added. “But you gotta get over it quickly, and understand we got a homestand starting tomorrow. Pick ourselves up.”

How does the manager not let the rough weekend keep snowballing? 

“That’s what we do, baby,” Boone answered with a wry smile. 

“You gotta love this stuff. You gotta eat this stuff up. It’s a sickness. That’s what the grind is,” he continued. “We got a really good freakin' team. We played crappy on this trip, kinda. Feels bad. Kinda pissed off, right? But it’s what we do. 

“It’s what you signed up for. We’ll dig ourselves out of it and get it going here in short order.” 

The game slipped away in the 10th when Fernando Cruz, who had been masterful with his splitter, was only able to retire one of the four batters he faced in the three-run inning as the splitter stayed up in the zone.

“Cruzer had a tough one, left some pitches up for ‘em,” Boone said, adding he didn’t think there were any issues for the reliever other than locating his best pitch. “Credit to them, couple good swings against him. Obviously, trust Cruzer there in that situation all the time.

“They got to him today, and that’s part of it.”

“Not being able to pick up my guys is most impacting me,” Cruz said after the loss. “The best teams go through stretches like this, and champions and great teams in history go through stretches like this, and especially games like this. For me, it's a formation. It's something that is forming me into a better athlete and a better pitcher, and I'm gonna be better next time."

But the reliever’s extra-inning wobble was hardly the lone issue. After being held hitless through the first 7.1 innings against Sonny Gray on Sunday, it meant the last three Red Sox starters combined for 17.1 innings before allowing a hit, following good outings from Payton Tolle on Friday and Jake Bennett on Saturday.

"I think, overall, not swinging the bats great this weekend," the skipper said. "I felt like we got some pitches to hit, some in the center of the plate where [Gray] was coming after us. And maybe just missed a couple of 'em or just didn't put 'em in play with enough authority."

The positives came in not going down meekly. Against Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, the Yankees rallied for two runs to tie the score and two more in the 10th to grab a lead against Justin Slaten.

“Love the fight, the comeback there, pressure them in the ninth and the 10th,” Boone said, adding that, “We did a good job of pitching for the most part today.”

And that was another positive. Starter Carlos Rodon was sharp early and gutted through five innings before Paul Blackburn and David Bednar put up zeros, meaning through nine innings the Yankee arms had not been charged with an earned run.

But that is where silver linings only go so far when the sky is full of clouds over Beantown: The Yanks did not get enough hits – just nine total over the final three games – or timely ones – 1-for-13 with RISP – and gave away outs and runs – committing five errors over in the first and final game, accounting for seven unearned runs.

“The bottom line is, we gotta get it going offensively, and when we’re not scoring, we just didn’t play clean enough here,” Boone said.

Rodon, who surrendered two unearned runs on one hit and four walks with six strikeouts, said it simply: “Winning cures everything, so that’s the goal."

Albert Pujols confirmed during an MLB Network appearance earlier this week that he’d have interest in the job if the team decided to move on from Carlos Mendoza, as they did. 

Now, another free agent skipper is throwing his name into the ring. 

David Ross told Dan Martin of the NY Post prior to Sunday Night Baseball that he’d love to get a shot at the gig. 

“I hope they call,” he said. “It would be nice. It would be cool."

Ross now works for ESPN, but he was previously the head man for the Cubs.  

He led them to a first-place finish during the COVID-shortened season, but they were quickly sent packing as the Marlins swept them in two games in the Wild Card series. 

Chicago failed to reach the playoffs each of the next three years. 

After back-to-back seasons finishing under the .500 mark, Ross led them to 83 wins in 2023, which left them just one game shy of another Wild Card berth. 

That offseason, the organization decided to move on from him so they could bring in Craig Counsell on a five-year deal.

Ross’ Cubs went 262-284 over that four-year span. 

His bench coach during that time was none other than Mets interim manager Andy Green.

Ross told Martin that he didn't receive any interest for managerial openings this past offseason, but he'd certainly be up to the task if the Mets come calling.

The game began just like the previous two: The Boston Starter was unhittable. Sonny Gray retired the first 14 Yankees he faced and didn’t allow a hit through 7.1 innings, and was just masterful. 

It appeared to be all for naught as New York rallied. But a three-run bottom of the 10th sank the Yankees (48-35) for their eighth loss in their last 11 games. Boston (36-46) has now won seven in ten.

It was a series to forget for the visitors: Four losses with little offense to speak of and costly errors in the opening game of the series and the finale. At the plate, the Yanks didn’t get a hit until the sixth against Payton Tolle on Friday, the fifth against Jake Bennett on Saturday, and the eighth against Gray on Sunday before a bullpen meltdown in the 10th.

The Yanks finished with three hits and went 1-for-6 with RISP and left four on base. This marked the third time in franchise history they had three hits or fewer in three straight games (1908 and 1914), per Katie Sharp.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Fernando Cruz, with the automatic runner at second and looking to protect a two-run lead, allowed a leadoff single by Anthony Seigler to right and then Masataka Yoshida, in as a pinch-hitter, ripped a fastball up in the zone for a double to right to put two in scoring position. A Tsung-Che Cheng sac fly to right tied the score as both tunners moved up.

After ball one to Jarren Duran, manager Aaron Boone went out to the mound to set up the Yanks' five-man infield. It didn't matter as after Duran whiffed on a great splitter, a hanging splitter was ripped into right for a base hit to walk off the Yanks.

The Red Sox had just three hits in the first nine innings and got three in the 10th, coming through with two hits (plus the sac fly) in two chances with runners in scoring position.

-- After nothing had gone right for the Yankees, things turned when Aroldis Chapman, pitching for the third time in the series, gave the Yankees life in the top of the ninth. José Caballero, who grounded out twice against Gray, blooped a single to left and Anthony Volpe, who entered for Jazz Chisholm Jr., walked to put two on base.

The Red Sox then had a huge mistake: Wilyer Abreu caught a fly to right and then sailed his throw back into the infield so horribly that Caballero, who was tagging on the play, scored from second and Volpe advanced all the way to third base as the tying run.

Paul Goldschmidt, in as a pinch-hitter, muscled a ball up the middle and Volpe beat the throw with a great slide at the plate. Chapman recovered to strike out the next two, including pinch-hitter Max Schuemann.

-- Abreu had another moment to forget in the 10th as he had a ball in his glove on a lopping liner from Amed Rosario, but dropped the ball. Instead of a potential double-play (Schuemann was way off second), his throw home kicked past the catcher, putting another runner on second. After a sacrifice bunt for the first out, Austin Wells' swinging bunt plated another run on a great read and slide by Rosario.

Rosario was the Yanks’ first baserunner of the night, working an eight-pitch walk with two down in the fifth and and got the first hit off Gray, smashing a single up the middle with one out in the eighth. He finished 2-for-3 with an RBI as the official scorer curiously gave him a hit for his 10th inning ball that Abreu dropped, which counted as the lone hit with RISP on the night.

Wells was robbed of a hit with a bloop to right as Abreu made a sliding catch in his first time up. He finished 1-for-4.

Caballero, who grounded out in each of his first two times up against Gray, before his bloop single started the comeback. He finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout.

-- Volpe finished 0-for-1 with the walk.

-- Chisholm Jr., batting in the leadoff spot for the first time as a Yankee, struck out swinging to start the game, losing an eight-pitch battle. Chisholm went down swinging a second time to end the sixth and got tossed by Adam Hamari as he didn’t like that the home plate umpire called him for offering at strike three rather than asking the third base ump. He finished hitless in three at-bats.

-- Ben Rice saw two pitches in his first two at-bats against Gray: flying out to the warning track in left-center in the first and a lazy fly to right in the fourth. He grounded out on a full count to start the seventh. He finished 0-for-4

-- Jasson Domínguez went hitless in three at-bats, striking out looking twice on balls on the inside corner; the latter saw him lose the Yanks’ first challenge. 

-- Cody Bellinger put a charge in the first pitch he saw, but it went for a 342-foot fly out to the corner in right, which would have been gone in 18 for 30 parks, including in Yankee Stadium. He saw three total pitches in his first two at-bats before he went down swinging on the fourth pitch of his third at-bat against Gray. He finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

-- Spencer Jones went down swinging at a two-seamer first at-bat, went down swinging at a sweeper in his second time up, and went down swinging at a sweeper in his three times up against Gray. 

-- Oswaldo Cabrera, making his first appearance on the season, was hitless in two at-bats with a strikeout, swinging through a sweeper in the dirt against Gray. He finished 0-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt.

-- Carlos Rodon issued a walk with one out in the first, but didn’t allow a hit in the first two frames with a pair of strikeouts on 34 pitches. The lefty had his good stuff working early, and it really showed in the third as he struck out the side to give him five strikeouts and 12 whiffs on 26 swings (46 percent), with six coming on 11 swings against the changeup.

Things went awry in the fourth, as a walk and an error by Cabrera on a bouncer to third put two on base. The lefty made a lovely play on a high chopper for the second out, but with two in scoring position, Caleb Durbin smacked a 3-1 fastball over the plate into center to score two on the first base hit of the night.

The fastball was a curious pitch call, as Durbin had swung through back-to-back changeups to strikeout in his first at-bat and saw four straight changeups from Rodon to start his second at-bat.

After back-to-back walks sandwiching around a visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, Rodon got Cheng swinging to strand three and end the 37-pitch frame. The lefty bounced back with a nine-pitch fifth to close his account: 5.0 innings, two runs (both unearned) on one hit and four walks with six strikeouts on 96 pitches (55 strikes).

-- Paul Blackburn, after dealing a six-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth, allowed a one-out single in a scoreless seventh thanks to a 4-6-3 inning-ender. David Bednar, who had a strikeout in a 20-pitch eighth, allowed a leadoff bloop single but erased it with a 6-4-3 twin killing in a scoreless ninth.

Game MVP: Sonny Gray

He entered the eighth inning on 91 pitches and with a walk, his lone blemish. A one-out single, one batter after recording his ninth strikeout of the evening to give him 2,000 in his MLB career, saw him exit. Without ever being overpowering, the crafty veteran got 14 whiffs on 46 swings (43 percent) and added 18 called strikes, keeping any hard contact to the middle of the park. A no-decision.

Highlights

THIS GAME IS TIED! pic.twitter.com/x690zUYIcY

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 29, 2026

What's next

The Yanks return to The Bronx for a six-game homestand, starting with three against the Tigers.

Ryan Weathers (3.95 ERA, 1.142 WHIP in 86.2 innings) gets the ball for Monday's 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Detroit will counter with righty Casey Mize (2.95 ERA, 1.069 WHIP in 58.0 innings).

With Sonny Gray and the Red Sox no-hitting the Yankees for the third consecutive night, Chisholm got himself tossed from the ballgame, arguing an inning-ending check-swing strike three call. 

Home plate ump Adam Hamari elected not to appeal to third, ruling the infielder had offered at a Gray curveball in the dirt, leading to him turning and getting into his face. 

Aaron Boone quickly came racing out of the third base dugout in an effort to intercept his leadoff man, but Chisholm spiked his helmet as the manager spoke to Hamari, leading to his ejection. 

"They gave him a little bit of rope out there arguing his case," Boone said after the game. "The helmet going a certain direction probably cost him."

Boone said he thought the check swing should have been appealed, and from his vantage point, it was “at least borderline,” and his “quick view” was that Chisholm held his swing.

"Sure, you'd always like a check in that situation," the manager said.

An ice-cold Anthony Volpe came into the game and replaced him in the leadoff spot. 

Chisholm certainly appeared to have a bit of a gripe, but getting himself tossed in a two-run game with the Yankees' already shorthanded offense can not happen. 

This is just the latest moment in what's been an eventful stretch for the 28-year-old, though. 

Chisholm recently caught some flak from Boone for taking the field with a lollipop in his mouth, he had an issue with the dirt cam at Comerica Park, and exited a game after fouling a ball off his groin, later revealing he's never worn a cup. 

Boone said he never likes to see his guys get tossed, but every once in a while, it happens.

“Certainly don’t want him out of the game, obviously,” he said. "Once the helmet bounces a certain way and they've given you a little bit of leeway, you gotta try and reign it in there." 

On top of that, Chisholm hasn't exactly been enjoying his best season at the plate, hitting just .225 with 12 homers and a .713 OPS entering the series finale. 

Chisholm was nowhere to be found postgame, leaving before reporters entered the clubhouse. 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been ejected pic.twitter.com/Qdd0QeeqVp

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2026

Interestingly enough, five of the nine were left-handed defenseman, as Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley stated that’s just how the board fell. 

One of those blue liners came in the second round, as they grabbed Ben MacBeath with the 64th overall pick. 

“I'm just super excited,” MacBeath said shortly after. “There was a lot of stress, and then I was called by the Rangers, and I was super happy. I got to go and hug my mom here, so that was pretty awesome.”

MacBeath is an 18-year-old defenseman who thrived last season, scoring six times and dishing out a whopping 44 assists with the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL.

The youngster hopes to bring that strong two-way game to the organization.

“I can chew it on both sides of the puck,” he said. “I have good skating ability that can allow me to cover a lot of ice and make an impact that way. I think I am a competitive guy, and I hope to bring that each and every day.”

For now, though, MacBeath is committed to continuing his development at the University of Denver. 

“I admire the winning culture,” he said. “To have that competition against some of the elite guys going in there, I’m excited to compete against them and learn from them -- it’s a really good environment, and they have a very high-end coaching staff. So I’m excited to learn from them, and I couldn’t be more excited to go.”

Heading in, most of the attention was focused on what New York would do with their top two picks. 

Their own selection sat at fifth overall after dropping a bit in the draft lottery, and they also held pick No. 26 thanks to the K’Andre Miller trade with the Hurricanes last offseason. 

Minutes before they took the fifth pick, Chris Drury decided to shock the hockey world as he landed Pavel Dorofeyev in a deal with the Knights in exchange for pick No. 26, a third-rounder, and a protected 2028 first-rounder.  

Here's how Drury grades out for the blockbuster: 

GRADE: A 

As soon as news broke of the acquisition, Rangers fans started racing right to social media to try to figure out exactly what assets the team parted ways with in the deal. 

Some feared the No. 5 pick would be part of the return; however, Drury ended up catching them all by surprise. 

The fact that he was able to bring in such a valuable winger for the Blueshirts' top-six without giving up that all-important top pick was a massive win for the organization. 

At just 25 years old, Dorofeyev seemingly just keeps getting better and better.

The talented winger is coming off back-to-back 30+ goal campaigns, and he added a dozen more points to his career-best total last year with the high-powered Knights. 

Drury also wasted no time locking him up long-term, as numerous reports almost immediately after the deal indicated they’d already agreed to a big-money seven-year extension. 

Dorofeyev should slot right in on the Blueshirts’ top line for years to come and will provide a boost on the top power-play unit, with 20 of his 37 goals coming with the man advantage. 

With the majority of the high-end talent already off the free agent market, the youngster is the perfect piece for Drury to bring in to help the retooling club now and in the future.  

A.J. Ewing feeling good at the plate

Ewing wasn't in the lineup with Philadelphia starting left-hander Jesus Luzardo, but was ready when his name was called upon to pinch-hit with one down in the sixth inning. Facing righty Chase Shugart, Ewing took a 0-1 sweeper and smacked it for a 382-foot game-tying two-run shot.

“Everybody in the lineup card has a role to play that day, whether they're in the starting nine or you're on the bench,” Ewing said. “And just staying prepared, staying into the game, the full nine innings.”

Ewing, who added a single in his three at-bats, said that being aggressive in counts is when he feels most comfortable at the plate.

"I feel like when I'm at my best, my at-bats end with one or two swings,” he said. “And I've been feeling more like myself recently."

In his last 14 games, Ewing has 16 hits in 47 at-bats (.340) with a 1.043 OPS as he has seven extra-base knocks and 12 RBI. And Sunday's homer, his third in that span and set up the Mets grabbing a lead after a Carson Benge groundout later that same inning, was his first career pinch-hit hit.

“You just treat it like every other at-bat,” he said. “You’re getting prepared for it during the game a little bit, too.”

He added that the communication on that is “great” from the coaching staff in terms of who he might be facing and that gave him a “good idea” about when he might be entering.

Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived and, in the end, it was the Mets’ 15th one-run loss on the season, the most in the National League.

“That’s just baseball, it’s hard,” Ewing said of losing the lead after coming back from three down. “You just gotta show up tomorrow, we got three more in Toronto.” 

RISP anything but crisp

Getting on base wasn’t the issue on Sunday, as the Mets had nine hits and eight walks. But the nine men in the starting lineup and three who came off the bench combined to go 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners stranded.

Perhaps the most crucial and, for Mets fans, most painful instance came in the home half of the eighth when Orion Kerkering issued three walks to load the bases with one out, throwing eight straight out of the zone to do so. But Ronny Mauricio popped out on a 1-0 count and Francisco Alvarez went down swinging after getting ahead 1-0.

“I saw just misses,” interim manager Andy Green said about what he saw on the day.

“Saw a bunch of guys taking aggressive passes and just missing pitches,” Green continued. “Obviously, there's a whole ton of times we could have hopped back in front, that was a huge swing from AJ to do that for us off the bench; that's impressive. We just didn't bring guys home today.”

When asked if there were times when they asked hitters to be more patient,   Green said there were “certain situations” when the Mets had the “take sign” on for players in the game.

“It's not every situation,” the interim skipper said. “There's times where you want aggression on pitches that you should be able to hit and handle. So, different points in time of the game state today, there were takes on for guys, and then at different points in time, they were turned loose.  And we weren’t able to get it just right today.”

With the day's poor showing, the Mets are now batting .238 (ninth-lowest in baseball) with a .678 OPS (fourth-lowest) and 216 RBI (lowest) with RISP.

Francisco Lindor not an option

Green had four options on his bench today and used three of them. Lindor was the lone man left out of action, and Green said he was unavailable.

“He was tempting,” the manager said about the opportunities when he could have used Lindor off the bench, but “he had the day entirely.”

Lindor played in the first two games of the series, the first time he’s done back-to-back games since he was activated from the IL on Wednesday, after several weeks out due to a calf strain.

Lindor had two hits (a triple) with two RBI and a walk in his seven at-bats of the series.

The right-hander did well to save the bullpen and keep the Mets in a three-run ballgame.

Senga cruised his way through the top of the Phillies’ order in his first inning of work, including a four-pitch strikeout of Kyle Schwarber on a nasty slider out of the zone.  

He found himself in immediate trouble after giving up a walk and a double leading off the sixth, but was able to dance his way out of danger with help from two more strikeouts. 

The Mets rallied to jump in front for the first time in the ballgame in the bottom-half, and Andy Green decided to stick with Senga with the top of Philly’s order coming back up.

Green revealed postgame that the majority of New York's top arms were unavailable. 

This time the Phillies' big bats were able to get to him, as the Met-killer Schwarber jumped all over a 1-2 fastball in the heart of the zone following three straight forkballs, crushing it over the right-center fence. 

"Where we were at that point in the game and the count, it didn’t have to be a fastball," Senga said via a translator. "If I was going to go fastball since we were ahead, preferably it would’ve been higher, so there's a lot of think about."

Senga recovered nicely, retiring six of the next seven batters he faced to close the day. 

The Mets had plenty of chances to pick him up as well, but couldn’t deliver the big hit needed, sending him home with the loss for the sixth consecutive outing. 

It wasn’t all negative this time around for Senga, though, as he held the dangerous lineup to just the two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings.

He leaned heavily on his signature ghost-fork, using it to generate six of his 11 whiffs. 

“I thought he was really good today,” Green said. “There was aggression in everything he threw.

“He used his forkball more, it's an elite weapon and we saw good hitters take bad swings at it -- that’s always been an elite weapon, it was good to see him use it in pivotal situations and we encourage him to continue to do it.”

Senga handled a starters workload, but his role moving forward still remains to be seen. 

He knows at the end of the day, it comes down to the results. 

"It's just up to me" he said.  "If I can compete and be in the zone unlike my previous outing where strikes were strikes and balls were clearly balls, that’s not going to play, then I don’t deserve a spot in the rotation -- on the flip side, if I am able to compete I do feel I deserve a spot."

Here are the key takeaways...

-- In the bottom of the eighth, with the Mets trailing by a run, Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering walked the bases loaded. With one out, Ronny Mauricio popped out to second base for a huge second out, and Francisco Alvarez struck out on a high fastball to end the inning. 

Overall, the Mets went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base.

-- After Cionel Perez retired the side in order in the first, the Mets turned things over to Tobias Myers. The righty had a clean second inning, but allowed three runs on four hits in the third as the Phillies rallied to take a 3-0 lead. The Mets and interim manager Andy Green appear to be stretching Myers out to join the rotation full-time, but it came at the detriment of Myers, allowing three runs as he stayed in the game instead of Green going to a different reliever. 

--Kodai Senga made his first career relief appearance as he took over in the fifth inning. He pitched a one-two-three inning, did a great job working out of a jam in the sixth (more on that below), but gave up the lead in the top of the seventh, throwing a very hittable fastball to Kyle Schwarber, who put it over the wall in right center for a two-run homer, putting the Phillies back in front, 5-4.

Senga ended up going 5.0 innings, really saving the rest of the Mets bullpen, allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

-- The Mets put two men on with no outs in the fourth, but couldn't do anything with it as the next three batters were retired. Facing the same situation in the fifth, the Mets were able to capitalize, as it was none other than rookie Carson Benge who came through with an RBI single to left to get the Mets on the board. Benge now has nine hits over his last eight games.

The Mets would go on to load the bases with one out, but couldn't push another run across as Bo Bichette went down swinging and Eric Wagaman, hitting cleanup, flew out to shallow center.

-- A potential turning point came in the sixth inning. An Alec Bohm walk and a Brandon Marsh double had runners at second and third and no outs, but Senga dug deep and retired the next three to get out of the jam without allowing a run. In the bottom half of the inning, Alvarez led off with a double to right, and A.J. Ewing came off the bench and delivered with a two-run homer to right field, his first career pinch-hit hit. After Jesus Luzardo allowed just one earned run in 5.0 innings, right-hander Chase Shugart immediately coughed the lead up.

Later in the inning, it was, guess who, Benge, who came through with a fielder's choice that gave the Mets a 4-3 lead, as Benge once again hit a ball hard off of left Kyle Backhus.

Game MVP

Schwarber, whose 30th homer of the season gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning.

Highlights

"Man, he is just growing very day"

Carson Benge drives in the first run of the afternoon for the Mets pic.twitter.com/CDU9jXcYq0

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 28, 2026

Kodai Senga works out of trouble in the 6th pic.twitter.com/9t0xdnmAu3

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 28, 2026

A.J. Ewing ties the game with a pinch-hit, two-run shot! 💥 pic.twitter.com/3qwVuUcO0g

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 28, 2026

A bullet off the bat of Carson Benge results in the Mets taking the lead! pic.twitter.com/I3O0j6Wbru

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 28, 2026

Next up

The Mets hit the road for three games in Toronto against the Blue Jays, starting on Monday night at 7:07 p.m. on SNY.

Sean Manaea is set to face off against Trey Yesavage. 

Nolan McLean and Kevin Gausman will be the matchup in the second game of the series, before Fredy Peralta and Patrick Corbin start in the finale.

Jose Reyes, who previously invited Anunoby to come throw out the first pitch, was behind home plate to catch it. 

Anunoby, whose miraculous tip-in gave the Knicks a win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, has been a Mets fan dating back to his childhood. Reyes was on the cover of MLB 2K8, and he became Anunoby's favorite player because of that.

The forward averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in the five-game series as the Knicks clinched their first title in 53 years. 

"I used to play baseball so I think I’ll throw a strike," Anunoby said during a brief news conference before throwing the first pitch. "I’m anticipating a strike so I’m really excited."

Here's a look at his first pitch:

To a huge Citi Field ovation, OG Anunoby throws out the first pitch to Jose Reyes! pic.twitter.com/sAu4jQyKI3

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 28, 2026