Yankees Make Move for Royals' Benintendi

 Moments after the Yankees fell to the Mets in the Subway Series, General Manager Brian Cashman was busy at work trying to improve his ballclub. He may have found that much needed power bat off the bench in former Boston Red Sox Andrew Benintendi.

The Yankees acquired Benintendi late last night in a deal with the Kansas City Royals for three prospects: T.J. Sikkema, Beck Way and Chandler Champlain.  The Yankees didn’t have to dip deep into their farm system to get make the deal, leaving room for them to go after bigger fish like Luis Castillo and/or Juan Soto.

"We got savages in the lineup and really good hitters. Benintendi is a really good hitter. He gives you some balance in the lineup. That is another good big league hitter to add to the mix,” Manager Aaron Boone told the press after last night’s game.

The 28-year old Benintendi is hitting .320 on the year with 3 homers and 39 RBI. He is a solid left-handed bat, and one that could replace Joey Gallo who has struggled since the Yankees acquired him from Texas last season.

Ironically, the Yankees host the Royals in a four game series beginning on Thursday night.

Mets Walk It Off Against Yankees to Sweep Series

 As I wrote for Fox Sports New Jersey 

Max Scherzer has been one of baseball’s best pitchers for a better part of his career. A man who has Cy Young Awards, no-hitters and a World Series title to his name, this was Scherzer’s first ever taste of the Subway Series, and gobbled it down.

The 38-year old, who just recently celebrated his birthday, dominated the Yankees over seven innings, as he found a way to cling onto a 2-0 lead, before a bullpen meltdown in the eighth inning. Perhaps the biggest headline from the game was the fact that Scherzer held Aaron Judge hitless in four at bats, striking him out three times. In fact Judge went 0-for-5 in the game.

Every time Scherzer was at a crossroads against baseball’s highest scoring offense, he found a way out of it. In the third inning, he found himself in a spot with two runners on and two out, and came back to strikeout Judge on a slider low and away.

In the fifth, Scherzer gave up a lead-off double t0 Josh Donaldson, and later walked Kyle Higashioka to put two runners aboard again with two out. This time he was able to jam D.J. LeMahieu on a hard liner to short which Francisco Lindor caught without having to move.

Finally in the seventh inning, Scherzer faced his stiffest challenge yet. With his pitch count rising, and the Yankees having put two more runners aboard, Scherzer had to get through Judge once more. He got ahead 0-2 on a couple of sliders, before mixing in a four-seam fastball upstairs, which Judge fouled off on 1-2. That proved to be a set-up pitch as Scherzer went back to the slider down and away, which Judge whiffed on for the final out.

Still the Mets bullpen couldn’t hold it. Buck Showalter’s decision to bring in David Peterson in the eighth instead of Seth Lugo backfired, as Peterson walked Anthony Rizzo on four pitches and served up a two-run bomb to Glyeber Torres, who deposited the ball in shallow right, tying the game at two.

Showalter would quickly make up for his gaff by bringing Lugo in, and the righty rewarded him by tossing 1-2/3 shutout innings to keep the game tied at two.

Finally in the bottom of the ninth the Mets put it away against reliver Wandy Peralta.

Eduardo Escobar led off with a double to left. He advanced to third on a bunt by Tomas Nido and finally scored on a base hit by Starling Marte to win it.

The victory propelled the Mets to a 3.5 game lead over Atlanta, who lost to the Philadelphia Phillies earlier in the day 7-2. The Yankees have now lost 10 of its last 15 games.

Saleh Says Becton Will Start at Right Tackle

 After an off-season where the Jets were deeply concerned about the progress of tackle Mekhi Becton, Head Coach Robert Saleh had nothing but effusive praise for the way Becton has rebounded and prepared as training camp opened on Wednesday. 

A much slimmer Becton showed up to camp after missing the entire season after injury his knee in Week 1, and at one point weighing over 400 pounds during his rehab. 

The Jets weren't thrilled when Becton skipped voluntary camp and showed up to camp in June at 390. Things have changed since. According to ESPN, Becton's personal nutritionist Ann Claibourne said the tackle "slimmed down a lot" after working with the Jets conditioning and training staff. 

Saleh praised Becton for his hard work to get back in shape, and confirmed that he would start at right tackle. The Jets are happy with veteran George Fant at left tackle. Plus it gives New York an opportunity to pair Fant with fellow veteran Lakin Tomlinson on the left side of the offensive line to protect Zach Wilson's blind side. 

Moreover, Becton will again team up with Alijah Vera Tucker, but now on the right side of the offensive line. If all stay healthy, it could be a dynamic group in front of Wilson this season.

Mets Win Thriller Over Yankees to Start Subway Series

METS 6 - YANKEES 3

It had all the earmarks of a postseason game.  A stadium filled to the gills; fans on the edge of their seats, and total tension from the first pitch to the very last pitch.  For three and a half hours, New York sports fans were treated to great theatre as the Mets and Yankees -- two of baseball's best teams this season went toe-to-toe for the first time this year, and it didn't disappoint.

The final score read 6-3 Amazin's, but the road to get there was full of swings of emotion.

Before anyone could settle into their seats, the Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo both went deep off Mets starter Taijuan Walker in the top of the first inning. The Mets responded just as quickly. A solo shot by Starling Marte with one out in the bottom half of the first cut the Yankees lead in half.

Francisco Lindor followed that up with a double, and was driven in by Pete Alonso, who lined a double to center, tying the game at two. Two batters later, Eduardo Escobar crushed a Jordan Montgomery fastball over the left field wall for a two-run homer to put the Mets up 4-2.

Nearly 45 minutes into the game, we had two lead changes, four home runs and six runs scored between the two New York rivals. And it was only the first inning.

Montgomery didn't last much longer for the Yankees. He was removed in the third inning after giving up the fifth run of the game when Josh Donaldson errantly threw a ground ball off the helmet of Francisco Lindor. Starling Marte alertly scored on the play to make it 5-2.

The biggest moment of the game came in the top of the fourth when Walker couldn't find the strike zone. He fell behind 3-0 to Aaron Hicks, before Hicks singled with one out. Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with a single of his own, and Jose Trevino reached on a fielder's choice when Escobar fielded the ball at third and his throw to second was too late to tag out the Falefa. With the bases full, D.J. LaMahieu grounded out to drive in a run to make it 5-3.  Walker then walked Judge to reload the bases. Finally, Rizzo sent a Walker pitch all the way to the warning track in center before Brandon Nimmo tracked it down for the final out.

The Mets took a sigh of relief.

The game would remain a pitchers duel the rest of the way.

After getting into trouble in the fourth, Walker settled in to deliver six quality innings for the Mets to get the victory, his 10th of the year.

On the flip side, the Yankees pen was phenomenal in keeping the Mets silent until Jeff McNeil added some insurance with a RBI single in the eighth to make it 6-3.

Edwin Diaz was untouchable in the end. Diaz came in with Hicks on first in the top of the eighth, and Falefa scheduled to bat. Instead, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone pinch hit with Joey Gallo, a decision that stunned Yankees fans. Gallo proceeded to strikeout.

Finally, in the ninth, Diaz worked around his own error when he bobbled a grounder by Aaron Judge, and struck out the side, including Rizzo and Gleyber Torres to end the ballgame.

The Mets and Yanks will do it again tonight at 7:05 with Max Scherzer facing off against Domingo German.

Mets Make Deal with Pirates for DH

 The New York Mets swung a trade for a hitter. No, not Juan Soto -- as it appears the Mets are likely not going to land the Washington Nationals slugger. 

However New York did land Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Daniel Vogelbach in a deal for reliever Colin Holderman. 

On the surface Voglebach is not that much of an improvement at designated hitter over Dom Smith or JD Davis. For starters, he is vastly overweight, listed at 270 pounds, and is a lifetime .213 hitter. In fact this year alone, he is hitting .228 with 12 homers and 34 RBI. 

While the production numbers are an improvement over Smith and Davis, Voglebach is hitting only .141 against lefties. He is more of a righty-specialist, meaning he does better against right handed pitchers. His numbers against right-handers is .260 with 12 homers and 27 RBI. 

Holderman will be missed. He was a young pitcher with potential. He was 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA in 17-2/3 innings of work. He was mostly a long reliever out of the pen, and the Mets certainly need arms out of the bullpen right now. 

It's an odd move by the Mets -- especially with better options like Josh Bell and Trey Mancini on the market at the DH position.

Jets Stun Fans By Turning to Black Helmet

 All New York Jets fans wanted was a throwback to better days. 

Maybe a throwback to look of the franchise's 1980s "Sack Exchange", or perhaps -- more logically -- a throwback to the franchise's original look that they had twice from 1965 to 1977 and again from 1998 until 2018. 

But, nope. The Jets decided to go in another direction, adding to their already unpopular new threads with an even more polorizing matted black helmet with the Jets wordmark across the sides in green. 

If the Jets were an expansion team, or a member of the XFL, it wouldn't be an awful look. But because this is a franchise that has had a certain look for so many years, seeing the black helmet with the black jersey is jarring. 

In fact the reveal has ruffled the feathers of many fans. 

 

 The Jets will wear the new helmets three times. Against New England on October 30, against Chicago on November 27, and against Jacksonville on December 22. At least the game against the Jaguars is on Amazon so nobody has to watch the game unless they want to pay $14 a month for an Amazon Prime subscription. 

Meanwhile, the Giants threw it back to the 80's and 90's by bringing back the much beloved royal blue jerseys with the navy blue helmets the team wore during the Lawrence Taylor/Bill Parcells era. They look fantastic and it's glad to see them again. 

If only the Jets listened to the fans the way the Giants seem to listen to their own fanbase.

 

Keith Hernandez Jersey Retirement Day Marks Special Moment for Mets

 Keith Hernandez has been a face of Mets baseball for more than 37 years. First as a player,  one of the best to ever play first base; a leader in the clubhouse, who helped spear head a franchise resurgence in the mid-1980s, culminating in a World Series championship. 

Years later, he would return to Flushing as a broadcaster, and, now in his 17th season in the booth, Hernandez is as beloved by Mets fans as ever. 

Getty Images.

 Saturday's jersey number retirement just hit different. It was as emotional and as genuine in feeling -- if not more so --as any jersey retirement preceding it. 

Give credit to Steve Cohen and crew, after years and years of Wilpon ineptitude, they finally got it right. 

Hernandez's jersey number 17 should have been retired years ago, but it took an owner with a genuine passion, glee and desire to make good with a franchise with a considerable history to do the right thing. 

 

While he didn't visibly shed a tear, you could see Hernandez was taken aback by the moment as he soaked it all in.  A sold out crowd of 43,000-plus chanted his name. He was surrounded by teammates of past and present from Mookie Wilson to Tim Teuffel, Ron Darling and Gary Cohen. He had his entire family, including, without a doubt, most importantly, his brother Gary, whom he used to play baseball as a kid with back in day in San Francisco. 

It was a moment that will be frozen in time in their minds for sure; certainly in the minds of Mets fans forever. 

 

 "I never dreamed I'd be here this long, in the organization. I am absolutely humbled and proud that my number will be up in the rafters for eternity," Hernandez told fans during his speech. 

The Mets legend then joined his family as crews atop Citi Field pulled the tarp of the number 17 that will will adorn Citi Field forever, joining at long last the numbers of Jerry Koosman (36), Mike Piazza (31), Tom Seaver (41), Gil Hodges (14), and Casey Stengel (37). 

For those who may be too young to remember, Hernandez was a heck of a ballplayer. He won 11 gold glove awards at first base, six of them in New York with the Mets, and is currently second all time in team batting average at .297.  

He was the key piece to the at run in '86. The Mets acquired Hernandez in a trade with St. Louis back in 1983. As he has described many times, Hernandez was apprehensive about the move since the Mets were mired in last place, and he was leaving a Cardinals team that had recently won a World Championship. 

It turned out to be a match made in heaven. Baseball heaven that is. With Hernandez as its team captain and a group of young stars (Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden) the Mets were on their way. In 1985 the team signed Gary Carter, and that was the sign that this team was ready to take off. It did, winning 108 games in 1986 before two heart-stopping playoff series against Houston and Boston -- that I am sure you may have heard of. 

It was really apropos that later that night the Mets pulled out a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory over Miami. The Mets trailed 4-3, and scored two runs on a pair of errors, one of which was a slow grounder by Tomas Nido that went under the glove of third baseman Brian Anderson to tie the game at 4. Moments later Brandon Nimmo won it when he sharp liner bounced off reliever Tanner Scott, who threw the ball away in a hurry to first. Mets win. 

Not since Game 6 of the '86 World Series have the Mets won a game on a pair of errors. 

Now can we get Keith to Cooperstown?

 

deGrom Hits 101 mph in First Step Toward Mets Return

 

New York Mets' ace Jacob deGrom made a grand return to the pitching rubber after spending the past four months sidelined with a stress reaction in his right shoulder. 

The two-time Cy Young Award winner dominated the Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami Marlins single-A squad) down in Port St. Lucie as he tries to restart a season, and a career that was sidelined by arm issues exactly one year ago.

deGrom hit 100 mph on the radar gun six times on Sunday night, and needed only 24 pitches to strike out five batters in a 1-2/3 innings of work. In other words he looked like the Jacob deGrom who was 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 15 starts last season before various arm ailments ended his season.

According to reports the effort was the first of a 30-day rehab assignment (think of it as extended Spring Training) where deGrom can be activated at any point so long as he is activated before August 1.

The Mets are already ready to welcome back Max Scherzer to the rotation on Tuesday after a pair of successful rehab starts, and could soon welcome back deGrom before the month is out.

That would be great news for a Mets team that has hit the skids in recent weeks, and seen it's 10.5 game lead over Atlanta get narrowed down to as few as 2.5 games.

Knicks Sign Brunson to Four-Year Pact

 When the New York Knicks wheeled and dealed at the NBA Draft resulting in the trade of Kemba Walker and the 13th overall pick, Jalen Duran to the Detroit Pistons for draft picks, many criticized the Knicks for coming out of the NBA draft with no prospects. 

All the Knicks had was cash and draft capital. And they used that extra cash that they had to sign their number one free agent target, point guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year $104 million deal. 

Brunson is still young, 25-years old and is coming off his best season as a pro, with 16.3 points per game and 4.8 assists per game with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks were in dire need of a young point guard, coming off a disastrous 37-45 season that saw the likes of Julius Randle draw the ire of Knicks fans everywhere for his sometimes lackadaisical play. The Knicks wanted to build around Randle, but there is a strong possibility that he too could be on his way out the door. 

It's a big year upcoming for GM Leon Rose and Head Coach Tom Thibideau, they need to field a new culture and winner on the court in 2022-23.

Kevin Durant Demands Trade Out of Brooklyn

Three years ago the Brooklyn Nets went all in on the idea that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, two faces of the NBA's last decade of success in both Golden State and Cleveland, respectfully would come to New York City -- the other team in New York City -- and win an NBA Championship. 

Everyone bought in, the media especially, who without any hesitation had the Nets pegged to rep the Eastern Conference in the Finals the past two seasons, and in each case the Nets came up snake eyes.  With all the talent, and even late additions like James Harden, the Nets could only muster one playoff victory in three years. 

Kevin Durant - Getty Images.

One playoff victory!

Now it is all over after Durant decided to take a hibachi knife to the raft, pierced a giant hole in it and watched it sink to the bottom. On Thursday, Durant demanded that Brooklyn trade him out of town; preferably to either Miami or Phoenix.  Hey, older people do love warmer weather year round? 

All in all, it is fair to say, and time to say, that the Nets experiment with a "superteam" led by both Durant and Kyrie Irving has been a total failure. 

Together both Irving and Durant played only 44 regular season games together in three years, one of which was whipped out by Durant missing the entire year as he recovered from an Achilles injury he suffered in 2019 NBA Finals with Golden State. 

Add James Harden, whose star-crossed tenure ended in Brooklyn with his whining his way to Philadelphia in a trade that brought Ben Simmons and Seth Curry to the Nets, and the Nets attempt at the NBA title takes an even bigger hit. 

The trio of Harden/Irving/Durant played only 18 games together! That's it!

Injuries, Irving's personal issues with getting vaccinated against COVID-19 notwithstanding, the Nets never, ever say the return on investment they had hoped for.

On top of that Irving too had expressed his desire to leave town. He gave the Nets a list of teams he wanted to play for that included the Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, Mavericks, and Clippers. 

Only the Lakers showed interest.

 In the end, Irving decided to 'opt-in' to his $36 million player option for 2022-23. 

Still that doesn't preclude the Nets from trading him if they so chose. It just means Irving doesn't have a say on where he goes. 

Yet, here was GM Sean Marks handing out a four-year extension to Durant a few months ago that would pay him $195 million through 2026. The Nets wanted to believe that Durant wanted to be here, that at 33-years old, he still had something to prove in New York. 

Instead, Durant did to Brooklyn what he did to Oklahoma City and Golden State, leave as soon has the opportunity comes. 

The Nets, who didn't have a single draft pick in last month's draft, could recoup some major assets from someone, anyone who is willing to take Durant and his massive contract off their hands. 

The Suns are Durant's preferred destination, but they just inked Devin Booker to a massive $224 million extension. Do they feel Durant is the missing piece they need to win the title? Who knows. 

Either way the Nets must come away with draft capital and players who can contribute now. They would love to get a superstar in return, but let's be honest the rebuild is about to begin -- again -- in Brooklyn. It needs to. The Nets need to get the stench of Durant/Irving out of their building as soon as possible.