METS VS. GUARDIANS | MLB HIGHLIGHTS

 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NEW METS INTERIM MANAGER AFTER CARLOS MENDOZA'S FIRING

Mar 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) looks on before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Fans of the New York Mets can exhale now that Carlos Mendoza has been let go.

But who is the Mets’ new manager, and what is New York getting in interim manager Andy Green?

Green, the former Mets player who has been a coach since 2012, is taking over for Mendoza, who was fired Friday after the Mets went 34-47 in their first 81 games.

Mets fans of a certain age will remember Green from his one-season tenure in Queens (2009) or his three seasons as a player for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Or you may recall his three-plus years as the manager of the San Diego Padres.

Andy Green Played for the Mets and Managed the Padres

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New Mets interim manager Andy Green finished his playing career with the Mets and managed the San Diego Padres for four seasons between 2016-19.

Green came up in the D-backs system as a scrappy 5-9, 165-pound infielder who was chosen in the 24th round of the 2000 MLB Draft — a round that doesn’t even exist anymore.

So you can bet Green will want to push the Mets to be scrappier, hungrier and more intense over the second half of this season.

The Mets will be Green’s second role as a major-league manager. He spent three-plus seasons managing the Padres (2016-19) and finished with a .428 win% before he was fired with one week remaining in the 2019 season, posting a 69-85 record before being let go in September.

The Padres then made the playoffs in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, going 37-23.

Green only played 140 big-league games and finished his big-league career with a .547 OPS and two home runs. His attitude was enough to earn a job in the D-backs system as the manager in Missoula of the Pioneer League.

He won the title there in 2012 then was named Southern League manager of the year in 2013 and 2014 before being promoted to D-backs third base coach.

The Mets’ Manager Search is Officially on

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Alex Cora is likely to be high on the list of candidates for the Mets’ manager role.

The Mets may have put Andy Green in place to ride out the rest of the season, but you can bet they will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of their next manager.

Mendoza was well-thought-of candidate from the New York Yankees organization that pushed all the right buttons in 2024, when they went to the NLCS. But owner Steve Cohen has already flexed his financial might in signing Juan Soto and luring David Stearns from the Milwaukee Brewers.

You can be sure he’ll do the same when finding his next manager.

So Alex Cora immediately comes to mind as the top candidate for the Mets job. He, of course, was fired by the Boston Red Sox in April then turned down the Philadelphia Phillies role, which ultimately went to former-Yankees great and 2020 NL manager of the year Don Mattingly.

Cora could again be a candidate for the Phillies role, which makes it imperative that the Mets at least bring him in for an interview — especially with the Phillies playing well under Mattingly.

Cora, of course, won the World Series in Boston in 2018 and boasts a .534 win% over his 1,161-game tenure as a manager. Other candidates will arise, including Mattingly if he is not retained by the Phillies.

But Cora has to be the first option for the Mets.

- Pat Pickens

LIST OF SPORTS FRANCHISES FROM NEW YORK

 

METS VS. ROYALS | MLB HIGHLIGHTS

 

SOURCES: METS LAND JUAN SATO ON 15-YEAR, $765M DEAL

Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources told ESPN on Sunday night, the largest deal in professional sports history.

The deal includes an opt-out after five years and no deferred money, sources said. If Soto chooses not to opt out, his deal will go up $4 million per year -- from $51 million to $55 million -- for the remainder of the contract, meaning the total value could exceed $800 million.

The contract also includes a $75 million signing bonus, sources said.

The 26-year-old Soto, whose prodigious power, discerning eye and postseason bona fides created a free agent frenzy among some of the game's blue-blood teams, joins a Mets squad that made a surprising run to the National League Championship Series last season and is now poised to contend for years to come.

Following a standout season with the New York Yankees in which he guided the team to the World Series and finished third in American League MVP voting, Soto's presence in the free agent market drew significant interest. While the Mets, Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers were among the final bidders, teams across the financial spectrum -- including the lower-payroll Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays -- explored signing Soto, covetous of his special bat.

The Yankees fielded a competitive offer -- a 16-year, $760 million deal with an annual average value of $47.5 million and no deferrals, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney. Ultimately, though, Soto decided on the Mets.

In seven major league seasons, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Soto has hit .285/.421/.532 with 201 home runs and 592 RBIs and has accumulated more than 36 wins above replacement. Despite below-average corner-outfield defense, Soto distinguished himself with the best command of the strike zone since Barry Bonds, allowing him to hunt and punish pitches over the plate.

The $765 million guarantee exceeds the $700 million the Dodgers gave two-way star Shohei Ohtani on a 10-year deal last winter. While 97% of Ohtani's salary will be deferred for 10 years, Soto's deal contains no deferred money, lifting the net present value of his deal well above Ohtani's.

The contract, agreed upon after a monthlong sprint that included face-to-face meetings, three rounds of bidding and agent Scott Boras leveraging Soto's talent to drive the price to stratospheric levels, further validated Soto's decision in 2022 to turn down a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Washington Nationals, who had signed him as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic and watched him blossom into one of the best players in the major leagues. Soon after Soto rejected the Nationals' overtures, they traded him to the San Diego Padres, starting a whirlwind 2½-year stretch that saw Soto moved twice.

He had arrived in Washington at 19 years old, a touted prospect who rocketed through the Nationals' system and debuted earlier than expected because of injuries to outfielders on the major league roster. In the first at-bat of his first start on May 21, 2018, Soto crushed a first-pitch fastball 422 feet to the opposite field. Over the next six seasons, he would hit more than half his home runs to center field and left field, a rare ability that epitomized his gifts at the plate.

In a game where the imbalance between pitching and hitting places offense at a premium, Soto illustrated year after year why so many evaluators revered his skill set. During his first full season in 2019, he hit three home runs in the World Series to lead the Nationals to an upset win over the Houston Astros. In the shortened 2020 season, Soto hit .351/.490/.695 with 13 home runs in 47 games and would likely have won the National League MVP award had a positive COVID-19 test and later an elbow injury not caused him to miss about a quarter of the season.

Soto thrived in 2021, walking 145 times, the only person this century to reach that threshold outside of Bonds. Washington's attempts to keep him in the nation's capital included multiple extension offers, all of which Soto turned down, leading to one of the biggest trades in baseball history at the 2022 deadline: Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the Padres for outfielder James Wood, left-hander MacKenzie Gore, shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassell III and right-hander Jarlin Susana.

In San Diego, Soto shook off a mediocre-by-his-standards final two months to rebound with a career-high 35 home runs and an NL-leading 132 walks in 2023. With free agency a year away and San Diego's attempts to extend Soto rebuffed, though, the Padres dealt him and center fielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees at the 2023 winter meetings for right-handers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito, and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

With the Yankees, Soto found the best version of himself. Batting second in front of Aaron Judge, he hit .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, an American League-leading 128 runs and 8 WAR. During the postseason, he was even better, slashing .327/.469/.633 with four home runs, nine RBIs and 12 runs in 14 games. His extra-innings home run in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series sent New York to its 41st World Series.

The timing couldn't have been better. The two most sought-after free agents this century have been Alex Rodríguez, a 25-year-old shortstop whose $252 million contract in 2000 doubled the previous high, and Ohtani, a boundary-breaking phenomenon whose skills and marketability helped him exceed the previous standard by a sum larger than Rodriguez's entire deal.

Prior to Soto's contract, the longest deal in baseball history was Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 14-year pact with San Diego. The prospect of locking in the remainder of Soto's prime -- not to mention any milestones he could pass on the way to the Hall of Fame -- appealed strongly enough that the teams in the bidding were willing to match the 15 years he received.

If any résumé warrants that sort of commitment, it's Soto's. He is already a four-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, batting champion, Home Run Derby champion and World Series champion. His .421 career on-base percentage is tops in baseball since he debuted. His .532 slugging percentage is seventh. His .953 OPS and his 158 wRC+ are fourth. Soto's 769 career walks are the most for a player through his age-25 season -- 99 more than second-place Mickey Mantle.

The sustained excellence allowed Soto to thrive in the arbitration system, in which he made $54 million over the past two seasons. Add that to his new $765 million deal and Soto reaped $379 million more than he would have made had he accepted the Nationals' final extension offer.

"You cannot base a centurion player's value on other players," Boras said at the time. "You have to base it on financial markets."

The markets spoke loudly on Sunday night. And they said the largest deal ever belongs to Juan Soto.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo contributed to this report.

- Jeff Passan, ESPN

TWO-TIME AL MVP SHOHEI OHTANI FINALIST FOR FIRST NL AWARD

NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is a finalist for his first National League MVP award -- after twice winning the American League honor -- and is joined among the top three in NL voting by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is a finalist for his second AL MVP in three seasons, joined by Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto.

Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022. Ohtani signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December, but he didn't pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery.

Ohtani would join Frank Robinson for the Cincinnati Reds in 1961 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes is a finalist in balloting for the NL Cy Young Award and NL Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old right-hander becomes the fifth rookie to finish among the top three in Cy Young Award voting, after Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Dwight Gooden (1984) and José Fernández (2013). The only one to win both awards in the same year was Valenzuela in the NL.

Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Ohtani would become the first primary DH to win an MVP award.

The top three finishers in voting for each of the major individual awards presented annually by the Baseball Writers' Association of America were announced Monday night on MLB Network. Winners will be revealed next week.

Balloting was conducted before the postseason.

Ohtani would become the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each).

Shohei Ohtani would join Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. Allison Dinner/EPA

Lindor batted .273 with 33 homers, 91 RBIs and 29 steals, while Marte hit .292 with 36 homers and 95 RBIs.

Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average while hitting 32 homers with 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs.

Atlanta's Chris Sale and Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler are NL Cy Young Award finalists along with Skenes, who made his big league debut May 11 and went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 170 in 133 innings.

Detroit's Tarik Skubal, Kansas City's Seth Lugo and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase are the finalists for the AL honor. Clase becomes the first reliever to finish among the top three in voting since San Diego's Trevor Hoffman came in second in 2006 NL balloting.

Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio joined Skenes as finalists for NL Rookie of the Year. Yankees right-hander Luis Gil and catcher Austin Wells are AL finalists along with Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser.

Cleveland's Stephen Vogt, Kansas City's Matt Quatraro and Detroit's AJ Hinch are finalists for AL Manager of the Year. The three NL finalists were all first-year managers with their teams: the Mets' Carlos Mendoza, Milwaukee's Pat Murphy and San Diego's Mike Shildt.

- Associated Press

NEW YORK METS MEME | GRIMACE IS DOWN

 

AS FREE AGENCY LOOMS, JUAN SOTO POWERS YANKEES TO WORLD SERIES

CLEVELAND -- The man who knows Juan Soto best didn't have a doubt.

Soto stood in the batter's box at Progressive Field. Two on, two out, tie game, 10th inning, another classic between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians brewing in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday. Another night of thrills and drama with the Yankees one win from their first World Series appearance in 15 years. Another opportunity for Soto to deliver under pressure. And Juan Soto Sr. knew -- he just knew -- his son would come through.

The trademark Soto shuffle after taking the first pitch for a ball. The stare-downs after fouling off four straight pitches. His refusal to concede. The elder Soto sensed his son was in his element.

"That's what he does: He performs in the clutch," he said in Spanish. "He works under pressure. And I was completely confident. I knew something was going to happen in that at-bat."

What happened was a moment that will live on Yankees highlight reels forever: a three-run homer on the first fastball Soto saw from Hunter Gaddis. It was a 95 mph, letter-high offering that Soto blasted over the wall in center field that ultimately sent the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2009 in a 5-2 win. They await the winner between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

"It's a great feeling, to hit that homer and get the lead for the team," Soto said. "And coming through big time."

Soto's blast was the second extra-inning home run to clinch a postseason series in Yankees history, joining manager Aaron Boone's home run in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox. It was Soto's 10th career postseason home run, tied for the second most in major league history for a player before his 26th birthday. Soto will turn 26 on Friday -- on the day of Game 1 of the World Series.

"I remember just going, 'Oh my God,'" Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "Did the prayer sign. And then knew that we had to somehow put them down in the bottom of the inning, because these guys don't go easy."

Luke Weaver completed that job, working around a single to toss a scoreless inning and rebound from his blown save in Game 3. Saturday's save sealed a game that began with the Guardians taking a 2-0 lead with runs in the second and fifth inning off Yankees starter Carlos Rodon.

That set the stage for the Yankees' other October-moment-seizing star. Giancarlo Stanton stepped to the plate with Gleyber Torres on third base and two outs in the sixth inning. On the mound stood Tanner Bibee, who had, to that point, given the Guardians exactly what they needed: 5⅔ scoreless innings. He had struck out Stanton in their first two clashes. A third appeared imminent when Stanton fell behind 0-2, but Bibee followed with three straight pitches that weren't enticing enough for Stanton to chase.

So Stanton waited. Finally, he got a slider that Bibee hung over the plate and pounced, demolishing the baseball at 117.5 mph off the bat and sending it 446 feet away for a game-tying home run. It was the 34-year-old Stanton's third straight game with a home run, and all came with two strikes. It was his 16th home run in 36 career postseason games, passing Aaron Judge and Babe Ruth for third most in Yankees history.

"It's a special moment for me," said Stanton, who was named ALCS MVP. "It's a special time. But this ain't the trophy I want. I want the next one."

Stanton spoke on the field as his teammates celebrated with coaches, front office personnel, support staff and family. Yankees fans filled the sections of seats behind their dugout. They cheered when players ran off. They chanted players' names. Occasionally, they chanted, "Re-sign Soto!"

Soto's impending free agency has hung in the background since the Yankees traded a haul of talented players for him in December. They believed the risk, after a disappointing 82-80 season without a playoff appearance, was worth the chance. He was the ideal complement to Judge and a proven postseason performer they believed would thrive while playing in New York City. They were right.

"We need him to stay," Stanton said. "He's going to stay. We need to bring it home, and then we'll bring him home also."

As Cashman added, "That was the whole purpose of going all-in. We gave up a lot, and it was a one-year deal for a lot of money. And so it was a big chess move, no doubt about it, that was designed to increase our chances. And it did."

Those chances increased Saturday because Soto didn't stray from the approach he takes into every at-bat, whether during spring training in February or on the biggest stage in October. Every plate appearance is a one-on-one battle, an opportunity to intimidate the pitcher with each shuffle, each stare-down, each healthy hack.

Soto won another battle in the 10th inning Saturday, against one of the best relievers in baseball. When he did, the Yankees' dugout erupted, players spilling out onto the field once the ball landed. Soto stopped halfway down the first-base line, turned to his team and pounded his chest twice with both hands. The ballpark, besides the pockets of Yankees fans, went silent.

"I've wanted it since day one," said Soto, who won the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals. "I've said it since spring training. Give me every hard moment. Give me every tough [at-bat]. I'm going to step up to the plate and try to do my best."

His father watched from the stands. There was never a doubt in his mind.

"I was confident," the elder Soto said. "He was waiting for his pitch because he wasn't going to go with the pitcher's pitch. And like he told me, if he makes a mistake or if he repeats it two times, it's gone. And that's how it went."

- Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer

FULL CLINCHER: METS WIN A THRILLING NLDS GAME VS. PHILLIES | EDWIN DIAZ SHUTS THE DOOR

PHILLIES VS. METS | NLDS HIGHLIGHTS | GAME 4

 

BASEBALL LEGEND WILLIE MAYS, ALL-ROUND GREAT OF AMERICA'S PASTIME, DIES AT 93

Willie Mays, star outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, arrives on Feb. 4, 1962 at a San Francisco public playground equipped for a workout on his own. Mays, who recently signed a Giants contract for an estimated $90,000 largest in Giants history, said he wanted to limber up some as spring training is just around the corner. Robert Houston/Associated Press 1982

 

 Willie Mays, the Hall of Fame centerfielder whose all-around skills made him one of greatest baseball players of all time, died on Tuesday at the age of 93, Major League Baseball announced.

Mays, who brought an explosive exuberance to the game in his peak years, died of heart failure, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Mays played 23 seasons for the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, from 1951 through 1973.

In his prime, he could do it all on the baseball field. Mays was the epitome of what came to be known as a "five-tool player" - meaning he was exceptional at hitting for average, hitting for power, fielding, throwing and baserunning.

But Mays' talent was only part of what made him a superstar. He also played with a verve and passion that were discernible even to spectators in the cheap seats. He was known for playing stickball with kids on the streets of Harlem, near the former Polo Grounds where he played.

In the real games, fans delighted when Mays would sprint with such speed and fury that he would run out from under his hat as he stole a base or chased down a flyball to deep centerfield.

His snag of a fly ball in the 1954 World Series, sprinting with his back toward home plate some 460 feet away, is known simply as The Catch.

"He could do everything and do it better than anyone else, (and) with a joyous grace," wrote New York Times sports columnist Arthur Daley.

Mays, known as "The Say Hey Kid" because of his standard greeting, was ranked second on The Sporting News' 1998 list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players - behind Babe Ruth and ahead of Ty Cobb.

Baseball-Reference.com ranks him fifth all time using the modern statistic Wins Above Replacement, which measures a player's overall value, behind Ruth, pitchers Walter Johnson and Cy Young, and his godson Barry Bonds.

Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility, won the Most Valuable Player award twice and was named to the all-star team 24 times, a record shared only with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial.

When he retired, Mays held third place on the all-time home run list with 660, behind Aaron at 755 and Ruth with 714. He was also the first ballplayer to hit 300 homers and steal 300 bases.

Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born in the gritty steel town of Westfield, Alabama, on May 6, 1931, during the segregation era and was inspired early to play ball by his father and an uncle, he said.

"My uncle would say every day, 'You're going to be a baseball player. You're going to be a baseball player, and we're gonna see to that,'" he said. "At 10, I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15, I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came very quickly in all sports."

Mays joined the New York Giants of the National League early in the 1951 season, four years after Jackie Robinson had integrated Major League Baseball. He failed to get a hit in his first 12 trips to the plate before smacking his first, a home run off future Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn.

Mays went on to win Rookie of the Year honors in 1951 with a .274 average, helping the Giants come from 13 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers before his team won the pennant on a legendary home run by Bobby Thomson. Mays, then 20 years old, was on deck when Thomson hit his home run, later telling reporters he was so nervous he prayed he would not come to bat.

Mays missed most of the 1952 season and all of 1953 while serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, spending much of his service time playing for the Army baseball team.

He returned to the Giants in 1954 and won the first of his two Most Valuable Player awards as he paced the Giants to a four-game World Series sweep of the Cleveland Indians. In the first game of that series, Mays pulled off The Catch, which remains one of the most memorable plays in baseball history.

At New York's Polo Grounds, the Indians' Vic Wertz hit a shot to deep centerfield. Mays turned, sprinted toward the wall, made a graceful over-the-shoulder catch and then immediately whirled around and made a perfect throw that kept two Cleveland baserunners from advancing.

"I was a guy, when I first came up, I believed I could catch any ball that stayed in the ballpark," Mays told an interviewer years later. "I guess I was kind of a cocky kid, knowing that if the ball went up, I could catch it."

In 1958, the Giants moved to San Francisco, where Mays was not quite so beloved. Fans crowding into tiny Seals Stadium, the Giants' first home, instead embraced rookie sensations Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey as their own.

"Mays never was to San Francisco what he was to New York," wrote sportswriter Dick Young. "When the Giants moved to California, the San Francisco fans saw Mays as 'of' New York."

The Giants moved into cavernous and windy Candlestick Park in 1960, robbing Mays of many home runs that would have gone out in a more typical ballpark.

But Mays still possessed extraordinary skills and in 1962, carried the Giants to another playoff win over the Dodgers and into the World Series.

The series was a seven-game spellbinder won by the New York Yankees when Bobby Richardson speared a line drive for the final out of the game with Mays on second base, representing what would have been the winning run.

By the late 1960s, Mays was slowing down. In May 1972, he was traded to the New York Mets and made a final World Series appearance in 1973, his last season, when the Mets lost to the Oakland Athletics in seven games. He retired later that year.

In his book "Willie's Time," baseball writer and historian Charles Einstein wrote:

"The lights were hot and the cameras rolled and you knew Willie was there because you heard that laugh. Came The Automatic Question: 'Who was the greatest player you ever saw?' His answer was prompt enough: 'I thought I was.' There was merriment in his eyes as he looked around the room. 'I hope I didn't say that wrong.'"

- Reuters 

DODGERS SHOHEI OHTANI PASSES HEDEKI MATSUI FOR MOST MLB HOMERS BY A JAPANESE-BORN PLAYER

 

AP Photo 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani made another piece of baseball history Sunday when he surpassed a mark set by one of his heroes.

The Los Angeles Dodgers slugger crushed his 176th career homer in the third inning, breaking Hideki Matsui's record for the most home runs hit by a Japanese-born player in Major League Baseball.

Ohtani drove Adrian Houser's pitch deep into the right field bleachers in the third inning of Los Angeles' 10-0 victory over the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium.

The two-run shot gave Ohtani one more MLB homer than Matsui, the former Yankees slugger who played the final 10 seasons of his 20-year pro career in North America. Ohtani just began his seventh season in the majors.

“Honestly, I was just relieved I was able to get it over with,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, Will Ireton.

Ohtani's record-breaking blast traveled 423 feet with a 110-mph exit velocity, and it put the Dodgers up 2-0.

Ohtani admired and emulated Matsui while growing up in Japan during the prime of Matsui’s MLB career. Yet Ohtani said the record was “not something I was cognizant of when I first started my career here, but as I got to know about it,” he began to pay attention to his place behind Matsui.

“Hideki Matsui was a great ballplayer, a great home run hitter, a world champion,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I know that Shohei admired him, so for him to eclipse that mark, it’s a big deal. I know whatever kind of mark is ahead of Shohei, he’s trying to take them all down.”

The homer was Ohtani's fifth in his first 24 games for the Dodgers, who signed the two-time AL MVP to a $700 million contract last winter.

“It’s awesome,” said teammate Tyler Glasnow, who pitched eight scoreless innings for the Dodgers. “I’m sure he’ll have a lot more records while we’re playing here.”

Ohtani hadn’t homered in his previous seven games, but he went 2 for 3 with a single, a walk and two runs scored in the Dodgers’ blowout victory, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

“We just tried a backdoor slider with that, and just wasn’t able to keep it out (of the strike zone),” Houser said. “You leave a pitch down the middle to him, he’s going to put a good swing on it, just like he did.”

Ohtani has 13 RBIs and a whopping 1.094 OPS since joining the Dodgers, and he is seemingly unaffected on the field by the troubles of his longtime interpreter and close friend, Ippei Mizuhara. Federal prosecutors this month accused Mizuhara of stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani to pay off debts and to support his gambling addiction.

Before joining the Dodgers with the biggest contract in baseball history, Ohtani hit 171 homers in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, including an AL-leading 44 homers last season while winning his second MVP trophy. Ohtani hit a career-high 46 homers in 2021, his first MVP season.

When Ohtani was asked if he also hopes to emulate Matsui’s famed playoff poise when he finally reaches the MLB postseason, Ohtani joked that he’s currently more focused on breaking Roberts’ for the most homers by a Japanese-born player in a Dodgers uniform.

Roberts leads Ohtani 7-5 in that competition.

- GREG BEACHAM

METS HIT WITH RECORD $101M LUXURY TAX

Steve Cohen. USA TODAY Sports 

With the league's highest ever tax payroll, the New York Mets top the list of an unprecedented eight Major League Baseball teams that owe a luxury tax for the 2023 season, according to multiple reports.

Owner Steve Cohen's Mets owe a record luxury tax of almost $101 million, according to numbers finalized by MLB this week and obtained by the Associated Press. The Mets' $374.7 million tax payroll tops the previous high of $291.1 million by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015.

The money spent didn't help the Mets, who finished at 75-87 and in fourth place in the National League East.

It would have been even worse for the Mets if not for their selling bonanza over the summer, trading Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Robertson and Mark Canha. Those moves reportedly saved the team $18 million and prevented them from jumping past the next tax threshold and owing an even higher luxury tax.

SHOHEI OHTANI AGREES TO RECORD $700 MILLION, 10 YEAR CONTRACT

AP Photo 

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has set a financial record to go along with his singular on-field performance, getting $700 million to make a 30-mile move up Interstate 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His agent, Nez Balelo, issued a midafternoon news release Saturday announcing the 10-year contract, ending months of speculation that began even before Ohtani became a free agent on Nov. 2. In recent days, media and fans had tracked private plane movements and alleged sightings like detectives in attempts to discern the intentions of the two-time AL MVP with the Angels.

“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player," Balelo said. “He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”

Ohtani's total was 64% higher than baseball's previous record, a $426.5 million, 12-year deal for Angels outfielder Mike Trout that began in 2019.

His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of $43,333,333, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck with the New York Mets. Ohtani's average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.

METS VS. YANKEES | MLB HIGHLIGHTS

MLB: WHITE SOX AT NEW YORK METS

USA TODAY Sports 

Chase Silseth struck out a career-high 10 hitters to become the latest pitcher to shut down the struggling New York Yankees as the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif.

Silseth (2-1), recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball.

Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo hit two-run homers off Carlos Rodon (0-3) as the Angels raced out to a 4-0 lead through the opening two innings. The Angels went on to complete their first sweep of the Yankees since July 10-12, 2009.

Giancarlo Stanton and Franchy Cordero homered for the Yankees, who lost for the fourth game in a row and the ninth time in 11 games. Rodon was tagged for six runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Cardinals 6, Marlins 4

Nolan Gorman drove in four runs to help power St. Louis past visiting Miami and complete a three-game sweep.

Gorman hit a three-run homer and an RBI single as the Cardinals extended their winning streak to five games. Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson allowed two runs on five hits in three innings. Zack Thompson (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory and Chris Stratton earned his first save.

Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (3-9) allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings.

Athletics 6, Red Sox 5

JJ Bleday, Cody Thomas and Jace Peterson each hit two-run home runs, the bullpen didn't allow an earned run over the final 4 2/3 innings and Oakland held on to defeat visiting Boston for a rare series win.

Lucas Erceg, Angel Felipe, Sam Long and Trevor May protected a slim lead after the A's stopped scoring after the fourth inning, helping the hosts beat Boston for the second time in as many days following an eight-game losing streak.

Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (7-6) took the loss, pulled after allowing all six Oakland runs and five hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Padres 2, Blue Jays 0

Yu Darvish worked six scoreless innings and Manny Machado drove in a pair of runs with a two-out, fifth-inning single as visiting San Diego beat Toronto.

Steven Wilson, Nick Martinez and Josh Hader each followed Darvish with a scoreless inning of relief as the Padres shut out Toronto on six hits. It was the Padres' ninth shutout of the season.

The Blue Jays are on a two-game skid following a four-game winning streak. Jose Berrios (8-7) gave up two runs on four hits and four walks with nine strikeouts in six innings.

Mets 5, White Sox 1

Justin Verlander tossed eight solid innings and Brett Baty homered for a second straight game as host New York beat Chicago.

Baty finished with two RBIs for the Mets, who have won three straight and are 9-4 in July. Francisco Alvarez, Luis Guillorme and Brandon Nimmo each had one RBI in a four-run fourth. Verlander (4-5) allowed one run -- a Luis Robert Jr. homer in the seventh -- on three hits and struck out seven.

Touki Toussaint (0-3), making his first start since July 8, allowed five runs on four hits and four walks while striking out three over six innings -- his longest start since Aug. 16, 2021, when he was pitching for the Atlanta Braves.

Diamondbacks 5, Braves 3

Ryne Nelson allowed two runs and three hits over seven innings to help visiting Arizona to a win against Atlanta.

Nelson (6-5) struck out five and walked one as Arizona won for the second straight game to open a three-game series. Nick Ahmed had two hits and two RBIs and Christian Walker delivered two hits and two runs for the Diamondbacks.

Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley homered for the Braves, who have lost four straight since winning their first game after the break. Atlanta starter Charlie Morton (10-7) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.

Rangers 5, Rays 1

Jonah Heim delivered a game-sealing home run, the bullpen stepped up after Jon Gray exited early with an injury and Texas went on to a victory over visiting Tampa Bay.

The Rangers completed the three-game sweep. The American League East-leading Rays were swept for just the second time this season.

The AL West-leading Rangers are off to a 6-0 start following the All-Star break. Gray had his start cut short when he took a 112 mph comebacker off his left leg in the fifth inning. The Rangers announced that Gray had a bruised shin and X-rays were negative.

Pirates 7, Guardians 5

Ji Man Choi and Jared Triolo hit two-run singles in a five-run seventh as Pittsburgh rallied to avoid a series sweep with a win over visiting Cleveland.

Jack Suwinski added an RBI double and Nick Gonzales an RBI single for the Pirates, who lost the first two games of the series while being outscored 21-1. Reliever Ryan Borucki (1-0) gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Josh Bell homered and added an RBI single and Amed Rosario contributed a two-run double for the Guardians. Sam Hentges (1-2), who allowed four runs while getting one out, was charged with the loss.

Orioles 8, Dodgers 5

Ramon Urias drove in three runs and Gunnar Henderson homered as Baltimore salvaged the finale of a three-game series against visiting Los Angeles.

Urias went 2-for-3 with two doubles, while Henderson went 1-for-3 with a solo homer for the Orioles. Reliever Danny Coulombe (3-1) picked up the win by allowing just one hit over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Felix Bautista picked up his 26th save of the season.

Max Muncy hit a two-run homer and James Outman added a solo shot for the Dodgers. Los Angeles starter Julio Urias (7-6) gave up eight runs on eight hits in five innings.

Astros 4, Rockies 1

Chas McCormick homered, Jake Meyers had two hits and Houston beat Colorado in Denver.

Brandon Bielak (5-5) pitched well over 5 2/3 innings and combined with four Houston relievers to hold Colorado to two hits. The Astros improved to 22-6 against the Rockies since the start of 2013.

C.J. Cron homered for Colorado, which finished its homestand 3-2 against the New York Yankees and Astros. Rockies starter Austin Gomber (8-8) allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out five in six innings.

Brewers 5, Phillies 3

William Contreras doubled twice, singled and drove in two runs to lift Milwaukee past host Philadelphia.

Blake Perkins added two hits, two RBIs and two runs for the Brewers, who have won five of their past six games. Four Brewers relief pitchers, including winner Hoby Milner (2-0), combined to throw four scoreless innings.

Nick Castellanos hit a solo home run and Kyle Schwarber added a two-run single for the Phillies, who had their four-game winning streak end. Jeff Hoffman (3-2) took the loss.

Reds 3, Giants 2

Will Benson belted a three-run homer and Graham Ashcraft tossed six-plus innings as host Cincinnati snapped a six-game skid with a victory over San Francisco.

Ashcraft (5-7) allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The Reds mustered just four hits en route to posting their first win since an 8-5 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 8.

Blake Sabol belted an opposite-field homer to lead off the seventh inning and recorded two of the six hits for the Giants, who saw their seven-game winning streak come to a halt. Ross Stripling (0-3) was saddled with the loss.

Tigers 3, Royals 2

Miguel Cabrera delivered the tiebreaking single and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched seven strong innings to help Detroit win at Kansas City for the second time in three days.

Cabrera's sixth-inning single put the Tigers ahead to stay. Detroit's Javier Baez homered, and Riley Greene had three hits.

Rodriguez (6-5) allowed two runs and four hits while striking out seven and walking none. Jason Foley tossed a scoreless eighth, and Alex Lange worked out of a jam in the ninth for his 16th save. Kansas City's Ryan Yarbrough (2-5) worked 5 2/3 innings before leaving with a cramp in his left hamstring. He gave up three runs, six hits and one walk while fanning four.

Cubs 8, Nationals 3

Nico Hoerner's first career grand slam highlighted a five-run eighth inning and Chicago overcame blowing a two-run lead in the top of the frame to beat visiting Washington.

Mike Tauchman homered for one of his three hits and had three RBIs, and Yan Gomes, on his 36th birthday, gave the Cubs a 4-3 lead with his sacrifice fly against Mason Thompson (3-3) in the eighth. Then with two out, Hoerner (two hits) sent a 1-1 fastball from Cory Abbott well into the left field bleachers to break the contest open and help Chicago to a second straight victory -- and get its first home series win since June 16-18.

Trevor Williams yielded two runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout in five innings for Washington, which is 1-4 since winning three straight.

Twins 6, Mariners 3

Max Kepler homered and scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball as Minnesota won in Seattle to continue its fast start to the second half of the season.

Edouard Julien and Alex Kirilloff also went deep and Kenta Maeda pitched 6 1/3 strong innings for the Twins, who have won five of six games since the All-Star break. Twins reliever Emilio Pagan (4-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory, and Jhoan Duran created but escaped a ninth-inning jam for his 16th save.

Tom Murphy and Eugenio Suarez homered for the Mariners, who dropped to 2-4 on their 10-game homestand. Seattle will look to win on Thursday to gain a split of the four-game series. Reliever Andres Munoz (2-3) took the loss after surrendering the lead an inning after the Mariners tied it.

--Field Level

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