Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Mired in a six-game losing streak, Todd Frazier led the Mets attack in Friday night's 11-5 win at Philadelphia. His pair of three-run homers produced more than half the Mets runs. More importantly, it offered a jolt of badly needed energy after painful losses to the Braves and Cubs.

When I say "Cubs," you think of offensive stars such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez, Kyle Schwarber or mid-season deadline acquisition Nicholas Castellanos. But Thursday night's difference maker at Citi Field wasn't any of them. It was Victor Caratini , the backup catcher, who occasionally fills in at 1st base. With Rizzo sidelined with a back injury, that's where he played, hitting sixth against Jacob de Grom. The result: two booming home runs; the first tied the game in the second inning, the other, a three run shot down the right field line put the Cubs ahead to stay in their 4-1 series sweeping victory over the Mets. Caratini dominated de Grom the way few have in recent years: two home runs, four RBIs. Seemingly taken from the Mike Ford/Mike Tauchman Yankee playbook -- an unheralded reserve stepping up bigtime -- Caratini single-handedly handed the reigning Cy Young winner his worst outing since May 17th against Miami. The win helped the Cubs...

After a sluggish start to 2019, the Washington Nationals have caught fire. 10 games under .500 after a Memorial Day loss to the Marlins, DC's team stands 16 over this morning -- a 26-game turnaround in just three months. While pricey free agent pitcher Patrick Corbin has been effective at the top of the rotation alongside Stephen Strasburg and the now-injured Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon has keyed the offense. He's had quite a "walk" year -- hitting close to .330 with 29 homers and more than 100 RBI. The kind of numbers that help Washington fans deal with Bryce Harper's defection to the rival Phllies. With four-and-a-half weeks left in the season, the Nats hold the top NL Wild Card, three games ahead of the number-two Cubs and 5-1/2 clear of Harper's new team, the Phillies. Of course, nothing in settled. Should the Nats suddenly revert to their form of April and May, their lead could melt away. And, regardless of how the season goes, Washington fans...

Here's proof of how much baseball has changed over the decades: On this date in 1952, Phillies ace Robin Roberts goes all the way in a 10-6 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis -- the first of an amazing 27 consecutive complete games by the future Hall of Famer. Roberts -- who would go on to win an NL-leading 28 games that season -- wouldn't be lifted for a reliever until 10-1/2 months later, on July 9th, 1953 against the Dodgers. Ironically, the Phils came from behind to win that one, 6-5. 27 consecutive complete games. Don't expect anyone to come near that mark anytime soon. By comparison, 2018's leaders in complete games, a group that included Max Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard and James Paxton, had two each. (My image is from the Roberts' plaque on the Phillies Wall of Fame, which was relocated in 2018 near the left field gate of Citizens Bank Park.)

Sean Rodriguez certainly had a roller coaster of a last 24 hours. Early on Monday, with Bryce Harper set to return from paternity leave for the game against the Pirates, the Phillies had to drop one player. The choice appeared to come down to the erratic and confounding Mikael Franco or the 34-year-old utilityman. Sean survived the deadline; Franco returned to Lehigh Valley. Entering the game as a pinch hitter for Adam Hasely in the 7th inning, Rodriguez struck out and walked, before leading off the last of the 11th. The game was even at 5 -- and Rodriguez promptly untied it, with a bullet line drive down the left field line that cleared the fences for a walk off win . After spending 3-1/2 years with Pittsburgh, you know Sean had feel something extra in beating the club that led him go. And he was clearly happy to reward the organization that held onto him during an August roster crunch. For one night, anyway, the Phils made the right choice.

Aaron Judge 's bat has heated up on the Yankees West Coast trip. Back home in his native California, the Yankees face-of-the-franchise smacked four home runs -- one Tuesday night in Oakland, then three in three games over the weekend at Dodger Stadium. And Sunday night's blast gave the Yanks the lead to stay in what became a 5-1 victory. Just over three years after arriving in the majors -- when he and teammate Tyler Austin historically  homered back-to-back in their first at-bats -- Judge is now one home run shy of a hundred. Of course, since he's made 99 one of the most recognized numbers in baseball -- he trails only Bryce Harper in souvenir sales -- let's salute #99 on reaching 99 home runs.

In recognition of Cleveland hosting this year's All Star Game -- and its hometown's world class attraction, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum -- the Indians have sported this cleverly designed patch all season.

Noah Syndergaard was dazzling on Thursday night, throwing 5-1/3 perfect innings against the Indians at Citi Field. Working quickly and effectively, it was three-up and three-down through the first five frames. Syndergaard began the sixth the same way, retiring Taylor Naquin. An ex-Met finally broke up the no-hit bid: Kevin Plawecki blooped a single just in front of center fielder Juan Lagares. One out later, Francisco Lindor added a second hit. But that's all she wrote for Cleveland. Six shutout innings from "Thor," but a nearly two-and-a-half hour rain delay ended his bid for a complete game. Instead, once play resumed Jeurys Familia and Paul Sewald closed out the 2 - 0 victory. Now 27 - 10 in this stretch, the red-hot Mets swept the Indians and now get ready for a visit from the 1st place Braves.

J.D. Davis has been a vital cog in the Mets second half renaissance. The former Astros prospect crushed a single deep to left field to cap the Mets come-from-behind 10th inning win over the Indians on Wednesday night. Since moving into the starting lineup following Dominic Smith's injury, Davis has been one of the Mets hottest hitters. In the 24 games since July 25th, he's hit .377 with 6 homers and 18 RBI, while the team has gone 19 - 5. GM Brodie Van Wagonen has drawn plenty of criticism for his so-far ill-fated deals that netted Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz and Jed Lowrie. But bringing in Davis in what looked like a minor deal involving middling prospects has been his best move of all.

Tuesday wasn't the greatest outing of Clayton Kershaw 's career -- as he was touched up for three Toronto home runs over six innings. But, thanks to a five-run 3rd inning and a pair of four-run frames, the Dodgers ran and hid from the Blue Jays, winning 16-3. But the victory was historic -- Kershaw's 166th as a Dodger moved him past Sandy Koufax as the winningest lefthander in franchise history. It fits in with the comment his first big league manager Joe Torre made when he first worked with the then-19-year old: "He reminds me of Koufax." Joe knew Sandy first-hand, having faced him for his first six big league seasons. Now, three Cy Youngs and eight All Star Games later, Kershaw has surpassed Koufax's career win total.

Top prospects from both the Phillies and Yankees organizations were on display Saturday night when Reading's Fightin' Phils hosted the Trenton Thunder. Close to perfect baseball weather at the venue named the best minor league ballpark in the country. (And featuring a wide selection of tap beers that put a lot of "big league" parks to shame.) Let's focus on the talent. Below, the Phils' top positional prospect Alec Bohm . The club's 2018 first round pick was promoted from Single-A advanced Clearwater to Reading after just 40 games. A power-hitting 3rd baseman, Trenton appeared be pitching around him -- drawing walks his first two times up. Below: pitcher David Parkinson doesn't have the pedigree of Bohm, but has already won 10 games this season. Saturday, he held Trenton a home run, two singles and a walk over six innings. With the parent club in Philadelphia desperately in search of a lefthanded starter, the onetime 12th round pick -- seen here...

These somewhat Disney-fied statues have recently found a home on Yankee Stadium's 200 level. Always a smart move promoting franchise icons from past generations because time marches on: Mickey Mantle played his last game 51 years ago this September. Realistically, no one under age 58 will have much of a memory of him in the lineup. And it's been 85 years since Babe Ruth's last Yankee game. There's probably just a handful of spry 90-something fans who recall him batting ahead of Lou Gehrig on Joe McCarthy's squad. I must admit being surprised that this image of the Babe appears so subdued -- hardly the gregarious larger-than-life figure from his playing days. And that's in contrast to the smiling Mick representing his Triple Crown season of 1956 -- the first time I'd seen a Stadium tribute focused on that historic achievement. This gives us a moment to pause and reflect, as this week marks the anniversary of their passings: the Babe on August 16th in ...

Here's a quick look at another "Yankee for a Day." Pitcher Brady Lail got his call to the majors Monday after eight years in the organization. That's a long apprenticeship -- but the payoff came when he took over for Joe Mantiply in the 5th inning and got the first batter he faced, Jonathan Villar (below), to ground into a double play. His first inning and two-thirds of relief went well in the  nightcap  against Baltimore. But he ran out of steam as his 7th inning began. A walk and single were followed by a Hanser Alberto home run. Lail's night -- and first tenure with the Yankees -- were over. He was sent back to Scranton after the doubleheader. Later in the week, he was dropped from the organization's 40-man roster. Lail can always tell his kids that he was there. He got to call Yankee Stadium his home office for a day and pitched in a major league game. Brady Lail's name appears in baseball-reference.com and the all time roster of the New York ...

You've probably heard the expression TMI: "Too much information." While it's easy to point to a cliche for what went wrong with a ballclub, the Phillies have not lost since Tuesday, when the personable and persuasive Charlie Manuel replaced data-driven John Mallee as the club's hitting coach. Just check the results -- especially the last three games from Bryce Harper. Four home runs, including that dramatic walk-off grand slam Thursday night to shock the Cubs. Last night's three-run blast in the 6th inning was the big blow en route to a win over the Padres that gave the Phillies control over the second National League Wild Card. Harper and catcher J.T. Realmuto's bat's have heated up just in time for the Phils to more resemble the offensive force they were expected to be. Even diminutive Roman Quinn has joined the party. The center fielder the organization has waited for years to develop also homered, has gone 6-for-13 the last four games and is ...

In modern day baseball with 13-man pitching staffs, "openers" and multiple relievers day-in-day-out, rosters are constantly shuffled. So, it was no surprise that some of the pitchers who worked during the Yankees Monday doubleheader with the Orioles would find themselves elsewhere a day or so later. That was the case with Joe Mantiply : hello, goodbye and don't bother to rent anything more than a hotel room. The second of the pitching parade in Monday's nightcap, he went three innings, gave up three runs -- and, since the stater/opener Chad Green worked just over an inning, Mantiply wound up credited with the win -- just before getting a pink slip. Tuesday, the Yankees designated him for assignment. One game; one win; a brief but meaningful memory of being a Yankee.

Gary Sanchez (seen here in a 2018 game) and Gleyber Torres claimed a neat place in history during the Yankees 6-5 Wednesday win over the Orioles. You already know what Torres has done against Baltimore. Sanchez has also accomplished something special, just with a few less headlines. His 1st inning home run gave him 10 on the season versus the O's -- making him and Torres the second pair of teammates to each reach double digits in home runs against the same opponent in the same season. How rare is that? I think you've heard of the only other duo to pull this off. Numbers 3 and 4 in pinstripes: Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in that magical year, 1927.

The memory machine will be running at full speed tonight at Citizens Bank Park. After almost 120 games of underwhelming offense, the Phillies made a change at hitting coach -- firing the analytics-driven John Mallee and bringing back old-school franchise icon Charlie Manuel back as his replacement. The manager of the 2008 World Series champs will be in the dugout tonight to assist manager Gabe Kapler and spread his Yoda-like wisdom to a lineup that despite featuring Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura, has struggled most of the year. And when they look on the mound, they'll see Cole Hamels -- but in a Cubs uniform. The franchise's second-greatest lefthanded starter was the ace of Manuel's champion squad 11 seasons ago. Now 35, he's still an effective pitcher, having won six of his nine decisions. But his days as an innings-eating ace are in the rear-view mirror. Just having them both on the same field will stir up nostalgia for the Phillies' five s...

Gleyber Torres has 26 home runs this season -- half of them (13) in 17 games against the Orioles. While he's played Camden Yards like it was his favorite schoolyard, he's also flashed his talents at Yankee Stadium. Three home runs in Monday's doubleheader: one in the matinee. Let's follow the journey of his first of two in the nightcap, as he watches it soar toward the left field seats. The waiting party after Torres touches home. First, a hug from Aaron Judge, whom he drove in along with Gio Urshela. Then, a handshake from the hot-hitting 3rd baseman, as on-deck batter Brett Gardner looks on. Perhaps the greatest compliment to Torres came in the bottom of the 8th. Already with two homers, a single and six RBIs in the game, the O's issued him an intentional walk. 13 homers against an opposing team in the same season. Time to check the record book, where we, of course, find a beloved Yankee name: only Lou Gehrig can top that number in MLB history, with...

The Yankees applied that nickname to mid-20th century star Tommy Henrich. But it could as easily be given to Brett Gardner . The only current member of the team who played in the original Yankee Stadium, he's not only the leader in tenure, but remains a leader in other ways. Always intense, the speedy outfielder is often overlooked by more powerful teammates such as Judge, Stanton and Sanchez, and recent arrivals who've captured the fancy of the fans -- think Urshela and Tauchman. But make no mistake, Gardner makes himself heard. Not only when he smacks a bat on the inside of the dugout roof or jaws with umpires. Sunday, he was the one player who stood between a win and the Yankees being shut out. Brett's ground rule double drove home Gio Urshela for the only run of the game to back Masahiro Tanaka in a 1-0 victory at Toronto. Less than two weeks from turning 36, Gardner is having another productive season. A free agent at season's end, he could be in the final m...

A Mets fan favorite from the club's early days visited Citi Field Friday night, when they broke in their latest 2nd baseman. Ron Hunt , the scrappy player who challenged Pete Rose for NL Rookie of the Year in 1963 and went onto a productive 12-year career, held a meet-and-greet with fans in the Hall of Fame club. Along with Ed Kranepool, they were the talented novices who played for Casey Stengel in the Polo Grounds and moved onto Shea in 1964. Ron's wife Jackie also told me about how Duke Snider took Ron under his wing that first year, and taught him a lot about "reading the pitchers" from around the league -- valuable insights that help his career get off to a fast start. Ron is also part of a unique game in Mets history. On April 20th, 1963 , he was in the lineup when the Mets hosted the Milwaukee Braves at the Polo Grounds. In the bottom of the 1st, Ron singled off Warren Spahn, advanced on a single by Frank Thomas and was driven in on a Gil Hodges single. T...

The Mets wrote quite a comeback story Friday night. In the biggest game played at Citi Field since the 2016 Wild Card, Todd Frazier and Michael Conforto were the principal authors as the Mets rallied for a four-pack in the bottom of the 9th to stun the Washington Nationals. Frazier's three run homer off Sean Doolittle tied the score. Then, with two on and two out, Conforto scorched a line drive over right fielder Adam Eaton's head to bring home Juan Lagares with the winning run and a 7-6 victory. The mood was electric all night inside Citi Field. Below, a perfect example -- the crowd reacts, and the TV crew intrudes -- after JD Davis' game-tying 4th inning home run.

The Giants' collective mindset grew with Thursday night's victory over the Phillies. Just nine days after not trading soon-to-be-free agent Madison Bumgarner , their longtime ace authored a vintage performance. Matched up with the Phillies' best Aaron Nola at Oracle Park, the three-time World Series champ shut the Phils out on one hit over seven innings . While San Francisco has cooled a bit after a scorching run that put them in the Wild Card chase, outgoing skipper (and fellow future Hall of Famer) Bruce Bochy can feel a rare form of confidence writing Bumgarner's name on a lineup card every five days. It's true that swapping "MadBum" and his expiring contract might have brought an infusion of badly needed young talent. But when GM Farhan Zaidi reached the intersection of "Go for It Now" and "Cash Him In," he went with the choice that showed that he still believes Madison remains The Man.

Gio Urshela continues to be one of the breakthrough stories of 2019. On an injury-riddled Yankee team whose marching orders have been Next Man Up, the former Indian and Blue Jay hasn't just stepped up, but become a mainstay. A defensive wiz who never hit over .233 in parts of three previous seasons, Urshela has morphed into Graig Nettles and Scott Brosius. Last night, two more home runs and a double with four RBIs in a 14-2 destruction of the Orioles. Or maybe he's a 21st century Joe Hardy. Joe Who? Remember the classic 1950s movie Damn Yankees? The one where a passionate but frustrated fan makes a deal with the devil (Ray Walston) if his beloved Washington Senators could only beat the Yankees -- and the forever losers go onto the World Series. OK, it's not exactly the same story -- Joe was a devoted fan not a borderline major leaguer. And of course, he's helping, not hurting the Yankees. But watching this eight-game winning streak -- especially the three-game...

Monday night, the Yankees claimed another record. This one, the most home runs in a season at one opponent's park. Mike Tauchman's 6th inning blast was the Yanks' 30th this year at Camden Yards -- erasing a 1957 mark set by the Milwaukee Braves against the Reds at old Crosley Field. (That Braves club, featuring Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews, went onto win the World Series.) Symbolic of the home run explosion we've witnessed this year, the Yankees did it in their eighth game at the Orioles' home park. Tuesday, they cleared the fences six more times -- one, of course, by Tauchman, who also stole a home run with a terrific leaping catch of Pedro Severino in left field. They wrap their season visits to Baltimore tonight, meaning that record could easily grow further in one of baseball's most homer-friendly places. ( My image of Tauchman is from the May 4th Yankees/Twins game in New York .)

Of course Amed Rosario is smiling. His Mets are the hottest team in baseball. 11 games under .500 just three weeks ago, they've won 17 of their last 22 games -- including Monday's doubleheader sweep over Miami -- to climb into plus territory for the first time in May. More importantly, a club that seem to scream "rebuild" at the All Star Break is now just two games back in the Wild Card chase. And Rosario deserves credit, as well. A month ago, there was speculation that his defensive issues might force a move to center field. All of a sudden, his gloveworked improved to go along with an August batting average of .385. OK, time for a dose of reality. The Mets have taken advantage of a soft stretch in the schedule, beating up on the Pirates, Marlins, White Sox and Padres. They did sweep the Twins, while dropping three of four to the Giants. Starting Friday, things become a lot tougher with the Nationals, Braves and Cubs. A real test that will determine whether ...

August 5th, 1999 at Busch Stadium II: Mark McGwire bashes a pair of home run for the Cardinals. The first, (off Andy Ashby) was the 500th of his career, making him the 16th player to reach that milestone. He'd go onto finish that season with 65 homers and retire following the 2001 season with a lifetime total of 583. Sadly, with much of his career under the cloud of PED's, magnified by Congressional testimony that appeared evasive to some, McGwire failed to reach the Hall of Fame during his decade of eligibility. Ironically, that 10-3 Padres victory almost had a double dose of history. San Diego legend Tony Gwynn flied out twice and walked, before a two-RBI double in the 9th inning left him at 2999 career hits. But he didn't wait long to craft his own headline: Gwynn reached 3000 the next night against the Expos. (My image of McGwire is from 2015, while he was serving as a Dodgers coach.)

The Mets name a major addition after the All Star break -- and I don't mean Marcus Stroman. Returning July 23rd after a long roadt trip, you couldn't help notice the change in the foul poles -- now the Fowl poles in honor of the new Citi Field sponsor Chick Fil A. Their signs have brought a new dimension to ballpark advertising. The fast food chain has a similar deal with the Trenton Thunder minor league team in New Jersey as well as the Houston Astros. But it's a lot more than just the name of the business. They've branded the poles with their signature brand of humor. Silly? Sacriligious? Perhaps. Lucrative? Absolutely. Of course, the concept has been around for a while. Below, from 2005, a much subtler version of the concept at the Cardinals and Marlins' spring training home Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.

The news broke in the late afternoon of August 2nd, 1979. An off day for the Yankees, a day to head home after playing the White Sox in Chicago. A day to escape the stress of a deeply disappointing season, when hopes for a third straight championship were replaced by the painful reality of a 14-game deficit to the playoff bound Orioles. A day for families, hobbies, anything but baseball. For Thurman Munson, it was a day to spend at home in Canton, Ohio, to fly his prized Cessena private jet. Along with his instructor and a friend, Munson left the Akron-Canton Airport just after 3:30 to practice take-offs and landings. The first three went well; the fourth landing ended in tragedy. The Captain, the catcher, the career-long Yankee, the heart and soul of the franchise's 1970s return to prominence, gone in a moment. A locker left empty and preserved in that state forever -- even after being moved across the street to the current Stadium. A spot to remember a tenacious excellence,...

The Mets are finally seeing the performance they expected from Robinson Cano. The centerpiece of last winter's biggest trade, struggled through the first half of season, hardly looking the player who starred for the Yankees and Mariners. Since the All Star break, his numbers have improved as the Mets began to play their best ball of the year. A seven-game win streak; 13 victories in their last games -- but just 1 of 4 against the also reinvigorated Giants -- have given fans hope after three and a half months of despair. And Thursday, Cano was again front and center: his solo homer in the 2nd inning opened the scoring; his 6th inning double drove in Jeff McNeil. Heading into a weekend visit to the non-contending Pirates, the Mets are just two games under .500. A sweep gives them a winning record on the season. Plus, the following series is at home against the last place Marlins. Time to fatten up before the real test begins the following week: from August 9th through the 29th,...

The Astros made the biggest trade deadline splash when they grabbed Zack Greinke from the D'backs. Amazingly, they did it without giving up their top prospect Kyle Tucker, who for the second year in a row is slugging his way through Triple A. A huge talent (just a few wins shy of 200 for his career) with a huge paycheck, he slides in alongside Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole to give Houston a potentially dominating starting rotations. Anyone facing the Astros in October has to figure out how to beat this trio three times in the ALDS or four times in a seven-game ALCS or World Series. Pair them with a lineup featuring Altuve, Bregman, Correia, Springer, Gurriel and the impressive rookie Yordan Alvarez and you can see why Las Vegas oddsmakers have now made Houston the favorite to win it all. ( My image of Greinke is from a D'backs/Mets game in May 2018 .)