Mets dominate Brewers as Thornton shines
The New York Mets rolled past the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 on Saturday, with left‑hander Zac Thornton turning in a six‑inning, shutout performance that earned him his first major‑league victory. The effort underscored the Mets' pitching depth and gave the club a rare clean‑sheet against a division rival.
Manager Andy Green, who has been serving as interim skipper, used the opportunity to experiment with fresh arms, opting to option reliever Xzavion Curry and promoting rookie Daniel Duarte to the active roster. The moves signal a willingness to refresh the bullpen as the trade deadline approaches.
Veteran closer Edwin Díaz remains a candidate for activation this weekend at Citi Field, while the front office signaled no urgency to move star shortstop Francisco Lindor or to offload salary in upcoming deadline deals. The Mets appear focused on maintaining flexibility rather than engineering a salary dump.
Across the National League East, the Philadelphia Phillies fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Zack Wheeler absorbing his second loss; the Atlanta Braves were routed 8-3 by the San Diego Padres, where Reynaldo López surrendered five runs; the Miami Marlins dropped a 5-3 decision to the Houston Astros, highlighted by Joe Mack’s two‑run homer; and the Washington Nationals lost 8-7 to the Colorado Rockies, as Clayton Beeter gave up the game‑winning run.
The trade deadline chatter continues to swirl, with ESPN’s latest top‑100 trade candidates list fueling speculation about potential moves involving Tarik Skubal and the Dodgers, while Yordan Alvarez provides the Astros with a compelling reason to be buyers. The MLB Players Association has also released its latest collective bargaining proposal, and analysts are already dissecting which 2026 draftees could be the first to reach the majors.
In ownership news, José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones completed the final steps toward a possible purchase of the San Diego Padres, while veteran analyst Steve Sypa published another edition of his “Mets Minor League Players of the Week” feature and the podcast “A Pod of Their Own” returned with a fresh episode.
Forty years ago, the Mets were involved in a benches‑clearing brawl with the Cincinnati Reds, a moment that still surfaces in discussions of the club’s colorful history and serves as a reminder of the franchise’s volatile past.