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NEW YORK — Adam Ottavino never expected The Lab to turn into this.

The New York Mets reliever just wanted a place in the city to throw in the offseason, something that can be hard to find here in the winter months. Heading into the 2018 season, Ottavino — then with the Colorado Rockies — converted what used to be a Nine West shoe store underneath an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese on St. Nicholas Ave. in Harlem into an advanced pitching facility, decked out with cameras that measure pitch spin rates and iPads that provide pitchers with instant feedback.

“We were just trying to make the most of the situation,” Ottavino said.

Ottavino — who grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn — rented the retail space from his father-in-law hoping to find a temporary place to throw his bullpens after dropping off his two daughters at school. Five years later, The Lab welcomes everyone from college pitchers to minor leaguers to amateurs from New York’s men’s leagues, right on up to Ottavino’s fellow big leaguers — free agent hurler Matt Harvey, Chicago Cubs starter Jameson Taillon and Yankees reliever Michael King are among those who have made appearances.

“It wasn’t meant to be this way,” Ottavino said. “But I started realizing this was gonna be about more than me. It was gonna be about the whole New York City baseball community. Trying to be a resource for guys.”

To take The Lab to the next level this offseason, Ottavino hired staff to help run the facility for the first time, bringing in Gerardo Roque and Jason Pastuizaca — who both work in the Mets clubhouse. The space now resembles a baseball museum, curated by Ottavino, with autographed baseballs he’s collected throughout his career, including legends like Lou Brock, Ichiro Suzuki and Whitey Ford. There are autographed jerseys of some of Ottavino’s teammates over the years, including Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Nolan Arenado.

“Every time I come here, there’s something new,” Taillon said. “It’s just good vibes. This is all you need for guys who know what they’re doing, know how to work. There’s a group text and whenever I signed my new contract, I didn’t have like 90% of the numbers saved in there, but everyone was congratulating me.”

There are name plates for everyone who regularly pitches in the facility, a cork board with Polaroids taken by Ottavino inside The Lab, and a white board tallying the number of bullpens thrown by each pitcher, the top velocity thrown at The Lab (94.7 mph by King last winter while building up to full strength ahead of spring training) and a quote of the day, recently featuring a line from former United States secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld.

“There are known unknowns, things we know we don’t know,” the quote reads. “There are known knowns, things we know we know. Are there unknown unknowns? Things we don’t know that we don’t know?”

The community has grown steadily over the years, according to Alex Katz, who was one of the first people to use the facility when it opened. Katz — a friend of Ottavino who played in the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Cubs systems and runs the cleat customization company Stadium Custom Kicks — hopes to pitch for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, and uses The Lab to track his bullpen progress while getting advice from current big leaguers.

“It’s priceless, invaluable,” Katz said. “[You] can’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and get info like this. You can talk to guys who made All-Star teams. You can’t beat it.

For some in The Lab community, working alongside big leaguers like Taillon and Ottavino preparing for a season is inspirational. John Lynch, a junior at St. Joseph’s University on Long Island, got his first close-up exposure to major leaguers after an invite from Katz.

“You look at yourself and you look at them and they were in your shoes at one point and they’re just people,” Lynch said. “I’m one of the younger guys here and I’m just soaking it all in.”

For Jake Jaffee — a model who’s worked with Supreme, Harley Davidson and North Face and plays in his free time for the Hudson Hurricanes of the New York City Metro Baseball League — spending time in The Lab around major leaguers reignited his passion for baseball.

“I’ve gotten a whole new appreciation for what the players go through,” Jaffee said. “It’s surreal because you’re lucky to see a guy hitting 86, 87 in the men’s league, but to actually see up close 92, 93 and see the nuances of how guys pitch, you don’t get that inside scoop every day. It’s such a treat.”

The Lab also provided a place for pitchers to throw during last winter’s lockout when they were unable to use their teams’ facilities. King and current free agent reliever Luke Farrell both took advantage of The Lab during this period.

“It’s fun for me because you see them up close and make relationships out of it,” Ottavino said. “At the same time, it’s cool for them because they know they have a place they can come and be with their kind of people.”

Ottavino does not anticipate The Lab going away any time soon. The 37-year-old just signed a two-year, $14.5 million contract to return to the Mets, and said he’s noticed a connection between his performance and working in The Lab.

“My three best seasons are after I’ve worked out here,” Ottavino said. “I don’t know if that’s a direct correlation, but it’s pretty strong. It’s so hard to throw when you’re relying on others but when you have your own situation you can throw whenever you need to, work on getting better.”

That opportunity to get better with access to a lot of data is what appealed to Taillon, who is adding a sweeping slider to his pitch repertoire this offseason while finishing out his lease in New York after two seasons with the Yankees. The Trackman data has allowed Taillon to work on his release point and get instant feedback on how the ball is coming out of his hand.

“Plus, Otto is just a walking baseball encyclopedia,” Taillon said. “He’s probably better than 99% of pitching coaches in the league.”

For Ottavino, The Lab turned into the manifestation of a childhood dream, a place to create a community around the art and science of pitching.

“I know that if I were a younger guy and I had an opportunity to watch some major leaguers grow and talk to them and pick their brains, I would have loved that as a kid,” Ottavino said. “That would’ve carried me a long way into working hard every day towards my dream.”

Ottavino never expected that dream to come true in an unmarked Harlem storefront, but where The Lab is located doesn’t matter.

“You could put us in the middle of a freaking desert,” Taillon said, “but if we have this information and have this camaraderie, conversation, we’ll find a way to meet.”

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Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

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Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

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Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees were seemingly in deep trouble Sunday when Juan Soto cracked a pitch to left field in the seventh inning.

The New York Mets, down two runs, were cooking up a rally with no outs. Francisco Lindor stood at first base, Pete Alonso loomed on deck, and Brandon Nimmo was in the hole. This was the heart of the Mets’ potent lineup. Given the Yankees’ recent woes, fumbling their two-run lead and suffering a Subway Series sweep at the hands of their neighbors — and a seventh straight loss — seemed almost fated.

Then Cody Bellinger charged Soto’s sinking 105 mph line drive, made a shoestring catch and fired a strike to first base for an improbable double play to secure a skid-snapping 6-4 win — and perhaps rescue the Yankees from another dreadful outcome.

“Considering the context of this week and everything,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “that’s probably our play of the year so far.”

Soto’s line drive off Mark Leiter Jr. had a 10% catch probability, according to Statcast, but Bellinger, a plus defender at multiple positions who started at first base Saturday, was just able to snatch it before it touched the grass. Certain that he caught it clean, he made an 89.9 mph toss that reached first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a line, over Lindor, who didn’t slide into the bag.

“I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it,” said Bellinger, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate.

The Mets challenged the catch, but the call stood.

“That was incredible,” said Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who swatted his 33rd home run of the season in the fifth inning. “I’ve never seen something like that on the field.”

For the past week, a stretch Boone described as “terrible” for his ballclub, poor defense has been an issue for the Yankees. Physical errors. Mental lapses. Near disasters. The sloppiness helped sink a depleted pitching staff, more than offsetting the offense’s strong production.

That combination produced the team’s second six-game losing streak in three weeks and a three-game deficit in the American League East standings behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The surging Blue Jays won again Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games and keep their division lead at three games, but Bellinger’s glove and arm ensured it didn’t grow to four.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Goldschmidt said. “Amazing catch and absolute cannon to me at first. To make that play was a game-changing play and potentially game-winning play for us today. And we needed it.”

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