Ohtani, who was voted in as the starter at designated hitter for the American League on Friday, was named an All-Star as a starting pitcher on Sunday, as announced on ESPN. It’s another incredible accomplishment for Ohtani, who was also the unanimous winner of last year’s AL MVP Award. He’ll get a chance to show off his two-way talent for the Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium on July 19, although he hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll participate in the Home Run Derby on July 18 like he did last year .

“It’s a huge honor,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “I would like to give it my best for all the people who voted and supported me.”

Angels interim manager Phil Nevin, who was an All-Star in 2001 with the Padres, marveled at Ohtani being selected as both a DH and a starting pitcher for a second straight year.

“I think it’s awesome,” Nevin said. “This game is about the big stage and everybody being able to see the best players in our game, and he certainly is on both sides of the ball. To see him get an inning on the mound and hit, I think that’s what fans want to see. We see it every day, so we get kind of spoiled. I know fans on the East Coast don’t get to see him as much, so to be able to tune in on Tuesday and see both sides of Shohei is special.”

Ohtani, 28, has been pitching even better than he did last season, as he’s 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 14 starts. He has struck out 111, walked 20 and allowed eight homers in 81 innings. He has punched out 34.4 percent of the batters he has faced, which is the second-best mark among Major League starters, behind only Rays All-Star Shane McClanahan’s 36 percent.

Ohtani has been on an incredible run recently, as he’s 5-0 with a 0.27 ERA over his past five starts and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his past four outings. Ohtani is also batting .289/.383/.598 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 27 games over that span. He became just the eighth player since earned runs became official in 1913 to have at least 40 strikeouts and zero earned runs in a four-start span.

“There’s so many adjectives you could use to describe him,” Nevin said. “I feel like I say it every week but he puts us on his shoulders and grabs a hold of the game and runs with it.”

Ohtani was the starting pitcher for the AL last year — and the leadoff hitter — but it hasn’t been announced who will start this year’s Midsummer Classic for the AL. Houston’s Justin Verlander and McClanahan are other top candidates.

“I haven’t talked to anybody yet about when and where I’ll be playing in the All-Star Game,” Ohtani said. “I will come up with my plan once I find out more.”

If Ohtani doesn’t start, however, it could be difficult for him to find the time to get warmed up as a pitcher if he’s also serving as the starting DH. But Nevin said he’s confident they’ll find a plan that works for Ohtani and will keep him healthy.

“I’m not sure how it would work if he’s DHing and needs to ramp up, but I’m never worried about anything he’s going to do physically,” Nevin said. “He’s very mindful of what is good and bad for his body . He’s pretty impressive with what he does with his body.”

Ohtani will be joined by fellow superstar Mike Trout as the Angels’ representatives for the All-Star Game. It’s Trout’s 10th All-Star selection and his ninth as a starting outfielder. Nevin recently stumped for outfielder Taylor Ward and left-hander Patrick Sandoval to be All-Stars, but neither were selected.

MLB All-Star Week information can be found at AllStarGame.com and on social media @MLB. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.

Starters for the American and National Leagues were named on Friday, but tonight’s show is revealing the pitchers and reserves for both leagues.

Keep it here for an up-to-the-minute list as all of this year’s All-Stars are named.

Shane McClanahan, LHP, Rays
Nestor Cortes, LHP, Yankees
Alek Manoah, RHP, Blue Jays
Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros
Martin Pérez, LHP, Rangers
Paul Blackburn, RHP, A’s
Gerrit Cole, RHP, Yankees
Justin Verlander, RHP, Astros
Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH, Angels

Clay Holmes, RHP, Yankees
Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians
Gregory Soto, LHP, Tigers
Jorge Lopez, RHP, Orioles

Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
Jose Altuve, 2D, Astros
Rafael Devers, 3D, Red Sox
Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox
Shohei Ohtani, DH, Angels
Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
Mike Trout, OF, Angels
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees

Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros
Miguel Cabrera, DH, Tigers (Special Selection)
Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox
José Ramírez, 3D, Guardians
Jose Trevino, C, Yankees
Luis Arraez, 1B, Twins
Andrés Gimenez, 2B, Guardians
George Springer, OF, Blue Jays
Byron Buxton, OF, Twins
Andrew Benintendi, OF, Royals
Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros
Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners

Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Cardinals
Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, Marlins
Manny Machado, 3D, Padres
Trea Turner, SS, Dodgers
Bryce Harper, DH, Phillies
Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves
Joc Pederson, OF, Giants
Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers

William Contreras, C, Braves
Nolan Arenado, 3D, Cardinals
Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets
Albert Pujols, DH/1B, Cardinals (Special Selection)
Jeff McNeil, 2B, Mets
Travis d’Arnaud, C, Braves
CJ Cron, 1B, Rockies
Dansby Swanson, SS, Braves
Kyle Schwarber, OF, Phillies
Juan Soto, OF, Nationals
Starling Marte, OF, Mets
Ian Happ, OF, Cubs

Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins
Corbin Burnes, RHP, Brewers
Luis Castillo, RHP, Reds
Max Fried, LHP, Braves
Tony Gonsolin, RHP, Dodgers
Joe Musgrove, RHP, Padres

Edwin Diaz, RHP, Mets
Josh Hader, LHP, Brewers
Ryan Helsley, RHP, Cardinals
David Bednar, RHP, Pirates
Joe Mantiply, LHP, D-backs

That’s what made it all the more captivating.

The Orioles’ show was baseball’s Sunday matinee.

This streak’s victory was in a different sense altogether. Though technically winning in a comeback, the Orioles responded to Monte Harrison’s two-run homer off Austin Voth with all nine of their runs between the fourth and sixth innings, including four-run frames in the fourth and fifth. All of their damage, highlighted by RBI doubles from Ryan Mountcastle and Anthony Santander, remained in the yard and included multihit performances from Trey Mancini and Ramón Urías. Two runs came on a passed ball and a wild pitch in the fifth inning.

Remember the feeling of the rebuilding past four years, when it felt as if anything that could go wrong, did go wrong? There’s a different vibe in Baltimore these days.

It was just last week when Arenado cycled for the second time in his career and later jump-started a historic four-homers-in-a-row stretch, but the superstar third baseman got swept up in the team’s downright offensive offense in Saturday’s biggest momentum. When Arenado took strike three on an air-bender of a curveball from Corey Knebel and failed to drive home the tying run from third, he took a flying leap onto the sword by blaming himself for the latest loss. In actuality, Arenado was far from the only Cardinal to blame on a day when the offense had little more than a whimper to offer in a 1-0 loss to the Phillies.

“You’ve got to give credit where credit is due because [Knebel] made a really good pitch, but I just feel like I blew it there,” said Arenado, who still had eye-black smeared under his eyes and down his cheeks an hour after the game. “That’s just how it’s going, and it’s not working out. I feel like I took some good swings that at-bat. It sucks, but I blew it there.”

Arenado being unable to get the bat off his shoulder in a big spot perfectly summed up the dour feelings about an offense that has been held scoreless four times in seven games and one that has just seven runs in the past 65 innings. A Cardinal team that came into the season feeling like it had the most length in its lineup in years has fallen flat all at once, leading to six losses in a seven-game stretch.

“We’ve just got to find a way to play offensively,” said All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who reached base in the ninth on a fielder’s choice but was also held hitless in four at-bats. “When stuff happens, it turns and there’s usually not a rhyme or reason. Hopefully, we can get a big hit or a breakout inning and things will start to roll again.”

How bad of a rut are the Cardinals in offensively? Because of injuries to starting outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Harrison Bader and an illness to utility infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan, the Cardinals were forced to start four players at the bottom of their lineup — Corey Dickerson, Lars Nootbaar, Edmundo Sosa and Andrew Knizner — who came in hitting worse than .200. Ironically, the only offense of the day came from that grouping as Nootbaar and Knizner had the team’s lone hits, Knizner a single and Nootbaar a double.

Dickerson, who was activated off the IL after injuring his calf muscle and enduring a couple of setbacks — ended the game with a deep fly ball to right field that was caught at the warning track. Like on his final swing, Dickerson feels the Cards are close right now but just missing their target by a small margin.

“Maybe in 2018 or ’19, maybe,” Dickerson said when asked if he ever thought his final fly might leave the park. “I got a heater and I feel like I got to it OK, but it was just a hair or two off the sweet spot. I also hit it in the wrong place.

“We’ve really got to relax and try to do less,” added Dickerson, who has seen various offenses struggle in his MLB career. “I think when you cheer your teammates on and worry less about yourself so much, good things tend to start happening. it’s hard [to not press] because we’re playing to everybody else’s expectations. It’s a game or performance and it’s hard to not press, but sometimes the best way to [break out] is to simplify things.

The biggest roar of the day from the Busch Stadium crowd of 41,853 came when Albert Pujols was announced as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. A night before, Pujols — who has been stuck on home run No. 683 for weeks — drove a ball to the left-field wall. Phillies manager Rob Thomson did n’t give Pujols a chance to hit there, ordering an intentional walk, and he was booed by the home fans.

The threat ended when rookie Nolan Gorman — who has been working for weeks to get better against left-handed pitching — flew out to left field.

In essence, the game ended in the ninth when Arenado couldn’t pull the trigger on Knebel’s knee-bending curveball.

“We’re just in a rut, having trouble scoring runs and we’re not driving the ball,” Arenado said. “That’s what it comes down to. There’s just no power lately. It’s hard to rally with the shifts and all that, so we’ve got to drive the ball and we’re not doing that.”

He believes Saturday will prepare the Phillies for the grind ahead and any of those intense, anxious and awesome moments that come if they get there. The Phillies beat the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, 1-0. Everything happened in the ninth inning to give the game a postseason feel, from manufacturing the game’s only run in the top half to finding their way into and out of a major jam in the bottom half.

“Those types of innings, those types of situations, especially on the road, probably is our best chance to feel that before we get there,” Hoskins said.

Philadelphia (46-39) is a season-high seven games over .500. It is two games ahead of St. Louis for the third NL Wild Card.

“It felt like playoff baseball a little bit, I guess,” Alec Bohm said. “I’ve never experienced it, but it’s kind of what you could imagine.”

The Phillies and Cardinals carried a scoreless tie into the ninth, thanks to seven scoreless innings from Kyle Gibson.

Darick Hall got things going. He joined the team last week because Philadelphia needed thump in the lineup without Bryce Harper and Jean Segura. He wanted to get on base so he actually talked with hitting coach Kevin Long about bunting a ball up the third-base line.

Hall adjusted. He crushed the next pitch to right-center field for a double. Pinch-runner Mickey Moniak advanced to third on Didi Gregorius’ bunt single up the first-base line.

“We hadn’t done much the whole game,” Gregorius said. “I haven’t done much anyway. So, I was like, ‘I’ve got to do something for the team.’ I bunted foul to third the first time and I saw they didn’t move. I’m like, ‘I’ll just take it with me.’”

Bohm followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies the lead. Bohm homered twice in Friday’s 2-0 victory. He has knocked in the only three runs in the series.

Corey Knebel started the ninth with Seranthony Domínguez unavailable and left-hander Brad Hand not expected to face right-handed hitters Paul Goldschmidt and Arenado. Knebel walked Juan Yepez ten five pitches, although two of the balls probably should have been strikes. Goldschmidt hit a chopper to Bohm. He fielded the ball cleanly but he threw on the run, and the ball sailed into right field to put runners at the corners.

“I made a pretty crucial mistake,” Bohm said. “But that’s what this team does. We pick each other up.”

Knebel and Arenado locked up in a nine-pitch at-bat. It was 3-2 when Arenado struck out looking on a curveball.

Knebel and Philadelphia catcher Garrett Stubbs noticed something earlier that they tried to exploit. Arenado grounded out on a curveball in the dirt from Gibson in the fourth. He fouled off another curveball in the dirt from Knebel.

“I’ve been keeping the curveball for a ball this whole time,” Knebel said. “I’ll just throw it for a strike. After I threw a fastball up by his face and then was living with the fastball up, I think Stubbs and I were on the same page right there. I was thinking curveball. He put it down. Let’s go.”

Goldschmidt stole second on the play to put runners on second and third. Dylan Carlson grounded a 0-1 fastball between the mound and first base. Knebel got a couple steps off the mound, then stopped and ducked. He expected Yepez to run home and did not want to interfere with Hoskins’ throw to the plate.

“I just hit the deck,” Knebel said.

But Yepez never ran, which surprised everybody on the Phillies. Hoskins looked back Yepez at third, then turned to first. He could not beat Carlson to the bag. Fortunately, Bryson Stott was on his way. He shouted at Hoskins a couple times and got to first in time to take the throw.

“I was going for the ball at first,” Stott said. “Once I saw Rhys had it, I looked at the runner. I saw Corey just there. That’s when I knew I should get to first base because nobody else was going. I let Rhys know that I was there so he didn’t have to get into a footrace.”

“I’m glad he was paying attention because I wasn’t there,” Knebel said.

Knebel thanked Stott in the dugout afterward for making a game-saving play.

Corey Dickerson fled out to right to end the game.

“We know we can score runs, we know we can pitch,” Bohm said. “But to win a game like that where it’s 0-0, you’re grinding, both pitchers have their stuff working, it’s cool to see our bullpen come in and shut games down. It’s a big confidence boost. As a baseball fan, you see something like that happen and you’ve seen the movie before. You kind of see where it’s heading. But Corey was able to come up big. … It was fun to play like that with that confidence.”

“It’s a great honor for both of them,” said Angels interim manager Phil Nevin. “It’s a credit to them as teammates and players. For me, I’ll watch the All-Star Game a little differently, watching my guys. But hopefully we get one or two more.”

Ohtani, the reigning AL MVP, had a memorable All-Star experience last year, when he participated in the Home Run Derby, started the game on the mound and served as the leadoff hitter in the AL’s 5-2 win at Coors Field. He remains a candidate to pitch the first inning for a second straight year, but other options could include Houston’s Justin Verlander or Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan.

“I had a lot of fun last year, but I’m looking to have more fun this year,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “I’m honestly very honored and very thankful for the fans voting me in. I think it’s going to lead to more motivation for me to play better.”

Ohtani, 28, has been putting together another incredible season both at the plate and on the mound. He entered Friday hitting .257/.343/.490 with 18 homers, 15 doubles, 10 stolen bases and 53 RBIs in 81 games, while also going 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 81 innings. He’s been on a tear recently, going 5-0 with a 0.27 ERA over his last five starts with seven homers as a hitter over that span.

“Once again, what he’s doing this year, we’ve never seen anything like this,” Trout said. “I’m happy he made the team. I’m excited for him.”

Trout, meanwhile, will be participating in his first All-Star Game since 2019, as the 2020 Midsummer Classic was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he missed last year’s edition with a strained right calf. Trout was elected as a starter each year 2013-19 and again last year and this year.

“It’s special,” Trout said. “It means a lot. Obviously, it’s a fan vote so it’s a special honor. It’s a fun couple of days. And this one is in LA, so it’s not too far from my home. It’s pretty cool. I just like being in that clubhouse. You can’t take it for granted. They’re the best of the best.”

Trout, 30, is having another strong year despite a recent slump, as he went into Friday’s action batting .265/.367/.601 with 23 homers, 17 doubles and 48 RBIs in 75 games. He said he’s thankful the fans recognized him as a starter again and that he enjoys the experience. He was the All-Star Game MVP in both 2014 and ’15.

“I always enjoy going,” Trout said. “It’s a fun few days. It’s fun for the fans. They get to see their favorite players. I really enjoy it. I’ve missed it. I’m glad I’m healthy this year. The last few years, the injury was tough for me mentally and physically. But this year I’ve been able to be out there.”

Trout is the first player to be voted in by the fans as a starter for nine straight All-Star Games since Alex Rodriguez (2000-08) and only the eighth player in AL history to earn nine fan selections with one organization, joining Cal Ripken Jr., George Brett, Ken Griffey Jr., Rod Carew, Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki and Iván Rodríguez.

Another reason Trout’s 10th trip to the All-Star Game will be special: He’ll be able to bring his son, Beckham, for the first time. Beckham turns 2 years old on July 30, and Trout said it worked out great that the game will be held just 30 miles north of Anaheim at Dodger Stadium.

“Beckham is going to be coming, so it’s going to be special,” Trout said. “I brought my nephew to the Derby a couple years ago. So it’ll be a special moment for me, for the first time, being able to bring my son to the All-Star Game.”

The All-Star reserves will be announced on Sunday at 2:30 pm PT on ESPN. MLB All-Star Week information can be found at AllStarGame.com and on social media @MLB. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.

Voting is closed in the 2022 Chevrolet All-Star Ballot Finals, and the American League and National League All-Star Game starters were announced on the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Starters Reveal Show on ESPN.

The leading vote-getter in each league from Phase 1 of the voting — Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the American League and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the National League — has already received a spot in his team’s starting lineup at the 92nd Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 19.

Here are the All-Star Starters:

The pitchers and reserves for both squads — totaling 23 players for each side — will be determined via “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. The complete All-Star rosters will be announced during the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Selection Show on Sunday at 5:30 pm ET on ESPN.

Before today’s biggest stars take the field in the All-Star Game, the stars of tomorrow will have a chance to grab the spotlight in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium on July 16 at 7 pm ET.

The All-Star Week festivities will continue with Day 1 of the MLB Draft on July 17 at 7 pm ET from Xbox Plaza in LA The Draft was held during All-Star Week for the first time last year.

On July 18, the game’s top sluggers will take the stage at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, airing live on ESPN from Dodger Stadium at 8 pm ET.

It all leads up to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game the following night, airing live on FOX starting at 7:30 pm ET.

It was one of frustration and heartbreak.

But something is happening with the bullpen this year, particularly since the end of May. Not only is it pitching well; it is dominating. It is making up for the losses of Bryce Harper and Jean Segura by keeping the Phillies in games when they’re behind and holding onto narrow leads when they’re ahead.

Philadelphia’s bullpen allowed one run in five innings in Thursday’s 5-3 victory over the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. It is a huge reason why the Phillies hold a share of the third NL Wild Card spot as they open a nine-game road trip on Friday in St. louis

“Everybody is throwing the ball really well down there,” Phillies ace Zack Wheeler said. “Give them credit. They keep grinding. They know the narrative the past couple years, but they’re pushing against it and doing well. They’re making everybody be quiet, which is a good thing.”

From Opening Day through May 31, the bullpen was 8-11 with a 4.17 ERA. Opponents had a .731 OPS against it. It ranked seventh in baseball in strikeout rate (25.3 percent), but 29th in walk rate (11.1 percent). It ranked 18th with a 1.1 WAR, according to FanGraphs. But from June 1 through Wednesday, it was 9-3 with a 3.11 ERA. Opponents had a .581 OPS against it. It ranked fourth in strikeout rate (27.1 percent) and 17th in walk rate (9.5 percent). It is tied for second in baseball with a 1.5 WAR.

Phillies relievers are limiting hard contact better as well, as evidenced by a 42.6 percent hard-hit rate and 89.4 mph average exit velocity through May compared to 32.3 percent and 88.6 mph since June 1. They are behind in the count less, too: 30.1 percent of pitches through May vs. 28.8 percent since June 1. And they are ahead in the count more: 26 percent of pitches through May vs. 27.2 percent of pitches since June 1.

An extra strike here and there every night makes a huge difference.

“I think once you get a bullpen hot and things start clicking the right way, it’s a lot easier to keep things going rather than if it’s the opposite,” left-hander Brad Hand said. “If you start giving up some leads, starting to give up some runs, it can snowball. We’ve just got to keep attacking hitters and keep getting outs.”

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson is pushing the right buttons along the way as his pitchers have settled into their roles. Hand and Seranthony Domínguez have shared closing duties over the past few weeks. Thomson interchanges them depending on how the opposing lineup stacks up in the eighth and ninth innings. José Alvarado, Corey Knebel and Andrew Bellatti are pitching well in high-leverage situations in the middle-to-late innings.

Nick Nelson has been an effective long man for much of the season. He pitched two scoreless innings Thursday. Alvarado followed; he struck out Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz in order in the seventh. After being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley at the end of May, Alvarado has struck out 17 and walked four in nine innings in his last 11 appearances.

Alvarado threw seven sinkers Thursday that averaged 100.7 mph. He threw seven cutters that averaged 95.5 mph.

Most important: he threw nine strikes.

“His stuff is electric,” Hand said.

Hand allowed one run in the eighth, but Domínguez pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his third save. The 27-year-old righty has been absolutely dominant this season and should receive NL All-Star consideration, even though that often seems to go to relievers with the most saves.

“We were just talking about that,” Wheeler said about Domínguez’s All-Star case. “He doesn’t get as much credit as he should, but he’s faced the toughest parts of the lineup, whether it’s the eighth or ninth.”

But think back to the past few years. So many times the Phillies entered the late innings down a run or two, then — poof — a small deficit ballooned into a big one, ruining any chance of a comeback. Then, of course, there was the seemingly endless run of blown saves.

It’s not happening this year.

“Everybody has kind of calmed down a little bit,” Thomson said. “They know where they’re going to pitch and what part of the game they’re going to pitch in. I think that helps them out. They’ve responded.”

The former had had more surgeries than home runs since April. The latter had been statistically one of the unluckiest hitters in the league. So it was nothing short of cathartic for those two to go a combined 4-for-8 with two home runs and eight RBIs in the Mets’ 10-0 drubbing of the Marlins at Citi Field, quieting — at least for a night – – whispers about their roles on the team.

“We all know what JD is capable of, and Mac’s track record,” manager Buck Showalter said, before adding: “We’re trying to see if everybody can play to their potential. A lot of times the pitchers don’t cooperate, but I like our guys. I like the players we have, and I don’t spend any time coveting anybody else’s.”

Showalter was referring to the notion that the Mets could upgrade their catcher or designated hitter positions before the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline — something that remains a possibility, but will become less so if McCann, Davis and Dominic Smith continue hitting as they have in recent days.

McCann, who had contributed a key RBI single to New York’s 10th-inning rally Wednesday in Cincinnati, hit a three-run homer out of the nine hole Thursday to break the game open in the fourth. Davis, who cracked the starting lineup due to the presence of Marlins lefty Daniel Castano, followed with his first career grand slam off reliever Jimmy Yacabonis in the fifth and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

It was more than enough offensive backing for Mets pitcher Trevor Williams, who delivered his longest, best and most efficient start of the season, holding the Marlins to two hits in seven innings.

“Sitting for a long time on the bench because the offense is scoring runs is always a good thing,” Williams said with a smile.

McCann’s job has always seemed more secure because of both his contract — he’s on the second season of a four-year, $40.6 million deal — and his expertise behind the plate. Still, the Mets expected much more offensively from McCann, whose OPS briefly dipped under .500 earlier this month. Given the depth of McCann’s struggles, it seemed natural to wonder if the Mets might pursue Cubs star Willson Contreras in a trade, or call up their own 20-year-old uber-prospect, Francisco Álvarez.

Two solid games won’t hush that line of thinking, but an extended hot streak could. As Showalter noted, barely eight weeks have passed since McCann underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left wrist; he’s only now beginning to reclaim his normal strength.

“It’s been a strange year for me — a slow start to the season, and then right as I feel like I’m starting to get going, the hand pops up,” McCann said. “It hasn’t been going great since coming back, but I definitely feel like the strength is starting to come back. I’m starting to get my timing, my feel — everything — and string some quality at-bats together.”

For both McCann and Davis, it’s not too late to make an impression on Mets general manager Billy Eppler, who still has nearly four weeks to play with until the Trade Deadline.

“We have the utmost confidence in ourselves and the guys in the dugout,” McCann said. “That’s what’s so special about this team.”

The early offensive support helped New York outlast an impressive performance by Rafael Devers, who homered twice and drove in all five Boston runs — all off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, who has surrendered six career homers to Devers, his most against any big leaguer.

Donaldson cleared the center-field wall in the third inning for his eighth home run of the year, followed immediately by Hicks, who belted rookie right-hander Josh Winckowski’s next pitch over the fence in right-center for his fifth homer.

Donaldson’s slam surely felt familiar for the Yankees, who watched Aaron Judge and Hicks each hit a bases-loaded blast in a 16-0 rout of the Pirates on Wednesday.

Other than his damaging showdowns against Devers, Cole was solid, navigating six innings of five-hit ball with seven strikeouts and three walks. Devers hit a two-run shot in the third inning and connected again in the fifth for a three-run shot, prompting Cole’s shoulders to sag before he stretched his arms outward, searching for answers.

Despite the power show, a fifth-inning misplay proved to be the difference in the game. Jose Trevino followed a Hicks triple with a sky-high popup that eluded first baseman Franchy Cordero, falling on the infield grass for a run-scoring double — briefly changed by the official scorer to an error, then changed back, restoring Trevino’s hit and RBI.