Continuing Coverage of Major League Baseball (MLB)

June 30, 2026 MLB Players of the Day

American League

Cole Young socked a pair of home runs, leading Seattle to a 6-2 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Angels in Seattle.

After the Angels had taken a 2-0 lead, Young’s solo shot in the third made it 2-1, and the Mariners would go on to score five more times, finished off by Young’s two-run rip in the sixth while starter George Kirby settled in and didn’t allow a run after the third inning, finishing with eight strong innings of work.

The Mariners dropped out of first place in the division over the weekend, losing four of five while the Texas Rangers won five straight to take a 1/2 game lead in the division. Their Monday win keeps them in the fight in the tight AL West race that has Houston two games out and the A’s in fourth place, three behind Texas. The Angels are 7 1/2 back, in last place. Seattle’s series with the Angels continues Tuesday.

AL Streaks: Red Sox, Rays, Rangers, won 5; Yankees, lost 5.

National League

Javier Sanoja singled, doubled, and delivered a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning, breaking open a back-and-forth game as the Marlins out-slugged the Rockies, 10-7, in the opener of a four-game series, Monday in Denver.

Sanoja’s first two hits went for naught as he was left stranded after a single in the fourth and a double in the sixth inning. Teammate Griffin Conine gave the Marlins a 6-5 lead with a three-rn homer in the fifth and Sanoja expanded the lead with his three-run triple, scoring on a Joe Mack’s infield single

The Marlins are putting it all together as baseball heads for the All-Star break in two weeks. They’ve won 9 of their last 11, and are 19-6 for the month of June. With both the Phillies and Braves losing on Monday, they’ve crept to within 5 1/2 of Atlanta and are just two games behind the Phillies.

The series with the Rockies continues Tuesday.

NL Streaks: Cubs, Dodgers, won 3; Braves, Mets, Reds, Rockies, lost 2.

June 28, 2026 MLB Players of the Day

American League

The top spot in the AL East changed hands over the weekend.

While the Yankees were losing four straight at Boston, Tampa Bay swept Arizona in a three-game series at Tropicana Field, taking Sunday’s finale, 5-1, leaving the Rays atop the division with the Yankees a game back.

Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.45) provided Tampa Bay with six innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits and one walk, fanning five. Three Tampa Bay relievers finished the job, Ketel Marte’s solo homer in the eight spoiling the shutout. For June, Rasmussen is 3-2 in five starts, but has allowed just three runs in 33 innings for an ERA of 0.82.

Arizona fell below .500 (41-42) and are 12 1/2 back in the NL West, with the Padres in second, 10 games behind the Dodgers, who have the best record in the majors, at 54-30.

Winners of five straight, Tampa Bay gets a day off Monday in advance of a six game road trip to Kansas City and Houston before returning home for four games with the Yankees, Monday, July 6 to the 9th. Arizona will try to get back on track when they host three with the Giants starting Monday.

AL Streaks: Rays, won 5; Blue Jays, lost 6.

National League

Luis Garcia Jr. accounted for all six runs in Washington’s 6-4 win at Baltimore, taking two of three from the Orioles, keeping them relevant in the tightening race in the NL East, with the Phillies, Marlins, and Nationals all chasing the Braves, who have gone 4-11 since June 9.

Garcia got the Nats on the board with a two-run double in the third inning, later scoring on an error. In the fifth, Garcia cracked a two-run homer and followed up with a solo shot in the seventh, giving him five RBI on the day. Garcia has 55 RBI on the year, just three behind league leader, Andy Pages of the Dodgers.

The Nationals are 7 1/2 out in the division, but improved to 43-42. Winning the last two at Camden Yards halted a four-game losing streak. The Nationals head up the coast to Boston on Monday, opening a three-game series at Fenway Park with the Red Sox. Baltimore has lost four of its last five and host the White Sox for three games starting Monday. The O’s are 11 games out in the AL East.

NL Streaks: Cubs, Nationals, Dodgers, Giants, won 2; Diamondbacks, lost 3.