Continuing Coverage of Major League Baseball (MLB)
July 19, 2026 MLB Players of the Day
The Red Sox won their 13th straight game Sunday, handing the first-place Rays a 6-1 defeat at Boston’s friendly Fenway Park.
Red Sox starter, Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48), tossed six strong innings, leaving with a 6-1 lead, allowing five hits while walking four and striking out five. The only run Gray allowed was an inside-the-park home run by Tampa’s Victor Mesa Jr. that caromed into Fenway’s center field triangle and allowed the Rays’ right fielder to scamper around the bases. Gray has not lost a decision since April 14.
The result left the Rays just 1 1/2 ahead of the Yankees in the AL East, with Boston six back and Baltimore, winners of seven straight, eight in arrears. The Rays hav lost five straight and will be traveling to Toronto Monday to open a four game series with the last place Blue Jays. The Red Sox start a three-game series with the O’s Monday at Fenway.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 13; Rays, lost 5.
The Padres pounded the Royals on Sunday, socking five home runs, one by Fernando Tatis Jr., and two each by Ty France and Jackson Merrill, who added a pair of singles, going 4-for-6 with four RBI.
San Diego punished Kansas City, 19-2, avoiding a sweep as the Royal took the first two games of the series.
Merrill singled in a run in the second inning, stroked a solo homer in the fourth, adding a two-run shot in the ninth.
The Padres have struggled to keep pace in the NL West, dropping to third place just before the All-Star break, overtaken by Arizona. San Diego finds itself one game under .500 (49-50) as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. With seven teams ahead of them in the wild card race, the next two weeks will likely determine whether the Padres are buyers or sellers heading toward the trade deadline. At this point, it appears that some of their better players may soon be on the chopping block.
On Monday, the Padres embark on a six-game East coast swing, with four in Atlanta and three games with the Marlins in Miami.
NL Streaks: Brewers, won 3; Marlins, lost 6.
Boston erased a 6-3, seventh-inning deficit with a four-run uprising, punctuated by Wilyer Abreu’s second homer of the game, a two-run blast into the cheap seats over right field at Fenway Park, leading the Red Sox to a 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay, their twelfth straight.
Abreu’s solo shot in the third inning snapped an early, 2-2, tie, but the Rays rallied for two runs in the fourth and another in the seventh, before Boston struck back in the bottom of the frame.
The win left the Red Sox seven games out in the AL East, with second place held by the Yankees, two back of Tampa Bay. The Red Sox will be looking for a four-game sweep of the Rays when they meet Sunday at Fenway. Not to be forgotten, the Orioles are just two behind Boston, having won six straight. With roughly 65 games remaining in the regular season, the AL East could get very interesting, especially if the Yankees don’t get Aaron Judge back soon and the O’s and Sox pick up some help before the July 31 trading deadline. Stay tuned.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 12; Rays, Angels, lost 4.
Trea Turner took a few days off for the All-Star break and punished the Mets, going 3-for-4 with two singles, a solo homer, a stolen base, scoring three times as the Phillies whipped the Mets, 6-1, Saturday, in the second of their three-game series.
Turner, the spark plug for the Phillies’ offense, set up Kyle Schwarber’s first inning home run, putting Philadelphia up 2-0 n their NL East opponents. After the Mets cut the lead to 2-1, Turner responded with his solo shot in the fifth, and was on base again when Bryce Harper singled in a pair of runs in the sixth with the bases loaded.
Schwarber’s home run was his 33rd, which leads the majors. The race in the NL East tightened, as the first-place Braves dropped a 7-6 decision to the Rangers, leaving them just two games ahead of Philly and five up on the Marlins, who have lost five straight. The series, tied at a game apiece, concludes Sunday in Philadelphia.
NL Streaks: Brewers, won 2; Marlins, lost 5.
Leading up to the All-Star break, the Red Sox had become red hot, winning nine straight, all on the road. Returning home to Fenway Park didn’t slow down the Sox, taking both ends of a double-header from AL East-leading Tampa Bay, 10-0 in the opener and 5-3 in the nightcap.
While the position players were banging out 15 hits on their home return, starting pitcher,
Jake Bennett kept the Rays in check, going six innings without allowing a run, on just one hit and one walk, striking out three.
Junior Caminero spoiled the no-hit bid with a single in the fourth, but Bennett (5-3, 2.35) cruised through two more innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen.
After taking the second game, Boston found itself at .500 (48-48), in third place, eight game out. The second place Yankees dropped a 2-1 decision to the Dodgers, dropping them 2 1/2 off the pace. The four-game series between the Rays and Sox continues Saturday and Sunday.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 11; Athletics, lost 10.
The Washington Nationals haven’t been convinced they are out of the NL East race, and their 23-4 pounding of the Athletics in Sacramento suggests they have plenty of hitters to carry through the remainder of the season.
The rout of the A’s, which was their 10th straight loss, was field by Washington first baseman, Andres Chaparro who socked a pair of homers, singled twice in five at-bats, scored four times and drove in eight runs. The home runs were a two-run shot in the fifth and a three-run bomb in the seventh.
The Nationals continue to chase in the division. They are in fourth place, eight games behind the Braves, with the Phillies and Marlins much closer (3 and 5 back, respectively). At 49-49, the Nats are just three games out of a wild card spot, but there are six teams in front of them.
The series with the A’s continues Saturday.
NL Streaks: Pirates, Giants, won 3; Marlins, lost 4.
American League
There were no games played in the American League on Thursday. Both the AL and NL will be back to regular schedules Friday.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 9; Athletics, lost 9.
Francisco Alvarez clubbed a pair of solo homers and five Mets’ hurlers combined to limit the Phillies to four hits and one run as the Mets took a 4-1 win in Philadelphia.
The game, played under a fog of thickening smoke from Canadian wildfires, was the first of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Games two and three are slated for Saturday and Sunday, both teams getting a rare Friday off.
NL Streaks: Diamondbacks, won 4; Marlins, Nationals, Dodgers, Brewers, lost 3.
All-Star Game
NONE
A complete flop.
American League 4, National League 0
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St Louis outfielder, Jordan Walker, connected on his last six swings to win the 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia Monday night, topping Philly’s Kyle Schwarber, 12-11, in the final round.
Jordan, who leads the majors with 74 RBI and has 22 home runs this season, has emerged as a solid run-producer for St. Louis. A complete player, he is batting .294 and has 13 stolen bases. He is the first Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby and also the fifth-youngest.
Walker was drafted #1 by St. Louis and was the 21st pick overall in the 2020 draft. He was named to the National League roster by Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts, who will manage the 2026 NL All-Stars Tuesday night at Philadelphia’s Citizen Bank Park.
Brandon Nimmo singled home the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth, as the Texas Rangers walked off the Houston Astros, 6-5, Sunday at Globe Lite Field in Arlington, Texas.
Nimmo, who previously singled and tripled, finished 3-for-5 with two RBI, his fifth-inning triple knocking in the first of two for the Texas right fielder.
The victory left the Rangers 1 1/2 games ahead of Seattle in the AL West with a three-game bulge over their in-state rival, the Astros, at the break. The All-Star game is Tuesday in Philadelphia. Regular play resumes Thursday, July 16, with a single game, the Mets at the Phillies. All teams are back in action on Friday, July 17.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 9; Athletics, lost 9.
The Cubs took the last two in their three game series at Cincinnati with Sunday’s 8-4 win leaving them in a solid position in the NL Central at the break.
Keying the effort was Alex Bregman, acquired from Boston during the off-season, who singled, doubled, and homered in five at-bats, driving in four runs and scoring twice. After singling in a run and scoring in the Cubs’ first, Bregman delivered the decisive blow in the seventh inning, crushing a three-run homer that finished the games’ scoring, with the Cubs on top, 8-4.
Thanks in part to the Pirates taking three straight from division-leading Milwaukee, the Cubs hold second place, five games back. They are also in a good spot in the wild card race, currently holding the top spot by 1/2 game over the Phillies.
NL Streaks: Diamondbacks, won 4; Marlins, Nationals, Mets, Dodgers, Brewers, lost 3.
Houston’s Yordan Alvarez continues to put up MVP-like numbers, chasing a possible triple crown in the American League.
On Saturday, the Astros evened their series at Texas with a 9-3 win. Alvarez got the team started with a two-run homer in the first inning and doubled and scored on LaMonte Wade Jr.’s grand slam in the third. Houston cruised to victory after a 7-0 lead in the third.
Alvarez leads the AL in home runs with 31, and in RBI, at 70. His .315 batting average is second to Yandy Diaz of Tampa Bay, who leads the league at .320.
The Rangers and Astros close out the series on Sunday. Texas leads the AL West by 1 1/2 over Seattle and two games over the Astros.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 8; Athletics, lost 8.
Everybody’s chasing Milwaukee in the NL Central, and thanks to Pittsburgh’s rookie outfielder, Esmerlyn Valdez, they got a little closer on Saturday.
Valdez, who has 10 home runs in 92 at-bats, was key to the Pirates taking both ends of a doubleheader at PNC Park, the first game a makeup of Friday’s rainout, the second as regularly scheduled. In game one, Valdez roughed up Brewers’ hurlers, singling in Pittsburgh’s first score in the opening frame, socking a solo home run in the third, and whacking a grand slam in the seventh inning, turning a 6-3 deficit into a 7-6 victory for the Pirates. Valdez finished 3-for-4, with six RBI.
The nightcap was less dramatic. Valdez staked the Pirates to a 2-0 lead with a two-run smash in the fourth, but the lead vanished as Milwaukee scored a pair in the top of the fifth. The game winner came in the sixth, when Bryan Reynolds drove in Brandon Lowe with the go-ahead and eventual winning run for the 3-2 win.
With Milwaukee losing two straight, their lead in the division fell to six games over the Cubs, 8 1/2 over the Cardinals, both winners on Saturday, and 10 1/2 over Pittsburgh. The Reds trail, 15 1/2 out. Sunday marks the end of the first half, with all teams taking time off for Tuesday’s All-Star game.
NL Streaks: Diamondbacks, won 3; Braves, Marlins, Nationals, Mets, Brewers, Dodgers, lost 2.
Centerfielder Tristan Peters hit for the cycle, legging out a triple in his last at-bat to complete the rare feat. Peters doubled in the third inning, singled in a run and scored in the fifth, socked a two-run homer in the seventh, and hit a scorcher down the first base line for an RBI triple in the same inning, Chicago plating eight runs in the frame as the White Sox smothered the A’s, 14-1, Friday in Chicago. Peters finished 4-for-4, with two runs and four RBI.
The win left the White Sox tied for first place in the AL Central with Cleveland, 3-2 winners at Miami Friday. Chicago’s win snapped a three-game losing streak. They were swept by Boston earlier in the week.
The A’s have gone into a serious funk. Friday’s loss was their seventh straight, 11th of their last twelve and 15th of their last 18. They’ve scored just five runs in their last four games.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 7; Athletics, lost 7.
Cincinnati blanked the Cubs, 4-0, Friday in the opener of a three-game series leading into the All-Star break.
Hunter Greene wowed the hometown crowd at Great American Ball Park with seven innings of scoreless pitching, giving the Cubs just three hits while fanning twelve and walking one batter.
Greene struck out five of the first seven batters he faced and four of the last seven. After the Reds scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, Cincinnati’s bullpen came on to close the deal. Brock Burke and Emilio Pagan worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. A flame-throwing right-hander, Greene missed most of the first half of the season, undergoing arthroscopic surgery in early March 2026 to remove bone chips and loose bodies from his right elbow. He’s 1-1 after returning July 4. Greene was 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA for the Reds last season.
One win doesn’t help the Reds much. They’re 16 games out, in last place in the NL Central. The Cubs remain in second place, 7 1/2 behind Milwaukee, 2-1 losers at St. Louis Friday. The series finished up Saturday and Sunday in Cincinnati.
NL Streaks: Diamondbacks, won 2; Cubs, Pirates, Padres, lost 2.
With three days left before the All-Star break, the Yankees and Rays finished up their four-game series with a split, the Rays winning games two and three, the Yankees taking games one and four, leaving the net result no change in the standings after New York pummeled Tampa Bay, 12-4, Thursday at Tropicana Field.
Ben Rice, who’s been holding up the offense in the absence of Aaron Judge, led the way with a pair of homer in four at-bats, socking a two run blast in the third inning and finishing off the Rays with a three-run dinger in the sixth, driving in five runs. He also walked and scored in the eighth to score for the third time. Rice has 28 homers, second in the AL, and 65 RBI, third in the AL, two behind Houston’s Yordan Alvarez (67) and one behind the A’s Nick Kurtz (66).
While the Yankees needed the win, the Rays can’t be too unhappy with the result as they remain four game up on their AL East rivals. Looking forward to the weekend, the Yankees travel to Washington for three with the Nationals while the Rays host three with the Mariners to close out the first half.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 6; Athletics, lost 6.
The Phillies got a solid effort from starter Jesus Luzardo, who improved to 8-4 on the year, tossing seven innings of shutout ball in a 1-0 victory for Philadelphia at Cincinnati Thursday.
Luzardo struck out 11, walked two and allowed only two singles in shutting down the Reds. After working out of a first and third jam in the fifth, Luzardo returned in the sixth to strike out the side in order, eventually giving the ball to the bullpen, who finished the job without incident. Luzardo’s 136 strikeouts are good for third in the NL.
The Phillies took the series, two games to one, and remain tied for second place in the NL East with the Marlins, winners of six straight. Both teams trail the Braves by three games.
The Phillies will close out the first half with three games at Detroit. The Reds, who have been sliding in the standings, losing eight of their last 11, finish up hosting the Cubs over the weekend.
NL Streaks: Marlins, won 6; Pirates, Rockies, lost 2.
Scoring five runs in the first inning, Blue Jays’ batters allowed starter
Dylan Cease to pitch without any pressure and the 30-year-old right-hander came through with a superior performance, taking a no-hitter into the ninth in a 10-0 Toronto whitewash in San Francisco, Wednesday afternoon.
Cease walked three and struck out 11, but, Giants’ outfielder, Heliot Ramos, lined a single to straightaway center to lead off the ninth. That was it for Cease, who threw a season-high 118 pitches. Tyler Rogers came on to finish the Giants off in order for the win.
Cease (6-4, 2.54) won his second straight outing and hasn’t given up an earned run in 15 innings. He gave up three hits over seven innings in his prior start, a 2-0 win at Seattle, on July 3rd. His 148 strikeouts are tops in the American League.
Toronto took two of three from the Giants. They get a day off Thursday and start a three-game series at San Diego to close out the first half. The Blue Jays are 11 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East. The Giants remained a game up on last place Colorado in the NL West.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 5; Athletics, lost 5.
Second-year Pittsburgh hurler, Jared Jones, had a perfect game going through six innings Wednesday night, but was pulled after just 77 pitches.
The 24-year-old has not thrown more than 81 pitches in eight starts since returning May 20. He missed all of last season after undergoing surgery on May 21, 2025. His pitch count is closely monitored as he is still in somewhat fragile condition.
Pittsburgh’s relievers couldn’t complete the job, allowing Atlanta to score two runs n the eighth and one in the ninth for a 3-0 Braves’ road win, snapping a three-game losing streak for the NL East leaders.
Pittsburgh’s hitters didn’t aid the cause very much, producing just four singles in the loss. The teams are scheduled to meet again Thursday to decide the series at PNC Park.
NL Streaks: Marlins, won 5; Diamondbacks, Giants, lost 2.
Second-year player, Tyler Tolbert, tied a major league record with 12 straight hits, going 5-for-6 in a 16-12 Kansas City win over the Mets, in the opener of a three-game series in New York.
Batting ninth, the right fielder hit a two-run homer in the second inning and singled in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. Tolbert’s last three hits were infield hits. His attempt to set a new mark was foiled when he flied out in the ninth. Tolbert has played in just 30 games the season. He’s 19-for-48, for a .396 batting average.
Tolbert matched the record set by Cubs’ catcher Johnny Kling in 1902 and equaled by Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers in 1952. Tolbert was 2-for-2 on Saturday, July 4, in a 6-1 loss to the Phillies and went 5-for-5 in a 15-1 win at Philadelphia before getting hits in his first five at-bats Tuesday.
The game didn’t change much in terms of standings. Both the Royals and Mets are last in their respective divisions with identical 38-54 records. The series continues Wednesday.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 4; Angels, lost 7.
Ryan O’Hearn became the 11th player in MLB history to hit three home runs and drive in 10 runs in a single game as the Pirates bombed the Braves, 12-4, Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
O’Hearn, who started his historic game with a first-inning grand slam, added three-run homers in the third and sixth innings, and broke the Pirates’ franchise record for RBI in a game, set by Johnny Rizzo back in 1939. O’Hearn singled in the eighth, finishing 4-for-5.
The opener of the three-game series marked Atlanta’s third straight loss, diminishing their lead in the AL East to two over the Phillies and three over the Marlins, both winners Tuesday.
The series continues Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
NL Streaks: Marlins, Brewers, won 4; Cardinals, lost 4.
The Yankees headed down to Tampa Monday for a critical four-game series with the Rays and came away with a 5-1 victory, riding the arm of starting pitcher, Cam Schlittler who hurled eight strong innings, giving up one run on four hits, striking out eight without issuing any walks.
Schlittler (9-5, 2.01) threw 72 of 101 pitches for strikes before turning the ball over to David Bednar, who held the Rays hitless in the ninth. Jose Caballero socked a three-run homer in the fifth and a solo shot in the eighth, accounting for four of New York’s five runs.
Monday’s result left the Rays three games to the good over the Yanks in the AL East. The series continues through Thursday at Tropicana Field.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 3; Angels, lost 6.
Batting in the leadoff spot, Giants’ right fielder Heliot Ramos made the most of his five at-bats as San Francisco stunned the visiting Blue Jays, 10-1, in the series opener, Monday at Oracle Park.
Ramos opened the Giants’ first with a triple and scored on a throwing error, putting the Giants immediately in the lead. The game was getting out of hand when Ramos hit the first of two homers, a three-run rip to right, putting the Giants up 8-1, and added a bit of insult when he socked a 444-foot, two-run smash to left, completing the scoring in the eighth.
The win left the Giants two games up on Colorado in the NL West battle to stay out of last place. Toronto’s midseason woes continued with their third straight loss, leaving them 11 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East. The three-game series continues Tuesday.
NL Streaks: Marlins, won 3; Braves, Phillies, Cardinals, lost 2.
The Yankees continue going in the wrong direction while the Twins are making up ground in the AL Central.
On Sunday, Twins’ starter, Joe Ryan, shut down the Yankees on three hits over seven innings of scoreless pitching, leading to a 6-1 win for Minnesota at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
Ryan walked one and fanned nine, improving to 6-5 on the year. The Twins scored single runs in the first and fourth innings, and put the game away with two runs in the fifth and sixth to take the series, two games to one. The Yankees dropped their third straight series, losing four straight to the Red Sox in Boston and three in a row to the Tigers in New York.
The Yankees face a crucial four-game series at Tampa Bay starting Monday. The Rays lead New York by four games in the AL East. The Twins have taken each of their last three series - Colorado, at Houston, at New York - two games to one and return home for a three-game showdown with Cleveland starting Tuesday. The Guardians are one game behind the White Sox in the AL Central. The Twins are four games out.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 3; Angels, lost 6.
Baseballs were flying out of Coors Field in Denver Sunday, most of them delivered to the outfield stands by the Giants, including two solo mashes by Rafael Devers. The Giants knocked four out of the park, but, in the end, it was a three-run knock by Rockies’ third baseman, Kyle Karros, that made the difference in a 7-6 win.
Karros belted a 457-foot homer in the bottom of the eighth, turning a 6-4 deficit into a 7-6 lead, and, after Jordan Romano polished off the Giants in the ninth for his fifth save, a 2-1 series win for Colorado. That left them still a game behind the Giants in the NL West. The two teams are battling to get out of last place. The Giants are 21 games out, the Rockies, 22.
The Rockies hit the road for three in Los Angeles with the Dodgers starting Monday, and close out the first half with four at San Francisco. The Giants host Toronto for three before welcoming in the Rockies.
NL Streaks: Marlins, won 3; Nationals, lost 2.
Celebrating Independence Day in style, on Saturday, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez mashed a pair of home runs and drove in six, leading the Astros to a 10-8 win over visiting Tampa Bay, ending the Rays’ winning streak at eight games and evening their weekend series.
To say that Alvarez supplies his own fireworks would be putting it lightly. With 29 homers and 67 RBI, he leads the American League in both categories. His .324 batting average is .001 behind Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz, who leads the AL.
Alvarez got the Astros on the scoreboard with a two-run, first inning home run, singled in another run in the fifth, drove in one more with a sac fly in the sixth and polished off the Rays, breaking an 8-8 tie in the ninth with a game winning, two-run homer.
Despite the loss, Tampa Bay remained four games up on the Yankees in the AL East, as New York dropped an 11-4 decision to the Twins. Houston remained in third place in the AL West, 2 1/2 games behind Seattle. Texas holds second place, 1/2 game out. The series concludes Sunday in Houston.
AL Streaks: Orioles, won 3; Angels, lost 5.
On Saturday, Sandy Alcantara led the Marlins to 7-1 win against the Athletics, Saturday in the A’s temporary home in Sacramento, California.
Alcantara tossed eight solid innings, allowing six hits and a walk while fanning eight. The only run he surrendered came on a seventh-inning sac fly. The Marlins’ ace improved to 10-4, tying him with four other NL pitchers in the win category, all chasing Milwaukee’s Aaron Ashby, who leads the majors with a 12-1 mark.
It was the second straight win over the A’s. Miami will be looking for the series sweep on Sunday. Miami remains in the NL East hunt, 5 1/2 behind the Braves, while the A’s remained in fourth place in the AL West, 4 1/2 behind Seattle.
NL Streaks: Cardinals, Dodgers, won 3; Padres, lost 8.
On June 22, the Blue Jays had made their way back to .500 ball, at 39-39, but then dropped six straight before taking two of three from the Mets and getting a 2-0 win at Seattle in the opener of a three-game series with the Mariners.
Starter Dylan Cease delivered seven shutout innings, stymying the Mariners on three hits and a walk, striking out nine to earn his first win since June 16. Cease, a 30-year-old veteran, will be needed if the Jays hope to break through the .500 mark and begin to contend in the AL East. So far, he’s 5-4 with a 2.79 ERA since coming over from San Diego in the off-season.
The win got Toronto to 42-46, still languishing in third place in the division, 11 1/2 behind Tampa Bay, with the Yankees holding second place, four games out. Seattle fell out of a first place tie by 1/2 game to the Rangers, who were idled because of the World Cup. Texas resumes its series with Detroit Saturday.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 9; Angels, lost 4.
Colorado center fielder, Jake McCarthy, made the most of his at-bats from his usual leadoff spot, going 4-for-5 with a solo homer to lead off the game, a fifth-inning grand slam, a pair of singles and six RBI to lead the Rockies to a 15-3 walloping of the visiting San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series at Coors Field.
McCarthy’s homers were his eighth and ninth of the season; his six RBI improving his total to 49. He also stole his 14th base of the year in the blowout.
The Rockies are looking to get out of last place in the NL West. They are just one game behind the struggling Giants, so a sweep of the series would put them a game up. They’ve won three straight. Game two is Saturday in Denver.
NL Streaks: Nationals, Rockies, won 3; Padres, lost 7.
The Mariners completed the sweep of their three-game series with the Angles in Seattle Thursday, as Bryce Miller took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Seattle’s 1-0 win over Los Angeles.
Miller (4-2, 1.71) allowed just two hits, giving up back-to-back singles in the top of the seventh, He finished the frame and turned the ball - and the 1-0 lead - over to the bullpen after fanning eight with no walks. After Eduard Bazardo hurled a hitless eighth, Andres Munoz picked up his 16th save, albeit with some drama, walking the leadoff batter before picking him off, then giving up two singles, ending the game with a routine fielder’s choice ground out.
The win left the Mariners in a flat-footed tie with Texas in the AL West, 2 1/2 ahead of Houston and 3 1/2 up on the A’s. Both teams are 45-43 and realize first place means little with 64 more games to play. Seattle stays home to open a three-game series with Toronto on Friday. Winners of seven of their last eight, the Rangers take Friday off as the World Cup comes to Arlington. They continue their series with the Tigers Saturday and Sunday.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 8; Yankees, lost 7.
The Dodgers have so many ways to beat you. Sometimes, it’s superb pitching, other times they just club opponents to death. The latter was the case on Thursday when Los Angeles banged out 17 hits, including a 4-for-4 effort from catcher, Dalton Rushing, stopping the Padres in a 12-7 rout.
San Diego took a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning, but that’s when everything started to change. Rushing stroked a two-run homer, cutting into the lead. The Dodgers plated two more in the third and four more in the fourth, for an 8-6 lead. Rushing singled and scored in the fourth, doubled and scored in the fifth, drove in another run in the sixth on a sac fly and singled in another run in the eighth. San Diego scored a run in the ninth, but, by then, it was too little, too late.
Rushing finished 4-for-4 with three runs and four RBI. The Dodgers lead the NL West by a whopping 13 games over San Diego and Arizona, both at .500 (43-43). Not only do the Dodgers have the biggest lead of any division, they have the best record in the majors (57-31) and are the only team in their division over .500. The four-game series with the Padres continues through the holiday weekend at Dodger Stadium.
NL Streaks: Cubs, won 5; Padres, lost 6.
You don’t see this too often.
Cubs’ shortstop Dansby Swanson clubbed three home runs in Chicago’s 23-3 laugher over the visiting Padres. While three homers in a game is a noteworthy achievement, it’s made even better when one of them is a grand slam.
Swanson stroked his first long ball in the second inning with the bases empty, then socked a three-run dinger in the third, putting the Cubs up 8-0. Swanson got up again in the eighth, this time with the bases full, and socked his third homer of the game into the left field seats. The Cubs tallied eight runs in the eighth. Michael Busch belted a solo shot to complete the scoring.
The Cubs swept the series with San Diego, 3-0, and get a day off before hosting St. Louis, July 3, 4, and 5. With the Brewers downing the Reds, 4-2, the Cubs remain solidly in second place in the NL Central, 5 1/2 back.
NL Streaks: Cubs, won 5; Padres, lost 5.
While the Yankees were being swept at home by the Tigers, extending their losing streak to seven games, the Rays took to the road, extending their winning streak to seven with two straight at Kansas City, he three-game series to conclude Thursday.
Junior Caminero has homered in the last six of those seven wins, belting a two-run shot in the first inning to get the Rays off and running in what turned out to be a 4-0 Tampa Bay victory.
Over the last six games, Caminero has been on fire, beginning his home run streak with three on June 25th, driving in six. He’s hit one in each of the last five games, with a six-game total of 17.
Tampa Bay has taken a 3 1/2 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. One of the streakier teams in MLB, the Rays have had a five game winning streak and have won six straight three different times.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 7; Yankees, lost 7
Houston’s Yordan Alvarez hadn’t hit a home run or driven in a run in over a week, but in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the visiting Twins, he made up for lost time with a fourth inning grand slam that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 advantage.
Going 3-for-4 with the slam and four RBI, Alvarez took over the AL lead in home runs with 26 and has 60 RBI, second to the A’s Nick Kurtz (64). He boosted his average to .314, though he’s well behind Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz at .334. Those two are the only players in the AL over .300.
Houston’s win kept them well in contention in the AL West, where Texas has taken the lead with six straight wins. Seattle is 1/2 game back, Houston two out and the A’s four behind. Houston’s series with the Twins is tied 1-1 and concludes Wednesday.
AL Streaks: Texans, Rays, won 6; Yankees, lost 6.
When Washington starter, Cade Cavalli, gave up a double to Red Sox leadoff hitter, Anthony Seigler, who eventually scored on an error, nobody, except maybe Cavalli, knew what was to follow.
As it turned out, Cavalli was literally un-hittable, setting down 18 straight Boston batters after closing out the first inning for an 8-1 victory for the Nationals, ending Boston’s five-game winning streak.
Fenway Park was very friendly to Cavalli, who went seven solid innings, allowing only the first-inning double, striking out 13 on the way to getting his fifth win against four losses. With no walks and no earned runs, Cavalli’s performance ranks as one of the most dominant pitching outings of the season. Nobody’s thrown a no-hitter this season, but this was pretty close. Boston hitters produced only two fly balls against the 27-year-old righty, now in his second season. Cavalli was the #22 pick in the 2022 draft, chosen by the Nationals in the first round.
The best part of the Nationals’ win was that it put the team back over .500, at 44-43, seven games behind the stumbling Braves, who have seen their once double-digit AL East lead shrink to a mere 2 1/2 games over the Phillies and 4 1/2 over the Marlins. The division looks to be a dogfight through the heart of the season. The series between Washington and Boston is tied at a game apiece with the rubber match scheduled for Wednesday.
NL Streaks: Cubs, Dodgers, won 4; Padres, lost 4.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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