Continuing Coverage of Major League Baseball (MLB)
August 22, 2026 MLB Players of the Day
Randy Arozarena led off Seattle’s first inning with a solo home run and finished off the visiting Cubs with a two-out, two-run, walk-off smash in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 Mariners’ win Saturday at T-Mobile Park.
Arozarena went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs. He also saved a run when he made a leaping grab in left center to rob Chicago’s Miguel Amaya in the third inning.
Seattle remains in contention in the AL West, moving to within three games of first-place Houston. Texas trails the Astros by one game. The Mariners also moved closer in the race for the third wild card. They trail the Rangers by two games. The Cubs, losers of three straight, fell to seven behind the Brewers in the NL Central. Milwaukee has the best record in the majors at 81-49. The Cubs hold a two-game lead over the streaking Phillies for the top wild card.
Seattle will be seeking a sweep of the three-game set on Sunday.
AL Streaks: Royals, won 7; Tigers, lost 4.
J.J. Bleday hit for the cycle Saturday, capping his record-book effort with his 21st home run of the season in the sixth inning, leading the Reds to an 11-5 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bleday doubled and tripled in his first two at-bats, driving in a run in each of the first and third innings. He singled in the fourth before the big knock and didn’t get a hit in his final two at-bats, going 4-for-6, with two runs and three RBI.
The Reds, evened the series with Arizona at a game apiece, the rubber match set for Sunday afternoon. While the Reds have been relegated to a spoiler role, the loss by the Diamondbacks left the two games behind San Diego for the third wild card. Cincinnati is eight games out.
NL Streaks: Phillies, won 8; Rockies, lost 5.
When Jake Rogers stepped to the plate with a man aboard and two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a 4-4 tie, he hadn’t had a hit all night, but that changed in an instant when he drove a hanger from Jefry Yan into the seats in right center, lifting the White Sox to a 6-4 win over the visiting Mets in the opener of a three=game series at Rate Field in Chicago Friday.
The walk-off win boosted the Sox to a 4 1/2 game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central as the Twins dropped a 6-2 decision to the Padres. The Mets remain in last place in the NL East with games two and three of the series scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Continuing one of the most amazing turnarounds in sports history, the White Sox, a last place, 60-102, team in 2025, are 67-61, on schedule to capture the AL Central crown and almost a certain playoff squad come October.
AL Streaks: Royals, won 6; A’s, lost 5.
Alec Bohm went 3-for-5 in Friday night’s 7-6, 10-inning win over the visiting Cardinals, driving in a run with a single in the third, singling again and scoring in the sixth, and whacking a walk-off triple in the 10th inning for the Phillies’ seventh straight win.
Bohm’s decisive rip came with no outs in the bottom of the 10th after the Cardinals had pushed across a run in the top frame for a 6-5 lead. With Bryce Harper on third and Edmundo Sosa on first, Bohm ripped a 2-2 sweeper from St. Louis reliever Luis Gastelum to deep center field, scoring both runners for the win. Combined with Atlanta’s 2-1 loss at Milwaukee, the Phillies are just four games back in the race for the NL East title.
Game two of the weekend series is Saturday at 6:05 pm ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
NL Streaks: Phillies, won 7; Rockies, lost 4.
Houston, we have a problem.
Led by Zach Neto’s 5-for-6 effort, four Astros hurlers allowed 18 hits and 18 runs in an 18-3 blowout win by the Angels Thursday night in Houston.
Neto had three singles, a double and a three-run homer (21), driving in a career-high seven runs in the massacre. The Angles scored in every inning except the third, sixth and eighth.
The Astros, despite dropping two of three in the series to LA, remain a game to the good in the AL West over Texas and four games up on the Mariners. The Astros dropped back to .500, at 64-64.
Houston opens a three-game home series with the A’s on Friday. The Angels will try to play spoiler in a weekend series at Texas. The Rangers topped Washington, 2-0, on a combined one-hitter as Jacob DeGrom surpassed 2,000 strikeouts for his 13-year professional career.
AL Streaks: Royals, won 5; A’s, Orioles, lost 4.
Grant Holmes took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, spoiled by Andrew Benintendi’s leadoff single in a 2-0 win for Atlanta over the White Sox in Chicago Thursday night.
Holmes walked three and struck out three, leaving the mound after Benintendi’s hit. A trio of Braves’ relievers finished the combined one-hitter. Holmes is 8-5 with a 3.64 ERA this season.
The Braves travel to Milwaukee Friday to open a big weekend series with the Brewers, while the White Sox remain home for a three-game set with the Mets. The Sox lead the AL Central by 3 1/2 over the surging Twins. In the NL East, Atlanta is five up on the Phillies, who have won six straight.
NL Streaks: Phillies, won 6; Marlins, Rockies, lost 3.
Kody Clemens singled and doubled, driving in three runs as the Twins completed a three-game sweep of Atlanta with a 6-4 win over the Braves, Wednesday in Minnesota.
Clemens stroked a double to right in the fourth inning, driving in two runs for a 4-1 Minnesota lead and singled and scored in the seventh to secure the victory, the third straight for the Twins, putting them into sole possession of second place in the AL Central, four games behind the White Sox.
The win also pushed Minnesota into the third wild card spot as Texas lost at Washington Wednesday 6-0. The Twins hold the position by a mere 1/2 game with six pursuers all within 2 1/2 games.
The Twins get Thursday off before opening a three-game series with the Padres in Los Angeles. Atlanta plays a make-up game with the White Sox in Chicago Thursday, then heads to Milwaukee for a three-game weekend set with the Brewers.
AL Streaks: Royals, won 4; Orioles, A’s, lost 3.
Aaron Nola delivered one of his best outings of the season, holding the Marlins to five hits and one run over seven innings, as the Phillies completed a three-game sweep with a 4-1 win at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia Wednesday.
Nola threw 100 pitches, 68 for strikes, didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight, earning his fifth win of the season against nine losses. Having Nola back in solid form at this critical point is a big boost for the Phillies. They’ve pulled to within 4 1/2 games of the Braves, who were swept by the Twins Wednesday.
The Marlins host Washington for a weekend series starting Friday while the Phillies host the Cardinals, also starting Friday.
NL Streaks: Phillies, won 6; Rockies, Braves, Marlins, lost 3.
The Guardians remain in the hunt for the AL Central division or a possible wild card after
Jo Adell drove in six runs in Cleveland’s 8-1 rout of the Giants Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Adell, acquired at the August 3rd the trade deadline from the Angels. His career-high six RBI included a first inning three-run homer and singles in the second and fourth that plated three more runs.
The Guardians are 4 1/2 games behind the White Sox in the division, tied with Detroit in third place. Minnesota is four games out in second. Cleveland is among a group of seven teams vying for the third AL wild card spot. All of them are under .500, with the spot currently in possession of the Texas Rangers. The Twins, Blue Jays, Orioles, Tigers, Guardians, and Mariners are all within three games of the prize.
The Giants and Guardians play game two of the three-game series Wednesday in Cleveland.
AL Streaks: Royals, won 3; Astros, lost 3.
David Hamilton socked a three-run homer in the sixth inning, drove in another run with a single in the seventh, stole a pair of bases and scored twice in five at-bats as the Brewers crushed the Mariners, 22-0 in the opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee Tuesday.
The Brewers banged out 22 hits against a depleted Seattle pitching staff, sending the Mariners four games down in the AL West and three out from the third AL wild card.
Milwaukee maintained its 4 1/2 game lead over the Cubs, 4-3 winners over the White Sox on Tuesday.
NL Streaks: Phillies, won 5; Nationals, lost 4.
The game may have been meaningless when it comes to pennant or wild card races, but Bobby Witt Jr. showed why he’s a perennial All-Star in Kansas City’s 9-5 win over the visiting A’s Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Witt singled, doubled, socked a two-run homer, scored four times and drove in three runs for the Royals, who have a firm grip on last place in the Al Central. The A’s are tied with the Angels for the basement of the AL West.
The win was the second straight for the Royals, taking game one of the three-game series in Kansas City. Game two is Tuesday.
AL Streaks: Royals, won 2; Astros, lost 2.
The battle for National League MVP cannot get much hotter.
On Monday, Shohei Ohtani went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs (29), scored four times and drove in three runs, leading the Dodgers to an 11-5 victory at Colorado.
In Chicago, Pete-Crow Armstrong did him one better, going 4-for-5 with two homers, the second of which was a two-run, walk-off, game-winner in the 10th, as the Cubs beat the cross-town rival White Sox, 7-5 at Wrigely Field.
Crow-Armstrong also doubled, stole a base, scored twice and drove in three runs, inching the Cubs closer to the Brewers in the NL Central. Chicago is 5 1/2 out and has a solid hold on the top wild card if they fail to catch Milwaukee.
The Cubs’ win came in the opener of a three-game cross-town series with game two set for Tuesday.
NL Streaks: Phillies, Mets, won 4; Nationals, lost 3.
There still hasn’t been been a no-hitter thrown this season, but Kansas City’s Noah Cameron came pretty close, throwing a complete game, one-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Angels, Sunday at Anaheim.
Cameron was perfect until issuing a leadoff walk in the sixth, and had his no-hit bid broken up by Vaughn Grissom, who stroked a one-out single in the seventh. Cameron continued through the ninth, despite throwing 117 pitches, but his performance ranks as one of the best of the season. Cameron is 7-8, with a 4.16 ERA.
Both the Royals and Angels hold last place in their respective divisions and are likely to be mathematically eliminated from post-season play within the next two weeks. The Royals took two of three from the Angels and host the A’s for four games starting Monday. The Angles head to Houston on Tuesday for three with the AL West-leading Astros.
AL Streaks: Orioles, White Sox, won 3: Rays, Tigers, Twins, lost 3.
St. Louis is holding onto post-season hopes, taking two of three from the Cubs over the weekend, including Sunday’s 11-4 thumping at Wrigley Field.
Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker each clubbed two-run homers and drove in four runs. Walked added a pair of doubles, going 3-for-4 overall. Walker’s home run was his 24th; Burleson’s his 21st. Burleson added a single and double, also going 3-for-4. Burleson’s RBI total reached 90, one off the major league lead held by Washington’s CJ Abrams and Cincinnatti’s Sal Stewart. Walker has 88, fifth in the majors.
The Cardinals never trailed, a six-run eruption in the fourth inning put the game out of reach for the Cubs.
St. Louis is 3 1/2 out of the third wild card and has a double-header at Cincinnati Monday, followed by three more games with the Reds. The Cubs are 5 1/2 behind Milwaukee in the NL Central, hold the top wild card and open a three-game series at home with the White Sox on Monday.
NL Streaks: Phillies, Mets, won 3; Cubs, Reds, Dodgers, lost 2.
If any pitcher is going to win 20 games this season, it’s probably going to be Boston’s Sonny Gray or Christopher Sanchez of the Phillies, or maybe both.
On Saturday, Gray tied Sanchez for the major league lead in wins at 15, with seven innings of scoreless ball in a 4-0 Red Sox win at Pittsburgh.
Gray (15-3, 2.65) needed only 86 pitches to gun down the Pirates, scattering six hits and one walk while fanning seven. Gray has lost just three times this season, and has given up just two runs in 19 innings over three starts in August.
The Red Sox gained a game on the Yankees in the wild card race and AL East standings, They hold the second wild card - down two games to New York - and are 8 1/2 behind the Rays in the division. The Yankees are 6 1/2 back. The series, even at a game apiece, wraps up Sunday in Pittsburgh.
AL Streaks: White Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, won 2; Yankees, lost 3.
Joshua Baez became the first player ever to homer in each of his first three major league at-bats, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 win over the Cubs at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Called up from the AAA Memphis Redbirds earlier in the day, the St. Louis left fielder took the first pitch he saw from Cubs’ starter Matthew Boyd into the left-center bleachers for a two-run homer. He victimized Boyd again in the fourth with a solo shot to left and once more in the sixth with a second two-run blast, this one to right field. Baez finished 3-for-4 with five RBI.
Baez was leading the International League in home runs and RBI with 34 and 90, respectively, before being called up Saturday. Baez was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft by St. Louis. The 54th pick overall, he is 23 and adds a power stroke to the Cardinals’ lineup.
The Cardinals already have Jordan Walker with 23 homers, and Alec Burleson with 20. Saturday’s win put St. Louis over .500 (62-61), but they are still 3 1/2 out of the third wild card, currently contested by Arizona, San Diego, and Philadelphia, each of them 66-58 on the year. The Cubs dropped to four back of Milwaukee in the NL Central. The series, tied at a game apiece, closes Sunday in Chicago.
NL Streaks: Phillies, Mets, Diamondbacks, won 2: Braves, Nationals, lost 2.
The top two teams in the AL Central faced off in the open of a three-game series Friday in Detroit, as the Tigers continue their chase of the surprising White Sox.
Chicago third baseman, Miguel Vargas, ensured that Chicago would remain in first place, leading the White Sox to a 9-5 victory, going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a double, three runs, and three RBI.
Down 3-1 entering the fourth, the Sox erupted for five runs and never looked back. Vargas doubled and scored in the big inning, then socked a two-run blast in the sixth and added insurance with a solo shot in the eighth. Vargas has 27 homers and 71 RBI on the year.
The result left the White Sox with a 3 1/2 game lead over Detroit with games two and three of the series set for Saturday and Sunday.
AL Streaks: Astros, won 2; Rangers, lost 4.
Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt outdueled Atlanta’s Chris Sale, tossing seven scoreless innings, as the Diamondbacks downed the Braves, 2-0, in the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta Friday.
Pfaadt (7-1, 3.11) allowed just two singles and didn’t allow a runner past first. He fanned seven and did not allow a walk, throwing 64 of 87 pitches for strikes.
Atlanta’s loss was inconsequential. They lead the NL East by 8 1/2 over the Phillies, but the win was big for Arizona, putting them just one game behind the Padres, winners of six straight, for the third wild card. The series continues Saturday in Atlanta.
NL Streaks: Padres, won 6; Giants, Marlins, lost 2.
There was no shortage of candidates for POTD honors on Thursday, though most of them were in the National League. In the AL,
Caleb Durbin helped snap the Red Sox’s five-game losing streak with his eighth-inning grand sam that blew open a 1-0 game as Boston topped the Blue Jays, 7-0, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Caleb’s bases-loaded knock was the second of his career and second this month.
The win kept Boston in control of the second wild card, five games up on the #3 wild card, currently Detroit, and three behind the Yankees, who hold the #1 position.
Boston travels to Pittsburgh for a three-game weekend series starting Friday.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 9; Royals, lost 4.
Kyle Schwarber socked a pair of home runs, giving him the outright major league lead with 37 on the season in the “Field of Dreams” game in Iowa Thursday. The Phillies won, 7-1, over the Twins.
Cade Cavalli took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, finishing with eight innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit, two walks, while striking out 10 in a 7-0 win for the Nationals over the visiting Cubs.
In Miami, Rafael Flores Jr. mashed a pair of three-run homers in the eighth and ninth innings as the Pirates swamped the Marlins, 13-1, but it was starting pitcher, Braxton Ashcroft who tossed a complete game three-hitter, giving up the only run in the ninth on a solo homer by Miami’s Owen Caissie. Otherwise, Ashcroft (12-5, 3.88) was sensational, walking one and fanning 10, keeping the Pirates on the fringe of the wild card race.
Miami opens a three-game series in Cincinnati on Friday, while the Pirates host the Red Sox over the weekend. Wild card-wise, both teams are on the outside looking in, with Miami 2 1/2 out of the third wild card and the Pirates six down.
NL Streaks: Padres, won 5; Diamondbacks, Mets, lost 2.
While Tampa Bay won its ninth straight Wednesday night, the Yankees managed to keep pace with a 10-5 win over the visiting Mariners.
Trent Grisham led a 13-hit New York assault, swatting a pair of homers and a double in five at-bats, scoring three times and driving in four runs from his leadoff position. The Mariners held a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, but the Yanks scored two runs, one on Grisham’s first homer, to tie the game at 5-all.
In the seventh, Grisham doubled in a run and scored to put the Yankees ahead for good. He capped off the night with his second long ball, a two-run shot in the eighth, sending the Mariners to their sixth straight loss.
The result left the Yankees six games behind the Rays in the AL East. Boston lost a fifth straight, dropping them 10 games off the pace. New York will be seeking a sweep of the Mariners Thursday.
Seattle’s season may be over. They’ve fallen 5 1/2 behind Houston in the AL West and are four games out from the third wild card, with five teams ahead of them in the race.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 9; Mariners, lost 6.
Alex Bregman sent three balss into the stands at Nationals Park Wednesday, driving in seven runs to lead the Cubs to a 12-6 win over Washington.
Bregman set personal career marks with the three homers and seven RBI. He cranked a three-run shot in the fifth and two-run bombs in the sixth and eighth.
The Cubs’ win was their third straight and eighth in their last nine games. With the Brewers swept three straight by the Padres, the Cubs have sliced into Milwaukee’s lead in the NL Central, now down to just three games. The Cubs will be looking for a sweep on Thursday when they close out the series with the Nationals.
NL Streaks: Padres, won 5; Brewers, Pirates, lost 3.
Junior Caminero tied Houston’s Yordan Alvarez for the AL home run lead, smacking his 35th of the season in the first inning of Tampa Bay’s 12-4 rout of the A’s Tuesday in Sacramento, California, the A’s temporary home.
Caminero’s two-run shot got the Rays off to an early lead from which they never looked back, notching their eighth straight win. They hold a six-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East and have the best record in the AL by far.
Caminero not only tied Alvarez for the home run lead, but also evened up with National League leaders, Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia) and Matt Olson (Atlanta). Alvarez, on track for the AL triple crown, hasn’t hit a home run since July 28. Olson cracked his 35th Tuesday in Atlanta’s 4-0 win over the Mets.
Te Rays will be looking for the series sweep and their mint win in a row on Wednesday.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 8; Mariners, lost 5.
Luis Rengifo hit what was just his third home run of the season, but it was a big one, a second-inning grand slam that sent the Padres to an 11-2 romp over the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday in San Diego.
Rengifo’s blast put the Padres up 5-0, en route to their second straight win over the Brewers. The win tied the Padres with Arizona for second place in the NL West, 8 1/2 behind the runaway Dodgers, but also tied for the second and third wild card, along with the Phillies.
San Diego will be looking for a sweep of the Brewers, whose lead in the NL East has shrunk to four games over the oncoming Cubs.
NL Streaks: Padres, won 4; Brewers, Pirates, lost 2.
Nolan Arenado’s first-inning grand slam sent the Diamondbacks on their way to a 9-0 win over the visiting Rockies, Monday in Phoenix, keeping them tied with the Phillies for the second and third wild card spots, 5 1/2 behind the Cubs.
Arizona continues to chase the Dodgers in the NL West, though they are still 7 1/2 games behind, with San Diego one game further back.
The three-game series with the Rockies continues Tuesday.
NL Streaks: Padres, Nationals, won 3; Giants, Reds, lost 3.
Yandy Diaz singled, doubled, and stroked a leadoff, first-inning home run Monday night, propelling the Tampa Bay Rays to a 10-6 victory over the A’s at Sutter Heath Park in Sacramento, California.
The win was the seventh straight for the Rays, putting them six up on the Yankees and eight better than the Red Sox in the AL East. Diaz was 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs, raising his batting average to .302. Junior Caminero socked his 34th home run, a three-run dinger in the 8th as the Rays erased a 6-2 deficit, scoring eight times in the frame.
The three-game series continues Tuesday.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 7: Mariners, lost 4.
Despite being 14 1/2 games out in the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles are still very much alive in the wild card race after taking down Texas, 10-5 on Sunday in Arlington.
Leading Baltimore’s 15-hit assault was slugging first baseman, Pete Alonso, who singled and scored in the opening frame before launching a pair of two-run homers, one each in the second and fourth innings, giving the O’s an overwhelming lead that would hold up. After Alonso’s early outburst, the Rangers decided to walk him in the sixth and eighth innings, producing a perfect night at the plate, 3-for-3, three runs, two homers, four RBI and a pair of walks.
With the win, the Orioles crept to within two games of the third wild card, currently in possession of the Rangers, who are also just 1/2 game behind Houston in the AL West after the Astros lost at San Diego, 7-2, Sunday night.
Looking forward, the Orioles head out Monday to Minnesota for three games, and then on to Tampa Bay for a four-game weekend series extending into next Monday. The Rangers may be able to pick up some wins at LA, with four games against the Angels starting Monday and three at the A’s after that.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 6; Mariners, lost 4.
In the “better late than never” department are the New York Mets and third baseman, Bo Bichette, who was acquired from Toronto in the off-season to provide a steady stroke in New York’s lineup.
While Bichette hasn’t produced the season envisioned, he managed to go 5-for-5 Sunday, as the Mets continued their revenge tour, slamming the Pirates, 11-1, at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.
Bichette singled three times and smacked a pair of doubles, driving in three and scoring three times in the rout. The Mets took two of three in the series, sending Pittsburgh deeper down the wild card ladder, now 5 1/2 behind Philly and Arizona, holders of the second and third wild cards.
Hoping to get back on track, the Pirates, losers of 10 of their last 13, open a three-game set in Miami Tuesday. The Mets will try to take out some of their frustration against the NL East’s first place Braves, with three games in Atlanta starting Monday.
NL Streaks: Nationals, won 3; Reds, lost 3.
The Cubs were cruising right along, winners of five straight, until they ran into Jac Caglianone and the Royals Saturday in the second of their three game series at Kansas City.
Not exactly an unknown quantity, Caglianone, a first round pick by the Royals in 2024 in his second full season, went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and two doubles, driving in four runs in the Royals’ 6-3 victory over the Cubs.
Caglianone stroked a solo shot in the first, doubled in another run in the third, and capped off his game with a two-run homer in the seventh that secured the win. He’s batting .264 with 20 home runs and 49 RBI.
The game meant little to the last place Royals, and left the Cubs 5 1/2 behind the Brewers in the NL Central and six to the good in the wild card standings. Game three of the series is Sunday afternoon in Kansas City.
AL Streaks: Rays, won 5; Orioles, Mariners, lost 3.
Jake McCarthy singled twice, and swatted a pair of home runs in five at-bats, scored four runs and drove in three as the Rockies out-slugged the Cardinals, 8-6, Saturday night in St. Louis.
McCarthy led off the game with his 12th home run, singled and scored in the third, smashed his 13th dinger in the sixth - a two-run shot - and singled and scored the Rockies’ final run in the ninth. The Rockies’ leadoff hitter also stole two bases, giving him 20 on the year. McCarthy is batting a robust .305, fourth-best in the NL.
The loss left the Cardinals 3 1/2 out of the third wild card with time running out. The Rockies continue to hold last place in the NL West with the rubber match of the three game series Sunday in St. Louis.
NL Streaks: Nationals, won 2; Braves, Phillies, Reds, lost 2.
Cleveland’s Angel Martinez drove in a pair of runs in the first inning and socked a grand slam in the fifth, leading the Guardians to an 8-2 win over the White Sox in the opener of a critical tree-game series Friday in Chicago.
The big jolt by Martinez blew the game wide open, sending the Sox to their fourth straight loss, reducing their AL Central lead to just two games over the Guardians and Twins. Detroit, losers on Friday, fell 3 1/2 off the pace.
Game two of the series is Saturday at 7:15 pm ET. Many TV viewers will get the game on FOX.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 9; Athletics, lost 9.
Entering the bottom of the ninth with a 3-2 lead, the LA Dodgers seemed to be on the verge of ending their season-high six-game losing streak.
Then, disaster struck.
Closer Edwin Diaz, who had missed all of May, June and most of July, came on to close out the Diamondbacks, but Arizona had different ideas. After walking Max Kepler to open the inning, who was replaced by pinch-runner Jorge Barrosa, Diaz struck out Tim Tawa, Barrosa stealing second. The next batter, rookie center fielder, Ryan Waldschmidt took a 2-2 slider from Diaz deep to center with the game-winning homer, sending the Dodgers to their seventh straight loss, the Diamondbacks closer than they have been in months to the front-runners in the NL West, 7 1/2 games back, while also tying the Phillies for the second wild card spot withthe 4-3 walk-off win.
Game two of the three-game series is Saturday at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
NL Streaks: Cubs, won 5, Dodgers, lost 7.
It took 13 innings, but the Red Sox completed their three-game sweep of the White Sox at Fenway Park Thursday, extending their latest winning streak to eight straight as
Caleb Durbin stroked a walk-off single to score Nick Sogard with the winning run in a 12-11 extra inning slugfest.
Third baseman, Durbin, who was 3-for-6 (two singles, double) on the night and scored twice, got the winning hit off the eighth White Sox pitcher, part-time starter Erick Fedde (6-7). The Red Sox used nine pitchers in the marathon, four-hour, 23-minute event.
Boston’s win left them a half game behind the idle Yankees in both the AL East and wild card standings. New York currently holds the top wild card, and trails Tampa Bay by 4 1/2 games. The White Sox, despite losing three games, continue to lead the AL Central, though the race is becoming tighter. Cleveland and Minnesota are both three off the pace, with Detroit 3 1/2 back.
The Red Sox will look to get their ninth straight win when they host the Athletics Friday in the first of a three-game set. The White Sox hope to regroup at home in the opener of their three-game series with Cleveland Friday.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 8; Athletics, lost 8.
With the 2026 season already a lost cause, the New York Mets may become one of the more dangerous teams down the stretch for those still seeking the post season.
On Friday, the Mets completed a three-game sweep of one of those contenders, smashing the Guardians, 13-6, at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
The Mets banged out 18 hits, seven for extra bases. Three of those hits belonged to Marcus Semien, who singled, doubled and homered in six at-bats, scoring twice and driving in one run.
The win means little to the Mets. They’re stuck in last place in the AL East and have no post-season prospects. For Cleveland, however, the three straight home losses leave them three behind the White Sox (also losers of three straight), tied with Minnesota in second place with the Tigers lurking, just 1/2 game back.
Cleveland opens a three-game series in Chicago with the White Sox Friday. The Mets play three in Pittsburgh over the weekend, looking to upset another opponent with wild card possibilities.
NL Streaks: Braves, won 8; Dodgers, lost 6.
Boston won its seventh straight, topping the visiting White Sox, 4-0, Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
Sonny Gray limited Chicago to three hits, walking two and striking out eight over six scoreless innings for his 14th win against two losses. Gray needed just 83 pitches (53 for strikes) to get through six frames, putting Boston just a game behind the Yankees for the top wild card and 5 1/2 behind the Rays for the lead in the AL East.
Boston has been fantastic the past few months. Since June 25, they are an incredible 30-5, and have propelled themselves from last place in the division to a serious contender for the post-season.
Boston has taken the first two in the series, which wraps up Thursday. They are 5-0 against the White Sox this season.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 7; Athletics, lost 7.
The two leading candidates for NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a display Wednesday at Wrigley Field in Chicago, as the Cubs completed a three-game sweep with a 7-6 win, sending the Dodgers to their sixth straight loss.
The afternoon contest features leadoff home runs by both stars, and follow-up dingers as well. Crow-Armstrong doubled in a run in the second before connecting for his 26th, a two run shot in the fourth. Ohtani singled and smacked a two-run homer in the eighth, but it only managed to get the Dodgers to within a run.
The Cubs have a firm grip on the top wild card and trail Milwaukee by 5 1/2 in the NL Central. The Dodgers, despite the recent string of losses, still maintain an eight-game lead over Arizona in the NL West.
On Thursday, the Cubs play a makeup game with the Blue Jays in Chicago before heading to Kansas City for a weekend series Friday. The Dodgers get a day off before their three-game series in Arizona.
NL Streaks: Braves, won 7; Dodgers, lost 6.
Tarik who?
While Tarik Skubal, recently traded fro Detroit to the Dodgers, lost his first start in the National League, 5-1, in Chicago, Troy Melton cruised to his seventh win against one loss, as the Tigers dumped the Mariners, 8-0, Tuesday night in Seattle in the opener of a three-game series between AL contenders.
Melton blanked the M’s on three hits over seven innings, giving up a pair of walks while fanning four. Melton lowered his ERA to 1.58 with the effort, extending Detroit’s winning streak to four games. The Tigers are 55-58, having gone 11-6 since the All-Star break. They are just 4 1/2 behind the White Sox in the AL Central, with Minnesota four back and the Guardians 3 games down.
Seattle (7-10 since the break) fell to 3 1/2 off the pace in the West, trailing division-leading Houston. Texas holds second place, 2 1/2 back. The series continues Wednesday and Thursday at T-Mobile Park.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 6; Athletics, lost 6.
The four-game series between San Diego and Arizona is a big deal in the NL wild card race, and
Manny Machado knows it.
After dropping the opener in Phoenix Monday, 5-1, the Padres roared back in game two with a 9-4 triumph, Machado providing much of the Pardes’ 8-0 lead through the seventh. Machado doubled in the Padres’ first run and scored in the first, singled in a pair in the second, and singled in another run in the sixth, going 3-for-5 with four RBI.
The result left the Padres a game behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West, both teams trailing the runaway Dodgers by 10 and 9 games, respectively. San Diego is 11-7 since the break, but has won one of its last 11, and are now just one game behind Arizona for the third wild card. Both teams are also within reach of the #2 slot. The Phillies are one up on Arizona and two ahead of San Diego.
The Series continues Wednesday and Thursday at Chase Field.
NL Streaks: Braves, won 6; Nationals, lost 7, Dodgers, lost 5.
Junior Caminero slugged his 31st and 32nd home runs of the season and the Tampa Bay Rays cruised to a 13-9 win at Colorado Monday, in the first of a three-game series.
Caminero struck in the first inning with Jonathan Aranda on base and stroked a mammoth solo shot to left in the fourth. Aranda went 4-for-5 for the game.
With the Yankees losing at home to St. Louis, 13-7, the Rays increased their AL East lead to 3 1/2 games and look to make it two straight in Denver on Tuesday.
AL Streaks: Red Sox, won 5; Rangers, lost 6.
Alec Burleson launched three balls into the chip seats over right field at Yankee Stadium Monday, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 13-7 win over New York in the opener of a three-game series.
All three of Burleson’s homers were with a man aboard, the first two helping St. Louis to a 6-0 lead after four, but the Yankees responded with five home runs of their own to take a 7-6 lead into the eighth.
The lead was short-lived, however, as St. Louis responded with three more homers, the last by Burleson, in the eighth. It was Burleson’s first three-homer game of his career. He finished 3-for-5 with six RBI.
The result left the Yankees 3 1/2 behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and the Cardinals clinging to fading wild card hopes. They are four games out from the third wild card, held by Philadelphia, but they have the Marlins, Pirates and Padres ahead of them. Game two of the series is Tuesday in the Bronx.
NL Streaks: Braves, won 5; Nationals, lost 6.
Eduardo Valencia came to the plate twice with the bases loaded in Detroit’s 11-0 blowout win over the A’s in Sacramento Sunday, and while he didn’t register a grand slam in either situation, he did double both times, driving in four runs for the game.
Vlaencia’s big hits came in the fourth and eighth innings. He came around to score in the eighth as the Tigers tallied four runs in both frames.
The victory resulted in a sweep of the A’s. The Tigers have won three straight and are 5 1/2 behind Chicago in the AL Central. Now operating without Tarik Skubal - traded to the Dodgers Saturday - Detroit remains in the hunt for the division or a wild card, despite still bing under .500 (54-58). The A’s (45-67) are out of post-season contention.
The Tigers are 10-6 since the break and continue their road trip with visits to Seattle and San Francisco starting Tuesday.
AL Streaks: Astros, won 6, Red Sox, won 5; Rangers, Athletics, lost 5.
While the Reds have sunk to the bottom of the NL Central, one bright spot in Cincinnati has been the mound performance of Chase Burns, who improved to 13-1 with six innings of two-hit ball Sunday in the Reds’ 10-2 victory over visiting Pittsburgh.
Burns needed just 88 pitches (56 for strikes) to throttle the Pirates as his teammates piled on the runs. Burns, who was 0-3 last season, hasn’t lost since April 10, his third start of the season. He’s won 12 straight, taking no decision in six of this starts. In 188.2 innings, he’s struck out 137, including nine in the win over Pittsburgh. He remains a rookie, as he didn’t reach the 50 inning threshold in 2025.
The Reds took three of four in the series and inflicted serious damage to the Pirates’ post-season hopes, sending them 3 1/2 back for the final wild card.
Pittsburgh opens a four-game series in Milwaukee Monday. The Reds host the A’s for three, starting Tuesday.
NL Streaks: Braves, won 5; Nationals, lost 5.
Randy Aronzarena went 2-for-4, with a solo homer and a ninth-inning double that resulted in him scoring the game-winner in a 4-3 Mariners’ win over visiting Minnesota Saturday.
Arozarena walked in the first inning and scored the second of Seattle’s four runs, adding a second-inning homer before capping the night off with his 23rd double of the season.
Seattle evened the series with the rubber match Sunday. Both teams are three games back in their respective divisions.
AL Streaks: Astros, won 5; Angels, lost 5.
In a battle of bottom-dwellers, the Rockies took a second straight home field win from the Royals, thanks to a pair of home runs from catcher Hunter Goodman who went 4-for-5 with five RBI in a 12-6 Colorado win.
With the August 3 trade deadline looming, Goodman would appear to be on the want lists of most of the contenders. A catcher who hits right-handed, with power, Goodman’s 33 homers is tied with Philly’s Kyle Schwarber for the league lead. He may not be wearing a Rockies’ uniform for long.
In a blockbuster trade deal, the La Dodgers secured Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, sending pitcher River Ryan and a pair of minor league prospects, Brady Smith and Zyhir Hope, to the Tigers.
NL Streaks: Diamondbacks, Braves, won 4; Nationals, lost 4.
Dillon Dingler’s eighth inning grand slam capped off a seven-run frame for the Tigers Friday, leading to a blowout, 13-1 victory for Detroit over the A’s at Heath Sutter Park in Sacramento, California.
While Dingler’s big blow - his first career grand slam - was one for the highlight reels, the Tigers have reason to believe they will be in the wild card and/or the AL Central race for the rest of the season. That means speculation over the immediate future of ace hurler, Tarik Skubal, may come to an abrupt end at the trading deadline on August 3rd.
The rationale for the Tigers remaining competitive is that they recently welcomed Javier Baez back from injury. Baez had been missing since the end of April. Having his bat back in the lineup is a major development. Since his return three games ago, he’s batting .571 (8-for-14) with five RBI, three of them coming in Friday’s win over the A’s.
Friday’s debut of rookie Matt Clark was impressive, as the highly-touted outfielder went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Barring injury, and a healthy Skubal, the Tigers appear poised to make a run at the division crown or the wild card, where they trail by 3 1/2 games for the final spot.
While the Tigers are still 6 1/2 out in the AL Central, they will have plenty of opportunities over the final 50 games of the season, with seven games each against the Guardians and White Sox, and six against Minnesota. A sweep of the stumbling A’s over the weekend would go a long way toward the Tigers remaining a serious contender in the AL while putting to rest trade deals for Skubal.
ESPN gives Skubal a 90% chance of being traded to either the Dodgers, Braves, Brewers, Cubs, Phillies or Rays. Detroit’s front office - to say nothing of the players on the field - might have other ideas.
AL Streaks: Astros, won 4; Angels, lost 4.
With their fourth straight loss, Pittsburgh’s season may be coming to an early end.
Sal Stewart crushed a two-run homer in the fourth inning and singled home two more runs in the eighth before scoring the game-winner in an 8-7 Cincinnati win over the visiting Pirates Friday night. Stewart has 23 home runs on the season and leads the majors with 84 RBI.
Pittsburgh fell to 2 1/2 games off the last wild card spot and may be either a buyer or seller heading into the trade deadline. It’s hard to tell. A total of eight teams remain in the hunt for the second and third wild card. The Cubs, +5 in the standings, seem to have the #1 spot sewn up. Even the Reds, in last place in the NL Central, are just two games behind Pittsburgh, so the outcome of their weekend series, with games Saturday and Sunday, may be a determining factor for both.
The Reds have taken the first two games.
NL Streaks: Braves, Diamondbacks, won 3; Phillies, Pirates, lost 4.
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