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Since announcing that he will be participating in this year’s Home Run Derby during the All-Star break, Ben Rice has been on a power surge for the Yankees. 

After hitting a home run on Tuesday, the same day of his commitment to partake in the event, Rice added two more on Thursday in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays to help lead a 12-4 win for New York to secure a series split.

In fact, Rice finished the four-game set against the division-rival 7-for-16 with four home runs and nine RBI. The 27-year-old is now up to 28 homers on the season, second in the AL, and already two more than he had in 138 games during his breakout campaign in 2025.

What’s incredible is the slugger is showing no signs of slowing down and spoke about his unbelievable season so far and what he’s done to compound on last year’s offensive explosion.

“Just sticking with it overall,” he said. “Like I’ve said in the past, it’s such a long year. You’re bound to go through the ups and downs. Just leaning on the guys in the clubhouse and the locker room and go out here and just have an approach, stick to it, be convicted in it and hopefully good things will happen.”

Whatever approach Rice is utilizing, it’s certainly working which has the Yankees very excited as they continue to play without Aaron Judge who is out with a fractured rib and who will get re-imaging on that rib during the All-Star break.

Speaking of the All-Star break, Rice will likely stick to that same approach during his participation in the Home Run Derby that takes place on July 13 to try and take home the hardware in his first time in the event.

One of Rice’s competitors will be Junior Caminero, who also went yard on Thursday and is right behind Rice with 27 home runs. Actually, at the time, the home run put Caminero in front of Rice, but that didn’t last long as two innings later Rice tied it before overtaking him with his second of the game.

Of the five confirmed participants this year, Rice and Caminero are the top-2 in total home runs which, as of right now, could make them two of the favorites to come out on top. In last year’s competition, Caminero was a surprise runner-up to Cal Raleigh so his experience could give him the slight edge over Rice.

Regardless, Rice seems ready to prove his numbers this season are no fluke and that the hard work he’s been putting in since his MLB debut in 2024 is paying off.

After Thursday’s game, though, all Rice was thinking about was his team and how they were able to pull out a series split while putting up 12 runs on 14 hits.

“It’s big time. It’s big for the morale heading into this last series before the break,” he said. “Just kinda getting everyone rolling again and firing on all cylinders feels good.”

Okay, so the first two games haven’t gone our way and the club is now riding a 5-game losing streak. That just means it’s time for a win to get us back in the win column and rolling again. It’s time.

The A’s will be going with an opener/bulk pitcher strategy today, giving left-handed reliever Jose Suarez the ball for the first inning. He’ll be followed by right-hander Jack Perkins. The 26-year-old has struggled mightily in his return to starting duties, posting a ghastly 8.10 ERA over his six starts. The season is quickly slipping away from the A’s so it’s getting to the point where they might as well let it ride with the young right-hander. Maybe today is the day he puts it all together and finally figures it out. We’ll see though as he’s coming off an appearance where he allowed seven runs to cross home plate. Hard to win when your starter does that. Fingers crossed switching roles can spark something.

Here’s how the A’s will line up this afternoon in Detroit for the finale:

The squad gets first baseman Nick Kurtz back after he departed the game last night. Seems he’s healthy enough to get back into the starting lineup, though he’ll handle DH duties while first base will be covered by Jonah Heim. Kurtz will bat second behind today’s third baseman and lead off man Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, and our middle infield duo will be Jacob Wilson and Alika Williams tonight, playing shortstop and second base respectively.

And while the team welcomed Tyler Soderstrom back from the IL yesterday he gets the day off this evening, making way for Zack Gelof to get the start on the grass out there in left. He’ll be flanked by Henry Bolte in center and Colby Thomas in right field.

The Tigers meanwhile will send high-priced lefty Framber Valdez to the bump for what will be his 19th start of the season. The first-year Tiger hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations that his big contract came with but he’s still been serviceable with a 4.29 ERA for the AL Central squad.

And a look at Detroit’s starting nine today:

1-9 in our past 10 games. Currently holding the 3rd-worst record in the American League. A five-game losing streak, and now five games back of a playoff spot. Desperate times. Let’s go A’s!

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Lefty Jesus Luzardo signed a massive $135 million contract extension with the Philadelphia Phillies over the winter, and promptly started the 2026 season by falling completely flat on his face. He yielded 6 ER in his first start of the year, and his first four starts of the year featured a startling line: 22.2 IP, 28 H, 21 R (20 ER), good for a terribly unsightly 7.94 ERA.

Within that, though, sat an impressive 30/5 strikeout to walk ratio, and that fueled the 2.85 FIP he recorded through those surface struggles.

I cite that as a reference point as that encompassed the bad part of his year. Four starts of 2.85 FIP ball, and regression came coming for him quickly. In the 14 games he has started since that bad luck beginning to his extension, he’s been simply brilliant. Across 80.2 IP, he’s pitched to a 2.57 ERA and 2.99 FIP, and he’s struck out 95 more batters in that time.

In other words, he looks exactly like the pitcher who warranted said extension when the Phillies front office sent the contract his way.

He’ll start against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday opposite Brady Singer, who is desperately trying to pitch his way into a contract a third as valuable as Luzardo’s when he reaches free agency this winter. Singer got off to a much more prolonged struggle to begin 2026, but to his credit he has pitched to a 3.16 ERA with a 35/14 K/BB over his last 6 starts (even if the Reds have gone just 1-5 in those games).

It’s a 7:10 PM ET start time for this series finale. Turn on, tune in, drop out.

The Red Sox are hot. Take that statement as you will.

Boston has rolled through this coast-to-coast road trip in impressive fashion, regardless of the competition. The Red Sox have momentum entering the All-Star break, honestly as they have in recent seasons. What will the outcome be this time? 

Here’s three takeaways from Thursday’s win. 

CALEB DURBIN COMPARISONS ARE HILARIOUS
Boston’s third baseman homered to make the difference with a two-run blast on his ninth long ball of the season.

It’s unfair to play revisionist history against Alex Bregman, but here are their numbers on the season entering play Thursday. 

SANDOVAL SOLID
All things considered, Sandoval looked solid in his first start since 2024. 

The left-hander exited after 65 pitches in the fifth inning. He allowed just one earned run in 4 ⅓ innings with five strikeouts on the day. Sandoval got up to 96.1 MPH on his fastball on the day. 

ARE YOU BUYING IN? 

The Red Sox entered the day just three games out of the final wild card spot in a horrible American League. More importantly as followed in recent weeks, there are now just three teams in between Boston and the final wild card spot with the Blue Jays, the Astros and the Twins. 

That was the larger issue even recently. The Red Sox haven’t had a massive deficit in terms of games back, rather they’ve faced too many teams separating them from a playoff spot. 

Can Boston truly overcome and sustain the field to produce in unlikely fashion?

My track record is quite clear on Gabriel Arias… so someone has to tell me if I can celebrate the Guardians’ win today over the Twins, 5-2.

I have emphasized that Arias being a bottom 10 hitter in MLB since his debut makes him an expendable player. I lost my mind when he struck out five times and didn’t bother to run to first recently, and similarly when he lolipopped throws to first base. Since June 29th, entering today’s game, Arias had a 109 wRC+ and he hit an absolute bomb today to start off the scoring:

I don’t think Arias is a player you reserve a roster spot for on a playoff team. However, these hot streaks are great and his power is a welcome addition when it shows up for this team. He also made a great play on a bunt in the 8th, showing off that laser cannon of an arm.

Props to you, Arias. Please continue to make me look like an absolute idiot. Also, I regret not giving more grace for the mental strain you must be dealing with regarding the earthquakes in Venezuela.

Gavin Williams was very good today, perfect through four, and then seemingly rattled when Royce Lewis attempted to break up the perfecto with two straight bunt attempts and a bloop hit. That is fair play. But, Williams doesn’t have to LIKE it, and he clearly did not. Though he gave up a run, he got out of it allowing only one, and screaming to himself as he left the mound. I appreciated the competitive fire. Williams allowed a home run in the 7th to Lewis, and Lewis robbed Travis Bazzana of a two-run double, cementing further his status for me of “Most Hated AL Central Rival Player.” I do not enjoy watching him. Williams struck out 11 and I hope this is a sign that he is ready for a good second half. The Guardians will need it.

The Guardians also had home runs from Chase DeLauter who appears locked in:

And Patrick Bailey of all people!

And a two-run double from Brayan Rocchio:

Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith gave us a resumption of normal bullpen excellence and the Guardians left town still ahead of the Twins and able to put those first two terrible games behind them. Now, to the incredibly hot Marlins and then the All-Star break. Long live Arias.

When Mark Vientos left Thursday afternoon's game against the Kansas City Royals after getting hit on the hand, the Mets responded by pulling A.J. Ewing in from center field to play second base, his first time playing the infield at the big league level.

Interim manager Andy Green said that when asked Ewing about moving to second for the start of the third inning, the 21-year-old expressed nothing but willingness.

"I can't use the words here that he used, but he was more than eager to stand there and play defense at second today," Green said in his postgame media availability after the Mets' 7-3 win.

“I was fired up about it; I was excited to go there,” Ewing said about the conversation with Green, breaking into a wide smile. “I wish I got a groundball.”

Ewing did get one ball hit up the middle that he made a diving stop on, but had no chance to get the runner at first.

First baseman Jared Young said he didn’t have any surprise about seeing Ewing to his right: “He’s a crazy athlete, so wherever you put him he’ll be fine.”

How did he look over there? “Great,” Young added. “Like a natural.”

Ewing’s work at second had been “sprinkled in” during his time with the big leagues, but Green said you kinda “triage the best you can” when making the decision after losing Vientos to what ended up being a broken hand that will see him land on the IL.

The answer was to shift Brett Baty from second to third base and bring Tyrone Taylor in to play center.

“I do believe that A.J. is capable of playing that position well,” the interim skipper said about second, but that center will remain his focus. “We were trying to figure out what it might look like in the minor leagues for him. You have limited reps, you have a guy flying through the system, and we genuinely believed he could be the center fielder of the future, so we invested heavily there and very lightly at keeping the second base somewhat viable. 

“I wouldn’t doubt him figuring out how to do whatever we asked him to do, but we still A.J. as a center fielder, who was a wonderful safety net for his teammates today.” 

Ewing added that the timing of his preparation is a bit different, but as far as the shift from center field, “you’re still reading the ball off the bat the same way.”

“I mean, I grew up playing there every single day since the I the time I was four years old, ‘til 18, 19 years old,” he said about playing second. “It felt pretty normal.”

The Milwaukee Brewers will wrap up the unofficial first half of the season this weekend, as they head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates for just the second time this season (and first time on the road). The Brewers sit at 58-34 entering Thursday night’s finale in St. Louis, 6.5 games ahead of the Cubs atop the division and 12 games up on the 47-47 Pirates, who have had an up-and-down season.

The Pirates, who have had one of the better pitching staffs in recent seasons, have completely flipped the script in 2026. While they still have solid arms in Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, and Bubba Chandler atop the rotation (all three of whom will pitch this weekend), they haven’t performed quite as well as expected. Instead, the offense, which has been among the league’s worst the last few years, has picked up the slack — they’re currently led in homers by two of their offseason pickups, Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn. More on them below.

Milwaukee’s injured list currently includes pitchers Brandon Woodruff (TBD return), Joel Kuhnel (late July/early August), Coleman Crow (late July), DL Hall (late July), Carlos Rodriguez (mid-July), Rob Zastryzny (mid- to late July), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). The position player group is currently without outfielder Brandon Lockridge (late July) and David Hamilton (mid- to late July).

Pittsburgh is without pitchers Wilber Dotel (All-Star break), Evan Sisk (TBD), and Chris Devenski (late July). They’re also without a few top position players, including Spencer Horwitz (mid-July), rookie Konnor Griffin (September), Oneil Cruz (late July), and Endy Rodríguez (late July).

Jake Bauers continues to set the pace for Milwaukee’s offense with 16 homers, as he’s hitting .265/.365/.495. Jackson Chourio has cooled off a bit after a red-hot June, but he’s still hitting .282/.337/.502 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs in 58 games this year. Catcher William Contreras is Milwaukee’s lone All-Star Game rep (after Jacob Misirowoski was replaced due to his scheduled start on Sunday), and the backstop is hitting .284/.349/.401. Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich, Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Andrew Vaughn, and Greg Jones round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .255/.337/.397 (.734 OPS ranks ninth), with 84 homers (28th), 468 runs (fifth), and 85 steals (tied for seventh).

As I mentioned above, the Pirates are led by their offseason additions of Lowe and O’Hearn. Lowe is hitting .243/.315/.490 with 21 homers, 20 doubles, and 64 RBIs, while O’Hearn is hitting .289/.346/.490 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs. Bryan Reynolds has also had a nice bounce-back season, hitting .281/.395/.477 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs to go with a perfect 7-for-7 on steals. Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Jake Mangum, and Marcell Ozuna round out the regulars, with Esmerlyn Valdez, Billy Cook, Tyler Callihan, Jack Brannigan, and Rafael Flores Jr. serving as depth. As a team, the Pirates are hitting .262/.340/.423 (.763 OPS ranks second), with 120 homers (tied for seventh), 492 runs (third), and 88 steals (fifth).

The trio of Aaron Ashby, Trevor Megill, and Abner Uribe lead Milwaukee’s bullpen, with Chad Patrick serving as a multi-inning option. Grant Anderson has also put up a respectable 3.32 ERA, with Craig Yoho, Jared Koenig, and Drew Rom completing the bullpen. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.32 team ERA (first), including a 3.24 starter ERA (first) and a 3.43 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 896 batters (second) over 825 2/3 innings.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been a bit of a weakness this season, as they’re just 17-for-34 in save chances as a team. Gregory Soto leads the way with 11 saves, though he has a 4.15 ERA and four blown saves. Dennis Santana leads the ‘pen with 41 appearances, but he’s been dismal, with a 5.95 ERA and a pair of blown saves. Carmen Mlodzinski (3.24 ERA) and Yohan Ramírez (3.38 ERA) have been the best of the bunch for the Bucs, while Isaac Mattson (4.66 ERA), Mason Montgomery (4.25 ERA), Cam Sanders (8.68 ERA), and Hunter Stratton (7.71 ERA) have not impressed on the stat sheet, though Sanders’ and Stratton’s ERAs are inflated by the fact they have just 11 2/3 total innings between them this year. As a staff, the Pirates have a 4.32 team ERA (19th), including a 4.16 starter ERA (11th) and a 4.53 bullpen ERA (23rd). They’ve struck out 858 batters (fourth) over 839 2/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, July 10 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (3-4, 5.13 ERA, 4.93 FIP) vs. RHP Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.24 ERA, 3.16 FIP)

After a very rough start to the season, Sproat, 25, has seemingly figured some things out over his last several starts. While his season ERA still sits at 5.13 and his FIP is at 4.93, he’s allowed two runs of fewer in four of his last five starts, with a 2.88 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 25 innings in that stretch. He went four innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out four against the D-backs on Sunday. He missed the Pirates when these teams faced off back in April, meaning this is his first career appearance against Pittsburgh.

Ashcraft, 26, was just named as an NL All-Star replacement, subbing in for teammate Paul Skenes. This is his second major league season and first as a full-time starter, as he made 26 appearances (eight starts) in 2025. HE has a 9-3 record, 3.24 ERA, 3.16 FIP, and 122 strikeouts over 108 1/3 innings this year, and he’s picked up the win in each of his last four appearances. In those games, he’s totaled 23 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs (eight earned for a 3.04 ERA) with 32 strikeouts. Ashcraft’s only appearance against Milwaukee came last June, when he went three innings with no runs allowed on a hit and no walks, striking out a pair.

Saturday, July 11 @ 3:05 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (4-2, 2.97 ERA, 3.21 FIP) vs. RHP Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.82 ERA, 4.71 FIP)

Drohan, 27, continues to impress in his first major league season. He’s now made 18 appearances (eight starts) with a 4-2 record, 2.97 ERA, 3.21 FIP, and 61 strikeouts across 63 2/3 innings. He picked up the win on Monday in St. Louis, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks, striking out two over six frames. Drohan’s lone appearance against the Pirates came in relief back in April, when he went four innings with three runs allowed (one earned) on four hits and a walk, striking out two.

Chandler, 23, is also in his second major league season, as he made seven appearances (four starts) last year, maintaining rookie status into 2026. He’s made 18 appearances (17 starts) this year, with a 3-8 record, 4.82 ERA, 4.71 FIP, and 79 strikeouts over 89 2/3 innings. He also leads the majors with 52 walks, with 5.2 walks/9. Ouch. He’s gotten roughed up in each of his last two outings, totaling 10 1/3 innings with nine runs allowed on 13 hits and six walks, striking out six against the Phillies and Nationals. Chandler’s only appearance against Milwaukee came last September, when he allowed nine runs on nine hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings, striking out three in a 10-2 loss.

Sunday, July 12 @ 11:15 a.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.62 ERA, 2.11 FIP) vs. RHP Paul Skenes (7-8, 3.58 ERA, 2.99 FIP)

We’ll get spoiled with another Misiorowski-Skenes matchup in the first-half finale on Sunday, after we saw these two face off last June. Miz got the win in that one, going five shutout frames with eight strikeouts opposite Skenes’ four runs allowed over four innings. This season, the 24-year-old righty is 10-4 with a league-leading 1.62 ERA, 2.11 FIP, and 167 strikeouts over 111 innings. He’s had a few shaky starts recently, but he still turned in a solid line against the Cardinals in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, going seven innings with three runs allowed on three hits (two homers) and no walks, striking out 11. Including the aforementioned start last June, Miz has made three career starts against Pittsburgh, with a 2.00 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 18 innings. He went six innings, allowing three runs and striking out nine in a no-decision against them back in April of this season.

After a sub-2.00 ERA in each of his first two seasons, Skenes, 24, hasn’t been quite as dominant this year. He still has a respectable 3.58 ERA and 2.99 FIP over 103 innings, and he’s struck out 123 batters, but his WHIP and HR/9 rates are up a tick from the last couple of years. Even so, he earned his third consecutive All-Star selection last week. His last outing against the Braves was his first win in a while, as he went six frames with two runs allowed on eight hits and a walk, striking out four in a 12-4 victory. Skenes has become a common foe for Milwaukee, as he’s made five starts against them for his career (including the aforementioned matchup against Miz last year). He’s 2-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 28 innings. That includes a stellar start back in April of this year, when he went 6 2/3 perfect innings before giving up a single in the seventh. He totaled seven innings in that one, allowing just the one hit and striking out seven in a 6-0 Pirates win.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, July 10: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, July 11: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, July 12: Exclusively on Peacock/NBCSN Extra; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

This is a series with a trio of fun pitching matchups, with all six starting pitchers 27 or younger. Give me the Brewers to prevail with a 2-1 series victory.

These are the games that make you want to tear your hair out.

The Cubs fashioned a late-inning lead, a lead most bullpens should be able to hold. This Cubs bullpen did not do that. And some questionable baserunning decisions — and questionable replay review calls — didn’t help either. The result was a 3-2 Cubs loss to the Orioles, ending their brief three-game winning streak.

Cubs nemesis Tyler O’Neill did it again. After homering twice in Wednesday’s game, O’Neill homered in the second inning off David Peterson to give Baltimore a 1-0 lead. That gave him homers in three consecutive at-bats and 14 home runs in 56 career games against the Cubs, by far his most against any team. Let’s just hope the O’s don’t trade O’Neill to a team the Cubs play later in the year.

The score remained 1-0 Baltimore through five innings. That, in part, was due to Questionable Baserunning Decision No. 1. In the top of the fourth, Michael Busch hit a two-out single.

That was followed by a double by Nico Hoerner and oh, no, Quintin Berry, don’t send Busch! [VIDEO].

In fairness, it did take two perfect throws from Taylor Ward and Gunnar Henderson to get Busch, and the play did go to replay review, and it was very, very close.

Still. If Busch holds at third, you have two runners in scoring position and Ian Happ up next. I’d rather have taken my chances with that.

Apart from the homer given up to O’Neill, Peterson threw a nice game. He completed five innings with just the one run allowed and only one other hit given up. He did walk four, but managed to pitch himself out of trouble. That makes two good outings and one bad one for Peterson as a Cub, and so I think with the All-Star break to reset, he’ll still be a valuable part of the rotation.

Here’s more on Peterson’s outing [VIDEO].

And more, from BCB’s JohnW53:

David Peterson’s start was the 17th by a Cub this season of exactly 5.0 innings. His two hits tied for the fewest with Colin Rea, at Tampa Bay on April 8, and Shota Imanaga, at Colorado on June 10.

Imanaga gave up no runs. Peterson and Rea gave up one, as did Imanaga on April 5, at Cleveland (3 hits), and Ben Brown on June 13 at San Francisco (7 hits).

The Cubs were 8-8 in the previous 16 five-inning starts.

Seiya Suzuki tied the game up with this monster home run in the sixth [VIDEO].

That ball was absolutely demolished! [VIDEO]

The Cubs bullpen did okay, for a couple of innings. Gavin Hollowell and Caleb Thielbar combined to throw two scoreless innings, the sixth and seventh, though Hollowell did issue two walks.

The Cubs then took the lead in the eighth. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off with a double, extending his hitting streak to nine games. He advanced to third on a fly ball by Alex Bregman, and scored on this double by Suzuki [VIDEO].

Suzuki was in scoring position with one out, but Carson Kelly struck out and Busch grounded out to end the inning.

Could the Cubs bullpen get six outs without giving up two runs?

Well, you know the answer to that. Tyler Ferguson struck out Taylor Ward to begin the eighth, but then hit Henderson and Pete Alonso. A left-handed pinch-hitter was sent up, so Ryan Rolison was summoned. The Orioles flipped and put in the right-handed hitting Jeremiah Jackson. This is a swap you don’t see too often in modern baseball, what with four-man benches.

This time it worked, as Jackson doubled to deep right-center, with both runners scoring, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Alonso, not a fast runner, just barely beat Hoerner’s relay [VIDEO].

That also went to review and was ruled “call confirmed.” Rolison finished up the inning without further incident, so the Cubs trailed by just one going to the ninth, where they faced old friend Andrew Kittredge.

Nico led off with a routine ground ball that Henderson booted for an error.

Then Hoerner took off for second, and here’s what happened [VIDEO].

This play also went to review. To me, it looks like Hoerner was either a) blocked by the fielder or b) pushed off the base or c) both, and you can’t do that. But the call on the field was upheld and he was out, instead of being in scoring position with nobody out.

Ian Happ followed with a single, but he was forced at second by Dansby Swanson. Now there are two out, but Swanson stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position after all.

Michael Conforto batted for Miguel Amaya. Conforto’s been really good as a pinch-hitter this year. Coming into this game he was batting .348/.400/.870 (8-for-23) as a PH, with three home runs.

As rain began to fall pretty hard in Baltimore, Conforto hit the ball hard but right at Ward in left to end the game [VIDEO].

So they made the right call moving this game to an afternoon start, as it appears there are several hours’ worth of waves of storms heading through the Baltimore area for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Ferguson and Rolison have had their moments for the Cubs, but remember these guys are scrap heap pickups and they’re starting to show that. The Cubs need a) the guys on the injured list back, or b) to go out and get some help by trade, or c) both.

A couple of notes from John to wrap this up:

This was the 49th consecutive game in which the Cubs have allowed at least one run, since a 2-0 win at Atlanta on May 14.

Since 1901, the Cubs have had 45 longer shutout droughts, including ones of 50 in 1934 and 2009.

Their longest was 101 games, in 1901, then 91 in 1953 and 88 in 1958.

This is their longest since 55 games in 2021.

…

The Cubs had won the previous 10 games in which they had erased a lead, beginning June 11, when their current surge began. For the season, they are 25-12.

They had won the previous three games and five of the previous six in which they blew a lead. They are 15-16 for the season.

They have both erased 40 total deficits and blown 40 leads.

This loss isn’t the end of the world, of course, not with 69 games remaining. Nevertheless, it was winnable, and the Cubs will simply have to pick up and try to take two or three in Cincinnati, where they head to open a three-game series Friday evening. Shōta Imanaga will start the series opener against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene. Game time Friday is 6:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

Texas Rangers lineup for July 9, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Reid Detmers for the Angels.

The Rangers try for a series win this evening. Wyatt Langford is back. Josh Jung is back. A lefty is pitching for the Angels, so that isn’t great, but you can’t have everything.

The lineup:

Foscue — 2B

Langford — DH

Nimmo — RF

Jung — 3B

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Higashioka — C

Cauley — CF

Osuna — LF

7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -137 favorites.

For this next Rays Reacts poll, we asked who y’all thought the Rays will draft at No. 2 overall in the 2026 draft, and after a close vote the answer was — for me — surprising!

Has the lesson of Buster Posey come home to roost?

For a long time Cholowsky has been heralded as the top pick in this draft — and he might still be — but it’s become a three horse race in recent days alongside Emerson and Lackey, and the three are typically ranked in that order across the blogosphere.

Put in a similar position where a top ranked catcher was among the top draft prospects, the Rays passed on Florida State catcher Buster Posey to take a top ranked high school shortstop back in 2008, and we all know how that went. Can the Rays let another top flight catcher pass them by almost 20 years later?

For those interested, our friends at FanDuel — who sponsored this post — have a specific “MLB Draft Futures” section with markets like odds for who will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick (and other early picks. Players such as Grady Emerson, Roch Cholowsky, Vahn Lackey, Jacob Lombard, Drew Burress, plus “Any Other Player” can be wagered at the various high draft positions.

The MLB draft is scheduled for July 11–12, 2026 (first round and early picks on July 11 starting at 1:00 PM ET), and the futures markets are live right now.

The Texas Rangers have activated outfielder Wyatt Langford from the injured list, the team announced today. To make room for him on the active roster, Josh Smith has been optioned to AAA Round Rock.

Langford last played on June 26, with a hamstring strain having sidelined him the past two weeks. The initial word was that he would not be back until after the All Star Break, but Langford has improved quicker than expected, and beat that estimate.

Langford has missed more than half of the season due to injury, but has been very good when healthy, slashing .278/.324/.500 in 40 games. He had been on a hot streak when he went down, and the Rangers could definitely use his bat back in the lineup.

Smith was called up at the beginning of July when Corey Seager went back on the injured list due to his back issues. He is slashing .230/.312/.295 on the season.

It seemed another Braves game was going to come down to the wire.

Although they had led since the opening inning and saw that lead grow to 6-2 in the fourth inning, it was gradually chipped away until Atlanta was clinging to a 6-5 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates entering the ninth inning.

Mike Yastrzemski gave the Braves insurance and then some with a two-out grand slam that kept everyone’s nails intact, allowing Atlanta to not use closer Raisel Iglesias and pull away for a 10-5 win in Thursday afternoon’s rubber match at PNC Park.

As is often the case with this offense, it was powered by home runs, three of them in total. Matt Olson gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a mammoth homer to right off Pirates starter Mitch Keller (6-7). It was Olson’s 25th of the season and came on the same day he tied Dale Murphy’s franchise record by playing in his 740th consecutive game.

After Atlanta tacked on two more in the third on Ozzie Albies’ RBI double and Mauricio Dubón’s RBI single, the Pirates got two runs back in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back homers by Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez in a three-pitch span off Braves starter Bryce Elder.

But the Braves responded, putting up a three-run spot in the fourth. After Yastrzemski’s 10-pitch walk, Jim Jarvis sparked the inning with his first career homer, a two-run shot to right, and Drake Baldwin made it 6-2 with a two-out RBI single.

Jarvis added a double and a single to finish a triple short of a cycle, finishing with not just his first three-hit game but his first multi-hit game at the major league level. Baldwin (2-for-4) was the only other Brave with multiple hits, but the offense racked up 11 hits with eight of the nine starters notching hits.

Keller lasted just three innings thanks to an extended third inning, allowing three runs on four hits.

The strong early showing for the offense which had managed seven total runs in the first two games of the series was needed as Elder again labored through a fairly short outing.

After stranding two runners on base in the first two innings and giving up the back-to-back jacks in the third, he got tagged again for a homer in the fourth, this time a two-run shot by Jake Mangum.

Elder finished allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits over four innings, striking out three and walking two. While he didn’t get through five innings to be eligible for the win, Elder did snap a three-game losing streak.

The win went to Dylan Dodd (2-0), who threw a 1-2-3 fifth before the game went into a weather delay.

That began a strong combined showing for the bullpen, which had to cover five innings. JR Ritchie issued a leadoff walk in each of his two innings but allowed just one run, with an assist by Danny Young, who got a double play in relief of Ritchie to escape a seventh-inning jam.

James Karinchak also issued a leadoff walk in the eighth, stranding the runner at third thanks to a nice play by Olson at first on a hard-hit ball.

After Yastrzemski’s slam, Victor Mederos got the ninth inning. He allowed a leadoff single but retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts, to close out the series win.

It’s just the second series win for the Braves since their sweep of the Pirates June 5-7 in Atlanta. They’ll look to make it two in a row entering the All-Star break this weekend in St. Louis, starting Friday night at 8:15 EDT on Apple TV.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are going back to the White House.

The Dodgers will visit President Donald Trump on July 23 to celebrate their second straight World Series championship, the California Post reported on Thursday, July 9, citing a White House official. The team found a window on an off day during an East Coast swing.

For a while it looked like the trip might not happen. The Dodgers' only scheduled visit to Washington came in April against the Nationals, and the game schedule left no room for the traditional ceremony.

"As was the case one year ago, the Dodgers upcoming visits to the White House and Capitol Hill follow the longtime tradition of visits by other World Series champions," the Dodgers' statement to the California Post read.

Manager Dave Roberts never wavered on it publicly. He said he was "going to continue to try to do what tradition says."