CINCINNATI, OH - JULY 31: Hunter Greene #21 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Friday, July 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Colten Strauss/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It was odd when the Cincinnati Reds ran up against the August 3rd trade deadline and decided not to move veteran righty Brady Singer. The innings-eating machine is set to be a free agent, after all, and had pitched at a well above league-average level for the better part of two months.
It was even more odd when word leaked that the Reds may even decided to issue Singer a Qualifying Offer at season’s end, the one bit of leverage teams can hold over free agents as a way of maybe, maybe keeping them around for another year.
Well, the news that hit the wires on Wednesday afternoon may help explain both fractions of those decisions.
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati’s mercurial ace, has landed back on the 15-day injured list. The reason? Once again his troublesome right elbow, which once needed Tommy John surgery while in the minors with the Reds and just last March needed a further procedure to ‘clean up’ some things.
The #Reds today recalled RHP Luis Mey from Triple-A Louisville and placed RHP Hunter Greene (right elbow soreness) on the 15-day Injured List, retro to 8/2.
Veteran Reds beat Charlie Goldsmith reported that Greene will head to LA to get a ‘second opinion’ from veteran elbow-slicer Dr. Neal El Attrache, which is as ominous as it sounds. Apparently Greene felt discomfort after throwing a bullpen earlier in the week.
Nick Krall said Hunter Greene will head to get a second opinion from El Attrache. Krall said they’ll know more after that. Greene threw a side on Tuesday and felt soreness in his elbow.
As for Singer, well, the Reds need rotation depth now. If this Greene news gets any more ominous, they’re going to need rotation depth next season, too.
Not to jump the gun too much here, but my goodness what a disaster this would be from a roster building perspective. It’s enough to make you wonder just what kind of Voodoo doll is running this franchise’s fortunes.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 04: Christian Franklin #27 of the Baltimore Orioles walks to first base after drawing a walk in the third inning of his major league debut against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 04, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In last night’s game with the Angels, the first since the trade deadline, the lineup looked about as standard as we could expect. Christian Franklin and Carlos Narváez were in the bottom of the lineup, but everything else seemed almost normal. Today, against a lefty, things look a little weird.
Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers have been swapped out for Tyler O’Neill and Jeremiah Jackson, except Jackson is playing left field. It’s his third start in the outfield this season. And Christian Franklin, in his second big league game, is leading off. There is a Taylor Ward-sized hole in the lineup, and this is how the Orioles have decided to fill it. Franklin looks fast, so I guess that is why he’s batting first. He has shifted over to center field with Cowser out. I hope he’s good out there, because he is flanked by Jackson and O’Neill. It could get scary out there.
Trevor Rogers, who is probably wondering why nobody wanted him at the deadline, gets the start. It’s my theory that keeping Rogers is how Mike Elias can pretend this team is still trying to win this year. If you also want to do that too, you can root for the Mets over the Guardians and the Royals over the Twins tonight. Our old buddy Dean Kremer is on the mound for Minnesota. The Rangers are also ahead of the Orioles in the WC race, but they have already beaten the Giants today.
Reid Detmers is the lefty going for the Angels. He has a 4.03 ERA and 3.34 FIP for the Angels this year. Beating him won’t be an easy task for this team.
Orioles lineup
Christian Franklin (R) CF Pete Alonso (R) 1B Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Tyler O’Neill (R) RF Coby Mayo (R) D, Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B Jackson Holliday (L) 2B Jeremiah Jackson (R) LF Carlos Narváez (R) C
Angels lineup
Zach Neto (R) SS Mike Trout (R) CF Nolan Schanuel (L) 1B Vaughn Grissom (R) 3B Moisés Ballesteros (L) DH Travis d’Arnaud (R) C Josh Lowe (L) RF Jose Siri (R) LF Adam Frazier (L) 2B
BOSTON, MA - JULY 25: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the game at Fenway Park on July 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Sonny Gray must surely hope the Red Sox saved some runs for Wednesday night after a 14-2 trouncing of the White Sox in the series opener at Fenway Park.
Gray has been sensational all season and was wronged as an All-Star snub. With that said, the veteran has shown some regression over his last two starts. He allowed nine runs in 12 innings against the Blue Jays and Athletics. For reference, Gray had allowed just eight runs total in his previous seven starts across 45 1/3 innings of work. He looks to bounce back in hopes of seven consecutive wins for Boston.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Wednesday night at Fenway.
The White Sox counter with Sean Burke, who enters with the momentum of 20 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed in his previous 12 innings on the mound.
Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
The Dodgers ended up with an acute need at the trade deadline after all.
Catcher Dalton Rushing’s elbow injury was diagnosed as a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, as manager Dave Roberts first told AM 570’s David Vassegh.
“It’s a bummer because he has made a lot of strides,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday, which extended the Dodgers’ season-high losing streak to six games. “Even just this right here, you’re talking about over 125 plate appearances that you’re missing out on, and also opportunities to catch major league innings. So I feel for Dalton.”
He’ll be shut down from throwing for four to six weeks, Roberts said. But the plan is for him to resume hitting before then. Asked if Rushing could catch again this season, Roberts said he believed there was a “very small” chance.
“I hope I’m wrong,” Roberts said. “He’s a tough kid, and so for him to go through this speaks a lot. So I think that would be great if he can. Certainly a possibility with the time, but we’re certainly trying to keep the bat alive, for sure.”
Even if Rushing doesn’t return behind the plate, his left-handed bat off the bench could be valuable for the Dodgers down the stretch and even into the postseason. As constructed, the Dodgers don’t have an equivalent for pinch-hitting situations.
Next, Rushing, in conversation with the team and medical staff, will have to decide whether he needs to undergo surgery to repair the ligament. He did not make the trip to Chicago, so he was not available to comment on the situation.
“Over the next couple weeks, I think that we’ll have a better idea of how he’s responding with time,” Roberts said. “I do think that there’s really not much cost, outside of two weeks or whatever, to kind of wait and see how he responds to some treatment and some kind of stuff that they decide to do.”
Depending on the severity of a partial UCL tear, rehab and strengthening the muscles around the elbow can sometimes at least put off surgery. If that’s not a viable option, there are a range of operations to address UCL injuries — from reinforcement with an internal brace, to full reconstruction (Tommy John surgery).
Elbow surgeries tend to come with a lengthy recovery timeline. So, even if surgery becomes inevitable, as long as Rushing can hit and the Dodgers think he can contribute off the bench into the postseason, holding off any operation until the offseason could make sense.
Rushing’s injury will impact not only the catching corps but also the offense, necessitating a shift to defense-first catchers.
Taking on starting catcher duties for nearly two months with Will Smith (neck) on the injured list, Rushing had an .809 OPS when the Dodgers scratched him from the game Sunday with what they initially called minor arm irritation.
“I think that it was something that was there, and then it just showed itself Sunday,” Roberts said.
Though Smith has been at least hitting in the batting cages, he’s had a back-and-forth recovery from an injury the Dodgers initially hoped wouldn’t need an IL stint.
“Everything keeps moving forward, which is a good thing,” Roberts said. “There’s no timeline as far as when he faces pitching, let alone when he goes out on a [minor-leauge rehab assignment]. Then we’ll have more clarity on a projected date of return, but right now I don’t know.”
So, the Dodgers acquired an entirely new catching tandem before the trade deadline Monday. On Tuesday, they activated Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, both catchers who have played for the Dodgers in recent years. They optioned Eliezer Alfonzo and designated Chuckie Robonson for assignment.
Rortvedt, who Roberts said could get the “taking a lion’s share for the foreseeable future,” caught two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in his Dodgers debut Tuesday. Feduccia caught Lauer on Wednesday.
Lauer gave up six runs and 11 hits to the Cubs and lasted just four innings, in his worst appearance as a Dodger. Wednesday marked the Dodgers’ first loss with Lauer on the mound, snapping a streak of nine games.
The Cubs completed a three-game sweep, during which the Dodgers were outscored 22-12. They’ve been swept for two straight series, also dropping all three home games to the Red Sox last weekend. The Dodgers were last swept in consecutive series last year, getting swept by the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers July 4-9.
MVP standoff between Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani gestures towards the dugout after hitting a home run to lead off Wednesday's game. (Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
The frontrunners in the National League MVP race traded leadoff home runs at Wrigley Field Wednesday.
First was Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who notched the 32nd leadoff homer of his career and 29th as a Dodger, breaking a tie with Davey Lopes for the second-most in franchise history, behind Mookie Betts (32). And he made it his first multi-homer game of the season in the eighth inning, with a two-run shot that trimmed the Cubs’ lead to 7-6.
Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong matched him with a tying blast in the bottom of the first inning. In the fourth, he mashed a two-run blast off the right-field scoreboard for his third multi-homer game of the season.
Roberts irked Cubs fans a week and a half ago when, asked to evaluate Ohtani’s season overall, he said he’ll still be the NL MVP.
“I haven’t followed the race,” Roberts said. “I have followed what Pete’s doing, and he’s figured some things out with the bat. “He’s having a heck of a year. And he has rightfully made it a lot closer than most people expected. He’s had a tremendous season.”
Ohtani was considered the runaway MVP favorite early in the year, while his pitching performance also put him in the Cy Young conversation. But his extended absence from the mound (left knee issue) and Crow-Armstrong’s contributions on offense and defense have made the race more interesting.
Crow-Armstrong entered Wednesday leading the majors in fWAR (7.5), followed by Ohtani (6.4).
Ohtani is expected to begin playing catch in the near future, but Roberts didn’t have a specific day circled for catch play or his return to the mound.
The Dodgers’ rotation depth means he doesn’t necessarily need to build up to a full starter’s workload by the end of the year.
“Any innings we get from him are bonuses, given he’s a two-way player,” Roberts said. “Whether it’s one inning, two innings, three innings, I’m not too concerned about the timeline. … I certainly see him as a starter, but how much he could give us, to then have somebody [piggybacking] behind him, that we don’t know yet.”
Aug 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) with third base coach Brady Williams (4) in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rays were looking to complete their sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon while the rest of us were just scratching our heads over the randomness of a 3pm game start time. Oh boy, we can’t wait for the Rays to get back home again. For the final game of the series, they had Nick Martinez starting up against Tomoyuki Sugano for the Rockies.
Right out of the gate, Victor Mesa Jr. got a leadoff triple to start the game. A Jonathan Aranda single then scored the runner, putting the Rays on the board nice and early.
Junior Caminero walked, then a Liam Hicks flyout moved Aranda over to third. A Chandler Simpson single brought Aranda home and the Rays were up by two.
Cedric Mullins laid down a sac bunt to advance the baserunners into scoring position, but the next batter was an out to end the inning. Martinez then came out and got the side out in order.
With two outs in the top of the second, Mesa Jr. got another triple. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be a repeat of the first as another out quickly ended the inning with no runs scored. In the home half, Jordan Beck managed a two-out double, but the Rockies left him stranded.
Junior Caminero wasn’t about to let Victor have all the fun. He came out swinging in the third and got a leadoff home run.
Three outs followed, but it was certainly a fun inning nevertheless. Ezquiel Tovar started the home half with a single. Then, with one out, Jake McCarthy hit into a force out to eliminate Tovar. McCarthy then stole second, but a groundout ended the inning with no runs scored.
The Rays went 1-2-3 for the first time in the game in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning Mickey Moniak singled, then Kyle Karros singled. Good start for those alliterative names. A flyout and a double play ended the inning.
It was another three-up, three-down inning for the Rays in the fifth, but the Rockies did much the same in the home half.
Liam Hicks got a leadoff walk in the sixth, and that was all she wrote for Sugano, who was replaced by Parker Mushinski. Simpson grounded into a force out to eliminate Hicks, then Chandler stole second. But the Rays were not able to convert the baserunner. McCarthy singled to start the home half, then with two outs Karros singled, bumping McCarthy to third. That was the end of the day for Martinez, his final line to be determined by what happened with Tyler Wells on the mound in relief. Wells got the final out with little issue so Martinez’s final line for the game was 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K on 75 pitches. A nice outing for him, though getting through one more inning would have been ideal.
Juan Mejia came in from the Rockies’ bullpen for the seventh and immediately gave up a walk to Taylor Walls. Walls stole second, then advanced to third on a sac bunt from Nick Fortes. Mesa Jr. then laid down his own sac bunt, scoring Walls.
In the bottom of the inning, Edouard Julien got a one-out walk, but two outs quickly followed to end the threat.
Zach Agnos came in to pitch the eighth and got the Rays out in order. In the home half the Rays brought in Garrett Cleavinger. Cole Carrigg got a one-out walk, but the next two batters were out in order to end the inning.
The Rays went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth. Cam Booser was the man to get the job done in the ninth and hopefully keep the shutout intact. He got the side out in order, though the final strike was challenged, the call on the field was confirmed and the Rays claimed victory for both the game and the series.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26: A detailed view of an NBA New Era hat during the 2025 NBA Draft - Round Two on June 26, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Iran War has been underway since late February when the U.S. and Israel bombed the Islamic Republic, among other things killing the entire Iranian leadership in a surprise attack and attacking an Iranian school, killing more than 150 school girls. Since then, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has struck back against U.S. and allied targets in the Gulf region and closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz through which much of the world’s petroleum shipments pass.
While ceasefires come and go, the effects of the war, including targeted strikes, continue, keeping countries from Kuwait to Oman, as well as U.S. bases throughout the region in the cross-hairs and on edge.
As Brian Windhorst reported on Tuesday, the war also put a stop to a round of NBA games the league planned in the Gulf States this October. The games had never been officially announced but Windhorst said things were well along until the NBA pulled the plug only a few days ago. The plan, he said, included a Nets game in Qatar.
The Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards would have played in Doha, the capital of the Emirate whose natural gas facilities have been a particular target of Iranian attacks. Restoring those facilities is expected to take months putting a big crimp in the Qatari economy and culture.
“The NBA was planning on having games in Doha this fall. I believe the Wizards and Nets were planning on going there, and possibly even the Cavs. The Cavs and Heat were looking at going to Abu Dhabi, and then going to Doha, but the Wizards and Nets were going to Doha. Those were, they never were announced, and a few days ago, the NBA decided to just move on from that obviously because of the situation in the Middle East.”
Attempts to reach BSE failed.
The game would presumably have been a preseason tilt like the the one the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers played last October in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf States, particularly the UAE, has been seen as fertile ground for the league in terms of fandom. The region is fast developing and games there have been popular. The oil-rich nations’ sovereign wealth funds are also seen as long-term, if passive, investors in NBA teams.
Both the Wizards and Nets have ties with Qatar. In June 2023, the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a five percent stake in the Washington Wizards’ parent company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The NBA had had decided to allow minority team investments from sovereign wealth funds at the end of 2022.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways, the state-owned airline, has had business ties to Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the Nets parent for the past eight years, sponsoring a club, the Qatar Airways Club, and VIP entrance at Barclays Center. until this coming season, The Qatari royal family, which maintains a residence on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, also maintained a suite at the arena.
Qatar through its Qatari Sports Investments has invested heavily in European sports, primarily Paris Saint Germain (PSG), the French-based sports group that owns one of the world’s most valuable soccer franchises and is interested in acquiring a franchise in the NBA’s planned European league, representing Paris. Qatar also controls BeIN, the TV sports network which some call the ESPN of Europe.
Qatar’s investments have drawn criticism with more than one analyst accusing it of “sports washing,” that is improving its reputation through sport.
For their part, the Nets historically have never been known to turn down an overseas trip. They lead the league in games played outside North America at 23 following the NBA China Games in Macao last October. It was their fourth trip to the PRC and they’ve played in arenas across the world in Japan, England, Mexico, Italy and Israel. This would have been their first trip to the Arab World.
May 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – CF Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Jared Young – 1B Francisco Alvarez – C Brett Baty – LF Jorge Polanco – DH Marcus Semien – 2B
Christian Scott – RHP
Guardians lineup
Steven Kwan – LF Chase DeLauter – DH Jo Adell – RF Nathaniel Lowe – 1B Travis Bazzana – 2B Brayan Rocchio – SS Petey Halpin – CF Patrick Bailey – C Angel Genao – 3B
Tanner Bibee – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 6:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 24: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Athletics and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Friday, July 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last night, the Athletics opened their first series after the trade deadline with their sixth straight loss, falling 5-4 to the Cincinnati Reds after another bullpen collapse. This time, left-hander Hogan Harris—one of the team’s most reliable relievers this season—took the loss after throwing two wild pitches in the same at-bat, allowing the game-tying and go-ahead runs to score in the eighth inning.
This evening, the A’s will look to avoid a seventh-straight loss as they continue their series against the Reds. Left-hander Jacob Lopez will get the start for the Green & Gold, making his first career appearance against Cincinnati. The 28-year-old enters his 18th appearance and 15th start of the season with a 5-4 record, a 5.79 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP and 61 strikeouts across 70 innings pitched.
Lopez’s performance has improved since returning to the team’s rotation a few weeks ago. He received a no-decision in his last outing against the Boston Red Sox, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out eight over 5 1/3 innings.
Multiple A’s pitchers have struggled with their command this season, and Lopez has been one of the biggest culprits. The 42 walks he has issued are a major reason for his elevated WHIP. However, he has shown improvement lately, walking just two batters in two out of his last three starts.
Against a Reds’ offense that has drawn the seventh-most walks in the league, Lopez will need to pound the strike zone, hit his spots and find ways to retire hitters efficiently. If he cannot, the Athletics could once again find themselves trailing early and forced to rely on the bullpen sooner than expected.
Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup looks today courtesy of manager Mark Kotsay:
Right fielder Lawrence Butler remains in the leadoff spot after making the final out of yesterday’s game, stranding the tying run at second base. The A’s will need more production from Butler moving forward with first baseman Nick Kurtz and catcher Shea Langeliers on the injured list.
Further down the lineup, Henry Bolte looks to follow his three hit performance in the series opener, while shortstop Alika Williams gets his first start of the series with Jacob Wilson moving to designated hitter due to lingering soreness.
Entering professional baseball, Tommy White was viewed as more of a power-over-hit player, but since his call-up, only two of his first 17 major league hits have gone for extra bases. Additionally, his defensive limitations at third base have been exposed. Will “Tommy Tanks” finally hit his first home run, or will the wait continue?
That lineup will face Reds’ right-hander Rhett Lowder, who enters his 20th appearance and 17th start of the season with a 3-7 record, a 5.42 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP and 70 strikeouts across 83 innings pitched.
The 24-year-old, who will be making his first start against the A’s, has been pitching well recently. In his last outing, he turned in a quality start, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The talented young pitcher has the arsenal to give an injury-depleted A’s offense trouble, but he has also been prone to inconsistency and the occasional blow-up outing. If the Athletics are to have success tonight, they will need to capitalize on any mistake pitches the former first-round pick leaves over the plate.
And here’s Cincy’s starting lineup for the middle game of the series:
Lopez will need to be careful when facing the Reds dynamic duo atop the lineup: shortstop Elly De La Cruz and National League Rookie of the Year candidate: first baseman Sal Stewart. Will old friend JJ Bleday make an impact for the Reds, or will the A’s limit the lefty slugger for a second consecutive game?
The Florida Panthers were involved in one of the summer’s biggest moves.
Back in late June, the Panthers made a couple moves in a 24-hour span that reminded everyone in the NHL why Florida was the league’s biggest nuisance.
After acquiring a second first-round selection in this summer’s NHL Draft, Panthers General Manager Bill Zito sent three top picks, along with a future second-rounder, to Ottawa in exchange for their captain, Brady Tkachuk.
It was a move that was met with little surprise, as Tkachuk was long rumored to be interested in eventually teaming up with his older brother Matthew in South Florida.
Earlier this week, there was a report that the younger Tkachuk had previously turned down a blockbuster trade that would’ve landed him in a different location.
According to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Tkachuk rejected a trade that would have sent him to the St. Louis Blues.
According to Rutherford, Tkachuk, “didn’t want to come to St. Louis.”
Jeremy Rutherford: The Senators’ Brady Tkachuk didn’t want to come to St. Louis. There were conflicting reports about whether the Stars’ Jason Robertson was interested - The Athletic (7/18)
This lines up with the idea that Tkachuk’s preferred destination was the Panthers, where his brother is locked into a contract through the end of the 2029-30 season.
For those wondering where the St. Louis connection comes from, both Tkachuk brothers were raised in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis, and the area is where Matthew has a home and spends time during the offseason.
Were you surprised by the news that Brady Tkachuk turned down a trade to St. Louis, or did it seem like a foregone conclusion that he would end up with the Panthers?
Photo caption: Oct 2, 2025;St.Louis, Missouri, USA; Ottawa Senators left wingBradyTkachuk(7) looks on during the third period againsttheSt.LouisBlues at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 05: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field on August 05, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ woes in the month of August continued on Wednesday, as their losing streak reached a season-high six games in a 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Shohei Ohtani got the best of his former WBC teammate Shota Imanaga, as he turned around a center-cut fastball for another leadoff home run. It is Ohtani’s 29th leadoff home run as a Dodger, passing Davey Lopes for the second on the franchise leadoff home run list. Ohtani’s hit streak is now at nine games.
The Cubs would immediately respond against Eric Lauer, as Pete Crow-Armstrong smashed the first pitch he saw over the center field wall to tie the game.
The Dodgers added a pair of singles from Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas in the top of the second inning, but Imanaga got out of the jam as Hunter Feduccia lined out to right field in his first Dodger at-bat since last year.
The Cubs were able to produce with men on base in the bottom of the second inning, as after a leadoff single from Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson drove him home with a double down the left field line to give Chicago a one-run lead. Lauer got Tyrone Taylor to fly out for the second out of the inning, but Crow-Armstrong had his second RBI of the game with a double of his own to extend the Cub lead to two.
The Dodgers once again put two on with a pair of singles in the top of the third, including Freddie Freeman extending his hit streak to 15 games, but Imanaga struck out Tommy Edman looking before getting Kyle Tucker to fly out to center to get out of another jam. The Dodgers would put the leadoff man on in the top of the fourth inning, but they would fail to move him over at all.
After a scoreless inning from Lauer in the bottom of the third, the Cubs gave themselves another 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Crow-Armstrong lifted his second home run of the game, giving him four RBI against the Dodger left-hander. Alex Bregman added another two-out RBI to make it a five-run lead for the Cubs.
It’s the first time that Lauer has allowed more than three runs in any game with his new club. It is also the first time he failed to log at least five innings of work since June 2, as his afternoon was done after allowing six runs over four innings while tossing 95 pitches.
Edgardo Henriquez and Kyle Hurt managed to keep Chicago scoreless over the next two innings, but the Cubs added one with an RBI double from Hoerner in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it a six-run lead, the largest they had in the series.
Mookie Betts finished Wednesday’s game going 4-5 with four singles, the first four-hit game he’s had since his two-home run barrage against the Phillies on July 20. His fourth single kickstarted a comeback attempt in the eighth inning, and Max Muncy got the Dodgers back in the game with a three-run home run against Caleb Thielbar. After a single from Miguel Rojas, Teoscar Hernández went down swinging off the bench in Feduccia’s spot. Ohtani decided to match Crow-Armstrong’s home run total on the game, as he went the other way against Ryan Zeferjahn to cut the deficit to just one run. After scoring just two runs over their last 16 innings of offense, they put up a five-spot in the eighth inning.
The Dodgers couldn’t quite cement the comeback, as Jacob Webb retired the side in order to help the Cubs complete the sweep. It is the first time the Cubs have swept the Dodgers at Wrigley Field since May 2021.
Game particulars
Home runs— Shohei Ohtani 2 (26), Max Muncy (22); Pete Crow-Armstrong 2 (26)
The Dodgers are off on Thursday but resume their road trip on Friday as they begin a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks (6:40 p.m. PT). Roki Sasaki goes for the Dodgers, while Arizona has yet to announce their starter.
1906: Chicago Cubs pitcher Jack Taylor’s streak of 202 consecutive pitching appearances without being relieved ended, closing one of baseball’s most remarkable durability records. Among those games were 187 starts.
1932: New York Yankees pitcher Red Ruffing became the first major-league pitcher since 1906 to hit an extra-inning, game-winning home run, beating Washington 1-0.
1933: Gene Sarazen defeated Willie Goggin 5 and 4 to win the PGA Championship, securing his third PGA title and sixth major championship of his career.
1939: The Yankees routed the Philadelphia Athletics 21-0, establishing an American League record for margin of victory in a shutout.
1948: Cleveland Indians rookie Satchel Paige pitched his first American or National League shutout, defeating the Chicago White Sox 5-0 before 51,013 spectators at Comiskey Park.
1962: Minor-leaguer Bert Campaneris pitched ambidextrously in a game for Daytona Beach, an unusual switch-pitching episode.
1967: New York Mets rookie Tom Seaver threw the first shutout of his Hall of Fame career, a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1969: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer completed his comeback from arm trouble by throwing a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
1979: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lou Brock became the 14th major leaguer to collect 3,000 hits.
2008: Michael Phelps won the 200-meter butterfly and helped the United States capture the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics, raising his career total to a record 11 Olympic gold medals.
2016: Monica Puig defeated Angelique Kerber in the Olympic women’s tennis final in Rio de Janeiro, becoming the first athlete representing Puerto Rico to win an Olympic gold medal.
2016: Michael Phelps swam the butterfly leg for the victorious U.S. 4x100-meter medley relay team, ending his competitive career with a record 23 Olympic gold medals and 28 medals overall.
2016: The New York Yankees released Alex Rodriguez, ending his Yankees playing tenure and effectively closing the career of one of baseball’s most prolific and controversial stars.
2017: Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow by two strokes for his first major title.
2023: Lilia Vu closed with a 5-under-par 67 and won the AIG Women’s Open by six strokes, earning her second major championship of the season.
2023: Jannik Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in Toronto to capture his first ATP Masters 1000 championship and become the second Italian man to win a title at that level since it was created in 1990.
— USA TODAY Network
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 05: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a solo home run in the third inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Daikin Park on August 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (59-57) were looking to take both this series and the season series from the Toronto Blue Jays (54-61) this afternoon. They had plenty of chances, but in the end squandered their opportunities in a 5-4 loss in 10 innings.
Hunter Brown took the mound today opposite Jameson Taillon, who was making his first start as a Blue Jay. Things seemed to be on the up for Houston, as Brown was dominant early, and had not allowed a hit through 5 innings.
In the bottom of the 3rd, the Astros would open the scoring. With one out, Jose Altuve launched his 13th HR of the season to left field to give Houston a 1-0 lead. Daulton Varsho would follow with a single, and then steal 2nd base for his 10th SB this season. With 2 out, Christian Walker slammed his 24th double of the season, scoring Varsho to make it s 2-0 lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. would drive in Walker with an RBI single to center to give Houston a 3-0 lead.
That lead looked like it would stand up, as Hunter Brown was dominating. He had not allowed a run or hit through 5 innings, walking one and striking out 7. However that would all change in the top of the 6th.
Brown retired the leadoff hitter Andrew Gimenez, but Myles Straw would follow with a double. Brown retired Nathan Lukes on a groundout to advance Straw to 3rd, but now there were 2 out. Uncharacteristically, Brown could not shut the door. A single to center by Kaz Okamoto would drive in Straw to get the Jays on the board at 3-1. After a mound visit, Brown would surrender a 2-run HR to former Astro Jesus Sanchez on a 3-0 pitch that was well above the zone to tie the game at 3. After getting the final out of the inning, Brown was done for the day.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Astros would have 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and looked poised to answer Toronto’s 3 runs immediately, but they failed to score.
In the top of the 10th, the Jays would strike again. Ernie Clement led off the inning with a 2-run HR off Astros reliever Bennett Sousa (L,0-1), driving in ghost runner Luis Urias to put the Jays up 5-3. It was the first HR Sousa had allowed this season in 13 appearances.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Astros would send Yordan Alvarez, Altuve and Varsho to the plate with Jeremy Pena as the ghost runner. Alvarez drilled a liner into right field to score Pena to make the game 5-4 on what should have been an RBI double. However, Yordan did not slide at 2B, and he was ruled out a second on the throw from Lukes in right field to Gimenez covering the bag. The Astros challenged the call, which was upheld, leading to the ejection of manager Joe Espada. Altuve and Varsho would both fly out to end the game.
The Astros are off tomorrow before traveling to San Diego to begin a 3 game series with the Padres on Friday.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has begun “light activity” as he looks to return from the injured list, manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“He’s been cleared to start some light activity in his progression back,” Boone said, adding that the reigning AL MVP is “doing some [upper-body] resistance stuff in the weight room.”
Judge, who has been out of action since May 31 with a right rib stress fracture, was seen running and stretching in the outfield on Wednesday.
The increased activity comes after Judge underwent a scan on Tuesday, which while they did not show the injury had completely healed, made it so that at a point that the next step could happen.
Asked if he was still feeling the injury, Judge said, “Well, I got a broken rib, so you’re gonna feel it.”
“But it’s healing up, that’s the progress we want to see so we can start doing some more and kinda test it and see where we’re at,” he said. “Because we’re running out of days, we got 52 days left, 53 days left. We gotta get back out there.”
Boone said this was an “important part of his progression” when asked about how big of a step this was in Judge’s rehab: “It’s good to see him with his pinstripes on and in cleats and headed out onto the field in the afternoon, certainly.”
However, that was the extent of what he is allowed to do at the moment, with Boone adding that his actions now will “roll into, slowly but surely, hopefully starting baseball activities.” But on the positive side, any future scans will be “more symptom-based now as he starts to introduce things,” Boone said, indicating a level of confidence in how the injury is healing.
“We’re at the point now to where,” Judge said, “hopefully, you add a couple more new things into the program, it won’t bother it too much and keep healing.”
In 59 games before the injury, Judge tallied 17 home runs and 38 RBI with a .248/.375/.533 slash line, good for a .908 OPS (151 OPS+, 149 wRC+). But he's now had over two months out of action completely, which could mean a long ramp-up once he clears his next hurdle and can begin taking swings, but Boone believes he will have time to clear those benchmarks.
Of course, the “ultimate test” of the injury will be hitting, Judge said: “That’s the most violent of it all, more than running or lifting or stuff like that.
“Once we keep progressing and everything’s feeling great, we take another scan, see where it’s at, hopefully add in hitting and throwing and all that down the road,” he said.
Brian Cashman was asked on Monday after the trade deadline if it was possible that Judge would not return this season, and the GM admitted that while it is “always possible that things don't go the way you want, but we currently are still very optimistic that he's going to return.”
While Cashman said he couldn’t “rule out any of it,” he did add that it is a “pretty high likelihood” that Judge “fits that timeframe for him to get back and joins us."
Judge did not express any doubts about returning this season on Wednesday: “Oh, I’ll be back this season, I don’t know why I wouldn’t be.”
“That was always the plan to come back sooner than later, definitely,” he said. “But I never had a thought of not playing [again] this year.”
However, Judge did not offer any timeline on a return to the lineup.
Clarke Schmidt update
Schmidt, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is getting closer to a return to the field and a potential rehab assignment.
“We feel like he’s probably good to go,” Boone said. “Got a lot of treatment on [Tuesday]. The doc didn’t seem overly concerned. Today was a no-throw day after his outing yesterday.
“Expecting him to play catch [on Thursday] and then hopefully do his side at some point this weekend and roll through it, but obviously, we gotta get there. But feel like we got encouraging news on him.”
Boone confirmed that Schmidt’s live BP was interrupted by cramps.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 05: Cody Bradford #61 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Globe Life Field on August 05, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the San Francisco Giants scored zero runs.
The Rangers won today’s game. It was their first time taking consecutive games since conquering the Seattle Mariners at the end of last month before the terrible, no good, very bad week that they seem to have finally escaped from (fingers crossed!).
To accomplish today’s victory, Texas turned Cody Bradford for the first time in 679 days. When last we saw Bradford on a big league mound it was late September 2024. The Rangers beat the Athletics in the second to last ever game at Oakland Coliseum. Sandro Fabian was the team’s left fielder. Leody Taveras took two at-bats and struck out twice, which I’m sure the comments section of this website took in stride.
The lefty was finishing up his first season as a starter after relieving for the Rangers during their run to a world championship the year prior. Bradford’s 2024 season was encouraging as he appeared to have turned the corner and become a rare homegrown starter, but injuries cropped up both in that season and after and wiped out nearly the next two full seasons.
In his first game back, after having ramped up to nearly 60 pitches in a handful of rehab outings in the minors, Bradford tossed 4.1 shutout innings on five hits and a couple of walks. Bradford struck out five and kept the Giants off the board in 70 pitches.
Perhaps a fire sale-depleted San Francisco squad was the perfect opponent to ease Bradford back into life on a big league mound, but he aced his first test in his first outing back. While Bradford was successfully making his return, the Rangers put together a crook number in the bottom of the third as four runs crossed the plate.
The outburst was highlighted by a two-run triple by the not especially fleetfooted Justin Foscue. It was the first career triple for Foscue. Brandon Nimmo and Elias Diaz also had RBI hits in the inning. A couple of innings later, Nimmo would smack his 12th home run of the year, and a few innings after that Nicky Lopez would drive in the sixth and final run on an RBI single in the eighth.
After a forgettable week, and flubbing the opener of this series, the Rangers rebounded and took the series to climb back to within a game of .500 and it looks like they might actually have some reinforcements.
Oh yeah, and the Astros lost.
Player of the Game: Bradford certainly deserves a tip of the hat for pitching well after working his way back from a long absence. But also, Nimmo went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored, and drove in two of Texas’ five runs.
Up Next: The Rangers have a day off tomorrow for the first time in what feels like months. They will remain at home however and welcome another seller at the deadline to The Shed with the Baltimore Orioles arriving in Arlington for a series beginning on Friday night.
A large part of the San Francisco Giants' lackluster season can be chalked up to injuries. It's a common theme in sports that teams don't reach their fullest potential in a particular year because they've been battered.
Ask their fellow Bay Area neighbors from other sports. The Golden State Warriors faced injuries during the 2025-26 season that marred what they could've accomplished. The San Francisco 49ers have had a devastating injury that derailed their season or championship hopes every year seemingly dating back to 2020.
The Giants currently have 13 players listed on the 10-day or 60-day injured list including rotation pieces such as Harrison Bader, Casey Schmitt, Trevor McDonald, Matt Gage, Victor Bericoto and Matt Chapman.
McDonald, Bader and Schmitt are out for the remainder of the season with expected return dates in 2027. Chapman could be next to join them.
Matt Chapman injury update
Chapman hasn't played since June 30 after aggravating a lingering abdominal strain that forced him to leave the Giants' 8-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth inning.
He was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 1 and was expected to return in the back portion of the season. Chapman underwent a second MRI exam on Aug. 3 and imaging confirmed a lingering core muscle injury.
He is expected to receive a full evaluation next week, where it's possible he could have surgery for the injury, according to MLB.com. There's speculation that the injury, let alone surgery, could keep Chapman out for the remainder of the season.
Giants first-year skipper Tony Vitello told reporters Aug. 4 that there's a chance Chapman doesn't play again this season. Giants' general manager Zack Minasian shared an update on Chapman during an Aug. 4 appearance on Bay Area sports radio station 97.5 The Game.
"Still going through some of the medical," Minasian said. "[Chapman] was going through hitting progression, running progression. Some of those things just weren't responding the way he wanted to so just doing some more testing, reviewing that."
"Yeah, there is a possibility we don't see him. Don't want to speak on it too soon, but yeah it sounds like a real possibility we might not see [Matt Chapman] the rest of the year."
A team spokesperson on Aug. 5 told USA TODAY Sports the Giants didn't have an update on Chapman's status“We won’t have another update until he meets with Dr. Meyer next week,” the spokesperson said.
Prior to the injury, Chapman batted a .235 average with 72 hits, seven home runs, 42 RBIs and 35 runs in 84 games.
