Worldwide Sports News

And another one bites the dust as the Tigers collected a 5-1 win against the Cubs to close out their series at Wrigley Field.

After a bummer game on Tuesday, the Tigers were hoping to pivot back into winning mode and take the series win against the Cubs. They had Keider Montero on the mound, having moved him back to a starting rotation role, and he was up against Colin Rea for Chicago.

Things started with a whimper rather than a bang as the Tigers went down in order in the top of the first. It got worse in the home half, when Montero gave up a solo home run to Seiya Suzuki with one out. Michael Busch then singled, but Montero was able to work his way out of the jam only giving up the single run.

In the second, the Tigers managed to course correct with style. With one out, Spencer Torkelson hit his own solo home run.

The inning proceeded very much like the previous inning had for the Cubs, as Kerry Carpenter singled, but the Tigers were not able to bring him home. Montero had a nice inning in the bottom of the second, getting the Cubs out in order.

In the top of the third, James Outman got a leadoff single, then Kevin McGonigle singled right behind him, pushing Outman to third. With men on the corners, McGonigle got caught stealing for the first out of the inning. Two more outs followed, killing a pretty good opportunity to score another run. The Cubs went 1-2-3 again in the bottom of the third.

Riley Greene doubled to open the fourth, then Spencer Torkelson drew a walk. With two outs, Hao-Yu Lee homered to left, bringing three runs home.

In the home half, with two outs, Ian Happ doubled after the ball perfectly hit first base and bounced into the air over Torkelson. It would have been an impressive display of physics if it hadn’t been terrible. A strikeout ended the inning, though, so the double didn’t end up hurting.

The Tigers went three-up, three-down in the top of the fifth, but the Cubs did the same in the home half, so it was a draw.

Rea’s game was done after five, replaced by Ryan Rolison, who got the Tigers out in order. In the home half, Pete Crow-Armstrong reached on an error from Montero. After the first out of the inning, Montero’s day was done, he was replaced by Drew Sommers. He induced a double-play off the bat of Busch to end the inning, making Montero’s final line for the night 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HR on 81 pitches. Fantastic outing with the only slip-up being the one home run. Glad to see him back in a starting role.

Gavin Hollowell was the new Cubs pitcher for the seventh and got the Tigers out three-up, three-down. Drew Anderson came in for the Tigers, and Happ hit a one-out single, but the Cubs left him stranded.

The Cubs went back to their bullpen once more for Caleb Thielbar. Dillon Dingler got a one-out single. Two outs would follow, though, leaving him on base. Kyle Finnegan was the new Tigers’ pitcher in the bottom of the inning and after getting two outs, he hit PCA in the toe with a pitch. Finnegan turned around and got Suzuki out, a major out to end the inning.

Tyler Ferguson came in for the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to Torkelson. Zach McKinstry hit what should have been a little bloop single, but PCA failed to field it cleanly, allowing McKinstry to get to second and Torkelson to score. It was ruled a double. Two outs then followed but the Tigers had padded their lead.

Kenley Jansen was in for the ninth inning. With two outs, Alex Bregman walked, despite a solid ABS call from Dingler to get the second strike of the at-bat. It didn’t matter at the end of the day, as they got the final out of the inning to win the game and the series.

Final: Tigers 5, Cubs 1

Throughout the Red Sox 15 game winning streak, they leaned heavily on spectacular starting pitching. Unfortunately, they didn’t get that tonight.

Eduardo Rivera was given the opening role for the third time over the course of this heater, and this time, the cracks beneath the surface fully materialized in costly fashion. He gave up four runs before the national anthem was over, and had to the leave the mound after only recording two outs and throwing over 40 pitches. He had zero fastball command, which the Orioles quickly figured out, and then sat on his slider to deliver the knockout punch.

Sadly, that’s pretty much the story of the game. From there, Kyle Bradish kept the the Sox offense off balance, and there was never a real rally despite the lineup putting the ball in play most of the night.

The bigger story now is the conclusion of the winning streak and what it’s done for the season. In short, its ensured there’s going to be meaningful baseball here for August and September (and hopefully October too, but they still have to earn that).

It’s also going to be remembered as the signature run of this team. The stretch that propelled them from dead in the water while other clubs circled the ballpark like buzzards waiting to see what they could pick from the carcass at the trade deadline, to in possession of Wild Card spot. Incredible stuff!

Many fans gave the team a standing ovation after the final out was recorded, and even as underwhelming as this particular game turned out, it was well deserved. They may have squashed what could have been an all time crazy atmosphere tonight, but they’ve also ensured there’s going to be plenty more crazy atmospheres at Fenway for the rest of the summer, and after where they were a month ago, that’s all we can ask for.

Now the focus turns to Friday, the trade deadline, and the race to the playoffs. I can’t wait to see what the guys in that clubhouse do with the opportunity they’ve given themselves!

Three Studs

Brayan Bello: Once again, Bello was strong in the bulk relief role, registering 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball. His ERA is 10.35 as a starter this year and under 1.00 as a reliever. Unfortunately, the team was already in a hole the offense would not be able to dig out of when he entered the game, so other than the innings he ate, his work was largely wasted.

The Fenway crowd: Every time the Red Sox got even the slightest whiff of a rally going — and that’s all they got — the atmosphere at Fenway Park immediately sounded like the tying run was in scoring position. In reality, they never even got it to the on deck circle at any point in the entire game, which is too bad because we would have really seen the place turn into a madhouse if they made a true rally.

Dennis Eckersley back in the booth for half an inning: In the bottom of the sixth inning, Dennis Eckersley returned to the booth in a guest role, bringing back memories of the outstanding analysis he gave there over the years.

He also made a very interesting comment when he said “they’re gonna make a move here” in regards to the trade deadline. I wonder how informed that is given he seems to still keep up with the team.

Three Duds

Eduardo Rivera: No explanation needed here. The Red Sox just needed him to not be terrible in the opening frame, and instead he lit the game on fire.

Jarren Duran: Not only did he go 0-4 at the plate and make the final out, but he also made this lousy read on the Johnathan Rodriguez double in the first. If he just played it off the wall instead of trying to be a hero, the run probably doesn’t score on the play, and the maybe they get out of the inning at 3-0.

Carlos Narvaez: Hitless at the plate before being pinch hit for late, burned a horrible challenge on a ball three inches off the plate (probably one of the worst challenges in any game all year), and allowed a pair of balls to get to the backstop with a man on third base (the last of which he didn’t hustle after hard enough for my liking).

Play of the game:

It’s not so much a play, but more the storyline of the streak ending. With tomorrow’s day off, we can all take some time to reflect on how amazing it was and wonder if it might serve as the foundation to something even bigger going forward. Also, that was fun! Let’s not wait another 80 years to do it again.

In a game that first crawled due to a deluge of walks (but few runs) and then saw dueling late-inning paroxysms in each team’s final time at the plate, the Braves eventually emerged victorious. But boy, was it a winding path to get there.

At the beginning of this contest, things seemed like they were going to drag on forever with little to show for it. After a one-walk, no other action first from Martin Perez, the Braves took aim at Michael King, who dominated them a few weeks ago in San Diego, and…

…he did not dominate this time. In fact, King walked the first three batters he faced, grimacing and looking generally uncomfy all the while. A groundout from Michael Harris II plated a run, but both Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski kind of lost the plot and went down looking. Yastrzemski, in particular, looked at five straight pitches to end the inning… the Braves’ track record with guys skimping on rehab assignments this year is looking abysmal.

Staked to a small lead, Perez did his normal thing — it just happened to work out this time. He walked two in the second, but then recovered with two punchouts. The Braves got a couple of singles against a resurgent-ish King in the bottom of the inning, but Ozzie Albies struck out on a changeup that was literally in the other batter’s box. There was another walk from Perez, this time of the leadoff variety, in the third, but nothing else. King followed suit, but again, nothing doing from the bats. Perez had a quicker fourth, three up and three down thanks to a double play. Meanwhile, the Braves kinda-sorta tried to rally against King with a leadoff double from Mauricio Dubon and an infield single by Brewer Hicklen, but two weak flyouts kept it a 1-0 game.

Some combination of “Perez didn’t have a rehab assignment and had thrown 75 pitches” and “Perez had a 3/4 K/BB ratio in four innings” ultimately convinced the Braves to go to the bullpen for the fifth. Dylan Dodd came in and was delicious, throwing an 11-pitch frame with two strikeouts and a first-pitch groundout. King stayed in, and worked around a two-out single. Didier Fuentes followed Dodd and had to work a little harder (18 pitches), but had his two strikeouts, one groundout inning all the same. King’s night finished with a flourish, a nine-pitch frame that featured a strikeout of Hicklen. He rebounded and once again mystified the Braves despite the rocky start, with a 7/4 K/BB ratio — a 7/1 K/BB ratio after the first three batters.

Needing another frame to presumably bridge to Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias, the Braves stuck with Fuentes. It was a solid tactical decision, but of course, those must inevitably be punished, and Jackson Merrill took Fuentes’ third pitch in his second inning of work, an 0-2 offering over the plate, and demolished it for a game-tying solo homer. The Padres later collected a couple of one-out bloop singles, but pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets flied out. With Fernando Tatis Jr. batting, the Padres pulled off a double steal (that probably would’ve been an inning-ending out had Drake Baldwin’s throw to third not been way high). This just had the effect of taking the bat out of Tatis’ (.331 wOBA, .357 xwOBA) hands, and giving the inning to Luis Rengifo (.260 wOBA, .299 xwOBA). Sure, Rengifo had the platoon advantage against Fuentes, but he’s a switch hitter and is a career .300ish wOBA/xwOBA guy. He popped up a first-pitch, down-the-middle fastball to end the innings. Thanks, Padres!

Adrian Morejon, one of San Diego’s lockdown arms, came on for the bottom of the seventh. The Braves again attempted to rally, as both Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson mashed singles despite lacking the platoon advantage. Unfortunately, Morejon easily struck out Albies and got a groundout for Harris, putting Austin Riley in the limelight. Riley’s looked much better of late, but tonight wasn’t a great showing for him, and his PA against Morejon was emblematic of his struggles. Morejon tried to get a chase and fell behind 3-0; Riley then took a pitch down the middle. Taking 3-0 is fine, but Riley was apparently dead-set on swinging 3-1 and waved at a pitch in the dirt. He then wheeled back around to dead-set taking for whatever reason, striking out on another changeup that was broadly in the zone. There’s a process thing here that’s just not fully percolating with Riley, and maybe he’ll figure it out, but it wasn’t really heartening to see him fail miserably on that specific sequence. If you’re going to swing, wouldn’t the 3-0 pitch or 3-2 pitch be a better one to swing on?

Anyway, with the game still tied, it was time for the other Delicious Dylan (Lee). He matched his partner in left-handed bullpen crime with an 11-pitch inning of his own, even if Merrill gave another ball a ride to deep center for the third out.

And, with all that, a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth, this became a completely and utterly different game.

Wandy Peralta came on for the Padres. After pinch-hitter Eli White grounded out, Dubon singled to right, bantering with Tatis, who had robbed him of a hit yesterday on a similar drive that was hit further towards the wall. Jim Jarvis then came through, softly yanking a slider despite the lefty-lefty matchup down the right-field line for a well-placed, go-ahead double as Dubon rumbled, stumbled, but still made it home without a throw. Hicklen then got a hanging changeup and hit a more conventional, rocket double to left to make it 3-1. After a walk, Peralta gave way to Randy Vasquez. Albies and Olson then proceeded to dunk balls onto the outfield grass, and it was 5-1. Riley followed later with a single up the middle, and then Dominic Smith pinch hit for White (two pinch hitters in the same spot in the same inning!) and bounced a grounder over the first baseman to score the seventh run. Three of those runs in the six-run eighth seemed like ridiculous tack-ons… except they somehow ended up being needed.

The hero of Game One of this series, Victor Mederos, came on given the six-run differential in the ninth. Fate and BABIP were not as kind to him this time. With a rain shower materializing, the Padres went walk-double-single, and then Harris tried to make a sliding catch on a ball in front of him and whiffed it, turning it into a triple. It was suddenly 7-4, which meant that it was Raisel Iglesias time.

So, Iglesias came on, and Rengifo, the guy who popped out with the sacks packed against Fuentes on a hittable fastball, got another hittable fastball from Iglesias and obliterated it into the stands in right. It was now 7-6. Hmm. But, all’s well that ends well. Iglesias diced up Manny Machado on a few pitches, getting him to whiff on an up-and-away fastball that still clipped the zone. Ty France I guess took note and didn’t swing at the same pitch, except it was called a strike anyway to end the game.

So, the Braves have guaranteed they won’t lose this series to the Padres at home. They haven’t won a home series against the Padres since 2018, but they can do so with a victory tomorrow… and they have Chris Sale pitching, so that helps. The Phillies got bonked by the Dodgers again, so the division lead is back to four. All in all, a pretty good night in Atlanta, even if it seemed interminable at first, and wheeled from “hahaha” to the nervous version of “hahaha” pretty quickly in the eighth and ninth. Tomorrow’s game is a very early 12:15 pm ET start, so don’t miss it unless you have to do things like “work” or “eat lunch” or whatever.

Rays 4 Blue Jays 2

Well, we scored two runs.

For a moment, it looked like we could have big first inning. With one out (an Ernie Clement strikeout), Nathan Lukes walked and Vladimir Guerrero doubled high off the wall in right center. A few feet left and it would have been a home run over the lower part of the wall. But still, runners on second and third and one out? George Springer ground out, bringing in a run. Yohendrick Piñango struck out to end the inning.

We wouldn’t score again until the seventh. With one out, Alejandro Kirk homered. He was the one with a good day with the bat. Two for four, with hard hit fly out to the track in the second inning.

We had just the four hits, the three mentioned above and a Piñango single. And one walk. Along with eight strikeouts.

We did have some hard hit balls. Vlad had three hits over 100 mph, 108.5 (ground out), 106.9 (ground out) and 104.5 (double). And Kirk had the homer and the fly out to the track (98.8 mph).

But then Lukes had three softly hit balls. Springer three softly hit balls (and a strikeout). Clement two softly hit ball and two strikeouts. Varsho softly hit fly out and two strikeouts. Gimenez three ground outs, two softly hit, one 96.3 mph.

We ran through a bunch of pitchers:

• Braydon Fisher ‘opened’. Heh ad a good first inning. He started the second with a pair of walks, but Kirk helped out with a caught stealing.
• Spencer Miles came in and gave up an RBI single, before getting the last two outs. He would go three more scoreless innings. In total 3.2, 3 hits and 4 strikeouts.
• Jeff Hoffman started the sixth. He gave up a fly ball to center, Varsho went back on it and then had it clank off his glove. It is a catch that has to be made. Two-base error. A strikeout. A ground ball single, just out of Gimenez’s reach caused runners on the corners. And a hit batter loaded the bases (hit on a back foot, not much effort to get out of the way). A sac fly and a single scored two.
• Mason Fluharty came in, giving up a bunt single and a bases loaded walk (not coming close to the zone). suddenly it was 4-1.
• Tyler Rogers, Brandon Little and Louis Varland each threw a scoreless inning.

Jays of the Day: Spencer Miles (0.13 WPA) and Kirk (0.09).

Other Award: Hoffman (-0.28, with a fair bit of that Varsho’s fault), Varsho (-0.10, and the error), and Andrés Giménez (-0.09) and Clement (-0.08, plus getting in Giménez’ way on a ground, and not making the play).

Just another terrible game, in a set, collect them all.

Tomorrow is a day game. 3:00 Eastern. Shane Bieber (1-1, 5.70) vs. Ian Seymour (6-2, 4.79) who will look like Cy Young.

The Iowa Cubs activated right-hander Andrew Wentz from the Development List. Left-hander Luis Peralta went to the Development List.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were pulled into the water by Gannett Stripers (Braves), 7-5.

Jace Beck made his Iowa debut and got rocked for five runs on seven hits over three innings. Beck walked two and struck out three. To be fair, the Stripers were once again loaded with major leaguers in the lineup like Ronald Acuńa Jr., Ha-Seong Kim, Carlos Santana, Andrew McCutchen and José Azócar.

The loss went to Andrew Wentz, who allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits over three innings. Wentz struck out five and walked just one.

Catcher Owen Ayers was 2 for 4 with an RBI and one run scored.

RBI single for Ayers.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were messed up by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 6-5.

Dawson Netz had a no-hitter going through four innings, but things fell apart in the fifth. Netz took the loss after allowing three runs on one hit and two walks over 4.2 innings. Netz struck out five.

The Smokies scored four runs in the top of the ninth to make the game close, but the rally came on two singles, two walks, two sac flies and two Trash Pandas errors.

Center fielder Andy Garriola went 2 for 2 with two walks and a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Shortstop Karson Simas went 2 for 3 with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. He scored twice.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 6-3.

Nazier Mulé was activated off the Development List and turned in a solid start, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings. Mulé struck out six and walked just one.

The win went to Brayden Spears, who pitched three innings, the sixth through the eighth, and allowed just one run on two hits. Spears walked two and struck out one.

Grayson Moore retired the side in order in the ninth for the save. He struck out two.

Left fielder Jose Escobar had a huge day, going 4 for 4 with a double and a walk. He drove in three runs and he scored two.

Catcher Justin Stransky was 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored one run.

Stransky also had this nice pickoff play.

Escobar’s RBI double and then shortstop Angel Cepeda singles him home. Cepeda went 1 for 3 with two walks.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Rained out. Doubleheader on Friday.

ACL Cubs

Losing to the Dodgers, 2-1 in the fourth.

With the 2026 MLB trade deadline fast approaching, rumors are beginning to circulate wildly.

Earlier this week, the Colorado Rockies traded RHP Seth Halvorsen to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso and outfielder Landyn Vidourek.

I don’t think anyone expected the Rockies to move Halvorsen, but it’s another reminder that the Rockies have a new front office, and they are open for business. As general manager Josh Byrnes told media earlier this week, “We’ve got to do business with 29 teams.”

And in case you missed it, in his newsletter this morning, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding spelled out what the Rockies would be looking for in return for Hunter Goodman. (Spoiler: It’s a lot.)

So given what we know now about teams contending for the postseason and those marked as sellers, including the Rockies, which players do you think the Rockies will be moving prior to the deadline? And feel free to speculate on where you think those players might go.

Let us know in the comments — and feel free to leave links to speculation reports.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Shohei Ohtani took a step forward in his potential return to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, July 22.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani's bullpen session was a "big sign" the superstar is making progress toward rejoining the pitching rotation.

"It's a big sign because I think that the grass, the flat ground, all that stuff is well and good,” Roberts told reporters. “The arm's fine; it's more of just going down the slope, getting over your front side. That's the big test."

Ohtani was pulled from a scheduled start on the mound before the MLB All-Star break due to inflammation and irritation in his left knee.

Roberts stated on Wednesday that he “can't foresee (Ohtani) going out there and throwing 100 pitches on his first outing.”

Ohtani is expected to throw another bullpen session on Saturday, July 25 at Citi Field in New York.

MILWAUKEE — Jorge Polanco still aspires to be the regular Mets first baseman.

To that end, the veteran infielder told The Post before the 4-3 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday that he plans to begin taking grounders next week to build up toward playing the position.

Polanco has served almost exclusively as a DH this season in his limited availability due to ankle discomfort.

Polanco said he hasn’t worked at first base for several weeks — he had a setback during his minor league rehab assignment and was limited to hitting.

Polanco, who arrived on a two-year contract worth $40 million, was signed under the premise that he would be the team’s starting first baseman.

He has played only two games at the position.

But Polanco said he doesn’t feel as if he will be learning first base all over again.

“I feel better than when I first started taking ground balls at first base [in spring training],” he said. “When I come back I just have to put the work in and I just want to stay positive that everything is going to work fine.”

Juan Soto received a day off (and wasn’t even considered for pinch hitting, allowing him a full 48 hours between games). Interim manager Andy Green cited Soto’s recent work schedule, which included representing the National League in last week’s All-Star Game.

Soto also had calf discomfort in the first game back after the All-Star break.

“It hasn’t completely abated at this point in time, but it’s not something that is inhibiting him,” Green said. “We are getting him right back out there [Friday].”

Polanco started at DH, with Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Brett Baty in the outfield. Green said Luis Robert Jr. wasn’t an option to play a third straight game in the outfield following his return from the injured list.

Clay Holmes is scheduled to pitch three innings in a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

It will be the first rehab start for Holmes since he was placed on the injured list in May with a fractured right fibula.

He threw 45 pitches in a simulated game Saturday.

Ewing went 2-for-4, giving him a hit in 11 of his past 14 games. Over that stretch, he owns a .317/.359/.533 slash line with three homers and six RBIs.

The Mets are 7-18 against the NL Central this season.

Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing fought to end his skid.

He held up on a curveball from Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola that clipped the bottom of the strike zone. He fouled off a changeup. And he stayed disciplined as Nola tried to get him to chase a fastball up and two breaking balls in the dirt.

In a full count, Rushing fouled off another changeup. And then, finally, Nola made a mistake.

Rushing hammered the grooved fastball to left-center field, just shy of the Citizens Bank Park concourse.

Read more:Dodgers beat Phillies, manage Justin Wrobleski with long postseason run in mind

It was the Dodgers’ first run during a 9-5 win and Rushing’s first hit in more than two weeks. Over the course of nine hitless games, he went 0-for-19.

Rushing has been the Dodgers’ starting catcher since early June, when Will Smith was first sidelined with a neck injury. And the Dodgers will continue to rely on him, with Smith out indefinitely.

He’s embraced the defensive/pitcher-management side of his job as his top priority. But at his best, Rushing (.812 OPS this season) can impact games on both sides.

His performance Wednesday was another glimpse of that upside.

Rushing provided the Dodgers’ first run of the game with a homer in his first at-bat. Then, in his second, he worked a 2-2 count, before roping a curveball up the right-field line for a go-ahead two-run double.

The Phillies tied up the game in the bottom half of that fifth inning. Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Lauer, who had already given up a two-run home run to Alec Bohm in the first inning, surrendered a solo shot to Bryan De La Cruz to lead off the fifth. Those were the only runs he allowed in 5 ⅓ innings.

Dalton for the lead! pic.twitter.com/D7vjjJYCId

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 22, 2026

In the sixth, Dodgers veteran third baseman Max Muncy delivered a go-ahead solo home run, his second home run in as many games and 20th of the year. That blast was also Muncy’s 229th as a Dodger, moving him into sole possession of No. 5 on the franchise’s all-time list.

To put the final touches on the Dodgers’ offensive effort, Kyle Tucker hit a sacrifice fly and Tommy Edman hit a bases-clearing triple for a four-run Dodgers rally in the eighth inning. That gave them enough of a cushion to weather a ninth-inning comeback attempt from the Phillies.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Orioles jumped on Boston’s starter Eduardo Rivera early and used that early offensive explosion to propel them to victory. After Taylor Ward barely missed a leadoff double into the right field corner, Pete Alonso started the rally with a ground rule double over the low wall in right. Gunnar Henderson then worked a four-pitch walk to bring former Red Sox Tyler O’Neill to the plate. TON hit a hard grounder to third, but Caleb Durbin’s throw to second was bobbled by Anthony Seigler, leaving everyone safe and the bases loaded.

After Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out, Dylan Beavers stepped into the box looking to make sure the early opportunity wouldn’t go to waste. Rivera’s first-pitched slider bounced well in front of home plate, skipping past catcher Carlos Narváez and allowing Alonso to score from first.

Rivera went back to slider 2-2, but the breaking ball caught too much of the plate, and Beavers flipped it into center field for a two-run single. Johnathan Rodríguez then capped off the rally, lining a ball just over the head of Jaren Durran in left and off the Green Monster. The double scored Beavers from first, gave Baltimore a 4-0 lead and chased Rivera after just 41 pitches and two outs.

The early four-run lead was more than enough for Kyle Bradish, as he continued his recent run of good form. The newly minted $90M man, in his first start since his extension, breezed through the 1st inning on nine pitches. He got Seigler to ground out to second on two pitches, got Ceddane Rafaela to fly out to right on three pitches and punctuated the inning with a punch out of Wilyer Abreu.

The Red Sox made Bradish work a little harder in the 2nd, making him throw nine pitches to get the first two outs before getting their first base runner via a Durbin walk. Duran then sent his own hard liner to left, but it was hit right at Ward to end the inning.

Andruw Monasterio recorded the Red Sox’s first hit to lead off the 4th, sending a ball ricocheting off the Monster. However, Ward perfectly fielded the hop off the wall and gunned down Monasterio trying to stretch a single into a double. Bradish would then set down Narváez on a fly out to center before striking out Seigler on a dive-bomb curveball.

Boston finally got the better of Bradish in the 4th with a two-out rally. After getting two quick outs via a Rafaela ground out and another Abreu punchout, Willson Contreras launched a sinker on the outside of the plate into the right-center gap for a ground-rule double. Bradish then tried to sneak a first-pitch curveball past Mastaka Yoshida, but the Boston DH slashed a single past Henderson to score Contreras and make it 4-1.

Losing the shutout didn’t deter the Orioles’ right-hander, though, as he continued to cruise against the Boston lineup. In the 5th, he worked around another Monestario single to put up a scoreless frame. He’d start the 6th by getting Rafaela to fly out to right and Abreu to fly out to left. He then let a sinker run to far inside to Contreras, plunking the Boston 1B and giving them a two-out base runner.

Unlike in the 4th, though, Yoshida couldn’t capitalize as Bradish got him to ground out to second to end the frame. It’d be the final batter of the game for the Orioles ace, as he finished with a final line of 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 4 Ks. It was Bradish’s second start in a row of 6+ IP and 1 ER, and his 10th quality start of the season.

Offensively, the Orioles struggled to replicate their 1st inning success once Rivera left the game. Against long reliever Brayan Bello, Tyler O’Neill led off the 3rd with a single. Two batters later, Beavers ripped a single to right to move O’Neill into scoring position. Rodríguez and Jackson Holliday couldn’t bring TON home, however, as they both struck out to leave two runners stranded.

The O’s would have another run-scoring opportunity go by the wayside in the 4th. Ward started the would-be rally with a single to right before stealing second. With two outs, Henderson was hit by a pitch and Colton Cowser worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases. Encarnacion-Strand got a piece of Bello sweeper, but was only able to lift a weak flyout to center.

Henderson finally delivered the insurance run the O’s were looking for in the 7th thanks to his speed. Facing left-handed reliever Jovani Morán, the star shortstop lined a hanging changeup over the head of Rafaela in center and into The Triangle. Henderson rounded first in a full sprint and raced to third for a leadoff triple. With Cowser up, Morán uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Henderson to scoot home and give Baltimore a 5-1 lead.

Yennier Cano relieved Bradish in the 7th and breezed through a 1-2-3 inning thanks to three groundouts. Cano then gave way to Andrew Kittredge in the 8th. Kittredge started the frame by punching out pinch hitter Jamai Jones before giving up a bloop single to Seigler. A passed ball by backstop Chadwick Tromp allowed Seigler to move to second, but he was left stranded after back-to-back flyouts from Rafaela and Abreu.

De facto closer Tyler Wells entered in the 9th despite it not being a save situation. Contreras would lead off the inning with another HBP, but it’d be the only base runner Boston would get against Wells. After a fly out from Yoshida, back-to-back popups from Durbin and Duran sealed the O’s win and snapped the Red Sox’s historic streak.

The Orioles’ win denied the Red Sox the opportunity to set a new franchise record of 16 straight wins. Despite dropping two of three in Boston, the O’s still completed their road trip with a 4-2 record. They head back to Baltimore three games under .500 and three games back from a Wild Card spot. The Orioles open a new series vs. the NL East-leading Braves on Friday.

That the Yankees scored in two of 18 frames, performing as if the lineup were cobbled together from whatever Hal Steinbrenner could find in the cushions of his limo, became a footnote. 

That is what happened when they could finally unveil a duo who, in their first time pitching alongside each other, demonstrated why they arrived with a combined $542 million price tag. 

Together at last, Max Fried and Gerrit Cole were worth the wait, each a different shade of excellent to help the Yankees salvage a doubleheader split Wednesday despite the club’s lineup mostly taking the day off. 

Fried, a surprise to even be on a major league mound after only one brief rehab start, showed no rust over five efficient, scoreless innings to guide the Yankees to a 2-0 victory in the nightcap after Cole flexed dominant stuff over seven innings in the 5-3, 10-inning loss earlier in the day. 

“Obviously we’ve been looking forward to that,” said Will Warren, a surprise ninth-inning reliever in the nightcap, “and now they’re both healthy and ready to rip, so I think you saw a master class today.” 

Pitching for the first time in over two months, Fried looked both dominant and healthy. He reached back for the fastest pitch of his season (98.5 mph), found a way to record 15 outs with just 57 pitches and mixed in seven distinct types of offerings, six of which yielded at least one whiff while striking out seven. 

With notable help from his defense — Cody Bellinger cutting down Nick Gonzales at second base in the first inning and Ryan McMahon putting on a show on the left side of the infield — Fried allowed just one hit in his comeback from an elbow bone bruise. 

“This is my favorite thing to do,” said the lefty, who had to ask Yankees personnel if they were serious when they wondered during Tuesday’s rainout if he wanted to jump back to the majors a day later. “Being out for the last couple of months, it’s really tough. But coming out, giving us a chance to win and getting back out there and feeling the energy, it felt normal. 

“I’m happy about that.” 

That his effort came mere hours after Cole’s, who showed off maybe the best stuff of his post-surgery career, provided a pretty clear road map for how the Yankees hope to get to and through October. This was a day that had been in the making since Dec. 17, 2024, when the Yankees locked up Fried on a $218 million pact to be the sidekick of Cole and his $324 million mega-deal. 

Injuries continually thwarted that vision, from Cole’s Tommy John surgery in 2025 to Fried’s bone bruise in mid-May this year. 

“Better late than never,” said Fried, who watched Cole strike out a season-best 11 and miss bat after bat while letting up four hits, two of which left the park to mar his afternoon. 

“I missed him all year,” Cole said of Fried. “We played keepaway I guess so far this year, and so it’s a good day. 

“… It’s nice that it’s finally come to fruition for sure. A little bit too long for both of our tastes.” 

A combined 84,354 fans in The Bronx saw the Yankees continue their hitting struggles. They went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the opener, only scoring in the seventh with a three-run shot from Ben Rice, before they were held scoreless in the second game until the seventh inning, when a Jasson Domínguez double and Anthony Volpe single scored the only runs they would need. But the day will be remembered — apart from MLB cracking down on José Caballero and his pre-pitch routine during the matinee without bothering to warn the Yankees — for a pitching pair with a combined nine All-Star Games tallying 12 innings in which they let up three runs, five hits and a walk with 18 strikeouts. 

“Our whole rotation is unbelievable,” Domínguez said of a group that expects to add Carlos Rodón (set to throw a side session Friday) and already boasts Cam Schlittler, who might be the favorite for American League Cy Young and was featured on Fried’s postgame shirt. 

The rotation they have envisioned is coming into view, anchored by two aces whose timelines are finally merging. 

“We have high hopes this year,” manager Aaron Boone said as the Yankees (57-45) moved 2.5 games back of the Rays, “and those are two of the big reasons why.”

PHILADELPHIA –– Max Muncy broke two ties with one swing on Wednesday night.

In the Dodgers’ 9-5 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Muncy put the Dodgers in front for good with a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning off Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola, breaking what had been a 3-3 tie.

In the process, he also moved into sole possession of second place on the Dodgers’ Los Angeles franchise home run leaderboard, passing Ron Cey with his 229th long ball as a member of the club.

Before Muncy’s sixth-inning blast, the Dodgers had to dig themselves out of an early hole in the rubber-match game of this week’s showcase series.

Starting pitcher Eric Lauer gave up a two-run homer of his own in the first, on a hanging changeup to Alec Bohm. Nola, meanwhile, began his night with eight consecutive outs against the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup.

The tide turned, however, with a solo home run by No. 9 hitter Dalton Rushing with two outs in the third, snapping the second-year catcher’s 0-for-19 slump.

When Rushing came up again in the fifth, he lined a two-run double into the right field corner to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.

Though the Phillies briefly leveled things in the bottom of the fifth, Muncy made sure the score didn’t stay tied for long.

After Freddie Freeman hit his second double of the night to begin the sixth (he finished with three hits), Muncy jumped on a first-pitch changeup from Nola and sent it several rows deep to left-center.

It was the slugger’s third blast of this post-All-Star-break road trip, his 20th in what has been a resurgent All-Star-caliber season, and left him looking up at only Eric Karros’ 270 home runs for most in the Dodgers’ LA history.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

What it means

After briefly losing their status as the winningest team in the majors with a loss in Monday night’s opener, the Dodgers (65-38) are back atop the MLB standings again, winning their second consecutive series to begin the second half of the year.

Both series wins have been impressive, as well, coming against fellow World Series contenders in the Yankees and Phillies.

Who’s hot

Muncy did not enter the All-Star break playing well, making errors in each of the final three games of the first half while hitting just one home run in a 24-game stretch.

Since then, however, the 35-year-old has rectified his form on both sides of the ball.

His three home runs on this trip –– all of which have come with a runner on base –– have given him the second most big flies on the team this year, behind only Shohei Ohtani’s 22. He’s also up to 47 RBIs on the season, 25 of which have come in his last 35 games.

Defensively, he flashed the leather on Wednesday, as well, making a diving stop in the fourth inning on a hard grounder up the third base line.

Who’s not

The Phillies’ baserunning –– yet again.

A night after running into an inexplicable game-ending double play, the Phillies cost themselves another scoring opportunity with another puzzling decision on the basepaths Wednesday, squandering a chance to take the lead with a runner on second and no outs in the fifth.

Immediately after Bryan De La Cruz had tied the score at 3 with a leadoff home run in the inning, Bryson Stott doubled to seemingly keep the pressure on.

But then, after Rafael Marchán popped out on a bunt attempt, Stott committed an even more frustrating mental error, attempting to advance on a ground ball to Muncy behind third only to get himself easily tagged out before he even got close enough to attempt a slide.

That would be the last trouble Lauer faced in his 5 ⅓-inning, three-run start.

It was also the last time the Phillies would have a runner in scoring position until the bottom of the eighth, by which the Dodgers had blown the game open with a four-run rally a half-inning earlier (which was keyed by a three-run triple from Tommy Edman, who had three hits).

Up next

The Dodgers will make a side trek on this East Coast road trip on Thursday, when they visit the White House to celebrate their 2025 World Series title, before returning to the field Friday in New York to face the Mets. Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.98 ERA) will start in the series opener against left-hander Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.74 ERA).

In the 1980s, Coca-Cola infamously introduced a reformulated version of their signature soda that ended up going by the name New Coke. It didn’t go over very well: sales slumped, chastened executives were forced to reintroduce the classic Coke, and conspiracy theories about the revamped recipe being a scheme to juice sales of the rescued original recipe spread. Tonight, Aaron Nola pitched in front of a Coca-Cola logo drawn into the mound dirt. Like that vaunted soft drink, Nola has two recipes: Nola Classic, a highly effective, if not quite ace-level, pitcher, and New Nola, the struggling hurler whose long-ball nemesis often gets the better of him. Will Coca-Nola Classic ever make a permanent return to the beverage aisle? We hope so. But tonight, we got the not-so-sweet taste of New Nola, as the Dodgers took the series.

Nola got the night started off right with a one-pitch out of Shohei Ohtani. Alec Bohm got it started off even more right with a two-run shot to left in the bottom first. In the second, Nola struck out Max Muncy on a classic knuckle curve, then put out the next two Angelenos down on fly balls. It was smooth sailing at first for the Louisianan hurler. And it continued that way through the first two outs of the third. Then, unfortunately, came the familiar refrain, the song of the summer that you wish the radio would stop playing: a homer, this one courtesy of Dalton Rushing, to narrow the lead to one.

He encountered more trouble in the fourth. Freddie Freeman doubled, then did the little dance, both arms up and waving buoyantly, that the Dodgers apparently do after hits. It is said that this dance actually traces its origins back to the Brooklyn days, when the early Dodgers used it to hone the reflexes that were necessary for the dodging of trolleys; it is still extant despite the loss of its purpose, rather like the appendix. Max Muncy singled to put two runners on, but Nola was able to wrap the inning up without further damage.

The same could not be said of the fifth. Nola allowed singles to Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, then a two-bagger to Rushing to score two and give the visitors the lead. Ohtani was given an intentional walk. The move paid off, as Ohtani became part of a twin killing that ended the frame. But the damage was done, and the lead was lost.

Not for long. Bryan De La Cruz sent a fastball flying towards the greenery of the batter’s eye as the first batter in the Phillie fifth. Andy Pages stretched out his arm, and for a moment it looked as if he’d come down with it. Like a bank robber foiled by the dye packs in a sack of cash, his would-be burglary was foiled at the last second, with the ball glancing off his leather and landing safely over the fence to tie the game. Bryson Stott doubled, but was put out on a baserunning blunder; dredging up some bad memories from the not-so-distant past.

Nola allowed a leadoff double to Freeman in the second, then a homer to Muncy on a changeup that stayed high. Nola put down Mookie Betts on a backwards K, and was then replaced by Seth Johnson, who navigated the rest of the inning without incident. He came out for the seventh, allowed a single, and was replaced with Tim Mayza, who induced a double play ball from Ohtani.

He had the eighth as well, encountering trouble as Pages singled and Freddy Freeman walked. A double steal put runners on second and third, none away. Mayza made Muncy pop up foul for the first out, and was then replaced with Orion Kerkering. Kerkering walked his first batter on four pitches, and the bases were loaded. He allowed a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a three run lead, then walked the bases full once more. He got Tommy Edman to 0-2, but ended up surrendering a three-run triple. Edman did the wiggle-dance thing.

The Phillies offense fizzed a bit in the eighth, with Trea Turner and Bryce Harper walking. Bohm singled to score the former, but the would-be rally fizzled.

Alex McFarlane was called in for his major league debut in the ninth. Shohei Ohtani was up next. That’s highly intimidating no matter who you are. It must be especially intimidating if you’ve jumped straight to the Show from AA, never having pitched to anyone at the AAA level. But if McFarlane was tense, he didn’t show it: he quickly put Ohtani out on a single pitch (good contact, but not enough). The joy of the debut was quickly cut short, as Rafael Marchán suddenly left with an injury. J.T. Realmuto came in. Beyond the dismay of the injury, the only blemish McFarlane’s debut was a lone single allowed to Freeman.

The Phillies fought back in the ninth, with Marsh singling and Realmuto scoring him, but the game was out of reach, and the Dodgers took the series.

The Phillies are 56-47. They’ll start a three-game set against the Yankees on Friday.

After dropping two straight, the Dodgers are now in the midst of a two-game winning streak, as they came away with a 9-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.

For a second straight game, Alec Bohm was responsible for starting the scoring in the first inning. He accounted for the lone Phillies run on Tuesday, but this time launched a two-out, two-run home run against Eric Lauer in the first.

Aaron Nola entered Wednesday with 5.68 ERA, but just like Zack Wheeler on Tuesday, he made easy work of the Dodgers lineup by retiring eight in a row to begin his night. Dalton Rushing broke through against Nola with two outs in the top of the third by launching a home run to deep center field, snapping an 0-19 slump and trimming the deficit to one run.

Nola was unable to sustain the quick work he had against the Dodgers his first time through the order, as he combined for 34 pitches over the third and fourth innings after tossing just 18 over his first two. The Dodgers added two straight singles against Nola in the fifth, and Rushing came in clutch with a two-run double to give his team a one-run lead.

Eric Lauer managed to keep the Phillies in line after the Bohm home run, as he allowed just one walk over his next three innings while retiring eight in a row. Bryan De La Cruz made his Phillies debut on Wednesday, and after working the walk against Lauer, he crushed his first home run at the big league level since 2024 in the bottom of the fifth, evening the score at 3.

Freddie Freeman began the sixth inning by roping his second double in as many at-bats, and he is now tied with Robinson Canó and Hall of Fame catcher Iván Rodríguez for 26th on the all-time doubles list with 572.

Max Muncy reclaimed the lead once again, this time launching a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. Muncy now has home runs in two straight games, three over his last six, and with his 229th home run as a Dodger, he passes Ron Cey for second most home runs hit in Los Angeles Dodgers history. Muncy now joins Shohei Ohtani as the only Dodgers with at least 20 home runs this season.

Muncy’s home run also put Lauer in line for the win, as the southpaw matched his counterpart with 5 1/3 innings. Lauer now has a 4-0 record with the Dodgers, and the team has won all eight games he’s appeared in so far.

Kyle Tucker finished the series hitless in Philadelphia, but he added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly to make it a three-run Dodger lead.

After having his nine-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday, Tommy Edman bounced back with a three-hit game, including a bases clearing three-run triple in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers four runs in the eighth and increase the lead to six.

The Phillies responded with an RBI single from Bohm in the bottom of the eighth, giving him his fourth RBI over his last two games. The Phillies added another run in the ninth with an RBI single from J.T. Realmuto, but that’s all the scoring they could collect against the bullpen.

After winning just three regular season games against the Phillies the last two years, the Dodgers have won the season series against Philadelphia for the first time since 2023, finishing with a 4-2 record. Even with the Milwaukee Brewers defeating the New York Mets, the Dodgers maintain a half game lead over them for the best record in baseball.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Alec Bohm (13), Bryan De La Cruz (1); Dalton Rushing (11), Max Muncy (20)
• WP— Eric Lauer (5-5): 5 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
• LP— Aaron Nola (3-9): 5 1/3 IP, 7 hits, 5 earned runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers are off on Thursday but will head back up to the Empire State, this time stopping in Queens for a three-game set against the New York Mets beginning Friday (4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Roki Sasaki faces Sean Manaea.

Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler entered this game with a 4.77 ERA and the highest walk rate (13.1-percent) of any starter in baseball. Of course, that means the Yankees got blanked and drew just one walk in his 6.1 innings of work. Fortunately, Max Fried was even more dominant in his first start back from injury in over two months, the two starters trading zeroes long enough for the Yankees to strike against the Bucs’ bullpen. A Jasson Domínguez RBI double and Anthony Volpe RBI single in the seventh proved the decisive blows as the Yankees did just enough to win, 2-0, to split the doubleheader and win the series.

Fans of sharp defensive execution were in for a treat in the first inning. Fried looked to have given up a surefire double down the line in left to leadoff batter Nick Gonzales, but Cody Bellinger played the carom off the sidewall perfectly and fired an inch-perfect throw to Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, who barely had to move his glove to apply the tag to Gonzales’ foot. The next batter Jared Triolo got down a decent bunt to the left, but the four-time Gold Glover Fried was quick off his mound to field it and fire a strike to first. Fried finished the inning with a swinging strikeout of Bryan Reynolds on an elevated 98.3 mph four-seamer, his fastest pitch of the season. That high water mark wouldn’t last long, as the next inning he punched out Marcell Ozuna looking on a 99 mph four-seamer.

Perhaps a side effect of Fried being on a pitch count of just 60 pitches — the amount planned for a second rehab start that got scrapped in lieu of him starting this game — Fried’s fastball was coming out hot the whole outing. It averaged over 96 mph this afternoon, which is almost two mph above his season average. It is particularly encouraging given that the bone bruise Fried suffered manifested itself as significantly reduced pitch velocity in the May 13th start against the Orioles that he was forced to depart after three innings. That’s a roundabout way of saying that Fried now appears fully healthy.

Fried’s day was finished after five scoreless innings allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts on 57 pitches, efficiently using nearly all of those 60 pitches he was allotted for this start. The four-seamer was as good as I’ve seen from him in pinstripes, and it wasn’t just the velocity. He was able to consistently paint the top ledge of the zone with the pitch, creating ample opportunity for chase and swing-and-miss against the secondaries which resulted in a 37-percent whiff rate on the day.

It’s almost a miracle that Fried managed to be this untouchable after such a long layoff, and very much needed considering how anemic the offense was while he was in the game. They managed just two hits and a walk off Chandler, for the most part unable to catch up to his high octane heater. What’s more, the faultless defense would only last until the seventh inning with Anthony Volpe at the heart of a pair of blunders. He double clutched on a sharp grounder from Jared Triolo resulting in a late throw and safe call at first. He then completely whiffed a throw from Ali Sánchez to second on a steal attempt by Triolo, the ball rolling into center field and Triolo advancing to third. However, Paul Blackburn continued his stellar streak of relief appearances by striking out Ryan O’Hearn and Ozuna to strand runners on the corners.

Volpe had a chance to make up for these stumbles in the bottom half of the frame and he certainly did that. It started with Bellinger drawing a one-out walk against lefty reliever Brandon Eisert, just out of the Pirates’ bullpen in relief of Chandler. Jasson Domínguez then roped a double down the line in left that got deadened underneath the padding in the corner just long enough to allow Bellinger to score all the way from first. Like Domínguez, Volpe wasted no time ambushing Eisert, jumping on a first-pitch hanging slider and lining it to center to score the flying Domínguez from second and make it 2-0, Yankees.

Proper credit has to be paid to the Yankees’ relievers, the bullpen seriously short on arms after pitching their second doubleheader in three days. Angel Chivilli continued his faultless stretch since his most recent call-up by pitching a scoreless sixth. Blackburn’s legend as the new bullpen ace grew with another scoreless two innings and three strikeouts. Will Warren was called upon for the ninth to make his first relief appearance since the utter disaster of the six runs he surrendered in Game 2 of the 2025 ALDS against the Blue Jays. He recorded a pair of outs but gave up a single to Gonzales and walked Esmerlyn Valdez, and thankfully Tim Hill was able to mop up by inducing the game-ending ground out from O’Hearn.

Exceptional pitching continues to keep the Yankees in games as their offense sputters in a low gear, Fried providing an immeasurable upgrade from the rotation to catalyze the doubleheader split and series win. The Yankees have tomorrow off before traveling to Philadelphia for a three-game set. Warren is slated to start the series opener (though we’ll see how this relief appearance affects things) against Jesús Luzardo. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EST with the broadcast moving to Apple TV.

Box Score