ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 21: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Post | Dylan Svoboda: The Padres have inquired about Dax Kilby, the Yankees’ 2025 first-rounder and their number-two prospect behind George Lombard Jr., per The Post’s Joel Sherman. The Yankees also have a scout monitoring the Padres as rumors continue to swirl around Mason Miller, San Diego’s all-world closer who could be on the move. New York has also been linked to Adrian Morejon, a left-handed Padres reliever who would likely warrant a smaller return.
NBC Sports | Eric Samulski: Carlos Lagrange has begun throwing in his return from injury. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has been on the shelf since July 3rd with a capsular sprain in his right shoulder. The initial plan was that he’d be shut down for at least six weeks, so this update puts him nearly three weeks ahead of schedule. Lagrange, the Yankees’ number-two pitching prospect, was transitioned to the bullpen during the season in hopes he could help the big-league club in that capacity down the stretch. He wowed in spring training with his 100-mph fastball before starting the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) Ali Sánchez’s three-run homer Monday was his first in the big leagues, 2,179 days after making his debut with the Mets in 2020. The unheralded journeyman has carved out a role in New York, backing up Austin Wells. And, while Max Fried praised his “quality at-bats,” he’s drawn more admiration from the club for his work behind the plate, learning to work with a veteran staff midstream after his call-up last month. Sánchez’s run of play with the Yankees has come during a difficult time for his native Venezuela. The backstop has been wearing the letters “VZ” stitched into his cap to honor his homeland after devastating earthquakes on June 24th killed more than 5,000.
New Y ork Daily News | Gary Phillips: As the Yankees look to augment their catching corps ahead of the trade deadline, they signed veteran Christian Bethancourt to a minor-league deal. The right-handed hitter, who posted a .775 OPS in 206 at-bats with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this season, was cut loose a couple of weeks ago. He provides veteran depth as the team pursues a more high-profile upgrade. With Sánchez out of options, the Yankees would likely lose him if they add another catcher via trade, leaving them with only the left-handed J.C. Escarra as a viable option in wait at Triple-A.
The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: ($) As Major League Baseball pushes for a salary cap under the guise of competitive imbalance, Rosenthal opines that the current season refutes their argument. With the Trade Deadline approaching, 21 of 30 teams sit within two games of a playoff spot while the big-market Mets, Giants, and Blue Jays are each at least 5.5 games out. This flies in the face of the league’s “Level the Playing Field” ad campaign, which Rosenthal decries as a “spurious” attempt to influence fans against the players and towards a cap with a potential lockout looming.
WASHINGTON — Toronto pitcher Shane Bieber’s start against the Washington Nationals was anything but a walk in the park.
The former Cy Young Award winner issued walks to six of the nine batters he faced — including three with the bases loaded — before departing after two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night in the BlueJays’ 8-6 loss. In his previous 149 pitching appearances, the 31-year-old right-hander’s high for walks was five.
According to Stathead/Baseball Reference, Bieber is the 11th pitcher in major league history to walk at least six while recording two outs or less, and the first to do so since Florida’s Ryan Dempster on Oct. 5, 2001, at Atlanta.
Bieber said he had difficulty gripping the ball and struggled with his command as a result. Bieber didn’t walk anyone in his previous start Thursday, when he allowed one run in seven innings against Tampa Bay.
Shane Bieber (center) is taken out by manager John Schneider in the first inning after giving up three runs on bases loaded walks in the Blue Jays’ 8-6 loss to the Nationals on July 28, 2026 in Washington. Getty Images
“You have to find a way to get through it, right, and I wasn’t able to do that tonight,” Bieber said. “Ultimately, I follow up what was maybe my best start as a Blue Jay with what was definitely my worst.”
Bieber is the first Cy Young winner to have such an outing, although Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Christy Mathewson did, too. Bieber won the AL Cy Young in 2020.
Bieber threw 42 pitches, with only 15 strikes. He is the second player this season to throw that many pitches with so few strikes. Kansas City’s Eric Cerantola threw 14 strikes in a 42-pitch relief outing against Tampa Bay on June 30.
“I have no excuses,” Bieber said. “I have to find a way to get out of that first inning. Dry my hands off and change shirts and eat up innings after that. That’s what I was trying to do and unfortunately I wasn’t able to. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like that happen.”
Washington’s James Wood led off the first with a walk, and Luis García Jr. followed with a grounder to second. Dylan Crews then earned a free pass, and CJ Abrams followed with a well-placed infield single.
The typically free-swinging Keibert Ruiz followed with a four-pitch walk that scored the first run, and Daylen Lile drew another walk that pushed in another run. Nasim Nuñez hit a sacrifice fly before Jorbit Vivas loaded the bases again with the inning’s fifth walk, prompting a mound visit from Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker.
Shane Bieber walks to the dugout after being taken out in the first inning of the Blue Jays’ loss to the Nationals. Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Jacob Young then took six pitches — three balls and then two called strikes followed by a slider well outside the zone — to force in a fourth run. That prompted manager John Schneider to head to the mound and end Bieber’s outing.
It was Bieber’s seventh start of the season after missing almost three months with elbow inflammation. He was limited to a combined nine regular-season starts over the previous two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2024.
“Kind of just the last thing we thought was going to happen with him right there,” Schneider said. “When you get up to that pitch count in the first, with him, with his history and everything, just didn’t want to push it.”
Reliever Brendon Little got Wood to ground out to end the inning.
CHICAGO — Carlos Lagrange may still be a long shot to impact the Yankees this season — assuming he is not traded in the next week — but his progress from a shoulder injury has at least kept the door open.
The top pitching prospect, who was diagnosed with a capsular sprain of the right shoulder July 3, has resumed throwing on flat ground after about a four-week shutdown — two weeks shorter than the club originally estimated for him.
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The 23-year-old Lagrange, who was in the midst of a transition from starter to reliever in hopes of helping the Yankees bullpen in the second half, still has a ways to go to even potentially make himself an option. But the earlier-than-expected return to throwing at least keeps the possibility in play for the time being.
“We’ll see,” manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the White Sox when asked if he expected Lagrange to become a consideration at some point this season. “He has started throwing again, so you never know for sure. But we’ll just listen to his arm and body and hopefully, as he starts his throwing progression, things go well and he puts himself in position to be in the conversation. But impossible to know right now.”
On Tuesday, Lagrange posted video to social media of himself throwing, though Boone said he actually started throwing “a handful of days ago.” Lagrange last pitched at Triple-A on June 28, with the shoulder diagnosis coming a few days later.
Yankees prospect Carlos Lagrange delivers a pitch during a spring training outing earlier this season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Yankees are still expected to add a high-leverage reliever or two before Monday’s trade deadline, but if Lagrange is not used in a package to make that happen, his rehab process will be worth monitoring to see if he can become a wild card late in the season.
One of those bullpen targets the Yankees are believed to be pursuing is Padres stud closer Mason Miller.
It remains to be seen whether the Padres will actually make him available, but Boone was asked for his thoughts on the hard-throwing righty.
“Feels like a speculative question cloaked in an opinion on a player,” he said with a grin. “Look, obviously he’s one of the game’s great closers and has been now for a few years. Tremendous stuff. I don’t even know if he’ll be moved or not. He’s probably as good as is out there right now in that role.”
The Yankees signed veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor league deal Tuesday and added him to the roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for depth.
The 34-year-old, who has played 427 career big league games, had been at Triple-A for the Cubs this season, batting .262 with a .775 OPS in 59 games.
The Los Angeles Kings entered the offseason knowing they had one impossible task: replacing Anze Kopitar.
For nearly two decades, Kopitar was the foundation of the franchise. He was the player who drove the offense, handled the toughest defensive assignments, won important faceoffs, and provided the type of leadership that cannot simply be replaced through one roster move.
Now, with Kopitar officially retired, the Kings are entering a new era — and one major question remains unanswered: who is the true No. 1 center of this team?
That uncertainty is exactly why The Athletic placed Los Angeles near the bottom of its offseason rankings of the NHL's best top-six center duos. The Kings landed in the seventh tier, categorized among teams with a "major weakness" down the middle.
And it's difficult to argue with that assessment.
The Kings have made improvements throughout their roster, but center depth remains one of the biggest concerns heading into the 2026-27 season. If Los Angeles wants to finally get past the first round of the playoffs after years of early exits, finding more stability at the position has to be a priority for general manager Ken Holland.
The Kings drafted Quinton Byfield second overall in the 2020 NHL Draft because they believed he could eventually become the next elite forward to lead the franchise.
At 23 years old, Byfield still has plenty of time to reach that potential. His combination of size, skating ability, vision, and shooting talent gives him all the physical tools needed to become a legitimate first-line NHL center.
But the reality is that he has not reached that level yet.
After showing signs of a breakout, Byfield finished last season with 49 points in 79 games. That production is respectable for a young forward still developing, but it falls short of expectations for a player who was viewed as a future cornerstone of the franchise.
Now, with Kopitar no longer there to shoulder the responsibility, Byfield will face a completely different challenge. He will not just be expected to improve — he will be expected to become the player the Kings envisioned when they selected him nearly six years ago.
The talent is there. The question is whether he can consistently produce at the level of a true No. 1 center over an entire season.
One of Los Angeles' biggest offseason additions was Artemi Panarin, who gives the Kings a much-needed offensive weapon.
Panarin is still an elite talent capable of changing games offensively, but his production has dipped slightly from the level he established during his prime years with the New York Rangers.
Last season, Panarin recorded 28 goals and 56 assists for 84 points in 78 games between the Rangers and Kings. Those are impressive numbers, but they also show a slight decline from the player who consistently produced 90-plus points in New York and recorded 120 points during the 2023-24 season.
That does not mean Panarin cannot still be a difference-maker in Los Angeles. He absolutely can.
However, the Kings cannot expect one player to fix all of their offensive issues. Panarin needs the right supporting cast around him, and that includes having enough talent down the middle to maximize his playmaking ability.
The familiarity with head coach Peter Laviolette should help, considering their previous success together in New York, but coaching familiarity alone will not solve the roster's biggest weakness.
The Kings need more than just one elite offensive player.
Where Los Angeles continues to separate itself is on defense.
The Kings have built one of the stronger defensive structures in the NHL, and their ability to limit chances and play a physical style has kept them competitive for years. Goaltending should also remain a strength, with Anton Forsberg expected to take over as the team's starter.
But defense can only carry a team so far.
The biggest concern remains the lack of scoring depth and uncertainty at center. Players like Scott Laughton and Erik Haula bring experience, defensive responsibility, and faceoff ability, but neither player is expected to replace the offensive impact Kopitar provided for years.
That leaves Byfield with enormous pressure and leaves Holland with a difficult decision.
Earlier this offseason, The Hockey News discussed the possibility of Los Angeles exploring a trade involving Darcy Kuemper in an effort to address the need for more center depth. Moving a veteran goaltender for help down the middle could make sense if the Kings believe Forsberg is ready to handle the starting role.
Because this weakness is unlikely to disappear on its own.
The Kings have built a roster capable of competing, but their biggest question is located directly in the middle of the ice. If Byfield takes the next step and their veteran centers provide more offense than expected, Los Angeles could quickly prove The Athletic's ranking wrong.
But until that happens, the center position remains the biggest obstacle standing between the Kings and the deeper playoff run they have been chasing.
Turns out, Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury is not the only complicating factor in his uncertain status as a pitcher.
Speaking to reporters for the first time in almost three weeks on Tuesday night, Ohtani revealed that his right bicep is also not 100% at the moment.
Manager Dave Roberts added that Ohtani’s bicep did not respond well to a bullpen session he threw in Philadelphia last week, and is part of the reason why he has not attempted another bullpen session since then.
Ohtani has dealt with what he described as minor bicep discomfort a couple times earlier this season, most recently during a July 3 two-way start in which the Dodgers’ star last took the mound in a game.
Though Ohtani has not made another pitching start since then, the Dodgers had previously attributed the break only to the lingering left knee injury he has been dealing with since mid-June.
Then came Tuesday night, however, when Ohtani disclosed his bicep problem following the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Mariners (a game in which he went 3-for-4 at the plate with his first home run since the All-Star break, while continuing to serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter).
“There too, it’s a judgment of to what degree I can push it,” Ohtani said in Japanese, describing the precautions being taken with his bicep as similar to those with his knee. “It’s still July. What judgment will be made in August and September can be decided then.”
Speaking after Ohtani’s press availability, Roberts also confirmed that Ohtani’s bicep is also a reason he has not thrown a bullpen session, or even played catch from flat ground, since last Wednesday’s 31-pitch bullpen in Philadelphia.
“I think in the bullpen in Philadelphia, [his bicep] just wasn’t responding [afterward], nor was his knee,” Roberts said. “There is an effect on the lower half to the compromising of the upper half, the arm. So trying to mitigate that, we stopped the throwing, stopped the bullpens. Hopefully No. 1, take care of the knee, and then not try to have him create velocity with the arm that’s not 100%.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Roberts said the Dodgers have not decided when Ohtani might begin ramping up as a pitcher again.
“I’m not sure the next time he’s planning on throwing,” Roberts said, “let alone throwing a ‘pen.”
Shohei Ohtani rips an RBI double during the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Mariners on July 28, 2026 in Los Angeles. William Liang-Imagn Images
Even amid Ohtani’s recent physical ailments, the Dodgers have repeatedly expressed confidence that the 32-year-old will be able to return to pitching this season, and that he will be part of their rotation come the playoffs in October.
“I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely [he doesn’t pitch in October],” Roberts said Tuesday night. “We’re doing all this [right now] number one to make sure that he’s in a good spot health-wise. But given where we’re at in the calendar, if the knee continues to get better, the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch.”
Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ loss to the Mariners. AP
Still, Roberts did acknowledge on Tuesday afternoon that Ohtani has missed enough time as a pitcher at this point that, once he does begin ramping on the mound again, he will have to rebuild stamina in order to return to making full-length starts.
The uncertainty surrounding Ohtani’s status also could factor into the Dodgers’ approach ahead of next Monday’s trade deadline –– and their potential pursuit of two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, in particular –– though general manager Brandon Gomes downplayed that notion in an interview with The California Post on Tuesday afternoon.
“We feel very good about our pitching,” Gomes said, while also referencing the progress fellow injured starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have made recently in their recoveries.
Still, questions about Ohtani’s health will persist, especially now that his knee is not the only thing that isn’t 100%.
“For now, I think it’s best to wait,” Ohtani said. “We lost today, but as a team, without a doubt, we’re in a good position. So whether I should force myself to pitch through this is something I think I should decide while talking to the team. I think the team’s judgment is that we’re not there yet.”
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (65) is taken out in the 4th inning during an MLB game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
One of the magical things about writing about baseball for a living is that, against all odds, every game seems to have its own story. 162 times a year the San Francisco Giants play someone, plus a few dozen more times in the spring and, on a few blue moon occasions, a handful of times after the regular season. And almost every time, a story somehow emerges. In great games and awful ones, through promising seasons and lost ones, baseball almost always delivers.
You’ve heard of scorigami. Well, this is a phenomenon I refer to as storygami.
And sometimes it fails. Sometimes they just lose in such bland fashion, in the midst of such a bland season, that I find myself itching to just clean the toilet so I can procrastinate writing about what happened.
That happened on Tuesday, as the Giants lost 8-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers in a game that was far more one-sided than the one-sided score suggests. The Giants just … lost. As you’ve come to expect them to do. As they’ve proven themselves far too capable of over the past few months.
Perhaps the story was that it was a doomed day for the Giants. It began, after all, with the news that Casey Schmitt has a torn meniscus, and will almost certainly miss the rest of the season. It continued with the sadness that Trevor McDonald will undergo Tommy John surgery, and will almost certainly miss the entirety of next season. It peaked with the revelation that Harrison Bader suffered an injury setback after the second serious scooter crash of his big league career. And then it nestled into bed with a long, lifeless, feckless, dreamless, hopeless, joyless loss.
Which I suppose we now have to talk about.
The Giants have a tendency to lose games in the first inning. Their pitchers are 18th in the Majors in first-inning ERA, while their batters are 25th in first-inning OPS. This tends to create three common outcomes in the first inning: the Giants set the tone for a loss; the Giants narrowly avoid disaster, suggesting that this is their lucky day and they have a trick up their sleeves; and the Giants narrowly avoid disaster, suggesting that this is their lucky day and they have a trick up their sleeves, only to point their finger and laugh at you for buying that nonsense.
This game was the third. It started in dubious fashion, when Landen Roupp gave up a ground ball to the first batter he faced, Brice Turang, but then failed to cover first base in time, resulting in a leadoff single. Jackson Chourio was next and settled for a more traditional single, putting two runners on with no outs.
But thanks to a pair of ground balls — one of which resulted in two outs — Roupp escaped the inning unscathed. And in the bottom half of the inning, after the Giants quickly had two outs recorded against them, Heliot Ramos hit a pop up in the infield that resulted in the most glorious and artful of pop up dances, before ultimately falling behind first baseman Andrew Vaughn, gifting Ramos a single. After Rafael Devers scorched a single of his own, the Giants had a pair of runners on base … and were so close to capitalizing on the Brewers’ gift.
This is where the game transitioned from the second of those aforementioned possible outcomes to the third. The Giants had escaped disaster, gotten lucky, and pulled a rabbit out of their hats, and you thought maybe they actually were going to play a decent game … and then Jung Hoo Lee struck out and it all came crashing back to reality.
From there, it was one disaster after another, but in deeply uninteresting terms. Following the Devers single, the Giants would turn the lineup over twice before registering another hit, when Willy Adames knocked a single in the seventh inning. By that point, the game was already over, due to a series of two-out flubs and self-made failures. In the third inning, it was a leadoff walk that Roupp issued that scored, after a two-out single. That gave the Brewers a run to get their engines started, and the next inning they would really take off.
It started off calmly enough, with Roupp retiring the first two batters of the fourth inning. But he would never retire the third. He walked a batter, gave up a stolen base, hit a batter, allowed an RBI single, gave up another stolen base, and walked another batter. And with that, his night was over, with just 3.2 innings in the books.
The two-out thunder cared not for the shift from Roupp to JT Brubaker, as Turang roped a two-run single on the very first pitch that Brubaker threw, cashing in a pair of inherited runners and pushing the score to 4-0.
A few innings later, Brubaker would, like Roupp before him, begin to leak oil with two outs. In the seventh, he quickly retired two batters, then gave up back-to-back singles. Tony Vitello, who currently has a misdemeanor charge for what he did to Keaton Winn’s right arm and a felony charge for his crimes against Matt Gage’s left arm, mercilessly pulled the plug at a season-high 57 pitches for Brubaker.
But the eyebrow-raising arm usage was only just beginning. In came Jason Foley, a perfectly acceptable choice for the situation, even though he promptly gave up a triple to score both of the runners he inherited from Brubaker before quickly ending the inning.
That seemed likely to be it for Foley, given a host of things I’ll get to in a minute, but no, he came back out for the eighth. No big issue there: he’d thrown just four pitches in the seventh.
Foley gave up a one-out double in the eighth, and then a single, and then a run-scoring fielder’s choice. The score was now 8-0, but hey … at least there were two outs. Except, as we’ve already learned, that’s where the Giants really failed to execute.
With a runner on second and two runs already in, Vitello opted to keep his righty on the mound. William Contreras mounted a six-pitch battle, which resulted in an infield single. And still Vitello kept Foley in. Christian Yelich took four straight balls from a pitcher who was clearly losing it. And still Vitello kept Foley in. Finally, after a five-pitch battle, Foley retired Vaughn, and ended the inning.
It’s here where I remind you that Foley made his season debut 11 days ago, after missing a season and a half with a major shoulder surgery. It’s also where I remind you that he had his rehab assignment shut down and restarted because his body was not reacting well to simulating a Major League workload in the Minors and his shoulder was barking. And it’s where I make sure you’re aware that this was just his fourth outing since returning from said major shoulder surgery that he was struggling to recover from.
He threw 29 pitches in the inning. It was his 215th career game, and at no point in those prior 214 games had he ever thrown 29 pitches in a single inning. The 33 pitches he threw across the two frames was the third-most he’d thrown in a Major League game, and the most in more than four years.
Here’s hoping he doesn’t suffer the same fate that Gage did. But even a blessed and lucky outcome can’t excuse the process that led to him alone on that dirt island.
Anyway, you made it this far in this article, so here, have a treat. Bryce Eldridge did something cool.
Shohei Ohtani hit the night’s first home run. Max Muncy belted the one with the most historical significance.
But, on a warm summer night at Chavez Ravine on Tuesday, it was the Seattle Mariners who best took advantage of the hitter-friendly conditions, racking up five home runs of their own in a 7-6 win over the Dodgers.
A first-pitch temperature of just 77 degrees belied the sultry feel that surrounded Tuesday’s slugfest, when the ball was carrying from the start behind a light breeze to straightaway center.
At first, the Dodgers capitalized, with Ohtani opening the scoring with a leadoff home run in the first that snapped a nine-game long-ball drought.
Max Muncy hits a solo home run during the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Mariners. It was also his 130th homer at Dodger Stadium, tying Eric Karros’ franchise record. Getty Images
After the Mariners ambushed Justin Wrobleski with three home runs over the next three innings, the Dodgers stormed back in front on Muncy’s solo shot in the fifth –– one that tied him with Eric Karros for the most home runs in Dodger Stadium history.
Up 5-4 at that point, however, the Dodgers failed to hold on.
Wrobleski gave up a career-high fourth home run in the sixth, when Dominic Canzone took him deep to straightaway center field at the end of his six-inning, five-run start.
Then, Canzone came back up in the eighth and delivered the decisive blow against reliever Alex Vesia, uncorking a two-run drive to break the 5-5 tie.
In addition to getting outslugged, the Dodgers were also less clinical in situational opportunities.
They had the bases loaded with no outs in the third, but only scored once on a Freddie Freeman double-play.
They sent eight batters to the plate in a two-run fourth inning, but also left the bases loaded after Kyle Tucker stopped at third on an RBI single from Ohtani –– despite third base coach Dino Ebel trying to wave him home to plate another run.
Then came a failed rally in the ninth, when Dalton Rushing led off with an infield single and Ohtani laced a double in the gap that the Mariners outfield couldn’t cleanly handle –– allowing Rushing to score and Ohtani to reach third with no outs.
Max Muncy later walked and stole second without a throw, putting the tying and winning runs in scoring position. But Mookie Betts grounded out to finish the night with yet another wasted chance.
Dominic Canzone belts the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ loss to the Mariners. It was Canzone’s second homer of the game. AP
What it means
The five home runs the Dodgers allowed on Tuesday tied the most they’ve given up this season. And the four that Wrobleski yielded left the young left-hander looking particularly flummoxed, as he was charged with his most runs in a start since May 22.
The first blast off Wrobleski was simple enough: A first-pitch fastball that Raleigh was on time for.
The other were more frustrating: All of them coming in two-strike counts, and two of them on fastballs above the strike zone.
“We didn’t do the greatest job of kind of adjusting to their game plan, and they got me,” Wrobleski said.
“Clearly their plan was to get on the fastball, or get on stuff that was up in the zone,” Roberts echoed. “He didn’t change eye levels enough, and so that’s why he gave up a lot of slug … They were hitting the ball out of the ballpark. So that’s kind of the tale of the run prevention tonight.”
Who’s hot
Since hitting his last home run at Dodger Stadium on May 31, Muncy had had 59 chances to tie Karros’ record during the team’s last three homestands.
A first-half-closing slump prevented it from happening then.
Max Muncy looks up to the sky after scoring on his solo home run in the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ loss to the Mariners. Getty Images
But a second-half-opening surge helped it happen now.
After hitting three home runs on the team’s post-All-Star-break road trip, Muncy finally matched Karros’ all-time Chavez Ravine mark of 130 career long balls by jumping on a hanging slider from Castillo in the fifth.
Muncy now has 21 homers this season, trailing only Shohei Ohtani for most on the team.
While Muncy had to wait a while for his record-tying blast, he reached Karros’ milestone far quicker than the former first baseman did.
Where Karros needed 798 games and 2,879 at-bats to get to 130 career Dodger Stadium homers, Muncy did it in just 516 games and 1,648 at-bats.
With up to 2 ½ more seasons remaining on his contract, Muncy will have plenty of time to distance himself on the leaderboard (assuming Ohtani doesn’t catch him first).
Who’s not
Those worrying that Ohtani’s knee injury was finally beginning to impact his swing.
That had become a question after the two-way star slumped during the team’s road trip, in which he went just 7-for-38 with no home runs.
But then, seemingly refreshed by Monday’s off day, Ohtani rediscovered his swing with a 3-for-4 performance, following up his leadoff blast with an intentional walk in the third, his RBI single in the fourth, and a double in the ninth that nearly keyed a game-saving rally.
“Tonight,” Roberts said, “he looked like himself.”
That didn’t mean, however, that Ohtani’s knee is back to 100%. Instead, the two-way star revealed after the game that he is also battling a bicep issue, one that has become another factor in his continued absence from pitching.
Shohei Ohtani belts a solo homer in the first inning of the Dodgers’ loss to the Mariners. AP
Up next
The Dodgers will look to bounce back on Wednesday, when Eric Lauer (5-5, 4.83 ERA) will face right-hander Emerson Hancock (6-4, 3.16 ERA).
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 28: Tyler Soderstrom #21, Lawrence Butler #4 and Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics celebrate after a win against the Boston Red Sox at Sutter Health Park on July 28, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball is a cruel game. Last night (well, probably two nights ago by the time you’re reading this), Ceddanne Rafaela played hero with a grand slam that drove in all the Red Sox runs.
Tonight, he swung at a pitch that might have been outside state lines with the tying runs on base to cap off an extremely lamentable eighth inning.
Outside of those two at bats, four of the first five Red Sox batters reached base in the inning. It was exactly the frame where a team like the A’s, who had lost 24 of 30 entering tonight, should’ve blown the game, and it was exactly the frame where the Red Sox, winners of 23 of 27 entering tonight, should’ve won the game.
Instead, the offense reverted to pumpkin form, and the group that couldn’t buy a big hit to save their life over the first two and a half months of the season resurfaced. They went just 1-9 with runners in scoring position, wasted six walks (not a single one of them scored), hit into three double plays, and only had one run on the board going into the ninth inning in a park that wants to be minor league Coors Field.
Adding to the frustration, it also kind of felt like a game the Sox might have won if Curtis Mead was in there batting second instead of sidelined with a broken wrist. That spot in the lineup ended up having an average leverage index of 1.54, and Romy Gonzalez went hitless from it. There’s no way to know exactly how this game would’ve panned out if Mead was in there, but I would’ve liked to have seen it.
There’s also a second guess to be had from Chad Tracy tonight, who let Jake Bennett go out for the seventh inning. Ultimately, this resulted in Brain Serven hitting his first major league home run in four years, which turned a manageable 1-0 deficit into a 3-0 hole, and set the stage for the irritating squandering that ensued in the top of the eighth.
The argument against Tracy would go like this: Bennett’s had a tendency to hit a wall when he gets beyond 75 pitches all year, and his velocity went from a very impressive 96 mph early to several ticks off that later in the game.
At the same time though, I get where Tracy’s coming from. He used the high leverage part of the pen yesterday and didn’t want to use them again in a game the Sox were trailing, and he also doesn’t really have any other great options. All this underscores why the Sox need to have more bullpen depth on their shopping at the trade deadline. There’s such a drop off between the Chapman / Whitlock / Slaten / Guerrero part of the pen and everything else. They need something to bridge the gap.
Three Studs
Let’s give all of these to the right buttons Tracy pushed. Specifically, all three pinch hitters / defensive subs who nearly dragged the Red Sox back into the game.
Masataka Yoshida: Pinch-hit to lead off the eighth with a single.
Anthony Seigler: Followed up Yoshida’s pinch-hit single with a pinch-hit walk. He also put this charge into the ball to end the game, nearly tying things up.
Connor Wong: Hit a two-run bomb in the ninth to get the Red Sox within one after coming into the game defensively.
Three Duds
Ceddanne Rafaela: See the at bat in the eighth inning.
Romy Gonzalez: Went hitless, including the costly double play in the eighth.
Ryan Watson: Another guy who is here because of something that happened in the eighth inning. In his case, he coughed up a run that turned out to be the game winner after Wong’s shot in the ninth.
Looking Ahead:
The Red Sox will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound for the third game of this series tomorrow against Jacob Lopez, and it feels like a pretty important one given how cold the bats have looked at times in recent days. With the Dodgers lurking on the schedule this weekend, you’d like to grab enough wins on the front part of this road trip to prevent any potential damage there from exploding into an ugly overall trip to California.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 26: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 26, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Weird things happen when the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres get together, and tonight’s game was one of many such occasions in the history of this rivalry. The first of two in San Diego had it all. Terrible defense, many different pitchers, chair interference, multiple ejections from the Padres’ bench—including manager Craig Stammen—and finally a walk-off loss after more than three hours.
“We all kept going,” manager Warren Schaeffer assessed after the game. “Back and forth ballgame, really good big-league ballgame in terms of back-and-forth. Some big offensive moments. Two big at-bats for [Ezequiel Tovar] today. Big homer from [Mickey Moniak], Willi [Castro] — a couple of good walks from Willi, and Cole [Carrigg] just moving the line.
“Scoring 7 runs on the road, that’s pretty good,” he continued. “[We] scored against their bullpen a little bit, it’s a really good bullpen. But then on the other side of the ball, we had four errors. Errors and walks, walks and errors. You’re not going to win in the big leagues if you walk guys, especially late in the game and then you make errors in big moments.”
Not Very Loren-Zen
Right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen was the first of many pitchers utilized by the Rockies in tonight’s… let’s call it “interesting” affair against the Padres. Lorenzen, despite a string of solid starts in recent memory, was looking to rebound after getting hammered hard by the Washington Nationals his last time out.
Instead, Lorenzen gave up a lot of contact in an inefficient start. He threw 93 pitches in just four innings while also giving up eight hits with a walk and only two strikeouts.
Yet somehow Lorenzen gave up relatively minimal damage despite the contact. In the second inning he walked a batter with two outs before giving up two singles and a double to score two runs. A third run could have scored on the second single—one of Fernando Tatis Jr’s five base hits—but a well timed throw home from Jake McCarthy in right field ended the inning.
Lorenzen came out for the fifth inning but gave up another single to Tatis Jr. When another runner reached via a fielding error by Edouard Julien at second base, Lorenzen’s night ended. Juan Mejia allowed a single out of the bullpen that allowed another run to score before ending the inning via a double play.
“I thought Mike battled and competed,” Schaeffer said. “[He was] inefficient and (got) behind in counts. [His] pitch count rose quickly tonight. They fouled balls off — a lot of foul balls — but he battled. He got us into the fifth inning.”
Bullpen vs Defense
The Rockies utilized five relievers in this first of two games against the Padres with mixed results. After Mejia helped the Rockies escape the fifth with only one run scoring and recorded the first out of the sixth, he completely lost the strike zone and walked back-to-back batters. None of the balls in Xander Bogaerts’ at-bat were particularly close to the strike zone.
Mejia was then lifted for Antonio Senzatela—who needs to start rebuilding some of his trade value—who gave up back-to-back singles and a run to score. He then induced a double play, but the game was tied and this began an exhausting back-and-forth that would last the rest of the game.
When the Rockies pulled ahead in the top of the seventh, the Padres followed suit in the bottom. Lefty Brennan Bernardino saw his streak of now 20 straight appearances without allowing an earned run continue, but he allowed an inherited runner to score after Senzatela gave up a walk and a single to start the inning. A fielding error by Willi Castro would allow another run to score and the game was tied once more.
The Rockies again took the lead in the eighth only to end the inning with a tie. Victor Vodnik gave up a leadoff single to Fernando Tatis Jr to start the inning, and a fielding error by McCarthy on a Manny Machado line drive saw him score from first base. Machado was caught on an ill-advised attempt to steal third base but once again the damage was done.
In the bottom of the ninth inning it came down to the embattled Jimmy Herget to try and get the game to extra innings.
Herget entered tonight’s game in a truly miserable slump. In his last four appearances he had given up ten earned runs on nine hits—three of which were home runs—and walked five batters with just three strikeouts. A leadoff single by Jackson Merrill was a bad sign. An even worse sign was yet another error—the Rockies’ fourth of the game—when Hunter Goodman threw the ball into center field while Merrill attempted to steal second. Merrill advanced to third instead. Herget then gave up back-to-back walks before a sacrifice fly brought in the game winning run to cap off a very long and very odd ballgame.
Schaeffer was asked about the compounding errors after the game.
“I think they’re all separate. I think they’re each individual moments in time,” he said. “These guys are professionals, they’re big-league ballplayers and they know how to turn the page. It’s not like a Little League team where you’ve got to bring them all together and say ‘Let’s go. Let’s stop making errors.’ It was just a bad night defensively, that’s all. We’ll turn the page and we’ll be good again tomorrow.”
A solid enough offensive effort
The Rockies put up a fight on the road in San Diego, but it wasn’t enough to make up for terrible defense and pitching struggles.
Castro kicked off a four-run third inning for the Rockies with his 11th home run of the season. He needs just one more to tie his career high of 12, set in 2024 when he was an All-Star for the Minnesota Twins.
A bizarre blooping, bouncing double from Julien kept the inning going, and a single by McCarthy helped the Rockies capitalize on the opportunity. Mickey Moniak then walloped his 17th home run of the season to cap off the frame.
Moniak went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, but also struck out three times against Padres pitching in front of his hometown crowd.
Also playing in front of friends and family—which we were reminded of constantly—was rookie Cole Carrigg. Carrigg had a strong night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a run and no strikeouts.
On the other hand, it was a difficult evening for Goodman and TJ Rumfield. The duo combined for seven strikeouts while going 0-for-10 at the plate.
The Rockies scored twice more in the seventh inning thanks to doubles with runners on by Tovar and Moniak, then once more in the eighth when Tovar drew a bases loaded walk.
However, they went down flailing against the truly artful filth of Padres closer Mason Miller.
Coming Up Next
Rookie righty Gabriel Hughes will take the mound for tomorrow’s second game of this miniature series. The Padres have not announced their starting pitcher yet. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 PM MDT.
Professional athletes rarely get to choose the moment they are remembered for. For Michael Hutchinson, that moment came unexpectedly inside the NHL's 2020 playoff bubble.
With the Colorado Avalanche facing elimination and their goaltending depth tested beyond its limits, Hutchinson was suddenly asked to take on one of the biggest challenges of his career. He was never expected to become the centerpiece of Colorado's postseason push, but for two games, the veteran netminder gave the Avalanche exactly what they needed: a chance to keep their Stanley Cup dreams alive.
Now, Hutchinson is officially calling it a career.
The 36-year-old announced his retirement from professional hockey after 11 seasons in the NHL, ending a journey that took him across six organizations before finishing overseas with SaiPa Lappeenranta of Finland's Liiga. While Hutchinson spent the majority of his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets, where he established himself as a reliable backup goaltender, his most memorable moments came wearing an Avalanche sweater during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado acquired Hutchinson from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, sending defenseman Calle Rosen back to Toronto in the deal. At the time, the move was viewed as a depth addition, providing the Avalanche with veteran insurance heading into a postseason run.
Nobody expected that insurance policy to become necessary so quickly.
During the second round against the Dallas Stars, injuries left Colorado searching for answers in net. Hutchinson made his playoff debut in relief during Game 4, entering a difficult situation with the Avalanche trailing in the series. Although Colorado ultimately fell 5-4, the veteran showed enough to earn the start in the biggest game of his career.
With the Avalanche facing elimination in Game 5, head coach Jared Bednar handed Hutchinson the crease.
He delivered a performance Colorado needed.
Backed by a dominant offensive explosion that saw the Avalanche score five goals in the opening period, Hutchinson stopped 31 of 34 shots in a 6-3 victory to extend the series. Two nights later, he was even better, making 27 saves while allowing only one goal in a 4-1 win that forced a decisive Game 7.
Almost overnight, Hutchinson went from emergency option to one of the most unlikely playoff heroes in franchise history.
Colorado came within minutes of extending the series after repeatedly fighting back against elimination, carrying a 4-3 lead deep into the third period of Game 7. But the Stars refused to go quietly, forcing overtime on a late equalizer before Joel Kiviranta completed a shocking hat trick in the extra frame, ending the Avalanche's postseason run in heartbreaking fashion.
Despite the heartbreaking ending, Hutchinson's impact on the series was undeniable. He finished the postseason with a 2-1 record, a .910 save percentage on 100 shots faced, and became one of just a handful of goaltenders in NHL history to win his first two career playoff starts while facing elimination.
His performance also placed him among the select group of goaltenders to record multiple postseason victories for the Avalanche.
Outside of Colorado, Hutchinson built a reputation as one of hockey's most dependable backup goaltenders.
Originally selected by the Boston Bruins in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft, the Barrie, Ontario native spent several seasons developing in the minor leagues before signing with Winnipeg in 2013. The Jets became the organization where Hutchinson found the most stability, spending five seasons with the franchise and posting a 43-39-11 record, a 2.65 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage across 102 games.
He also earned NHL Rookie of the Month honors in December 2014 while establishing himself as a trusted option behind goaltenders Ondrej Pavelec and Connor Hellebuyck.
Following his time in Winnipeg, Hutchinson continued his NHL journey with the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. He finished his NHL career with a 57-62-18 record before playing his final professional season overseas.
Hutchinson joined SaiPa Lappeenranta in November 2024, appearing in 24 games and posting a .886 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average before stepping away from the sport.
The Winnipeg Jets will honor Hutchinson this October when he returns for the organization's Alumni Game, a fitting tribute for the franchise where his NHL career truly began.
For Avalanche fans, however, his legacy will always be tied to those two unforgettable nights in 2020.
When Colorado needed someone to step into the spotlight, Hutchinson answered the call and delivered one of the most unexpected playoff performances in franchise history.
The Twins have a very clear direction heading into next week’s trade deadline.
General manager Jeremy Zoll made sure of that on Tuesday.
Zoll told reporters in no uncertain terms that the Twins would be buyers ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Monday, with Minnesota sitting a half-game back of the Guardians for the final American League wild-card spot.
The Twins GM also made it clear what area of need the front office would be focused on.
Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said his 54-54 club will be buyers, not sellers, as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Getty Images
“We’re going to use this next week to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club, continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality,” Zoll said, according to the Star Tribune. “We’re going to focus on finding ways to improve the bullpen and that’ll be a clear focus.”
“We’re going to focus on finding to continue to improve the bullpen and that’ll be a clear focus,” Zoll later said, according to MLB.com. “Beyond that, we’re going to be open to a variety of creative paths and you never know what might come about. This year in particular feels like the market is taking longer to fully take shape as teams have really used last week, this past weekend and, in some cases, these next few days to finalize their path.”
The Twins are 54-54 after they pulled off a comeback 3-2 win over the Royals on Tuesday with six days to go until the deadline.
Zoll reminded folks that the ballclub’s goal since spring training had been to “play meaningful games in September.”
“We’re really excited about how the team has played over this last stretch,” he said. Tuesday. “We’re really encouraged about that. In turn, we’re going to use this next stretch, this next week, to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club and continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality.”
The decision to be buyers at the deadline means that pieces that teams may have been interested in off the Twins roster may not be available, such as pitcher Joe Ryan
Catcher Ryan Jeffers would have certainly fit that bill as a pending free agent, but Zoll indicated that there wasn’t much interest in trading Jeffers before the deadline.
“In terms of individual speculation, I don’t think it’s particularly productive to work through all that,” he said. “But what I’ll say is on Ryan specifically, he’s had an awesome year. We’re really excited about where he’s at, and looking forward to doing everything we can to keep the group together and put us in the best spot to keep pushing ahead.”
The Twins will continue their three-game series with the Royals on Wednesday.
Justin Wrobleski had a rare bad outing against the Mariners on Tuesday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Dominic Canzone’s go-ahead home run in the eighth spoiled a Tuesday night of leaderboard climbing for Max Muncy and Shohei Ohtani as the Mariners beat the Dodgers 7-6 in the first game at Dodger Stadium since before the All-Star break on July 12.
With one out, Julio Rodríguez on first and the score tied at five, Canzone got all of Alex Vesia’s 82-mph slider, sending it 414 feet to center to help lift Seattle to its first win over the Dodgers in five years and first in Los Angeles since June 28, 2009.
“I mean it’s a pitch that’s had different results,” Vesia said. “Obviously it’s not the best pitch. I would have liked to have it more outside or more down. Kind of just flush it and on to the next one. Clearly need to be better in that situation. I felt like my stuff was good after that.”
Added manager Dave Roberts: “Alex made a really bad pitch, [an] 0-1 slider that was middle-middle, and they were hitting the ball out of the ballpark. So, that’s kind of the tale of the run prevention tonight.”
The Dodgers (67-40), with some much-needed help from dubious Mariners fielding, did have Ohtani on third and Muncy on second as the tying and game-winning runs in the ninth. But Seattle reliever Andrés Muñoz survived, putting an end to the thrilling opener of this three-game series.
Seattle won the offensive slugfest with 10 hits and five home runs to the home team’s 13 hits and two homers.
Canzone led the Mariners with two homers — his first, a solo shot, went 433 feet to center in the sixth — while Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and Rob Refsnyder all hit one apiece.
Mariners right-handed starter Luis Castillo struggled and surrendered five runs, 11 hits and a pair of homers through five innings. But Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski, coming off six innings of one-run ball in last Tuesday’s win in Philadelphia, wasn’t his best either. He surrendered five runs and four homers through six innings.
“They obviously had a good approach against me,” Wrobleski said. “We didn’t do the greatest job of kind of adjusting to their game plan. And yeah, they got me. That’s part of the game. … It’s definitely not a thing that I want to have happen again, but again, it’s a learning experience.”
“Going back and looking at it, I still threw the ball pretty well,” Wrobleski added. “I mean, I know that sounds crazy considering the number and the line … but at the end of the day … I didn’t do a great job of adjusting.”
Muncy and Ohtani, though, still had nights to remember.
Ohtani kick-started the scoring with his 10th leadoff homer of the season, which was also the 34th of his nine-year MLB career and 28th with the Dodgers. The 432-footer to center tied the two-way superstar with Davey Lopes for the second-most leadoff homers in franchise history. Mookie Betts is first on the list with 32.
“Tonight, he looked like himself,” Roberts said of Ohtani, who remains off the mound. “I do think that the road trip was exhausting for everyone. I do think that with the day off, he came in fresh and looked more like himself.”
Muncy, meanwhile, launched a home run 430 feet to right in the fifth to tie Eric Karros for the most homers in Dodger Stadium history with 130. Muncy, who has spent the past nine years with L.A. after spending his first two seasons in Oakland, could be standing alone by the end of the Dodgers’ current six-game homestand.
Kiké Hernández was activated Tuesday after being out since May 26 with a grade 3 oblique strain. Alex Freeland was optioned to triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
“All you can do is take it one day at a time,” Hernández said. “And the best way that you can take things one day at a time is focusing on what you can do today to get better. And that’s what I did … literally going one day at a time and trying to be the best rehabber I could … the best teammate that I could. … It’s been a really long time. … So, I feel pretty good, and happy to see what I can do out on the field.”
Hernández had already made his season debut late — on May 25 — because of his recovery from offseason elbow surgery. Now, the 34-year-old utilityman is grateful to be back and eager to build on his four-for-four start over two games.
“A lot of nervousness,” Hernández said about playing again, mentioning that he had a panic attack when first learning of his worse-than-expected diagnosis. “I feel pretty good. … I feel like everything is in a pretty good spot right now. Trying to keep my 1.000 batting average going and be the best hitter in the league.
The right-handed closer is scheduled to be activated Wednesday — fittingly, when 40,000 fans will receive an Díaz bobblehead — after missing three months because of right elbow surgery.
“He’s checked all his boxes,” Roberts said. “So getting him back in the mix is going to be fun for all of us as well.”
Meanwhile, Will Smith is starting baseball activities “pain-free” after sitting on the injured list since June 5 with a neck injury, Roberts added, and Tyler Glasnow will throw a live session Wednesday after being out since May with a back problem.
Ohtani’s status as a pitcher, however, remains murky. Roberts mentioned an undesirable ramp-up period being in play for Ohtani, as it has been over a month since he last pitched due to irritation in his left knee.
Ohtani himself clarified the origins of his knee problem and shared an estimate of where it’s at strength-wise.
“The discomfort was caused initially by the pitching,” Ohtani said. “So, it’s something I have to work around. In terms of running, I’m not exactly at 100% capacity. When I know it’s not, then it’s always a little harder to be aggressive on the basepath.”
Ohtani and Roberts both said that the Dodgers haven’t reached a point of considering shutting down No. 17 as a pitcher — but never say never.
“Everything that I’ve heard, that’s not the option,” Roberts said. “I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely.”
Added Ohtani: “The knee is where it is in terms of, for it to heal is the most important priority. I don’t think the team has really come to a place exactly where, do I pitch through it or not. That’s still really up in the air.”
But that’s not all. Ohtani shared that his biceps is bothering him, too.
“My biceps not 100%,” Ohtani added. “Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”
“We are getting closer to that,” Roberts said. “You know, he’s a starting pitcher, and then, when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up, then you’ve got to kind of start up again.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 26: Luis Lara #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after hitting a run scoring double in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at American Family Field on July 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After being limited to just three hits in a shutout loss last night, Milwaukee bounced back in a big way. Starting pitcher Logan Henderson was terrific, Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had multi-hit games, Luis Lara had three RBIs, and all nine starters recorded at least one hit as the Brewers cruised to an 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.
It only took the Brewers two batters to put a runner in scoring position, as Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio opened the game with back-to-back singles off Giants starter Landen Roupp. William Contreras grounded into a force at second, putting runners on the corners for Christian Yelich, who hit into an inning-ending double play. Henderson matched Roupp in the bottom of the first, working around a pair of singles to keep San Francisco off the board. Both starters had even smoother second innings, retiring the side in order.
Roupp allowed the game’s first run in the top of the third thanks to an extremely Brewers rally: Cooper Pratt drew a walk, David Hamilton laid down a sacrifice bunt, Turang hit a grounder that moved Hamilton to third, and Chourio drove in Pratt with a two-out single.
Milwaukee wasn’t satisfied with just one run, adding three more in the fourth with a two-out rally. Roupp lost the strike zone against the bottom of the Brewers’ order, beginning with a five-pitch walk to Luis Lara. After Lara stole second, Roupp hit Garrett Mitchell to put runners on first and second. That brought up Pratt, who chased a curveball at least a foot off the plate on a 2-2 count, but managed to flare it into shallow right-center for an RBI single.
Lara scored to make it 2-0, Mitchell advanced to third, and Pratt promptly stole second to put two more runners in scoring position. David Hamilton then drew a four-pitch walk, none of which were particularly close to the strike zone. At this point, Giants manager Tony Vitello had seen enough, pulling Roupp in favor of JT Brubaker. Brubaker’s first pitch was lined back up the middle by Turang for a two-run single, scoring Mitchell and Pratt to make it 4-0.
Chourio couldn’t keep the rally going, grounding into a force out to end the inning, but the Brewers had built a lead they were never in danger of giving away thanks to another dominant performance from their pitching staff. Henderson finished with 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while walking two and striking out seven. He’s been consistently good as a major leaguer, but this was his best start since returning from the injured list more than a month ago — and arguably his best outing of the season.
Milwaukee added another run in the fifth after Contreras tripled and Lara brought him in with a groundout. Two innings later, Yelich and Vaughn singled back-to-back, bringing up Lara again with another chance to do some damage. Lara jumped on a splitter and smoked a line drive 389 feet into right-center field. Although it would have been a home run in a few other ballparks, right-center field at Oracle Park is famously unforgiving, so Lara had to settle for a two-run triple.
The Brewers tacked on one final insurance run in the eighth as Hamilton doubled, Turang singled, and Chourio drove Hamilton home with a groundout.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s bullpen kept the Giants off the board until long after the game was decided. Henderson exited with two outs and nobody on in the sixth, handing the ball to Aaron Ashby, who got Rafael Devers to ground out and end the inning. Grant Anderson gave up a two-run homer to Bryce Eldridge in the eighth, but those were the Giants’ only runs of the night. Craig Yoho pitched a scoreless seventh and Abner Uribe worked around a pair of singles to close things out in the ninth, giving the Brewers their third win in four games.
Shane Drohan will start for the Brewers tomorrow opposite Logan Webb as Milwaukee looks to secure its fourth straight series victory. First pitch in the series finale is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.
The booing began when Isaac Quaynor pounced on a loose ball 10 seconds into last week’s game between Adelaide and Collingwood. They booed Billy Frampton, a former Crows player. They booed Dan Houston, who had ironed out Izak Rankine in his final act as a Port Adelaide player. But most of the boos were directed at Quaynor, partly because of the history between him and Adelaide, and partly because he kept getting the ball.
The resentment over the handling of Rankine’s homophobic slur last August was clearly still lingering. Local broadcaster Stephen “Rowey” Rowe had predicted a cacophony of boos in the lead-up to the game. “I think they’re a bit dirty ‘cos he sooky-sooky la-lahed, and rightly so,” he told Eddie McGuire.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 28: Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the definition of a back-and-forth battle, the Mariners outslugged the Dodgers with a season-high five home runs in a 7-6 loss for the reigning champs. Neither team seemed capable of holding onto a lead for any meaningful period until the Mariners jumped in front in the eighth thanks to a two-run shot from Dominic Canzone, his second and Seattle’s fifth homer of the game.
As different as the seasons of the two starting pitchers in this matchup might be, for one game, they both encountered the same problem, completely allergic to the prospect of a shutdown inning. On four separate occasions, a team took the lead in the first five innings only to see its starter unable to put a zero on the board in the following half-inning.
Justin Wrobleski has thrived this season with the ability to raise his level according to the situation, but what does he do when the opposition ambushes him? The Mariners managed to score five runs off the left-hander without even having a single at-bat with a runner in scoring position against him—courtesy of not two, not three, but four home runs against a pitcher who had allowed a total of three long balls prior to this game. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Rob Refsnyder, and Dominic Canzone all left the yard. While the homers hit by Rodríguez and Raleigh could be categorized as mistake pitches, the ones by Canzone and Refsnyder came on well-located fastballs at or well above the strike zone—it stands to reason that Wrobleski’s heater didn’t have the same life on it, or that the M’s guessed right on multiple occasions.
For the Dodgers’ offense against Castillo, it was an eventful game from start to finish, but one that could’ve been more dominant. The M’s veteran starter allowed a leadoff bomb to Shohei Ohtani and had to deal with trouble in some form or another for his entire outing.
Take the fourth inning, for instance: trailing 4-2, the Dodgers scored one on a Tommy Edman double and proceeded to load the bases for Ohtani. The reigning back-to-back NL MVP tied the game with an RBI single that should’ve given Los Angeles the lead. Unfortunately, Kyle Tucker committed a mental error and stayed at third despite getting the wave home from the third base coach with no discernible reason why he did so. The threat remained to add more runs and take the lead, but Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout and a flyout. It wouldn’t be the only time that duo, with the best Dodger hitter with RISP and the hottest one heading into this game, would come up short.
Emboldened by Castillo’s Houdini act in the fourth, the Mariners sent him back out there for one more, only to see Max Muncy take him deep, making it 5-4 Dodgers. Muncy hit the second majestic home run of the evening for the Dodgers, both 430 ft. or longer. Once again, though, as quickly as a lead came, it went away, with yet another long ball given up by Wrobleski. Canzone, who was the sixth hitter to homer in this game, left his best for the end, tying the game at five all and then, a few innings later, hitting the go-ahead shot against Vesia.
Much like Wrobleski’s performance was a complete outlier in contrast with his form this season, Alex Vesia, who hadn’t given up a home run to a lefty hitter all year long, saw the M’s cleanup batter take him deep for the decisive hit.
Led by an Ohtani RBI extra-base hit with no outs in the ninth, the Dodgers had every chance in the world to punish Andrés Muñoz and at least tie the game. However, the Mariners closer showed the form that led him to the All-Star Game in the previous two seasons—Muñoz punched out Pages, kept Freeman from leaving the infield, and retired Mookie Betts after a walk to Muncy to strand the tying run at third and the go-ahead one as second, not even trying to prevent Muncy from stealing a base. In a way, this final inning defined the Dodgers’ game, leaving a lot of meat on the plate in a close loss.
Game particulars
Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (23), Max Muncy (21), Cal Raleigh (11), Julio Rodríguez (16), Rob Refsnyder (4), 2 Dominic Canzone (18)
Having appeared in nothing but wins for the Dodgers across his eight appearances since moving to Los Angeles, Eric Lauer looks for yet another victory in a matchup against Emerson Hancock and the Mariners. If the Dodgers have Wrobleski, the M’s have Hancock as a youngster in the middle of a breakout campaign, establishing himself as an important member of the starting rotation. Same as Tuesday night, first pitch is at 7:10 p.m. (PT).
