Mavrik Bourque's timeline in the NHL has moved at the same pace as a shooting star.
It was just two seasons ago that he was dominating the AHL, putting up 77 points in 71 games with the Texas Stars, but earning just one call-up to Dallas.
Now, upon his arrival in Nashville via a trade that sent Fedor Svechkov and Zach L'Heureux to Dallas, he is poised for a middle-six role and adds critical depth down the middle for the Predators.
"I have to show up and be able to deliver (for the role I'm in)," Bourque said. "I think if I show what I've got and believe in what I can do, I'll have a chance to be in a good spot."
At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Bourque was called up as a full-timer in Dallas, playing in 73 games and scoring 25 points. This past season, he played in all 82 games, recording 41 points (20 goals and 21 assists).
It's almost hard to believe that he was playing out of position during his time with the Stars.
"I've played center my entire life except for last year, so I'm looking forward to having a shot down the middle and showing what I can do," Bourque said. "I believe I'm a better player down the middle and I know what I need to work on to be a good center in the NHL."
Drafted 30th overall in the NHL Draft, Bourque returned to Shawinigan for two more seasons in juniors, showcasing his game and leading his team to a QMJHL championship.
He'd join Texas the next season, which he wasn't unfamiliar with, having played six games there at the end of the 2020-21 season. From there, it became a process for Bourque to continue working his way up the lineup and amplifying his game.
Each season offered something different, but that's exactly what Bourque wanted.
Mar 8, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque (22) skates against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
"I was playing mostly fourth Line in my first (NHL) season and playing on the PK," Bourque said. I was coming from an offensive season (in the AHL) to the NHL, where I was playing mostly defensive minutes. In my second season, I played more offense and had a bigger role with some key guys leaving.
"I feel like I've been in a lot of situations in the NHL, even in 2 years."
That experience made Bourque more attractive to the Predators and Chris MacFarland when they were in the market for another center. He brings a mix of youth and all-around experience that is hard to find in the league nowadays.
"He's a smart, heady hockey player," MacFarland said about Bourque. "He's a good two-way guy that we think the arrow is still pointing up for. We intend to give him every shot at playing in the middle."
Bourque is committed to Nashville, signing a six-year, $33 million contract and is eager to prove that every ounce of ink on that dotted line will be worth it.
"I'm just excited and looking forward to showing them why they gave me that contract," Bourque said.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: Khris Middleton #22 of the Washington Wizards prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 27, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Sabina Shysh/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have acquired Khris Middleton via a sign-and-trade deal with the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.
Just in: Free agent Khris Middleton has agreed on a three-year, $17.6 million deal with the Washington Wizards via sign-and-trade, agent Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. The 14-year veteran returns to D.C. where he spent parts of last two seasons as a leader… pic.twitter.com/iZh6XrXMoc
The deal is part of a larger six-team trade that sends D’Angelo Russell, a 2029 second-round picks (via Lakers) and a 2033 second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Middleton, 34, will sign a three-year, $17.6 million contract as part of the deal. The first year is fully guaranteed, but the second year only carries a partial guarantee and the final year is fully non-guaranteed, per The Athletic’s Joshua Robbins.
The second season on Khris Middleton's new three-year sign-and-trade deal with the Wizards will be partially guaranteed, while the third season will be non-guaranteed, per source.
Sign-and-trade deals must be at least three years in length and have the first year fully guaranteed, which is why Middleton’s contract fits those parameters.
The 14-year NBA veteran returns to Washington after he was traded at the February deadline for Anthony Davis. Middleton averaged 10.3 points across 34 games for the Wizards during the 2025-26 season.
Washington’s roster now sits at 14 standard contracts:
G: Young | Johnson | Carrington W: Dybantsa | George | Coulibaly | Riley F: Davis | Champagnie | Middleton | Whitmore C: Sarr | Ayton | Vukcevic Two-way: Watkins | Reese | Okpara
Jul 7, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Marlins 6, Mariners 5
Fresh ceviche served seaside: Randy Arozarena, .26 WPA
Day old tuna heated up in the microwave: Dominic Canzone, -.30 WPA (I refuse to penalize Michael Rucker for the walk-off)
Game thread comment of the day:
Not a Hemingway fan, but my English-major heart had to appreciate this:
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - NOVEMBER 14: Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors smiles before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the In-Season Tournament on November 14, 2023 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This early into the NBA offseason, it’s unclear what the Lakers’ roster will look like at the start of the year. But it’s obvious the front office would like it to feature Jonathan Kuminga.
The Lakers have a serious need for wings, and they’ve been linked to Kuminga since the Hawks declined his team option.
Not only have they spoken with him, but they’ve reportedly remained in contact with his agent and even increased their offer to entice him to sign.
However, he remains available and is still looking for the best possible deal.
Jonathan Kuminga is a player the Lakers are after, according to people, who said LA is looking at a two-year, $20-million deal for Kuminga.
Last season, Kuminga earned over $23 million, so going from that to $10 million per year is a considerable decrease. But given how little cap space the Lakers have, this offer signals how serious they are in bringing Kuminga in.
The Lakers are showing they want Kuminga by offering whatever they can, even increasing their original deal. And with a potential starting spot on the table, a breakout season from Kuminga could raise his value around the NBA.
Kuminga averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season. He also shot 33.3% from 3-point range last year while playing for the Warriors and Hawks.
If he does start with the Lakers, he can produce well past those numbers and get closer to his career-high in scoring, which came during the 2023-24 season with Golden State, when he averaged 16.1 points per game.
Here in LA, with LeBron James gone, there are a ton of shots up for grabs. Kuminga could be the one to pick them up and make the most of this opportunity.
Clearly, the two-year $20 million deal isn’t enough to get him here, but this is all part of the negotiation.
Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka has to keep selling his vision and see if he can free up some salary cap space so he can get this deal to the point where Kuminga will take it.
So far, the Lakers appear to remain aggressive and very much in the running for Kuminga. The fit seems good, and if they can reach an agreement, this could be beneficial for everyone involved.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is doused with ice by Alex Call #12 following Rushing's walk-off single in the 11th inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Justin Wrobleski faces Michael Lorenzen as the Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
It wouldn't be a proper NBA offseason without a convoluted, six-team trade that sends multiple players to new teams.
The Detroit Pistons continue to make roster moves to bolster their team after concluding the 2025-26 season with a seven-game series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Their latest move has them parting ways with 10-year veteran guard Caris LeVert.
The deal allows Detroit to save money and creates a trade exception, while the Bucks will acquire LeVert and pick up additional assets.
Clutch Points insider Brett Siegel reported that the Pistons freed up roughly $7 million in extra funds needed to complete their recent transactions. The simple cost-cutting maneuver by the Pistons is expected to go toward signing restricted free agent Jalen Duren.
The Pistons have been making moves to clear cap space since the summer period began. The Stewart trade allowed Detroit to clear $30 million off its cap for free agency. In exchange, Memphis acquired a defensive-minded frontcourt piece. The big man plays physical, intimidating defense.
As for the Bucks' assets, they now own seven first-round picks and four second-round picks, as they continue to rebuild in the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era.
Six-team trade to connect everything
The Bucks-Pistons trade was important for other teams and players involved. Ultimately, it connected one trade to another to make several transactions possible.
According to ESPN, free agent Khris Middleton agreed to a three-year, $17.6 million deal with the Washington Wizards. The deal is a sign-and-trade involving the Dallas Mavericks, who had acquired Middleton from the Wizards ahead of the trade deadline in February.
That's all part of a larger six-team deal.
The teams included are: the Mavericks, Wizards, Pistons, Bucks, Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.
The Wizards are sending D'Angelo Russell, a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Grizzlies, according to ESPN.
Nearly a week ago, the Pistons made a move to sign John Collins as a free agent on a three-year, $51 million contract. The six-team trade helps to solidify the move.
A look at the six-team trade
Here's where players went as a result of the six-team swap:
Dallas Mavericks
Receive: Santi Aldama
Lose: Khris Middleton
Detroit Pistons
Receive: John Collins, Gary Harris and Taurean Prince
Lose: Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, two second-round picks
Athletics second baseman Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (44) and right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) try to catch a fly out against Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Tigers had Monday off to catch up on their errands, and on Tuesday night they opened up a six-game home stand and a three-game series against the Don’t-Call-Them-Sacramento Athletics. Their opponents made a giant mistake which ended up being the difference in a 6-2 win.
Tarik Skubal made his twelfth start of the year. He’s been good since returning from the Injured List, but very uncharacteristically he’s given up quite a few more home runs. Heck, on June 24 at home against the Yankees, he gave up a trio of taters in a losing effort. His previous start, also against the Yankees but in New York, was more in line with what we’re expecting from him: six innings, one hit, one earned run, nine strikeouts. Who would show up tonight?
Facing the Tigers for the A’s was JT Ginn, whose name I like a lot. (His “JT” and mine stand for different things; his stands for “John Thomas” which, if you know your Cockney rhyming slang, is pretty funny.) The right-hander’s left-right splits for batters has been vast: lefties are hitting .251 with a .740 OPS, righties are .169/.520. That’s why AJ Hinch stacked his lineup with lefties…
…and it paid off in the bottom of the first: Kevin McGonigle walked and Colt Keith followed with a long home run to right for a 2-0 lead.
The A’s got a pair of runners into scoring position in the top of the second with two outs, but Skubal got out of trouble with a top-rail strikeout of Max Muncy (the young one, not the older one with the Dodgers; there are two).
The very speedy Henry Bolte — not known for his home-run power, but see above regarding Skubal — hit a solo home run in the third to narrow the gap to 2-1. Apparently he has the highest sprint speed in Major League Baseball.
In the top of the fourth the A’s got two on with two out again with a single and a walk, but a soft line drive was easily handled by Zach McKinstry for the third out. By the end of four innings, some long at-bats had driven up Skubal’s pitch count to a not-so-svelte 78. His night would indeed be done after five innings and 96 pitches, and the only quibble I’d have with it is that it was short: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K.
After four innings the A’s made a pitching change, going with lefty Jacob Lopez to face the lefty-heavy top of the order in the bottom of the fifth. Lopez is usually a starter, so perhaps the A’s were looking for some length from him. He was just called up from Triple-A Las Vegas today, presumably and particularly to face a bunch of Tigers lefties.
Kyle Finnegan took over from Skubal in the sixth, and he gave up a two-out single to rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, his third hit of the night. Kuroda-Grauer thought he’d try for his first stolen base in the bigs, but he ended up getting picked off first by Finnegan to end the inning.
The Tigers would add four surprising runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth: Zach McKinstry walked and Spencer Torkelson followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Ben Malgeri pinch-hit for James Outman; he swung on the first pitch and popped it up high behind first base, and some major A’s miscommunication resulted in the pop-up dropping, McKinstry scoring, Torkelson standing on third and Malgeri perched on second with a so-called “double.” As Malgeri’s first major league double, we’ll take it, but that may be reversed by the scorekeepers.
Matt Vierling followed with a two-run double to the right-field corner for a 5-1 lead. McGonigle followed with a single to centre to plate Vierling, pushing the score to 6-1. What a costly miscue that was!
Drew Anderson took over in the seventh and he hit Bolte with one out, and Bolte wasn’t exactly getting out of the way of it; let’s face it, he was taking a page out of Coach Ernie Pantusso’s book on that one. After a strikeout and an error at second base, a single scored the speedy Bolte to make it 6-2. Anderson plunked Jonah Heim to load the bases; he went 3-0 on Jacob Wilson, and the Tigers looked to be in big trouble. What did Anderson do? Perfect fastball on the outside corner, foul ball for strike two, rung him up looking on the corner because, of course, we just can’t do things the easy way, can we?
Jacob Waguespack came in for the eighth, and every time I recap a game with him in it, it takes me about three attempts to spell his name correctly. Three was also the number of batters he faced, retiring all of ‘em. In the bottom of the inning the Tigers got two runners on with one out, but a pair of strikeouts prevented any more runs from being scored.
Waguespack carried on into the ninth and he had no trouble dispatching the A’s there either, as the Tigers coasted to the victory.
In case you missed it, the Tigers parted ways with third-base and infield coach Joey Cora. I know some people don’t like his windmilling ways, but let’s also not forget how good the Tigers have been on the basepaths for the past few years: constantly taking extra bases, to the tune of several extra runs per year over the average.
Don’t look now, but with the victory tonight, the Tigers are 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Wild, indeed!
Despite being very fast, Henry Bolte’s last name is not said the same as Usain Bolt’s. If we were being fancy, we would add an accent: Bolté.
Did you see the game Ryan O’Hearn had for the Pirates tonight? Grand slam, three-run home run, three-run home run; he added a single in the eighth for good measure. Ten RBI is a Pirates record, and that franchise has been around quite a while.
Happy 98th birthday to sliced bread! The first pre-sliced bread was sold on this day in 1928 in Ohio. A lot of people out there are saying it’s the greatest thing since… something.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 07: Victor Mesa Jr. #25 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with Junior Caminero #13 after hitting a home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field on July 07, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For all the ink that has been (rightfully) spilled about a struggling Yankees’ offense, the once-dominant starting rotation has gone under the radar in the blame game for the team’s poor play over the past two weeks. While injuries to Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have certainly thinned things out, the results speak for themselves over the last 11 games:
6.45 ERA
The Yankees have scored first just one time
Their starting pitcher allowed a run in the first seven times
They’ve trailed before coming to bat five times
They’ve allowed 4+ runs in the first four innings six times
Will Warren did not do anything to improve any of these numbers. He allowed six runs across four bad innings, failing to follow up Cam Schlittler’s brilliance last night. For once, he got real run support on an early three-run home run by Ben Rice, but the six he allowed would ultimately be too much, as the Rays took two big innings and beat the Yanks, 6-4, behind a whole lot of strikeouts by the Yankees and some huge pop from the bottom of their order. By fanning 17 times for the second consecutive night, the Yanks set an ignominous franchise record with 34 in a two-game span.
Seymour set the tone early with five strikeouts over the first two innings, giving up only a single to Rice in the first inning. While Warren started strong with two strikeouts in the first, the Rays got to him in the bottom half. Victor Mesa Jr. jumped all over a high fastball with one out in the second to open the scoring with a solo homer, but it didn’t end there.
With two out and the bases empty, he lost a pair of long at-bats to Richie Palacios and Hunter Feduccia, allowing a single and a walk. Doing that against the bottom of the order, especially in the Rays’ lineup, will bite you. Yandy Díaz caught up to a sinker on his hands to make it 2-0 after two on an RBI single.
Needing a response, they got to Seymour in the third. Max Schuemann laid down a beautiful bunt, and Trent Grisham dunked a double to left field to put two in scoring position with one out. Paul Goldschmidt struck out, but it was Rice to the rescue, as the first-time All-Star blasted his 26th home run of the season to the opposite field to make it 3-2 Yanks. That’s a good preview of next week’s Home Run Derby in Philly.
Warren recovered to retire the heart of the order in a row in the third, while Seymour struck out two more in the fourth. The game seemed to get a real pace to it with one out and an 0-2 count on Taylor Walls in the fourth, but things quickly spiraled after that for the Yankees’ right-hander.
Warren threw three uncompetitive pitches in a row before giving in on a sinker and giving up a single. That would be no biggie, but then he grooved a 1-1 sinker to Richie Palacios for a smoked RBI double to right-center field to tie the game. Two pitches later, the light-hitting Feduccia obliterated a bad 0-1 fastball to give them the lead. Three pitches after that, Warren hung a sweeper on 1-1 to Díaz and, yep, he gave up another homer, making it 6-3.
Warren has objectively not been good in the last month, but most of the time, he’s allowed three earned runs or fewer. This was a disaster in terms of location and velocity. His four-seamer and sinker are both sitting under 93, and for a guy who doesn’t rely on overpowering you, I’m concerned. He hasn’t missed a start since becoming a full-time major leaguer at the beginning of 2025, and I wonder if it’s catching up to him.
Now pitching with a lead, Seymour was dialed in. He struck out three more in the fifth to notch a career-high 12 strikeouts and eventually ended his day with one out in the sixth. It’s the second straight day that a guy who’s fairly average in strikeouts has logged a lot of them against the Yankees, who’ve seen their plate discipline tank across the board over the last three weeks. It’s not what you want.
Tim Hill got five quick outs across the fifth and sixth to keep the game in striking distance before Paul Blackburn took over and got four of his own. The Yankees tried to rally in both innings but didn’t get the big hit. In the sixth, Ryan McMahon notched a pinch-hit single with one out, and Bellinger had one of his best swings of the month to get him to third on one of his own, but he inexplicably got caught off of first after taking a wide turn. Of all the guys on the team, his play of late has been the most bizarre.
In the seventh, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and pinch-hitter Jasson Domínguez singled off Kevin Kelly to get the tying run to the plate, but they scratched just one run across on an Ali Sánchez sac fly. Grisham ripped a ball to deep right-center off Cam Booser on the first pitch he saw, but none of the five ballparks that would’ve been a game-tying homer in were this one. Goldschmidt completed the golden sombrero with a strikeout to end the threat (José Caballero later joined Goldy with four K’s on this unfortunate night).
Garrett Cleavinger came on for the eighth and worked around a leadoff single by Rice with two strikeouts. Brent Headrick did his job to get this to the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, but All-Star closer Bryan Baker finished the job for the Rays, locking down a 6-4 win for the AL East leaders. If you want to find some solace from this one, the Yankees recorded double-digit hits for the first time since June 17th.
The Yankees will look to take a 2-1 lead in this pivotal four-game set tomorrow night at 6:40 pm on Prime Video. It’s a battle of the aces, as Gerrit Cole squares off against a finally healthy Shane McClanahan.
In a deal that saves the Pistons some money and gives them a trade exception to make a move later if they want, Detroit is trading Caris LeVert to Milwaukee, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by multiple reports.
The trade breaks down this way:
Detroit receives: Taurean Prince, Gary Harris Milwaukee receives: Caris LeVert, two second-round picks
The Pistons will also generate a $15 million trade exception with this deal (which ultimately folds into a larger six-team trade).
For Detroit, this is about freeing up some cap space — they still have to re-sign restricted free-agent center Jalen Duren, and that is going to push them close to, or into, the luxury tax.
Factoring in the reported contracts for John Collins, Kevin Huerter & Javonte Green and the Gary Harris/Taurean Prince acquisitions, I've got the Pistons at about $42.8M under the luxury tax.
That's enough room to give Jalen Duren a 25% of the cap max without going into the tax.
For Milwaukee, they get a player in LeVert who can play for them this season while freeing up some roster spots. In the wake of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the Bucks have a lot of new faces and some redundancy on the roster and want to clean it all up.
Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte (33) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Athletics took on the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit today, hoping to end a three-game skid. J.T. Ginn got the start today against reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarek Skubal for Detroit.
After a walk to lead-off batter Kevin McGonigle, Colt Keith homered to deep right center field giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.
After Skubal struck out five of the first eight batters he faced, Henry Bolte launched his third homer of the season into left field bleachers. That cut the Tigers lead to 2-1.
Through four innings, both pitchers have allowed base runners, but since each gave up a homer, they’ve battled through, keeping the opposing team from scoring. Skubal left the game after five innings. He gave up just one earned run on five hits and two walks. He struck out nine.
Jacob Lopez replaced J.T. Ginn in the bottom of the sixth. Lopez was recalled today from AAA Las Vegas. Zach McKinstry walked and Spencer Torkelson singled. Pinch hitter Ben Malgeri doubled on a misplayed fly ball to right fielder Lawrence Butler. McKinstry scored. Matt Vierling doubled to right field, driving in Torkelson and Malgeri. Kevin McGonigle followed with a single, that drove in Vierling. When the inning was finally over, the A’s trailed Detroit 6-1.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Bolte was hit by a pitch, and Nick Kurtz singled. Shea Langeliers then singled, scoring the speedy Bolte easily from second. Jonah Heim was struck by a pitch with two outs loading the bases for Jacob Wilson. Wilson worked the count full but struck out looking on a borderline (but ABS-confirmed) four-seam fastball. Lopez set the Tigers down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
The A’s went quietly in their half of the eighth inning, and Elvis Alvarado entered the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth. While he gave up a hit and a walk, he also struck out three to keep the Tigers off the board.
The A’s could not muster any baserunners in the ninth and fell for the fourth consecutive game, 6-2 to the Tigers.
Given a chance at major league history under suboptimal circumstances, Ryan O'Hearn shortened up, rolled a single into right field, took his team-record 10 RBIs and went home.
Four home runs would have to wait for another night after O'Hearn began his night with a grand slam, followed by a three-run homer — and then another three-run homer in a 12-4Pittsburgh Pirates win against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, July 7 at PNC Park.
Yet given a chance to tie a major-league record with his fourth home run, O'Hearn strolled to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning and discovered he'd be attempting the feat against a position player.
Not only that, but Braves infielder Jorge Mateo was a former O'Hearn teammate in Baltimore. So after flailing at Mateo's first pitch, O'Hearn shortened his stroke and sent a little single into right field. Upon reaching first, he nodded at Mateo and grinned.
No history. But still plenty to smile about.
O'Hearn has been the best buy for the Pirates this year, now with 16 homers, 64 RBIs and an .820 OPS. On Tuesday, he victimized Braves starter Hurston Waldrep for a grand slam and three-run homer in the first and third innings, and then popped a third homer off reliever Connor Thomas.
And now, he holds the club record for RBIs for a franchise that began play in 1882. It's the first 10-RBI game in the majors since Shohei Ohtani did it in 2022; slugger Mark Reynolds had the previous feat, in 2018.
The Atlanta Braves traveled to PNC Park in hopes of picking up a much needed win after two heartbreaking losses in a row. Hurston Waldrep made his second start of season for the Braves and Paul Skenes was on the mound hoping to rebound from the worst stretch of his young career.
The Braves got on the board first when Matt Olson hit a double and Mauricio Dubón hit a sharp single to center field to make the score 1-0, but that was the only offense for the Braves outside of a Baldwin walk. Things went south shortly after that. Waldrep hit the first batter he faced, then Lowe, who hit a HR against Waldrep last time they faced off, hit a single. Waldrep then walked Reynolds to load the bases with zero outs. After Valdez struck out, Ryan O’Hearn then wasted no time and blew the game wide open with a grand slam to put the Pirates up by three. Gonzales also singled which prompted a mound visit. Waldrep finally was able to get the final two outs of the first inning after that.
In the second inning, the offense went just as you might expect with the bottom of the order. Riley and Jarvis both struck out, and Yastrzemski flied out. Waldrep looked to have settled down in the bottom of the second. He was able to induce a pop up followed by two groundouts.
The Braves struck again in the third inning to put them within two runs when Harris hit a double followed by an Albies single that scored Harris. That would be the only offense in the third though as Skenes retired the next three hitters. The third inning for Waldrep was almost identical to the first. He walked Reynolds, then gave up a single to Valdez, and then O’Hearn took him deep yet again to make the score 2-7 for the Pirates. O’Hearn had seven RBI in three innings. Waldrep then got two groundouts but then struggled a bit again when he Triolo singled followed by a Davis walk. After yet another mound visit Waldrep got the final out of the third with another groundout.
The fourth inning saw the bottom of the Braves order again. Smith popped out, but Riley was able to get a single, but that momentum was squashed when Yastrzemski hit into a double play to end the top of the inning. Waldrep stayed in the game for the fourth inning. He was able to strike out Lowe but then walked the next two hitters he faced which finally got him pulled for newly promoted Connor Thomas. Waldrep ended his night with seven earned runs on six hits to include two HRs, five walks, and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. Thomas then forced two groundouts to end the inning.
It looked like the Braves may get something going in the fifth when Jarvis and Harris had back-to-back singles, but then Albies popped out and Olson hit into a double play. Thomas stayed in the game to pitch and retired the side on five pitches.
In the sixth Dubón had a double, but that was the only offense for the Braves. You will never believe this, but in the sixth inning Ryan O’Hearn hit a HR again. This time it was a three-run HR again which gave him his tenth RBI of the game. That is not a type. Ten RBI in a single game that all came from HRs.
Skenes was finally replaced in the seventh inning, but that did not matter because the Braves were sat down in order. The subs came in for the Braves in the bottom of the seventh signaling the white flag. Thomas stayed in the game and gave up yet another run by issuing two singles and a walk in the inning, but he did pick up two strikeouts.
The eighth did not go any better for the Braves. The subs were in and Kyle Farmer grounded out, Matt Olson struck out, and Joey Bart grounded out. Jorge Mateo, obviously a position player, came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he saw, then O’Hearn finally got stopped from hitting a HR, but singled. Gonzales then singled to make the score 2-12. Callihan singled to load the bases but then Mateo was able to get Davis to ground into a double play.
José Azócar was now in the game in the ninth and singled. Dom Smith hit into a fielder’s choice and then Austin Riley had his second hit of the game with a double. Yastrzemski hit a two-run single that brought the Braves’ run total to four. That was it for the game though because Jarvis grounded out and Harris popped out.
There is no sugar coating it. The Braves looked totally defeated. They need an All-Star break real bad. Hopefully they can end the losing streak tomorrow.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 05: Mason Miller #22 and Luis Campusano #12 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after the team's win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 05, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona Diamondbacks (45-45) at San Diego Padres (44-46), July 7, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
Will Warren gave up three home runs and the Yankees bats struck out 17 times in their 6-4 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night.
The Yankees have struck out 34 times in the first two games of the series, a franchise record for a two-game span. The loss undoes Monday's series-opening win as New York (50-41) is back to being 4.0 games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East.
Here are the takeaways...
-After an easy first, Warren pitched into trouble in the second. After allowing a one-out homer to Victor Mesa Jr., which wrapped around the right field foul pole, Warren allowed a single, walk, and a single with two outs, allowing the Rays to take a 2-0 lead.
The Rays would get to Warren again in the fourth. Richie Palacios hit an RBI double before No. 9 hitter Hunter Feduccia slammed a two-run shot to give Tampa a 5-3 lead. Yandy Diaz followed up with a solo shot.
Warren went 4.0 IP (75 pitches/48 strikes), allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three. He allowed three home runs.
-The Yankees bats struggled mightily. But a big moment in the game came in the sixth. After Cody Bellinger hit a one-out single and Max Schuemann went first-to-third on the hit, Bellinger got hung up between first and second for the second out. Jose Caballero struck out to strand the runner at third.
In the seventh, back-to-back singles from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the pinch-hitting Jasson Dominguez put runners at the corners with no outs. Ali Sanchez pushed across a run with a sac fly. Trent Grisham flew out and Paul Goldschmidt struck out -- after Dominguez reached third on a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt -- to end the threat.
-Ben Rice, who announced his participation in this year's Home Run Derby, gave the Yankees the lead in the third with an opposite-field three-run shot. His 26 homers are tied with Junior Caminero for second in the AL. Rice went 3-for-4.
Caballero started at shortstop for the second straight game. Caballero went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
-The Yankees bullpen behind Warren kept the team in the game. The combination of Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick allowed just one hit and one walk in 4.0 innings pitched.
Game MVP: Ian Seymour
The Rays southpaw's only mistake was the three-run shot to Rice, but Seymour struck out 12 Yankees in his 5.1 innings of work.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 10: A packed, sunny day at AT&T Park is viewed from behind homeplate on July 10, 2013, in San Francisco, California. Special ferry boats transport San Francisco Giants fans directly to AT&T Park during the baseball season. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight from Oracle Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.42 ERA, 3.74 FIP, with 50 strikeouts to 19 walks in 57 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit with five strikeouts in six innings.
He’ll be facing off against Blue Jays right-handed rookie Spencer Miles, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.83 ERA, 2.98 FIP with 55 strikeouts to 17 walks in 54 innings pitched. His last appearance was in the Blue Jays’ 9-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in three innings.
Media Availability: Mavrik Bourque | Nashville PredatorsMavrik Bourque speaks to the media after signing a six-year, $33 million contract with the Nashville Predators.
