Jacob Misiorowski opened his start with seven consecutive strikeouts for the Brewers on Sunday.
The matchup between one of baseball’s most electric pitchers and one of baseball’s worst teams started off exactly how you would expect.
Jacob Misiorowski set a Brewers franchise record by striking out the first seven Rockies batters and 12 of the first 13 over five innings Sunday in an 11-2 victory.
He allowed one hit and one run.
Misiorowski became the first pitcher since 1920 with 11 strikeouts and no hits allowed through four innings, according to CBS Sports.
Jacob Misiorowski reacts after recording a strikeout during the Brewers’ July 26 win. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He could have been more dominant but was pulled after 83 pitches to manage his workload with the stretch run ahead.
The franchise record for consecutive strikeouts to start a game was only 311 days old.
The Brewers’ Quinn Priester struck out six in a row to begin a 5-2 victory against the Angels on Sept. 18, 2025.
The MLB record for consecutive strikeouts to start a game was set by Pablo Lopez of the Marlins in 2021.
The MLB record for consecutive strikeouts at any point within a game is 10 — shared by the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes, Phillies’ Aaron Nola and Mets’ Tom Seaver.
Misiorowski threw all 66 of the game’s fastest pitches.
Jacob Misiorowski throws a pitch during the Brewers’ July 26 win. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
All were 100.3 mph or faster, including a 104.7 mph four-seam fastball.
Cole Carrigg turned around a 101 mph fastball for a solo home run.
Fans react during the Brewers’ July 26 win against the Rockies. Imagn Images
It landed 361 feet away in left field.
Misiorowski owns the modern-day record for the fastest pitch thrown by a starting pitcher, topping out at 105.5 mph
“The Miz” entered the game inducing the highest whiff rate of any starter (38 percent) and the highest strikeout rate (39 percent).
He upped his MLB-leading strikeout total to 185 and but his ERA actually slightly climbed to 1.58 as he builds his case for the National League Cy Young Award.
The days of the NHL's traditional "goon" serving as the team's on-ice enforcer are long gone, but the league still features plenty of players willing to drop the gloves.
During the heyday of the postseason streak for the Detroit Red Wings, fans at Joe Louis Arena regularly watched players like Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur, Brendan Shanahan, and Martin Lapointe settle scores with their fists.
Older fans also fondly remember the legendary fights involving the late Bob Probert, one of the most feared enforcers of his era.
Today's NHL, however, is built far more on speed and skill than intimidation, with fighting down nearly 70 percent compared to just 20 years ago.
In 2025-26, not only did the Red Wings miss the playoffs for the 10th straight campaign, but they were also revealed as the least aggressive team in the NHL according to a study commissioned and collected by Casino Guru.
The rankings were based on a custom aggression rating that measured several aspects of physical play. Weighted values were assigned to categories including penalty minutes, fighting majors, total hits, major penalties, and any league-issued fines or suspensions, with each player's final score calculated on a 100-point scale.
In Casino Guru's Aggression Index for 2025-26, Detroit finished 32nd overall with a 6.80 ranking, behind the 31st-place Colorado Avalanche (10.71) and 30th-place Seattle Kraken (10.87).
As a team, Detroit registered 1,480 hits, ranking 29th in the NHL. Only the Chicago Blackhawks (1,346), New Jersey Devils (1,514), and Seattle Kraken (1,517) finished with fewer hits.
The Red Wings also recorded just 11 fighting majors, the second-fewest total in the league, just ahead of Colorado's 10.
Newly acquired Red Wings forward Keegan Kolesar, who arrived from the Vegas Golden Knights, dropped the gloves five times alone last season - more than double the combined totals of Ben Chiarot and Travis Hamonic, who had two fights each.
Meanwhile, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, J.T. Compher, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Dominik Shine each recorded one fighting major during the season.
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 26: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after striking out the side in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at American Family Field on July 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Jacob Misiorowski is feeling right, there is no better pitcher in baseball. Misiorowski was feeling right on Sunday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies and he absolutely blew them away.
Misiorowski hit 104 MPH four times in the first inning en route to striking out the side. Then he struck out the side again in the 2nd inning, and then struck out Willi Castro to start the 3rd. That meant seven consecutive strikeouts to start the game for Misiorowski, which set a new franchise record that was previously held by Quinn Priester with six.
Then Misiorowski allowed contact for once, with Troy Johnston flying out to center. Misiorowski promptly responded by striking out the next five batters after that. He was at 12 strikeouts across 13 batters.
“That’s pretty impressive. Yeah, there’s nothing more impressive than that.” Pat Murphy said.
However, Cole Carrigg spoiled the fun, lifting a 2-2 fastball up in the zone at 102 MPH over the left field wall for a solo home run to break up the perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout. A hit-by-pitch of Willi Castro gave the Rockies another baserunner, but Misiorowski induced a grounder from Troy Johnston to end a 30 pitch fifth inning.
That inning would be Misiorowski’s last as the Brewers continue to play it cautiously building him back up from his two week layoff in and around the All Star Break. He finished with 83 pitches and could’ve gone out for the 6th, but Pat Murphy ultimately decided to turn this game over to the bullpen.
Misiorowski threw 66 fastballs, all of them at 100+ MPH. He set a new record for most 103+ MPH pitches in a game with 33 of them. The previous record was 12. He also threw seven pitches at 104+ MPH.
Meanwhile, the Brewers offense was peppering the Rockies pitching staff. The Crew put up three runs in the first inning with a double from Jackson Chourio, a single from Brice Turang, and a double from William Contreras.
That was all the Brewers could scratch across until the 6th inning, when they sent 10 men to the plate. The inning started with an Andrew Vaughn solo home run, his fourth of the year. Jake Bauers and Gary Sanchez drew back-to-back walks, then the extended rookies Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt slugged back-to-back doubles.
“They’re going to be very consistent, good baseball players. I think that the reason the organization signed them long-term is they sensed in them that this is how they play and they’ve been really steady” Pat Murphy said.
Third Base Joey Ortiz made it three straight doubles continue to extend the lead. It was also Ortiz’s second extra-base hit of the day as he continues his torrid stretch.
The Brewers scored five runs in the 6th and then piled on a few more in the 7th with four straight hits. A Bauers single, Sanchez and Lara doubles, then a Pratt single.
They would tack on another in the 8th off position player pitching Brett Sullivan.
Milwaukee tallied nine doubles in this game, tying a franchise record with the sixth instance of it. The last time the Crew hit nine doubles in a game was July 6, 2008 against the Pirates.
The Brewers used five relievers out of their bullpen to cover the final four innings. Chad Patrick couldn’t finish the 6th, but Aaron Ashby only took one pitch to do so. Grant Anderson gave up a solo home run to Willi Castro in the 7th. Then Craig Yoho had a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Bryse Wilson secured the 9th.
Next up for the Brewers will be a trip out to the West Coast against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 4: Dalen Terry #14 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
And these transactions are officially in the works.
The Sixers announced that they have waived Dalen Terry Sunday afternoon. Terry signed with the Sixers late last season on a two-way contract before finishing the year on a standard deal, replacing the injured Cam Payne. In the 14 games he appeared with the Sixers, Terry averaged 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists playing 12.4 minutes per night.
As someone whose deal wasn’t guaranteed until Jan. 10, Terry became an odd man out pretty quickly. They’ll of course have to make one more move to have room for both LeBron and KCP. Jabari Walker could also be on the chopping block. He has the same guarantee date that Terry has, but does have a partial guaranteed at $250K (for these keep track of the first apron, where the Sixers are hard capped). The team would have to find a trade if Johni Broome is the other player they’d like to cast off. As his salary is fully guaranteed this season, waiving him wouldn’t take any money off their books.
Apr 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Cole Winn (60) walks off the field during the game between the Rangers and the Pirates at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the Seattle Mariners scored six runs.
In the span of a couple of pitches, a rather large swing in the fates of these two teams perhaps transpired and not in a way that favored the Rangers.
Texas had already won the first two games of this series — so that’s good! — but leading 3-1 in the seventh with a chance to further bury the Mariners went wasted when the Rangers turned to leverage grim reaper Cole Winn who promptly allowed a three-run home run and then a solo shot on back-to-back pitches.
While the three-run bomb off the bat of Dominic Canzone was deflating, it turns out the solo homer by Randy Arozarena that immediately followed was nearly as critical as Ezequiel Duran hit a solo home run in the eighth but that was Texas’ only baserunner after the Winn disaster in the seventh. And then the M’s reclaimed their insurance run in the top of the ninth.
Texas can still win the series tomorrow but today can be marked down as a massive wasted opportunity with potential considerable division implications.
Player of the Game: Joc Pederson legged out a hustle double and scored the game’s first run in the first inning in a time when things were much more jolly in Rangers Land.
Up Next: To win the series and right today’s wrong, the Rangers will need to beat George Kirby, the human Rangers slayer. Meanwhile, Texas will counter with RHP Kumar Rocker. Good luck.
The Monday afternoon finale from The Shed is again scheduled for 1:35 pm CDT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.
Jul 26, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) celebrates in the dugout after his solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
Mariners 6, Rangers 4
14th pick of the 2018 Draft: Logan Gilbert, -0,12 WPA 15th pick of the 2018 Draft: Cole Winn, -0.55 WPA
Mighty bad: J.P. Crawford, -0.16 WPA Molto bene: Dominic Canzone, +0.60 WPA
Littler sets the tournament’s highest average in 18-9 win
Beau Greaves beats Fallon Sherrock to lift women’s title
Luke Littler bulldozed his way to a second consecutive World Matchplay title as he crushed Gerwyn Price 18-9 in Blackpool. The 19-year-old averaged 111.53 in the final, setting an average for the tournament as a whole of 111.04 to break Phil Taylor’s record of 106.31.
Littler also broke his own competition record for 180s as he hit 12 in the final to reach 66 for the week, as he became only the third man to successfully defend the Matchplay final after Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, who did it most recently in 2016.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 25: Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Moda Center on March 25, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. 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. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
But one reason he was on the market is that he’s had trouble staying on the floor. Over the past two seasons, Thybulle has played just 45 games.
He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 season after he underwent knee surgery. That, combined with a severe ankle sprain, forced Thybulle to miss the majority of the year. Then this past season, a torn UCL in his left thumb and right knee tendinopathy led to him to missing 52 games.
Thybulle, 29, averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 30 games last season, making 39.8 percent of his 3-point shots. He finished last season healthy and will give the Lakers a high-end on-ball defender who can also make spot-up shots — a must on any Luka Dončić roster.
The source said Thybulle is currently fully healthy
Despite the injury concerns, Thybulle finished strong with the Blazers. After returning in February, he played in the last 25 games. In the playoffs, Thybulle was available for every game of the Blazers’ series against the Spurs, playing in four of the five matchups.
With a healthy finish to the year and this recent update, hopefully, Thybulle’s injuries are behind him, and he can continue to grow and develop as a player.
Besides his defensive ability, Thybulle has shown that he can knock down open shots. Last year, he converted on 39.8% of his 3-pointers and the year before that he made 43.8% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Thybulle could easily outperform his contract if he can be a defensive presence and make enough of his shots that teams have to respect his jumper.
For all of that to occur, though, he needs to be on the floor. Fortunately, it appears he’ll start the year off with that being the case.
Jul 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer makes a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies played a game of two acts today — both dominated by the Milwaukee Brewers. They were barricaded early by Jacob ‘Les Mis’ Misiorowski, but were eventually brought down by a barrage of offense in the late innings.
They mustered five hits — including two solo homers — but also struck out 15 times. Kyle Freeland was saddled with his 100th loss in his 250th start after pitching 5.1 innings and allowing five runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Misiorowski looked down upon the Rockies for almost his entire outing, as expected. He came out firing, striking out the first seven Rockies he saw. That not only set a Brewers franchise record for most consecutive strikeouts to start a game, but also set a Rockies record for most consecutive strikeouts to start a game.
Troy Johnston put the ball in play in the third inning, but ‘Les Mis’ kept racking up the strikeouts — setting another record of becoming the first pitcher since at least 1920 to strike out 12 of his first 13 hitters in the game. He threw 66 fastballs of his 83 pitches, and every single one was over 100 mph.
“That’s like a one-of-one fastball,” manager Warren Schaeffer said postgame, “103 with all that extension. It’s hard to react to that and he just throws it all the time. To me, it’s a one-of-one pitch. It’s elite. There’s nothing really much else to say.”
It was not a great way to kick things off. But then birthday boy Kyle Karros hit a liner to right to break the streak, setting the table for his alliterative teammate in the next at-bat.
Despite the struggles of the rest of the team, Cole Carrigg broke through the barricade (perfect game) in progress by sending a 101.9-mph fastball 361 feet over the opposite field wall to make the score 3-1.
According to Sarah Langs, that was the fastest pitch a Rockies player has homered off of under pitch tracking (2008). Hilariously, the ball only had an exit velocity of 98.2 mph.
Not to be outdone, Willi Castro said “Drink With Me” and added his own solo shot in the seventh to bring the Rockies within six. (More on how they got there later.)
The Rockies got a few more baserunners in the sixth with back-to-back singles by Mickey Moniak and Hunter Goodman. Unfortunately, though, they were unable to bring either one home and the score remained 3-1.
TJ Rumfield singled in the ninth to record the Rockies’ fifth hit, but he was also stranded.
The Brewers offense got started early, scoring three runs in the first. Jackson Chourio got things going with a leadoff double, and then was brought home on a soft bunt ground ball back to Freeland, which Freeland fielded poorly, making an error that allowed Chourio to score. Andrew Vaughn flied out to right, but then William Contreras doubled to bring Brice Turang to third. A wild pitch allowed Turang to score, and Jake Bauers grounded out to first to score Contreras. Gary Sánchez grounded out to third to end the inning, but the Brewers had a 3-0 lead after just one inning.
But they cooled off in the middle innings, as Freeland only allowed two hits after that tough first inning.
“After the first inning, he settled in,” Schaeffer said. “That’s a really good hitting team and he battled through that lineup and was efficient. He took the ball with 72 pitches into the sixth inning and he gave us all he had. He gave us a chance to win, for sure, especially against Mis. He kept the score low and gave us a shot.”
“I obviously didn’t set the tone the way I wanted to,” Freeland said after the game. “Giving up three in the first is not a good way to start the day, and putting your offense behind the ball and them having to fight back immediately. Not giving them any sort of momentum was not good. But innings 2-5 were good. I was able to settle in and then the sixth inning just unraveled on us completely.”
Like Javert, the Brewers came back with a vengeance in the later sixth inning. Vaughn homered right out of the gate to make the score 4-1. Then, Contreras struck out swinging but Bauers walked after a failed challenge by Freeland. Freeland was then lifted in favor of Jimmy Herget, and Bauers stole second. Sánchez then walked, and Luis Lara doubled to score Bauers. Cooper Pratt said “Drink With Me” and doubled to score two more Brewers. Joey Ortiz also doubled, but then Chourio grounded out on a swinging bunt to score Pratt. Turang walked, but then Vaughn struck out to end the inning.
For those keeping score at home, the inning started with a score of 3-1 and ended with a score of 8-1.
Things didn’t get better in the seventh with Victor Vodnik on the hill, as four-straight hits — a single by Bauers, doubles by Sánchez and Lara, and a single by Pratt — scored two more runs. Luckily, Ortiz grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, but the damage was done.
The Brewers recorded 14 hits in the game, and nine were doubles. That tied another franchise record, as well.
The Rockies have an off day tomorrow as they head west to San Diego for a quick two-game set against the Padres. It’ll be a battle of the Michaels, as Michael Lorenzen will face Padres’ right-hander Michael King.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 26: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals begins to run after making a home run trot as crew chief Jordan Baker #71 signals no home run in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park on July 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. The call was challenged by Washington and overturned to be ruled a home run. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was not pretty in the 9th inning, but the Nats held on to secure a much needed 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks. With the win the Nats are only a game out of the third Wild Card spot with the trade deadline on the horizon. The offense did not skip a beat without Curtis Mead. Now it is time for Paul Toboni to go and get some bullpen reinforcements.
From the outset, this game just felt like a shootout. Miles Mikolas and Kohl Drake were not fooling anyone on the mound. Even the outs they were getting were loud contact. Even though things did not fully set ablaze early on, it was still 3-2 after four innings.
After the D-Backs added another run in the 5th, the Nats exploded in the bottom of the inning. After Nasim Nunez walked to start the inning, the Snakes let Kohl Drake face James Wood for a third time. That proved to be an unwise decision, with the Nats star outfielder punishing a hanging curveball for his first homer of the second half, and 29th of the season.
Later in the game Wood hit another home run, that turned out to be a key piece of insurance. After a slow start to the second half, Wood showed up in a massive way in this big game. He now has 30 home runs for a second straight season. Wood joins Adam Dunn as the second Nat to do that, which honestly surprised me when I saw the stat.
However, Wood was not the only Nats star to go deep that inning. Wood’s partner in crime, CJ Abrams had a huge game of his own. After homering in the third, Abrams did it again in the 5th inning, crushing a ball out the yard for his 27th long ball of the season. He is having the best month of his career in July.
CJ Abrams is the hottest hitter on the planet. Post-All-Star break, Abrams leads MLB in OPS (1.632), HR (7) and RBIs (15). He has more homers by himself in the second half than the Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners, Twins, White Sox, Cardinals and Angels. pic.twitter.com/cv0pOWJZIJ
There have been plenty of Abrams trade rumors lately, but this stretch is showing that Abrams is just too good to trade. Unlike the Juan Soto situation, the team has a good shot of being competitive in the near future. This team can make a run with Abrams on the team. Also, they need to push as hard as they can for an extension this offseason. CJ Abrams is part of this team’s solution.
Even after the Mead trade, this offense showed just how potent they can be this afternoon. They just tore through the D-Backs pitching staff this afternoon. Having success against a rookie starter in Drake was not overly surprising, but they put a beating on the Snakes solid bullpen as well.
Jonathan Loaisiga and Brandyn Garcia are both high velo arms who are having great seasons. That did not phase the Nats though. They roughed up both of those guys on the way to yet another win.
However, that win did not come easily in the 9th inning. Handed a 10-5 lead, Matt Krook came out and walked three straight hitters before being yanked. That is just something you cannot do as a major league pitcher. It also showcased the glaring hole on the Nats roster. Paul Toboni owes it to this clubhouse to bring in some bullpen help at the deadline. This group has just done too much to be let down like this. They did not blow it today, but we have seen that sort of thing happen too many times.
Nats take down the DBacks and snag a massive series win in the NL Wild Card hunt, but that bullpen monster hasn’t gone anywhere
It seems like Toboni is trying to thread the needle between buying and selling. He said this morning that he wanted to give this team a shot. If he is serious about that, he needs to bring multiple bullpen arms through the door. This is a good team with one flaw that is fatal, at least as it stands right now.
Even though the bullpen almost ruined the fun, Clayton Beeter eventually put out the fire to give the Nats the win. With this curly W, the Nats are right in the middle of the playoff race. They face a Blue Jays team whose season has not gone according to plan after this. That gives them another opportunity to collect some wins in the lead up to the deadline.
One last piece of fun from today was the performance of Brady House. The 23 year old is back in the show after the Mead trade. His impact was loud in his return to DC. House hit two doubles in this contest. He looked comfortable at the plate, especially in his at bats against lefties. House has plenty of room to grow, but man can he mash lefties.
Welcome back to the show, Brady House.
He’s crushed three balls and doubled two times. This ball was laced 109 MPH off the bat. His dominance vs LHPs from before he got sent down has carried over today. pic.twitter.com/nBHyMtf7eJ
Overall, this was an excellent series win. This is a series they had to win to truly remain in the mix, and they did it. Before the deadline, I want at least two bullpen arms and maybe a starter as well. The offense is an absolute buzzsaw, and has me dreaming really big if this team can manage to find even average pitching.
McCullers Jr. was just recently acquired from the under-.500 Astros, along with fellow pitcher Colton Gordon and cash, for Single-A prospect Jadyn Fielder, son of legendary Brewer Prince Fielder.
Lance McCullers Jr. has been designated for assignment just 11 days after being acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers. Getty Images
McCullers, who arrived from Houston with a 6.86 ERA through eight starts this season, pitched in just 4 ⅔ innings across two games out of Milwaukee’s bullpen.
On Saturday, McCullers walked four and allowed three runs (none earned, however) in just 1.2 innings pitched.
In his debut with the team on July 20, he allowed two earned runs in a three-inning stint, striking out four and walking one.
McCullers had been a career-long starter before his run with Milwaukee, opening up148 of his 154 appearances before being dealt — all with Houston, whom he has represented on the mound since the 2015 season.
Lance McCullers Jr. had been with the Houston Astros since the 2015 season. Getty Images
A one-time All-Star in 2017, McCullers — who also finished seventh in American League Cy Young voting in 2021 — has failed to consistently recapture his previous effectiveness since missing the complete 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injuries in his pitching arm, including flexor tendon surgery, bone spurs and setbacks.
The 32-year-old is in the final year of a five-year deal worth $85 million.
MLB.com notes that Houston also sent the Brewers about $4.23 million to cover a healthy portion of McCullers’ remaining salary.
Gordon is still with the Brewers at the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville.
Jul 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
With heat indexes in triple digits, the St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up their weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds Sunday. Kyle Leahy was a trooper and not only gave the Cardinals a quality start, but also set a career-high for strikeouts. However, the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen would once again become an issue late.
The St. Louis Cardinal s were first to score in a back-and-forth affair Sunday afternoon. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Alec Burleson led off with a double. Masyn Winn singled which gave the Cardinals runners at first and third with no outs. José Fermín gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to left. Unfortunately, that’s the only run the Cardinals would get in the 2nd inning as Nelson Velázquez lined out to center and Pedro Pagés fouled out to the catcher.
The St. Louis lead wouldn’t last long as Elly De La Cruz caught up with an 88 mph Kyle Leahy slider and launched it 410 feet for a homer tying the game at 1-1 in the top of the 3rd inning.
The Cardinals would seize the lead again in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Iván Herrera met an 81 mph sweeper and gave it a 411 foot ride giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead.
The Cincinnati Reds matched the Cardinals again in the top of the 5th inning when Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a 91 mph four-seam fastball just far enough for a game-tying 387-foot home run locking the game at 2-2. That would be the last damage that Kyle Leahy would allow as he completed 6 strong innings striking out a career-high 9 batter while allowing just 6 hits and walking only 1.
With the game tied 2-2, the St. Louis bullpen entered the equation. Luis Gastelum did a solid job of keeping the Reds quiet in the top of the 7th inning. The Cardinals would threaten (sort of) in the bottom of the 7th inning when Lars Nootbaar would reach with a leadoff walk. Blaze Jordan flied out to deep center for the first out followed by Bryan Torres grounding out which moved Nootbaar into scoring position at second, but JJ Wetherholt was unable to make anything other than a groundout to first happen which ended the Cardinals scoring opportunity.
Ryne Stanek was the next St. Louis bullpen representative in the top of the 8th inning. He set the Reds down 1-2-3 which was a pleasant development. In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Cardinals would try to mount a two-out rally which started when Alec Burleson ripped a ball down the right field line which glanced off of Nathaniel Lowe’s glove. Masyn Winn moved Burleson into scoring position when he singled up the middle. That left the Cardinals 8th inning fate in the hands of José Fermín. He ended up reaching base to load the bases when the Cardinals successfully challenged catcher’s interference. Unfortunately, Lars Nootbaar flied out to left field to end the bottom of the 8th inning. The Cardinals RISP woes continue.
George Soriano entered the game in the top of the 9th inning as the TV dudes said Riley O’Brien was under the weather. All he needed to do to give St. Louis a walk-off opportunity was to keep the Reds off the board and he was successful as he only allowed an infield single to Marte.
Would the St. Louis Cardinals offense rise up and shock the world by scoring a run for a walk-off winner? Blaze Jordan weakly grounded out to first to lead off the bottom of the 9th inning off of Reds reliever Brock Burkes who made odd barking sounds after each pitch which was distracting. Jimmy Crooks was the next bat with an opportunity for hero status. He unfortunately struck out, but the Cardinals still had JJ Wetherholt with a chance to end the game in a great way. He did the opposite with a strikeout sending the game to extra innings.
The top of the 10th inning was Matt Svanson’s responsibility for the Cardinals. Tyler Stephenson was the Reds free runner at second base. It only took 2 pitches before he was standing at third as Jimmy Crooks allowed a passed ball to the backstop which the official scorer may have called a wild pitch, but this one’s on Crooks. He easily scored on a single by Sal Stewart to right field giving the Reds a 3-2 lead. Elly De La Cruz followed that with a single of his own giving Cincinnati runners at first and second with nobody out. Arroyo then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt moving runners up to second and third with just one out. Manager Oli Marmol then turned to Justin Bruihl for a lefty-on-lefty matchup against JJ Bleday. Could Bruihl be a hero and hold the Reds to just one extra innings run? Spoiler Alert: NOPE. He struck out Bleday for the second out which was crucial. The Cardinals then intentionally walked Suarez to load the bases setting up a force at any base. That brought up Lowe who already had two hits on the day. He sadly added another single to that effort which scored two more Reds giving Cincinnati a 5-2 10th inning lead.
We had heard about the bad reputation of the Reds bullpen. Could the Cardinals do anything against them? Well, Jordan Walker nearly injured himself tripping over first base on a ground out with free runner JJ Wetherholt at second base. Iván Herrera did manage a single into left moving JJ over to third which brought up Alec Burleson as the potential tying run. He looped a ball over short for a single scoring Wetherholt and bringing up the potential winning run to the plate in the form of Masyn Winn. Nathan Church smartly took Burleson’s place at first as the tying run pinch-runner. Masyn sadly struck out which brought up José Fermín as the Cardinals final hope with two outs. He flew out to left to end the game and give the Reds the series victory. BUMMER.
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a crucial 4-game series versus their arch rivals the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium Monday night. According to MLB.com, the Cubs will start LHP David Peterson. The Cardinals starter is to be determined. First pitch set for 6:45pm Monday night at Busch Stadium with the TV broadcast available through Cardinals.tv.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 26: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves forces out Jackson Holliday #7 of the Baltimore Orioles at second base to start a double play in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles tied the game in the 9th, had a golden opportunity to win the game in the 10th, but ultimately fell to the Braves 3-2 in 11 innings.
Things truly felt like they lived and died on the outcome of a pivotal 10th inning. After Tyler Wells worked out of a two-on, nobody-out jam in the top of the 10th, Baltimore went to the bottom of the inning looking to walk off the Braves for the second game in a row.
With Manfred Man Sam Huff on second, Dylan Beavers started the inning with a walk that saw Huff move to third on a wild pitch. Atlanta then chose to walk Pete Alonso to load the bases for Gunnar Henderson. The Orioles’ star SS only needed a fly ball to win the game, but instead lined into a double play at first. That put everything on Taylor Ward’s shoulders, but he could only pop up the ball behind first to send things to the 11th.
In the 11th, Austin Riley led off the top of the inning with a double to left that scored Atlanta’s Manfred Man Jorge Mateo. With the Braves up 3-2 in the bottom of the 11th, Coby Mayo opened the inning with a strikeout and Tyler O’Neill followed up with a groundout. Leody Taveras walked to keep the game alive and Atlanta chose to intentionally walk Jackson Holliday to face Huff. The O’s third-string catcher stung a ball to third, but Riley easily converted it into the final out to sink the O’s.
Baltimore came into the 9th down 2-1, looking to get the best of Braves’ All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias. The normally pinpoint Iglesias quickly fell behind 3-0 against Christian Encarnacion-Strand, fought back to 3-2, but ultimately walked the Orioles’ leadoff hitter. Tyler O’Neill then came to the plate representing the winning run, got ahead 2-0, but ended up striking out on a changeup low and in.
Then things really got crazy. With Coby Mayo pinch-running for CES, Leody Taveras grounded a would-be double play ball to Ozzie Albies at second. Instead, Albies did his best Bill Buckner impression, allowing the grounder to go through his legs and Mayo to go third with one out. Albies would somewhat redeem himself against Jackson Holliday, as the Orioles 2B sent a sharp grounder to his Braves counterpart that Albies snagged and fired to first for the second out.
The sharp defensive play possibly prevented the winning run in Taveras from scoring, but allowed Mayo to come home and tie the game at two. Jeremiah Jackson then had a chance for the O’s second 9th-inning walkoff in a row, but instead grounded out to send the game to extras.
The rally in the 9th was set up by a majestic home run from Pete Alonso in the 8th. With the O’s down 2-0 and one out, lefty reliever Dylan Lee hung a slider to Alonso, who blasted it 419 feet into the left field bleachers for his 22nd homer of the season. After the offense had struggled to deliver all game, the Alonso blast breathed belief back into Camden Yards.
The Orioles found themselves in that early hole thanks to a less-than-sharp Shane Baz and a suspect defensive performance behind their starter. Baz came into Sunday’s outing having not issued a walk in two consecutive starts, but that same level of command was absent against the Braves. Despite a leadoff single by Drake Baldin, the right-hander was able to work a scoreless first after Ozzie Albies lined into an unassisted double play at first and Matt Olson struck out on a 3-2 knuckle curve.
The Orioles’ defense let their starter down in the 2nd as the Braves got on the board first. Clean-up hitter Michael Harris II led off the inning with a single to center that skipped off the heel of Colton Cowser’s glove, allowing the Braves’ CF to move to second. Mauricio Dubón then lifted a fly out to center that allowed Harris to move to third with one out. With the Orioles’ infield drawn in, Dominic Smith slashed a single past Christian Encarnacion-Strand at the hot corner, bringing home Harris and giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Baz would avoid any further damage in the 2nd after Austin Riley grounded into a double play, but you could tell early on that the 27-year-old wasn’t operating at the peak of his powers. The right-hander would work around another Baldwin single to post a scoreless 3rd, but through three innings he’d thrown 51 pitches and gone to a full count on five of the first 11 batters he faced.
That lack of command came back to bite Baltimore and Baz in the 4th. Olson led off the inning with a double off the right-field scoreboard after a Baz knuckle curve caught a little too much of the plate. Harris then won a seven-pitch battle with a productive groundout to first to move Olson to third. Dubón almost brought home Atlanta’s second run on a grounder to short, but Gunnar Henderson looked the runner back before firing to first for the second out.
That brought up Smith, who delivered yet again. The Braves DH lifted a fly ball to shallow left that, off the bat, looked very catchable. However, a false first step from Dylan Beavers forced him to attempt a sliding catch and the sinking fly ball bounced just under his glove for an RBI single. Baz would end the frame with a walk of Riley and a punch out of Mike Yastrzemski to leave the deficit at two runs.
After a 32-pitch 4th inning, Baz came back out for the 5th, sitting at 83 pitches. He’d get a quick ground out from Jim Jarvis, but after Baldwin reached again via walk, Craig Albernaz decided Baz’s afternoon was done. With a final line of 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB and 2 Ks, it was the first start of the 27-year-old’s time with the Orioles where he failed to complete at least 4.2 innings.
Early in the game, the Orioles consistently failed to capitalize on the few scoring opportunities they had against starter Reynaldo López and the Braves bullpen. In the first, Pete Alonso reached on a worm-burning single through the right side and moved to third on a bloop two-out single by Taylor Ward. That brought up the scorching-hot Encarnacion-Strand, who only managed to lift a weak fly ball to right to strand both runners.
An inning later, No. 9 hitter Chadwick Tromp came up with one out, Colton Cowser at second and Jackson Holliday at first. However, instead of keeping the rally going, Tromp rolled a ball to short for a rally-killing 6-4-3 double play.
Baltimore would have another opportunity to put runs on the board in the 4th, but again it went by the wayside. Taylor Ward led off the inning with a well-placed single to center for his second hit of the afternoon. CES and Cowser couldn’t do anything to advance the leadoff base runner, with Encarnacion-Strand again flying out to right and Cowser going down on strikes. Leody Taveras almost ended the inning with a strikeout, but strike three skipped past Baldwin and allowed Taveras to reach. Holliday immediately wasted the opportunity, though, popping to left on a first-pitch curveball.
Until the 9th inning rally, the only unit that could truly hold their heads high was the Orioles bullpen. Left-hander Josh Walker relieved Baz in the fifth against Albies and proceeded to shut down the Braves’ 2 through 7 hitters to keep the game within reach.
Anthony Nunez took over in the 7th and, despite issuing two walks, picked up two massive strikeouts to post another scoreless inning. Albert Suárez entered in the top of the 8th for his first appearance since July 8th. In both the 8th and 9th, Suárez worked around a one-out walk to keep the Braves at bay and set the stage for the Orioles’ comeback.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 26: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Austin Riley #27 after scoring in the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a game where (according to FanGraphs) the Atlanta Braves had a 7.4 percent chance of winning in the bottom of the tenth inning, Atlanta somehow ended up victorious after Austin Riley’s go-ahead RBI double in the 11th inning held up and brought us to the final score of 3-2.
Early on, this one was a pitchers’ duel, where runs were very difficult to come by and it was tough sledding for the hitters on both sides while the starters were out there. Fortunately, the Braves were able to scratch a couple of runs across the plate in the first few innings of this one while Reynaldo López and the defense were busy putting in work to keep Baltimore quiet.
The first run scored in this game was another reminder of just how important defense is in big league baseball and this time, it was the Braves who were the beneficiaries of a defensive gaffe. Michael Harirs II led off the second with a single that ended up turning into a trip to second base after Colton Cowser booted the ball while fielding the ball in the outfield. Mauricio Dubón moved Harris over to third with a flyout and then Dominic Smith shot one past Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third base for an RBI single that plated the first run of the game for Atlanta.
The lead stuck in the second inning after Reynaldo López was able to escape a mini-jam in the second inning by getting an inning-ending double play. Jim Jarvis fielded the grounder and helped to turn the double play, which was really nice to see as Walt Weiss’s faith in his rookie shortstop paid off with this particular defensive play.
Once the fourth inning rolled around, it was still 1-0 Braves and fortunately, they were able to add a tiny bit of breathing room during this frame. Matt Olson led off the fourth with a double and while the next two batters went down in order, Dominic Smith was once again in line to make a big moment happen. This time, Smith hit a shallow liner to left that Dylan Beavers nearly made a diving catch on. Beavers trapped it instead of making the catch and Olson was able to saunter home from third base to make it a 2-0 game.
For Reynaldo López, the two RBI singles from Dominic Smith ended up being plenty of run support as López was able to keep Baltimore quiet while he was out there. López finished his day with 5.2 innings pitched and just five hits and one walk allowed with six strikeouts as well. Most importantly, López didn’t give up any runs while he was out there as he kept the recently-potent Orioles lineup guessing and chasing instead of doing any type of real damage while he was out there. This was certainly a bounce-back effort for Reynaldo López following two rough starts in his most recent outings.
Once it was turned over to the bullpen, Dylan Dodd was able to get four outs by dusting off the bottom of the sixth inning and covering the seventh inning without incident. Dylan Lee got the ball for the eighth inning and there was an incident that he had to deal with, as he hung a slider to Pete Alonso and all anybody could do about that was watch it fly as Alonso crushed it into the seats in left field for a solo shot that made it a 2-1 game. Fortunately, that was the only blemish for Lee as he retired the next two batters in order and the Braves left the eighth inning with the one-run lead intact.
The Braves were unable to add on in their half of the ninth inning, so that meant that it was once again on Raisel Iglesias to finish off a game. This time he had zero room for error with the one-run lead and unfortunately, we ended up getting one of those Iglesias outings where the leadoff runner gets on and trouble awaits. Iggy walked CES to get the inning started and could’ve had at least another out after he got Leody Taveras to hit a grounder directly to Ozzie Albies. Somehow, Ozzie let the ball go right through his legs and that made it runners on the corners instead of two out.
Jackson Holliday then picked up a productive out (thanks to an impressive play from Ozzie, go figure) to plate the pinch-running Coby Mayo to tie the game at two runs apiece. While Iglesias was able to avoid any further trouble, it was certainly frustrating to see that sequence of events push this one into extra innings.
Once we got to extra innings, the tenth was a frustrating one as well but one that somehow saw the Braves escape with the game still tied. After Atlanta did nothing in their half of the tenth, the Braves found themselves in a bases-loaded, nobody out situation after Danny Young walked a trying-to-bunt Dylan Beavers and then they intentionally put Pete Alonso on.
Walt Weiss was forced to break out the five-infielder situation by bringing Mauricio Dubón onto the right side of the dirt but as it turned out, all he needed was Matt Olson at first base. Gunnar Henderson hit a liner that went right into Olson’s glove and then Olson scampered to first base to step on the bag and beat Pete Alonso by a hair for an astonishing double play. Tyler Kinley then entered the game for the final out and got Taylor Ward to pop out in shallow right to miraculously escape the tenth.
After Baltimore somehow wasted a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in extra innings, the baseball gods duly rewarded Atlanta as Austin Riley doubled home the pinch-running Jorge Mateo to put Atlanta back in front. The double was especially impressive as Riley legged it out and ended up at second thanks to the extra hustle. The Braves were unable to add on so it was once again time to hold on to a one-run lead for the win.
Kinley went back out there for the 11th inning and while Kinley was able to sit down the first two batters in order, he walked Leody Taveras. This prompted another gutsy managerial decision from Walt Weiss, who intentionally walked Jackson Holliday in order to force the O’s to use Sam Huff, who has a wRC+ of -11 across 13 games and 33 plate appearances so far this season. Weiss played the statistical matchup and it paid off, as Huff hit a ground ball to Austin Riley who fielded it cleanly and hurled it to Matt Olson at first base in order to finish off what turned out to be an astonishingly improbable victory for the Braves.
That’s now three series wins in a row for the Braves to start the second half of this season and this was the most dramatic one so far — and that’s including the stressful Padres series as well. The Braves have simply been finding ways to win lately and this was the wildest way that they’ve figured out to win recently (and probably all season). Atlanta will now travel to New York to face the Mets and the confidence oughta be sky-high as Atlanta gets on the plane following this wacky victory.
