Now that we are a month into NHL free agency, we should start to see UFAs sign professional tryout (PTO) agreements.
The Canadiens should not be against the idea of taking a look at a player or two on a PTO at training. When looking at the remaining UFA, one player who could make sense for Montreal to bring in a PTO is forward Reilly Smith.
Smith remains unsigned after recording 16 goals, 10 assists, and 26 points in 69 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Overall, it was a bit a down year for the veteran forward, but it is fair to wonder if he bounce back if given another opportunity.
Just back during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, Smith recorded 40 points in each campaign. He also recorded 26 goals and 56 points in 78 games with Vegas in 2022-23. With past numbers like these, the 15-year veteran could be worth taking a shot on with a PTO for the Canadiens.
If Smith impressed during training camp and earned a contract for the season, he could be a solid addition to the Canadiens' bottom six. While he may not be the same top-six forward he was during his prime, it would not hurt for the Habs to add a veteran forward who can still provide decent secondary scoring to their depth. This is especially so when noting that Smith has won the Stanley Cup in the past.
Daley resigns after leading NSW to famous 2026 series victory
Coach finishes with two series wins from six during two stints
Laurie Daley has ended months of speculation by officially quitting his role as NSW State of Origin coach.
The NSWRL on Monday paid tribute to “true blue” Daley while announcing he would be stepping down after NSW successfully won back the shield from Queensland following a turbulent 2026 campaign.
Faced with replacing two All-Star outfielders and former MVPs, the New York Yankees got smart in backfilling the production missing when Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger succumbed to injuries.
Garcia, 26, is having a breakout season perhaps beyond what the Nationals believed was possible, belting 23 home runs and posting an .873 OPS in 104 games. He’ll immediately pump life into a Yankees offense missing three-time MVP Judge, who remains out with a rib injury, and Bellinger, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.
In return, the Nationals receive four right-handed pitchers, two – relievers Jake Bird and Yovanny Cruz – with major league experience. It’s their second trade made with the intention of curing the massive imbalance between their league-leading offense and nearly league-worst pitching staff, a process that began with the swap of Curtis Mead to Boston for lefty Connelly Early.
Here’s the early grades on the Nationals-Yankees swap:
Luis Garcia Jr. trade details
Yankees receive: Nationals infielder/DH Luis Garcia Jr.
Nationals receive: RHP Jake Bird, RHP Ben Grable, RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jack Cebert
Yankees trade grade: A-
Talk about instant impact: Garcia has been fantastic this season, already establishing a career high with 23 home runs and ranking in the 93 RD percentile for expected slugging. He and All-Star Ben Rice can immediately occupy the first base and DH spots, lengthening a Yankee lineup that’s been held to three runs or less in 12 of their last 16 games.
While many remember Garcia as a second baseman – he played 125 games there a year ago – he’s been strictly a first baseman and DH this year, slugging enough from that spot to produce a career-best 2.3 WAR. Garcia was worth minus-7 outs above average at second in 2025. Unless they’re willing to get creative, Garcia doesn’t solve the Yankees’ production outage at the opposite corner, where Ryan McMahon is batting .207 with an adjusted OPS of 75.
Yet. it gives them significant options both game-to-game and inning-to-inning, with lefties Garcia, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Rice lurking against right-handers. Veteran Paul Goldschmidt can now return to simply crushing left-handed pitching, and should Giancarlo Stanton return, the Bombers will have significant maneuverability late in games.
Garcia is earning $6.9 million this season and has one more year of salary arbitration before hitting the market.
Nationals trade grade: B
There has to be a more moderate reaction to upgrade a terrible pitching staff than “trade away both corner infielders.” Yet, that’s the route the Nationals have chosen, and it’s not too hard to blame them.
Losing Garcia and Mead will be tough and signals a strong look to the future after the club bubbled over .500 this year and drew within a game of a playoff spot before a five-game losing streak, that included a four-game sweep at Atlanta, preceded this deal. Minus those two, youngsters Brady House and Albimelic Ortiz figure to get much of the playing time at the corners.
We will see how far the Nationals go in their sale, with All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams the most notable figure whose future is in doubt. While the Nationals’ playoff chances were tenuous, they have compromised what could have been a tremendous 2027 lineup as well, with Garcia, Abrams and James Wood running it back in the middle of the order.
Now, that possibility is gone, and Abrams’ future will be in flux until the deadline arrives at 6 p.m. ET Monday, Aug. 3.
Still, it’s hard to argue with pitching tonnage, including a pair of arms – Bird and Cruz – who can help the bullpen immediately. Bird enjoyed more success with Colorado in 2025, striking out 62 in 53 innings with a 4.73 ERA, yet had a 7.24 ERA in 27 games across two seasons with New York. He’s largely a slider-sinker guy, able to get swings and misses in the zone with both pitches when he’s going well.
Cruz, 26, made his major league debut in May and has pitched in four big league games. He originally signed with the Cubs in 2017 out of the Dominican Republic before joining the Padres, Red Sox and Yankees as a minor league free agent in recent years. He’s worked exclusively as a reliever since 2022, and relies on a 100-mph fastball, slider and splitter. Control is his bugaboo, posting 6.7 walks per nine innings as recently as 2025 in Class AA with Boston.
Grable, 24, was the Yankees’ 11th-round pick in 2025 out of Indiana University; he’s currently ranked their No. 25 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He’s shown well in his first full pro season, posting a 2.45 ERA and striking out 56 in 36⅔ innings, almost all of it at Class AA. He’ll likely land among the Nationals’ top 15 prospects.
Cebert, 24, was drafted four rounds after Grable a year ago out of Texas Tech and has been on virtually the same path as Grable, spending almost all his season at Class AA Somerset. While similar precision hasn’t been there – he’s toting a 4.90 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 13 outings at Class AA – the punch is, with 79 strikeouts in 64⅓ innings.
Immediately triaging their porous bullpen and taking a shot at two starters who conceivably could impact the club sometime in 2027 rates as a fairly solid day of work for new club president Paul Toboni. Whether the Nationals minus Garcia can come close to retaining their machinelike offense – their 607 runs scored are 29 more than any other club – bears watching.
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 2: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies is dunked with ice water by teammates Cole Carrigg #16 and Edouard Julien #6 as he gives a postgame interview to analyst Ryan Spilborghs after a complete game win against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field on August 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was one of the hottest first pitches on record in Coors Field history as the Colorado Rockies took to the field looking for their first sweep of the second half against the Kansas City Royals. The Rockies rode a six-run sixth inning in tandem with a vintage Kyle Freeland start in order to cement an 8-1 victory and bust out the brooms.
Today we’re all Kyle Freeland Guys, Gals, and Pals.
It may have been over 100 degrees on the mound at Coors Field this afternoon, but Denver native, Thomas Jefferson High School graduate, and ten-year MLB veteran Kyle Freeland was as cool as ice.
On 115 pitches, Freeland not only threw his best start of the season by allowing just one earned run on five hits and two talks while striking out eight batters, he also pitched the first complete game of his career.
“Oh man. It’s been a long time, huh?” said Freeland after getting the final out before a well-deserved cooler bath.
Freeland struck out Royals leadoff hitter and designated hitter Carter Jensen to open the game and set the tone. The only time he found himself in real trouble was in the second inning when the Royals scored their only run of the game. Freeland gave up a walk and two singles to let Kansas City on the board. In the third inning with one out he gave up a double to slugger Jac Caglianone.
Then, Freeland locked in.
Following that double, Freeland set down a career-high 18 Royals in order. He was efficient. He was deliberate. He commanded both the ball and the strike zone. Freeland ended up striking out eight total batters–tied for his second-most this season–with six of those strikeouts coming on his excellent knuckle curveball.
“Right from the jump, he didn’t miss,” said catcher Brett Sullivan after the game.
In the top of the eighth inning, as Freeland’s pitch count rose, reliever Zach Agnos was up and warming in the bullpen. Then, quietly, the bullpen was empty.
“The conversation with Schaeff between innings was ‘Are you good? Do you want it?’ and the answer was an immediate yes.”
Manager Warren Schaeffer confirmed in his post-game interview that he planned to keep Freeland in the game.
“I was going to do everything I could to let him finish that game,” Schaeffer said.
Freeland came back out for the ninth and quickly got Caglianone out again, but then his streak of setting down batters ended when future Hall of Famer Salvador Perez doubled to right field. Freeland then appeared to have struck out veteran outfielder Starling Marte, but the third strike was overturned on ABS review. Marte then singled on a grounder to left. With runners on the corners and no outs, Agnos began warming up again. However, Freeland induced two quick flyouts to earn his first career complete game on his 251st career start.
Grinning ear-to-ear in his post game interview on the field with Ryan Spilborghs, Freeland was asked if he had a message for the Rockies faithful.
“I love you guys,” he said. “All ten years. I love you guys.”
After the game, skipper Warren Schaeffer was asked about Freeland’s role and leadership on this Rockies squad.
“It’s–I think–inherent for him since he’s been here for such a long time,” Schaeffer explained. “He’s been such an enormous presence in the clubhouse in the Rockies’ winning days, and then through this lull we’ve had in the past however many years, he’s been a constant leader in the clubhouse. Through thick and thin, which is the test of a real leader. Can you lead in distress? And he has. He’s meant the world to me as a first time manager. He’s been fantastic and I’m so happy for him today.”
Jake the Snake strikes hard in collaborative offensive effort.
With the weather as hot and dry as it was today in Denver, the ball wasn’t really rocketing out of the stadium like one would expect. The Rockies’ offense started fairly slow. Mickey Moniak drew a walk in the first inning and was driven home by a Cole Carrigg double. In the fourth inning, Edouard Julien drew his second of three walks in the game. Julien moved to third on a Brett Sullivan double and was then plated by an Ezequiel Tovar sacrifice fly.
Then the Rockies blew the Royals’ doors off in the sixth inning.
Back-to-back singles by Troy Johnston and Willi Castro, followed by another Julien base on balls, loaded up the bases with no outs for Brett Sullivan. Sullivan laced a double over the head of right fielder Jac Caglianone to score two runs and put the Rockies up 4-1.
After Tovar grounded out in what ended up being a hitless game for the beleaguered shortstop, off-season acquisition and potential trade name for tomorrow’s deadline Jake McCarthy came to the plate. In what was his only hit of the day, McCarthy sent the ball over the right field wall for three more runs.
Carrigg singled–his third of the day after going hitless with three walks last night–to keep the inning going and was driven home with an authoritative TJ Rumfield double.
Tomorrow at 4:00 PM MDT is the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, with a potentially very different-looking Rockies roster ready to play later that evening. The Rockies will start a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Right-handed veteran Michael Lorenzen is currently scheduled to start against Rays lefty Ian Seymour. First pitch is slated for 6:40 PM MDT.
William Eklund hasn't played a game for the Senators yet, but one of his highlights from last season is still getting some attention.
Based on fan voting, the NHL just named Eklund's spectacular goal against the Boston Bruins as its goal of the year.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Travis Green's comments last week on Brady Tkachuk.
Playing for the San Jose Sharks at TD Garden, Eklund drove toward the Boston net, worked his way around Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke and got an initial shot on Jeremy Swayman.
Swayman made the save, but as Eklund was falling to the ice, he somehow located the rebound, and while pausing, in mid-air, mind you, he batted the puck past the Bruins goaltender.
The Senators were well represented in the voting, as Andre Burakovsky and Tim Stutzle also had goals that made the final six.
Burakovsky had a slick between-the-legs goal , the kind that Brady Tkachuk was always trying (and failing) to pull off. Stutzle had that memorable solo effort, splitting the Carolina defense, then making a sensational move at the net.
But according to the fans, Eklund's snipe was a cut above. For those who haven't seen it yet, it's worth a look.
The combination of puck skill, hand-eye coordination and body control immediately made it one of the season's most memorable goals.
Now it's been voted as the very best goal.
It came at 8:20 of the third period and helped San Jose to a 4-2 victory that night. Eklund also added an assist and was named the game's second star.
The goal was even more notable from an individual standpoint because it snapped a lengthy personal drought for Eklund. It was his only goal during a 30-game stretch. He'd gone 19 games without a goal and went scoreless for 10 more after this.
But by the end of the season, Eklund had put together another productive year, finishing with 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games.
Now he'll try to produce some new highlights in Ottawa.
The Senators certainly aren't expecting him to replace everything Tkachuk provided. He won't battle physically the way Tkachuk did, but he defends better and brings superior speed.
And, as the NHL Goal of the Year voters can attest, he's got some moments of serious creativity.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:
Jul 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) celebrates a win with shortstop Andruw Monasterio (32) after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-4 at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Happy Sunday, Red Sox nation. Can you believe we get to watch Red Sox baseball? They’re the hottest team in baseball right now and going for a sweep of the villains of the league, the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s Jake Bennett vs Emmett Sheehan, in what will hopefully be a great showcase of what the Red Sox are doing to a national audience.
That brings me to my next point, which is: what the Red Sox have done over the last month or so is what we should be talking about. The trade deadline is coming up, there are moves to be made, and speculating about them is fun, so go right ahead on that front. What I don’t care about is the upcoming CBA negotiations and how the Tarik Skubal trade affects that. That’s not for another 3 months. Talking about labor stoppages and economics is boring. Talking about a baseball team going on an insane hot streak is fun. Sports are fun! Don’t lose sight of that. Watch a rookie starting pitcher throw to a lineup full of all-stars and enjoy it. Watch Ceddanne Rafaela go nuclear at the plate and make diving catches in the field without worrying about if there’s a salary cap coming. We’re playing great baseball right now, and that’s what’s important.
Sorry for being preachy; I spent too much time reading Twitter this morning, and I think we’re all losing the plot a bit.
7:20 pm on NBC and Peacock and probably the radio too.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 21: Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch in the fourth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 21, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A lot of attention will be paid on Monday to the Major League Baseball trade deadline, with comes at 3 p.m. PT. But the Dodgers also have a game on Monday, opening a road trip against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
It’s a battle of southpaws in the opener, with Justin Wrobleski going for the Dodgers and Matthew Boyd on the mound for the home team.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 02: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros hits a two-RBI double in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on August 02, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nobody gets off the mat like the Houston Astros.
On July 19, the Astros looked to be dead in the water. Swept at home by the Baltimore Orioles, losers of 7 of 9 and 7 games under .500, it looked the magic had finally run out on Houston.
Wrong.
Picking themselves up by the bootstraps yet again, the now first-place Houston Astros (58-55) continue to score runs late and took down the Texas Rangers (55-57) 7-3 at Daikin Park, completing the 3-game sweep and winning the season series 9-4 and winning the Silver Boot for the 10th consecutive season.
Houston has now won 6 straight and 11 of their last 12 games.
The Astros got on the board first this afternoon in the bottom of the third when Jose Altuve hit a comebacker off the foot of Rangers starter Kumar Rocker. Rocker looked like he hackey-sacked the ball off his foot. Yordan Alvarez would score on the play and give Houston a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 4th, Jeremy Pena drilled his 13th HR of the season, a 2-run shot to left that drove in Cam Smith to give the Astros a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the 5th, the Rangers would get within a run. Evan Carter would single to right to drive in Brandon Nimmo, although Carter would be cut down by Christian Vazquez trying to advance to 2nd after the throw home. That would prove to be a big out as the next batter, Ezequiel Duran, singled to left to score Jake Burger. Carter could have potentially scored the tying run on that play if he had safely reached 2nd the play before. The score would be 3-2 Astros as the top of the 5th ended.
Peter Lambert again gave the Astros a solid performance. He went 5.2 IP allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. Lambert threw 46 of his 83 pitches for strikes, including 16 swings and misses.
In the top of the 7th, the Rangers would tie the game at 3 when Brandon Nimmo led off the inning by hitting his 11th HR of the season off Astros reliever Steven Okert.
After the HR, Okert allowed a single by Jake Burger, who was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Evan Carter. Joe Espada made the call to go to Bryan Abreu (W, 3-3) to slam the door with a runner on 2nd and 1 out.
Abreu would strike out 2 of the next 3 batters to end the inning with no further damage. The final out was a called third strike on pinch hitter Nicky Lopez on a pitch that appeared to be slightly low, but the Rangers were out of ABS challenges. Furious over the strikeout call, both Rangers manager Skip Schumaker and hitting coach Justin Viele got ejected for arguing the called third strike.
In the bottom of the 7th, the Astros would respond, and take control of the game.
Christian Walker led off the bottom of the 7th with his 22nd double of the season off Rangers reliever Tyler Alexander, who had just entered the game. Taylor Trammell (1×2, 2BB, HBP, phenomenal catch in deep CF) followed with a walk. After Jose Altuve bounced into a fielder’s choice that forced Walker at 3rd, Cole Winn would replace Alexander on the mound for Texas.
Cam Smith greeted Winn with an RBI single to score Trammell to give the Astros a 4-3 lead. After a walk to Nick Allen, LaMonte Wade Jr. would pinch-hit for Christian Vazquez and deliver an RBI single to drive in Altuve and increase the lead to 5-3. Following a Jeremy Pena strikeout, it was Yordan time.
The front-running MVP candidate laced a 2-run double to right, scoring Smith and Allen. Alvarez’ 24th double of the season gave the Astros a 7-3 lead. Alvarez finished the game 4×5 with a run and 2 RBI. He is now batting .330 and has a 1.092 OPS. He leads the majors with 35 HR and leads the AL with 84 RBI.
Bryan King (0.2 IP, H, K) would start the top of the 8th before eventually giving way to AJ Blubaugh (S,1). Blubaugh pitched the final 1.1 innings without allowing a baserunner and struck out 1 for his first career save.
The Astros are 3 games over .500 for the first time since April 4, when they were 6-3. It matches their high water mark for the season.
The Astros lead the AL West by 2.5 games.
Tomorrow, Houston begins a 3-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Probable Starters:
Monday: Cristian Javier (1-1, 7.17) vs. Shane Bieber (2-2, 5.74) Tuesday: Hayden Wesneski (1-0, 4.76) vs. Trey Yesavage (5-5, 3.73) Wednesday: Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.42) vs. Dylan Cease (7-5, 2.41)
Australia end Games with 171 medals all up, including 70 gold
Cycling squad contributes 10 gold medals and 28 in total
Australia’s track cyclists have transformed pure pain, near-retirement and woefully-timed ill health into a dominating Commonwealth Games campaign.
Georgia Baker’s history-equalling exploits earned her the honour of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony. She was stunned when team chef de mission Petria Thomas broke the news to her in the middle of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, moments after finishing runner-up to teammate Alyssa Polites in the women’s elimination race.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 02: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Sunday, August 2, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Gavin Williams took the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks, looking to continue his dominate season. The forecast called for heavy rain, off and on, throughout the game which proved to be the case. As the rain came and went, it ultimately poured during the sixth resulting the game being put into delay and the tarp being pulled. Not before making a complete mess of the infield and warning track.
Gavin Williams had an absolutely stunning performance. The Guardians ace was perfect going into the sixth. Tim Tawa showed bunt on the first pitch in the sixth which drew umbrage from Patrick Bailey and an annoyed shrug from Brayan Rocchio.
The bunt was unsuccessful and Tawa hit a swinging single to break up the perfect game and the no hitter. Ildemaro Vargas grounded into a force out and advanced to second on a throwing error by Rocchio. Gavin got a strikeout for the second out. Corbin Carroll drew a walk on a wild pitch that advanced Vargas to third. At this point the game delay was officially called and the tarp was rolled out. However, as the grounds crew was trying to cover the infield, the benches cleared at home plate. Third base coach Rouglas Odor was clearly incensed and it took Augie, another coach, and Perdomo from the Diamondbacks to get Odor to even start walking towards the dugout. After the grounds crew plead their case for the crowd to disperse, it did seem like cooler heads prevailed as the game entered a lengthy delay.
With the delay, Gavin’s day ended earlier than planned. Gavin went 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed one hit and one walk, both in the sixth inning, and struck out 10 batters. Gavin joined Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale as the only pitchers in MLB history to go five consecutive games of 10 or more strikeouts and 1 or fewer walks per outing according to Tom Hamilton.
Gavin Williams goes 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 10 K on 89 pitches before rain delay ended his day
He has 55 strikeouts over his past five starts. That's the most by a Cleveland pitcher over a five-start stretch since Shane Bieber (56) in April 2021
Before the delay hit, the Guards offense was on a roll. Patrick Bailey started the scoring with a lead off solo home run in the bottom of the third.
Petey Halpin followed up Patty’s HR with a single that fell in right and then reached second on a successful stolen base attempt. Steven Kwan drew a walk as the rain first started falling on the players. With one out and runners on first and second, Chase DeLauter hit a RBI single to center.
In the bottom of the fifth Steven Kwan drew a lead off walk. José Ramírez hit a single to right. Chase DeLauter knocked in his third RBI on the game with a two-RBI double to right scoring Kwan and José.
Travis Bazzana drew a walk, still no outs in the inning. Then Bazz and CDL executed a successful double steal with the ball getting away from the third baseman.
Kyle Manzardo made the effort worth it with a RBI single to score CDL.
Playing resumed at 4:50PM with Hunter Gaddis on the mound, runners on the corners, and two outs. Gaddis allowed a walk before retiring the side. Craig Yoho made his Guardians debut after being traded from the Brewers yesterday morning. Yoho got two quick outs, but hit Nolan Arenado to walk a batter. Tim Tawa struck out swinging to retire the side.
Matt Festa was brought on in the top of the eighth with Angel Martínez replacing CDL in right. Festa got two outs, but gave up a walk and a single. With tomorrow being an off day, Vogt pulled Festa for Cade Smith to get the final out. Cade came on in the ninth to close it out. He got the first out then walked the next two. A fielding error by Rocchio allowed Tim Tawa to load them up on a fielder’s choice. Cade struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning and a ground out to first retired the side. The Guardians completed a two hit shutout across five pitchers to seal the Sunday victory.
With this win the Guardians are back above .500 heading into the off day before the New York Mets roll into town.
Aug 2, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) congratulates Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryan De La Cruz (41) for hitting a two run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What started as an overcast afternoon ended as a rain-soaked disaster, as the Orioles dropped their rubber match to the Phillies with an 8-0 loss in six innings.
Starter Kyle Bradish looked sharp to begin the game but showed clear adverse effects from the worsening weather. Bradish breezed through the Phillies in the 1st on 10 pitches, punctuating the frame by striking out Kyle Schwarber on a fastball and fanning Bryce Harper on a dive bomb curveball.
The 29-year-old right-hander worked another 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd, but it didn’t inspire the same levels of confidence. After a weak fly out by Alec Bohm to start the inning, Bradish gave up louder fly balls to Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto, but both died in front of the outfield walls and found their way into Oriole gloves.
As a drizzle turned into a downpour in the 3rd, Bradish was the one most affected by the increasingly damp conditions at Camden Yards. Bryson Stott led off the inning with a lineout to center on a sinker that caught a bit too much of the outer half of the plate. The Orioles’ starter was clearly struggling to throw his best pitches as thick raindrops dotted the field, and it showed as he left another sinker over the plate to Justin Crawford, who doubled into the left field corner. It only got worse against No.9 hitter Bryan De La Cruz, as a Bradish curveball hung over the plate and the Phillies OF blasted it over the CF fence to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.
Bradish would get the final two outs of the inning by picking off Trea Turner and getting another strikeout of Harper. That’d be all we’d see from Bradish Sunday, as the skies continued to open up, sending the game into a two-hour rain delay.
Things went from bad to worse when the O’s finally returned from the rain delay. The much-delayed bottom of the 3rd saw Baltimore waste their best scoring of the afternoon. After a Jake Rogers one-out walk, Dylan Beavers singled off lefty reliever Kyle Backhaus to give Baltimore its first runner in scoring position. The runner moved up to second and third after Backhaus threw a pitch behind Pete Alonso, giving the Polar Bear a chance to tie the game with a hit.
Instead, Alonso tried to inside-out a sinker into right field, only for it to end up in Harper’s glove at first. Gunnar Henderson then sent a 2-1 sweeper for a ride to right, only for the fly ball to land safely in De La Cruz’s glove.
Anthony Nunez would take over for Bradish in the 4th, and despite the briefly drier conditions, Nunez also struggled with his control. He gave up a back-to-back singles to Bohm and Marsh before walking Realmuto to load the bases. A second consecutive walk forced across the Phillies’ third run, before Crawford poked a ball to second base for an RBI groundout.
Trailing 4-0, Josh Walker took over in the 5th and made one mistake to perennial All-Star Harper. After getting ahead 1-2, Walker tried to double up on his slider, but left the breaking ball over the plate and allowed Harper to launch a solo shot to right-center.
With the rain once again falling thick and fast, Albert Suárez took over in the 6th. The long reliever tried to battle the elements and loss, as the Phillies piled on three more runs. Realmuto led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a Bryson Stott walk. Crawford then singled to load the bases in front of De La Cruz, who picked up his third RBI with a sac fly to center.
All-Stars Turner and Schwarber would put the final nails in the Orioles’ coffin. Turner reached on an infield single to short to move Crawford to third before Schwarber lifted another sac fly to left to put Philly up 8-0. Suárez would get Bohm to ground out to finally end the inning, and it was the last baseball we’d see Sunday. The grounds crew would bring out the tarp before the bottom of the 6th started and MLB would call the game half an hour late.
The loss combined with Cleveland’s win Sunday dropped the Orioles to 2.5 games behind the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. The Mariners, Rangers and Twins all sit ahead of the O’s heading into Monday’s trade deadline, with only Texas scheduled to play tomorrow. Mike Elias and the front office now have just under 24-hours to figure out if the Orioles will be buyers or sellers at the deadline.
The San Francisco Giants are a team to watch over the next 24 hours to see which of their players they will send off before the trade deadline approaches.
The MLB trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) on Aug. 3, so teams are scrambling to make calls and solidify deals that can improve their roster – whether on the field or in the payroll department.
With their 47-64 record, the Giants are strongly believed to be sellers at the deadline. However, the players they consider to be up for grabs haave changed over the weeks leading up to the target date.
Here's the latest updates on the Giants trade rumor mill and what's being said about each player:
Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee is a fan favorite. It would be hard on the thousands of "Hoo Lee Gan" fanatics that wear his No. 51 jersey faithfully to games. Imagine no longer hearing fans chant "Jung Hoo Lee" whenever the outfielder is up to bat.
The good thing for Giants fans is that they don't have to imagine Lee leaving for another team. USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reports that the Giants "plan to keep" the popular outfielder.
"The Houston Astros jumped into the sweepstakes for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, but realistically, would be quite pleased to acquire Robbie Ray of the San Francisco Giants," Nightengale writes.
It's widely believed that Ray made his final start for the Giants during a 4-1 win against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, July 30. Ray put up six strikeouts, in six innings pitched. He only gave up four hits, a walk and a run.
Luis Arraez
The Giants might not be having a top-tier season, but Luis Arraez is at the plate. Arraez is on pace for his fourth batting champion award, as he currently leads the MLB with a .328 average, currently tired with Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez.
That kind of stat has increased Arraez's trade stock and has teams wondering about his availability. But there appears to be a potential suitor. The Tampa Bay Rays are the heavy favorite to acquire three-time batting champion Arraez from the Giants, according to Nightengale.
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers has had it rough in San Francisco seemingly since he arrived. He was injured a few weeks after he was traded in 2025. No one batted an eye. He was supposed to be this big-time slugger that the Giants depended on.
He had highs, but it seemed like more lows in 2026. His name was rumored to be one that the Giants traded. It hasn't happened up to this point but it could by Monday afternoon, evening.
Heliot Ramos could be on the move out of San Francisco. His one-year, $810,000 contract is one that many teams could take on without financial implication. Also, he's having a year that's not too shabby.
Through 73 games, Ramos has put together a .262 batting average with 9 home runs, 34 RBI and 75 hits.
Tyler Mahle was acquired in the offseason on a one-year deal in an attempt to bolster the Giants bullpen, but that's not how things worked out. Mahle hasn't put together the statline that fans had hoped from him.
The 31-year-old pitcher has a 3-9 reocrd with a 5.13 earned run average, 89 strikeouts and a 1.39 WHIP. His expiring contract makes him an asset in trade talks. He's currently linked to the Chicago Cubs.
Logan Webb
Logan Webb is the Giants' ace and arguably best pitcher. It would not make any sense for them to part way with Webb. And they won't.
Webb will remain in San Francisco.
Still, he expressed the difficulty of watching teammates and friends such as Ray, Arraez, Mahle and Ramos possibly being dealt in trades.
San Francisco is reportedly not happy with Bader's actions and are looking for ways to not pay him the $1.45 million left in his salary this year, according to Nightengale.
"The San Francisco Giants were infuriated at the news that outfielder Harrison Bader crashed his scooter into a fire truck in the wee hours in San Francisco, with his foot being crushed and ending his season," Nightengale writes.
Bader is owed $10 million next season, but San Francisco may want to void that contract. Although Bader is expected to file a grievance, that doesn't mean the Giants aren't examining ways to get rid of him.
They refuse to pay the remaining sum this season and would love to void the $10 million he is owed in 2027, too. The best advice is for Bader to put the scooter down, and anything else in the way of his money.
Aug 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) catches a ball at second base for a force out against Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Brewers started their west coast road trip by being shut out by the Giants, 3-0. They ended the road trip with the same result — shut out 3-0, this time by the Angels. Jacob Misiorowski was his usual dominant self, but one mistake hurt his day. Meanwhile, Walbert Ureña kept the Brewers in check and bolstered his strong rookie season.
Both pitchers started out dealing. Ureña started his day by striking out the Brewers in order on 10 pitches. Misiorowski responded by striking out the side as well, also on 10 pitches. It was an early show of what we would see for most of the day.
In the second, Ureña issued a leadoff walk to William Contreras, but nothing else in a scoreless second. As for Misiorowski, he had his one bad inning of the day. Vaughn Grissom led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Wade Meckler hit a cutter out to right center for a two-run home run. It was the second straight cutter that hMisorowski threw in the same spot. He recovered and retired the next two batters, but the Angels had a 2-0 lead.
In the third, the Brewers had one of there best chances to score, but also partially ran their way out of it. David Hamilton drew a one-out walk, then immediately tried to steal second. While he had a good jump, catcher Tyler Heineman’s throw was perfectly located to shortstop Zack Neto, who was able to catch and swipe tag Hamilton on the leg for the out.
That would end up being a major out for the Angels. The Brewers got two more baserunners from a Brice Turang singled and Jackson Chourio walk, but Garrett Mitchell grounded out to end the inning.
After giving up that run in the second inning, Misiorowski settled in and became his usual dominant self. He did not allow another baserunner until the seventh inning, when he walked Jo Adell with two outs. He finished that inning and that was the end of his day. He pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out 10 in the game and needed just 83 pitches to do it. It was his tenth double-digit strikeout game of the season, which is a team record.
Jacob Misiorowski's 10th strikeout of the afternoon gives him 10 double-digit strikeout games in 21 starts this season — already a single-season franchise record.
On the other side, Ureña bent a little more, but did not break in his start. He allowed a single to Cooper Pratt in the fifth, then another single to Chourio in the sixth. That was it for Ureña. He finished the day with six scoreless innings pitched, three hits and three walks allowed with seven strikeouts.
After Ureña left the game, Jake Bauers drew a leadoff walk off of Luke Murphy in the seventh. After Andrew Vaughn had a hard hit lineout that went right to Denzer Guzman at third, Bauers was caught off of first base. Luis Lara flew out to end the inning.
Sam Bachman came in to start the eighth inning for the Angels. After Pratt grounded out to start the inning, Hamilton drew a four-pitch walk. Then, on the first pitch to Turang, a passed ball let Hamilton reach second. At the same time, Bachman called for the trainers with an arm issue. He was pulled from the game for Ryan Zeferjahn. He finished up a strikeout of Turang, then Chourio singled to put runners at the corners. Mitchell had a chance to get the Brewers on the board and maybe tie or take the lead, but struck out to end the inning.
DL Hall came in to pitch the eighth inning, making his first appearance since returning from the IL. It was not a sharp return for him. He started the inning by walking Guzman, but responded with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Jose Siri. Heineman then grounded out but moved Guzman up to second. After that, a wild pitch from Hall let Guzman reach third, and Neto singled to bring in Guzman and make it a 3-0 game. Hall allowed another single to Mike Trout after that, but Nolan Schanuel grounded out to end the inning.
Zeferjahn came back out to finish the game in the ninth. Bauers hit a one-out single to keep some hope going, but strikeouts of Vaughn and Lara (who was victim of a bad strike three call but had no challenges left) ended the game.
The Brewers had their chances, as they had 10 baserunners (five hits, five walks) compared to the Angels’ six (four hits, two walks). Unfortunately, the Brewers did not take advantage of their scoring chances. Two baserunners were erased (one caught stealing, one pickoff) and a double play ended another potential scoring chance. As a team, they went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.
Chourio led the offense with a 2-for-3 day and one walk. Jake Bauers had a hit and a walk as well. Turang and Pratt had the other two hits for the offense, and Hamilton was hitless but walked twice.
It’s back to American Family Field now for a seven-game homestand, opening tomorrow against the Pirates. Before that game begins, the MLB trade deadline will pass at 5 p.m. tomorrow, just under 24 hours from this writing. The Brewers will be active on the market and could have a new addition or two by then.
All four of the Cubs’ challenges were successful, including one in the first inning.
They could have had five successful challenges and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Situation: Bases loaded, two out, Nico Hoerner at the plate. The count is 3-0 and Yankees reliever Brent Headrick has had trouble throwing strikes. One more ball and the game is tied.
Nico did not challenge pitch four:
As you can see, that pitch wasn’t close. It would have forced in a run and tied the game and then maybe we’re talking about a different result. And as you can see here, Nico made an out on the next pitch (a fly to left) to end the inning.
That wasn’t the only reason the Cubs lost this game, but…
Anyway, let’s go back to the beginning. Colin Rea struck out the first five Yankees he faced and got the sixth on a ground out. Then in the third, Ryan McMahon singled and José Caballero put a ball into the left-field bleachers and the Yankees led 2-0.
That homer was Rea’s only mistake, really — otherwise he was just outstanding. He allowed just three other baserunners — a walk right after the homer, the leadoff hitter reaching in the fourth on a rare error by Nico, and a leadoff single in the seventh, after which Rea was relieved by Ryan Rolison.
And even more on Rea’s afternoon from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was the Cubs’ fifth quality start in their last six games, following Rea and Matthew Boyd at St. Louis, on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Shōta Imanaga and David Peterson vs. the Yankees on Friday and Saturday.
It was the Cubs’ 37th QS and Rea’s sixth, moving him up to second behind Imanaga’s 10. Boyd has five; Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon, four; Ben Brown, three; Javier Assad ad Peterson, two; and Cade Horton, one.
The Cubs couldn’t do much with Gerrit Cole early, either. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the first with a walk, which he got on a challenged strike three, overturned to ball four [VIDEO].
But Alex Bregman then hit into a double play and Ian Happ grounded out, and that ended that potential rally.
The Cubs had another rally in the bottom of the sixth, noted above. PCA walked and Suzuki singled, with PCA stopping at second. Two outs later Happ walked to load the bases, and then there was the Nico Hoerner at-bat already mentioned.
Rolison threw 1.2 innings without allowing a run and Aaron Civale finished off the eighth without giving the Yankees anything further. The Cubs had another chance to score in the bottom of the eighth. PCA walked again, his third of the game. Suzuki was calld out on strikes, but Busch walked, putting the potential tying run on second base. Bregman flied to center and PCA took third. At that point Craig Counsell sent Justin Dean in to run for Busch, and everyone in the ballpark knew he was going to try to steal second, which he wound up doing successfully.
With the tying run at third and lead run at second, Happ flied out to end the inning.
Civale threw a scoreless ninth, and so the Cubs had one last chance against Yankees closer David Bednar, who some past Cubs teams hit pretty well in his days with the Pirates.
With one out, Pedro Ramirez walked and stole second, again putting the tying run in scoring position. But Dansby Swanson grounded out, leaving it to pinch-hitter Michael Conforto.
Conforto’s had some heroics this year, but not on this day, as he was called out on strikes to end the game.
The Yankees aren’t a good hitting team without Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, but they still have some good hitters, including Ben Rice and Spencer Jones, and the Cubs held them to six runs in the three games, two in each. But the Cubs offense wasn’t enough to win on Friday or Sunday, and so they drop two of three.
The Phillies defeated the Orioles Sunday, and they are in the third wild card spot, 4.5 games behind the Cubs. The Diamondbacks lost to the Guardians and are in the second wild card spot, 3.5 games back of the Cubs. For whatever it’s worth, the Angels defeated the Brewers and Jacob Misiorowski Sunday, so the Cubs remain 6.5 games behind Milwaukee.
It won’t get any easier starting Monday, as the Dodgers come to Wrigley Field for a three-game series. At this writing the Dodgers do not have a starter listed for Monday’s series opener, though it is likely going to be Justin Wrobleski. Matthew Boyd will go for the Cubs. Game time Monday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
And Tarik Skubal, just acquired by the Dodgers, is listed as their starter Tuesday night against Javier Assad. Should be fun times.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 30: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals reacts after hitting a double in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Paul Toboni traded Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees, and it is very clear what he was looking for in the package. The Nats got four right handed pitchers in Jack Cebert, Yovanny Cruz, Ben Grable and Jake Bird. Three of the four arms are relievers, who are either already big league ready or will be next year.
The Nationals return, per source: RHP Ben Grable, RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jack Cebert, RHP Jake Bird
Instead of finding high upside fliers, or even helping the farm system, this trade was about helping the 2027 and 2028 pitching staffs. It is a very interesting trade to wrap your head around because it is not the kind of move you see too often. Usually, you do not see deals this heavily based around minor league relief arms. However, with the Nationals organizational needs, the move makes sense.
First, I want to talk a little bit about what the Yankees are getting here. As we all know, Luis Garcia Jr. is having a monster year. He leads all NL hitters in slugging percentage and has 23 homers with an .873 OPS. Garcia chases a lot, but he makes a lot of contact, and more importantly a lot of hard contact.
He should be in a first base or DH platoon of some sorts. Garcia, Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt will rotate between the DH and 1B spots. It is not the cleanest fit for the Yankees, but they needed all the offensive firepower they could get. Garcia should thrive in Yankees Stadium, and gives the Yankees bat to ball skills which they need.
Garcia was a long time Nat, who we saw grow up over the years. Seeing him blossom into the player and leader he has become this season was really special to watch. I know I will be rooting for Garcia in New York. It was an up and down tenure, but Garcia ended his time with the Nats on the best possible note.
Now on to the return, the “headliner” of the deal is probably Jack Cebert. I put headliner in quotes because there are three guys in here who have fairly similar value to me. Cebert is the only starting pitcher of the bunch, so he is probably the most valuable based on that.
Cebert has had a remarkable rise this season, going from a 15th round pick last year to a top 15 prospect in the Yankees system. For the season he has a 4.03 ERA with 96 strikeouts and 25 walks in 82.2 innings across two levels. He has been homer prone, but the combination of swing and miss stuff with good control is very enticing.
Cebert is 24 years old at Double A with a 4.90 ERA and 4.59 FIP, but also has a strong 19.7 K-BB%. The problem is he’s giving up an outrageously high 19.3 HR/FB (League average is roughly 11%). Hopefully not the headliner, would be an interesting secondary piece tho https://t.co/UbZK74XDFfpic.twitter.com/m5CeGSMlea
Right now he is on the shelf, but it is with a calf strain rather than an arm issue. Cebert has a fun three fastball attack that is very common around the league right now. He has a 4-seamer and sinker that sit around 95, as well as a cutter around 90. Cebert finishes off the arsenal with a slider.
However, the most interesting pieces of this package to me are the relievers. First, I want to talk about Yovanny Cruz who should slide into high leverage duties in the big leagues immediately. Cruz has a lot of what you want to see in a reliever. First, he has a fastball that has averaged 100 in the majors and 99.4 in AAA. Even though the shape of the fastball is not great, 100 is still 100.
His best pitch though is probably his low 90’s slider which is a true wipeout offering. He generated whiffs at a 43% clip on the pitch in the big leagues and almost 49% of the time in AAA. It just falls off the table and devastates hitters. He also throws a nice splitter to lefties.
Yovanny Cruz is rumored to be in the Garcia deal… he has this and a 100 mph fastball he’ll help in the one day 1 pic.twitter.com/bMTpBWT5Ek
For a guy with his stuff, Cruz also throws a lot of strikes. His walk rate was 8.8% in AAA and only 5% in his 5 big league innings. When guys make contact with the heater, it can be hit hard though. I would not be surprised if the Nats gave him a sinker.
The other reliever in the package is Ben Grable, who is not going to be MLB ready until next year. Grable has a monster fastball that sits around 96, but has a ton of life and carry at the top of the zone. It is one of those “rising” fastballs that plays above its velocity.
Ben Grable is another prospect that’s coming back to the Nats in the Garcia trade, which, like Yovanny Cruz, has an insane fastball
Grable pairs it with a solid slider that plays well off the fastball, but the heater is the star of the show. He has also shown very good command, walking less than 7% of hitters this season. Grable was only drafted in 2025, but he has torn through High-A and AA. He should be ready sometime next year.
The last piece of the package is a curious one. Jake Bird had some solid years with the Rockies, but the 30 year old fell on hard times in New York. He has spent a lot of time in the minors since arriving there.
However, he should be a plug and play option in this Nats bullpen. He is a lower slot guy who relies on a sinker/sweeper combo. At his best, he can look nasty with pitches moving in all different directions. The raw stuff is solid, and he has the ability to rebound and be a middle reliever type again. This is more about grabbing a body in the bullpen though.
This is a very interesting trade, and not really how I expected it to go. However, it makes a lot of sense given the Nats lack of bullpen talent throughout the organization. Cruz and Grable should be core pieces of this bullpen for many years to come. Meanwhile, Cebert has the chance to be a number 4 starter if things click.
The lack of a true headliner is slightly underwhelming, but the package makes a lot of sense. We have been screaming for bullpen help, and we got it. That bullpen help came through unorthodox means. I am fairly excited about this package, and can’t wait to see Cruz throw triple digit heat the rest of this season.
