A.J. Ewing took the league by storm, playing his game to open his rookie campaign.
After raking through the minors, the 21-year-old quickly settled in at the big leagues, establishing himself as a regular in the Mets’ outfield and atop their lineup.
He did so by utilizing his speed and being his usual on-base machine.
Like every rookie, though, Ewing was bound to go through his fair share of tough stretches at the plate as the grind of the regular season stretches on.
That’s been the case for the youngster of late.
With an 0-for-5 showing in Saturday night’s loss to the Dodgers, he is now hitless across nine at-bats over the first two games against the defending champs.
Ewing was also punched out two more times, giving him a whopping 26 this month.
He’s currently tied with Francisco Alvarez for the second-worst K-rate on the team (26.7), trailing Brett Baty by percentage points for the highest (26.8).
Despite the rough stretch, interim manager Andy Green isn’t concerned.
“Every hitter goes through situations where things happen in bunches,” he said.
“It’s just about getting back to his strength -- when he first showed up it was laying off pitches out of the zone -- but it’s easy when you get into a situation where you’ve struck out more than you’re comfortable you think you just have to swing, which typically makes it worse,” the skipper continued.
“But he’s going to be fine -- he has more punchouts than I know he is comfortable with right now, but he’s learning and that’s part of it -- I see him plenty capable that he’s going to respond, but at this moment it’s time to punch back.”
The Mets certain need Ewing to punch back soon after losing a massive piece in the middle of their lineup this weekend, with Juan Soto landing on the IL due to a Grade 2 left calf strain.
Another superb effort from Sean Burke wasn’t enough to secure a win. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
For a moment, it looked as if Sean Burke was really going to be the star of the show again.
To an extent, he was. A six-inning performance yielding just two earned runs is nothing to sneeze at. But when you put up an offensive performance like the White Sox did in tonight’s 4-1 loss to the Astros — eight shutout innings followed by an ultimately meaningless scratch run in the ninth — it was never going to matter.
It’s an especially heartbreaking result considering how genuinely lights-out Burke was for most of the night. He induced 19 swinging strikes, which is tied for the second-most in any game this season for a Sox starter, and wound up with 10 punchouts, the second time this month he’s reached double digits. He threw almost 70% of his pitches for strikes. Of the 12 balls that the Astros put in play against Burke, just three broke the “hard hit” threshold of 95 mph.
Just like yesterday, the Sox starter was absolutely cruising through five innings. Just like last night, an impeccably timed series of walks and ground balls finding holes turned the sixth inning into a multi-run nightmare that proved to be the difference in the ballgame.
The elevated stuff that Burke has shown lately, and continued to show tonight, can’t be faked. But when I noted in today’s gamethread that Burke has also been the beneficiary lately of extraordinarily good BABIP and LOB% luck, I was thinking that it was only a matter of time before some things like this happened.
The luck turned first when Jeremy Peña helped get a rally going by hitting a weak ground ball on a great pitch that nonetheless resulted in a single:
That was followed by a walk to Yordan Alvarez, because of course you walk Yordan Alvarez: He has 34 homers before the last week of July. I wouldn’t want to mess around with him, either. But then things happen like this Isaac Paredes single, which was hit a little bit harder than Peña’s but also came on a pretty good pitch that probably results in an out eight or nine times out of 10, if you played it over and over again — much less the extra two runs scored on a brutal misplay from the typically-solid Braden Montgomery in right field:
Unfortunately, that’s all there really was to it. For one of the first times this season, Astros starter Hunter Brown showed the form that earned him a top-three finish in Cy Young balloting last year, completely blanking the Sox offense over a season-high seven innings of work. After allowing more than a walk per inning over his last three starts, Brown didn’t issue a single free pass tonight, aggressively staying ahead in the count and forcing hitters to swing at more pitches out of the zone than they’d ever be comfortable with.
Tristan Peters landed a single to lead off the third inning, and Munetaka Murakami did the same in the fourth. Nobody else was able to do anything at all, much less drive them in. Those were the only baserunners the Sox saw until the latest stages of the ballgame.
The Sox did actually manage to get on the scoreboard, but it wasn’t until the ninth inning, when Miguel Vargas singled, advanced on an error, and scored on a Colson Montgomery single to cut the Astros lead to 4-1, with the extra Houston tally coming courtesy of another RBI single from Paredes. Reliever Trevor Richards allowed that extra run but was otherwise solid in his two innings of work, while Tyler Schweitzer completed an uneventful ninth inning to close out the Sox pitching line for the evening.
It’s not yet prevalent enough to be a point of concern, but the growing volume of lackluster offensive showings since the All-Star Game is noteworthy. These are the kinds of games that, at their best, we know this team finds a way to win. Burke wasn’t perfect tonight, but he did more than enough to keep them in the game. The scratch-and-claw scrappiness that won these imperfect games and set the tone for this season is certainly still there, but it simply hasn’t made itself felt as much over the last week or two as it’ll probably need to be if they want to hold their first place lead deep into the season.
It’s the first time they’ve lost a Burke start since he began his red-hot run on June 18, and it’s officially their first series loss since their three-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox a week before the All-Star break. Avoidance of another sweep will be in the hands of Erick Fedde on Sunday, which is not as confidence-inspiring as we might like. But Fedde has been serviceable enough, and Houston’s Ronel Blanco should prove a vanquishable opponent in just his second start of the year. It’s a matinee battle, with first pitch at 1:05 p.m. CT, and we’ll see you there!
MVP Sean Burke: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO
Runners-Up Tristan Peters: 1-for-2, BB Andrew Benintendi: 1-for-4, RBI
Cold Cat Braden Montgomery: 1-for-4, 2 K, E that cleared the bases
Runners-Up Andrew Benintendi: 0-for-3, 3 K White Sox offense: five singles, one walk, 10 Ks
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 07: Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates as he leaves the game during the sixth inning of game two of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
There’s no doubt that pitching has been the Achilles’ heel of the Diamondbacks for a number of years now. The last time Arizona posted an ERA+ of even 100 over a full season, was back in the BC era (that’s “Before COVID” of course), when the 2019 D-backs were at a modest 105 ERA+. Since them it has been six consecutive years of below average pitching. This season might end the streak: going into play today, the D-backs had an ERA+ of 103, and the raw ERA figure of 4.20 is the lowest for a year since 2018. If there’s one man responsible for this, it’s Eduardo Rodriguez. who finished the first half with a 2.29 ERA, one of the lowest all-time at the break by a D-back.
It’s therefore no great surprise that he dominated voting for our first half MVP award. Here’s how the numbers came out in the poll.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Rodriguez can keep it up over the full season. The last D-back to win the end of year SnakePit award for MVP was Zac Gallen in 2022 – I think it’s fairly safe to say he will not be repeating that victory this year. For E-Rod, there is some cause for concern, due to his peripherals all being significantlyhigher. His first-half FIP (based on K, BB and HR rate) was 4.11, His xFIP (K and BB, with a “normal” HR rate) was 4.54. And his xERA (Statcast data like launch angle, exit velocity) was a whopping 5.09. While none of that changes what’s already in the books, you do have to wonder if it’s sustainable.
Certainly, E-Rod’s first start of the second half was a rough reality check. He couldn’t even get through three innings, being tagged for seven hits, two walks and five earned runs. His second outing was better, back to the quality start we expected, although a K:BB ratio of 4:3 won’t have helped his peripherals. The gap has closed a little bit though: Rodriguez’s ERA is up a decent chunk to 2.64, while the peripherals mentioned above are now sitting at 4.16, 4.58 and 4.99 respectively. But there’s still definitely the potential for further regression. If it happens in games the D-backs still win, like the comeback against St. Louis, that would likely be optimal!
Jul 25, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pinch hitter Tyrone Taylor (28) hits a two run double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen famously claimed he wanted to turn the club into the East Coast version of the Los Angeles Dodgers when he took over the team. Unfortunately for Cohen and the team’s fan base, that goal remains far away from reality.
The Mets couldn’t make it happen against the defending-champion Dodgers Saturday night in Queens, losing 4-3 despite another strong outing from starting pitcher Nolan McLean as the team inches closer to selling at MLB’s August 3 trade deadline.
Tyrone Taylor came through in the eighth inning with a pinch-hit two-run double to cut the deficit, but New York was once again unable to get over the hump. Taylor’s clutch hit made an ugly third inning from the Mets defense even harder to swallow.
McLean cruised through the first two innings with efficiency, but the relentless Dodgers lineup put pressure on the Mets in the game-deciding third inning. Kyle Tucker bashed a home run off the right-field foul pole, snapping a streak of 19 consecutive innings without an earned run by McLean. Dalton Rushing singled before Shohei Ohtani hit a double-play ball that the Mets couldn’t handle. Brett Baty’s throw to second bounced off Rushing’s helmet, allowing Rushing to advance to third, and Ohtani to reach first safely.
Lindor was charged with the error after failing to snag the ball after it bounced off Rushing. Andy Pages hit another double-play ball that the Mets once again couldn’t turn, allowing Rushing to score. A passed ball from Francisco Alvarez then scored Pages and put the Dodgers up 3-0. Max Muncy struck out to mercifully end the hideous frame.
Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six innings with five strikeouts to boost the Dodgers. Yamamoto’s good start and Tucker’s dinger added insult to injury, as both players were high-profile free agent targets for the Mets in recent years before both picked the Dodgers. Tucker has had a disappointing first season in Los Angeles, but seems to be trending up this weekend, homering for the second straight game against the Orange and Blue.
The Dodgers added on in the fifth inning with some well-placed hits. Teoscar Hernandez put in a ball just out of the reach of the diving Carson Benge, with the ball bouncing away from the rookie, allowing Hernandez to advance to second. Pages singled down the right-field line to score Hernandez.
McLean was solid overall, registering his fifth quality start in a row with seven strikeouts. The infield defense and Alvarez’s passed ball made him work hard. However, an unassisted double play by Lindor in the sixth inning helped seal McLean’s line.
The Mets entered the game going 7-for-72 with RISP over their last 10 games, and that trend continued for most of Saturday night. New York briefly threatened in the first inning with two outs. Bo Bichette and Benge each singled off Yamamoto, but Luis Robert Jr. struck out swinging on a full count to end the inning.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Bichette poked a broken-bat single to score Baty from third, putting the Mets on the board. The team had been 0-for-5 with RISP in the game before Bichette’s hit.
New York had life in the eighth inning against Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez after he hit Benge with a pitch and walked Robert Jr. with no outs. Henriquez struck out Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien before being replaced by Tanner Scott. Mets interim manager Andy Green pinch-hit Taylor for Baty, who smoked a ball down the left-field line off Scott to score Benge and Robert Jr. Scott settled down to strike out AJ Ewing and end the threat.
Lindor, Bichette, and Benge went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Mets fell to 43-62 on the season. The Mets are 7-12 in July as this bleak season trudges along through the dog days of summer.
New York will try again in Sunday’s series finale at 1:40 PM EDT.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 24: Joey Ortiz #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers tags out Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies attempting to stretch a single into a double i3 at American Family Field on July 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This game had all the makings of a prototypical 2026 Colorado Rockies outing. To their credit, they held their own against one of the league’s best teams in the Milwaukee Brewers. Colorado was in the mix early and found a way to rally late, but that middle portion is what did them in. The Rockies mustered some offense, but just in streaks. By the time they were fighting back, they were trying to make up too many runs thanks to their starting pitching trailing off and their bullpen letting things get away. After keeping things neck-and-neck through the first few innings, the Rockies fell behind 8-2 before tacking on a few more in an 8-5 loss.
Gasser hits the gas against the Rockies offense
The Colorado offense struggled early, unable to muster much the first time through the lineup. Robert Gasser kept the Rockies’ offense in check out of the gate, sitting down the side in the first and second innings. The Rockies notched their first hit with two outs in the third with an Ezequiel Tovar single, but Tovar was left stranded. Gasser struck out three of his first 10 batters faced, rendering the others ineffective with pop outs and ground outs.
The Rox finally got something going in the fourth. Kyle Karros hit a leadoff single, followed by a Cole Carrigg double. With runners on second and third, Hunter Goodman singled to left field to score both. Gasser worked through the rest of the inning to hold things at 2-2.
After that, Gasser didn’t have much trouble putting away the Rockies. He gave up a single to Tyler Freeman to start the fifth inning before working through Tovar, Jake McCarthy, and Karros with relative easy. He came back in for a 1-2-3 sixth inning before his day came to a close. He finished after 6.o IP, giving up two runs on five hits, lowering his ERA from 4.91 to 4.71.
Gasser relied primarily on his four-seam fastball, throwing that for 31% of his pitches. He hit an average velocity of 92.8 MPH with his fastball and got it past Rockies batters consistently with a 31% whiff rate on the pitch. Coming off his best outing of the season in his last start, he proved effective and efficient again today.
Feltner better early, but falters late
After a shaky performance in his last outing, Feltner was more settled to begin Sunday evening and limited the damage despite some early threats. Despite giving up some early hits and runs, he was able to keep things close into the deeper innings before things, unfortunately, started to snowball.
Milwaukee got after Feltner quickly with a pair of singles from Jackson Churio and Brice Turang on one out in the first. Feltner held steady with runners on first and second and got William Contreras to ground into a double play.
Things went more awry in the second inning. Jake Bauers walked to start things off before swiping second. Two batters later, Luis Lara hit a sacrifice fly that scored Bauers. Then, Bernie Brewer got to make an early trip from his chalet down his slide after Cooper Pratt took a high fastball deep for his second career home run.
In the fourth inning, Bauers and Lara each notched singles. With two outs, Pratt hit a ball that just got by Willi Castro. What would’ve been an inning-ending out gave the Brewers the lead again at 3-2.
Bauers would be a thorn in Feltner’s side again in the sixth. Following a Contreras single, Bauers logged another hit. Juan Mejia had been warming up, and with runners on first and second and with Feltner at 82 pitches, Warren Schaeffer would make the change. Feltner’s day ended after 5.0 IP with five runs given up on nine hits, plus four strikeouts and a walk.
After the game, Feltner noted that he was “happy with (his) stuff,” but pointed to areas where he can improve, including not being “sharp at the top of the zone at times” and “uncompetitive changeups.” He mixed in a decent arsenal of pitches, throwing four-seam fastballs (30%), sliders (26%), and changeups (23%), as well as sinkers, curveballs, and sliders to a lesser extent.
In addition to his feelings about his changeup control, he had a weird day with the fastball. Despite posting a 28% whiff rate, none came on fastballs (zero whiffs on 12 swings). He also gave up six of his hits (with all of those being hard-hit) on his fastball.
A sixth inning collapse
Mejia entered with Feltner’s two runners on and immediately added one of his own, walking Garrett Mitchell to load the bases with no outs. That’s not a recipe for success. Lara connected on a bloop double to short left that took enough of a hop to get past McCarthy and score two runs to put the game at 5-2. Pratt would add another run on a sac fly to left.
David Hamilton would single next to crowd the basepaths with runners on first and third. It went from bad to worse. Hamilton took off to steal second. Braxton Fulford pump faked towards the base before throwing towards third to pickoff Lara and sailing the ball high. The error allowed Lara to put the Brewers up 7-2.
Hamilton moved up to third but would stay there with a Chourio ground out. Unfortunately, the damage was already done, and the Brewers would ride that five run lead into the closing innings of the game.
A late rally, but from too deep of a hole
Colorado’s offense made a little noise in the eighth, but it was all for not. Lance McCullers Jr. took the mount to try and put things away. With two outs, Karros and Carrigg each drew walks. Goodman came to the plate with a chance to cut into the lead, but hit an infield pop out to end the inning.
Kicking the Rockies while they were down, the Brewers stole another base and added another run in the bottom of the eighth. Pratt, who took first on a fielder’s choice and stole second, was brought home on a Christian Yelich sacrifice fly to center field, bringing the game to 8-2.
The Rockies had one little spark left in them, giving McCullers Jr. some more trouble in the ninth inning. TJ Rumfield drew a walk to lead off the inning. Thanks to an error by Bauers, Brett Sullivan moved Rumfield to second and reached base himself. With two outs, Tovar logged a strong at bat and drew a walk on a 3-2 count to load the bases. Before you knew it, a McCarthy single scored two runs to make it 8-4. That would be enough to chase McCullers Jr.
Trevor Megill entered for Milwaukee with two on and two outs. A Karros line drive to center cut further into the lead, bringing the game to 8-5. Just when hope was building, Megill called game and bested Carrigg with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts
This was one of those weird games where the final score makes things feel better than they actually were throughout. At the same time, however, it was one where a few sloppy defensive plays allowed things to get out of control.
Schaeffer noted that the game could have flipped the other way and pointed to moments when the team “didn’t take care of our business throughout the game” and that “we were not up to par defensively, and we know that.” A big inning was enough to put the Rockies away – at least until they tried to claw back in it.
Against a division leader, nearly everything has to go right. Today, enough things went wrong, from defensive miscues to jittery pitching to a handful of batters going 0-fer.
Up Next
The Rockies and Brewers meet for the finale of the three-game series on Sunday before getting a day off on Monday. Things are getting started early out in Wisconsin with a 12:10 p.m. MDT first pitch.
The Rockies get another showdown with league-leader and All-Star pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The last time they faced off back in early June, The Miz got the best of the Rockies, going seven innings and piling up eight strikeouts while only giving up one run in a 7-1 win. He’s racked up three wins and two losses in six starts since then and sits at 10-4 in 19 starts with a 1.57 ERA on the year.
Kyle Freeland starts for the Rox, bringing a 2-9 record through 18 starts. Freeland’s ERA has been north of 7.00 for most of the season, sailing above 8.00 at the end of May, and is currently at 7.28. He started against the Brewers in that June series, giving up just three runs in a non-decision in a 12-4 loss for the Rockies. He took the loss in his previous start last week against the Washington Nationals, giving up four runs in a 7-3 game.
Jul 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Luke Raley (20) fields the double hit by Texas Rangers left fielder Alejandro Osuna (19) during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
The world is full of many good things, none of which were contained in today’s Mariners 7-1 loss to the Rangers, but many good things nonetheless. In praise, then, of goodness, of beauty, of things that are not watching the 2026 Mariners continue to fail and frustrate and fail again. (That’s right, readers, we have reached the part of the season where I’m in my Mary Oliver era. It’s a summer benchmark: Solstice parade, Fourth of July, the Mariners play such bad baseball Kate cries into her MFA degree.)
Realistically, this game was over in the first inning, which at least frees up a lot of time for thinking about nicer things, like the life cycle of cicadas or how the beauty of every flower is also a reminder of the fleeting nature of life. Right after Angie opined, very poetically herself, that part of healing is returning to the site of the wound—in this case, the place where Woo’s road troubles began, in big old, mean old Texas—in a flash of poetic injustice, Woo left a fastball right in Wyatt Langford’s kitchen for a one-out double. Ezequiel Duran followed, taking advantage of a sweeper in the same location for an RBI “triple” that was mostly some poor fielding by fill-in center fielder Luke Raley and poorer backup by Dominic Canzone.
Perhaps the game would have taken a different path had Woo been able to cap the damage there, but Woo instead made things harder for himself, losing Brandon Nimmo to a walk despite having him in an 0-2 count. He then gave up a bad-luck ground ball double down the left field line to Evan Carter that allowed Duran to score and pushed Nimmo to third; Nimmo would later score on an RBI groundout to put the Mariners in an early 0-3 hole.
But have you considered: the perfect orb of a bumblebee nosing along in beachside bull thistle? A clutch of tiny wild huckleberries, jewel deep and plump? Or the bright blue of a mussel shell, barnacled and broken but still shining in the summer sun? Or perhaps the inky emerald green of seaweed fluttering gently on the waves, sea-tossed and shimmering? Because these things also exist in the world with the 2026 Mariners, and are much nicer to contemplate.
The Rangers continued to pour it on in the second inning, despite a quick two outs. Joc Pederson singled, and then, humiliatingly, stole second, which allowed him to score on a Langford double, because once again Woo tried to pitch him inside and Langford just pulled it down the left-field line. Duran followed with his second hit of the day, an RBI single to put the Mariners in a 0-5 hole.
A poem should always have birds in it, says Mary Oliver. A person wants to stand in a happy place, in a poem. I do not have a happy place to stand in today’s recap for you, reader, because nothing good happened in this game. But I can offer you a bird from my walk in the park today: a great blue heron, with a fringe of slate blue feathers, elegant pinprick legs perched on driftwood; and better, I can offer you a child looking at the bird, pointing look looklook as the heron opened its wings and rose, sudden and impossible, and a child, at least, standing in a happy place.
I think this is the prettiest world—so long as you don’t mind a little dying, how could there be a day in your whole life That doesn’t have its splash of happiness?
The splash of happiness came in the fifth inning when the Mariners scored their only run of the game against Nathan Eovaldi, sitting pretty at under 70 pitches with six strikeouts. Luke Raley hit a solid single and J.P. Crawford – who recorded the Mariners’ first hit in the third – took advantage of a poorly located splitter, smashing it into the right-field corner for an RBI double. That would be the only hit the Mariners would record off the splitter. Eovaldi threw 38 splitters in the game. You can see where the math is going.
In the same poem (“Singapore”) where Mary Oliver talks about poems being full of trees and birds and happy places to stand, she also questions “If the world were only pain and logic, who would want it?” Sometimes you have to be a little illogical about a baseball team. So I am choosing to focus on Colt Emerson coming up with another hit today, and Cole Wilcox pitching yet another solid inning of relief. These things are not clipped on MLB dot com as highlights because they are not highlight to anyone but me. I think Mary Oliver would approve.
To his credit, Bryan Woo did bounce back and manage to give the Mariners five innings when it looked like he might not clear three. Postgame Woo talked about how you have to look at the good things you’ve done and how there’s still a lot of baseball left, which is troubling, because while it is a relief Woo is no longer beating himself up after bad outings, it suggests a certain kind of resignation that this is where we stand now. Not in a happy place.
The additional runs were courtesy of Nick Davila (and Wilcox, since he technically walked one of the runners who scored before being lifted for Davila). The Mariners, for their part, did not do anything against Texas’s bullpen when they finally came on the scene in the eighth. They totaled five hits all game. The Rangers had six hits in the first two innings. With the loss, and the Astros winning, they have now fallen into third place in the division. There is a lot of baseball left, yes, but there is also less baseball left than there was yesterday, and tomorrow, there will be even less baseball left. This, any Mary Oliver devotee knows, is the way of the world.
It’s a pretty world. So long as you don’t mind a little dying.
Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Dylan Beavers (12) gets a walk-off single at the bottom of the ninth against Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images | Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images
In tonight’s game between the Orioles and Braves, the Orioles starting pitcher was outstanding, but the offense wasn’t able to score many runs. With a one-run lead in the eighth inning, manager Craig Albernaz turned to relief pitcher Rico Garcia. Garcia, who has struggled lately, gave up a home run to tie the ballgame.
Are you feeling déjà vu? I certainly was watching it, because that is exactly what happened in yesterday’s game. Luckily for the Orioles, tonight’s game took a different turn after that home run. Last night, the Orioles squandered their chance in the bottom of the ninth and lost in extra innings. Tonight, Jackson Holliday and Dylan Beavers ensured there wasn’t a repeat.
After Tyler O’Neill opened the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout, Holliday smacked a ball to left field that looked like it would sink in for a hit. Braves left fielder Mauricio Dubón almost made a great play on it but couldn’t hold on to the ball. Holliday landed on second base with a double. Colton Cowser hit a ball to deep center field, but could only move Holliday over to third.
Enter Beavers. With two outs, he was the only thing standing between the Braves and extra innings. Didier Fuentes threw him a first-pitch fastball and Beavers hit it to the right side. Ozzie Albies made a diving attempt at second base but it got past him. Holliday raced in from third! Orioles win! And thank goodness. I could not take another extra-innings loss.
Why did Albernaz go with Garcia again, when Yennier Cano was also getting warmed up? I don’t know. (Cano ended up pitching a very good ninth) I didn’t like it before the home run yesterday, and I didn’t like it tonight. But for tonight, at least, we can enjoy a win and not stew on it too much. We can remember the Beavers walk off and another outstanding start from Brandon Young.
Because Young had a heck of a night as part of a starting rotation that has turned out to be pretty good. It just proves how little I actually know about the Orioles. Because if you had told me to guess which part of the team would be the weakest link in a bad season, I probably would have guessed the rotation.
Young pitched into the seventh inning tonight and allowed just six baserunners. It shook out to four singles, a double, and two walks. He didn’t allow a run until the sixth inning, and before then he felt in control even when he allowed runners on. It’s such a good feeling to have a pitcher like this on the mound.
Through six innings, Young allowed more than one baserunner in an inning just twice. In the second, he gave up a single and a walk, but came back to strike out the next two batters to end the inning.
He wasn’t as good in the sixth. He walked Matt Olson with one out, then Michael Harris II sneaked a ball inside the right field line for a double. That put runners on second and third with the Orioles up 2-0. One run came in on a groundout, but it could have been a lot worse. Young got the third out as well on a groundout, and the Orioles retained the lead for the moment.
At 89 pitches, Young came back out for the seventh inning and faced Austin Riley. He had already struck Riley out twice. He did it a third time for the first out of the inning, and his day was done at 94 pitches. It’s so hard to judge in a one-run game, but I probably would have left him in the game until a runner got on or he finished the inning.
Regardless, it was another success for Brandon Young. He keeps shrinking his ERA, lowering it from 3.25 to 3.13 tonight. That’s better than any of his rotation mates. His final line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Young was replaced by Grant Wolfram, who immediately gave up a hit to pinch hitter Eli White. It looked like a double, and ended up being a double. But White tripped and fell between first and second base. Dylan Beavers played the ball in right field and threw it to Henderson on a bounce. It was not a great throw, but it was playable. About the time the ball got to Henderson, White was lying on the ground out of reach of second base. But Henderson didn’t make the catch and it bounced away. White got up and made it to second.
That runner didn’t end up scoring, as Wolfram retired the next two batters. But it was still embarrassing as hell. I want to request that the Orioles stop doing things like that.
On offense, the Orioles got to Bryce Elder for four hits and four walks through five innings, but only managed two runs. They had multiple baserunners in each of the first two innings but couldn’t score. Finally, they got through in the third thanks to some help from Jim Jarvis. Pete Alonso hit a pop-up to the Braves shortstop, and Jarvis simply dropped the ball. Back-to-back singles by Taylor Ward and Christian Encarnacion-Strand brought Pete home and gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
That was the first of two Alonso pop-ups that Jarvis dropped. He didn’t score the second time, but I appreciate Jarvis’s attempts to help.
Gunnar Henderson hit his 18th home run of the year in the fifth inning, the final hit allowed by Elder. He closed out the inning and his night with a Ward strikeout.
That was it for the offense until Beavers stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and sent nearly 38,000 Hawaiian shirt-wearing fans home happy.
O’s win, 3-2! The rubber game between these teams is tomorrow at 1:35. Shane Baz will take the mound for the Orioles.
Who is your pick for Most Birdland Player tonight? Is it Young, for his 6.1 strong innings? Beavers for the game-winning hit? Maybe Cano for his nine-pitch ninth inning? Tell us in the comments below.
Kyle Tucker drops his bat after hitting a solo home run in the third inning during the Dodgers' 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Saturday night. (Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
The ball jumped off Kyle Tucker’s bat for a high-flying home run into the right-field stands at Citi Field.
Tucker had been patient, watching the first four pitches of the at-bat against Nolan McLean, a pair of balls, and a pair of strikes low and in. Then, when McLean missed with a center-cut fastball, Tucker got all of it.
With his first swing in a game the Dodgers would win 4-3 on Saturday, Tucker gave his team the early lead. And for the first time as a Dodger, he homered in consecutive games.
“I feel a lot better,” Tucker said after the game, as fellow outfielder Teoscar Hernández shouted from the other side of the clubhouse, acknowledging his homers. “Need more of that. Seeing the ball decently, putting better swings on it. Just need to compound that into more swings, more at-bats. See how [Sunday] goes and just keep with it.”
It’s too early to say if this is the Tucker breakout the Dodgers have been waiting for. Nearly two-thirds of the way through the season, he has yet to hit like he has for most of his career.
“It’s coming,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “It hasn’t been as consistent or as fast as we’d like, but he’s still going through it. He’s still working hard.”
Tucker’s home run kicked off a three-run third inning for the Dodgers (67-38). They scored the other two with the help of a throwing error and passed ball from the Mets (43-62), while the Dodgers kept the pressure on with a barrage of balls in play.
That was enough to all but decide the game, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound. The right-hander held the Mets to just one run, coming off a single from Bo Bichette, over six innings.
Though Yamamoto gave up five hits (all singles) and issued three walks, he navigated the traffic with poise.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the second inning of a 4-3 win over the Mets on Saturday. (Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
Tucker came close to hitting a second homer, sending a fastball to left field in the fourth inning. But Mets left fielder A.J. Ewing caught the ball just before the wall. The Dodgers’ final run instead came off a single from Andy Pages in the fifth.
The Mets struck back in the eighth. Edgardo Henriquez hit a batter and walked another to open the inning. And both runners scored when closer Tanner Scott replaced Henriquez with two outs and gave up a double to Mets pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor. But Scott got out of the inning without giving up the lead, and Brock Stewart recorded the save, his first of the year.
Tucker’s home run was his ninth of the season. Last year with the Cubs, he racked up that many by May 3.
“There’s some times where I like to see the ball coming in, put a swing on it, and I can visualize the ball coming off the bat and doing what I want with it, but it doesn’t really go that way,” Tucker said. “Which is a little frustrating. ... That happens at times, but it’s seemed to happen a lot more this year. I’ve just got to battle for the next pitch and just continue on with the at-bat.”
Tucker, who has traditionally hung his hat on his strike-zone control, ended a 12-game streak without a walk Friday.
“It was a little weird, because I hadn’t walked in a while,” Tucker said. “So I honestly didn’t know what to do for a sec.
“But I mean, anything to get on base, whether it’s a single, homer, walk, whatever it is, just try to keep going with it.”
“I’ve, at times, thought I found something, or trying to turn the page, and it just kind of goes away and it’s back to square one,” Tucker said. “That’s where you’ve just kind of got to keep working, keep grinding and keep moving forward.”
Against the Mets, Tucker has looked more like the player the Dodgers expected when they signed him to a four-year, $240-million contract, with the power and plate discipline that earned him four straight All-Star nods before this year.
If he can recapture that identity down the stretch and into the postseason, his slow start will fade in the memories of Dodgers fans.
“Everyone in here is supportive, from the players to the coaching staff, everyone,” Tucker said. “At the same point, you’ve got to be confident in yourself. So I just try to go up there every single at-bat and not think about previous ones. Just go up there and try to compete.”
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 15, 2025: Michael Carico #9 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Los Angeles Angels at Sloan Park on March 15, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With the Arizona Complex League now over, the following players have been promoted from the ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Right-hander Geovanny Vazquez
Right-hander Julio Valdez
Right-hander Freddy Rodriguez
Shortstop Fernando Cruz
Everyone loses today. The four affiliates even managed to lose five games between them.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were swept in a doubleheader by the Gwinnett Stripers (Braves), 8-0 and 5-3.
Jordan Wicks started game one and got chased in the second inning. The final line on Wicks was five runs on four hits and three walks over 1.2 innings. Wicks struck out one.
Catcher Owen Ayers was 2 for 3.
In game two, Ty Blach allowed four runs in the bottom of the first inning and the I-Cubs never caught up. The final line on Blach was four runs on six hits over three innings. One of the hits was a two-run home run by former Cub Carlos Santana. Blach walked three and struck out one.
Iowa had just three hits in game two. Left fielder Chas McCormick went 2 for 3 with two doubles and a steal.
Center fielder Brett Bateman made a nice catch, at least. He was 1 for 2 with an RBI single and a run scored. He was also hit by a pitch.
Brooks Caple technically had a quality start, but he still took the loss after giving up three runs on six hits over six innings. Two of the hits were solo home runs. Caple struck out four and walked no one.
Left fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 4 with a double.
Third baseman Alex Madera was also 2 for 4 with a double.
First baseman Ethan Hearn went 2 for 4.
Knoxville had ten hits tonight, but went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Kohl Franklin started tonight’s game on a rehab assignment and allowed one run on four hits over 4.1 innings. Franklin walked one and struck out one. He also hit a batter.
Ethan Bell allowed two runs on three hits over 1.1 innings and took the loss. Bell struck out one and did not walk anyone.
First baseman Michael Carico went 1 for 3 with two-run single and a bases-loaded walk for three total runs batted in.
Starter Noah Edders allowed just one run on four hits over four innings. Edders struck out four and walked no one.
Emilio Ramos gave up just one run over the next three innings with the one run coming on a fifth-inning home run. Ramos surrendered four hits total. he struck out five and walked one.
After the Pelicans scored one run in the top of the tenth, Emilio Melendez surrendered two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to take the loss. Melendez allowed the two runs on two hits and one walk over 2.1 innings. He also hit a batter. Melendez struck otu three.
Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit a solo home run in the third inning, his seventh on the season. Lumpuy was 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. He also stole a base.
Jul 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Athletics relief pitcher Mason Barnett (63) throws to the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
The Athletics matched up against the Minnesota Twins in the second game of their three-game series, looking to build on their series-opening victory. This game played out the inverse of Friday night’s contest, as the A’s struggled with runners in scoring position in a 2-0 loss that sets up Sunday’s series finale to be the rubber match.
Both Teams Waste Scoring Chances
The Twins’ scheduled starter Michael Paredes was a late scratch, so Kendry Rojas made the start for the hosts. The left-hander got his outing off to a strong start with a scoreless first two innings. A’s opener, left-hander Brady Basso, matched Rojas, keeping the Twins off the board through two frames.
A’s center fielder Henry Bolte walked to begin the third inning and then advanced to second on right fielder Lawrence Butler’s sacrifice bunt. Rojas escaped the jam as the Athletics stranded Bolte at third base, wasting their first scoring opportunity of the game.
Basso’s day was done after 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk, while recording three strikeouts. Right-hander Mason Barnett replaced him out of the A’s bullpen, inheriting a runner on second and one out. He did his job, preventing that runner from scoring.
Pitching Duel Continues
The Twins removed Rojas from the game after he completed four scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and one walk and striking out five.
Left-hander Taylor Rogers entered to pitch the fifth. Seeking to break the deadlock, A’s first baseman Jeff McNeil was awarded a one-out double to right field after fan interference. With two on and two out, Jacob Wilson grounded out, failing to come through with runners in scoring position for the second time in the game.
While the A’s offense struggled to get going, its pitching staff continued to keep the Twins off the board. Barnett picked up where Basso left off, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the game scoreless through five innings.
Twins Score First
Barnett ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth. A walk followed by a double put two Twins runners in scoring position at second and third with one out. With two outs, Twins’ right fielder Alan Roden lined a two-run single, giving Minnesota a 2-0 lead and ending Barnett’s outing. The hero of last night’s game, left-hander Jose Suarez, entered and recorded the final out of the inning, limiting the damage to two runs.
Twins’ reliever Tommy Nance protected his team’s lead, working around McNeil’s second double of the game to pitch a scoreless seventh inning. Once again, the A’s could not come through with a two-out RBI hit as Bolte flew out to center to end the threat.
A’s Offense Woeful!
The Athletics offense failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity to at least tie the game in the eighth inning. Facing Twins’ right-hander Andrew Morris, Butler drew a leadoff walk. He advanced to third base as Wilson reached second on Morris’ throwing error.
Minnesota’s reliever escaped the jam by striking out Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom on pitches nowhere near the strike zone before getting Jonah Heim to ground out. Kurtz should have gone on a rehab assignment as he struck out four times in his first game off the injured list.
Not scoring there took the wind out of the A’s sails. The visitors went down quietly in the top of the ninth against Yoendrys Gómez, who secured his 13th save in the Twins 2-0 series-evening victory.
The A’s finished the game 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven on base in a disappointing offensive performance. The “Green and Gold” will aim to get the bats back on track in tomorrow’s series finale, which will pit Athletics’ veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs against Minnesota’s young lefty Connor Prielipp.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 25: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a lackluster week heading into the All-Star break, the Dodgers have won all three series on the long road trip through the Eastern time zone. That was secured with Saturday night’s 4-3 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Kyle Tucker went 80 plate appearances and nearly four full weeks without a home run before his blast on Friday. Then in his first at-bat on Saturday, Tucker opened the scoring with another blast, in the third inning.
One out after the Tucker homer, Dalton Rushing singled. Shohei Ohtani grounded into a potential double play, but Brent Baty — playing first base this season for the first time in the majors — threw a ball that caromed off Rushing’s helmet, not getting any out and instead putting runners on the corners. Andy Pages beat a return throw to first base to prevent an inning-ending double play for one run, and a passed ball brought home another for a three-run frame.
Teoscar Hernández in the fifth inning doubled for a second straight game, then scored on a two-out single by Pages.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked three Mets, just the third time in 19 starts he’s issued more than a pair of free passes. He needed 52 pitches to get through the first three frames, but still finished with a typically solid outing, allowing just one run in six innings.
He allowed five singles, three of them bunched together in the fifth inning for New York’s only run against him. Yamamoto struck out five and completed six innings for the 17th time in 19 starts.
Edgardo Henriquez hit a batter and walked another in the eighth, and both scored on a double off Tanner Scott later in the frame to get New York within a run.
After Scott got the final out of the eighth inning working on his second straight day, Brock Stewart pitched a clean ninth with two strikeouts for his third career save and first since 2023 while with the Minnesota Twins. It’s Stewart’s second career save for the Dodgers, along with a three-inning save on June 20, 2017, also against the Mets.
The Dodgers long odyssey comes to a close on Sunday morning (10:40 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before returning to Ithaca Dodger Stadium. Emmet Sheehan starts the series finale, with Freddy Peralta on the mound for the Mets.
The Mets were defeated by the Dodgers 4-3 on Saturday night at Citi Field.
Here are some takeaways...
-- Nolan McLean picked up right where he left off over his last few outings, retiring the first six Dodgers he faced over the first two innings. That stretch and his unearned run streak were broken up in the third, though, as Kyle Tucker crushed his second homer in as many nights off the right-field foul pole.
LA added two more runs in the inning thanks to some shoddy Mets defense. New York failed to execute two potential inning-ending double-plays, one thanks to a Brett Baty throwing error, and Francisco Alvarez allowed his eighth passed ball of the year to force in the third run of the game.
McLean rebounded with a scoreless fourth, but the Dodgers struck again for a two-out run in the fifth. The youngster loaded the bases with just one out as he began running out of gas in the sixth, but a lineout double play helped him escape without further damage on his line.
Overall, he allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven.
-- The Mets' offense had plenty of opportunities of their own against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who wasn't exactly at his sharpest. They went a combined 0-for-3 with RISP in the early going, stranding a pair in both the first and third innings, and were set down in order during the other two frames.
New York almost squandered another opportunity after getting a pair of singles to open the fifth, but Bo Bichette dumped in his second two-out hit of the game to get them on the board. They got the leadoff man on again in the sixth with a six-pitch walk, but the next three were set down.
Yamamoto ended his night with just the one run allowed on five hits, three walks, and four strikeouts.
-- Daniel Duarte threw well in relief of McLean. He worked around a two-out single in the seventh, then used a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play to evade a hit by pitch in the eighth. Duarte has yet to allow a run across five big league appearances this season.
-- The Mets were awfully close to failing to deliver one more time after getting a walk and HBP to open the eighth, but this time it was the red-hot Tyrone Taylor who came off the bench and lined a two-run double off closer Tanner Scott to cut the deficit down to one.
-- Taylor became their 11th man left on base, and after a quiet ninth, they finished 2-for-11 with RISP.
Game MVP: Andy Pages
The All-Star outfielder had just one hit, but drove in two of LA's four runs on the night.
Jul 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored seven runs while the Seattle Mariners scored one run.
The Rangers came into tonight’s game apparently with the worst starters ERA in the Majors this month with a pitcher who had most recently allowed three home runs in his last start and with a lineup featuring, at first blush, about a handful of actual big league-quality batters.
Their task was beating the hated once American League-favorite Mariners to return to the two games above .500 mark that they enjoyed at the All-Star break, which would also bring them to a season-best two and a half game lead in the American League West.
Done and done.
Thanks to great work from those big league-quality batters, the Rangers jumped out ahead 3-0 in the first inning with an assist from some extremely poor outfield play from the Mariners. Seattle opted to give regular center fielder Julio Rodriguez a half day as their designated hitter and moved professional corner outfielder Luke Raley to center field.
That move immediately backfired on Seattle manager Dan Wilson as Raley dove for an Ezequiel Duran flare to the right field gap at medium distance that most average center fielders glide over and catch and allowed Wyatt Langford — who had doubled ahead of Duran — to score the game’s first run with Duran ending up at third base.
After Brandon Nimmo worked an 0-2 count into a walk, Duran scored on an Evan Carter double and then Nimmo scored on a Nicky Lopez ground out. An inning later, the Rangers would score a couple more runs in an inning that featured a Joc Pederson stolen base, another Langford double, and and RBI single from Duran.
Just about the only demerits for the Rangers in the early goings was letting Mariners starter Bryan Woo off the hook with an opportunity to turn the game into a blowout and expend some bullpen bullets with a long weekend yet to go between these two squads.
But that’s nitpicking, really. The Rangers had a bottom of the order with no one featuring an OPS above .650 and were integrating career journeyman backup catcher Austin Wynns into the lineup batting ninth.
Scoring five runs early was a major boon for Texas and they made great use of it despite Woo ultimately going five innings and the Rangers waiting until the seventh to get back on the board when Alejandro Osuna, one of those bottom of the order guys, delivered a two-run double to put this one to bed.
With the win, the Rangers have positioned themselves to take the series with one more victory and will leave this series with the Mariners no worse than atop the division. Though, the Rangers will not be facing a second place team tomorrow as the Astros have now passed Seattle in the standings.
Player of the Game: The lede has been buried a bit as the main story from this game was Nathan Eovaldi coming up large, as is his specialty.
Eovaldi was that guy who allowed three home runs in a loss to Atlanta in his first start of the second half and the Rangers needed him to be more vintage Eovaldi against the team that came into the game behind Texas in the standings. He delivered as he nearly always does.
Eovaldi tossed seven innings with just the one run allowed on three hits and a walk while striking out eight in a crisp 91 pitches. Eovaldi was in total control in that special way where he turns a game you’d really like to see your team win into a cozy affair because you know he’s not going to relent.
I really hope I never take Eovaldi’s ability to dominate in the biggest moments for granted. Thanks for always being your nastiest when we really need you, Nate.
Bonus hat tips to Langford and Duran for delivering when the Rangers had chances in the early innings as two of Texas’ few prime threats to do so. Langford finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI.
Unfortunately Langford also fouled a couple of painful looking pitches off his foot before one of his doubles and later left the game after six innings so hold your breath on that. You can only take so many questionable quality batters in one lineup so the Rangers need Langford.
Up Next: The Rangers face their first of two consecutive Ranger Killer hurlers with RHP Jacob deGrom set take the mound for Texas against RHP Logan Gilbert for Seattle.
The Sunday afternoon first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 1:35 pm CDT and will be back on the Rangers Sports Network.
Jul 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara (18) gets a base hit against the Colorado Rockies in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Brewers have traditionally had trouble with Rockies starter Ryan Feltner, a generally mediocre pitcher in his six-year career. But tonight, led by a couple of 21-year-olds and aided by some poor Rockies defense, Milwaukee finally figured him out. Robert Gasser also befuddled Colorado hitters for most of the night, and after a frustrating loss on Friday, the Brewers evened the series with a mostly comfortable win.
Gasser started nicely with three consecutive groundball outs in the top of the first. In keeping with yesterday’s game, Christian Yelich flew out to the warning track in his first at-bat. The Brewers got a couple of baserunners when Jackson Chourio snuck a single through the infield and Brice Turang laid down a perfect bunt for a hit, but Contreras grounded into a 1-6-3 double play that ended the inning.
Hunter Goodman became Gasser’s first strikeout leading off the second. TJ Rumfield was next, and Gasser nearly got hit by a comebacker, but he got out of the way, and Cooper Pratt made the play for the second out. A Willi Castro popout ended the inning, and Gasser was perfect through two.
Jake Bauers drew a walk to start the second, and on the first pitch to the next batter, Garrett Mitchell, he stole second. Mitchell grounded out on the next pitch, but that at least got Bauers to third with one out. Luis Lara was next, and he just missed his first career homer — instead, he had a sac fly to the right-field corner. Pratt, who just hit his own first career homer on Monday, followed with his second career homer, a solid shot out to left on the first pitch of the at-bat. David Hamilton nearly got in on the action, too, but flew out to the warning track to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 2-0.
Gasser kept his perfect game going through the first two outs of the third, but gave up a two-out single to Ezequiel Tovar before Jake McCarthy struck out to end the inning. Feltner came back in the third with his first 1-2-3 inning of the game against the top of the Brewers’ order.
Colorado got their first rally of the game in the top of the fourth when Kyle Karros led off with a single to center (one that Mitchell might’ve been able to catch with a better jump) and Cole Carrigg followed with a double down the left-field line. Colorado’s best hitter, Goodman, was next, and he hit a broken-bat single into left, and he advanced to second on Chourio’s (ill-advised) throw home. Just like that, the game was tied, on batted balls of 80, 93, and 70 mph.
Gasser got the first out of the inning on the next pitch, when Rumfield grounded out to short, and one pitch after that, Castro flew out to right. Braxton Fulford also flew out to right, and Gasser was out of the inning, but the Brewer lead had vanished.
Contreras burned a challenge while striking out looking to start the fourth. Bauers followed with a single to center, and Mitchell just missed a homer with a 383-foot drive to deep center that became yet another ball caught on the warning track. With two outs, a couple of Brewer rookies came through to restore Milwaukee’s lead: Lara lined a single to left, and Pratt followed with a hard grounder that deflected off of Castro’s glove and into right, scoring Bauers in the process. A Hamilton strikeout ended the inning, but Milwaukee was back on top at 3-2.
Tyler Freeman hit a solid single to center to lead off the fifth, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tovar. McCarthy hit a hard line drive toward the gap in right, but Lara got a good jump and made a nice jumping catch to steal a double (and a run). Karros was out on a soft liner to third, and Freeman was stranded at second.
Yelich led off the bottom of the inning with a jam-shot fly ball to center which should’ve been caught but wasn’t — Carrigg, in center field, got a bad jump and dove and sort of trapped the ball, but it ended up on the grass, and Yelich was credited with a double. Chourio followed with a strikeout, and Yelich then made an out on the bases when he tried to take third when Karros was playing a ways off of the base, but not far enough. Turang was then robbed of a hit by Carrigg, who made up for his mistake earlier in the inning by making a diving catch for the third out.
Gasser had given up some hard contact in the fifth, but he’d only thrown 70 pitches, so he kept going in the sixth with a quick, seven-pitch, three-up three-down inning. Contreras, of all people, started the bottom of the sixth with an infield hit, and Bauers followed with a single into left, which got him on base for the third time in three plate appearances. With two on and nobody out in the sixth, Feltner’s day was over, as the Rockies turned to the right-handed flamethrower Juan Mejía.
Mejia got off to a poor start by walking Mitchell on four pitches to load the bases. Lara hit a pop fly to left, but it dropped into no-man’s land, and McCarthy misplayed it on the bounce, which allowed a second run to score and got Lara to second base for a bloop double. Pratt was up next and hit a fly ball to left—it looked like it had a chance to drop, but Pratt settled for a sac fly that made it 6-2, instead.
Hamilton had the next chance for the Brewers, and he popped a single over the outstretched glove of Tovar for another hit. Lara had to freeze to make sure it got down, so he held at third, and the lineup turned over with runners on the corners and one out. Yelich struck out, but with two outs, Hamilton took off for second, and Ashcraft faked a throw to second then threw back to third to try to get Lara leaning too far off the bag—the throw, though, went off of Karros’s glove and into left field, allowing Lara to score. Chourio grounded out to end the inning, but the Brewers were up 7-2.
After the long inning, the Brewers went to Chad Patrick in the top of the seventh, even with Gasser at just 77 pitches. Patrick had no trouble and put up a 1-2-3 inning, and capped off Gasser’s nice day: six innings, two runs (on weak hits), five hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.
Turang greeted the new Colorado pitcher, Tanner Gordon, rudely, by hitting a double into the right-field corner. Contreras struck out looking on a pitch that he wanted to challenge, but Contreras had already burned both Brewer challenges, so he couldn’t. Bauers also struck out on a pitch he wanted to challenge (for the record, both pitches looked like balls on Gameday), but those are the breaks. Garrett Mitchell struck out, too, but he at least swung. (This would’ve been a very frustrating inning in a close game, but we can deal with it with a five-run lead.)
Lance McCullers Jr. was on for his second outing as a Brewer in the bottom of the eighth. After getting the first two outs, he walked back-to-back hitters in front of Goodman and his 31 homers. That prompted a visit from pitching coach Chris Hook, but McCullers won a long battle by getting a pop-up (which he fielded himself) on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
The Brewer Boy Wonders both reached to start the bottom of the eighth, Lara on a walk and Pratt on an error by Karros at third, an error which allowed Lara to reach third. Pratt stole second on the next pitch, setting the Brewers up for another chance at a big inning. Gordon did a decent job working out of it, with a strikeout by Hamilton, a sac fly RBI by Yelich, and a pop out by Chourio, but the Brewers tacked one on and led 8-2.
McCullers walked Rumfield to start the ninth, but struck out Castro. A ground ball from Brett Sullivan to Bauers could’ve ended the game, but his throw to second sailed past Pratt and into left field and there were two on with one out. Turang made a nice catch on a pop-up in shallow right field, but the third out remained elusive when McCullers walked Tovar to load the bases. After a mound visit, McCarthy jumped on the first pitch and blooped a two-RBI single to center, which brought Pat Murphy out of the dugout to retreive McCullers in favor of Trevor Megill, who came into the game needing one out but in a save situation.
The Brewers surely didn’t want Megill to have to pitch tonight. He got ahead of Karros, but the Colorado third baseman fought off and 0-2 fastball way above the zone and dumped it into center for another RBI single. Improbably, Carrigg came to the plate as the tying run, but Megill struck him out to finally end the game.
The kids led the way in this one. Lara was 2-for-2 with a walk, a sac fly, and three RBI. Pratt was 2-for-3 with a solo homer, a sac fly, and a stolen base. Turang also had multiple hits including a double. On the mound, Gasser had his nice night, Patrick had a good scoreless inning. McCullers battled wildness and a Bauers error, but Megill was able to clean up the mess.
The Brewers will try to secure the series tomorrow with Jacob Misiorowski on the mound. That game is at 1:10 p.m. If you’re interested in this kind of thing, the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is also tomorrow, starting at 12:30 on MLB Network.
Jul 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) reaches third base on his RBI triple against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
Rangers 7, Mariners 1
Sitting poolside on a nice day: J.P. Crawford, .05 WPA
Falling asleep in the sun and getting a nasty sunburn: Bryan Woo, -.29 WPA; Cole Young, -.05 WPA
