CINCINNATI, OH - JULY 27: Luis Castillo #58 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after closing out the seventh inning of the game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park on July 27, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Miami 5-3. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I am not sure if the Baseball Gods put their heads together and orchestrated tonight’s matchup and lineups between the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, but there sure seem to be some stars aligning in making it happen.
Luis Castillo, former ace and All Star for the Reds, will start against the club that traded him to Seattle back in 2022. Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo – the two headliners that returned to Cincinnati on the other half of that deal – are both in the lineup to face him, with Spencer Steer getting a break after a conveniently timed bean-ball to the ribs last night.
Facing Castillo will be the burgeoning new ace of the Reds in Chase Burns, who’s doing everything he can to show the world he’s the next great right-handed fireballer on the club. Burns is fresh off signing a $105 million contract extension with the Reds that (service time qualifiers and time value of money aside) looks akin to the $108 million outlay Castillo scored from Seattle after the Reds found themselves unwilling to commit to that era of slightly more than mediocre baseball from their team’s recent history.
There’s a lot of overlapping history between these two clubs, including each’s own foibles when it comes to actually making pushes deep into the playoffs in the era of cable television. Shit, we’ve already passed the era of cable television into the streaming age, and both are still in search of any sort of relevance in terms of pennants and banners with their current situations still very much not there yet.
The Mariners, of course, are still in a much, much better spot than the Reds, who just gave them last night’s game in epic-fail fashion and are sure sellers at the trade deadline in two weeks. So, I can’t even point to Burns tonight and claim he can help save the season anymore since this season is as dead as Jimmy Hoffa.
Anyway, first pitch is set for 9:40 PM ET if you’re willing to stay up for that. Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin things:
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 20: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals congratulates Daylen Lile #4 after Lile hit a ninth inning RBI triple against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After getting back over .500 last night, the Nats will look to take another series, this time in Colorado. Just based on the pitching matchup and where this game is being played, this game has the potential to be a shootout. This Nats offense is hungry to get this team back into a playoff spot.
With a righty on the mound, there will be a couple changes. Jose Tena will hit third and DH. Luis Garcia Jr. moves up to his customary 2 spot in the lineup. Dylan Crews gets the day off with Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and James Wood roaming the outfield. Keibert Ruiz is also back behind the plate. Former Rockie Carson Palmquist will open for Miles Mikolas.
The Rockies are bringing in a couple left handed heavy hitters. Mickey Moniak and Troy Johnston will join the lineup after not being in there last night. Those two have been very productive this season. After DH’ing last night, Hunter Goodman will be behind the plate. He will be catching Michael Lorenzen, who infamously no-hit the Nationals back in 2023.
These first two series out of the break are about taking care of business. On paper, these are teams the Nationals should be beating. However, the game is played on the field, and the Rockies have been plucky this season. Hopefully the Nats can secure the series win tonight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Jul 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) heads to the dugout after he hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (47-52) vs. Chicago Cubs (56-44)
Time/Place: 8:05 p.m., Wrigley Field SB Nation Site:Bleed Cubbie Blue Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (5-6, 4.10 ERA) vs. RHP Ethan Roberts (0-2, 4.21 ERA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 05: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees throws a live bullpen session before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on July 05, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The rainout of Tuesday’s game against the Pirates and subsequent rescheduling to a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday brought forward some earlier-than-expected news. The Yankees have announced that they will activate Max Fried from the IL and that the southpaw starter will start the second game of the twin bill, with Gerrit Cole starting the matinee.
Fried has been sidelined since mid-May with a bone bruise in his left elbow that thankfully did not require surgical intervention. He was forced to depart his May 13th start against the Orioles after just three innings with noticeably lowered velocity on all his pitches, and subsequent imaging revealed the bone bruise. Fried was one of their best starters at the time of his injury, with a 4-3 record in ten starts, 3.21 ERA (132 ERA+), 2.71 FIP, and 50 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
Fried checked all the boxes in what was an understandably deliberate and cautious rehab process. He made his lone rehab assignment appearance with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last Friday, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks on 52 pitches. The initial plan was for Fried to make one more rehab appearance of roughly 60 pitches before rejoining the big league team, but the Yankees scrapped those plans and moved up his activation off the IL with the doubleheader rearranging their rotation schedule.
Fried’s return comes at a crucial time with the team still weathering the absence of Carlos Rodón to left elbow inflammation. It will also be the first time that he and Cole will be active teammates — Cole spending the entirety of 2025 off the 40-man roster during his Tommy John rehab — and it’s an extra bonus that they will be pitching back-to-back on the same day.
Expect Fried to be on a similar pitch count to the 60 they were targeting for the scrapped rehab appearance, or perhaps a bit fewer given the higher-intensity environment of the big leagues. The alternatives were not great, as the Yankees just did an all-bullpen game on Sunday, and the prospect of Triple-A arms Elmer Rodríguez (already starting tonight for the RailRiders) or Brendan Beck against the second-best offense in baseball is not one they relished. So they will roll the dice on Fried with a pitch count. Regardless, it is welcome news for the Yankees to be getting one of their stars back.
Benny with the jets! Last night he had a bases clearing double in the fifth. | (Raymond Carlin III/Imagn Images)
The Chicago offense exploded in its 10-3 series-opening win on Monday, knocking veteran Jacob deGrom around for five runs in the process. Which means the White Sox pitching needs to be extra good today, since their bats will probably only scrape up a couple runs on somewhere between three and six hits, as that seems to be the trend in games following a double-digit beatdown like that. I’d prefer it if they proved me wrong, however, so that southpaw Noah Schultz can get some run support.
While the Good Guys still hold a one-game lead in the AL Central, last night’s game caused a scare after both Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery exited the game early with an injury. Colson fouled a ball off his shin late in the game, but finished the plate appearance before Luisangel Acuña took over at shortstop. Colson’s injury didn’t appear to be serious, and he expressed to the media that he would likely be back in the lineup this week. Unfortunately for Kyle, however, as MLB’s Scott Merkin noted: “Teel was on crutches postgame and will almost certainly be moved to the injured list.” Sure enough, the Sox placed Teel on the IL today and called Edgar Quero back up from Triple-A Charlotte as a corresponding move.
Prior to tonight’s game at the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox placed catcher Kyle Teel on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain and recalled catcher Edgar Quero from Class AAA Charlotte.
In 15 games (61 at-bats) with the Knights, Quero is slashing .230/.299/.295 with a double, a homer, six RBIs, four walks, and 11 strikeouts. Edgar struggled for the first half with the South Siders, posting a .486 OPS and .187 batting average while also ranking as a poor defensive catcher with a 46% ABS challenge win percentage. He will still forever be the hero of the 2026 home series in the Crosstown Classic. With the trade deadline on the horizon, it’s clear that the Good Guys need some assistance with pitching if they are going to try to contend this season, but it’s possible we have a new need: a solid catcher that can (ideally) hit for power.
Noah Schultz is making his 12th start of the season and has posted a 5.60 ERA in 53 innings with a 1.358 WHIP. He’s shown flashes of frontline potential, but there have also been outings where his control issues have been more evident. Schultz’s 12.6% walk rate is in the bottom 11% among MLB pitchers, and though he has 47 Ks on the season, he’s not getting batters to chase or whiff much at his pitches. He is also only 22 years old in his rookie season, and while it would be incredible for him to be an elite pitcher right out of the gate, he’s also learning and adapting as he continues to face MLB hitters.
Outside of Colson Montgomery sitting out, we have a fairly typical lineup tonight with Sam Antonacci, Munetaka Murakami, and Miguel Vargas leading off at the top of the order. The Montgomerys are swapping in the lineup, as Braden moves into the cleanup spot, and with Teel out, Drew Romo will remain behind the plate tonight.
The South Siders will face righthander Kumar Rocker, looking to tee off and help Schultz early on. Rocker is making his 17th start of the season, and in 90 innings, he’s posted a 2-8 record with a 4.40 ERA and 1.367 WHIP. The righty can force a decent amount of ground balls to his advantage (45.1% GB%) and has great extension, but opponents own a .295 BABIP with a .430 slugging percentage, and it would be great if the Good Guys could take advantage of some of those weaknesses.
The top of Texas’ order has been productive all season, with each of the first three hitters carrying an OPS above .800, with second baseman Justin Foscue leading the team with an .871 OPS. Our forever White Sox friend, Jake Burger, is batting fifth and has the most home runs this season among the Rangers starters tonight with 17, and while we’ll always root for him, I’d rather him not hit his 18th tonight (sorry, Jake).
Tune into CHSN at 7:05 p.m. CDT as the South Siders look to jump on Texas early. You can also listen in on ESPN Chicago AM 1000. The Sox have a chance to lock up the series and make it three straight victories.
Jul 12, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) throws a pitch San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Tonight, they will look to take Game 2 and even the series.
Starting for the Nationals is old friend Carson Palmquist. (Read his 2025 “Ranking the Rockies” here.) This will be his 16th appearance for the Nationals. During that time, the lefty reliever has 9.2 IP and a 6.52 ERA. He has struck out 12 and has a 1.45 WHIP.
Presumably, Palmquist will be acting as an opener for the Nationals.
Palmquist will be setting the table for Miles Mikolas. This will be his eighth career start and 10th appearance against the Colorado Rockies. He is 1-1 with a 7.91 ERA (34 ER/38.2 IP) with 25 strikeouts. Mikolas leads Major League Baseball with just 1.03 walks per 9.0 innings since May 22. He’s walked just six batters in 52.2 innings over this stretch, and his 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio (22 SO/6 BB) over this stretch is ranked ninth in the National League.
Taking the mound for the Rockies will be RHP Michael Lorenzen in what will be his 22nd start.
Currently, he has an ERA of 6.22 in 97.0 IP. He’s struck out 73 while giving up 38 walks and 14 home runs with a 1.77 WHIP.
Lorenzen has thrown at least five innings in six of his last seven starts (June 10), posting a 3.22 ERA (36.1 IP, 13 ER) with 16 walks and 25 strikeouts. He has the lowest ERA on the club (min. 15.0 IP) across that span.
The Major League Baseball Players Association, believing that MLB’s proposal to overhaul the draft is a poorly designed money-saving measure, instead introduced proposals Tuesday that they believe would invigorate the draft, including the right to trade draft picks for the first time in MLB history.
The union’s proposal, which would also move the draft from the All-Star break to June, would allow teams to trade any draft pick in the first 10 rounds until two hours before the start of the draft. Teams have previously been permitted to only trade competitive balance draft picks.
The union is basically seeking the status quo, with high school and junior college players to be immediately eligible for the draft, while MLB wants all amateurs to be ineligible until they turn 20. The union is also proposing that athletes at four-year universities be eligible for the draft after their sophomore season instead of waiting until after their junior year.
The union also wants to retain a 20-round draft instead of having it cut back to 12 rounds as MLB proposed last month, while maintaining a system where the signing bonus pools grow with industry revenues, which was $358.7 million last year. It also wants to include a provision that small-market teams could add $2 million to their draft bonus pools over five years, and receive an extra $1 million if they reach the postseason the previous year.
“Rejecting MLB's proposals that would demolish the current system by shrinking the draft, slashing benefits by hundreds of millions, and removing all players' right to negotiate, the MLBPA offered a framework that would maintain the economic structure of the Rule 4 draft, provide lower-revenue clubs enhanced access to amateur talent, and provide millions in benefits to such clubs that achieve succeed on the field," the union said in a statement.
The union wants to lessen the penalties for teams that surpass their allotted pools, allowing teams to surpass their pools by as much as 15% without losing a first round pick unless it exceeds it by more than 20%. The current CBA has a 75% overage tax and the loss of a first-round pick for teams that outspend their pool by more than 5%.
The union also is proposing that small-market teams would be eligible to sign up to two players before the third round to major-league contracts, with their slot values removed from their pool.
While MLB proposed an international draft last month, the union has yet to make its proposal for international amateurs. The union refused to include an international draft in the last collective bargaining agreement.
The current five-year CBA expires Dec. 1, and if no agreement is reached, MLB is expected to impose a lockout.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 18: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros runs onto the field before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Daikin Park on July 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (48-54) and Miami Marlins (52-49) will play the middle game of their three-game series tonight at Daikin Park in Houston, TX.
RHP Tatsuya Imai (5-4, 6.06 ERA) will get his first start of the second half and his first start in two weeks tonight opposite the Marlins and RHP Tyler Phillips (2-4, 3.48 ERA).
ABOUT IMAI: RHP Tatsuya Imai joined the Astros this offseason as a free agent signing out of Japan. He’s made 13 MLB starts this year, in which the Astros have gone 8-5, around a month-long IL stint (April 13-May 10).
He’s flashed brilliance at times, including four starts with eight-plus strikeouts, and 6.0 innings of no-hit ball in the Astros no-hitter on May 25 at TEX.
MOVING UP THE LIST: ManagerJoe Espada has 223 managerial wins as the Astros skipper, which ranks 11th in franchise history. With his next win, he will match Terry Collins (224 wins) for 10th on the Astros all-time managerial wins list.
GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros rank first in the AL and second in the Majors in 1st-inning runs (67). Overall, the Astros rank 12th in the Majors in runs (463) immediately ahead of the Marlins (452).
THE LINEUP: The Astros have used 101 different lineups in their 102 games, repeating a lineup just once on the season. DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 89 times.
ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Astros rank second in the AL in fielding pct. (.988) and their 43 errors are the second-fewest in the AL. 1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in his 97 games played at 1B. Dating back to last season, Walker has not made an error in his last 125 games at 1B (last error was Aug. 23, 2025 at BAL).
MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez is a strong AL MVP candidate as he enters tonight as the AL’s Triple Crown leader, ranking first in batting average (.324), HR (33), and RBI (75). He currently leads all of baseball in OPS (1.083), OBP (.432), SLG (.651), extra-base hits (53), and total bases (237), and in the AL, he ranks first in hits (118), third in runs (67), and fourth in walks (66).
CHASING BAGWELL: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 33 homers in the Astros first 102 games, which ties as the second-most in that span in club history, trailing only 1B Jeff Bagwell, who homered 34 times through the club’s first 102 games in 1994. Alvarez is on pace to hit 52 homers on the season, which would represent a new franchise record, topping the 47 homers hit by Bagwell in 2000.
KEYSTONE FLIGHTS: 2B Jose Altuve has 246 career homers as a second baseman and per Elias that ties him with 2B Joe Gordon and 2B Ian Kinsler for eighth all-time in homers by a second baseman in MLB history. On that all-time list, the trio immediately trails 2B Bret Boone (251), who happens to be the father-in-law of IF Nick Allen.
TAP FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 72 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (61%). 2B Jose Altuve has been successful on 15-of-23 challenges (65%), ranking third in the Majors in challenges won. 3B Isaac Paredes (11-for-12) has been the most efficient regular challenger for the team and was successful in his first 11 challenges this year.
WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 3-1 with 10 saves (in 10 chances), has a 1.56 ERA (3ER/17.1IP), 28 strikeouts in 17.1 innings, a .148 (9×61) opponent average, and a 0.98 WHIP in 19 appearances. He has not allowed a hit in 14 of his 19 appearances.
VS THE MARLINS: The Astros and Marlins are playing their first series against each other since Aug. 4-6, 2025 in Miami, with the Astros winning two of three games. This is the Marlins first series in Houston since July 9-11, 2024, a three-game sweep for the Astros.
DOWN ON THE FARM: All three of the Astros minor league teams in action yesterday won, which includes the Astros FCL affiliate and their two Dominican Summer League teams. All three teams have had huge success this season, combining for a 78-37 record (.678), including a 39-11 record by the FCL Astros entering today.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2024 – DH Yordan Alvarez goes 4×4 with a double, triple, single and home run at Seattle to record his first career cycle and the 10th cycle in Astros franchise history.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, July 21, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: SCHN
Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
The Yankees announced that southpaw Max Fried will bypass his next rehab start and return to the big league club on Wednesday. Fried will take the mound in the second game of New York's doubleheader against the Pirates.
Gerrit Cole will start Game 1.
Yankees manager Aaron Boonetold the Talkin' Yanks podcast on Tuesday that Fried was set to pitch at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, but with the team in need of a pitcher with the doubleheader, plans changed.
Boone said that Fried would throw 60 pitches, so that's what fans should expect when the lefty takes the mound.
Fried landed on the injured list in mid-May with a left elbow bone bruise. Before the injury, he made 10 starts and pitched to a 3.21 ERA with 50 strikeouts across 61.2 innings.
In his lone rehab start in Triple-A on Friday, Fried allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 3.0 innings pitched. Fried tossed 52 pitches (32 strikes) with Scranton.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches at Oracle Park on July 11, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game road series against the Kansas City Royals this afternoon.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters today’s game with a 5.31 ERA, 4.46 FIP, with 73 strikeouts to 32 walks in 78 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on July 11th, in which he allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in seven innings.
He’ll be facing off against Royals right-hander Luinder Avila, who enters today’s game with a 5.08 ERA, 4.57 FIP, with 50 strikeouts to 34 walks in 56.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Royals’ 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on July 10th, in which he allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in five innings.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 11: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers stands on the mound during the game against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field on July 11, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski helped lead his team to a road win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. (Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
Every year, teams across Major League Baseball claim that they have their sights set on the World Series. But the Dodgers have made that pilgrimage through October so routine, and have leveraged their financial might to assemble such a deep roster, that the extra month of play weighs more heavily on their midseason decisions than it does for any other club.
Yes, the Dodgers want to claim the best regular-season record in the majors. But they also know how vital it is to peak in health and performance at the right time. Part of that puzzle is managing workload for young pitchers who are poised to be major postseason contributors.
So, expect them to be keeping a watchful eye on left-hander Justin Wrobleski in the second half.
“He’s obviously a huge piece of what we’re doing and what we’re going to be doing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Wrobleski held the Phillies to one run through 6 1/3 innings in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Phillies on Tuesday. “Obviously with the six-man [rotation] that we’re kind of beholden to for this whole season, I think that’s helped. And each outing, just manage how he’s looking, how he’s feeling, and a lot of conversations that we have. But yeah, we’re still looking out to play through October, so got to be mindful of the workload.”
Wrobleski reached the 100-inning mark in his last start before the All-Star break — and then recorded five strikeouts in his first Midsummer Classic, on his 26th birthday no less. He’s on pace to reach a career high in innings well before the end of the regular season.
He’ll blow past the 123 ⅓ innings he threw last year between triple A, the majors and the postseason. But his overall workload last year could be considered a little higher than the innings count, factoring in the work he put in to fix his delivery early in the year and stay ready during the playoffs before making his postseason debut in the World Series.
This year, Wrobleski has thrown the second-most innings of any Dodger, behind only Yoshinobu Yamamoto (119 ⅔). There’s a wide gap before No. 3 on that list, Emmet Sheehan (87 2/3).
The Dodgers have two avenues to subtly ease Wrobleski’s workload, when merited, through number of starts and through pitches within a start.
Even with Shohei Ohtani (left knee irritation) out of the rotation indefinitely, the Dodgers want to keep their starting pitchers on a six- to seven-day rotation. That will naturally cut down on innings, compared to pitching on regular rest.
On Tuesday, Roberts didn’t take the ball from Wrobleski until after the first out in the seventh inning, a deep start, but he was efficient enough that his pitch count was only up to 89.
Wrobleski gave up a run in the first inning on consecutive base hits. But after that, he only let two more runners even reach scoring position.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy’s two-run home run gave the Dodgers the lead in the fourth inning. It was his 228th home run as a Dodger, tied with Ron Cey for No. 5 on the franchise all-time list (tied for No. 2 since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles).
Closer Tanner Scott recorded a five-out save to seal the victory on a wild double play that included a pickle between third and home.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a photo during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 20: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves runs up the outfield wall in the fourth inning during the game against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park on July 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Can the Atlanta Braves go for three consecutive games and put the Sand Diego Padres away early?
Find out starting at 7:15 p.m. ET for first pitch.
Wheeler and the Phillies suffered a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rain at Citizens Bank Park.
The ending was a little ugly for the Phils. They had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but the Dodgers pulled off a game-ending double play as the Phillies ran themselves out of the inning.
It was the first loss with Wheeler on the mound since June 9 when the Phillies were beaten, 3-2, in Toronto. Wheeler allowed just one run over six innings in that game, but didn’t get much run support.
Tuesday night’s game was similar. The Phillies, who have the majors’ worst on-base percentage at .303, had just five hits entering the ninth inning. They scored a run with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, but nothing the rest of the way. Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski had a lot to do with that. Exactly a week after striking out five in two innings of work in the All-Star Game, he returned to the CBP mound and allowed just five hits and a run over 6 1/3 innings. He walked just one and struck seven.
Wheeler was just as good as Wrobleski. He gave up just five hits over seven walk-free innings. He struck out nine.
Ultimately, Wheeler was done in by one pitch, a first-pitch cutter to lefty-swinging Max Muncy in the top of the fourth inning. The pitch was slightly elevated, out and over the plate, and Muncy pounded it 421 feet to center for a two-run home run. Andy Pages, who had singled to lead off the inning, was on first base.
Wheeler had struck out Muncy on a full-count cutter in the second inning. In the fourth, Muncy appeared to be looking for the pitch.
After the Muncy home run, Wheeler retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced to keep the game close, but the Phillies’ bats did not respond.
Wheeler has a 2.08 ERA in his last nine starts. For the season, his ERA stands at 2.16.
One night after struggling mightily in the field, shortstop Trea Turner made three nice plays in the field, one charging the ball, one going to his left and one going to his right.
The Phils and Dodgers, playoff opponents last October, have split the first two games of the series. Aaron Nola (3-7, 5.68) faces lefty Eric Lauer (4-5, 4.81) in the series finale Wednesday night.
