Category: MLB

Fresh off of the All-Star break, the Yankees had a disappointing start to the second half of the season. New York’s offense was quiet, while a clutch homer from Max Muncy sealed the deal for the Dodgers later in the game. Despite the unfortunate return in Yankeeland, there was plenty of baseball going on elsewhere, so let’s take a look at the goings on coming out of the break.

Boston Red Sox (47-48) 10, Tampa Bay Rays (56-39) 0 (Game 1)

With a doubleheader on tap between the Rays and Red Sox, Boston was looking to stay hot on Friday, and that they did. Sox starter Jake Bennett had the good stuff on the mound, while the bats put up double-digit runs on Tampa Bay’s pitchers.

The Red Sox kicked off scoring in the second inning when a sacrifice fly followed by Carlos Narváez’s RBI single had them up 2-0. Later on, a Masataka Yoshida solo homer off Griffin Jax had them up by three, but Boston’s six-run sixth inning was where they really separated themselves. In that inning, Jarren Duran tallied his second and third RBIs of the afternoon, while three other Sox notched ones of their own.

All the while, Bennett was dealing on the mound, as the lefty worked six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. His effort was the driving force in keeping the Rays out of the run column in game one.

Narváez’s capped off his big day with a solo shot in the seventh, which put Boston up by the final of 10-0. It was their 10th consecutive win, with more to come on the day.

Boston Red Sox (48-48) 5, Tampa Bay Rays (56-40) 3(Game 2)

In the nightcap of the doubleheader, though the process was a bit different, the results were not. The action started early in this one, with Jonny DeLuca’s single scoring a pair, before homers from Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras flipped things in favor of Boston in the bottom half of the first.

Junior Caminero smacked his 29th home run of the season in the top of the third, which knotted things back up, as both Eduardo Rivera and Mason Englert had forgettable days on the mound. In the bottom half of that inning, Wilyer Abreu stayed hot and belted his second homer of the game, one that gave his crew a lead they would hold onto the rest of the day.

The second win of the day was the 11th straight for the smoking-hot Red Sox, as they are charging back into contention at the expense of the Rays to kick off the second half. It’s Boston’s longest winning streak since 2016. So while the Yankees did gain a half-game on Tampa Bay despite their own loss to the Dodgers, it’s at least an uneasy feeling with Boston now in a virtual tie with Minnesota (who beat the Cubs 5-2) for the last Wild Card spot.

Other Games

Chicago White Sox (51-45) 12, Toronto Blue Jays (45-52) 5: It was a good day for sock teams, as those of the Chicagoan variety also put up double-digit runs on Friday. A five-run second inning, fueled in part by Sam Antonacci’s two-run homer had them in business early, while three runs in the fifth and four in the seventh just about sealed the deal. It was too much to keep up with for the Jays, as the White Sox were able to maintain their slim lead in the Central for at least another day. (The Guardians’ game against the Pirates was postponed due to the wildfire smoke conditions in Cleveland.)

Atlanta Braves (55-40) 15, Texas Rangers (47-45) 1: Keeping with the theme of the day, the Braves also put a hurtin’ on the Rangers by putting up 15 runs at home. Atlanta plated multiple runs in five different innings, forcing an early and unfortunate exit for Cal Quantrill, though his pals out of the bullpen didn’t fair any better. The Rangers tallied just one run on five hits, while the Braves managed 19, three of which left the park. Most amusingly, an actual pitcher got a hit in garbage time, with Atlanta reliever Victor Mederos singling off old friend Kyle Higashioka.

San Francisco Giants (41-55) 7, Seattle Mariners (48-49) 0: In the late slate of games, the Giants took an easy win from the Mariners in a west coast matchup. Landon Roupp was excellent on the mound for San Francisco, as he tossed seven shutout innings, with Willy Adames’ grand slam being the big blow on the offensive side. With both the Mariners and Rangers losing (as did the Astros, for good measure), Texas retains their 1.5-game lead in the West despite sitting just one game over .500.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 4, Nashville (Brewers) 2

This one started out with Cade Povich doing Cade Povich things, namely giving up home runs. Fortunately, although he gave up two of them, each was a solo shot, so on the whole, his outing was fine: Two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings. I think we can call that “keeping your team in the game,” and Norfolk’s hitters came through later on to get Povich off the hook. They scored two in the seventh to take the lead and then one in the ninth for a little insurance.

Folks, I really, really want to be able to share good news about Enrique Bradfield in these recaps. There’s just nothing going on there. He was 0-3 and drew a walk, picking up an RBI groundout for his trouble. A .660 OPS in Triple-A just isn’t going to cut it, no matter how fast he is. Another player I try to will to good results is Heston Kjerstad. 0-4. The Tides won this one while getting just four hits. That’s good for the players who are on that team! They haven’t had many wins this year so I hope they enjoyed it.

Everyone’s favorite Tides reliever, Andrew Magno, pitched a scoreless eighth with one hit allowed, lowering his season ERA to 1.01 in 35.2 innings.

Box score.

Double-A: Hartford (Rockies) 7, Chesapeake Baysox 3

My honorary hyphenated cousin Juaron Watts-Brown got the start for Chesapeake here, turning in a solid outing. He pitched five innings on 69 pitches, allowing a run on three hits and a walk, with five strikeouts. When he left the game, the Baysox held a 2-1 lead. They gave up three runs in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth to lose it. I don’t like piling on non-prospects who aren’t up to snuff. Check out the box score if you want to know who specifically did it.

The Baysox spread eight hits across their starting lineup. My guy Aron Estrada took an 0-4 out of the leadoff spot.

Box score.

High-A: Greenville (Red Sox) 8, Frederick Keys 7

This one puts a downer on anything else there might be to say about the other games. Pitching prospect Boston Bateman, the jewel of last year’s trade with the Padres, exited this game after just 1.2 innings with what the Orioles called left triceps tightness. Sometimes that’s one of the precursors to the bad thing. Sometimes it’s not. Nothing to do there but wait and see and hope for the best. He was struggling a bit even before the injury; he ended up allowing two runs on a hit and two walks, though he did have four strikeouts.

The Keys led this one going into the bottom of the ninth but got only one out before giving up two runs to get walked off.

Frederick had 12 hits in the game, with five different players picking up multi-hit games. That included rehabbing Triple-A guy Creed Willems, who drove in three of the seven runs with one swing in the first inning. Last year’s first rounder, Ike Irish, also homered, his 13th of the season.

Box score.

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 14, Salem (Red Sox) 11

25 combined runs, 22 combined hits, 13 combined walks, seven combined errors. That’s a certified donnybrook of the kind you can sometimes get in the lowest full-season level of the minors.

When all was said and done, the Shorebirds came out on top of this thing, riding an eight-run fifth inning to a big lead that they never surrendered, try though they might with three spots allowed in the seventh and ninth innings. Crucially, guys you’d like to see be part of an offensive explosion were part of the offensive explosion, starting with infielder Jaiden Lo Re, the recent sensation, who had two hits and three runs scored as well as three runs batted in. Lo Re is up to a .954 OPS since joining the Shorebirds. Last year’s fifth round pick is making a good impression in his first full pro season.

Outfielder Jordan Sanchez also drove in three runs with a pair of hits, in his case including his sixth homer of the season. Sanchez had a walk as well. Fellow outfield prospect Stiven Martinez had two hits in addition to a pair of walks and he stole his eighth base. Infielder DJ Layton stole two bases, giving him 28 steals on the season.

Box score.

Saturday’s Scheduled Games

• Norfolk: at Nashville, 7:35. Starter: Nestor German
• Chesapeake: vs. Hartford, 6:35. Starter: Joseph Dzierwa
• Frederick: at Greenville, 6:45. Starter: Patrick Reilly
• Delmarva: at Salem, 6:35. Starter: Christian Rodriguez

Let’s see, how does this go? Welcome back to the remainder of the season. The post-All-Star break portion of the season. Or in common vernacular, the second half. Roughly two weeks before peak trading season. This is almost always an interesting time in the life of a large market team (even if they occasionally behave as a more financially restrained team).

Let’s get back into the groove, shall we? I’ve been liking to start with the perspective check. I do so, probably as much for me as any of you. This team tends to look very bad when it’s bad and very good when it’s good and have little in-between. Four teams have more wins than the Cubs. Two teams have as many wins as the Cubs. The Cubs are on pace to win 90 games. As it stands today, the Cubs would be the top Wild Card team by virtue of a tie breaker with the Phillies, earned by winning the season series.

This was one of those games that wasn’t in either category. The team looked okay. You can’t except the worst inning of the whole game. However, except for one weird inning, the Cubs won the other eight innings 2-1. You certainly can’t assume sequencing holds. Afterall, the single biggest question mark for this team is its bullpen. Could it have otherwise held a 2-1 lead over the final three innings? I mean, they couldn’t hold a 4-2 deficit over the final three innings when that would have been helpful.

That one inning exploded when Michael Busch tried to make a nice play at second. The advancing runner appeared to screed Dansby Swanson a little bit. I wondered at the time if the play wasn’t close to interference. Maybe you look at it closer if your starting shortstop isn’t writhing on the ground in pain from the ball flukishly bouncing off of his glove and hitting him in the face.

Three of the five hits Colin Rea allowed on the evening occurred during that inning and after that play and four of the five hits against him occurred in that inning. Ironically, Busch and Swanson had hooked up on a very similar play two innings earlier. That’s a huge play if Busch makes it, not only getting the first out but also keeping the double play in order. I didn’t look for interviews after the game, but I’ll assume Dansby said he should have fielded that throw. As wild throws go, it wasn’t really. The baserunner just ended up in the line of the throw and ended up screening Swanson. Just unfortunate. You can’t assume the rest of the Cub sequencing but assume that Rea wouldn’t have allowed a single and a homer otherwise. It’s just too much cherry picking. It was just an unfortunate inning.

The offense managed six hits and four walks. Two runs feels pretty reasonable for that level of production. There was just on extra base hit, a double. The Cubs stole a base. The steal led to the first run. The double led to the second run. It’s almost as if those things increase your odds of scoring. We talked about it before the break. This team has most of its wins in games that is scores five or more runs. They simply don’t win many low scoring affairs like this one.

Three Positives:

• Nico Hoerner singled twice.
• Seiya Suzuki had a double, drew a walk and scored a run.
• Gavin Hollowell struck out the only two batters he faced.
• Obligatory Pete Crow-Armstrong: A walk, a stolen base and a run scored in four plate appearances.

Game 97, July 17: Twins 5, Cubs 2 (54-43)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Seiya Suzuki (.078). 1-3, 2B, BB, R
• Hero: Michael Busch (.061). 1-4, RBI
• Sidekick: Gavin Hollowell (.055). 0.2 IP, 2 BF, 2 K

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Colin Rea (-.202). 6 IP, 24 BF, 5 H, BB, 4 R (3 ER), 6 K (L 7-6)
• Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.137). 0-3, DP
• Kid: Carson Kelly (-.120). 0-4

WPA Play of the Game: Ryan Jeffers’ three-run homer with no outs in the third, turned a tie game into a three run lead. (.200)

Reds Play of the Game: Michael Busch’s RBI single with no outs in the first gave the Cubs the game’s first run. (.118)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 96 Winner: Alex Bregman received 82 of 86 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +24
• Michael Busch +17
• Carson Kelly +15.5
• Ben Brown +13.5
• Trent Thornton/Alex Bregman +12.5
• Edward Cabrera -9.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Nico Hoerner -12
• Dansby Swanson -13
• Caleb Thielbar -14

Take a picture. This is the first time in a very long time that Seiya Suzuki has not been bottom five.

Up Next: Game two of the three game series Saturday. Matthew Boyd (5-1, 4.50) gets the start for the Cubs. They could technically have gotten cute and had him start Friday on four days of rest. But teams generally will get a guy five days when they can. If I were saying this same thing 40 years ago, those words would be three and four respectively. I do sometimes get amazed at how much baseball has changed in my lifetime.

25-year-old Taj Bradley (9-3, 3.59) starts for the Twins. If this is your introduction to the Twins, they have a pretty good pitching staff. Bradley was a fifth round pick of the Rays back in 2018. He was drafted out of one of my favorite ever places, Stone Mountain, Georgia. I was a professional wrestling fan in the 80’s and remember it from that. Taj won his last three starts before the break and four of his last five. In those five starts, he threw 31 innings, allowing just eight runs.

This is a tough matchup.

It was a rough first night back after the All-Star break for the Phillies’ affiliates. The Clearwater Threshers were the only team to come away with a win, and even that required extra innings.

Omaha 2, Lehigh Valley 1

The IronPigs’ bats looked like they were still on a break, mustering just one run on two hits. However, one of those hits was a solo home run by Dylan Moore.

On the bright side, it was a solid night for the IronPigs’ pitching staff with starting pitcher Brian Keller giving up a lone run while striking out six in six innings. Tucker Davidson covered two innings in relief and suffered the loss by giving up a home run in the seventh inning.

Altoona 6, Reading 2

The Fightin’ Phils’ offense wasn’t much better as they scored only two runs in their loss to the Altoona Curve. The lone offensive highlight came in the fourth inning when outfielder Raider Tello had an RBI single to tie the game at two runs apiece.

Starting pitcher Luke Russo gave up three runs in his 5.1 innings of work and then Jack Dallas gave up two more in 1.2 inning of relief.

Wilmington 5, Jersey Shore 4

A bad first and ninth innings doomed the BlueClaws in their loss to the Blue Rocks on Friday. Starting pitcher Sam Highfill allowed three hits and a walk in the opening frame to put the ‘Claws in a 0-3 hole. But the relief pitching stabilized things, allowing the ‘Claws to come back. Brandon Lewis and Carter Mathison homered before second baseman Daunte Stewart’s RBI single in the ninth put them up 4-3.

Unfortunately, reliever Titan Kennedy-Hayes gave up two runs in the ninth as the Blue Rocks walked it off.

Clearwater 16, Dunedin 11

The Threshers had a big offensive night, including a six run tenth inning to surge past the Blue Jays in an extra-inning slugfest. The biggest offensive star of the game was Juan Villavicencio who hit two home runs. Matthew Ferrara had four hits and four RBI, and Nolan Beltran added three hits, including a two-run game tying single in the ninth.

It wasn’t a great night for the Threshers’ pitching staff as every pitcher who appeared in the game allowed at least one run. Marty Gair earned the win by allowing just one run over the final two innings.

FCL Blue Jays 9, FCL Phillies 2

FCL Blue Jays 4, FCL Phillies 1

A doubly bad night for the Phillies’ FCL affiliate. First, they lost the resumption of a suspended game and then recorded just a single hit in the second game. At least the hit was a two-run home run by catcher Cesar Mujica.

DSL Twins 10, DSL Phillies 7

The DSL Phillies got off to a 5-0 lead, thanks in part to a first inning home run by first baseman Nelson Prieto. But the pitching staff was unable to hold it. Releiver Filippo Sabatini gave up five runs (three earned) in three innings, and Justin Burgos gave up three runs without recording a single out.

Last night the Nats delivered a beatdown the likes of which I have not seen in many years. Everyone ate in Sacramento, with the Nats putting up an absurd 23 runs. Those 23 runs are tied for the second most in franchise history. Once the Nats got into the A’s bullpen, things just spiraled out of control.

In a season full of dominant offensive performances, this was the best of them all. After struggling to get going in the Yankees series, especially with runners on base, this Nats offense was angry. A bad Athletics pitching staff got to feel the full wrath of an offense that has been chomping at the bit for nearly a week.

The crazy thing is that the offense looked to be in for a long day at first. A’s starter Gage Jump looked electric out of the gates, retiring the first seven hitters, with five of them coming via the strikeout. Jump was consistently in the upper 90’s, and even touched 100 MPH once. However, even when they were struggling to make contact, they were still making Jump work.

It was the third inning when the scoring opened, with Curtis Mead and Andres Chaparro cashing in with two out RBI’s. Mead and Chaparro each had four hit days, and started their second halves in style. Everyone was eating though. There was not a hitter in the lineup who did not get a hit.

While everyone was hitting, nobody was better than Andres Chaparro. He had one of the best games in Nats history. The husky slugger had four hits and a walk, driving in 8 runs and hitting two homers. It was an impressive night, but that first home run was just mind blowing. His 467 foot blast was the fourth longest Nats home run of the statcast era and looked like it went about 600 feet.

Before this game, Chaparro had a .586 OPS and was drawing the ire of fans because he was taking at bats away from Luis Garcia. However, he exited the game with a .776 OPS after his massive night. We need to see Chaparro be consistent, but it is worth noting that he was getting very unlucky before last night. The 27 year old turned around his season in one night though.

The Nats other big star from this game was just getting his MLB season started. Harry Ford got off to a dreadful start in the minor leagues, but has been getting better and better each month. With Drew Millas going down with injury, it was Ford’s time to shine and he made quite the first impression.

After an inauspicious start where he struck out and blew a challenge, Ford came to life. His second at bat was exactly the kind of thing he has been doing in the minors for about  a half decade now. He worked a walk while spitting on several very close pitches. The athletic catcher also got to second base on a wild pitch that did not get too far away from Shea Langeliers. That helped the Nats manufacture a run.

His biggest swing of the game came in the next inning, when the 23 year old hit his first career big league homer. The former first rounder crushed a ball to left center that left the yard. For a big name prospect who has played over 500 games in the minors, that had to be a special moment. 

Ford had not shown the power he did in previous seasons this year. However, he was starting to find it the last few weeks, as his nagging shoulder injury seems to be getting a lot better. It is no surprise, but I found myself very impressed with the quality of Ford’s at bats. He may not have great power or contact skills, but his elite plate discipline really elevates the entire profile.

The offense was undoubtedly the star of the show last night, as it has been for the whole season. However, I do not want to ignore Cade Cavalli’s performance in a very hitter friendly ballpark. Cavalli went six innings, allowing just two runs while striking out 9 and walking nobody. He didn’t throw his curveball as much as he normally does, but it was devastating when he used it. Cavalli used his curveball as a put away pitch, getting a lot of strikeouts with the hook.

It is easy to forget that this is Cavalli’s first full big league season. With that in mind, what he is doing is very impressive. He has a 3.78 ERA and 3.20 FIP with 119 strikeouts in 104.2 innings. That is rock solid production for a guy who has taken a winding road to get here. Cavalli should be a fixture in the Nats rotation for years to come.

I could go on and on about the offensive performances, but I do not want to be here all day. The Nats ended the first half tied for the league lead in runs scored. Apparently that did not sit well with them because they are now way ahead of the pack again.

I don’t want to jinx anything, but let’s just say that I am excited to see what this offense can do in Sacramento and in Coors Field to start next week. That league lead in runs could get even wider. 

Whenever I resign myself to the Nats selling at the deadline, they do something like this and it makes me want to buy again. I can only imagine the inner struggle Paul Toboni is facing with the deadline looming. This offense is so special, but this team is also very flawed and the plan was for this to be a long term ordeal.

However, the offense has put a wrench in that plan by being so good, so quickly. This road trip will tell us a lot about where the Nats stand. If they can go 4-2 or better, it will put Toboni in a real bind. This offense is just so special, and I can’t wait to see them paired with a better pitching staff in the years to come.

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The Chicago Cubs are -145 favorites to get revenge following a 5-2 loss in the series opener.

Given Taj Bradley's incredible recent form, my Twins vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks see value in backing the road team at a healthy plus-money price on Saturday, July 18.

Who will win Twins vs Cubs today: Twins moneyline (+125)

Matthew Boyd posted a 2.86 ERA over the past month despite a 4.82 xFIP and 5.59 xERA – strong signals his numbers could soon take a turn for the worst.

He has had a more difficult time against right-handed bats and, including switch-hitters, the Minnesota Twins could throw as many as seven at him on Saturday afternoon.

Taj Bradleyowns a 2.32 ERA the past month with much better indicators to boot (2.49 xERA, 3.25 xFIP).

He should keep the Chicago Cubs in check, positioning the Twins to pull off the upset.

Bet to +110.

COVERS INTEL:Taj Bradley ranks in the 93rd percentile in Fastball Run Value, and he throws that pitch more than double anything else.

Twins vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 9.0 (-110)

Boyd has his flaws but he limits homers effectively andthe Twins rank 28th in OPS vs. lefties the past two months. They severely quick-strike offense against southpaws.

Bradley is a high strikeout pitcher who has held opponents to a 33% hard hit rate over his last five starts. That has helped him limit the longballs, allowing just 1.16 per nine innings.

We shouldn’t see much power in this game, which will make it difficult for both teams to score in bulk and push this game Over.

I like the Under and would play it to -120.

Twins vs Cubs weather

Temperatures are expected in the mid 80s with winds blowing east. Boost to the offenses.

Twins vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Minnesota +125 | Chicago -145
• Run line: Minnesota +1.5 (-160) | Chicago -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: Over 9.0 (-110) | Under 9.0 (-110)

Twins vs Cubs trend

Minnesota has hit the moneyline in 11 of the last 15 away games (+9.10 units, 59% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Cubs.

How to watch Twins vs Cubs and game info

Twins vs Cubs latest injuries

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Miguel Vargas is one of the league's hottest hitters against right-handed pitchers, and he draws a struggling righty this afternoon in Shane Bieber.

With such an advantageous matchup, Vargas headlines my three MLB player props and MLB picks for Saturday, July 18.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Miguel Vargas	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs	-132
Samuel Basallo	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs	+101
Luis Garcia Jr	Over 1.5 total bases	-107

Miguel Vargas Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs (-132)

Things have not gone well for Shane Bieber. He is sporting a 7.64 ERA and 2.04 WHIP through just under 18 innings of work. He has also allowed a ton of power, conceding seven homers.

He has struggled even more so against right-handed hitters, allowing an absurd .419 average to date.

That puts Miguel Vargas in a very good spot. He has hit .346 vs. righties with a remarkably strong 20.4% barrel rate over his last 20 games.

He’s hitting for contact, he’s hitting for power, and Bieber is consistently giving up both.

Bet to -150.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN, Sportsnet

Samuel Basallo Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs (+101)

Samuel Basallo mashes right-handed pitching. He ranks in the 92nd percentile in xwOBA, the 96th percentile in xSLG, and consistently makes hard contact.

He is going to cause problems for Spencer Arrighetti, whose profile against lefties is littered with red flags – and only getting worse.

Arrighetti has allowed a .321 average, .426 ISO, and .491 wOBA when facing left-handed bats over his last five starts. 

He is in miserable form, and Basallo is a likely candidate to take advantage.

Back the Baltimore Orioles’ slugger to -135.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, SCHN

Luis Garcia Jr. Over 1.5 total bases (-107)

J.T. Ginn has conceded a .268 average against left-handed hitters over his last 10 starts, which is over .100 points higher than what he held righties to during the same stretch. 

Isolating starters who rank in the 45th percentile or worse in xSLG and xwOBA vs. lefties, Luis Garcia Jr. has cleared 1.5 total bases in 68.4% of his games and averaged 3.5 bases along the way.

Garcia also owns ISOs of .320 or higher against three of Ginn’s four most-used pitches. 

This is a great spot to deal damage.

Bet to -125.

• Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NATS, NBCSCA

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San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller threw 16 pitches in the bottom of the ninth inning. He opened the inning allowing a single to Isaac Collins and a double to Carter Jensen. Miller issued an intentional walk to Bobby Witt Jr. to load the bases with no outs for the Kansas City Royals. The All-Star reliever then recorded three consecutive strikeouts to end the Kansas City threat and the inning to send the game to extra-innings.

San Diego scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to take what looked to be a comfortable 6-3 lead. However, instead of Miller returning to the mound for the bottom of the 10th inning, Kyle Hart took the mound for the Padres. The left-hander was looking to secure the win and earn his first MLB save; however he allowed four runs to score on four singles and a groundout, and the Padres opened the second half of the season with a 7-6 extra-inning loss at Kaufman Stadium. It was a heartbreaking result for a team with its season on the line and could have a disastrous effect if San Diego cannot bounce back in the second game of the series today.

The Padres were on an emotional roller coaster throughout the final innings of the game. San Diego was trailing 3-2 with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. It appeared the game was all but over before Ty France hit a solo home run to tie the game at 3-3. After the Houdini act by Miller in the bottom of the ninth and the offense scoring three runs in the top of the 10th it appeared the Padres would push their win streak to three games, but that was not the case.

Michael King started the game on the mound for San Diego and he labored through five innings. He allowed just one run, which came on a solo home run by Lane Thomas, but he used 97 pitches to get through the outing. King limited Kansas City to four hits and issued two walks before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The Padres offense scored six runs with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Miguel Andujar each having three-hit games. Xander Bogaerts and France were the only other players in the San Diego lineup to record hits.

The Padres will try to get back to .500 with a win when they take on the Royals today at 1:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• A lot of questions surrounding the Padres will be answered over the next 16 games. Even more will be answered throughout the second half of the season. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball gives readers some insight as to what they can expect to see from San Diego as play resumes following the All-Star break.

• Freddy Fermin was activated off the IL and with Luis Campusano back with the big-league club, Rodolfo Duran was sent back to the minors.

• The San Diego farm system benefits from the influx of players after the 2026 MLB Draft.

• Jim Bowden of The Athleticdoes not list the Padres as one of his six teams in position to sell at the trade deadline, but he adds they could become sellers depending on their start to the second half.

Baseball News:

• The Boston Red Sox extended their win streak to 11 games with doubleheader sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch Wednesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers following knee injection. The Dodgers opened the second half of the season with a win over the New York Yankees.

• The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins in 10 innings.

• Five-run second inning propels the Chicago White Sox to a win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

• The Washington Nationals thumped the Athletics, 23-4.

• The St. Louis Cardinals scored a run in the ninth to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks.

• San Francisco shuts out the Seattle Mariners to give Giants 7-0 win.

• Brady Singer throws seven innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the Colorado Rockies.

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It's a busy Saturday across the Majors, and there's no shortage of intrigue in my same-game parlay predictions. 

I'm eyeing another gem from Trevor Rogers, while two struggling starters present value in a higher-scoring game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. 

See more in my MLB picks for Saturday, July 18.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
BAL vs HOU	+525
STL vs ARI	+420
SFG vs SEA	+360

Orioles at Astros SGP: Rogers Continues to Deal

Trevor Rogers has really turned a corner over the last month. The left-hander owns a 3.02 FIP over his last four outings, and has allowed Under 2.5 earned runs in five straight appearances.

Across his last two starts, the southpaw has given up just one earned run. 

However, one hitter who could have some success against him tonight is Yordan Alvarez. The slugger has a .286 average against left-handed hurlers, and he's cashed the Over in total bases in four of his previous five contests.

Alvarez also owns a .400 ISO over the last two weeks. 

Gunnar Henderson has five hits in his last four games, and Houston Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti is in horrible form, compiling a 9.10 FIP in the last month. 

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, SCHN

See full analysis of this game in our Orioles vs. Astros predictions.

Cardinals at Diamondbacks SGP: Pfaadt Carves Up Struggling Cards

Brandon Pfaadt is dominating lately for the Arizona Diamondbacks, compiling a phenomenal 2.50 xERA across his last four outings while allowing just 0.57 BB/9 and HR/9.

Pfaadt hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a single outing since May 17, and tonight's matchup is a clear opportunity to keep dealing. The St. Louis Cardinals are in horrible offensive shape, posting a 64 wRC+ over their last 11 games. 

Gabriel Moreno is one of Arizona's hottest hitters at the moment, batting .405 over his last 10 contests. The catcher has three multi-hit games in his previous four games, and Dustin May is vulnerable to hard contact right now, allowing a 42.9% hard-hit rate over the last month. 

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, DBacks.TV

See full analysis of this game in our Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks predictions.

Giants at Mariners SGP: High-Scoring Affair in Seattle

The Over has appeal tonight in Seattle. Logan Webb enters in poor form, posting a 4.82 FIP over his last four outings, and he has allowed 12 earned runs across his previous two starts.

Bryan Woo has a 4.05 xERA over the last month, which is manageable, but he has allowed at least two earned runs in back-to-back outings. With the total sitting at just seven, scoring could build before the bullpens fully factor in.

Bryce Eldridgehas scored six runs in his last 10 contests, including three straight, and San Francisco owns an 119 wRC+ over the last two weeks. Josh Naylor is also riding a nine-game hitting streak.

• Time: 8:08 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FOX

See full analysis of this game in our Giants vs. Mariners predictions.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Detroit Tigers came charging out of the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on Saturday night. Troy Melton and Keider Montero combined to hold the opponent to just one run while a ninth-inning rally that saw Hao-Yu Lee plate the two winning runs gave the visitors all they needed to prevail.

On Saturday night, the two teams meet again with left-hander Tarik Skubal taking the mound for AJ Hinch’s squad. The 29-year-old has looked strong over his last three starts heading into the break, posting a 2.25 ERA and 2.79 FIP stretching across 16 innings, recording 23 strikeouts against just three walks.

Meanwhile, the Angels have right-hander Grayson Rodriguez climbing the hill looking to even up the three-game series. The 26-year-old began the season on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation and missed some time with lower back tightness before returning just ahead of the All-Star break.

In that game against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis before the break, Rodriguez lasted 5 1/3 frames, surrendering three runs on six hits and a walk, failing to strike out a batter while throwing a wild pitch. He managed to earn his third win of the season for his efforts that day.

The Tigers faced Rodriguez earlier this season on May 28 in Detroit, where he held the Olde English D to just one run on two hits (including a solo home run) and two walks while striking out five over five frames. The Angels prevailed, 7-1, giving him his second win of the 2026 campaign.

Here is a look at how the two pitchers match up on Saturday night.

Detroit Tigers (45-52) vs. Los Angeles Angels (38-60)

Time (ET): 10:07 p.m.
Place: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, California
SB Nation Site: N/A
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 98: LHP Tarik Skubal (5-4, 3.06 ERA) vs. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-2, 7.55 ERA)

SKUBAL

RODRIGUEZ

The Mets pick up their three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia after the day off on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• Francisco Alvarezbelted two home runs in the series-opening win, and in his last eight games has 10 hits in 28 at-bats with a 1.009 OPS. The catcher now has his season slash line up to .259/.325/.448 (113 OPS+, 116 wRC+)
• Sean Manaea climbs the hill after his best start in a long while: 7.0 innings, three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts last time out. In his last start in Philly last month, he allowed three runs (two earned) in 5.1 innings of a Mets win
• The Phillies are starting a lefty of their own in Jesus Luzardo, who posted a 3.51 ERA and 1.224 WHIP in 110.1 innings in his All-Star first half. In his start against the Mets in late June, he allowed one run on four hits over 5.0 innings

Today's Lineups

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Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (46-47)

BUFFALO 7, SYRACUSE 5 (BOX)

Never seen this before – Syracuse had three homers and three errors on the night from the same three players. Cool little oddity. Luis Robert also played a full game in center as he nears a major league return (and likely trade). Unfortunately, Joey Gerber gave up two runs in the ninth that proved to be the difference.

• REHAB ALERT: CF Luis Robert Jr.: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 BB
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 0-4, BB, K
• SS Ronny Mauricio: 2-5, R, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 K, E (4)
• LF Nick Morabito: 0-4
• RF MJ Melendez: 3-4, 2 R, HR (8), RBI, K, E (3
• 3B Christopher Morel: 2-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, E (1)
• 2B Ji Hwan Bae: 0-4
• DH Christian Arroyo: 0-4, 2 K
• C Hayden Senger: 0-4, 2 K
• RHP Jack Weisenburger: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Ofreidy Gómez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• LHP Nate Lavender: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Daniel Duarte: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• LHP Jefry Yan: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Joey Gerber: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, L (1-2)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (33-55)

AKRON 11, BINGHAMTON 0 (BOX)

Oof.

• C Chris Suero: 1-4, K
• CF Jose Ramos: 1-3, K, CS (4)
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 0-3, 2 K
• 1B JT Schwartz: 0-2, BB, 2 K
• DH Kevin Parada: 0-3, 2 K
• RF Matt Rudick: 0-2
• SS Wyatt Young: 0-3, 2 K
• LF Nick Lucky: 0-3, 3 K
• 2B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-3, K
• RHP R.J. Gordon: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, L (1-6)
• RHP Douglas Orellana: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• RHP Zach Peek: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (37-49)

BROOLYN 4, HUDSON VALLEY 0 (BOX)

Mitch Voit’s surge continues. Three more hits, three more steals, and suddenly his OPS is approaching 800. Couple that with a shutout pitching performance from four Cyclones and you get a real nice start to the second half.

• SS Mitch Voit: 3-4, R, RBI, BB, 3 SB (34)
• 3B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-5, K
• CF John Bay: 3-5, 2 R, 3B, RBI, K
• 1B Corey Collins: 2-4, RBI, SB
• DH Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, BB, K, SB (18)
• C Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, RBI, E (8)
• RF JT Benson: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• 2B Colin Houck: 0-4, 2 K
• LF Trace Willhoite: 0-3, R, BB, SB (1)
• LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Noah Hall: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, W (3-6)
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (40-46)

ST. LUCIE 3, PALM BEACH 2 / 10 (BOX)

Antonio Jimenez’s surge did not continue. But Elian Peña homered and the Mets won in extras. Take the wins you can.

• 3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-3
• SS Elian Peña: 2-4, R, HR (4), RBI, K, E (21)
• CF Trey Snyder: 0-4, K
• RF Randy Guzman: 2-3, R, HR (10), RBI, BB
• DH Julio Zayas: 0-3, BB, K
• 1B AJ Salgado: 1-4, R, K, CS (3)
• LF Branny De Oleo: 0-3, K
• C Chase Meggers: 0-3, RBI, 2 K
• 2B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-3, BB, CS (4)
• RHP Joel Lara: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• RHP Zack Mack: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Elwis Mijares: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W (4-4)
• RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (2)

Rookie: FCL Mets (23-29)

FCL METS 3, FCL CARDINALS 2 (BOX)

• SS Marco Vargas: 0-4, K
• CF Bohan Adderley: 1-4, K
• DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 1-3, R, HR (7), RBI, BB
• C Josmir Reyes: 1-3, R, BB
• 3B Roybert Herrera: 1-2, BB, K
• 2B Anthony Frobose: 0-3, 2 K, E (9)
• LF Vladi Gomez: 1-3, RBI, 2 K, SB
• 1B Yeider Mindiola: 1-2, 2B, BB, K, E (9)
• RF Adolfo Miranda: 0-3, K
• RHP Jean Brito: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, E (3)
• RHP Jun-Seok Shim: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Yoralbert Cadiz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Rookie: DSL Mets Orange (17-18)

DSL MARINERS 8, DSL METS ORANGE 2 (BOX)

• SS Wandy Asigen: 0-4, K
• DH Cleiner Ramirez: 1-4, K, SB (11)
• 1B Cesar Acosta: 2-4, 2B, 2 K
• 3B Sebastian Toro: 0-4, K
• LF Jhonael Cuello: 1-4, R
• C Yadier Fuentes: 0-3, K
• C Adrian La Rosa: 1-1, SB (4)
• RF Ryan Rudas: 1-3, RBI, K, SB (12)
• 2B Oscar Pena: 0-4, R, 2 K, SB (3), 2 E (2)
• CF Aiberson Blanco: 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 K
• RHP Oscar Montero: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• LHP Mauricio Nunez: 0.0 IP, 0 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, L (0-2)
• RHP Wranigher Navas: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• RHP Alvaro Carrillo: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• RHP Olmedo Barria: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Rookie: DSL Mets Blue (14-20)

DSL COLORADO 8, DSL METS BLUE (BOX)

• SS Johnderis Sanchez: 2-3, 2 R, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (21)
• RF Jonnhan Sanchez: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K
• 1B Frank Moreno: 0-4, K
• 2B Dayron Oramas: 0-4, K
• CF Henry Manrique: 1-2, R
• LF Emerson Estevez: 0-2
• DH Royner Bravo: 0-4, 3 K
• 3B Michalle Mercedes: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K, 3 E (13)
• LF-CF Elvis Teran: 0-4, R, 2 K, SB (7)
• C Adrian Silva: 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB, K
• RHP Anderson Ozuna: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• LHP Cesar Morales: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• LHP Cristopher Hernandez: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, BS (1)
• RHP Yunior Canario: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Enmanuel Feliz: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, E (2), L (1-2)
• RHP Edgardo Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Mitch Voit

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

The Rumble Ponies

Braves 15, Rangers 1

• Starting off the second half with a big ol’ trash can game is not a great omen.
• Is it better or worse than ending the first half with a trash can game, though?
• Starting the second half this way is a big let down, but then you have another game the next day. We move on.
• Ending the first half with this sort of clunker would leave the funk lingering for the four days where the Rangers don’t play. It would mean a miasma of disaster hanging over everyone during the break.
• The good news is that the Mariners and Astros both lost.
• The Mariners got shut out by the San Francisco Giants, 7-0, and only had two hits.
• The Giants are one of the worst teams in baseball. They’ve been terrible all season. The hiring of Tony Vitello, a college coach who had never worked for a professional franchise before, has not worked out at all.
• So at least the Rangers got stomped by an actual good team, a first place team with the third best record in the majors right now.
• And at least the Rangers are still 1.5 games up in the American League West.
• Houston lost 3-2 to the Orioles, which means that they are still 3 games back in the division.
• Now that I look at it, every American League West team lost.
• The Angels, who currently have the worst record in baseball, lost in especially dispiriting fashion. Reid Detmers gave them six shutout innings. They took a 1-0 lead into the ninth.
• And their closer, our old friend Kirby Yates, hit a batter in the ninth, walked a batter in the ninth, and gave up a two run double to Hao-Yu Lee. It ended up being a 2-1 loss for Anaheim.
• The Northern California A’s, meanwhile, got curbstomped by the Washington Nationals, 23-4.
• Someone named Yunior Tur made his major league debut for the A’s and gave up 6 runs and seven hits. Someone else named Brady Basso threw a scoreless inning and lowered his ERA on the season to 10.13.
• Carlos Cortes, that dude who beat up on the Rangers pitching earlier this year, pitched the ninth and gave up five runs. At least Kyle Higashioka, the Rangers’ position player who pitched, only gave up three runs.
• The Nationals also used a position player to pitch the ninth, in the rare instance of a team bringing in a position player with a lead. Jorbit Vivas allowed just two runs, meaning he did better than Higashioka, I guess.
• And only one of Vivas’s two runs allowed was earned, because Nasim Nunez made an error behind him that put a runner on who ended up scoring.
• Nasim Nunez is leading the majors in stolen bases, with 35. He’s only been thrown out 4 times.
• Nunez has a fascinating .247/.330/.295 slash line on the year. He has 59 singles, four doubles, three triples and a homer.
• The paltry number of extra base hits is kind of remarkable because you’d think, as fast as he is, he’d leg out more than four doubles by this point in the season.
• You are probably thinking to yourself, Blogamemnon, while I acknowledge that these are thoughts that you are expressing, they are not on this 15-1 Rangers loss, or, really, any 15-1 Rangers loss.
• And I would have to concede that point. But is that really a bad thing?
• This is only the fourth 15-1 loss in team history. The last time the Rangers lost 15-1 was in September 2021, a terrible season, and we were actively trying to avoid paying attention to the team by that point in the very bad season.
• Here’s who pitched for the Rangers in that game: Spencer Howard, Wes Benjamin, A.J. ALexy, Hyeon-jong Yang, and Charlie Culberson.
• I had completely forgotten about Hyeon-jong Yang.
• The Rangers also lost 15-1 in 1973, to the White Sox, and in 1993, to the Red Sox.
• That 1993 game against Boston is actually an important historical footnote. Jose Canseco pitched the ninth inning for the Rangers, allowed three runs, and tore his UCL. He missed a stretch of games, returned and tried to play for a couple of weeks, but then ultimately was shut down for the year due to Tommy John surgery.
• It was also the next to last game that Robb Nen pitched for the Rangers. He gave up five runs. Not long after he was traded to the Marlins, along with Kurt Miller, for Cris Carpenter, in one of the all time bad trades in Rangers history.
• At least Emiliano Teodo got to make his major league debut in this game.
• He wasn’t good, and isn’t ready to be in the majors right now, but he’s got a major league line now, even if it features an 18.00 ERA.
• Elias Diaz had a 106.0 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 101.0 mph single. Josh Jung had a 100.0 mph fly out.
• Cal Quantrill hit 95.6 mph with his sinker, averaging 93.8 mph. Emiliano Teodo’s sinker touched 101.9 mph. Gavin Collyer topped out at 97.7 mph with his fastball. Ben Peoples reached 96.9 mph with his fastball. Kyle Higashioka threw 20 eephuses and two fastballs, with the fastball topping out at 61.9 mph.
• Let’s bin this one and move on.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are slight road favorites against the New York Yankees, and I’m laying the short moneyline price.

Ryan Weathers’ fastball issues are a difficult fit against the best offense in baseball.

Here are my Dodgers vs Yankees predictions and MLB picks for July 18.

Who will win Dodgers vs Yankees today: Dodgers moneyline (-112)

I’m backing the Los Angeles Dodgers because Ryan Weathers’ biggest weakness runs directly into this lineup’s strength.

I thought yesterday was the New York Yankees' best chance to get a win in this series, and without it, I see them at risk of being swept.

Weathers, who allows a 55.6% hard hit rate that ranks in the bottom 30 percent of baseball, is a real issue against the best offense in baseball.

LA hurler Emmet Sheehan is not risk-free, but his 30% whiff rate gives them a pretty direct route against a Yankees lineup that has the third-highest rate of such stats in the sport.

In a game that's a near pick'em, I'd play the Dodgers down to -133. 
 

COVERS INTEL:Sheehan’s slider is his separator, holding hitters to a .317 xSLG with a 39.1% whiff rate

Dodgers vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 9

I’m playing the Over because both starters have pitch-shape issues that can turn into home-run damage. Weathers’ fastball has been a big issue, and "he's facing the Dodgers" is simply enough analysis to tell you why that presents troubles here.

Sheehan also gives New York a path. His heater has also had some issues. It's allowed a .550 xSLG, and his 65.0% air-ball rate, which makes him vulnerable against teams that can get the ball elevated.

The Yankees are inconsistent without their full lineup, but they still carry enough barrel power at Yankee Stadium to help clear nine.

Dodgers vs Yankees weather

Thunderstorms are expected at the start of tonight's ballgame. It will be hot and humid, with winds blowing out to center field. 

Dodgers vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -110 | Yankees -110
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 | Yankees +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Dodgers vs Yankees trend

The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 31 of their last 50 away games (+9.50 Units / 11% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs Yankees

How to watch Dodgers vs Yankees and game info

Dodgers vs Yankees latest injuries

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The Cubs’ 5-2 loss to the Twins Friday night at Wrigley Field was certainly not the way we envisioned the season’s “second half’ beginning.

The offense (mostly) disappeared. And a long ball by the opposition proved the difference in the game.

Let’s begin at the beginning.

The Cubs took a first-inning lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off with a walk and stole second. Then Seiya Suzuki also walked.

Michael Busch’s single made it 1-0 Cubs [VIDEO].

So after 18 pitches, the Cubs had the lead and two runners on with nobody out. Big inning possible, right?

Well… no. Alex Bregman, who ended the first half so well, struck out. Then Ian Happ hit into a double play. Inning over, and already 0-for-2 with RISP. (That would become a theme on this night.)

The Cubs had another good scoring chance in the second. Nico Hoerner led off with a single and Michael Conforto followed with another hit. But again a strikeout (Carson Kelly) and double play (Dansby Swanson) would end the inning. That’s 0-for-4 with RISP if you’re keeping track.

In the top of the third, with a runner on first and nobody out, Tristan Gray hit a possible double-play ball to Busch. Unfortunately, Busch’s throw hit Swanson in the face [VIDEO].

There was a brief delay while Cubs staff tended to Swanson, who stayed in the game. Did this delay bother Colin Rea? He did warm up during the delay, but then allowed a single to Trevor Larnach that tied the game, followed by the pitch alluded to in the headline, a sweeper to Ryan Jeffers. Jeffers hit the ball into the bleachers for a three-run homer that made it 4-1 Twins.

The Cubs got another runner to scoring position in the bottom of the fourth. With two out, Nico had his second hit of the game and went to second on a throwing error. Conforto popped up to end the inning, 0-for-5 with RISP.

Rea settled down after the Jeffers homer and allowed just one further baserunner from the fourth through the sixth. It wasn’t that bad an outing, but I’m sure Rea would love to have that pitch back. From BCB’s JohnW53:

Because one of the four runs he allowed was unearned, Colin Rea earned a quality start.

It was his fourth, in 16 starts, tying him with Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon for second most on the Cubs, behind Shota Imanaga’s seven.

Ben Brown has three; Javier Assad and Matthew Boyd, two; and Cade Horton, one, for a total of 27.

The Angels began Friday with 27, which was 23rd most among the 30 teams. The Dodgers had 54; the Red Sox, 45; the Mariners, 44; and the Phillies, 43. No other team had more than 39.

The Angels moved ahead of the Cubs Friday with a very good start from Reid Detmers, who held the Tigers scoreless for six innings with seven strikeouts. I still would love to see the Cubs trade for Detmers before the deadline. (The Tigers won the game off the Angels bullpen.)

Anyway, the Cubs did put another run on the board in the sixth. Seiya Suzuki led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a ground out. Alex Bregman then walked and while Ian Happ was at bat, Suzuki scored on this wild pitch [VIDEO].

Bregman held at first on that wild pitch but advanced to second when Happ singled. With one out there were more scoring chances but… Hoerner hit into a force play and Conforto flied to center. That’s two more unsuccessful at-bats with RISP.

Drew Pomeranz entered to throw the seventh and walked the first two hitters he faced. A pinch-hit single by Ryan Kreidler made it 5-2. I’m thinking the Pomeranz Cubs Reunion Tour might not have too many gigs left.

The Cubs bats were mostly silent the rest of the way. The only baserunner over the last three innings was a leadoff walk by Happ in the ninth. In the eighth, Suzuki sent a ball to deep left-center, and a hat tip to Twins center fielder Luke Keaschall for this PCA-like sliding catch [VIDEO].

So: Lack of offense, lack of hitting with RISP (1-for-10 on the night) and the one pitch thrown for a three-run homer was what doomed this game. One good thing: Hoerner’s two hits. He hadn’t had two hits in a game since June 28. Hopefully this gets him going.

The Brewers won Friday so the Cubs now trail by six games in the NL Central. The Cubs maintained their lead for the first wild card spot over the Phillies, who were idle on Friday. Speaking of Fridays, from John:

With the loss, the Cubs now are 5-8 in their rare Friday night games at home.

They have lost the last five. The four before last night: 10-2 to the Marlins in June of 2021, 12-4 to the Cardinals in September of 2021, 4-2 to the Pirates in April of 2022 and 8-3 to the Red Sox in July of 2023. 

The April 2022 game noted by John was moved from 1:20 to 7:05 early that day due to weather. The others were scheduled. Also, for whatever it’s worth, the Cubs are now 3-5 in 2026 wearing the “Chicago Blues” uniforms; they were 9-4 in them last year.

The Cubs will look to even up the series with the Twins Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Taj Bradley goes for Minnesota. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.