Jul 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Will Klein (61) throws during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | William Navarro-Imagn Images
The D-backs (47-47) pulled away late, securing a 9-3 victory over the Dodgers (61-34) Friday night at Dodger Stadium. After Arizona’s early advantage was erased by back-to-back home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages in the first, Tim Tawa’s fourth-inning home run put the D-backs ahead for good.
Sloppy play and three costly errors proved too much to overcome for the Dodgers offense. The offense only mustered three at-bats with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-3 with six runners stranded.
The D-backs opened up the game with back-to-back 0-2 singles against Kyle Hurt. Gabriel Moreno got the D-backs on the board first with a RBI base hit to right field. A throwing error by Tucker allowed a second run to come in to make it 2-0, Snakes.
Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his final start of the season prior to first pitch due to continued inflammation in his left knee. He remained in the lineup, and his bad knee didn’t prevent him from crushing a leadoff home run to cut Arizona’s lead down to one.
Will Klein was the next arm out of the Dodgers bullpen, and he stranded Corbin Carroll at second base in the third to preserve the tie.
The D-backs took back the lead in the fourth, and never looked back, after Tim Tawa took a Brock Stewart four seamer for a ride.
Arizona continued to cash checks written by the Dodgers defense. A botched throw from Dalton Rushing in the fifth was the fifth Dodgers error in the last three games. A scoring groundout increased the D-backs lead to three runs.
A wild pitch by pitcher Edgardo Henriquez brought in a second run for the D-backs in the inning to make it 6-2.
More sloppy play helped the D-backs put the D-backs another two runs ahead in the sixth. They scored twice in each of the fourth through sixth innings. Freeman held on to a grounder hit back to him by Geraldo Perdomo and allowed an eighth run to come in.
Tawa singled in another run for the D-backs in the top of the eighth against Evan Phillips to make it 9-2.
The Dodgers scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on a Miguel Rojas RBI double, but the game was long over.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Shohei Ohtani (21), Andy Pages (17); Tim Tawa (2)
LP — Will Klein (3-4): 1 2/3 IP, 1 run, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Up next
Yoshinobu Yamamoto ( 9-5, 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP) looks to finish up a dominant first half at (6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA). Brandon Pfaadt (2-1, 4.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) starts for the D-backs in the second game of the series Saturday night.
Jul 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) walks off the field during a weather delay in the fourth inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Friday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves was really two completely different stories. There’s the first third of the game which featured a pitcher’s duel between Kyle Leahy for the Cardinals and Chris Sale for the Braves. The final two-thirds of the game didn’t begin until a 2-hour rain delay was over and it would end with a Cardinals victory.
It was no surprise that the Atlanta Braves Chris Sale had nasty stuff, but what will sadly probably get overlooked by many is that Kyle Leahy for the Cardinals had better results for the 3 innings he was in the game before the rain delay removed both starters. The Cardinals at least managed a scoring threat in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Blaze Jordan hit a ground rule double and JJ Wetherholt walked. Kyle Leahy only allowed one hit which was an infield single to Jim Jarvis with two outs in the top of the 3rd inning.
The second two-thirds of the game started with a 1-2 count on Ozzie Albies in the top of the 4th inning after a two-hour rain delay that included a deluge of water that was spotted pouring into the dugouts.
After the game resumed, George Soriano pitched a scoreless top of the 4th, but wasn’t so fortunate in the top of the 5th when Mike Yastrzemski ripped a one-out double down into the right field corner. Austin Riley followed that with a RBI single to center to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. Justin Bruihl was brought in to get the last 2 outs of the Braves 5th inning and he was successful and took care of Atlanta in the top of the 6th inning also.
The St. Louis Cardinals bats would finally mount a threat in the bottom of the 6th inning against Braves reliever Didier Fuentes when JJ Wetherholt would celebrate his newly-signed 8-year extension by drawing a one-out walk. Iván Herrera, the new All-Star DH, singled to move JJ up to second. Then, Jordan Walker, the Home Run Derby entrant All-Star, ripped a RBI single to right scoring Wetherholt and tying the game at 1-1. Alec Burleson’s foul out stranded Herrera and Walker on base, but at least St. Louis tied the game.
Ryne Stanek was brought into cover the top of the 7th inning. He walked Austin Riley with two outs, but otherwise kept the drama to a minimum as the game remained tied. For the Cardinals bottom half of the 7th inning, Masyn Winn walked, but was back on the bench quickly as José Fermín hit into a double play and then Blaze Jordan popped out.
JoJo Romero was given the top of the 8th inning responsibilities and Nathan Church was brought in as a defensive replacement in centerfield. The highlight of the top of the 8th was Jordan Walker catching Michael Harris II’s deep fly ball at the top of the wall that Jordan caught. The Apple TV announcer said that ball would have been a home run in 26 different ballparks, but Jordan Walker is tall so we win. The Braves were denied again.
In a 1-1 tied game, it just takes 1 swing to decide a winner and Friday night, that swing came from Jimmy Crooks who lifted an 83 mph sweeper from Braves reliever Danny Young 405 into the plants above the center field wall giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead.
The top of the 9th inning would be handed to All-Star Riley O’Brien. He struck out Matt Olson, but we all held our breath when Drake Baldwin flied out to DEEP center. Mauricio Dubón was the Braves final hope and fortunately for St. Louis Cardinals fans was no hope at all as O’Brien fanned him to end a rain-soaked Friday night of baseball.
After a long Friday night with a mega-rain delay, the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves will play game 2 of their weekend series Saturday night. Matthew Liberatore will get the start for the Cardinals while the Atlanta Braves will send Reynaldo López to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15pm central time at Busch Stadium. TV broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.
Jul 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) hits a three-run home run during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Blue Jay 5 Padres 3
A three-game win streak. A few days ago that would have seemed impossible.
We owe this one to Kazuma Okamoto, who hit a three-run home run in the fifth. In that fifth inning, Myles Straw started it with a bunt single (very nicely done Straw). Jonatan Clase flied out. Then Ernie Clement singled, Vladimir Guerrero singled (well, he rolled a ball out towards third that died in the grass, but an RBI is an RBI). Then Okamoto hit one 377 feet to left center, 107.6 mph. That homer tied Shohei Ohtani’s record for home runs for a Japanese born rookie with 22. He has some time left to break the record.
We scored one in the fourth. Vlad walked to lead off the inning. After a Okamoto strikeout, George Springer singled and Alejandro Kirk doubled. With one out and runners on second and third, we should have scored more than the one run, but Daulton Varsho ground out hard to first and Luis Urias ground out to third (not so hard).
We had nine hits and three walks, so more runs would have been nice. Clement and Straw had two hits each. Varsho and Urias had the 0 fors.
Shane Bieber had a rough start to the game. He gave up an one out walk and a Xander Bogaerts home run. Another walk and single that inning had us worried that it was going to be a long game.
But after that first inning, Bieber was better (not great, but better). He came out of the game after a two-out single in the fourth. Mason Fluharty got the third out of the inning. Bieber finished with six hits, three walks, four strikeouts and two earned in his 4.2 innings.
Chad Dallas, Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers all pitched a scoreless inning. Louis Varland got the first two out and then gave up three straight singles, just to test our blood pressure (and push his ERA above 1). But, with the tying run on base, he got Xander Bogaerts to ground out to third. Okamoto had a busy day on defense too. Save #19 for Varland. Varland threw 26 pitches getting that save.
Jays of the Day: Okamoto (0.24 WPA), Kirk (0.15), and Clement (0.10).
Other Award: Varsho (-0.12) and Urias (0.11).
Tomorrow we have another late start, 8:40 Eastern. Trey Yesavage (4-4, 3.31) vs. Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.07).
Other news: Canadian Tristan Peters hit for the cycle for the White Sox. And he was miced up. Just the second Canadian ever to hit for the cycle.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 10: Jaxon Wiggins #70 of the Chicago Cubs participates in Spring Training workouts at Sloan Park on February 10, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Iowa left-hander Josh Fleming was moved to the development list.
Right-hander Ryan Jensen was promoted to Double-A Knoxville from the ACL Cubs.
Jaxon Wiggins was activated off the injured list and made his first appearance in Iowa since early April. He very much struggled with control in the first inning, when he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks. But He settled down after that and finished with three runs on three hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. Wiggins struck out four. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.1 mph and hit 98 mph once.
Zac Leigh relieved Wiggins in the third and got the win after going 1.1 innings with no runs and one hit. He struck out two and walked no one.
Grant Kipp then threw three innings and gave up just one run on one hit and one walk. He also hit one batter. Kipp struck out one.
Eduarniel Nuñez threw the final two innings for the save. Nuñez retired all six batters in order, striking out four of them.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt went 3 for 4 with a double. He drove in two and scored once.
Center fielder Brett Bateman was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Bateman had an RBI bunt single in Iowa’s four-run second inning. He also scored on an Owen Miller single in the sixth.
Right fielder Owen Miller was 2 for 5 with the RBI and a run scored.
Dawson Netz started and kept the Shuckers to three runs on four hits over five innings. Netz struck out five and walked no one, but he did hit one batter.
Erian Rodriguez had some major control issues, but he didn’t allow a run and ended up with the win. Rodriguez gave up no runs on one hit over 1.1 innings. He struck out just one and walked five—so he had more walks than outs recorded.
Evan Taylor cleaned up Rodriguez’s mess in the seventh and then went on to finish the game and collect the save. Taylor allowed no runs on one hit over 2.2 innings. He struck out three and walked no one.
Catcher Owen Ayers was 3 for 5 with three RBI. He also scored once.
DH Alex Ramírez went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored two runs.
Left fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk.
This is one way for Evan Taylor to get out of a jam.
Pierce Coppola’s Midwest League debut could have gone better. Coppola gave up six runs on four hits and four walks over three innings. One of those hits was a grand slam in the third inning. Coppola struck out two.
Ethan Flanagan pitched the final four frames of this game and allowed no runs on two hits, earning him the win. Flanagan struck out seven and walked one.
South Bend banged out 15 hits Cedar Rapids and scored seven runs in the third inning and five in the ninth.
Third baseman Matt Halbach went 3 for 6 with a double and a stolen base. He scored three times and had two RBI.
DH Josiah Hartshorn was 2 for 5 with a triple and a walk. Hartshorn drove in two and scored one run.
Catcher Logan Poteet doubled twice in a 2 for 5 night. He had three RBI and two runs scored.
Left fielder Jose Escobar was 2 for 5 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. Escobar scored two runs and batted in one.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda went 2 for 5 with a walk. He scored one run and had two RBI.
Finally, right fielder Miguel Useche was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored three times and drove in one.
Highlights from the seven-run third, including Hartshorn’s triple.
Starter Braylon Myers allowed four runs on four hits over four innings. Myers walked four and struck out three.
Hayden Frank tossed the next three innings, allowed three runs on five hits, and took the loss. One of Frank’s three runs was unearned. Frank struck out two and walked no one.
Third baseman Ludwing Espinoza hit his first Pelicans home run with a man on in the third inning. Espinoza was 1 for 5.
Shortstop Derniche Valdez was 2 for 5 with a double and two runs scored.
First baseman Edward Vargas was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He had an RBI single in the fourth inning and also scored once.
Jul 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) hits a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
The Yankees came to Washington, DC after a series split with the Rays to match wits with a young and hungry Nationals team. The Nats are young, exude talent, and score tons of runs. They also give up lots of runs, particularly in the late innings. The Bombers saw both sides of the DC dichotomy tonight, watching a pair of talented hitters tear their hard-earned 2-1 lead to ribbons in just two pitches. But in the ninth, a pair of thunderous blasts from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells flipped the script a second time, and brought the Bombers to victory, 5-3.
After a two-hour rain delay pushed first pitch to just after 8:45pm ET, the Yankees began their offensive effort from the man who propelled them to the aforementioned Trop split: All-Star and soon-to-be Home Run Derby participant Ben Rice. Rice cracked a fastball from opener Carson Palmquist just past the leap of left fielder Dylan Crews and into the Yankee bullpen to give New York an early advantage. If Benny Barrels grabs one more dinger in this series, he’ll have 30 homers before the All-Star Break. What a season he is putting together.
The Yankees got two more runners aboard in the first, including on a single from Paul Goldschmidt that ended his 0-f0r-34 slide, but Palmquist worked around the jam to hold New York to the lone run.
Because this is a Ryan Weathers start, silliness was immediately afoot. In the second inning, two misplays in the infield forced him to essentially get five outs — a task he managed to accomplish without allowing a run, much to his credit.
One of those misplays came from Amed Rosario, who is burning up the goodwill he accrued early in the year. You just can’t be the lefty specialist who gets called upon to hit leadoff against the lefty opener with a 7 ERA and then go 0-for-2 with two strikeouts against him. To then boot a ball and make your pitcher’s job tougher is just a really tough look.
Weathers escaped that bind, but ran into further issues in the third thanks to the All-Star James Wood. Wood slammed a changeup 112 mph for a double, advanced to third on a base hit, then scored on a double play—another well-executed pitch by Weathers spurred the twin killing and subdued Washington’s rally. The Bombers jumped back ahead the following half-inning, making the deed all the more impactful.
Palmquist did his job and more, taking care of the first three innings for manager Blake Butera—then ceded to the veteran righty Zack Littell. Catcher Keibert Ruiz did Littell a solid by throwing out Cody Bellinger on a steal attempt. That meant that Jasson Domínguez’s ensuing home run was just a solo shot, but hey! A power display from the Martian is always welcome! His fifth home run of the year sailed 408 feet to right center field, over one of the deepest parts of Nationals Park.
Much to our chagrin, it was once again Amed Rosario time in the bottom of the fourth. An entirely routine ground ball to third base turned into a triple thanks to a complete lawn dart uncorked by Rosario—which eluded Paul Goldschmidt and skipped into a gulf of foul territory along the right field wall. Mercifully, Andrés Chaparro was subsequently erased in a rundown between third and home; and Weathers struck out Luis Garcia Jr. to retire the side. Once again, give Weathers credit for playing with the poor hands he was repeatedly dealt. But seriously, these kinds of mistakes from Rosario cannot continue to happen. (Ryan McMahon unsurprisingly took over afterward.)
Weathers beautifully worked a peaceful fifth inning, retiring the side in order and finishing with a strikeout of Curtis Mead. It sure would be nice if he could receive some more substantial run support than just the two solo shots the Bombers could muster. It probably wouldn’t have prevented Aaron Boone from making the call to Fernando Cruz when Weathers allowed two hits to put runners on the corners in the sixth.
For once though, Ryan caught a break when C.J. Abrams slipped rounding third and failed to score the tying run. Cruz cashed in that favor by striking out Daylen Lile and familiar face Jorbit Vivas to once again send a frustrated Washington offense packing. Weathers deservedly remained in line for the win thanks to Fernando’s continued success in leverage spots; as Michael Kay noted, he has stranded 30 of 35 inherited runners this year, the most in MLB.
But baseball does not like its starting pitchers, dear reader. The Yankees’ lead turned into a deficit in a matter of two pitches in the home seventh. A moment after the YES broadcast flashed a chyron showing the dramatic gulf in ERA between the Yankees’ and Nationals’ bullpen, Keibert Ruiz took Tim Hill deep with a drive down the left field line, just inside the foul-pole for a game-tying home run.
Then Wood seized upon Hill’s very next pitch, thrashing it on a line to the right-center stands for his 26th round-tripper and a 3-2 Washington lead. The second-best lineup against southpaws in the league finally showed up after the seventh-inning stretch.
The whole sequence reminded of that one Yankees-Twins game from 2021 in which Aroldis Chapman gave up a pair of homers to turn a win into a loss in record time—but at the very least the Yanks had multiple opportunities to get back in the game tonight.
The eighth inning was a dud, though. Ben Rice hit a sharp ground ball to first with a runner on, but Garcia made a nice stab to turn it into a double play. Butera brought in former Yankee prospect Clayton Beeter after an infield hit from Trent Grisham, and Beeter successfully struck out Goldschmidt to get the rickety Nats bullpen three outs away from victory.
Another pitcher who debuted with the Yankees was tabbed to pitch the ninth: lefty Matt Krook. Few people, including the sickos who read this site, likely remember Krook’s MLB debut, in which he let up five runs in under two innings as part of a blowout loss to the Red Sox in 2023. They’re more likely to remember the big swing he surrendered tonight. Domínguez lit the fire, putting the tying run aboard with a single and passing the baton to Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Jazz took a first pitch sweeper low, then watched a sinker pass by for strike one. Krook then returned to the breaking ball on 1-1, and Chisholm uncoiled, ripping it to the second deck in right field. Turnabout is fair play—the Yankees were back on top.
But New York wasn’t done. Austin Wells, who notably ended his homer drought yesterday in St. Petersburg, turned it into a streak by clobbering a ball from Justin Lawrence into the night for a critical insurance run.
Three David Bednar outs and multiple Blake Butera thousand-yard stares later, the Yamkees were 5-3 winners just a shade before midnight. What a win for the Bombers. As I said in the game thread earlier tonight, the Nats are pure entertainment value; sometimes to their benefit, but often to their detriment as well.
Tomorrow’s contest is a mid-afternoon affair in the nation’s capital. Cam Schlittler will take the mound following an eight-inning masterpiece at the Trop, facing veteran Miles Mikolas. First pitch is due at 4:05pm ET on YES.
The Yankees had a late lead and the bullpen coughed it up, but Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s go-ahead homer in the ninth pushed New York to a 5-3 win over the Nationals on Friday night in Washington, D.C.
Both the Yankees and Nationals entered Friday as the top two teams in home runs in all of MLB. And after the start of the series opener was delayed by approximately two hours due to a storm, both teams brought the thunder.
Two early Yankees jacks were undone when Tim Hill served up back-to-back homers to Keibert Ruiz and James Wood to give the Nats the lead. But that's when Chisholm came to the rescue, launching a two-run shot off of southpaw Matt Krook to give New York the lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Here are the takeaways....
-Ben Rice got the Yankees scoring started early with his 29th home run of the season to give New York a 1-0 lead in the first. The blast was his seventh in his last 10 games and is now one behind Yordan Alvarez -- who homered Friday as well -- for the AL lead.
With the game tied in the fourth, Jasson Dominguez went deep to give the Yankees back the lead.
-On the mound, Ryan Weathers was very effective for much of the game. The southpaw allowed one run through the first five innings, but pitched into trouble in the sixth. After a one-out double by CJ Abrams, Jacob Young singled, but the Nationals shortstop slipped on third and had to retreat when he was destined to tie the game.
That knocked Weathers out of the game as Fernando Cruz was called on to get out of the jam. Cruz struck out a pinch-hitting Daylen Lile and Jorbit Vivas -- also pinch-hitting -- to strike out swinging to put a bow on Weathers' night.
Weathers allowed one run on six hits while striking out six batters.
-After the Nationals took the lead, the Yankees had a chance to tie in the eighth. After Trent Grisham's infield single with two outs, he reached second on a wild pitch while Paul Goldschmidt was at the plate. The veteran right-hander struck out to end the threat.
Overall, the Yankees were 0-for-6 with RISP and left eight on base.
-David Bednar allowed just one baserunner (a hit batter), but was otherwise perfect, getting the final six outs.
-Amed Rosario had a tough time in the field on Friday. Starting at third base, Rosario made two errors, one throwing and one of the fielding variety. While it didn't cost the Yankees any runs, it costWeatherspitches that he could have used to go deeper into this game.
Manager Aaron Boone pinch-hit for Rosario with Ryan McMahon in the fifth. Rosario finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
-Goldschmidt singled in the first, snapping his career-worst 0-for-34 hitless streak. He finished 2-for-5.
Game MVP: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The go-ahead blast turned around what would have been a tough loss.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 8: Due to inclement weather, a tarp covers the field at a postponed game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium on May 8, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, it wouldn’t be a Braves game in St. Louis without a rain delay, now would it? It seems like this is a regular occasion whenever these two teams lock horns in baseball battle — especially whenever the games take place in the shadow of the Arch.
Anyways, the game is now stuck in the top of the fourth inning with the score still at 0-0. Stay tuned right here for more updates, y’all.
Today's game is now in a delay due to rain in the St. Louis area.
UPDATE [10:25 p.m. ET]: Well, the rain has stopped, so that’s the good news. Now we’ll see if they can salvage this so we can get #BaseballAfterDark or if they’ll try to finish this tomorrow.
UPDATE [11:47 p.m. ET]: Ozzie Albies just struck out on a 1-2 pitch, we’re back underway. There’s still more rain set to hit the St. Louis area (according to local forecasts) so this could come down to who’s ahead after the fifth inning. We’ll see what happens! Join us in the game thread!
Chicago’s pursuit of Landon Thome may have just gotten a lot hotter. | Landon Thome/Instagram
When Jacob Gonzalez was removed from his game at Triple-A Charlotte on Friday — in a rather brusque manner, pulled off the field in the middle of a seven-run third inning for the Nashville Sounds — it seemed clear that a trade was in the offing.
Two hours later, word came through that the White Sox had swapped Gonzalez to the Pirates in exchange for the 34th pick in Saturday’s draft, which is Pittsburgh’s Competitive Balance pick for 2026. Also included in the trade is a swap of lefty relievers, with the White Sox shipping Brandon Eisert east for Triple-A hurler Jaden Woods.
Rumors are flying that the White Sox intend to select prep slugger Landon Thome, son of Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome. The signing bonus slot value for No. 34 is $2,897,400, which can’t be too far from the price it will take for Thome to eschew his commitment to Florida State University and begin his professional career with the White Sox.
The opportunity comes at a cost, as Gonzalez had broken out in a big way at Triple-A Charlotte this season. Chicago’s first-rounder in 2023 found a power stroke and offensive game that had largely eluded him in the first two seasons of his career, slashing .317/.419/.669 with 19 homers (tied for fifth in all of Triple-A, this despite playing in 28 games fewer than the league leader) and appearing at every position on the infield.
Gonzalez improbably forced his way up to Chicago with his preposterous slugging, but once there his offense sagged. Still, his 93 OPS+ was not far off of league average, and he managed 0.4 WAR in 30 games — basically the value of an average major-leaguer.
Eisert had a solid if underwhelming rookie season with the White Sox in 2025, pitching to a 4.39 ERA but appearing in 72 games to lead all Chicago pitchers. His 2026 has been fairly catastrophic, forcing the White Sox to yo-yo him between the big club and Charlotte; he ends his White Sox tenure with a 5.93 ERA over 25 games in 2026. His departure from the White Sox active roster will necessitate a call-up from Charlotte, to be announced by the team tomorrow.
Woods was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A in June, buoyed by a 3.16 ERA over 17 games. He’s continued to tame his prior wildness while at Triple-A, but the more advanced bats at that level have thus far found the lefty much more hittable, as his WHIP has jumped to 1.655 over his 10 games. At just 24, there is still a lot of potential in Woods, but he is unlikely to be a significant factor, or at least one contributing on the South Side soon, in 2026.
Thome is currently ranked at No. 33 on Keith Law’s draft board for the Athletic and No. 34 on the MLB Pipeline board, and is the second-ranked player in Illinois. He’s a shortstop but his MLB draft slot lists him as a 2B/3B — third base was where his father broke in to the bigs. Baseball America placed Thome on its All-America Second Team (the third time he’d been honored as a BA All-American).
The Burr Ridge native attended Nazareth Academy, where he was a teammate of Chicago’s second pick last draft (albeit in the second round), Jaden Fauske. Thome hit .533 with eight homers, 35 RBIs, 49 steals and had a 1.676 OPS during his senior year with the Roadrunners.
We remember him! Don’t be mad, Kurt, the umps will be your friends later. | Getty Images
You can read the dek, can’t you? If you can’t, well, an unfortunate series of events led to the Twins falling behind, and they just didn’t get the hits you’d hope for later. Inning-by-inning notes:
1: A scoreless first inning, but 24 pitches for Zebulon Matthews. He averages just a tick above six innings pitched per start, and the Twins have the highest bullpen ERA in baseball, so we’ll be watching this. Not closely or anything, we have bigger worries in life, just kinda watching it. Yes I am using the royal “we.” I’m the king of you.
Trevor Larnach with a leadoff double. In his first AB for the Twins since May 18th, Ryan Jeffers hits it to RF and Larnach moves up; another flyout by Kody Clemens scores Trevor. Nice small ball, kinda sorta. Josh Bell doubles and nothing comes of it except he gets to adopt a puppy after the game, doubles get you that. Twins 1-0
2: Now 42 for Zebby. Per Wiki, Matthews attended Smoky Mountain high school, so named because of the number of students who hotbox in the school’s parking lot.
Nothing going for the Twins either. I guess a bunch of the Twins HOFers are at the ballpark tonight, so there must be a ceremony of some sort this weekend. Get to a game if you can and bring a Sharpie, and see which intimate body part you can get Kent Hrbek to sign.
3: A two-out, four-pitch walk to the Angels’ fastest runner, Zach Neto. Maybe pitchers do this for a challenge, either that or it’s a prop bet. Neto doesn’t go anywhere, and his name makes me think of actor Jared Leto. Did you know that Jared Leto has a band, 30 Seconds to Mars, which is a terrible band name but they’ve sold 15 million albums? I didn’t know, either. See the things we learn together?
Luke Keaschall is HBP, and Larnach GIDPs. Ryan Jeffers BB. Clemens F7. I Zzz.
4: Funtimes with Zebby. A leadoff homer, a double, a runner advancing to third on a groundout, and a balk to score the runner. Since the balk rule is intended to prevent pitchers from using fakeouts to catch runners off base, and almost nobody steals home anymore, should a lone runner on third get to advance because of a balk? Seems odd. Anways, we losing now.
Bert Blylevn was scheduled to appear on the radio in the third inning, and finally shows up here with two outs, and sounds like his HOF dinner consisted of Turkey (Wild) with all the stuffing (ice cubes). Halos 2-1
5: A leadoff single for Wayne Meckler, and a bunt played badly by Royce Lewis, everybody’s safe. A duck fart to right loads ‘em up with no outs. I think Bert is jinxing Zebby. Nolan Schanuel singles, bases still loaded, nobody still out. Flyout to right RBI; then a 1-4-3. This could have been much worse; Bert could have jinxed it more by being even drunker (allegedly).
Tristan Grey with the leadoff single, but nothing comes of it. Grayson Rodriguez came into this game with an ERA of 8.06 and the Twins are making it a better ERA. I need more coffee. Angels Angels of Anaheim 4-1
6: Zebby still in there at 84 pitches; 10 pitches later, there’s a leadoff walk. Adell hits into the DP, then Oswald Peraza singles. Then Wade Meckler singled to right, sending Peraza to third; Meckler saw that second was uncovered and tried for two. The Twins nailed him. So Zebby escaped unharmed, wild!
Another double for Bell! He gets two puppies, or can trade those up for one iguana. A one-out infield hit by Lewis puts runners on the corners and chases starter Rodriguez. Samy Natera, one of their three good relievers, enters. RBI double by Brooks Lee! Austin Martin hits it deep enough to short to score the run. That’s all here, but at least the Twins didn’t waste their opportunities. Gene Autrys 4-3
7: Derek Shelton’s Magical Arm Barn brings in Andrew Morris; he gives up the leadoff single. Nothing else!
One-out Larnach facing a lefty takes a five-pitch walk. Radio says that one section has their shirts off and is chanting “let’s go, Trevor!” So that works. Ryan Jeffers doubles; RISP with one out. And… Clemens pops one straight up. Home run in a grain silo. Two outs. Bell hits it hard, but arcs it high, and that’s a flyout.
8: Morris gets a 1-2-3. All credit to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District, because I was outdoors at dusk during this half-inning and didn’t get bit once. Usually, if there’s five people outside at dusk and I’m among them, I’m the only one who gets gnawed. The beasties love my blood content. No comment why.
Sam Bachman pitching for Them. Lee takes the one-out walk, nothing else good happens.
9: Travis Adams pitching for Twins. When a fly ball is hit to Trevor Larnach, radio guy Kris Atteberry says “Travis is all over it.” Those “Tr” names can be confusing.
The Twins have two walk-offs this year, can they make it three? It’s Kirby Yates, their best reliever. With one out, Trevor/Travis hits a double into the gap. 3-2 groundout by Jeffers; that gives Clemens the chance to make up for his popup in the seventh. He smacks one over 1B Nolan Schanuel’s head… and Schanuel jumps. Twins lose.
Studs of the game: Bell, Larnach, Lee, two doubles apiece. Morris and Adams, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K. Duds: Clemens, I guess, even though ill-timed popups do happen (and often are pitches a guy just missed). So scratch that; Duds go to Bert for Boozed Jinxing (allegedly), and the lone-guy-on-third Balk Rule.
Thanks to everybody who joined in! I know I’ve been kinda absent from GTs these last two years; it’s not because I don’t enjoy you folks, I just write alot for a hobby site and I’m usually writing at night. I’m with ya in spirit.
Tomorrow’s game is at 2:10, and features Their Ryan (Johnson) versus Our Ryan (Joseph Philip). Catch y’all next time!
His big night at the dish extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Baty shed light on the work behind the scenes, which has led to this offensive surge in his postgame news conference.
"I've been working a lot on approach and game planning beforehand... high velo machine work."
When asked about his mentality in the batter's box, Baty gave himself well-earned credit, responding that he is "up there hunting instead of being passive."
"He's turning into a dog out there," Mets interim manager Andy Green said of Baty. "He may take a bad swing, but it's not affecting his next swing."
"I'm really encouraged by the steps he's taken," the skipper concluded.
Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández will not be with the team when it visits the White House later this month to celebrate its 2025 title. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I’m sure a lot of guys are going to participate and be there, and this is an individual choice,” Roberts said. “But I do expect a lot of our guys to be there.”
Scheduling conflicts when the Dodgers played the Nationals in Washington on April 3-5 pushed back the trip.
“This took a long time to get both sides together, and, honestly, like I’ve always said, my company line, my personal line is I hope that we get this invitation every year,” Dodgers manager Roberts said. “Because that’s the goal: to win a championship, to get this invitation to the White House. And I’m not a politician, and I’m doing something that teams have done for decades. And so that’s where I stand, really. I’m a baseball coach. That’s what I do.”
Back in 2019, Roberts suggested that he might not accept an invitation to the White House with Trump in office. But he did attend last year when the Dodgers celebrated their 2024 title.
Roberts said the Dodgers found out earlier this week that the White House visit had been scheduled.
“There was a lot of unknown,” Roberts said. “It’s an off day, and then how could we work this out logistically?”
That set off “a lot of phone calls, texts, and communication internally.”
Hernández’s injury rehab has moved along more quickly than Roberts initially expected. He landed on the injury list in late May after playing in just two games following offseason surgery on his left elbow.
“He looks normal,” Roberts said last weekend. “I’m not saying miraculous, but I’m really in disbelief how well he responded, given the injury.”
Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler (48) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Red Sox didn’t arrive at Citi Field until 5:05 PM for a 7:15 scheduled first pitch—close enough to the wire that the game had to be pushed back to 7:50. Somehow that’s going to end up as a positive for this team? Because once Sonny Gray settled in and Anthony Siegler’s ball clanked off the left field foul pole, this game was effectively over. Who needs to get to the ballpark five hours early?
Gray went six innings, gave up five hits, one earned run, walked one, struck out three. Not his most electric outing—but he held a Mets lineup at bay long enough for the offense to take over, which is all you need from your starter on a short-turnaround travel night like this. The one earned run was forgivable. Everything else was exactly what this team needed. This is why he’s so valuable to the 2026 Boston Red Sox, such a workhorse.
Holding onto a tenuous 2-1 lead in the 7th, the Siegler two-run shot off the foul pole felt just lovely—a breath of fresh air that this game was more solidly in hand. After that, the Mets were playing for…who knows. Wilyer Abreu punctuated things in the ninth with a two-run shot of his own, because why not make your way towards the All-Star break with the bats alive? If only he could remember how to demolish righties too?
Brett Baty took Greg Weissert deep for a solo shot with two outs in the ninth to make it 6-2, which is about as cosmetic as a run gets. Put it in the footnotes.
Seven wins in a row. 15-5 in their last 20. They might actually be doing this.
Studs
Anthony Siegler (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 K)
The two-run homer off the foul pole was the kind of swing that changes the whole complexion of a game. One moment it’s anybody’s contest, the next it’s clearly Boston’s night. Siegler has been exactly what this lineup needed when he’s right, and tonight he was very right. The Apple TV broadcast (who weren’t completely terrible tonight) said Siegler is like a shot of caffeine for this team. He’s not wrong!
Also fun fact; only the second Navajo player ever in the MLB—only behind Jacoby Ellsbury!
Wilyer Abreu (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K)
The ninth-inning exclamation point. Wilyer had been a little quiet lately so seeing the long ball from him tonight is a good sign heading into the break. Two runs driven in and a homer to close out the scoring. Easy yes from me. Also how about his arm keeping a runner from tagging from third in the eighth? Those are unseen moments that make a difference.
Not a masterpiece, didn’t need to be. The Red Sox were navigating a travel saga before the game even started and Gray went out there and gave them six solid innings anyway. You would think that he didn’t fly ahead of the team to prep, things could go wonky. Not a chance for Sonny. Workmanlike and effective, and on a night like tonight, that’s the whole ask.
Duds
Romy Gonzalez (0-for-5, 4 K)
A golden sombrero on a night when the offense was otherwise humming is bad enough. But Romy also had a scorching line drive come off of the bat of Juan Soto in the eighth that was VERY EASILY going to be foul before it deflected off his glove and became a fair ball. The Mets didn’t bring anyone home that frame, which is the only reason we’re not having a much longer conversation here. Rough night.
Jarren Duran (0-for-4, 1 K)
A quiet one for the Angry Lizard. Credit where it’s due—he did successfully challenge a strikeout call and turn it into a walk in the 9th, which is smart baseball. The bat just wasn’t there tonight.
Connor Wong (0-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K)
He stole second in the fourth and was thrown out trying to score as the initial safe call had to be overturned on challenge—so we’ll give him that. The walk is something. But two strikeouts, a flyout to left to end the night with the bases loaded, and no RBI earns him a spot down here.
Play of the Game
Siegler’s home run off the foul pole. He’s such a firecracker.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 10: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets looks on as Wilyer Abreu #52 and Anthony Seigler #48 of the Boston Red Sox both scores runs during the first inning at Citi Field on July 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets fell to the Red Sox 6-2 in the opener of this weekend series at Citi Field. The game was close for much of the evening, but despite racking up ten hits, the Mets failed to string any hits together and never led in the game.
Despite the Red Sox being the more sleep deprived of the two clubs, this game got off to an inauspicious start for the Mets defensively when Juan Soto dropped a ball in left field to lead off the game, allowing Anthony Seigler to reach second base safely. A bunt by Ceddanne Rafaela advanced Siegler to third and then Nolan McLean issued a walk to Wilyer Abreu to put runners at the corners with one out. McLean bounced back to strike out Romy González, but then Masataka Yoshida lined a double down the left field line that turned out to be difficult for Soto to get to, as it hit off the bottom of the rolled up tarp in foul territory and was deadened there, forcing Soto to run all the way in to grab it. By the time he did so, both runners had scored, giving the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead before McLean retired Caleb Durbin on a groundout to end the inning.
Sonny Gray responded to being given the lead by putting up a 1-2-3 first inning and McLean settled in nicely, holding the Red Sox to just the two unearned runs in six innings of work, striking out seven batters in total and walking two. Meanwhile, the Mets had multiple opportunities to even the score and failed to do so. The Mets had the chance to take advantage of a fielding miscue like the Red Sox did in the bottom of the second with two outs when Wilyer Abreu took a poor route on a Jared Young deep fly ball to right field that fell for a double. But Francisco Alvarez grounded out to end the inning.
In the third, Baty rapped a single to lead things off and stole second base. Zack Short followed with a walk. A.J. Ewing hit a grounder to second and the Red Sox were able to get the out at second, but were unable to double up the speedy Ewing, putting runners at the corners with one out. Juan Soto then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Baty for the Mets’ first run, cutting the Red Sox lead in half. On the play, cutoff man Caleb Durbin threw it wildly to second trying to get the trail runner Ewing, who advanced to third on the errant throw, but he was stranded there when Francisco Lindor flew out to left to end the inning.
The top of the fourth inning featured a pair of consequential replay challenges. With two outs, Nolan McLean hit Connor Wong with a pitch. Wong was called out trying to steal second because the umpire judged that he came off the bag, but that call was overturned on replay review. The next batter Tsung-Che Cheng singled and Carson Benge unleashed a strike to the plate. Wong was initially ruled safe at home, but this time the Mets challenged and he was revealed to be out on replay review, keeping the Mets’ deficit to just a run. Benge continued his strong inning by singling to lead off the bottom of the frame and stealing second, but he was stranded there with the tying run as the Mets to this point in the game went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Nolan McLean navigated his way through a jam in the top of the fifth, allowing a leadoff single to Seigler. Ceddane Rafaela then hit a grounder to short, but the Mets were unable to turn two on the play and settled for the out at second. Wilyer Abreu then doubled to advance Rafaela to third, but McLean bounced back to strike out González and induce an inning-ending grounder off the bat of Yoshida. The Mets had baserunners in the next two innings, but again failed to score off Gray.
McLean then made way for A.J. Minter, off whom the Red Sox secured some insurance runs in the form of a Tsung-Che Cheng single and a two-run homer tucked right next to the left field foul pole by Anthony Seigler, who served as a spark plug for the fatigued Red Sox. The Red Sox turned to fireballer Tyron Guerrero in the bottom of the seventh and he allowed a leadoff single up the middle to Jared Young, but Young was erased on a double play by Francisco Alvarez. Brett Baty then laced a two-out single, but the big hit once again eluded the Mets as Tyrone Taylor, pinch hitting for Zack Short, grounded out to end the inning.
Kodai Senga, continuing to acclimate to life as a reliever, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning complete with a strikeout. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th for the Red Sox and was greeted rudely by A.J. Ewing, who lined one off his foot for a single. Juan Soto then hit a stinger down the first base line that was ruled fair—even fooling Soto for a moment, meaning he was only able to get to first—because the umpire claimed the ball graced the first baseman Romy González’s glove as he jumped to try to field it. Ewing advanced to third on the play. Francisco Lindor and Carson Benge then hit consecutive shallow fly balls not deep enough to score Ewing from third. Jorge Polanco then also flew out to shallow center for good measure to end the inning and another fruitless rally.
The Red Sox piled on further when Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run homer of Cionel Pérez in the top of the ninth. Pérez loaded the bases after that, necessitating the use of Xzavion Curry to get the final out of the inning. Greg Weissert closed things out for the Red Sox, giving up a two-out solo home run to Brett Baty—his first home run since May 18—but still able to breathe easy given the cushion he had to work with.
Despite the Red Sox landing in New York not too long before the game’s scheduled start, they still managed to beat the Mets handily and it was the Mets who looked like they had spent all day on a plane.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +9% WPA Big Mets loser: A.J. Minter, -18% WPA Mets pitchers: -13% Mets hitters: -37% Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s single in the eighth inning, +12% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Masataka Yoshida’s RBI double in the first inning, -18.3% WPA
Tigers Head Coach Jay Johnson, LSU Baseball celebrates the 2025 College World Series championship with a ceremony at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Wednesday, June 25, 2025. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Somehow, an incredible offseason for Jay Johnson and the Tigers just got even better. With many of the belief that Lucas Nawrocki was Major League bound and a pipedream for LSU, he dropped massive news less than 24 hours before the draft kicks off.
Nawrocki is highly ranked by all publications. As far as draft rankings, ESPN has him at #91 overall, while MLB.com has him at #153. Prep Baseball Report ranks him at #46 among graduating seniors across the country and #7 in the the state of Texas.
Most of the praise that he’s garnered has largely been as a LHP, but he can also play OF/1B. Prep Baseball ranks him as the #1 OF in Texas, #11 in the country. He burst on to the scene at the MLB Combine thanks to multiple 109 mph exit velocities with a wooden bat.
Nawrocki helped Aledo win the Texas 5A State Championship and was also named as 2026 Texas Co-Player of the Year. He hit .421 with an OPS of 1.236, including 9 HRs and 15 2Bs.
While he very likely could contribute both from the mound and the batter’s box, he’s believed to be a future MLB reliever. At 5’11 197 lbs, teams have had a hard time imagining him as a starting pitcher in the big leagues, but that does not mean that he can’t eventually become a stud in LSU’s weekend rotation in his career.
The lefty deploys a 95 mph fastball, paired with a 3200 rpm slider that MLB.com believed could have been the best slider in the entire draft. He also throws a changeup that could become an affective third pitch in the coming years. All of this comes from a 3/4 arm slot, which is incredibly tough for left-handed hitters.
With how stacked the Tigers seem to be in the field for 2027, Nawrocki’s immediate path to make an impact will likely be on the mound. As of now, LSU’s only confirmed LHPs include Cooper Williams, Danny Lachenmayer, and Ethan Plog. One of the other two players that have announced their intentions to withdraw from the draft and head to school is Braxton Beaty, also a LHP. Santiago Garcia is considered a heavy draft risk.
The MLB Draft begins at noon central tomorrow. Johnson and co. will be tuned in closely to see who else will fill out their roster for next season, but they’re already off to a fantastic start.
With this triple in the seventh inning, Tristan Peters finished the seventh cycle in White Sox history. | (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
With the White Sox coming into this game on a three-game losing streak and the Athletics coming to town, it was crucial to end the first half on a high note. Chicago’s bats had been silent and their pitching had been problematic for quite some time but that was all remedied against the Athletics.
In a 14-1 mauling to open the series, the South Siders dominated in every aspect of the game — and no player more so than Tristan Peters, who hit for the seventh cycle in White Sox history as part of a 4-for-4 night.
As luck would have it, the only team that has struggled more than the White Sox to score runs lately has been the Athletics. With struggling slugger Nick Kurtz out of the lineup, starter Sean Burke had no excuse not to go out and dominate. It was clear from the jump that he’d do exactly that, as he made Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom look more lost than Jack Shephard in 2004. Burke felt it was so nice that he had to do it twice, again sitting down two of the Athletics’ best batters in the third inning as well.
It took the White Sox a little bit of time to find their bats, which is to be expected for a team that had scored just two runs over the past three games, but they absolutely took over in the fifth inning. The first five batters reached base safely, as the Good Guys were able to tack on four runs and never look back. It was clear they were the much better team, and again looked like a club that currently sits as the second seed in the American League.
For a moment in the sixth inning it looked like it wouldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows on Mexican Heritage Night, when the first two Athletics batters reached base. Instead, Burke got Jeff McNeil to ground into a double play as he was able to neutralize the lone Athletics threat before it ever truly materialized. While a Tyler Soderstrom homer in the seventh inning dampened a near-flawless night for the ascending Burke, he shut down the Athletics immediately after. Burke was dominant on the night as he struck out nine batters over seven innings, taking his strikeout total to 20 over his last two starts.
Although the scoreboard made it look like this game was still close, everybody in the ballpark knew it was only a matter of time before things were broken wide open. With that being said, nobody knew that it would become a blowout so quickly.
Tristan Peters launched a two-run homer in the seventh, and you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from Sox fans when they realized they wouldn’t need to sweat the bullpen blowing yet another winnable game. Then in, an at-bat that brought smiles to everyone’s face, Munetaka Murakami followed up three Ks to mark his return to the team with an RBI double, scoring on Miguel Vargas’ ground-rule double that followed.
Mune’s double brought some of the loudest cheers of the night and with that, the party had officially started on the South Side.
Not to be overlooked, Tristan Peters completed his cycle in his second at-bat of the seventh inning, the first cycle for a White Sox player since José Abreu on Sept. 9, 2017. The moment Peters made it clear he was gunning for the triple, the crowd upped the ante ,with a roar. When he was ruled safe at third and secured his cycle, the crowd was so loud they would’ve taken the roof off of Rate Field if it had one:
Quite honestly, the game could’ve been called the moment Peters slid into third base, but rules are rules and unlike the AUSL, there is no mercy rule. It was a dominant performance in all aspects for a team that badly needed a win like this. While you never want to put too much on a single game, this one win may have flushed all the negative feelings of the past series down the drain and brought back the relief that’s been lacking for the first time all year.
Burke has been really good for quite some time, and now is looking like a true ace. With a bullpen that is struggling more than John Schriffen trying to make a big call without his voice cracking, it’s that much more important that he go deep into games.
As for the bats, you need to score runs to win games against anybody. You don’t always need to score 14 runs like they did Friday night, but you do need to score more than the White Sox have lately. The brightest part of the night was the fact that everyone played a role in the beatdown: Six of nine starters recorded at least one RBI and everybody came around to score at least one run.
Friday night made it abundantly clear how much the White Sox rely on good vibes and momentum to achieve success this season. This finally looks like the same team that has made fans believe this season. As crazy as it sounds, fans may again start dreaming of home playoff games. With two contests still yet to be played before a much deserved All-Star break and a better than .500 record for the first half clinched, the White Sox will look to strike while the iron is hot and capture the series, and possibly a sweep, this weekend.
