Category: MLB

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 7-6 vs. Worcester Red Sox

SS George Lombard Jr. 2-3, HR, BB, RBI, K, throwing error — Welcome back, George! Last played at Triple-A on June 16th, when he suffered the finger sprain
LF Duke Ellis 0-0
C J.C. Escarra 1-4, SB
CF Spencer Jones 1-4, 2B, RBI
2B Marco Luciano 2-4, 2B, K
DH Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, 2 K
LF-SS Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, K, GIDP, picked off
3B Tyler Hardman 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K
RF Kenedy Corona 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, K — big three-run bomb

Max Fried 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, HR, WP — rehab start, first appearance on the mound since May 13th in Baltimore (for more on Fried, including comments from the man himself, check out Scott’s article)
Yerry De los Santos 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K (Win)
Kyle Carr 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, pickoff
Kervin Castro 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (save) — nice conclusion

Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 7-2 at Portland Sea Dogs

LF Jackson Castillo 1-3, BB, RBI, K, HBP
CF Jace Avina 2-5, 2 2B, RBI, SB
RF DJ Gladney 0-4, 2 K, HBP
3B Coby Morales 0-3, 2 BB, K, SB
DH Miguel Palma 1-4, BB, K
2B Connor McGinnis 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, K, GIDP, SB — drove in first three runs of the game, first with a two-run hit and then a solo shot
C Manuel Palencia 1-5, K
1B Josh Moylan 1-4
SS Owen Cobb 1-2, 2 BB, 2 SB

Jack Cebert 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K, 2 HBP — 85 pitches, pretty good!
Geoffrey Gilbert 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Michael Arias 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, balk (win)
Matt Keating 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Tony Rossi 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: L, 0-4 at Brooklyn Cyclones — shut out on two hits

3B Roderick Arias 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB, fielding error
SS Core Jackson 0-3, BB, K
C Eric Genther 0-3, SB, HBP
1B Kyle West 0-4, K
CF Wilson Rodriguez 0-3, BB, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-4
DH Josue Gonzalez 0-3, K
RF Camden Troyer 0-3, 2 K
LF Luis Durango 2-3, K, SB, CS — hey look, it’s the offense!

Bryce Cunningham 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 4 K (loss)
Brady Kirtner 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K
Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
Jack Sokol 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 8-5 vs. Bradenton Marauders

SS Jackson Lovich 1-5, HR, RBI, K — 432 feet and 111.2 mph off the bat
2B Hans Montero 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, 2 SB — put Tarpons ahead in fourth with RBI knock
C Luis Puello 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, K, CS
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, 2 RBI, SF
LF Willy Montero 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K — 10th homer, 406 feet; three-run shot in the first
CF Brando Mayea 1-4, K
1B David McCann 0-3, RBI, 2 K, SF
DH Engelth Urena 2-4, 2B, K
RF Gabriel Lara 1-4, K, SB, outfield assist

Justin West 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 3 K (win)
Jose Martinez 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K — fanned five of six batters faced
Jose M. Rodriguez 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K (save)

Florida Complex League Yankees:Suspended in the top of the fifth, trailing 4-5 vs. FCL Tigers

3B Richard Matic 0-1, K, HBP
SS Dax Kilby 0-1, BB, K — first rehab game since May 28th, when the 2025 first-rounder suffered a setback
2B Diego Flores 0-0
LF Wilberson De Pena 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, K — just keeps raking
C Queni Pineda 1-2, 3B, K
CF Jose Castro 0-2, RBI, CS
DH Francisco Vilorio 2-2, 2B
2B-SS Dexters Peralta 0-2, K
RF Estivenzon Montero 1-2, 2B, RBI, K
1B Justin Capellan 0-2, K, fielding error

Chalniel Arias 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, balk — season debut, hadn’t pitched since 2024 due to injury
Mack Estrada 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, pickoff error
Jorge Luna 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jerson Alejandro 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP

Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 7-9 at DSL Bombers — Civil War!

CF Isaias Castillo 0-4, BB, 2 K, SB
PH Emmanuel Orozco 0-1, K
SS Stiven Marinez 2-4, BB, SB
RF Yostin Pena 2-4, BB, RBI, picked off
2B Juan Torres 1-3, BB, throwing error
C Juan Martinez 0-4, K, GIDP, throwing error
PH Jose Peralta 0-1
DH Cesar Lopez 2-4
PH Eliezer Adames 0-1, K
1B Edgar Jimenez 4-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI — a valiant effort
3B Adrian Feliz 1-4, BB, RBI, SB
LF Kendry Diaz 3-5, 2 RBI

Jhon Beltre 2.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 5 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, fielding error
Yunior Jerez 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HR (loss)
Varis Villarreal 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HR, WP
Brandon Rodriguez 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 WP — best DSL pitching line yesterday!

Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 9-7 vs. DSL Yankees

CF Ruben Castillo 0-3, 2 K
LF Sebsatian Pinto 0-2
2B Dariel Santana 0-2, 3 BB, 2 SB
DH Alessandro Rodriguez 1-2, 3 BB, K, SB — Bombers drew 10 walks on the day
3B Carlos Bello 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K — two-run shot put Bombers ahead in seventh, 6-5
C Kenneth Melendez 0-5, 2 K, catcher interference error
RF David Carrera 0-1, 3 BB, outfield assist
1B Poly Ojeda 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, K — big multi-homer game!
SS Germayhoni Beltre 2-4, 2B, SB
LF-CF Alfiery Matos 1-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 SB

Argenis Veloz 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, WP, pickoff
Sebastian Castillo 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR, WP
Brandy Luis 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, balk (win)

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The All-Star break is officially over, and we have 15 MLB games on Saturday's card to attack. 

I've scoured the MLB odds and the data and have found a 15-game card with several plus-money underdogs and solid favorites to keep us busy throughout the day. 

Read on for my MLB picks for Saturday, July 18. 

MLB moneyline picks for July 18

Matchup	Pick
Twins vs Cubs	+138
White Sox vs Blue Jays	+108
Reds vs Rockies	+108
Mets vs Phillies	+144
Orioles vs Astros	+113
Pirates vs Guardians	+100
Padres vs Royals	+100
Cardinals vs Diamondbacks	-122
Rays vs Red Sox	+108
Rangers vs Braves	+133
Marlins vs Brewers	+122
Giants vs Mariners	+117
Dodgers vs Yankees	-108
Nationals vs Athletics	+100
Tigers vs Angels	+133

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of July 18.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 18

Twins vs Cubs: Twins (+138)

Twins win probability: 42%

At +138, backing the Minnesota Twins is a strict price-first play. Over the last 14 days, Minnesota's bullpen (4.00 SIERA) matches up well against the overpriced Chicago Cubs, making the Twinkies moneyline the only viable way to look on a hot afternoon.

White Sox vs Blue Jays: White Sox (+108)

White Sox win probability: 48%

The Toronto Blue Jays offense has underachieved to a 73 wRC+ over the last 14 days. Meanwhile, the  Chicago White Sox carry an elite, highly underrated bullpen (3.46 SIERA, 27.7% K% over the last two weeks) that provides a massive late-game edge.

Reds vs Rockies: Rockies (+108)

Rockies win probability: 48%

The Colorado Rockies have been the slightly better offense over the last 14 days (102 vs. 95 wRC+). With both bullpens' SIERAs virtually identical over the last two weeks, getting plus-money on the home underdog with the hotter bats against the Cincinnati Reds is the clear value play.

Mets vs Phillies: Mets (+144)

Mets win probability: 41%

The Philadelphia Phillies are heavily overvalued despite a weak 93 wRC+ over the last two weeks. The New York Mets actually possess the superior lineup over the last 14 days (107 wRC+). Grabbing this number on New York’s hotter bats is the way to go today. 

Orioles vs Astros: Orioles (+113)

Orioles win probability: 47%

While the Houston Astros have the starting pitching edge with Spencer Arrighetti on the bump, the Baltimore Orioles bullpen (3.66 SIERA over the last 14 days) is a major weapon. Facing an Astros offense with a mediocre 105 wRC+ over the last two weeks, the Orioles are live dogs.

Pirates vs Guardians: Pirates (+100)

Pirates win probability: 50%

The Pittsburgh Pirates boast a significant offensive advantage over the Cleveland Guardians over the last 14 days (135 wRC+ vs. 95 wRC+). With Braxton Ashcraft starting and a massive gap in the team's recent hitting, getting even money on the far superior offense is the play.

Padres vs Royals: Padres (+100)

Padres win probability: 50%

The Kansas City Royals bullpen is a disaster, ranking dead last with a 4.94 SIERA over the last 14 days. The San Diego Padres offense (106 wRC+ over the last two weeks) should be able to exploit this late-game weakness. At even money, back the Padres.

Cardinals vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-122)

Diamondbacks win probability: 55%

The Arizona Diamondbacks hold a massive edge in relief, posting a league-best 2.93 SIERA over the last 14 days. The St. Louis Cardinals are highly vulnerable late with their anemic 82 wRC+ offense over the last two weeks, making Arizona the better side.

Rays vs Red Sox: Rays (+108)

Rays win probability: 48%

The Tampa Bay Rays bullpen has been elite over the last 14 days, posting a 2.80 SIERA and 28% K% compared to the Boston Red Sox' 3.80 SIERA is leaking oil. Getting plus-money on the Rays' superior bullpen over the last two weeks makes them a solid underdog choice.

Rangers vs Braves: Rangers (+133)

Rangers win probability: 43%

The Texas Rangers possess a top-5 offense over the last 14 days (118 wRC+), while the Atlanta Braves have fallen to an average 103 wRC+. Backing the better bats over the last two weeks at +133 is a textbook mathematical play.

Marlins vs Brewers: Marlins (+122)

Marlins win probability: 45%

The Miami Marlins boast the absolute best offense on the slate over the last 14 days (149 wRC+), making them a mandatory play. You cannot lay chalk on the Milwaukee Brewers and starter Shane Drohan against a lineup that has been this incredibly lethal over the last two weeks.

Giants vs Mariners: Giants (+117)

Giants win probability: 46%

The Seattle Mariners bullpen is a major regression candidate (4.83 SIERA over the last 14 days despite a 2.70 ERA), and their offense struck out 26.2% of the time over the last two weeks. The disciplined San Francisco Giants (108 wRC+) are the perfect underdog play. 

Dodgers vs Yankees: Dodgers (-108)

Dodgers win probability: 52%

The New York Yankees offense has sunk to a bottom-five 89 wRC+ with a bloated 29.2% strikeout rate over the last 14 days. Backing the far more consistent and powerful Los Angeles Dodgers lineup over the last two weeks at near even-money is the logical play.

Nationals vs Athletics: Nationals (+100)

Nationals win probability: 50%

The Washington Nationals have a top-2 offense over the last 14 days (142 wRC+), while the Athletics' pitching is a disaster zone (4.22 bullpen SIERA, 2.03 HR/9 over the last two weeks). Getting even money on one of the league's hottest lineups is hard to let slide by. 

Tigers vs Angels: Angels (+133)

Angels win probability: 43%

Even with Detroit Tigers ace Tariq Skubal pitching, the Los Angeles Angels own the best bullpen in baseball over the last 14 days (2.61 SIERA, 31.2% K%). At +133, backing the elite LAA relief core over the last two weeks at home is pure value.

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.

It is difficult to find words to express my disgust for the coming White House visit. Like the man they are going to see, the Dodgers are without honor.

Rico Gardiner
San Diego

Sports do not transcend or evade association with politics, especially in the current period of America’s decline under President Trump. It’s disgraceful that the Dodgers would again honor a rank authoritarian, a brazenly corrupt kleptocrat, criminal, malignant narcissist and wrecker of our democracy and rule of law.

Trump is not honoring the Dodgers; he’s using their presence to honor him and give him a bit more gaslight glory. The organization has smeared itself with the dishonor, serving the PR agenda of our vainglorious tyrant. If they cared about the optics, their civic duty and the good of the country, they would decline.

T.R. Jahns
Hemet

Dodgers, you are out. Out of our house. In normal times, a White House visit is a grand honor for a championship club. I get that. These are NOT normal times. For you to pretend they are and honor this man with your presence is unforgivable. Spineless. A statement that makes the wrong statement. We will not be watching or rooting for you this season. You are out at home. Our home.

William Lewis
Burbank

Ever since the Dodgers accepted their World Series visit to the White House, they’ve been error-prone on the field, and losing most games. In the All-Star Game, the players were hitless and the pitcher served up the only home run. To add more insult, their former player received the MVP award! Most importantly, is the disappointment and loss of respect from the fans. Karma has a way to haunt.

Robert Torres
Torrance

Your letters to the editor section regarding the Dodgers’ planned visit to the White House continues the left bias of the L.A. Times. Four letters were published praising the article and one was published critical of the article. I doubt that the 4-to-1 ratio reflects the opinions of the L.A. population, but it may reflect the opinions of readers that your left-leaning paper attracts. I read the paper only to see what the lefties are up to.

Larry Hart
Tarzana

Turning blue

As a contrarian to the widely held view that the Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman is some sort of baseball savant, I offer some data that suggests otherwise. Four recent free-agent signings: Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker have a total annual salary of $130 million not including signing bonuses. The payoff? Abysmal with the most compelling being the pitchers who have been injured almost their entire time on the team. I don’t see the genius here but rather an open checkbook with very dubious results.

David Bialis
San Diego

The Dodgers don’t need Tarik Skubal to complete their pitching staff but they should get him to keep him away from playoff opponents. If he teams up with Jacob Misiorowski or Chris Sale in a five-game divisional round they could face three games against aces. In a year the Dodgers are going for a three-peat, they can’t afford to take that chance.

Russell Hosaka
Torrance

Halo help

As an avid fan of the Angels going back 41 years to my arrival in Anaheim, I watched this year’s All-Star Game with great frustration. It was not from envy of teams like the Dodgers with their cast of superstars-for-hire, but from envy of the teams showcasing their budding young homegrown stars.

The lone Angel representative this year was aged superstar Mike Trout, five years past his prime. Watching the team this year is like watching a minor league game, with a mixture of mediocre young players, mediocre Band-Aid veterans, and Trout. Sadly, I don’t see that the recent change at the GM level is the answer either. Sell the team please.

John Knox
Costa Mesa

Wouldn’t it be great if future Hall of Famer Mike Trout was traded to a team where he could participate in the World Series? The ball is in the Dodgers’ court. Trout would look great in Dodger blue.

Patrick Kelley
Los Angeles

Let’s review

To VAR or not to VAR? That is the question. In the world of high stakes sporting events where everything and everyone hangs in the balance on outcome and fair play, video replay is essential to getting calls right. For everyone who extols the virtues of sports (and soccer in this case) as art, imagine a world where outcomes are decided incorrectly without technological advances such as VAR. FIFA should keep going and add more on-field referees like most competitive sports. One referee for a soccer pitch is not enough.

Andy Hui
Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain a strong contender to make another World Series run this season.

The Dodgers have won nine World Series, including back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025 with manager Dave Roberts and superstar Shohei Ohtani leading the way.

This MLB All-Star Weekend served as a break for teams, like the Dodgers, to reevaluate their rosters and communicate as needed with other teams to start piecing together trade possibilities.

The MLB trade deadline is set for Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. ET.

While the Dodgers have very few weaknesses, there’s always a need to bolster their pitching staff for the final months of the season.

Toledo Mud Hens vs. Gwinnett Stripers (postponed)

The cloud of smoke streaming across the Great Lakes and east coast remained bad enough on Friday to postpone the first game of this series at Fifth Third Field. They’ll try to play two on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Et.

Erie SeaWolves 5, Richmond Flying Squirrels 2 (box)

The SeaWolves got a solid effort from Kenny Serwa and the bullpen to take down the Squirrels and get this road set off to a good start.

With one out in the first inning, Peyton Graham singled and Josue Briceño drew a walk to get Graham in scoring position. Justice Bigbie followed with a single too sharply hit to score on, but Andrew Jenkins lifted a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. That was all they’d get, but Serwa took that slender lead and fired five scoreless frames.

Nothing changed until the sixth when Graham was hit by a pitch and Briceño, in his first game off the injured list, singled him to third. Bigbie struck out on a wild pitch, but Graham scampered home to make it 2-0.

Dariel Fregio gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth, but E.J. Exposito smacked a solo shot in the top of the seventh to make it 3-1 SeaWolves. Yosber Sanchez then surrendered a run in the bottom half to make it 3-2.

Eric Silva and Trevin Michael shut the Squirrels down for an inning apiece, the latter earning the save.

In the top of the ninth, Garrett Pennington lined a one-out single. Max Burt struck out, but Exposito and Joe Campagna both walked to load the bases. Seth Stephenson paddled a two-run single back up the middle to reach the final score.

Graham: 1-3, 2 R, BB

Exposito: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, 2 K

Stephenson: 1-5, 2 RBI, K

Serwa (W, 4-7): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.

West Michigan Whitecaps at Great Lakes Loons (postponed)

They got a little rain in their blanket of ash up in Midland, and decided to save this one for tomorrow. They will also play two, starting at 5:35 p.m. ET.

Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 9, Lakeland Flying Tigers 5 (box)

The Flying Tigers staff got hit up despite multiple attempts at a comeback from the offense. Reliever Burch Smith, Gleyber Torres, and Thayron Liranzo were on rehab assignment in this one, Liranzo for a cut on his finger that required stitches and cost him the week prior to All-Star week.

Smith allowed two in the first in his first rehab outing. In the top of the second inning, Beau Ankeney singled to center field, and Nick Dumesnil followed with a single of his own. They both advanced ona balk, and Edian Espinal singled in both runs to tie the game.

Cash Kuiper gave the Flying Tigers four innings, but he leaked a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Andrew Pogue gave up a run in the sixth, and so it was 5-2 Fort Myers in the top of the seventh. Kuiper also got some help from Jordan Yost.

Gleyber Torres drew a one-out walk and was replaced by Jude Warwick as a pinch-runner. A wild pitch got Warwick to second and Hunter Dobbins walked, and then another wild pitch put runners on second and third. Ankeney struck out, but Dumesnil smoked an opposite field double to plate both runs.

Fort Myers went back to the pen, but getting Espinal out is not an easy task. He singled in Dumesnil to tie the game 5-5.

Unfortunately, Jan Carabello was then rocked for four runs, three earned in the bottom half to lose it.

Dumesnil: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 K

Espinal: 3-4, 2 RBI, K

Torres: 0-3, BB, K

Liranzo: 0-1, 2 BB

Smith: 1.0 IP, 2 ER, H, BB

Kuiper: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday as the Flying Tigers look to bounce back in this three-game set.

FCL Tigers 5, FCL Yankees 4 (suspended)

Lighting cut this one short in the top of the fifth. We’ll see if they conclude it tomorrow before their regularly scheduled game. Things are different in the Complex League.

One great sign was that right-hander Kelvis Salcedo, who possesses arguably the best stuff in the whole system, threw an inning, beginning a rehab assignment. We’d had no word on his injury, but fortunately it appears he’ll only miss the last few weeks. He threw a perfect inning, striking out the side in the first.

Joey Wimpelberg gave up two in a short outing, and Ryan Hall two more in the fourth, but he did strike out four in two innings of work.

Michael Oliveto and Santiago Pinto each had a double in this one so far, while Cristian Perez continued his FCL reign of terror with two more knocks.

It’d be one thing to lose to a good team like the Dodgers to begin the second half after the good feelings of the sweep to end the first and the relaxing All-Star break. But the way the Yankees lost on Friday night? Hooboy. Managerial blunders, questionable baserunning decisions, and most damning of all, another lifeless showing on offense really sucked the air out of Yankee Stadium. You have to walk a tightrope to win a pitchers’ duel (credit to Gerrit Cole for doing well until being left out for too long) and they were not up to the task. Turns out, it’s harder to score runs when you’re not facing the Senior Circuit’s most hapless bullpen. Bad bad bad.

Whatever. Please figure out Emmet Sheehan? Or don’t. It’s fine! It’s fine.

Today on the site, John will look at the Trade Deadline relief market and consider the Rockies’ resurgent Antonio Senzatela as a potential target, Sam will have the Rivalry Roundup, and Jeff will celebrate old friend Joe Torres’s 86th birthday (wow). Later, Scott will give the live report from Max Fried’s rehab start in Triple-A Scranton and George Lombard Jr.’s triumphant return from his own Rookie ball rehab.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Time: 8:08 p.m. EST

TV: FOX

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who was the biggest goat of yesterday’s loss: Aaron Boone, Gerrit Cole, Trent Grisham, Luis Rojas, or the Yankees’ offense as a whole?

2. Will you watch the France/England World Cup third-place match today, or is that only for True Sickos?*

*I say this with love. If there was a third-place game between the ALCS and NLCS losers, I would watch it.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: In case you missed it, we got a bit of an update on the Captain on Friday. While recent imaging has shown some healing in Aaron Judge’s ribs, he’s still not cleared to begin baseball activities as of yet, although they’re still waiting on another opinion before mapping out a gameplan for Judge’s return. For more, check out Estevão’s write-up for Pinstripe Alley.

Baseball Prospectus ($): With the season over halfway done, the draft in the books, and the trade deadline coming up, now as about the time of year you see outlets released a midseason updated prospect rankings. Baseball Prospectus put out their mid-year Top 50, and from a Yankees’ perspective, that’s headlined by George Lombard Jr. The shortstop came in at No. 24 with his potential power a big selling point. (He drove the point home by homering at Triple-A last night in his return from injury.)

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Down in Triple-A, Max Fried was on the mound, making his first rehab appearance. He threw three innings, allowing two runs on five hits, including a homer, while also striking out three. He’ll make at least one more rehab start on Wednesday before the Yankees decide if he’s ready for activation or needs a third.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: With Austin Wells falling off a cliff and the various backups not doing much more, catcher has become a position to look out for when it comes trade deadline time. Although there’s no red alerts for this year as of yet, in the past, the Yankees have shown an interest in the Rockies’ Hunter Goodman. With a 118 wRC+, Goodman has graded out as pretty solid both offensively and defensively so far in 2026. Now, is he available? He’s still pre-arbitration and currently wouldn’t hit the free agent market until just before 2030, so … we’ll see.

Of all the key Yankees currently on the injured list, Max Fried has a chance to be the first one back. 

The left-hander took a significant step in making that happen Friday night when he started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — throwing 52 pitches across three innings while giving up two runs and no walks with three strikeouts — just over two months removed from landing on the IL with a left elbow bone bruise. 

If he recovers from Friday’s game without issue, Fried is expected to make at least one more rehab start Wednesday before the Yankees will discuss whether he is ready to rejoin the rotation, though he would not be fully built up at that point. 

“Obviously, tonight’s another important step for him,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees fell to the Dodgers 2-1 to begin the season’s second half. 

Fried presumably would get to around 60 pitches in his next start, making it possible he could return to the big leagues after that on a pitch count around 70 and finish off his buildup from there. 

In the meantime, the Yankees will need to fill his rotation spot Tuesday against the Pirates, though Boone said they had not yet decided whether they would do so by calling up a fifth starter (à la Elmer Rodríguez) or throwing a bullpen game, like they did against the Rays before the All-Star break. 

The Yankees have already used three of Rodríguez’s five minor league options this season, so they need to be deliberate in when they use the final two the rest of the season. 

“It could be similar to what we did in Tampa with having the extra reliever, but we got to see how these handful of games unfold and then we’ll make a call as to what we need that second game against the Pirates,” Boone said. 

Fellow lefty Carlos Rodón (left elbow inflammation) threw about 10 pitches off the bullpen mound Friday as he continued his throwing progression after being shut down for about a week. 

Clarke Schmidt is set to face hitters in a simulated inning Saturday for the first time in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. 

“Itching, man,” Schmidt said Friday. “It’s been a little bit over a year now, just hit the year mark [July 11], so really excited to start somewhat getting close to competing.” 

Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain) has started his running progression outside, Boone said, but remains without a timetable for a return. 

Boone said the Yankees were monitoring the air quality in The Bronx on Friday, due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, but it was clear for most of the game before getting slightly hazy in the late innings.

After a lovely vacation, many of us believe we will return to our jobs reinvigorated, with a fresh heart and a renewed passion for our professions.

Personally, I find the return to the office to be a definitive, draining reminder of how much I wish I never had to work another day in my life. How if I won the lottery or bought NVIDIA in my 401(k) account 6 years ago, I’d spend most of my days volunteering at an animal shelter (and DEFINITELY not adopt another animal) before going to watch the Mariners game at my local brewery. 

(Well. Maybe not that last part.)

It seems like the Mariners would agree with me, as they returned from the All-Star Break looking limp and lifeless, losing listlessly to the Giants 7-0.

Off the bat, it seemed like the San Francisco Season of Humiliation was bound to continue, as the Giants blew through their two ABS challenges just four outs into the game on poorly-advised challenges from left fielder Kasey Schmidt and catcher Andrew Kavanaugh.

Bryce Miller also started hot, touching 97 in the first inning and recorded four straight strikeouts in the first/second innings. He showed some Nestorocity on his strikeout of Rafiel Dever with a little hesi in his windup.

There were a few great almost-hits in the early part of the game for Seattle. Cal nuked one that was loud enough that I woke up my cats, but fell just foul, and Luke Raley hit one right to the top of the wall in center field, but it took until the bottom of the fourth for the Mariners to earn the first of their two hits for the night off the bat of Josh Naylor.

My cats had the right idea, as the first four innings of this game were capital-S Sleepy. Unfortunately, the wake-up call for this snoozer did not come from the bats of the Mariners. Miller left a splitter too far up in the zone to Bruce Elderidge, and he was punished for the mistake to the tune of a 2-run homer. 

The Mariners swiftly responded with some small-ball to manufacture some outs. After Raley hit a leadoff single, a poorly-executed sacrifice bunt by Robles saw him out at second. Robles soon followed suit, getting thrown out at second on a poorly-executed stolen base attempt. 

Miller saw his chance at a quality start slip away after he plunked Drew Gibert with one on and two out in the fifth inning. Miller ended with a José Ferrer walked Andrew Kavanaugh before Louis Arroz did what Arroz does best – use annoying bat-to-ball skills to ruin pitcher’s lives. 

A funky deflection off the glove of Ferrer saved the Mariners from another couple of runs, leaving the game at 3-0, but it didn’t take long for the Giants to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. 

Nick Davila brought shame upon our name in the seventh inning, loading the bases and allowing William Adams to hit a coffin-nail grand slam that put the game out of reach.

One of the few bright spots from this game was Cole Wilcox coming in for mop-up duty and absolutely cleaning up, hitting 98.2 on the gun and earning himself a couple of strikeouts. 

The Mariners put up almost no fight in this game whatsoever. At no point did it feel like the offense was on the verge of threatening the show signs of life. The defense had as many errors as the lineup had hits. The post-vacation sluggishness comes for us all, it seems.

Ah, well. At least it’s baseball.

SEATTLE — If a reset was what the Giants were looking for, they couldn’t have asked for more than the way they began the second half Friday against the Mariners.

Jung Hoo Lee led a parade of a dozen hits, Bryce Eldridge and Willy Adames provided the power and Landen Roupp mowed through seven shutout innings for a convincing 7-0 win.

“It looked like we’ve been playing the last four days,” quipped Eldridge, who opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the fifth. “In all seriousness, I think the break was good for us.”

For the sixth time this season, San Francisco won its third game in a row.

Now, for the real test of whether or not this is just a mirage: Can they extend it to four for the first time all year?

It’s hard not to like their chances if they can repeat performances like Friday’s.

“We played really well tonight, but we only get one win for it,” manager Tony Vitello said. “Tomorrow is a new battle. … The challenge is on for the coaching staff, too, but for the players to bring the attitude they brought today, of a 66-game season, make it a fresh start.”

Logan Webb gets the ball Saturday, and Roupp gave him a good starting point with his second straight stellar showing.

He walked three and only struck out two but didn’t yield a hit until the fourth, surrendering only two all game. He traded swings and misses for a boatload of weak contact and some solid defense behind him.

After allowing only one run in eight innings in his last start before the break, Roupp lowered his ERA to 3.98 after it had climbed to a season-worst 4.55 two starts ago.

“I think if you look at his whole body of work, he’s been great for us all year long,” Vitello said. “It’s just been a couple outings where the pitch count gets high on him because he’s not in the zone. Ironically tonight, one more walk than strikeout … but the rest of the time was just pounding the zone.”

Now two innings shy of his previous career high (106 ⅔), the Giants skipped Roupp’s last turn through the rotation before the break. The 11-day layoff seems to have only helped.

“Yes and no,” Roupp said. “I felt a little sluggish today, just with so many days off in between. … I don’t really like to take breaks. It kind of just messes with my momentum.”

For once, it was the Giants who benefited from some sloppy play, with Seattle committing a pair of errors that led to Lee widening the Giants’ lead to 3-0 in the sixth.

Lee reached on a fielder’s choice after Heliot Ramos singled to lead off the inning, but made it to second when shortstop Colt Emerson threw into foul ground trying to turn two.

He then scored when second baseman Cole Young couldn’t handle a ground ball off the bat of Arraez.

Playing a key role in it all: Catcher Drew Cavanaugh, who reached base all three times he came to the plate and used his body to obstruct Young’s path to the grounder while going to second.

Lee (3-for-4), Cavanaugh (2-for-2), Ramos (2-for-5) and Casey Schmitt (2-for-5) all contributed multiple hits.

Maybe the most encouraging sign came from Adames, who blew the game wide open with San Francisco’s eighth grand slam of the year. The struggling shortstop had been 0-for-3 when he came up with the bases loaded in the seventh.

He lined an 0-1 slider over the wall in right-center, going with the pitch, to widen the lead to 7-0.

“It can’t just be Willy and [Matt Chapman] and [Rafael] Devers,” Eldridge said. “But when those guys are at their best, we’ve shown what the offense is capable of. This team’s unstoppable. … I even thought during batting practice, [Adames] looked good, he looked fresh.”

The marine layer had kept a couple of deep drives in the ballpark, with Schmitt and Seattle’s Luke Raley sending fly ball outs to the center field wall, but Eldridge’s power was the first to prove impervious. Eldridge caught a splitter on the outside corner off the end of his bat but still gave it enough oomph to sneak it over the wall — and out of the reach of leaping center fielder Victor Robles.

Eldridge’s ninth home run of the season produced the first runs for either team, opening a 2-0 lead in favor of the Giants in the top of the fifth. That, it turned out, would have been enough.

What it means

It’s now been more than a week since the Giants’ last loss, the longest they have gone all season without the number in the loss column going up.

Who’s hot

Of all the Giants, Vitello believed few needed the All-Star break more than Lee.

It’s one reason why the skipper framed it as a positive when he had to break the news to the third-year outfielder that his breakout first half didn’t merit his first career All-Star selection.

Lee looked freshly rested while rattling off a pair of line drive singles in his first two at-bats. His only piece of contact that wasn’t hard-hit was a broken-bat single for his third hit of the night. He reached base for a fourth time when he was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Adames.

It was Lee’s 30th multihit effort of the season, trailing only Luis Arraez and Schmitt, but only his second since June 24. In 17 games before the break, Lee had been hitting .164 (10-for-61), with only one walk and three extra-base hits, resulting in a .404 OPS.

Who’s not

For a team looking for a fresh start in the second half, its biggest star didn’t get the message. 

The only Giant kept off the bases in the 12-hit performance was Devers, who struck out three times while going 0-for-5. Devers went down swinging on three pitches in his first at-bat, then swung through another fastball at the letters for strike three his next time up.

Devers briefly raised his OPS over .800 for the first time all season in the Giants’ last series before the break, but the hitless performance sent it back down to .789.

Up next

Fresh off a restful few days representing the Giants at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Webb makes his first start of the second half against Seattle right-hander and Bay Area native Bryan Woo.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. PT, with Fox carrying the game nationally.

With 10 days since his last start, Webb will try to begin the second half on a better note than the way he went into the break, surrendering 12 runs over his final two starts.

The “Second Half” of the 2026 MLB season began tonight for the Athletics against the Washington Nationals at Sutter Health Park in West Sac. After finishing the first half on a nine-game losing streak, the team hopes to get off on the right foot against the Nats.

Gage Jump made the start for the A’s, his tenth of the season, against Cade Cavalli for the Nationals. Jump kept the Nationals bats at bay until the top of the third when a walk a single and two doubles, gave the Nats a 3-0 lead, all with 2 outs.

In the top of the fourth, harry Ford walked and Jacob Young hit a ground rule double, scoring Ford. That was it for Jump, who left after 3 2/3 innings having given up four earned runs on four hits and two walks.  He struck out eight Nationals. José Suarez entered the game and got the final out of the inning.

Jacob Wilson singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Tyler Soderstrom followed that with a 415 ft. homer to straight away center field.  That cut the Nats lead to 4-2.

The Nationals got those two runs back in the top of the fifth when Suarez gave up a monster two-run homer to Andrés Chaparro. That was all for Suarez, who was replaced by Justin Sterner with two outs. Harry Ford followed with his own 2-run homer to bring the score to 8-2.

With the score now 10-2, A’s reliever Yunior Tur made his Major League debut. Henry Bolte misplayed his second ball of the inning allowing two more runs to score. CJ Abrams hit a ball to deep centerfield that turned Bolte around and it fell for a double, scoring Chaparro for the 13^th run of the night. Abrams scored on a Daylen Liles single. Tur struck out two but not before the Nationals scored six runs in the inning.

After the A’s went quietly in their half of the sixth, The Nationals picked up where they left off in the previous inning, giving up an RBI double and a two-run homer to bring the score to 18-2 with no outs. It was this seventh inning that things got so out of hand that the A’s announcers turned to talking about what pro wrestler they would be if they could.  The conversation went downhill from there. Nuff said.

Brady Basso entered the game to pitch the eighth and tossed a 1-2-3 inning with two K’s. In the bottom of the eighth, Tommy White got his first major league hit, a double to center field. He was stranded at second when the inning ended.

Carlos Cortes moved from right field to pitch the ninth. He gave up five runs on four hits and a walk.  Headed to the bottom of the ninth, the Nationals led 23-2. Shea Langeliers greeted a position player on the mound for the Nats with a homer to deep left field. After two consecutive hits, the As scored one more.  The final score was 23-4, not the start of the second half the team or its loyal fans were hoping for.

The Cubs have officially signed the following draft picks:

1st round—RHP Cade Townsend

3rd round—RHP Carson Jasa

4th round—RHP Dylan Marionneaux

7th round—LHP Cole Tryba

10th round—RHP Luke Alwood

Catcher Owen Ayers was promoted from Double-A Knoxville to Triple-A Iowa.

Right-hander Jace Beck was also promoted to Iowa from Knoxville.

Right-hander Kevin Valdez was promoted to Knoxville from High-A South Bend

Catcher Miguel Useche also went from South Bend to Knoxville.

Smokies right-hander Yenrri Rojas was transferred to the development list.

Iowa Cubs right-hander Liam Hendricks, right-hander Kyle Wright, left-hander Aaron Bummer and catcher Eric Yang have all been released.

Right-hander Jake Woodford has elected to become a free agent.

If I missed anyone, I apologize. I know there are a lot of announcements on amateur free agents, but none of those have been made official yet.

Mesa won at least.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were edged by the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), 10-9.

Jaxon Wiggins started this game and ran into a lot of trouble in the third inning, giving up five runs. The final line on Wiggins was five runs on two hits and five walks over 2.2 innings. Wiggins struck out three.

Iowa fought back and took the lead with a four-run fourth and a two-run fifth, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Corbin Martin ended up getting the loss after giving up a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. Martin’s final line was one run on three hits over 1.1 innings. The run was unearned, but it was his own throwing error that caused it to be unearned, so he has no one to blame but himself. Martin walked two, one intentionally, and struck out one.

Iowa had 12 hits and ten walks in this game, but all 12 of the hits were singles.

Center fielder Brett Bateman was 2 for 6 with three RBI and one run scored.

Third baseman Owen Miller was 2 for 5 with two RBI.

Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

DH Owen Ayers didn’t slow down in Triple-A. Ayers was 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base in his I-Cubs debut.

Nice defense from Bateman.

Bateman two-run single.

The title says it all.

Ayers’ third hit.

Martin took the loss in the ninth, but he got out of trouble in the eighth on this nifty double play.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were burnt by the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 5-1.

Luis Martinez-Gomez was activated off the injured list and pitched the first four innings. Martinez-Gomez allowed one run on two hits, with one of those hits being a solo home run in the fourth. He walked two, hit one batter and struck out one.

Evan Taylor pitched the next two innings and got the loss after allowing one run on two hits. Taylor struck out one and walked no one.

The Smokies managed just three hits tonight. DH Andy Garriola was 1 for 2 with a sac fly. Right fielder Alex Ramírez went 1 for 4 with a double and he scored on the sac fly.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were caged by the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 9-3.

Starter Ethan Flanagan pitched 3.1 innings and surrendered two runs on two hits. The two hits were a triple and a home run though. Flanagan struck out five and walked no one.

Luis Rujano had a rough go of it and took the loss. Rujano got rocked for five runs on three hits and two walks over just one-third of an inning. He struck out one.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn was 2 for 3 with a walk. He had an RBI single in the third inning and later scored in that frame.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got blasted by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 9-1.

Emilio Ramos started and got the loss after he was tagged for three runs on four hits over just two innings. Ramos walked three and struck out one.

Just four hits, all singles, for the Pelicans. Left fielder Ethan Conrad was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Alexis Hernández was also 1 for 3 with a walk. He scored once.

ACL Cubs

Beat the Reds, 11-6.

Second baseman Ezequiel Pena hit his first professional home run.

Yet again in a game between these two teams, the Dodgers were perfect when they needed to be, and yet again the Yankees were not. 

The difference in Friday’s series opener — the first time the pair matched up in The Bronx since a 2024 World Series that Aaron Boone’s group will forever regret — may have been a standout defensive play by the Dodgers and a base-running play by the Yankees that was not good enough. 

In a game the Dodgers were leading 2-1 — which would be the final score — Ben Rice clubbed a double off the wall in right-center in the eighth inning. With one out, Trent Grisham did not fully take off from first base until it was clear the ball was landing. 

It looked as if he slowed up a touch going from second to third, which Grisham denied. If he was surprised third base coach Luis Rojas waved him home — an aggressive send, if understandable considering the Yankees’ offensive struggles — he denied it. 

What he did acknowledge was being “conscious” of his hamstring, which he strained in June and caused him to miss three weeks into July. 

Regardless, Grisham said he “picked up” Rojas great, rounded third base and was beaten to the plate because the defense behind him was excellent.

Andy Pages, who boasts among the best outfield arms in the game, threw hard but inaccurately, forcing Mookie Betts to sprint from shallow center field toward where he began the play at shortstop. Betts caught the ball on the run and quickly relayed home while running toward third base.

Catcher Dalton Rushing backhanded up the first-base line and quickly moved his arm across his body and threw his glove down, hitting Grisham’s cleat as Grisham tried to sneak his foot across. 

“It was bang-bang,” said Grisham, but yet again, the Dodgers were just a little bit better. 

If Rojas held up Grisham, the Yankees would have had runners on second and third with one out and No. 3 hitter Paul Goldschmidt due up to face lefty Alex Vesia (although the Dodgers likely would have walked the lefty killer and set up Cody Bellinger with the bases loaded). 

“I thought Luis actually did a good job in reading the throw that it was going over the second baseman’s head, and Mookie was kind of on the run to have to go make the play,” Boone said, “and made a pretty good throw on the run. 

“So, don’t have an issue with taking the shot there.”

Game Summary

Full recap to follow shortly. Feel free to vent in the comments in the meantime!

Loss Probability and Box Score

Outside the Box Score

• Ketel Marte got credited with a tough error to start things rolling for the Cards in the first. At first, it looked like Ketel just got gobbled up and let an easy grounder roll through his feet. Upon reviewing replay, Merrill deflected the ball as it came up the middle and Ketel got a little crossed up.
• Gabi really helped Merrill out with the bases loaded and 1 out in the first by challenging a called Ball 4 and turning it into a Strike 3. Unfortunately, the Cardinals got an RBI single immediately following.
• Tim Tawa made an excellent diving catch on a sinking line drive into center field to end the first inning and keep the Cardinals lead at 2-0. 
• Bob made a sarcastic comment after the Cardinals made an out on the first pitch of the game that Merrill was on pace for a 27 pitch ballgame. In reality, it took him 27 more pitches just to get out of the first inning.
• Max Kepler dropped a surprise bunt for a base hit in the second to put runners at first and second with no outs and it was a beaut, perfectly parallel with the third baseline. 
• Kepler did another excellent job of situational hitting with Gabi at second and nobody out in the 4th when he yanked a grounder toward second, ensuring Gabi would make it to third with less than 2 outs. Lourdes undid that good deed by weakly grounding out to shortstop. Arenado made a good effort at shooting a single through the hole between short and third to score Gabi, but Masyn Winn made an excellent diving stop and throw (aided at least a little by the glacial foot speed of Arenado) to get the third out of the inning.
• Taylor Clarke was fairly unfortunate in that he got 2 groundballs with a runner at first in the 6th inning, but both were hit too slowly for the D-backs defense to turn a double play. Then Clarke gave up a a hard grounder that nearly snuck through the middle but Ketel made an elite diving play to keep the ball on the infield and shoveled it to Domo for the third out.
• Lourdes Gurriel was frozen watching a middle-middle fastball go by to strike him out and end the 6th inning. No one on so wasn’t a rally killer or anything, but a very disappointing pitch to let go by. Suppose that’s what happens when you’re slumping though, swing at pitches you shouldn’t and watch pitches you shouldn’t.
• I thought it was a mistake watching Ildemaro turn second and head to third on his triple in the 7th, but he kept chugging and the relay throw was nowhere close. Awesome hustle and happy I was wrong.
• Wild pitch by Morillo in the 8th led to a Cardinals run. Gabi got beat by a pitch in the dirt that just skidded along the ground instead of bouncing up, allowing runners to advance to second and third. Later in the at bat, the hitter hit a line drive to Kepler resulting in a run scoring sac fly.
• Corbin’s game tying homer was a line drive that was just above the fence and hit off the right field foul pole netting!
• Sewald’s night started to unravel right off the rip when he misplayed a grounder back up the box leading off the ninth. He stuck his glove out and was just under it, allowing the ball to deflect and die in the middle of the infield and resulting in an infield single. 

Comment of the Game

The GameDay Thread was well attended with a final tally of 312 comments at time of publishing. Not many Sedona Red comments, but Mike Mono earns tonight’s honor with the most recs for this:

Coming Up

The Diamondbacks face the Cardinals for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow afternoon with a 1:10pm first pitch Arizona time. Right-hander Dustin May (5-6, 4.55 ERA) is listed as the probable starter for The Lou and Brandon Pfaadt (3-1, 4.70 ERA) will get the ball for the good guys.