Category: Baseball

Eric Lauer pitched six scoreless innings, and Andy Pages homered in a three-hit game to lift the Dodgers over the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

The veteran left-hander Lauer allowed only a third-inning single to Cole Young and then walked Young in the sixth. Lauer also hit Dominic Canzone with a pitch in the first inning, but that was it through six innings, and none of those three baerunners scored.

The trade deadline is Monday, and Lauer was reported by Katie Woo at The Athletic this week as a player the Dodgers might deal away. But whether Wednesday marked the end of the line or not for Lauer, the veteran left-hander has done everything that was asked since getting acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17.

Nine times Lauer has pitched for the Dodgers, and he’s completed six innings six times. He’s allowed no more than three runs every time out, with a 2.96 ERA and 4.06 xERA thus far for Los Angeles, compared to a 6.69 ERA and 6.16 xERA in his eight games with Toronto. The Dodgers have won all nine of the games in which Lauer has appeared.

Pages started the scoring with a home run off Emerson Hancock in the first inning, and also doubled home a run in the fourth. The Dodgers strung together three hits in both the third and fourth innings to plate single runs off Hancock, who allowed three runs for just the sixth time in 20 starts this season.

Shohei Ohtani doubled in an insurance run in the sixth, giving him five hits in the last two games.

Seattle scored once in the eighth inning off Tanner Scott, but it could have been worse, were it not for Teoscar Hernández making one of his best defensive plays since joining the Dodgers.

Edwin Díaz, activated off the 60-day injured list earlier Wednesday, got right back on the beam with a rickety ninth inning, allowing four hard-hit balls and a run. But he finished the job to earn his fifth save of the season, and first since April 7.

The Dodgers were 34-20 in the first third of their season, and after Wednesday were 34-20 in the middle third of their season. Their regular season is two-thirds complete, on pace for 102 wins.

Wednesday particulars

Home run: Andy Pages (18)

WP — Eric Lauer (6-5): 6 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

LP — Emerson Hancock (6-5): 5 IP, 8 hits, 3 runs, 1 walks, 5 strikeouts

Sv — Edwin Diaz (5): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run

Up next

Roki Sasaki takes the mound in the series finale on Thursday night (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with Bryce Miller starting for the Mariners.

There were more roster moves and a return to winning for multiple affiliates in the San Diego Padres minor league system last week.

RHP Igor Gil was promoted from Fort Wayne (High-A) to San Antonio (Double-A) while LHP Adler Cecil finished his rehab with the ACL and joined Lake Elsinore (Single-A).

Several rehabbing players also were moved in the system. Catcher Ty Harvey finished his rehab with the ACL team and returned to Lake Elsinore. RHP Ryan Och, who started the season with Fort Wayne, has gone on the IL for the second time. José Leclerc, the 32-year-old major league veteran, completed his time with the ACL and is now with Fort Wayne to continue his rehab. 

Catcher Truitt Madonna, who spent time in Arizona on the development list, has been assigned back with Lake Elsinore. RHP Miguel Mendez and LHP Luis Gutierrez, both starters and on the injured list this season with shoulder injuries, will be with Fort Wayne as they rehab from their injuries.

Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada completed 1.2 innings over three appearances with El Paso this week and allowed no runs. His velocity is not back to normal yet, but he has been effective. 

RHSP Matt Watson, who started the season with Fort Wayne but spent some time on the development list, was activated and joined San Antonio.

LHP Jagger Haynes, who had a 4.36 ERA with San Antonio over 94.2 innings pitched, will get a shot at pitching for El Paso. Catcher Victor Duarte, a journeyman minor league fill-in for the Padres organization all season, was sent to the development list when Haynes was promoted. 

The Arizona Complex League team completed its season on Thursday with a final record of 34-26. They finished second in the West Division, two games back of the division winner and a game out of the Wild Card standings. The ACL is currently in its playoff finish.

El Paso Chihuahuas (44-57 record, last in the PCL East)

The Chihuahuas lost their series 2-4, the only minor league affiliate to have a losing record this week.

Catcher Blake Hunt has been streaking since his return to El Paso after helping out the major league team while they were dealing with multiple catcher injuries. He hit three home runs over the past week and has a 1.125 slugging percentage since his return.

Since his promotion to Triple-A, Padres prospect Romeo Sanabria has struggled in his first stint at the highest minor league level. He is hitting .184/.273/.204 with four RBI and a double in 15 games since his promotion.

RHP Jhony Brito, who returned to starting with El Paso, has a 1.66 ERA in five games and 21.1 innings pitched. LHP Jagger Haynes made his first start after his promotion on July 24, going 2.1 innings with five runs allowed. He gave up four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in a rude introduction to the Pacific Coast League.

San Antonio Missions (44-52 record, last in Texas League South)

The Missions played to a 3-3 record for the week with outfielder Jake Cunningham continuing to show impressive numbers in his first month in Double-A with the Missions. The former Orioles prospect has 18 home runs for the season and had two doubles, six RBI and a homer for San Antonio last week.

Catcher/DH Ethan Salas has not seen his power production stay consistent; his on-base skills are impressive. He is hitting .320 with a .407 OBP for the month.

RHP Eric Yost pitched a six-inning shutout during the week, allowing three hits and two walks while getting five strikeouts. He started two games during the week, allowing two earned runs while striking out 10 over 10 innings. With San Antonio, Yost has a 3.11 ERA in 16 appearances.

Reliever Tucker Musgrove, who has held his high-90’s fastball through the season, totaled three innings over the weeks with six strikeouts. He has 58 strikeouts over 28.2 innings.

Reliever Garret Hawkins, who has struggled this year and was demoted to San Antonio earlier this season, threw three innings with no runs and two hits while striking out five for the series. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (41-54 record, 4th in Medwest League East)

The TinCaps played to a 4-2 record this past week. 

Center fielder Ryan Wideman, struggling with extra-base hits since his promotion, continues to get on base at a .565 clip for the week, but it’s mostly singles. He also continues to steal bases and was successful seven-of-eight times. He leads all of the minor leagues in stolen bases with 57. 

Infielder Justin DeCriscio has a .830 OPS since his promotion to Fort Wayne and an .854 OPS for the season.

First baseman Luke Cantwell is slugging .581 since joining the TinCaps with four home runs and 10 RBI in 43 at-bats. Overall, this season, he is hitting .315/.463/.518 with six homers and 40 RBI after being drafted in the 20th round in the 2025 draft.

RHP Bryan Balzer got his first victory since his promotion, going five innings with one hit and no runs. He has made a good adjustment since his first start when he got hit hard. Over 16.2 innings since then, Balzer has a 1.08 ERA and 19 strikeouts.

RHP Jose Leclerc has made three appearances for Fort Wayne since moving his rehab to the TinCaps. They have all been scoreless efforts without any walks and only one hit with two strikeouts.

Lake Elsinore Storm (50-46 2nd in Cal League South)

The Storm played to a 4-2 record over the week and pulled themselves within three games of the division lead. 

Shortstop Jorge Quintana, 19, acquired at the last trade deadline from the Brewers in exchange for Brandon Lockridge, has struggled with the bat since coming to the Padres. He had a breakout week, earning Player of the Week honors, with four extra-base hits and eight walks while playing in all six games. He had two doubles, a triple, and a homer but also struck out seven times. His strikeout rate (26.9% in July) is too high, but he is now hitting the ball much more consistently.

Outfielder Qrey Lott leads the active players with a .282 average and an .816 OPS for the season. Outfielder George Bilecki leads a power-starved Storm with five homers on the season while 18-year-old infielder Jose Verdugo has 45 RBI, tops with Lake Elsinore.

RHP Luis Maracara pitched with the ACL team and joined the Storm earlier this month. The 18-year-old out of Venezuela allowed one hit in five innings while striking out five. It was his longest effort since coming stateside after playing last year with the DSL team.

LHP Kruz Schoolcraft is having an uneven rookie season but has good stuff and fluctuating command. He has pitched 64 innings in 17 games started with a 5.77 ERA and 67 strikeouts to 44 walks.

Reliever Yoesmerli Beltre, who pitched in the ACL this season, threw 4.1 scoreless innings for the week and allowed just one hit. He had four strikeouts and no walks in those appearances. In 9.2 innings he has a 2.79 ERA.

DSL Padres

DSL Brown has a 9-30 record, last in the West Division. OF/IF Gabriel Teran, 18, has played for both Gold and Brown this season but is currently the top hitter on the Brown team with a .390/.552/.561 line with 13 games played. He leads the team with two homers.

Infielder/DH Osmy Osorio, 17, has the most RBI with 21 in 29 games played.

Pitching has been a big problem for the Brown team, with no one having less than a 3.86 ERA, either starter or reliever.

The Gold team has a 29-11 record, first place in the Northwest Division. IF/OF Endy Rios leads the Gold team with a .407 batting average in only eight games since moving over from the Brown team.

There is also an issue with power as C/1B/RF Dayquer Alfonzo leads with four home runs and shortstop Joniel Hernandez has the team lead with 42 RBI. All of their top players are either 17 or 18 years old.

The best starter, Yunny Tovar is 19 and has a 4.15 ERA. Michael Cervantes, 18, a RHSP out of Mexico, leads with 33 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched. He also leads in innings pitched for the team and has a 6.10 ERA.

They have multiple relievers with an ERA of less than 3.00 and seven hitters with an average above .300.

A thorough and hearty hat-tip is due to Brady Singer, who did not allow a single earned run in his start for the Cincinnati Reds against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night in Great American Ball Park. A noted trade candidate with the deadline around the corner, Singer pitched pretty damn effectively, keeping Cleveland off the board entirely through 4.0 IP.

It was in the Top of the 5th inning, though, where Cincinnati’s foibles became realized. First, it was an error at short on a hot grounder hit to Elly De La Cruz. That was compounded by a subsequent grounder to Elly – a hot shot to his right by a left-handed hitter going the other way that seemed to pull the defensive positioning of the entire infield out of whack. Elly fielded it but sent a looping lob to Edwin Arroyo at 2B, who had taken his own meandering, roundabout path to the bag on what, in theory, could’ve been a 6-4-3 double play ball to get them out of a jam. Instead, Arroyo arrived later to 2B than the sliding Steven Kwan, all runners were safe, and the wheels had fully begun to come off.

Singer then walked a batter to load the bags, Travis Bazzana singled into LF to score the game’s first run, and back to back wild walks scored two more runners before Singer was lifted at the 100 pitch mark with the Reds down 3-0. Caleb Ferguson came on and yielded another unearned run on a sac-fly, and by inning’s end the Reds were down 4-0 in the most frustrating of ways.

Of course, being down 4-0 in the 5th and losing 6-1 means the offense did jack squat on the night, too. From the outset the team looked to be woefully overmatched as lefty Joey Cantillo toed the rubber for Cleveland. He’s a fine pitcher, no doubt, but manager Terry Francona’s attempt to play platoon advantages against the southpaw meant there was a stretch of the lineup that featured Noelvi Marte, Ivan Johnson, Edwin Arroyo, and Ke’Bryan Hayes hitting back to back. That’s a guy who entered with -1.1 fWAR – one of the four worst players in the game with a minimum of 150 PA – followed by two rookies who’ve never hit a big league home run and Hayes, who’s been the single worst hitter in the sport for three years running.

That unit struck out 8 times through 4.0 scoreless innings against Cantillo, who allowed nary a run. They struck out 16 times as a whole by game’s end, stranding 10 runners on base in the process.

This Cincinnati club has found ways to be slightly better than the worst team in the sport for most of the season, but time and time again just looks horrendous from the outset – both on paper and in play. On Wednesday night in Great American Ball Park, they put together one of their most indifferent, lackluster nights of the year just days away from the trade deadline, sinking to 50-57 on the season and, perhaps, sending Singer off elsewhere in the most frustrating of fashions.

They’re a bad baseball team in need of a hard, hard reset.

CHICAGO — The bullpen was long expected to be an area the Yankees would need to address by the trade deadline, but on the way there, their relief corps became a pleasant surprise.

Five days away from the deadline, though, an overworked group had a rough night — compounded by a brutal decision from Ali Sánchez when they were one out away from winning it anyway.

In a game where three of the best Yankees relievers were unavailable because of recent workload concerns, the bullpen blew a three-run lead in the eighth, a one-run lead in the 11th and then lost it in the 12th as Ryan Yarbrough gave up a walk-off single for a crushing 6-5 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday night at Rate Field.

Paul Blackburn gave up a pair of home runs on back-to-back pitches in the eighth inning, turning a 4-1 lead into a tie game. The final blow came four innings later, when Yarbrough, the last man available in the bullpen, allowed a bloop single to Edgar Quero that fell in front of Trent Grisham, who appeared to be playing deeper than he needed to.

And along the way, the Yankees wasted chances to score, including loading the bases with one out in the top of the 12th and not being able to push anything across.

But the most agonizing part of the loss came in the bottom of the 11th, after Anthony Volpe’s sacrifice fly had put the Yankees ahead 5-4, and Camilo Doval entered to get two quick outs with some terrific defense behind him.

The Yankees were one out away from the win, with Munetaka Murakami at third, when Sánchez tried to back-pick him. Instead, his throw bounced past Ryan McMahon — who was shifted toward second but ran to third on the play — allowing Murakami to run home to tie the game.

“Me and McMahon felt he was getting a little slow back to the base,” Sánchez said. “Just made a bad throw.”

Sánchez, who had entered the game in the 10th after Austin Wells was pinch run for, indicated he would attempt the throw again if he could do it all over, which Aaron Boone echoed.

“Just got to execute the throw,” Boone said. “Just playing catch. We’re big leaguers, we’re not going to not do things. Obviously an option’s [to] hold it, but it comes down to we got to play catch better.”

The Yankees (61-47), who are now 1-7 in extra-inning games this season, fell to 2 ¹/₂ games back of the Rays for first place in the AL East.

They will try to still win the four-game series against the White Sox (56-51) on Thursday.

Playing so many close games of late in large part because of the lineup’s inability to blow things open, the Yankees have had to ask a lot of their bullpen.

On Wednesday, that meant not having David Bednar, Brent Headrick and Angel Chivilli available after each had thrown on back-to-back days (and Bednar four of the last five).

Cam Schlittler got the Yankees off to a strong start, carrying a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning before losing his command and exiting with one out and a 4-1 lead — with all four Yankees runs coming in the first inning, three on a Spencer Jones home run.

Fernando Cruz relieved Schlittler and stranded both runners, but then gave up a leadoff double in the eighth.

One out later, Blackburn entered for the top of the order and what would have been a five-out save. The reliever had been so good of late, pitching to a 0.92 ERA over his last 25 games since May 16, but could not do it again Wednesday.

He threw a 1-1 fastball at the top of the zone to Sam Antonacci, who crushed it to right field for a two-run shot that pulled the White Sox within 4-3.

Murakami came up next and pounced on a first-pitch curveball just below the zone, sending it into the left field seats to tie the game.

“Honestly, I felt like I made my pitches,” Blackburn said. “Those guys are good too. It sucks. You just got to keep going, keep making your pitches. Definitely let everyone down in here tonight, but come back [Thursday] and get a win.”

Blackburn went on to throw a scoreless ninth before Tim Hill did the same in the 10th, even after his wild pitch allowed the automatic runner to reach third with no outs.

But in the end, it was still not enough to spare the Yankees a gut-punch loss.

“I thought we had a good battle,” Schlittler said. “Some mental mistakes, but that’s baseball. It’s part of the game.”

AJ Smith-Shawver has returned to Atlanta’s rotation. While it was only a middling 4.1 inning start, the talent he shows and the dire situation of the rotation should cause him to get a decent leash in the major league rotation as he continues to return from injury. This is of course pending reinforcements that could easily be added by his next turn of the rotation, with the trade deadline looming. That said, outside of Chris Sale, it’s an island of misfit toys in the rotation and I say that with no disrespect to Bryce Elder, who is clearly a serviceable innings-eater, Martin Perez, who is a veteran providing stability, Grant Holmes, who has spent two years admirably performing fifth starter quality pitching out of the rotation when he is clearly a reliever, and Reynaldo Lopez who is…who really knows at this point. For now AJ will return to AAA after serving as the doubleheader’s 27th man, but there is simply enough talent and present quality for him to be up in the majors and not enough there to keep him down, even with trade additions.

Braves News

The Braves’ 2025 first round pick and ascending top prospect Tate Southisene hit the 7-day IL with an injury of unknown severity after being hit by a pitch in the hand while making his AA debut.

Our prospect team continued to release the best Braves’ top 30 prospects list in the business, with spots 18-13 on Wednesday.

AJ Smith-Shawver had a solid but short start in game 1 of the doubleheader, which the Braves ultimately lost, while Chris Sale and Matt Olson did their thing to win game 2 in the evening.

MLB News

The Angels and Rangers made an inter-division trade as the trade noise slowly picks up.

The White Sox are looking to be buyers at the deadline and are very active looking for a starting pitcher, in what would have been shocking news 6 months ago.

The Dodgers activated closer Edwin Diaz off the IL, after missing 3 months due to loose bodies elbow surgery.

Byron Buxton is hitting the 10-day IL with a hip injury, as his career injury woes continue,

The Yankees have been winning lately, but one thing they haven’t been doing is winning big. Even their four-run win against the White Sox two nights ago was unnecessarily complicated due to bad defense in the ninth inning. As such, the team was without the services of David Bednar, Angel Chivilli, and Brent Headrick in a game they hoped wouldn’t be close early on.

A four-run first inning, powered by a three-run shot by Spencer Jones, threatened to take out Davis Martin early for the second straight outing after the bludgeoning they gave him in June. With Cam Schlittler on the mound, it seemed like smooth sailing. But the offense went cold, and the White Sox got a chance to nip at that vulnerable, exhausted bullpen and didn’t miss the chance. Two homers off Paul Blackburn and typical Yankees road extras shenanigans resulted in a long, 6-5 loss in 12 innings.

Things started in a hurry off Martin for the Yanks. After a long at-bat by Trent Grisham ended in a groundout, Ben Rice doubled down the right-field line, and Jasson Domínguez worked a four-pitch walk. Paul Goldschmidt, who homered off Martin back in June, would open the scoring on a single up the middle. There aren’t many right-handed pitchers that he has success off of, but he’s one of them.

Just one batter later, Jones blasted the second pitch he saw for his third major league home run, a booming shot to left-center field, displaying his pop to all fields, to make it 4-0 in the first. Two of his three career home runs are now against Martin, who had allowed four home runs and 13 total runs in his first four innings against the Yankees this season.

Schlittler looked just as good after the long wait, striking out the first two batters he faced and finishing the inning with a groundout. Martin settled down the following three innings, retiring the next eight in order before a two-out single in the fourth by Ryan McMahon, but he put his team in a big hole against Schlittler, who looked just as dominant as he has been all season, going nine up, nine down with five strikeouts to start the game.

The White Sox finally managed their first hit and baserunner with two outs in the fourth on a broken-bat blooper by Miguel Vargas, but it didn’t matter after Schlittler racked up his sixth strikeout against Colson Montgomery. Despite scoring four in the first inning against Martin, they’d be blanked for the next five. They had a great chance to score off him in the sixth as he neared the end of his rope after a Jones single, stolen base, and E-2 got him to third, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out, and McMahon hit a sharp groundout to end the inning.

Some harder contact to center field briefly gave you a scare with Schlittler, but he once again retired them in order in the sixth. Martin was lifted for Chris Murphy in the seventh and was rudely greeted by José Caballero sneaking a double down the left field line that should’ve been an out at second, if not for a great swim move and a drop by Chase Meidroth. Austin Wells got him to third with a flyout, but for the second straight inning, the Yankees couldn’t plate the runner on third with less than two out, as Grisham and Rice struck out.

There was finally a slip in Schlittler’s dominance in the seventh, as Munetaka Murakami worked a great leadoff walk before the 25-year-old beaned Miguel Vargas in the elbow to immediately put two on and nobody out. After Colson Montgomery bailed him out with a quick pop-out, former Yankee Andrew Benintendi worked a seven-pitch at-bat and pulled a double down the right field line to get the White Sox on the board and chase Schlittler from the game. He was in firm control all game, but self-inflicted wounds late doomed him.

Fernando Cruz came on to try and put out the fire, something he’s known for but has struggled with lately. Fortunately for Aaron Boone and the Yankees, he induced a shallow pop fly out of Braden Montgomery before striking out Tristan Peters to end the inning. That finished Cam’s line with 6.1 one-run innings with eight strikeouts to just one walk, another brilliant performance that lowered his ERA to 2.04 and allowed him to keep pace in the Cy Young race.

Trevor Richards, affectionately known as the Silver Fox, got the eighth for the ChiSox. Domínguez was robbed of a hit on a line drive, Goldschmidt dinked a single to right, Jones struck out, and Jazz was similarly robbed by Meidroth on a diving stop.

That Meidroth guy would continue to be pretty annoying in the bottom half. He led off the eighth with a double off Cruz, and despite inducing a pop-out right after, Boone pulled him for Paul Blackburn, who had been incredibly reliable for the past two months. Unfortunately, like Bednar last night, the runs had to come eventually. Sam Antonacci tucked a two-run homer inside the right-field foul pole and right over the fence to cut it to 4-3, before Murakami blasted a curveball to the same spot Jones hit his homer in the first. In two pitches, the lead was erased.

Grant Taylor pitched the ninth against the bottom of the order and retired them in order. The Yankees tasked Blackburn with going back out there and sending it to the 10th, and unlike his abhorrent eighth inning, he flummoxed the bottom of the White Sox order to give us free baseball.

Max Schuemann pinch-ran for Wells at second base in the 10th as the top of the order hit against Taylor, but he wouldn’t get a chance to use his speed. Grisham struck out, Rice blasted a 400-foot flyout to center field that died at the wall, and Domínguez grounded into the shift. Tim Hill was tasked with an impossible situation and sailed a wild pitch to put a runner at third with nobody out, but somehow managed to wiggle out of it. The five-man infield actually worked for two batters, plus he managed to strike out Murakami despite clearly staying away from the plate. Success!

Let’s try this again. Alí Sanchez was the Manfred man due to a weird double switch the inning prior. Goldschmidt almost snuck one through to start the inning, but Meidroth stuck with it to make a good play, albeit with Sanchez advancing. With Jones due up, Bryan Hudson entered, but Boone countered with Anthony Volpe. Falling behind 0-2, Volpe put a good swing on the ball to bring Sanchez in via a sac fly, making it 5-4. Jazz singled and stole second, but was stranded. Here we go.

With Bednar, Chivilli, and Headrick unavailable, Boone was forced to go to Camilo Doval in his highest-leverage outing in four weeks. He almost immediately threw the game away with a nubber by Vargas back to the mound, but Goldy made an unbelievable scoop. A great play by McMahon seemed to put the Yankees on the verge, but an inexplicable snap throw by Sanchez sailed into left field to allow Murakami to score. For a guy whose spot on the roster is as uncertain as anyone, it’s inexplicable. Doval walked the next two batters, as his modus operandi has been to wilt when the defense behind him messes up, but he induced a groundout of Peters to keep this game going.

Jordan Hicks got the ball in the 12th for Chicago and gave up a single to Caballero, but McMahon held at third, hoping one of his teammates could get him in with a productive out. Max Schuemann popped out, Caballero swiped second to take out the double play, and Grisham walked to load the bases for Rice. With a golden opportunity, Rice struck out, and Sanchez worked a long at-bat, but weakly chopped a ball to second to end the threat.

Ryan Yarbrough was the last guy out of the pen and put in an unenviable situation. Meidroth sacrificed the winning run to third, and Edgar Quero looped a ball into shallow center for a walk-off RBI single, ending this marathon with a loss. Another utter nightmare of a road extra-innings game.

The Yankees look for the series victory in a Thursday matinee tomorrow at 2:10 p.m. before they head a couple miles north to Wrigley. It’s Ryan Weathers against Sean Burke on YES.

Box Score

Clippers 9, Mud Hens 7

It was another massive game from Cooper Ingle tonight. He went 2-4 with a mammoth HR that was 109.4 MPH off the bat and traveled 409 feet. He also had a 2 RBI double that went 383 feet. He ended the night 2-4 and is now hitting .311 with a 1.006 OPS on the season. Milan Tolentino went 1-4 with a 3 RBI triple in the first inning.

This was one of Austin Peterson’s better starts this season. He allowed just one run in five innings pitched with 7 strikeouts and 3 walks. His ERA is down to 4.84 on the season now. As for the rest of the bullpen, it didn’t go very well tonight. Leftwich, Webb, and Stephan combined to give up 6 runs in just 3 innings pitched.

RubberDucks 4, SeaWolves 5

The RubberDucks couldn’t come through tonight despite some big offensive performances from Alex Mooney and Dean Curley. Mooney went 2-4 with a HR and an RBI double, and Curley went 2-3 with an RBI single and a walk. Nolan Schubart also extended his on base streak to an absurd 52 games.

After a tough start to the season, Josh Hartle has really found something as of late. He was great again tonight, allowing just one run in 6 innings pitched while striking out 5. He has been phenomenal the last few weeks and his ERA is down to 3.86 on the season. If he keeps this up for another couple starts, we could see a promotion to AAA coming.

Captains 6, Cubs 8

Jonah Advincula continues to destroy High-A pitching, as we saw him do in 2024 and 2025, I’m not too sure why they sent him back to LC after spending a short amount of time in Akron. He went 2-3 with a HR and 2 BBs tonight and is now hitting .314 with a 1.053 OPS. Welbyn Francisca continued his new power surge with another HR tonight. He is now hitting .264 with an .837 OPS on the season. Esteban Gonzalez went 2-4 with a walk.

Nelson Keljo had a great High-A debut. He struck out 7 batters and walked 4 in 3 scoreless innings. He continues to have no problems missing bats and racking up strikeouts.

Howlers 4, Woodpeckers 5

The Howlers offense was led by a pair of multi hit performances from Dauri Fernandez and Luis De La Cruz. Dauri went 2-3 with two walks and is now hitting .284 with an OPS of .765 on the season. Luis De La Cruz has been a nice surprise this season, he went 2-3 with a walk and is now up to a .292 average and an .858 OPS on the season. At just 19 years old, I think he might be one of the more underrated prospects in the system.

Aidan Major gave up 3 runs on 3 hits in 5.1 innings pitched. He was able to strike out 4 batters while walking just 1. His ERA sits at 3.96 on the season.

The Yankees bullpen blew a late lead and Cam Schlittler's gem before a defensive miscue led to New York's 6-5 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday night in Chicago. 

After the Yankees retook the lead in the 11th, they made two excellent defensive plays, almost stranding the runner on third. However, Ali Sanchez tried to throw behind Munetaki Murakami on third but threw it into the outfield, allowing the tying run to score.

After leaving the bases loaded in the 12th without scoring a run, the White Sox came through on an Edgar Quero walk-off single. 

The Yankees (61-47) is a league-worst 1-7 in extra-inning games. 

Here are the takeaways....

-The Yankees got off to a fast start, scoring four runs in the first off of Davis Martin. Paul Goldschmidt drove Ben Rice, who hit a double, in with the first run with a single. Spencer Jones, starting in left field, followed up with an opposite-field three-run blast, smashing a changeup over the heart of the plate 380 feet. 

It's Jones' third career home run and he went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. 

-The Yankees offense the rest of the night was stymied by Martin and the White Sox bullpen, not scoring another run.

-Schlittler retired the first 11 batters before allowing a hit with two outs in the fourth. The right-hander was cruising, facing one over the minimum into the seventh inning, when it fell apart. He walked the leadoff hitter and hit Miguel Vargas before allowing a one-out double to Andrew Benintendi. 

Schlitter was pulled with two runners on, giving way to Fernando Cruz. The reliever set the White Sox down to end the threat and put a bow on Schlitter's night.

The hard-throwing right-hander allowed one run on two hits and one walk across 6.1 innings while striking out eight batters. 

-The Yankees bullpen was shaky for the second straight night. Cruz got an out in the eighth but allowed a double before Paul Blackburn gave up a two-run shot to Sam Antonocci and then Murakami hit a solo shot to tie the game. 

Blackburn bounced back, getting the White Sox, 1-2-3, in the ninth. 

Wednesday was the first time Blackburn allowed two or more runs since May 13. He had allowed four home runs all season before the back-to-back jacks in the eighth. 

-Tim Hill wiggled out of trouble in the 10th after the ghost runner reached third on a wild pitch. The White Sox couldn't capitalize, hitting two grounders and Murakami struck out. 

In the bottom of the 10th, Anthony Volpe came off the bench and drove in the go-ahead run on a sac fly. 

Game MVP: Edgar Quero

Quero's walk-off single completed the White Sox's comeback.

Highlights

Paul Goldshmidt’s RBI single opens the scoring! pic.twitter.com/EeQFzjLaeZ

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 29, 2026

A three-run homer to left for Spencer Jones! pic.twitter.com/sqZuoKG5RA

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 29, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and White Sox complete their four-game series on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m.

Ryan Weathers (4-7, 4.25 ERA) is on the mound against Sean Burke (7-5, 3.19 ERA). 

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman all but confirmed Wednesday that the team would be in contact with the Tigers to gauge their asking price for reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

“There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” Friedman said Wednesday afternoon when asked how aggressive the Dodgers would be in pursuing big-name players. “Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations. We’ve shown to be very aggressive in the past. … We’ve traded a lot of really talented young players.

“But we’re able to be in those conversations because of the incredible work by our scouts and our front office and our player development group that has our farm system in such a strong spot to be able to talk to any team basically about any player.”

All that was expected. Checking in is simply due diligence.

Friedman avoided showing his hand when asked the odds of the Dodgers (68-40) acquiring a player like that at the Aug. 3 deadline.

Read more:'Do we consider pushing this?' Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound remains unclear

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not in the handicapping business.”

Part of the calculation, with the Tigers on a skid that could push them to sell at the deadline, will be the health of the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which is steadily improving. So, instead of trying to fill specific holes, the Dodgers have the luxury of reading the market and being “a little bit more selective and opportunistic.”

Before the Dodgers’ 4-2 win against the Mariners on Wednesday, they activated closer Edwin Díaz and designated left-hander Charlie Barnes for assignment. Díaz earned the save in his first major-league appearance since undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in late April, giving up two hits and a run.

Right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) threw two innings of live batting practice Wednesday afternoon, and right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (right elbow inflammation) threw one simulated inning.

Over in Class A Ontario, left-hander Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgery) hit his target of four innings and gave up just one hit in what could be his last rehab start before being reinstated from the IL, although Friedman said the team was still talking through the next steps.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s timeline back to the mound is the biggest unknown, but Friedman insisted that his lingering knee injury didn’t change the Dodgers’ evaluation of its rotation heading into the deadline.

“I don’t think it puts it in an acute need at all,” Friedman said. “We’re confident he’s going to come back. Again, if there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned with that. But there’s not. And the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back.

“And then that’s also where it gets to the depth that we have and the talented arms that have stepped up with some of our injuries, that we feel like deserved an opportunity to keep going. So it just doesn’t fall into acute. That being said, we’re always open-minded to different things.”

Friedman also offered some insight on Ohtani’s right biceps injury, which he first publicly acknowledged on July 3 and that he said Tuesday night was not 100%. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since that July 3 start, when the biceps issue flared in his last at-bat.

Read more:Shaikin: The Dodgers' three-peat chance may never come again. Trade accordingly

“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now, he would be making his regular turn [in the rotation],” Friedman said. “We kept the arm going. Does he feel 100% in his arm? No. But neither does any pitcher in late July. But this is around the knee and making sure that we can get it to a place where there’s just no compensation. So exactly when that is, I’m not sure. But I feel confident that relatively soon, he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch play and bullpens and getting him back.”

Ohtani’s timeline, however, hasn’t progressed the way the Dodgers initially expected since receiving an Orthovisc injection to lubricate his knee at the beginning of the All-Star break. They’d hoped he’d return to the rotation in its first turn out of the break. Instead, he threw a bullpen in Philadelphia last week, and then his throwing program stalled.

He’s been throwing weighted plyo balls to keep his arm strength up without aggravating his knee.

It’s also unclear what version of Ohtani the Dodgers will get when he returns to the mound.

“There’s no question it got significantly better,” Ohtani said in Japanese of the effects of the injection. “But after talking with the doctors, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the pain to be zero. That may end up being something that has to wait until the offseason. In the meantime, I’ll keep working through my rehab program and try to get it as close to zero [pain] as possible.”

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: A look at the Dodgers' previous trade deadline deals

While playing through the knee injury, and searching for a mechanical adjustment to take some pressure off it, Ohtani’s execution has wavered. He had a 4.38 ERA in his last four starts, compared to 0.74 in his first 10.

“I think it speaks to the knee and the delivery and just the challenge of repeating it over and over and over again,” Friedman said, “and more speaks to why we are doing this and making sure that we get it calmed down and in a good spot so he can repeat. Then I’ll bet on him to execute.”

There’s an argument to be made that the best-case scenario for the Dodgers would be for the Tigers to hold on to Skubal, but time is running out for them to move up in the wild-card race.

The worst-case scenario would be for him to land with a National League rival. But Friedman said he’s never orchestrated a trade simply to block a fellow contender.

“It’s so hard to line up on a trade to begin with,” he said. “If I was so concerned about a player going to another team, I’d probably want that player and then I would just acquire that player.”

Most trade deadline moves come together late, so plenty could happen in the coming days to define the Dodgers’ direction.

“Feel really good about the talent base we have in place, not just on field but also how the group meshes together,” Friedman said. “And so like always, we’re gonna be thoughtful and careful about what we potentially add to that dynamic.”

Lauer impresses

Left-hander Eric Lauer put together his best start as a Dodger on Wednesday, limiting the Mariners to four baserunners — one error, one hit batter, one single and one walk — through six scoreless innings.

The Dodgers, in need of rotation help in mid-May after a string of injuries, traded for Lauer when the Blue Jays designated him for assignment. They have won all nine games he’s pitched.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

A pair of American League West Division rivals worked out a trade together on Wednesday, July 29.

The Los Angeles Angels announced they sent catcher Logan O’Hoppe and right-handed reliever Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers, who sent over minor league infielder Angel Arredondo.

O'Hoppe spent the first five years of his major league career with the Angels. Before he became a once-promising player for the Angels, he was originally selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft.

The trade comes after the Angels fired general manager Perry Minasian on June 26. Former St. Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak is serving as the interim general manager.

With a week remaining before the trade deadline, the Angels could also consider trading pitchers Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and shortstop Zach Neto. Their decisions on those players will further indicate what direction the Angels are moving in as a franchise. 

Angels-Rangers trade grades

Angels: C-

The Angels decided to unload a pair of players in exchange for Arredondo. The trade could be considered questionable for the Angels, considering Arredondo isn’t a highly touted prospect.

He produced a .789 OPS at Class-A and was not considered a top 30 Rangers prospect.

Rangers: B+

Texas came across as the true winner in the deal, adding immediate depth to its roster and system with the additions of O'Hoppe and Silseth without giving up any of its top-level prospects. (O'Hoppe, 26, is reportedly heading to Triple-A for now.)

Silseth has started just 17 of the 82 games he has played over the past five years for the Angels, settling into a relief role. In his career he's allowed 126 hits and 70 runs (64 earned runs) while striking out 153. This season he sports a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings of work over 47 games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angels-Rangers trade grades: Logan O'Hoppe, Chase Silseth stay in AL West

Andrew Friedman was not about to tip his hand.

“I don’t know,” he quipped Wednesday, when asked what the odds were that the Dodgers would add a star-level player before Monday’s trade deadline. 

“I’m not in the handicapping business.”

That doesn’t mean, however, the team’s president of baseball operations isn’t prepared to take a gamble.

For what felt like the umpteenth time in recent weeks, Friedman trotted out some familiar company lines while discussing the Dodgers’ trade deadline plans in a news conference Wednesday.

He said the team has no “acute needs” to address before trade activity freezes on Monday. That the club is confident its pitching staff will be fully healthy for the stretch run of the season. That the team isn’t intent on doing anything drastic as it pursues a third straight World Series over the rest of the year.

But when asked if the Dodgers could be aggressive for a top trade target –– say, ahem, like Tigers ace Tarik Skubal –– Friedman also didn’t say no.

Under his leadership, the Dodgers never do.

“I think our mindset is always, and we’ve talked about this, there just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” he said. “Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations. We’ve shown to be very aggressive in the past.”

Exactly how hard the Dodgers will push in the Skubal sweepstakes, of course, is a predominant storyline in Los Angeles and around the sport leading up to the deadline.

Rival clubs see the Dodgers as a serious threat for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Friedman, speaking generally, noted how the Dodgers’ perenially stocked farm system allows them “to talk to any team basically about any player.”

And over the next several days, the Dodgers and Tigers will undoubtedly be talking.

With Detroit fading from contention, and the likelihood of Skubal getting dealt seemingly going up, every expectation is that the Dodgers will attempt to see if there’s a trade the sides could line up on.

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“We’re always of the mind of trying to do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to win,” Friedman said. “Sometimes we’re fortunate enough to line up on things, sometimes not … We try to do everything we can to avoid not having to do something [at the deadline]. But when you’re able to be in a position to be a little bit more selective and opportunistic about what potentially is available, it just puts you in a better position. So as much flexibility as we can have, the better.”

The Dodgers have been steadfast that, however this deadline plays out, they will be in a strong position come October.

This week, they activated Kiké Hernández and Edwin Díaz off the injured list. Tyler Glasnow is set to begin a rehab assignment after facing hitters for the second time in live batting practice on Wednesday afternoon, while Blake Snell was nearing the end of his own with a scheduled four-inning outing Wednesday night. Will Smith is also pain-free and finally ramping up again, with the club satisfied that his lingering neck injury is finally behind him.

Shohei Ohtani’s status as a pitcher is more of a question, with the two-way star currently limited only to plyo-ball activities to keep pressure off his ailing left knee.

But even that, Friedman insisted, isn’t creating any extra deadline urgency; with the veteran executive noting Wednesday that Ohtani’s knee injury “keeps getting better” and that his coinciding biceps issue is not a serious concern.

“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now,” Friedman said. “The fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back.”

Ideally, it means the Dodgers hope to have the same postseason rotation of Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto that carried them to a title last year. That would also allow others such as Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki to be shifted to the bullpen in the playoffs, further bolstering a relief corps that figures to be significantly stronger now that Díaz has returned in the closer role.

For most teams, such encouraging circumstances would rule out a big splash for a rental pitcher, even one as talented as Skubal.

The Dodgers, though, are not like most teams.

And with the opportunity to complete a historic three-peat lying in front of them, Friedman sounded like he was ready to at least dabble at the top of the market and see if the club could execute another blockbuster move to enhance its already auspicious championship chances.

Not because they need to. Not simply to keep someone like Skubal away from another team, either (“If I was so concerned about a player going to another team,” Friedman said, “I’d probably want that player and then I would just acquire that player.”)

But rather, because any time there is a needle-moving player available on the market, the Dodgers are “always open-minded,” Friedman said.

During the San Francisco Giants’ 16-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, a fan had a moment with a foul ball he’d never forget.

Ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Rafael Devers worked a 2-2 count against Chad Patrick and fouled a ball off just near the third base dugout.

The ball popped up and traveled along the foul line in left field but would eventually get lost in the sun during the middle of a summer’s day at Oracle Park.

As fans were attempting to track the ball down, it eventually came back to the crowd and bounced right off a fan’s head.

The crowd left in “aww” as fans in attendance thought they might’ve witnessed a major injury occur at the stadium, but the fan who was hit by the ball assured his fellow peers that he was okay, and took a standing ovation to let them know he was okay.

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The Giants broadcast crew looked over the play after it happened and labeled the fan as “Gamer of the day.”

Afterward, the broadcast crew broke down the play and were left cringing as the fan immediately started bleeding, despite his efforts to say he was okay.

After being struck by the ball, the fan was greeted by another Giants fan and was gifted the baseball.

During the Giants game, their offense finally took off in what’s been a rather quiet month of July, as the team has struggled to provide any run support.

In the sixth inning, the team’s lineup exploded by scoring 7 runs, then adding an additional set of three in the seventh and eighth innings.

The seventh inning was highlighted by multiple players, continuously passing the baton around as the team scored four consecutive runs from base hits. The inning was capped by a Jung Hoo Lee 2-RBI double to make it 10-2.

Outside of Lee’s RBI to put the game away, catcher Daniel Susac continuously showed power at the plate by going 3-4 with two home runs and 4 RBIs.

In the words of Mets interim manager Andy Green, starting pitcher Christian Scott was "pretty dominant" in the team's 1-0 loss to the Braves on Wednesday night.

For the first time this season, Scott pitched six full innings. He threw 98 pitches and struck out seven batters, allowing five hits and just one earned run.

"That's as far as he's been pushed at any point in time," Green said of the right-hander. "He gave us a chance to win, and went toe-to-toe with one of the best in the league [Chris Sale] today."

From the very start of the game, Scott looked destined to push on into the latter stages. He threw just 43 pitches through four innings.

"I did a good job attacking the zone early, especially in the first couple of innings," said Scott as he reflected on his performance. "My cutter was playing really good as well."

Scott, who now holds a sub-3.00 ERA, is clearly confident pounding the zone, even against fearsome lineups such as Atlanta's.

"My stuff was playing all night. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel."

Finally, Scott was asked whether he felt that tonight's performance felt like clearing a hurdle in regard to being able to consistently pitch deep into ballgames.

"Maybe a little bit. Obviously, this is my first time doing it, but I have to keep being me... hopefully the next time, it's seven [innings]," Scott chuckled.

Six strikeouts through five innings for Christian Scott 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RmKyotHHMc

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2026

Christian Scott completes six innings for the first time this season 👏 pic.twitter.com/rPdRHCEbmi

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2026

It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in and cool off with us. The dress code is casual. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you how optimistic were you about Alex Bregman. You seemed pretty optimistic as 59 percent of you said you were “somewhat optimistic” and 29 percent said you were “very optimistic.”

Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. Please enjoy responsibly.

Tonight we’re honored to feature an ensemble of legends in Copenhagen in 1971. Playing tonight are Sonny Stitt on sax, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Thelonious Monk on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Kai Winding on trombone and Art Blakey on drums.

I don’t really have a movie to talk about tonight. I did watch When in Rome on TCM, the 1952 film that stars Van Johnson as a priest on a pilgrimage to Rome and Paul Douglas as the escaped convict/conman who impersonates him to escape the police dragnet. It’s one of those “religion” films of the 1950s that were fairly innocuous but also a way of differentiating the freedom-loving and religious NATO countries from Godless communism. The only thing to really recommend it is that Douglas is so charming as the escaped convict. Otherwise, it’s pretty predictable and unremarkable. But Douglas meant it wasn’t a waste of 78 minutes to watch it.

But with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey everywhere, I thought I’d ask you to name your favorite “Sword and Sandals” films. The term “sword-and-sandals” was originally used to describe the kinds of films made by the Italian film industry in the 1950s about Greco-Roman myths and history. Think the Hercules series of films that starred bodybuilders like Steve Reeves. But it later was used to describe any film set in the Roman Empire or Ancient Greece or Egypt. That includes all the religious films about the life of Christ or his followers.

So are you entertained by Gladiator? Do you shout “I am Spartacus” whenever you see Kirk Douglas on the screen? Does the chariot race in Ben-Hur thrill you? Do you thrill to the Spartans of 300? Did you love the Ray Harryhausen animation in Jason and the Argonauts or Clash of the Titans? (Man, I did when I was young. I still love it.) Or maybe you just laugh your head off at Monty Python and the Life of Brian.

It would be especially good if you’d recommend a lesser-known film for the rest of us to seek out.

Tonight is the last After Dark before the Trade Deadline. I was going to ask you about this proposed deal by Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs who had the Cubs sending outfielder Kane Kepley and right-handers Dominick Reid and Mason McGwire to the Marlins for Sandy Alcántara. But if you want proof that Al and I don’t coordinate, he published a piece that had a proposal on an Alcantara deal earlier today. And you’re probably all talked out on Sandy Alcántara.

So since we won’t meet again until after the Trade Deadline, I thought I’d just ask you who you think will be the newest starting pitcher for the Cubs on Monday. There’s no question the Cubs are going to try to get a starting pitcher by Monday. If they don’t, it would be a major bit of malpractice. Now it’s possible that the best deal the Cubs could swing would be someone like Michael Soroka last year which turned out to be a disaster but only because he got hurt. He’s actually pitched very well this year for the Diamondbacks.

Al has had several articles on possible starting pitching targets. The Feed polling software only allows six options and one has to be “none of the above,” so I’m going to have to pick five choices.

Which one of these five starters do you think is most likely to be a Cub on Monday?

Sandy Alcántara

Reid Detmers

Casey Mize

Freddy Peralta

Robbie Ray

I didn’t put Tarik Skubal in the mix because I don’t think the Cubs have the kind of trade capital the Tigers would want for him. I do think Mize will come cheaper. I didn’t put in Foster Griffin because the Nats are only two games out of the Wild Card and because I can only pick five choices.

Others I didn’t include because of the polling limitations are Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and José Soriano. In Soriano’s case, I also didn’t include him because I don’t think the Angels are willing to trade him.

So who will be the next Cubs starter?

Before we go, I do want to mention that with the Trade Deadline on Monday, there may or may not be an After Dark on Monday. If the Trade Deadline is busy, there won’t be one. If it’s relatively quiet (as in, the Cubs got most of their business done on Saturday and Sunday), then there will be. But we’ll keep you updated as the Trade Deadline passes.

Thank you for stopping by tonight. Have a great rest of your week and weekend. Get home safely. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark.