Category: Baseball

The Orioles avoided a sweep and the weather on Thursday, as Jeremiah Jackson’s pinch-hit double in the 8th delivered Baltimore a much-needed win in their series finale with Chicago.

A chaotic bottom of the 8th inning was the defining moment of the O’s win over the Cubbies, and for once the chaos worked in the Orioles favor. Down 2-1, Taylor Ward started the inning with a strikeout. The tying and winning runs then got on base thanks to back-to-back HBP’s. The first came when Chicago reliever Tyler Ferguson ran a sweeper too far inside on Gunnar Henderson, with the ball just clipping the SS to send him to first. The very next pitch, a sinker, got away from Ferguson against Pete Alonso, plunking the O’s slugger and giving Baltimore two runners on with one out.

Manager Craig Albernaz then executed a perfect bait-and-switch to set up Jackson’s game-winning hit. Originally, the Orioles announced that Dylan Beavers would be pinch-hitting for Tyler O’Neill. This prompted the Cubs to bring in left-handed reliever Ryan Rolison, only for Albernaz to swap out Beavers for Jackson. With the count even at 1-1, Rolison tried to sneak a low fastball past Jackson, only for JJ to smash it into the right-center field gap. Henderson scored easily from second to tie the game at two, and Alonso beautifully slid under the tag of catcher Miguel Amaya to put the Orioles on top.

Andrew Kittredge then came in for the save in the top of the 9th as the rain began to pour in Baltimore. Nico Hoerner reached on an E6 by Henderson to start the inning, but was immediately erased when he attempted to steal second, overslid the bag and was tagged out by Gunnar. After an Ian Happ single, Kittredge rolled a would-be double play ball, only for Jackson Holliday to sail the relay throw to first. The missed out wouldn’t matter, as Kittredge got pinch-hitter Michael Conforto to line out to left to end the game.

The O’s rally came after Tyler Wells had surrendered a run in the top of the 8th to give the Cubs their slim and fleeting advantage. NL MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the inning with a sinking line drive to right that deflected off Tyler O’Neill for a double. Alex Bregman then lofted a deep fly out to center, allowing PCA to advance to third. With the potential winning run now 90 feet away, the Orioles pulled in their infield, which allowed a hard grounder from Seiya Suzuki to sneak past Blaze Alexander to put the Cubs up 2-1.

Prior to the 8th, offense had been hard to come by for both teams. O’Neill gave the O’s an early advantage in the 2nd when he blasted a solo homer off Cubs starter David Peterson to put Baltimore up 1-0. After homering in his final two ABs on Wednesday, the long ball on Thursday tied an Orioles record of homering in three straight ABs.

However, two continuing trends kept the Orioles from adding on any insurance: bad hitting against left-handed starters and poor luck at the plate. Despite coming off a start where he allowed nine hits and 10 earned runs, Peterson largely befuddled the O’s offense. Outside of the O’Neill home run, the only other hit the Orioles managed off the former All-Star was a Ward single in the bottom of the 1st. Through the first five innings, with Peterson on the mound, Baltimore went 2-for-16, 0-for-1 with RISP, while striking out twice and working four walks.

The fact that the Orioles continue to turn hard-hit balls into outs didn’t help their cause against Peterson. They got particularly unlucky in the 3rd, where the O’s got the short end of batted-ball luck AND a questionable call by the umpires. To lead off the inning, Leody Taveras laid a perfect bunt down the first-base line for what looked like a sure bunt single. A scrambling Peterson was able to flip the ball to first for a bang-bang, but the first-base umpire originally called Taveras safe. The play went to review, and despite no clear angle that showed the ball beat the runner, the umpires ruled Taveras out.

The O’s would rebound from that injustice by having Adley Rutschman and Ward work back-to-back walks to give Baltimore their first runner in scoring position. That brought the Orioles’ paragon of bad luck, Henderson, up to the plate. The slumping SS smashed a Peterson sinker at 107 mph to the left side of the infield, only for the ball to go right to Cubs’ 2B Nico Hoerner for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. The O’s hit five balls Thursday that had an xBA of .500+ that the Cubs turned into outs.

And yet, for a while, it looked like the one run was all the Orioles would need thanks to the continued brilliance of starter Trevor Rogers. The stingy southpaw came into Thursday’s game with a 1.77 ERA over his last six starts and looked just as sharp against Chicago. He worked around a 1st inning, first-and-third, one-out jam by punching out Carson Kelly and getting Michael Busch to fly out, stranding both runners.

Rogers worked a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd thanks to a pair of groundouts and a K of Dansby Swanson. After a PCA walk in the 3rd, he rolled a double play ball to end the frame and keep the O’s in front.

The Orioles’ de facto ace also got a big boost from his defense as he navigated his fourth quality start in his last seven outings. With Busch on first and two outs in the 4th, Hoerner laced a grounder down the left-field line for a double. Running on contact, Busch came charging hard around third as he tried to tie the game. However, a perfect relay from Ward to Henderson to Samuel Basallo cut the runner down at the plate and preserved the 1-0 lead.

In the 5th, the boost came from the Orioles’ outfield defense as Rogers continued to keep the Cubs off the board. After Swanson singled to left and stole second, Amaya sent a sinking line drive to no-man’s land in center field. However, a good jump and a sliding snag allowed Taveras to rob the Cubs’ catcher of a hit and keep Swanson from scoring.

That aura of invincibility finally wore off for Rogers in the 6th. After getting Bregman to ground out to start the inning, he left a changeup over the plate to Suzuki, who clobbered it over the left-field fence to tie the game at 1-1. The Orioles’ lefty would get two more ground outs to finish the inning and closed his line at 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 4 K. Since the beginning of June, Rogers now has a 1.73 ERA across seven starts, while holding opponents to a .195 average.

It’s a Home Run Derby, in Philadelphia, in front of a large audience that is focusing their attention on one thing for the night.

Was there any doubt that Bryce Harper would participate?

In news that should surprise no one, Harper is participating in the Home Run Derby (don’t forget – it’s on Netflix this year!), which means he must have found a pitcher that he likes. The last time he participated in one, he did so as a member of the Nationals when the event was held in Washington, with his father throwing to him. Let’s see if he can follow up as a member of the Phillies with the event in Philadelphia.

Apparently Bryce Harper found somebody to pitch to him.

Harper will participate in the July 13 Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game, once again entering the field when his hometown team hosts the bash. It will be his first appearance since 2018, when he won the Derby in dramatic fashion at Washington's Nationals Park.

That was his last hurrah in D.C., as he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies the next winter, and quickly became a focal point of Philly sports, eventually helping the Phillies to the 2022 World Series.

Now 33 and a two-time National League MVP, Harper said he would consider participating in the Derby at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park if he was named to the team. He also expressed concern that his father Ron, who pitched to him at the 2018 Derby, would be physically unable to pitch.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made sure Harper was there, naming him as a "legend" pick to the game - though to be sure, Harper's first half statistics were sufficient, anyway. Now, a few days later, Harper posted on Instagram that he'd join the fray.

He joins Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero, Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, Kansas City Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone and Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras in committing to the Derby. Three more slots remain.

One slot would be perfect for Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. He lost by the narrowest of margins to Harper in 2018. A rematch as Philly teammates before their home crowd would be a must-see event.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryce Harper commits to Home Run Derby in front of home fans in Philadelphia

Of course the New York Mets lost another player. That's just how the season is going in Queens.

Mark Vientos fractured his right hand Thursday, July 9 when a pitch from Kansas City's Michael Wacha ran inside and caught him on a checked swing in the second inning. He stayed in to run, came out an inning later and will land on the injured list, interim manager Andy Green confirmed after the Mets' 7-3 win over the Royals at Citi Field.

Green did not indicate a timeline for Vientos' return, but broken bones traditionally take six to eight weeks.

The injury is one more thing that has gone wrong for the Mets in a season where everything is going wrong.

The Mets opened the year with baseball's highest payroll at $358 million, then lost 12 consecutive games in April. They fired manager Carlos Mendoza in late June – the franchise's first in-season managerial change since they axed Willie Randolph in 2008 – days after a six-error game against the Cubs.

Every MLB fan thinks they know the game better than their rival. Casino.ca put that confidence to the test with a 5,000-fan survey built around a 20-question baseball knowledge quiz.

New York came out on top, with Mets and Yankees fans tying for No. 1 at 18 out of 20. Both fanbases actually outperformed their own confidence levels, with Mets fans rating themselves 7 out of 10 and Yankees fans just 6 out of 10.

At the bottom, Diamondbacks and Rangers fans tied for last with 10 out of 20. Texas had the funniest miss of the survey, rating itself 8 out of 10 despite finishing at the bottom.

California was all over the board. Angels fans ranked highest in the state, tying for second overall at 17 out of 20 with an 8 out of 10 self-rating. Dodgers fans finished No. 4 at 15 out of 20.

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The Athletics and Padres tied for No. 7 with 12 out of 20, while Giants fans ranked lowest among California teams at No. 8 with 11 out of 20.

The biggest expectation-versus-reality gap belonged to Rangers fans, while Yankees, Red Sox and Mets fans were surprisingly modest compared to their actual scores.

Take the quiz yourself and find out how you stack up against your most hated rivals. Answers found at the bottom of the article:

1. Which pitcher threw the only perfect game in World Series history?
   • Don Larsen
   • Sandy Koufax
   • Whitey Ford
   • Bob Gibson
2. What year did MLB introduce interleague play?
   • 1994
   • 1995
   • 1997
   • 1999
3. Which franchise was the first to integrate in the American League?
   • New York Yankees
   • Cleveland Indians (now Guardians)
   • Detroit Tigers
   • Chicago White Sox
4. Who was the first player to win MVP in both leagues?
   • Frank Robinson
   • Reggie Jackson
   • Hank Aaron
   • Pete Rose
5. Can a runner advance on a dropped third strike with two outs?
   • No
   • Only if first base is occupied
   • Yes
   • Only in extra innings
6. What constitutes a balk?
   • Any pitch outside the strike zone
   • A pitcher dropping the ball
   • An illegal motion or deception while on the rubber
   • A catcher leaving the box early
7. Can a pitcher switch throwing hands during an at-bat?
   • No
   • Only once per game
   • Yes, but must declare before the at-bat
   • Only in extra innings
8. Which catcher has the most career home runs?
   • Johnny Bench
   • Yogi Berra
   • Mike Piazza
   • Carlton Fisk
9. Which player has the most career grand slams?
   • Lou Gehrig
   • Barry Bonds
   • Alex Rodriguez
   • Albert Pujols
10. Which MLB franchise was originally called the Pilots?
    • Milwaukee Brewers
    • Seattle Mariners
    • San Diego Padres
    • Tampa Bay Rays
11. True or False: A pitcher can fake a throw to first without stepping off the rubber.
    • True
    • False
12. If a game is called in the 5th inning due to weather, is it official?
    • No, must reach 6 innings
    • No, must reach 7 innings
    • Yes, after 4.5 innings if home team is leading
    • Only if both managers agree
13. Can a batter reach first on catcher’s interference even if the pitch is wild?
    • Yes
    • No
14. Is it possible to record four outs in one inning?
    • No
    • Yes, via an appeal play
15. Who was the youngest player to reach 500 home runs?
    • Alex Rodriguez
    • Albert Pujols
    • Ken Griffey Jr.
    • Jimmie Foxx
16. If a runner misses a base but scores, does the run count automatically?
    • Yes
    • No, defense can appeal
17. Which Hall of Famer was nicknamed “The Georgia Peach”?
    • Ty Cobb
    • Rogers Hornsby
    • Tris Speaker
    • Honus Wagner
18. Which MLB franchise has never appeared in a World Series?
    • Seattle Mariners
    • Milwaukee Brewers
    • Colorado Rockies
    • Tampa Bay Rays
19. Who was the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season?
    • Barry Bonds
    • Alex Rodriguez
    • Shohei Ohtani
    • José Canseco
20. What major rule change was introduced in MLB for the 2026 season?
    • Universal DH
    • Automated ball-strike challenge system
    • Expanded playoffs
    • Pitch clock removal

Answer Key:

1. Don Larsen – Game 5 of the 1956 World Series
2. 1997 – Interleague play officially began on June 12, 1997
3. Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) – Larry Doby, 1947
4. Frank Robinson – 1961 NL with Reds, 1966 AL with Orioles
5. Yes – The strike is called, but the umpire does not call the batter out.
6. An illegal motion or deception while on the rubber
7. Yes, but must declare before the at-bat – Under MLB Rule 5.07(f) (colloquially known as the Pat Venditte Rule)
8. Mike Piazza – He hit 427 total home runs (396 while playing catcher)
9. Alex Rodriguez – He hit 25 during his 22-year career
10. Milwaukee Brewers – On April 1, 1970, the franchise moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
11. False – Faking a throw to first base while in contact with the pitching rubber is a balk.
12. Yes – After 4.5 innings if home team is leading
13. Yes – The batter is awarded first base whenever the catcher impedes their ability to hit the pitch
14. Yes – This occurs in two rare ways: when a pitcher strikes out four batters or through a defensive appeal play that supersedes the third out.
15. Alex Rodriguez – He reached the milestone at 32 years and 8 days old
16. No – Defense can appeal
17. Ty Cobb – Born in Narrows, Georgia.
18. Seattle Mariners
19. Shohei Ohtani – The only player in MLB history, achieving the feat during the 2024 season
20. Automated ball-strike challenge system

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Red Sox play a three-game series in at Citi Field starting on Friday night at 7:15.

5 things to watch

Nolan McLean is locked back in

Following back-to-back uncharacteristically poor starts near the end of May, McLean is looking like himself again.

Over his last two outings, McLean has allowed just three runs (two earned) in 12.0 innings while walking three and striking out 12.

Going back to May 31, McLean has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts -- posting a 2.70 ERA during that span while giving up only 28 hits in 40.0 innings.

Additionally, after battling his command during his rough patch (when he walked 12 batters in 15.0 innings over a three-start stretch), McLean has walked two batters or fewer in each of his last four starts.

Is Zach Thornton on the way back?

It was a bit of a head-scratcher when the Mets optioned Thornton to Triple-A Syracuse following his June 26 start, when he allowed one run in 6.0 innings against the Phillies.

With the Mets in need of a fifth starter this Tuesday and Thornton still in the minors, they allowed 16 runs to the Royals when Kodai Senga, Austin Warren, and rookie Matt Seelinger were all hit hard as New York squandered a 9-4 lead and lost. 

New York will need a fifth starter again this Sunday, and has not yet announced who will pitch.

Speaking before Thursday's game, interim manager Andy Green said the team has an idea about which way they'll go on Sunday, and that they'll reveal their plan in the coming days.

Thornton was removed from his start in Triple-A on Wednesday after 2.0 perfect innings, which would conceivably allow him to have a quick turnaround and pitch in the majors on Sunday if called upon.

The Mets' lineup is almost whole

With Jorge Polanco back and Francisco Lindor getting his feet underneath him after returning from a months-long absence, New York's lineup is nearing full strength.

Lindor is still getting sporadic days off as he eases back in, but Green said on Thursday that there are no longer any restrictions when it comes to Lindor. 

If all continues to go well with Luis Robert Jr. on his rehab assignment, he could rejoin the team relatively soon. However, it's possible Robert will be traded ahead of the deadline.

If not, it will be interesting to see how the Mets work him in, with A.J. Ewing entrenched in center field and Polanco getting the bulk of the DH at-bats.

The Red Sox are back in the hunt

In the putrid American League, nearly every team is in it. Even the Red Sox.

Following a brutal start, Boston has been heating up. They entered play Thursday with a record of 42-48, which put them only 3.0 games back of the third Wild Card in the AL.

There have been rumors swirling around the Red Sox and the possibility that they could trade players such as Aroldis Chapman and Sonny Gray, but it has to be tempting for them to stand pat given how weak their league is.

Willson Contreras and what could've been

The Mets were connected to Contreras this past offseason before the Cardinals traded him to the Red Sox.

In hindsight, dealing for Contreras would've been a nearly perfect move for New York.

Across 88 games this season, Contreras is slashing .285/.379/.542 (a career-best .921 OPS) with 20 homers (already matching his total from last season), 16 doubles, and 61 RBI.

Contreras has also continued to acclimate well to first base, where he's been playing defense right around an average level.

He won't be playing in this series, though, as he serves a five-game suspension stemming from an on-field altercation during a benches-clearing brawl with Cade Cavalli and the Nationals last week. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

A.J. Ewing

The rookie has looked especially comfortable lately and has been tapping into his power more often.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Nolan McLean

McLean has righted the ship after his May blip.

Which Red Sox player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Wilyer Abreu

Abreu is one of the most consistent bats for a Boston team that entered play Thursday having scored the third-fewest runs in MLB.

Remember when Ozzie Albies bopped those two big fly balls just over the big wall in right field at Truist Park in order to help push the Braves to a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers? Yeah, that was back on June 20 and that was the last time the Braves won a series. Ever since then, they got swept by the Padres (in Petco Park so what else is new), they dropped a series to the Giants, they came up short against the Cardinals and then somehow managed to split a four-game series at home against the Mets.

I’m saying that to say that it’s been a rough stretch for the Braves since they toppled the NL Central-leading Brewers. Still, they’ve shown signs of continuing to improve so they can potentially scratch and claw their way out of this rough patch and the most encouraging thing in particular was the offense showing signs of life. If that continued then the Braves would be in good shape and they’d be able to compete against Pittsburgh and their high-powered offense as well. Now it’s time to see how well the Braves fared against the Buccos.

Tuesday, July 7

Pirates 12, Braves 4

Ryan O’Hearn hit three homers and had 10 RBI in this one. That’s it folks, that’s the ballgame!

It’s kind of hard to win when one guy has 10 RBI by himself! Indeed, O’Hearn became the first person to reach double-digit RBI in a single game since Shohei Ohtani did it back in 2024. In fact, O’Hearn had a legitimate shot at four dingers in one game but unfortunately for him, shutdown reliever Jorge Mateo held him to a single in his final at-bat so O’Hearn was unable to make it four homers in one game. Still, Cooperstown accepted his helmet while the Braves accepted that it was a bad night at the office for Hurston Waldrep and Connor Thomas in particular.

Wednesday, July 8

Braves 3, Pirates 0

Fortunately, the Braves appeared to flush the bad memories of Tuesday night and proceeded to absolutely clamp down on Pittsburgh’s lineup in the middle game of this three-game series. We ended up getting a serious pitchers’ duel between Grant Holmes and Jared Jones and while Holmes was impressive in his five innings of shutout ball, Jones was even better as he carried a perfect game through six innings.

Jones was not given the opportunity to go for that perfect game because Pirates manager Don Kelly pulled Jones from the game after he was done in the sixth and sure enough, that ended up being the spark that got Atlanta’s offense going. Ozzie Albies ruined the perfect game in the seventh and then Joey Bart marked his return to PNC Park with a two-run dinger in the eighth that gave the Braves the lead and broke the deadlock.

An insurance run was added in the ninth and that meant that Raisel Iglesias was in line to bounce back from his blown save on Monday. Iglesias did give up a hit this time around but he otherwise had little trouble finishing off the Pirates and getting another save while helping push the Braves over the finish line for a series-tying win.

Thursday, July 9

Braves 10, Pirates 5

This one started off encouragingly enough for the Braves as they put up three runs in the first three innings at Mitch Keller’s expense and actually ran him from the game during those three innings. However, that was when Bryce Elder fell into some old bad habits and served up two of his vintage hanging sliders to Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez, who went back-to-back to get the Pirates back into the game.

The fourth inning saw the Braves get comfortable again in the lead as they plated three runs in their half of the inning (including a two-run dinger from Jim Jarvis — his first as a big leaguer) before Elder got tagged for a dinger again in the bottom half of the fourth. This time, it was a two-run shot from Jake Mangum and while the pitch wasn’t as bad as the other two, the result was the same and the Braves had to hold on to a two-run lead heading into the middle frames.

Mangum added an RBI double in the fifth to bring the Pirates within one run and then the bottom of the eighth inning saw James Karinchak and the Braves tenuously holding on to that lead as Pittsburgh had a runner in scoring position. Fortunately, Karinchak escaped with the lead following a strikeout, a ground out and a bullet that was smacked directly into Matt Olson’s glove for the final out. That ended up being crucial because Mike Yastrzemski ended up coming through with a massive grand slam against Dennis Santana that gave the Braves the breathing room they needed to saunter to a 10-5 series win.

Remember when it felt like this team just couldn’t find any sort of power at the plate? Those days appear to be in the rear view mirror for the Braes now because it certainly appears that this Braves team is really starting to do some serious slugging again. Joey Bart and Mike Yastrzemski both came up absolutely huge with their well-timed dingers during this series and it was also nice to see Matt Olson keep it going at the plate with a dinger in the series finale.

Even Jim Jarvis got in on the fun and congratulations are in order for him for his first big league homer — and he nearly had his second one a few innings later! It may have been tempting to think that Atlanta was just taking advantage of a beleaguered Mets pitching staff over the weekend but it really does feel like the bats have come back to life for the Braves. That’s huge since as we’ve seen from this series, the pitching is still in a spotty position at the moment.

With that being said, it was certainly encouraging to see Grant Holmes successfully navigate a second trip through the order in his start and Raisel Iglesias took the opportunity to bounce back from an extremely rare blown save earlier this week by dusting off one of the victories during this season. He didn’t even have to pitch in the series-clincher and that was due to the fact that guys like Danny Young, James Karinchak and Victor Mederos were able to step up and live up to the standards that the rest of the bullpen has set for this season.

All in all, it’s a solid series win on the road and hopefully the Braves will be able to carry this mojo with them to St. Louis for the final series of the first half. We’ve been saying for a while that they desperately need the break to regroup and while that may still be true with the Phillies and now also the Marlins creeping up on them, it sure would be nice to see the Braves take that opportunity to regroup while going into the clubhouse turn (so to speak) off the heels of a successful road trip. They’ve finished off the first leg in strong form and now it’s time for the second part. We’ll see what happens.

What we learned as Bryce Eldridge blasts first career Splash Hit in Giants' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Maybe there’s still a little fight left in the Giants after all.

Less than 24 hours after a frustrating, chaotic loss to the Toronto Blue Jays that seemed to deepen the depression hovering above Oracle Park, the Orange and Black bounced back with a crisp and clean 8-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night.

They did it with some strong at-bats and a steady evening on the mound from Carson Whisenhunt, the final result being a vibe around China Basin that was vastly different than it had been on Wednesday.

It helped big time that the Giants didn’t have to spend most of the game without a hit, as was the case the day before.

San Francisco came out swinging and swinging hard.

Casey Schmitt hit another home run, his 18^th of the 2026 MLB season, to get things going. Bryce Eldridge got his first taste of McCovey Cove, where he deposited his eighth home run of the season. Then, for good measure, Willy Adames added a two-run blast in the eighth.

In total, eight of San Francisco’s starters had at least one hit while beating Colorado for a seventh straight time at Oracle Park, dating to May 1 of last season.

Whisenhunt, who was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento before the game in a corresponding move to Ryan Walker being sent down, pitched through some traffic and worked around a hiccup fourth inning to improve to 2-0 this season.

Whisenhunt had some control issues with four walks while throwing only 57 of 87 pitches for strikes. He allowed three hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

JT Brubaker retired four batters, Erik Miller set down three and Caleb Kilian worked the ninth to seal the victory.

Here are the takeaways from Thursday’s win:

Schmitt Shines Again

It seems like every game Schmitt does something to get the fan base buzzing. He did exactly that against the Rockies with his bat and glove, becoming the first Giants player to hit seven home runs before the 95^th game of a season since home run king Barry Bonds had eight in 2001.

Caught up in an 8-for-53 funk over his previous 14 games, Schmitt destroyed the ball for his 18^th home run of the year, a solo shot that easily cleared the fence in left-center.

Schmitt added an RBI double in the eighth.

Then, following up on a few defensive gems he made in the past week, Schmitt made a great play going into foul territory to grab Hunter Goodman’s sharp grounder then made a strong throw across the diamond to get the out.

Bericoto with the Sweet D

Victor Bericoto has shown plenty of gumption at the plate since his arrival, but the 24-year-old Venezuelan can play some pretty good defense as well.

The Giants left fielder flashed some of his glove work in the first inning when he made a diving catch to rob Colorado’s No. 3 hitter, Cole Carrigg, of a hit.

San Francisco’s defense has been a mixed bag this season, so seeing Bericoto lay out to make the catch is a sign that maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Return of the Whiz

Whisenhunt and everyone in the Giants organization was hoping for a better return when the 6-foot-3 pitcher came back from the minors instead of the middle-of-the-road performance they saw Thursday.

Whisenhunt was sharp in the beginning, setting down the first eight hitters he faced, three by strikeout. After he pitched out of bases-loaded jam in the third, Whisenhunt nearly escaped again in the fourth before giving up a go-ahead, two-out two-run home run to Willi Castro in the fourth.

Given how this season has played out, there’s no guarantee that Whisenhunt will get another shot in the rotation. Giants manager Tony Vitello said before the game that the entire starting rotation will be reevaluated during the MLB All-Star break.

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As a rule, only scoring two runs in a three-game series isn’t a successful strategy, and this series wasn’t the exception that proved that rule.

The White Sox fell behind 2-0 in the fourth when starter Anthony Kay issued a dreaded leadoff walk, followed by a 379-foot shot into the left-field stands by Caleb Durbin. Those would be the only costly mistakes in Kay’s 5 1/3 innings of work, but they were enough, given the feeble state of the offense.

Facing a middish lefty for the third straight game, the Chicago offense sputtered once again, this time against Patrick Sandoval in his first major league game after an injury hiatus of more than two years. Didn’t get shut out this time, though, like last night. Not at all.

Instead, the mighty power lineup that’s fourth in the majors in homers scored an actual run by playing a ball so small it was almost invisible to the naked eye. Luisangel Acuña led off the fifth with a single, went to second on a wild pitch, then to third on another wild pitch — though he was given credit for a stolen base because he might have been headed that way when the pitch went through — and scored when pinch hitter Andrew Benintendi checked his swing and dribbled the ball toward third at an awesome 42 mph.

That would be the only White Sox hit with a runner in scoring position, though, to be fair, they only had three other chances, because they advanced a runner as far as second only four times, with the rest of the offense consisting of six singles and one walk.

One more run would have been key, since relievers Jordan Hicks, Grant Taylor and Tyler Davis — temporarily up from Charlotte while Trevor Richards is on emergency family leave — shut down the Wrong Sox for 3 2/3 innings without even a hit.

The Red Sox had almost all the hard-hit balls, with Wilyer Abreu alone having three over 106 mph. The Right Sox did have a couple of possible extra-base shots, the first by Miguel Vargas leading off the eighth, which Jarren Duran negated.

The other was by Braden Montgomery in the ninth, wiped out by center fielder Ceddane Rafaela.

The sweep sends the White Sox to 47-45 and into a virtual tie with the Guardians, who beat the Twins this afternoon. The last series before the All-Star break begins tomorrow night against the A’s, with Sean Burke facing Aaron Civale.

Here are the lineups for the final game in Cincinnati, let’s discuss!

For the Phillies:

For the Reds:

The MLB Draft starts in less than 48 hours, and there has been a lot of speculation as to who the Rockies might take 10th overall. We asked you to make your best guess between RHP Liam Peterson (Florida), RHP Cameron Flukey (Coastal Carolina), C Vahn Lackey (Georgia Tech) or C Ryder Helfrick (Arkansas).

The most popular answer among those given was Peterson, but the majority of folks believe the Rockies will take someone completely different:

Some of the responses included:

• LHP Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
• SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky
• OF Derek Curiel, Louisiana State
• LHP Mason Edwards, Southern California
• OF AJ Gracia, Virginia
• OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
• LHP Carson Bolemon, Southside Christian

In addition to pick no. 10, the Rockies also have 37 and 38 on the first day.

Do you agree with the results? Do you stand by your original vote? Let us know in the comments!

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When/Where is the MLB Draft, & how do we watch it?

The MLB Draft this year is Saturday, July 11th and Sunday, July 12th. Coverage will begin on NBC and Peacock at 1PM ET on Saturday, with rounds 1-3 being completed on day one. On Sunday, NBC/Peacock rounds 4-20 is at 1 PMET. Both days will also have live coverage on MLB Network and MLB.com

The MLB Futures Game will occur on Sunday, starting at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET, also to be broadcast on NBC. The home run derby is Monday night 8PM ET on Netflix and the All-Star game is 8PM ET Tuesday. The weekend’s festivities will begin with Friday night’s Historically Black College/University Swingman Classic Game on July 10th at 7 PM ET on MLB Network and MLB.com.

What Do I Need to Know About the Guardians’ Picks?

The Guardians’ first four picks are #19, #59, #95 and #123. You can read up on some potential names they might be considering here. Brian Hemminger is reviewing the last four drafts for the Guardians ahead of time, and Matt Dallas added some additional scouting of pitchers here, as did Matt Seese here.

Who is eligible to be drafted?

Anyone residing in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territories who has never signed a previous MLB/MiLB contract and is either

• A high school graduate, OR
• Attending a junior/community college, OR
• Attending a four-year college/university which they have attended for at least three years/have reached their 21st birthday

What Can We Expect from Covering the Corner?

We will have an open thread on draft days to discuss selections and analysis of each pick as they occur posted after picks are made.

Takeaways as Luzardo deals again, Phillies manufacture enough to win series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CINCINNATI — Jesús Luzardo has been the true middle of the Phillies’ rotation in 2026.

Entering Thursday, Philadelphia was 25-8 in starts made by Zack Wheeler or Cristopher Sánchez this year. The Phillies were 12-6 in Luzardo’s starts, while all other starters were 14-28.

The Phillies’ Peruvian-born southpaw has had his dominant outings. He has had his blow-up outings.

More recently, though, his starts have been cut from the same cloth. A dominant one.

When Wheeler, Sánchez and Luzardo are all rolling at the top, it makes it feel like this club can handle just about anything in front of them.

If all three are doing this come postseason time, look out. There is always a way to October baseball, but the Phillies are getting a glimpse of their rotation’s ceiling as those three continue to one-up one another.

On Thursday, the Phillies and Reds both struggled mightily at the plate. But one late run was all Philadelphia needed in a 1-0 win, clinching the series at Great American Ball Park.

LUZARDO’S SURGE

It is hard to find a starting pitcher more locked in than the newly named first-time All-Star Luzardo.

Over his last five outings entering Thursday, the lefty registered a 1.78 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings.

Two-thirds of those strikeouts, 30 of them, came against his otherworldly sweeper. No matter who he faces, that pitch remains one of the toughest in baseball. He showed that again against the Reds.

Luzardo racked up 11 strikeouts Thursday. Eight came with the sweeper.

What allowed him to remain so effective with it late in counts was his ability to get ahead with his other pitches.

Five of seven first-pitch strikes with his four-seamer. Three of four with his changeup. Three of six with his sinker.

Make it six straight dominant starts. A 1.45 ERA. A 13.5 strikeouts per nine, the highest rate in the National League across that span. And he has produced a 1.38 ERA on the road.

Remarkable.

He finished his night with seven scoreless innings. The Phillies now have double-digit games with 10 strikeouts, the second most in MLB.

The next time Luzardo takes the ball will very likely be in the 96th Midsummer Classic at his home ballpark.

SCRATCHED ONE ACROSS

Reds starter Brady Singer was almost as good.

He was efficient as ever. Through his first five innings, he threw 10 pitches or fewer in each frame.

Singer was through seven scoreless before the Phillies were able to do just enough.

The athleticism at the bottom of the order has become a separator from years past. Gabriel Rincones Jr. was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth. Don Mattingly called on Derek Hill, who would replace Rincones defensively as well, to pinch run.

That was the right call.

J.T. Realmuto then chopped one to short, but Hill’s speed allowed him to get to second. That forced Elly De La Cruz to take the out at first.

So when Justin Crawford came up next and bounced one through the right side on a low-and-in sinker, Hill’s speed allowed him to score.

That was all the Phillies needed.

HEATED UP

In the second inning, as Luzardo walked off the mound, he pointed into the Reds’ dugout after the frame ended.

The competitor in him comes out on the mound at times. With the way Luzardo is rolling, that edge is working for him.

And for the Phillies, being able to hand the ball from Luzardo to Jonathan Bowlan and then Jhoan Duran to lock down a 1-0 win in the middle of a nine-game road trip to end the first half is massive.

More to come.

Since announcing that he will be participating in this year’s Home Run Derby during the All-Star break, Ben Rice has been on a power surge for the Yankees. 

After hitting a home run on Tuesday, the same day of his commitment to partake in the event, Rice added two more on Thursday in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays to help lead a 12-4 win for New York to secure a series split.

In fact, Rice finished the four-game set against the division-rival 7-for-16 with four home runs and nine RBI. The 27-year-old is now up to 28 homers on the season, second in the AL, and already two more than he had in 138 games during his breakout campaign in 2025.

What’s incredible is the slugger is showing no signs of slowing down and spoke about his unbelievable season so far and what he’s done to compound on last year’s offensive explosion.

“Just sticking with it overall,” he said. “Like I’ve said in the past, it’s such a long year. You’re bound to go through the ups and downs. Just leaning on the guys in the clubhouse and the locker room and go out here and just have an approach, stick to it, be convicted in it and hopefully good things will happen.”

Whatever approach Rice is utilizing, it’s certainly working which has the Yankees very excited as they continue to play without Aaron Judge who is out with a fractured rib and who will get re-imaging on that rib during the All-Star break.

Speaking of the All-Star break, Rice will likely stick to that same approach during his participation in the Home Run Derby that takes place on July 13 to try and take home the hardware in his first time in the event.

One of Rice’s competitors will be Junior Caminero, who also went yard on Thursday and is right behind Rice with 27 home runs. Actually, at the time, the home run put Caminero in front of Rice, but that didn’t last long as two innings later Rice tied it before overtaking him with his second of the game.

Of the five confirmed participants this year, Rice and Caminero are the top-2 in total home runs which, as of right now, could make them two of the favorites to come out on top. In last year’s competition, Caminero was a surprise runner-up to Cal Raleigh so his experience could give him the slight edge over Rice.

Regardless, Rice seems ready to prove his numbers this season are no fluke and that the hard work he’s been putting in since his MLB debut in 2024 is paying off.

After Thursday’s game, though, all Rice was thinking about was his team and how they were able to pull out a series split while putting up 12 runs on 14 hits.

“It’s big time. It’s big for the morale heading into this last series before the break,” he said. “Just kinda getting everyone rolling again and firing on all cylinders feels good.”

Okay, so the first two games haven’t gone our way and the club is now riding a 5-game losing streak. That just means it’s time for a win to get us back in the win column and rolling again. It’s time.

The A’s will be going with an opener/bulk pitcher strategy today, giving left-handed reliever Jose Suarez the ball for the first inning. He’ll be followed by right-hander Jack Perkins. The 26-year-old has struggled mightily in his return to starting duties, posting a ghastly 8.10 ERA over his six starts. The season is quickly slipping away from the A’s so it’s getting to the point where they might as well let it ride with the young right-hander. Maybe today is the day he puts it all together and finally figures it out. We’ll see though as he’s coming off an appearance where he allowed seven runs to cross home plate. Hard to win when your starter does that. Fingers crossed switching roles can spark something.

Here’s how the A’s will line up this afternoon in Detroit for the finale:

The squad gets first baseman Nick Kurtz back after he departed the game last night. Seems he’s healthy enough to get back into the starting lineup, though he’ll handle DH duties while first base will be covered by Jonah Heim. Kurtz will bat second behind today’s third baseman and lead off man Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, and our middle infield duo will be Jacob Wilson and Alika Williams tonight, playing shortstop and second base respectively.

And while the team welcomed Tyler Soderstrom back from the IL yesterday he gets the day off this evening, making way for Zack Gelof to get the start on the grass out there in left. He’ll be flanked by Henry Bolte in center and Colby Thomas in right field.

The Tigers meanwhile will send high-priced lefty Framber Valdez to the bump for what will be his 19th start of the season. The first-year Tiger hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations that his big contract came with but he’s still been serviceable with a 4.29 ERA for the AL Central squad.

And a look at Detroit’s starting nine today:

1-9 in our past 10 games. Currently holding the 3rd-worst record in the American League. A five-game losing streak, and now five games back of a playoff spot. Desperate times. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast