Category: Baseball

The 2026 All-Star Game festivities have come and gone. The dust has settled, and for the first time since 2024, the American League came away victorious by shutting out the National League 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.

Scoring was scarce on Tuesday, as the four runs the AL scored came in only two innings. Former Dodgers MVP Cody Bellinger had the deciding hit in his first All-Star Game since 2019, driving in two against Cristopher Sánchez. As a result of him driving in half of Tuesday’s final score, Bellinger was awarded with the All-Star Game MVP honors, becoming the first Yankee to do so since his teammate Giancarlo Stanton in 2022.

From being atop the baseball summit, to the pitfalls he experienced with the Dodgers in 2021-22, to reviving his career with the same organization his father played for, Tuesday marked a full-circle moment for Bellinger, as he envisioned being in the All-Star game regularly following his first three big league seasons, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll be here every year,’” Bellinger said. “It took a long time to get back. It’s such a competitive league. It’s hard to be an All-Star. Health, performance, it all has to come together.”

Another former Dodger, though lacking the hardware Bellinger earned in Los Angeles, added the exclamation mark for this year’s Midsummer Classic. Miguel Vargas tattooed a 433 foot home run into the second deck of the left field bleachers against Justin Wrobleski, bringing the score to its final mark. With his home run, Vargas now joins Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordoñez as the only White Sox with a home run in the All-Star Game.

Vargas spoke with Tom Verducci of FOX Sports following the game, noting how making his All-Star debut felt just like his big league debut with the Dodgers back in 2022.

“It’s an unbelievable experience. I have no words to describe it, but I’m glad to be here and be around all these superstars.”

Last year, I noted that Andy Pages was a noticeable snub from last year’s All-Star Game. The situation was rectified this year with Pages being an actual starter, but it seems I wasn’t alone in my assessment last year. Freddie Freeman noted prior to Tuesday’s game that Pages should have been an All-Star last year as well, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“It should be his second. I think he should have had it last year,” said Freddie Freeman, who will be in the NL’s starting lineup alongside Pages at his 10th All-Star Game. “Andy has been great for a couple years now. So I’m glad he’s getting the recognition. I’m glad the fans are gonna get to see him in Philadelphia.”

Great minds think alike, Freddie.

Good morning, baseball fans!

We are officially in the dead zone of the All-Star break, so I thought today we could discuss some of our favorite All-Star Game related memories. They don’t have to be specific to the San Francisco Giants, goodness knows the pickings have been slim on that front for a while. But mine is, at least.

I think my favorite All-Star memory is from the 2016 season, when Brandon Belt was in the running for the last fan vote (or whatever they were calling it back then). Myself and several other members of the McCoven were working overtime to solicit votes from the wider baseball community. This was back when you used to be able to vote with hashtags on social media, so every post mattered.

The winner was expected to be announced on a Saturday, when I already had tickets to the Giants game that day. It was also the NBA Finals, if I remember correctly, so it was a crazy time to be coming back to the bay for a visit.

The night before, I had scheduled an obnoxious amount of social media posts to publish throughout the morning, because I wasn’t going to be around to do it manually and I needed to get those precious, precious votes cast any way I could.

I had actually just boarded the ferry in Vallejo when Belt was announced as the winner of that vote for the National League. Man, there was no better place to be than on the water, beer in hand, and surrounded by celebrating Giants fans. And getting to be there in person for that game, where they announced that Belt would be on the All-Star team for the first and only time, will always be one of my favorite memories.

What are your favorite All-Star Game memories?

The Tampa Bay Rays — rightfully so, given their dominance in the American League thus far — had a strong showing at the All-Star Game this week, chief among them Junior Caminero.

Home Run Derby

At still 23-years young, which I feel the broadcasts should have mentioned even more often than they frequently did, returned to the Home Run Derby he placed second in last year, and in the opening round belted 13 homeruns — only 12 of which counted after some umpiring worthy of the FIFA World Cup when his final belted longball was not recognized of having wrapped around the foul pole down the left field line — as the Rays third baseman boasted the quickest and clearly strongest swing of the Derby, per the HitFX making the rounds on twitter throughout the Netflix live event. Nine of his homeruns travelled over 420 feet, and he maxed out his exit velocity as an astonishing 116 mph.

Caminero was easily on to the second round in a Derby full of new limiting rules that seemed destined to shorten the Derby to an hour long affair with just 20 swings allowed per athlete in the opening round, and with that number decreasing in later rounds, but like many under pundits I shouldn’t have worried. It was a strong showing for MLB.

Despite being one of the last players to hit in the opening round, Caminero was perplexingly asked to step up first in the second round when other players benefitting from an hour’s rest, a decision so strange I suspected the cameras to cut to Gianni Infantino sitting between Rob Manfred and Mohammed bin Salman.

The Home Run Derby is a test of endurance, and Caminero stepped up courageously despite the lack of rest, and proceeded to belt 5 of 15 over the fence in Philadelphia, including a 491 foot moonshot that would be the longest longball of the night.

It was not enough to stave off eventual winner, St. Louis’s Jordan Walker, whose winnings from the tournament purse would outweigh his own annual salary, and who also benefitted from some good fortune ripped from the World Cup headlines, as his pitcher mistakenly grabbed one of the regular baseballs — as opposed to the infamous magenta magic balls that represent the final opportunity for competitors — on his Derby winning blast.

All-Star Game

Caminero was the starting third baseman on the following night in a night full of pomp and circumstance to honor America’s 250th birthday, my favorite being a giant document mirroring the Declaration of Independence that each starter signed as they were announced on the field. In the DRB slack chat during the game, Brett Rutherford  agreed on the hilarity given the document was being signed by, “a bunch of dudes who aren’t American,” to which I responded: “Neither were any of the signatories at that moment if you think about it.”

Caminero would bat the runners around in his first plate appearance, and then suffer another cruel twist of fate in his second at bat when National League pitcher Pat O’Brien — a relatively surprising pitcher to be selected in the first hour given the notoriety up and down Dave Roberts’s bench — ran a fastball up and in on Caminero, striking him in the hand.

Caminero held his composure well, then sprinted to the dugout where x-rays were announced as negative for any fractures. Per Enrique Rojas of ESPN, translated from Spanish, “Junior Caminero said he’s fine, that he had a big scare, that the pitcher called him to apologize, and that he plans to play on Friday, when the Rays’ season resumes.”

Two Rays pitchers would be called upon later in the Classic, starting with Nick Martinez — making his first All-Star Game appearance just shy of his 36th birthday, a well earned honor for a veteran who has stepped in as a leader in the Rays clubhouse.

Martinez’s clean appearance helped the American League rack up 15 strikeouts on the night, a feat that was not missed by Martinez postgame:

“Obviously not easy to do,” said Rays starter Nick Martinez, who threw a 1-2-3 fifth. “Hat’s off to these guys, and I’ve got a lot of guys to thank for speeding them up so that I could use my changeup.” [mlb.com]

Rays closer Bryan Baker would be called upon to close out the four-nil victory worthy yet again of a World Cup result, facing the final two batters of the game, and who’d quipped previously that he was accustomed to spending his time on the beach during the All-Star Break.

I would be remiss to not mention the joy I felt seeing any Rays pitcher find success in this stadium, which has haunted me since 2008’s painful World Series loss that hurt all the more for the sting of unfairness and poor weather that haunted those games in Pennsylvania.

Baker’s battery mate was former teammate Adley Rutschman, which led to some appreciative perspective from the Rays reliever post game, and which adds necessary perspective. For some of the players in this game it’s yet another honor for one of the game’s best (it was Mike Trout’s 12th appearance this summer), but for others it’s a once-in-a-lifetime honor. Both are moments to be savored.

Post game, Rays co-owner and CEO Ken Babby took to twitter to add fuel to the fire building for a new Rays stadium, which must be a requirement for the Rays to someday host the All-Star Game, given that this franchise remains the only one to never receive that honor.

As Darby Robinson quipped in the slack chat, “It’s coming home (and I’m not talking about England and the World Cup).”

If you liked pitching and strikeouts, it was a fun night of baseball and celebration in the city of brotherly love.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Chris Denorfia, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1973,California Angels ace Nolan Ryan hurls his second no-hitter of the season in taming the Detroit Tigers, 6-0. Ryan fans 17 batters, the most ever in a nine-inning no-hitter, including eight straight, but only one over the last two innings. Nolan’s arm stiffens while watching his team rally for five runs in the top of the eighth. With two outs in the ninth, Norm Cash, who struck out his three other times at bat, comes to bat wielding a piano leg. Umpire Ron Luciano points out the illegality and Cash then pops out using a regulation bat. Ryan’s eight strikeouts in a row ties the American League record he set last year, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1901 – Christy Mathewson, 22 years old, of the New York Giants pitches a no-hitter, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0, at League Park. Matty saves his own no-hitter in the sixth when an Otto Krueger hit caroms off 1B John Ganzel‘s glove to Mathewson, who throws back to first base for a 3-1-3 putout.
• 1909 – Ty Cobb has two inside-the-park homers to lead the Detroit Tigers to a sweep of the Washington Nationals.
• 1920 – Babe Ruth ties his 1919 record of 29 home runs with a game-winner in the 13th to beat the St. Louis Browns, 13-10. Two days later, he will break it by hitting two off Chicago White Sox P Dickie Kerr.
• 1921 – NY Yankees slugger Babe Ruth ties MLB record of 138 career home runs (held by Roger Connor since 1895) in a 7-2 win over St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis.
• 1960 – San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey‘s “invisible triple” causes umpire Frank Dascoli to call a twenty-four minute fog delay at Candlestick Park, but the Los Angeles Dodgers go on to win, 5-3.
• 1960 – Brooks Robinson goes 5 for 5, hitting for the cycle, to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. With three hits yesterday, Robinson has eight straight hits. His ninth-inning triple off reliever Turk Lown seals the win for Milt Pappas over starter Billy Pierce.
• 1973 – MLB San Francisco Giant Willie McCovey becomes 15th to hit 400 home runs, this one at Candlestick Park against Pittsburgh Pirate’s Bob Moose.
• 1980 – In an 11-7 Cincinnati Reds win over the Montreal Expos, Johnny Bench belts homer No. 314, establishing a new mark for home runs by a catcher, and No. 347 overall. The round tripper comes off David Palmer. Bench breaks Yogi Berra‘s record and will hold the mark until surpassed by Mike Piazza.
• 1993 – Breaking Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks‘ previous record of 277, Cal Ripken hits his 278th homer as a shortstop, the most ever hit by a major leaguer playing that position.
• 2022 – In his last start before the All-Star break, veteran Clayton Kershaw is better than ever, taking a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Angels before Luis Rengifo breaks up the bid with a lead-off double. It is already the second time this season that the Dodgers’ ace has been perfect through seven innings, the other coming in his first start on April 13th. Kershaw completes the 8th inning without allowing another hit to earn his seventh win, 9-1, after Reyes Moronta allows a meaningless run in the 9th.

Cubs Birthdays:Chris Denorfia*, Bob Will, Bruce Edwards, Bubbles Hargrave.

Today in history:

• 1501 – Portuguese explorer Pedro Cabral arrives back in Lisbon from his voyage to India, having lost six ships, during which he accidently discovered Brazil.
• 1869 – Margarine is patented by Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès for use by the French Navy.
• 1912 – American athlete Jim Thorpe places in the top 4 in all 10 events, achieving an Olympic record of 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics; his medal is stripped in 1913 (played pro baseball) and reinstated in 1982.
• 1933 – Wiley Post begins the first solo flight around the world, completing the journey in 7 days and 19 hours.
• 1941 – Howard Florey and Norman Heatley present freeze-dried mold cultures of penicillin.
• 1978 – British Open Men’s Golf at St Andrews: Jack Nicklaus completes his third career Grand Slam, winning by two strokes over Ben Crenshaw and Ray Floyd.
• 2018 – Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao stops WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round in Kuala Lumpur for his first knockout in 9 years and 60th career victory.

Today in music history:

• 1960 – Chubby Checker releases his version of “The Twist” in the US (date approximate).
• 1972 – “Honky Chateau” becomes Elton John‘s first No. 1 album in the US, includes hit “Rocket Man”.
• 1973 – Ray Davies announces his retirement from The Kinks, then attempts suicide; neither effort successful.
• 1987 – Boy George is barred from a British TV show because he may be a bad influence.
• 2012 – Korean pop singer Psy releases single “Gangnam Style,” it becomes a worldwide hit, topping the charts in over 36 countries.
• 2022 – Elton John kicks off the North American leg of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour” at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

*pictured.

Man, what a boring game.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• This whole story really needs to be put to bed, but Rob Manfred admitted that Bryce Harper did nothing wrong with his Cameo video.
• Citizens Bank Park was on full display during the Home Run Derby, an event unlike anything else in the ballpark’s history ($).
• Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn’t, but there was a banner urging the Phillies to cut ties with Citizens Bank.

MLB news:

• Roch Cholowsky is reportedly already a member of the White Sox organization, agreeing to a whopping $10.35 million bonus with Chicago.
• Tarik Skubal continues to be a popular trade target, this time, his name being mentioned with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Team MVP

Paul Dietrich: Brice Turang

The correct answer here is Jacob Misiorowski but given that he’s going to get the Cy Young award below, I’ll choose a position player for variety’s sake. And while there are several important contributors among that group, the player most worthy of recognition here is also the one who leads the team in WAR: Brice Turang.

Though he has slumped at times (as all hitters do), Turang has still been excellent. He’s had a nice bounce back defensively after the metrics last season weren’t as kind as in previous years. He’s 15-for-18 in stolen base attempts. And the offense that miraculously appeared last summer has mostly sustained — Turang’s 126 OPS+ is right there amongst a cluster of Brewers for tops on the team behind the first-base platoon of Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn. He’s first on the team in games played and second in home runs. The combination of all of these things makes him the most valuable Brewer position player, and it’s not all that close. And it’s a joke that he isn’t an All-Star.

Harrison Freuck: Brice Turang

Turang has only gotten better from last season, when he exploded for 18 homers after displaying virtually no in-game power in his first two seasons. This year, he’s already posted 4.0 bWAR, putting him well on track to outpace his 5.5 mark from last year, and part of that is due to the return of his strong defensive metrics. It seems silly to go with anyone besides the fourth-year second baseman here.

Dave Gasper: Brice Turang

Turang has continued his progression into a star player this year with the power surge that began last year. He’s up to 14 homers already, just four shy of last year’s total and is close to being on pace for a 30-30 season. Turang is already up to a 4.0 bWAR. He’s an anchor in the heart of the lineup and he continues to provide stellar defense up the middle.

Jackson Heiden: Jake Bauers

Much like the real-life MVP, it typically goes to the best offensive player, and although that’s certainly not the case with this year’s Brewers, that’s what I’m going to do today. Jake “Light Tower Power” Bauers is taking home my midseason MVP honors. Through all of the ups and downs with this season’s offense so far, Bauers has been the most consistent. Bauers is currently having the best season of his career, with his batting average currently over 30 points higher than his second best, which came last year. Most impactfully, his long ball is what stands out to me, with his ability to come in through the clutch. Furthermore, his interview with the Baseball is Dead podcast makes this season that much more magical for him and fans alike.

Jason Paczkowski: Jacob Misiorowski

There’s always a discussion about whether or not a pitcher should be a team MVP or not. When it comes to a starting pitcher, they only pitch once every five (or so) days, so they have a lower overall contribution to the team. However, even though he’s only pitched in 18 of the Brewers’ 96 games this season, Misiorowski has had the biggest contribution to this team. At 4.4 fWAR, his value not only is the best of any Brewer, it’s also the highest fWAR of any pitcher in the majors this season. He had a sub-1.00 ERA in both May and June, and the Brewers lost only two games he pitched in those months. Whenever he pitches, the Brewers’ chance to win the game increases significantly. There’s not a more valuable player on this team right now.

Adam Zimmer: Brice Turang

There are several Brewers with legitimate cases here. Jackson Chourio, Misiorowski, William Contreras, Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and even Aaron Ashby have all played valuable roles this season. Ultimately, though, Turang gets the nod. His 4.0 WAR entering the break is nearly double that of Milwaukee’s next-most valuable position player, a testament to just how impactful he’s been on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he’s hitting .266 with an .826 OPS, 14 home runs, and a 126 OPS+, while also totaling 10 Defensive Runs Saved. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t named an All-Star, but an extra week of rest and a little added motivation heading into the second half might not be the worst thing for Turang and the Brewers.

Cy Young

Paul Dietrich: Jacob Misiorowski

Jacob Misiorowski isn’t just the best pitcher on the Brewers — he’s the best pitcher in baseball this season, I think. Enough digital ink has been spilled (by me and others) that I don’t feel I need to spend a whole lot of time justifying this decision, but yeah, Miz is the best.

Harrison Freuck: Jacob Misiorowski

I don’t think there’s much more that I can say about Milwaukee’s ace — all I do now is talk about how good is Misiorowski is. Loads of strikeouts? Check. Low(er) walk numbers? Check. Best WHIP in baseball? Check. Enough said.

Dave Gasper: Jacob Misiorowski

Is there really any other candidate for this award? Aaron Ashby is making a push with his win total, but this is not the Cy Young voting of yesteryear. It’s Miz and it’s not close.

Jackson Heiden: Jacob Misiorowski

As I’m sure many people across baseball will determine, Miz is my Cy Young at this year’s halfway mark. Having only missed one start this season, Misiorowski has a 1.62 ERA with a league-leading 167 strikeouts. As of right now, he leads in two of the three categories needed to win the pitching crown, which was last done in 2024 by both Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale. Entering the second half, the arm fatigue is something to be concerned about, but the first half was one to remember, most notably his complete-game shutout where he faced the minimum under 100 pitches, striking out 15.

Jason Paczkowski: Jacob Misiorowski

While there is a discussion to be had around the team MVP, Misiorowski is a clear favorite for the team Cy Young award. Not only is he leading the majors in fWAR, he’s putting up incredible numbers in ERA (1.62), FIP (2.09), and strikeouts (167). He will easily break the 200-strikeout mark this season and has a chance to set the team record for strikeouts in a season. The biggest concern for him is the innings count, since he is already at 111 IP and is closing in on the 141 1/3 pitched last season. An additional 20% for innings would be around 170 IP, which he could hit in roughly 10 more starts in the second half. It will be something to watch, especially with the extra rest he’s getting during the All-Star break.

Adam Zimmer: Jacob Misiorowski

Misiorowski is the no-brainer pick here as the current odds-on favorite to win the actual Cy Young Award. Miz leads baseball with a 1.62 ERA and is the only qualified pitcher under 2.00. He also leads the league in WHIP (0.76), strikeouts (167), and is tied with Dylan Cease for the MLB lead in strikeouts per nine innings (13.5). Many expected the right-hander to take a step forward in his first full major league season, but I’d guess almost nobody expected him to become the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Milwaukee needed someone to step up in the wake of Freddy Peralta’s departure, and Misiorowski has done far more than that. He’s emerged not just as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter, but as one of the best pitchers in the game.

Newcomer

Paul Dietrich: Kyle Harrison

This is pretty obviously Kyle Harrison, who came to the Brewers (along with David Hamilton and Shane Drohan) when they traded Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to the Red Sox in the offseason. All three of those players have contributed to the Red Sox turnaround over the last few weeks, so this trade looks a little bit less like the fleecing that it looked like a couple months ago, but Harrison has still been by far the best player in the trade and looks like he’ll be a staple of the Brewers’ rotation for several years to come. Let’s just get him healthy and to the end of the season.

A couple others to quickly shout out here: Cooper Pratt, by moving Joey Ortiz out of everyday shortstop duties and relieving Luis Rengifo of his duties, has looked good on defense and has held his own offensively. It has been a huge boon to the Brewers’ team defense, and Ortiz has even perked up with the bat. Also give it up for Drohan, who came over with Harrison, and has been a crucial part of the team in his first major league season.

Harrison Freuck: Kyle Harrison

Have to go with the guy with the same name as me, right? While Harrison hasn’t been quite as good the last month or so, he’s still been Milwaukee’s No. 2 starter this season. He has a solid 8-2 record with a 3.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts, putting him on pace to approach the 200-strikeout mark if he’s able to stay healthy after what is hopefully a short IL stint. The lefty also turns just 25 in a few weeks, meaning there’s still plenty of potential. Shoutout to Shane Drohan and Cooper Pratt.

Dave Gasper: Kyle Harrison

I debated going with Luis Rengifo here (kidding) but it’s clear Kyle Harrison is the best newcomer of the first half. Brandon Sproat has flashed signs, but Harrison hit the ground running. Through 17 starts, he has a 3.01 ERA. Even though he’s on the IL right now, it was a dominant first half.

Jackson Heiden: Kyle Harrison

So few teams are lucky to have a two-headed monster at the front of the rotation like the Brewers have found. Not many people were expecting to see what Kyle Harrison has provided for the Brewers this season, being a perfect replacement for Freddy Peralta. Though he has stumbled a little bit down the stretch, he has been a phenomenal No. 2 pitcher in the rotation. Entering the All-Star break, he is currently having the best season of his career and is on pace to break his inning workload by roughly mid-August, assuming he is healthy. Once again, for what feels like the millionth time, the Brewers’ pitching lab is working wonders.

Jason Paczkowski: Cooper Pratt

If we’re looking at total contribution over the season so far, the newcomer should be Kyle Harrison. However, I’m going to give a vote to Pratt. He is fixing one of the biggest weaknesses that this Brewers team has had so far. Since making his debut on June 16, he has already matched Joey Ortiz’s full season value (0.6 fWAR) and surpassed David Hamilton (0.3 fWAR) and Luis Rengifo (-0.7 fWAR). In addition, we’re already starting to see him adjust to major league pitching. Since the start of July, he’s batting .306/.422/.417 with a 138 wRC+. It may be early for him, but he’s already showing why the Brewers signed him to a long-term deal before he even played a game in the majors.

Adam Zimmer: Kyle Harrison

Like Misiorowski, I expected Harrison to be good. I just didn’t expect him to be this good. Through his first 17 starts with the Brewers, Harrison owns a 3.01 ERA and a 1.076 WHIP while giving Milwaukee exactly what it needed after acquiring him over the winter. Shane Drohan, David Hamilton, and Gary Sánchez have all made valuable contributions in their first seasons with the club, but Harrison has separated himself from the rest of the newcomers. He’s pitched like a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter, helping stabilize one of baseball’s youngest pitching staffs and playing a major role in the Brewers’ 100-win pace.

Team Grade

Paul Dietrich: A

I don’t see how you could give them anything else. The Brewers yet again traded away a franchise centerpiece and yet again came out of it as a better team. They have the second-best record in baseball in a season when essentially everyone thought they’d be worse. Yes, they scuffled into the break and yes, the Cubs are making a charge, but they’ve positioned themselves as well as they possibly could for the second half of the season.

Harrison Freuck: A

This was honestly kinda hard for me to decide on, because while there’s still room for improvement, the Brewers had such a great first half that it’s hard to complain. After the late April struggles, the team has really put things together since Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn returned in May, and Jacob Misiorowski has seemingly figured out at least some of the issues that plagued him last season. Milwaukee once again looks like the team to beat in the Central, and if it weren’t for the money machine of the Dodgers, I’d say they look like the team to beat in the NL, too.

Dave Gasper: A

At no point has it really felt like this team has fully hit their stride, yet they still have a franchise record for first-half wins and are in control in the NL Central. They lost Chourio and Vaughn for a month to start the season, they got nothing from the bottom three spots in the lineup for months, and they have not had Quinn Priester at all and missed other various starters throughout. Despite all that, being able to win that many games is an easy A grade. They haven’t fired on all cylinders, but you are what your record says you are, and the record says they had a great first half.

Jackson Heiden: A-

It feels almost cliché to give the Brewers an A- at the halfway mark. Despite having the second-best record in baseball and falling one win short of becoming the 21st team in baseball to hit 60 wins before the All-Star break, there are some glaring issues that will need to be addressed at the trade deadline if the Brewers want to make a run come October. The Brewers’ pitching staff has been the backbone, but with a roller coaster of injuries spread throughout, another arm wouldn’t hurt to help support the rotation. Offensively, despite seeing better production as of late from the left side of the infield, it’s still an area that could use some veteran leadership to really boost this lineup. Overall, the Brewers are in a great spot. In fact, the best spot they have ever been to this point in the season. Arms will get healthier, the bats will figure it out, and with a favorable stretch of schedule coming out of the break, it could be a good “get hot” time for the Crew.

Jason Paczkowski: A

A lot has gone right for the Brewers this season. Even though they did spend a few days in last place early in the season, they have never had a losing record this season. They’ve been in sole possession of first place since May 19 and have held a lead as large as 7.5 games. The young rotation has been a strength of the team, and the bullpen has also been as strong as last year. New additions to the position players are fixing some of the issues that the team has had so far. There are a few concerns as the team comes out of the All-Star break, with the rotation facing some injuries and the Brewers on a three-game losing streak. However, they’re still set up to finish the season strong.

Adam Zimmer: A

At the All-Star break, the Brewers have 59 wins, the second-best record in baseball, the Cy Young frontrunner, the best farm system in the sport, and a front office that keeps plugging holes with talented young players. Sure, you can point to the bullpen’s occasional struggles, the inconsistent production with runners in scoring position, or the lack of elite power, but none of that changes the bigger picture: the Brewers are winning games. They’re just a game and a half behind the Dodgers for the best record in the majors. If that doesn’t deserve an A, what does?

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Offday

Double-A Somerset Patriots: Offday

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: Offday

Low-A Tampa Tarpons: Offday

Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 8-13 at FCL Blue Jays

1B-3B Richard Matic 0-4, BB, 2 K
SS George Lombard Jr. 1-1, HR, 2 BB, RBI — another rehab game, another homer
PH-1B Diego Flores 0-1, BB
CF Wilberson De Pena 3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 3 RBI, K, CS — 16th homer, continues to lay waste to Rookie ball (1.085 OPS in 51 games); also a new FCL record for single-season homers!
DH Queni Pineda 0-4, BB, 2 K
3B-2B Leni Done 0-4, SB
RF Jose Castro 2-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 SB
LF Francisco Vilorio 1-4, RBI
2B-SS Dexters Peralta 0-2, 2 BB, GIDP, CS, picked off
C Justin Capellan 1-3, 2B
C Carlos Rondon 0-1, K

Danny Flatt 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, HR, WP (loss)
Marco Manzano 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, WP
Brian Hendry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Hueston Morrill 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 2 K — on a rehab assignment of his own, but yike
Brian Arias 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, HR, HBP
Stanly Alcantara 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HBP

Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 10-13 and W, 8-6 (7) vs. DSL Rockies

Game 1 — completion of July 9th game suspended in the third

CF Isaias Castillo 2-2, 2B
RF Manuel Aguilar 1-2, 2 BB, K
SS Stiven Marinez 1-4, BB, SB, HBP
RF-CF Yostin Pena 3-5, 2 2B, BB, 4 RBI, SB — three run-scoring hits in four innings
DH Juan Torres 3-5, 3 RBI, SB
1B Juan Martinez 1-3, K
1B John Rosillo 1-2, HR, 2 RBI — first pro homer
C Cesar Lopez 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB, HBP, passed ball
LF Kendry Diaz 0-5, K
3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-2, CS, throwing error
3B Adrian Feliz 0-2, BB, K, CS
2B Emmanuel Orozco 1-5, 2 K, SB

Jhosneyker Colina 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K
Dariel Chalas 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP
Dalvin Taveras 1 IP, 2 H, 5 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, WP, HBP
Angel Salazar 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, WP — DSL Rockies scored five in the eighth to come back
Luis Rodriguez 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K (loss)

Game 2

SS Stiven Marinez 1-3, BB
C Juan Martinez 2-3, BB, SB, throwing error
CF Yostin Pena 3-4, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, K — launched go-ahead homer in the sixth; six hits and eight RBI in the doubleheader, pretty good!
2B Juan Torres 1-4, 2B, RBI, SB
RF Manuel Aguilar 1-4, 2 K
LF Eliezer Adames 0-2, BB, K
DH Edgar Jimenez 0-3
1B Jose Peralta 0-2, BB
3B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, BB, K, fielding error

Jhosneyker Colina 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP, fielding error — starting both ends of a doubleheader! wow! (yes I know he actually started the first one on July 9th)
Varis Villarreal 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (win)
Emanuel Vargas 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, WP (save)

Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 6-8 (10) at DSL Colorado

2B Dariel Santana 2-5, 2B, 3B, K — scored on a fielder’s choice to briefly put Bombers ahead in 10th
3B Carlos Bello 0-3, BB, 2 K
C Kenneth Melendez 1-5, K, SB, passed ball
C Jesus Guerrero 0-0
RF David Carrera 3-4, BB, 2 RBI, SB, outfield assist
DH Poly Ojeda 1-5, HR, 4 RBI — three-run blast in the eighth
SS Germayhoni Beltre 0-4, BB, K, SB, CS
1B Stalen Ramirez 0-4, fielding error
LF Sebastian Pinto 0-3, BB
CF Alfiery Matos 0-4, K

Junior Tavera 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Higor Requena 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP — allowed game-tying homer in the eighth
Diego Carrillo 0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, HR (loss) — gave up walk-off three-run bomb in the 10th

Good morning all, and happy “Cody Bellinger is an All-Star Game MVP” Day!

Okay yes, it’s not really that big of a deal. Last night’s Midsummer Classic was kind of a grueling watch for even the most ardent of baseball fans, due in large part to bizarre production decisions by Fox Sports but also some downright anemic hitting. Belli was one of the few bright spots, driving in the first two runs of the game during the American League’s three-run first with a single (Ben Rice got the other ribbie). That was enough for MVP! Competition was not fierce, and this is of course an exhibition game award. But good for Cody.

We have two and a half days until we actually get Yankees baseball again, so we have to play The Waiting Game. In the meantime, we’ll still have plenty of material going live! So check that out as it comes across.

As for the daily question, rather than throwing another one out there, this morning I will simply tap the sign of our most recent SB Nation Reacts survey prompt. You can go there to log your answer if you haven’t already, or you can answer it at the bottom of this post and all the results will be combined (it’s the same code). We would love to get as many responses as possible, so let us know if you think the Yankees have a World Series in their future or what kind of playoff fate awaits them!

The comments may be repetitive from yesterday’s prompt, but so many of the regular comments here touch on the same general point—justifiably wondering about championship expectations in some form or another—that I don’t think it’s a big deal. Anyway, I’m feeling optimistic about the Yankees given the lighter American League field, but it does seem evident to me that work needs to be done on this roster over the next few weeks while the front office can still make trades, etc. And Aaron Judge and Max Fried making smooth returns from the IL is just so damn important. It’s just a matter of how close to their 2025 selves they can reasonably expect to get down the stretch as they shake off the rust and work through the aches and pains. I say at least a pennant if they can at least be 75-90 percent of those forms … but we’ll see.

Today on the site, Sam looks back at the biggest hits of the Yankees’ first half, Matt will celebrate the 134th birthday of a historic batting champion whose career briefly included the ol’ pinstripes, and Jeff will begin our individual player trade target series in advance of the deadline with a look at the biggest catch that could be on the market. Later, Jonathan will break down how the Yankees’ 2026 draft class should affect the system depth, and Scott will discuss Tyler Hardman’s award-winning recent series for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Today’s Matchup

Offday (Yankees will resume on Friday at home against the Dodgers at 7:05pm ET)

PHILADELPHIA — It was an MLB All-Star Game that will be remembered for the sheer pitching dominance, the offensive ineptitude, players holding sparklers in front of the dugout, fireworks shooting up in the air, kids riding bicycles on the field, a star player who nearly broke his hand, but missing that one magical moment.

Instead, it was seemingly harmless two-run, first-inning single by a former MVP participating in his first All-Star Game in seven years whose hit proved to be worthy of the All-Star MVP award.

New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger, who stood in front of his locker before the game reminiscing when he was the National League’s MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the age of 24, and six hours later Tuesday night was sitting behind a podium holding the MVP award after the American League’s 4-0 victory.

Bellinger is the fourth Yankee to win the All-Star MVP award, joining Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Giancarlo Stanton, and also the first in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year, LCS MVP, All-Star MVP and a World Series title.

“Pretty special,’’ Bellinger, 31, said. “My first few years in the big leagues, I was here two of my first three years. I was, like, 'Oh, I'll be here every year. It took a long time to get back.'

“It's hard to be an All-Star. You know, health, performance, it all has to come together. Honestly, this one I just really enjoyed it.’’

PHILADELPHIA — Bombs burst in the air, and one even landed in the seats at Citizens Bank Park.

Yet for almost the entirety of this 96th All-Star Game, all was quiet on the banks of the Delaware during the American League’s 4-0 throttling of their National League counterparts in the first Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia since 1996.

Major League Baseball and the City of Brotherly Love went all in on America 250 – from quills to bike rides to Hologram Ray Charles and Patti LaBelle, all of which seemed to go over pretty well.

The baseball?

That was a much quieter affair, as you’ll discover when we break down the winners and losers of this annual midseason meeting:

New York Post | Jon Heyman ($): While rumors will still swirl around landing Tarik Skubal, the Yankees seem to be prioritizing high-end relief help and a new catcher at the trade deadline. Heyman tells us that the Padres’ Mason Miller and Minnesota backstop Ryan Jeffers will be the club’s two biggest targets as we get closer to the deadline, and while both would likely help the team, the price for Miller especially will be steep. San Diego seems willing to shed payroll, but the dominant reliever is only going into his first year of arbitration this winter, and the prospect cost the Padres gave up a year ago may still be weighing on the minds of the front office.

New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: Cody Bellinger is an All-Star for the first time since his 2019 MVP campaign, and he is savoring every bit of the experience. You could build a case that Belli deserved the trip to the Midsummer Classic last year, but being an indispensable part of the Yankees this season and one of the game’s best defensive players made him an easy selection for Philadelphia. Now the only thing left is to mirror his first half performance as we turn into the dog days of summer.

As an added bonus, Bellinger became the fourth Yankee to win All-Star Game MVP, joining a quartet with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Giancarlo Stanton (the most recent winner, in 2022). It was a mostly quietly affair in the Midsummer Classic, but Bellinger had the two-run single that put the American League on the board in the first inning against the normally pristine Cristopher Sánchez. Teammate Ben Rice followed with an RBI single of his own and the AL won, 4-0.

NJ.com | James Mertz: Carsten Sabathia III, the oldest son of the former Yankee great CC Sabathia, was drafted in the 20th round of this year’s MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, another of CC’s old teams. Carsten eschewed his father’s path to pitching, instead standing 6-foot-4 as a slugging first baseman for the University of Houston. He started out at Georgia Tech and also played a couple summers with the Yankees’ old Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder, which is now a college wood-bat league team. It’ll be a long way to the majors from here, but congrats to the kid nevertheless.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: This doesn’t directly cover the Yankees — thankfully — but it’s one of my favorite recurring series of the year. Keeping your players above replacement level sounds easy, but every year teams leave runs, and therefore wins, on the table by having guys that can’t out-produce a hypothetical Quad-A’er. The Yankees don’t feature the worst right side of the infield, even if we’re all kinda disappointed in Jazz Chisholm Jr., and indeed being above replacement level is a good reason why they’re in a real division hunt.

When you pitch a shutout, you’re gonna win.

Someone has to be on the opposite end of that, and playing the role of Tanner Bibee tonight was a group of 9 NL pitchers who gave up 4 runs. 4 runs too many.

10 men pitched for the AL, but we’re focusing only on Parker Messick and Cade Smith because they deserve it. The broadcast paid some attention to Smith, because he was undrafted and Bryce Harper marveled at his pitches while mic’d up, but they completely ignored Messick, who pitched a 1-2-3 inning. It took him just 10 pitches, which ruined their interview plans for that inning. But worry not, they found infinite more amounts of time for things that were not All-Stars Playing Baseball.

The worst pitcher of the night was Something O’Brien, for the NL. Not because he gave up a bunch of runs, but because he came up and in on Let’s Go Former Farmhand Junior Caminero and drilled his hand. X-rays were negative, so hopefully JC is out of the woods safe.

Unrelated Chart Time

Good Joke Time (since last week’s embedded joke to end a Wednesday post didn’t embed for some reason)

PHILADELPHIA — Cam Schlittler was not going to pitch Tuesday, but he traveled to the All-Star Game anyway because the event is about more than an exhibition. 

It’s an opportunity for a 25-year-old, hard-throwing pitcher in his first full season in the majors to seek out a 43-year-old, hard-throwing pitcher in his last season in the majors. 

Schlittler met the retiring Justin Verlander at dinner Monday night, had a quick conversation and was planning to further pick his brain during warmups and during the game Tuesday, the two talking in the dugout during the 4-0 American League victory at Citizens Bank Park. 

There are few pitchers like Schlittler, who almost exclusively throws three different kinds of fastballs, but Verlander and Schlittler share a unique ability — even in today’s game of flamethrowers — to throw hard. 

When Verlander was breaking into the league, he was known for often increasing his velocity deeper into games, saving a reserve of gas for when he needed it. 

That is the kind of ability that “great” pitchers have, Schlittler said, being able to “flip that switch when they want to throw harder.” 

That is the type of conversation Schlittler may have had in mind with Verlander. 

“I wouldn’t say I can really control when I throw my hardest,” said Schlittler, whose average pitch — that’s pitch, not fastball — has been thrown at 95.9 mph this year. “I feel like I don’t know my body well enough to do that yet. I feel like I need more experience.” 

X-rays on the left pinkie of Junior Caminero came back negative after the Rays star was drilled by a fastball from Cardinals righty Riley O’Brien in the fourth inning. 

Caminero went down, remained down for several moments, then got up and made no motion toward first base, instead walking off the field, into the dugout and through the tunnel. 

Juan Soto said he had a “great” time at the game, which included a fourth-inning single that was one of just three NL hits. 

He also chatted at length with Yordan Álvarez before the game, having told reporters Monday that he wanted to pick the brain of the Astros slugger. 

“It’s incredible to hear something from such a hitter and a guy that can hit that much,” Álvarez said Tuesday afternoon. “I think it’s going to be something interesting if we get to catch up.” 

Asked Monday which hitter’s brain he wanted to pick, Juan Soto immediately told reporters, “Yordan Alvarez.” 

“It’s incredible to hear something from such a hitter and a guy that can hit that much,” the Astros star, who said he’s talked with Soto in the past, said Tuesday through an interpreter. “I think it’s going to be something interesting if we get to catch up.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong was 9 years old, maybe 10. He can’t remember for sure. But he clearly remembers the scene: a journey from his San Fernando Valley home to Angel Stadium, for a game featuring Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.

Jeter wasn’t an outfielder, though. Crow-Armstrong sat in right-center field, with a great view of an Angels’ phenom.

“I absolutely followed Mike Trout,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I would have followed him if he were in freaking Seattle.

“He was — he still is — the only one to ever really do what I’ve ever seen him do in my life.”

A decade and a half later, in an All-Star Game that was short on drama and long on tributes to Trout, the hometown hero and future Hall of Famer, Crow-Armstrong shared center field with Trout.

“That,” the Chicago Cubs’ star said, “is a cool nugget I’ll always keep with me.”

With a two-run single in the first inning from All-Star Game MVP and former Dodger Cody Bellinger giving the American League the only runs it would need, the AL shut out the National League on Tuesday, 4-0.

The three Dodgers in the NL starting lineup — Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Andy Pages — went hitless.

Justin Wrobleski, the lone Dodgers pitcher, gave up a home run to former Dodger Miguel Vargas but pitched two innings and struck out five, the most strikeouts in an All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez struck out five in 1999 — and, before that, Fernando Valenzuela did it in 1986.

Trout went hitless in three at-bats. After he grounded out in his final at-bat, Freeman enveloped him in an impromptu bear hug.

“I love Freddie,” Trout said.

There was a fireworks show after the fourth inning, with kids riding bicycles onto the field a la “The Sandlot.” Trout offered swing tips to one of the kids. Freeman played catch with another.

“One of the cooler moments I’ve ever been a part of on the baseball field,” Freeman said. “It makes you feel like a kid again.”

Before the game, Freeman addressed his fellow NL All-Stars, followed by Bryce Harper and Chris Sale. Freeman channeled his inner Ferris Bueller, reminding his younger peers to stop and appreciate every moment.

“It’s going fast,” Freeman said. “There’s a lot going on. Make sure you take a step back.”

Trout savored every moment with friends and family, including his two sons, in the festivities. In an interview with MLB Network, his 2-year-old scampered off the stage. His 5-year-old, asked if he would be a better player than his dad, said yes.

“It’s special to be able to sit back and remember the special experiences when you were a kid,” Trout said. “It’s a full circle. Just trying to enjoy every minute of it.”

He got a nice ovation from the Philadelphia crowd, which he knew better than to take for granted. The crowd engaged in lively and targeted booing: mascots Mr. and Mrs. Met; the guy who beat the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber in the home run derby on Monday; a guy who played for the Houston Astros when they beat the Phillies in the World Series four years ago; anyone playing for the Dodgers or any of the Phillies’ NL East rivals.

Juan Soto, especially. But not Trout.

“It means a lot,” Trout said. “I know how Phillies fans are when an opposing player comes in here, and it’s usually boos.”

As he spoke with the media, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays walked by.

“I love you,” Caminero said.

Trout had just saluted a fellow All-Star, Detroit Tigers rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who like Trout grew up in the area, rooting for the Phillies. McGonigle was 6 when Trout made his major league debut.

“The way he plays the game, it’s like a young Trout out there, just with how hard he plays,” Trout said.

Trout turns 35 next month, far closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Justin Verlander is retiring at the end of the season, and Freeman said he hoped Trout’s accomplishments would not be lost amid the Verlander accolades at the All-Star Game.

“I know Justin’s been getting his flowers the last couple days, and rightfully so,” Freeman said. “Mike deserves it until he retires, because he’s one of the best players of all time.”

Read more:Shaikin: To seize 2028 Olympics spotlight, does MLB really need draconian participation rules?

Verlander was all too happy to share the legacy of Trout in the AL clubhouse, and not just for the benefit of the twentysomethings in the room.

“He took the baseball world by storm,” Verlander said, “one of those generational talents that does everything — great outfielder, great baserunner, all the pop you would want. He was a complete player and generational talent for a reason.

“I always loved watching him play. I remember sitting there watching him hit a triple, and — I forget the teammate, but he was literally hitting me on the leg, like, watch him run, watch him run. He was, like, floating. He’s a once-in-a-generation guy for a reason.”

By his standards, Trout was unusually reflective after the game. He was the dominant player of the previous decade, but before Tuesday he had not taken an All-Star at-bat in this decade.

He grew up here, watching Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins play for the Phillies. Now he has youngsters like Crow-Amstrong and McGonigle telling him they grew up watching him.

“It makes you feel like you’ve done something,” Trout said. “For me, since day one, I’ve always played this game how I saw a lot of guys when I was young, watching Utley and JRo and Jeter. Play the game right. Play the game hard.

“You never know when it’s your last.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It’s Tuesday night of All-Star Week here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. There’s no cover charge. We’ve still got a few tables available. The hostess can seat you now. 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 if you could/did watch the Home Run Derby. I thought a lot of you would not have watched it because it was on Netflix and you didn’t subscribe, but the top answer was that 34 percent of you did have Netflix and didn’t watch the Home Run Derby anyways. Another 31 percent said that you didn’t have Netflix but would not have watched it even if you did. So almost two out of three of you just didn’t want to watch it.

On Tuesday nights I don’t normally do any movie stuff. But I can take a quick jazz break for those of you interested.

Tonight we have a performance from the Jackie McLean Quintet at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival in 1986. Joining McLean on sax is Woody Shaw on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Buster Williams on bass and the drummer is Billy Higgins.

This is “Cool Struttin’”

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Since it’s the All-Star Break, which is the traditional midway point of the baseball season even if it falls a little later than that these days, I thought I’d ask you to update your predictions for the Cubs this season.

As things stand now, the Cubs are 54-42, 12 games over .500. Personally, I think that’s pretty good considering all the injuries the Cubs have suffered to their pitching staff. A lot of you have compared this year’s Cubs team to the 1985 team that similarly suffered a ton of pitching injuries. That team went on a 13-game losing streak in June and never really snapped out of the funk. In contrast, this year’s Cubs team has gone 25-16 since they suffered a ten-game losing streak in May.

Of course, the problem is that while the Cubs suffered a cold spell in May, the Brewers got hot and went 19-7 in May and 17-10 in June. They’ve cooled off some in July and the Cubs have gotten within five games of the Brewers in the NL Central. But that’s still a lot to overcome in the second half. But the Cubs are in first place in the Wild Card standings, which brings with it a home series for Wild Card round. The Phillies are a half-game behind the Cubs and the Marlins are 2.5 games back of the Cubs and holding the third and final Wild Card spot. The Cardinals are 3.5 games behind the Cubs and are the first team out of the postseason in the National League.

Fangraphs gives the Cubs a 14.7 percent chance to win the Division and a 61.1 percent chance to get the Wild Card. That also gives them a 24.2 percent chance of missing the playoffs altogether.

But the computer models used by Fangraphs don’t account for any possible moves made at the deadline. Nor are they infalible.

So what’s your pick for how the Cubs are going to finish this year?

Thanks for stopping by. We’re always glad to see you. Tell your friends about us. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.