Category: Baseball

Last night was just an absolute caricature of the 2026 Nationals. They have so much heart and offensive firepower, but the pitching is so shaky. In the end, they came out on top, just barely in a 12-11 thriller. I have never seen such a disparity between a pitching staff and an offense in my life. 

Usually, when one part of your team is so bad like the Nats pitching staff, the other side of the ball is not elite. That is not how things usually work, and there was actually a good article on Fangraphs about this. The 2026 Nationals are not most teams though. They are a wacky, wonderful, hideously flawed bunch that we have all fallen in love with.

The Nats have scored the most runs in baseball, while being bottom 3 in runs allowed. That was on complete display from the jump against the Astros. It looked like this would be a beatdown early on, with Houston taking a quick 6-1 lead in the top of the 3rd inning. However, in peak 2026 Nationals fashion, the game was tied by the time the third inning was over.

Like the Nats have done so many times this year, they just blitzed the Astros. A 6-1 deficit turned into a 6-6 ballgame within five batters. CJ Abrams put the cherry on top of the rally with a 3-run homer to tie the game. That was a big and important swing for Abrams, who had been struggling recently. He made a statement today going 3 for 5 with that homer.

You can never take your eyes off this team because if you blink, you could miss five runs from either team on the field. There have been so many times this year in Nationals games where pitchers just can’t get outs at all. Sometimes it is Nats pitchers, other times it is the opposing team.

Last night we saw both sides of the coin. So many of these rallies just came from consecutive hits capped off by a homer. The Astros actually scored 10 of their 11 runs with two outs. That is a ridiculous stat, but it is also fitting for this Nats team. There have been too many times this year where the Nats are so close to getting out of a jam before getting their hearts broken with two outs or two strikes. Most of the Nats pitchers just don’t have the raw stuff to put guys away.

Thankfully for them, the Astros pitchers were overmatched against this fierce Nats offense. The Nats did most of their damage in just two innings, but they put up 11 runs in their pair of big innings. We talked about the third inning, but the fifth inning was the Nats other big frame.

Warning signs should have been ringing in the Astros dugout when Curtis Mead took Mike Burrows deep to start the inning. However, Burrows was allowed to face four more batters, only getting one out. He left with the bases loaded, but that was when the games began.

Drew Millas hit a sac fly before Nasim Nunez got an infield hit thanks to his elite speed. Nunez beating out that seemingly routine play ended up looming very large. James Wood was at the plate, and he was looking for his first out of the park grand slam. After he fouled off a high fastball, the Astros went back to the well again, and the Nats big slugger did not miss it. He walloped a 446 foot home run to make it a 12-6 game in the 5th inning.

For most teams a 12-6 lead should feel safe, but the 2026 Nationals are not most teams. After all, this group couldn’t hold an 8-1 lead in the 8th. The Astros got a run back in the 6th, but after a scoreless 7th by Cole Henry, things seemed to be under control.

However, this is where manager Blake Butera made a rookie mistake. He has made a habit of trying to extend relievers for multiple innings even if that is not really their strength. That is exactly what he did with Henry, and it backfired massively.

Cole Henry got sent down to Rochester in the beginning of June and made 10 appearances. The right hander did not throw more than one inning in any of those outings. In AAA, Henry had settled into a routine of being a one inning guy.

Butera tried to push Henry for a second inning, and it nearly cost them the game. Henry got the first out, but after a single and a walk, he was in trouble. Despite this, Butera stuck with Henry. The righty got a force out for the second out. However, that Astros two out magic showed up again. As his pitch count climbed into the 40’s, Henry allowed a double and a home run. Just like that, the game was 12-11.

Finally, Henry was pulled for Clayton Beeter, the Nats top high leverage arm. Beeter had a heroic performance, securing a four out save without allowing any baserunners. Clayton Beeter has his issues with control, but when he is on, he can be a dominant force as we saw last night. That was the game, the Nats secured a 12-11 win in the most 2026 Nationals way possible.

I hate to get on Blake Butera like this because he has done an outstanding job with this team. He has created a great culture and built a great staff. His lineup construction can be confusing at times, but it always feels like there is a method to the madness. However, he has to know his reliever’s limits. It should be clear by now that Cole Henry is not a multi-inning guy.

Butera has been dealt a very poor hand when it comes to the bullpen, but some of his decision making can be frustrating. Fans of every team second guess their manager’s bullpen decisions, but it feels like there are some correctable mistakes he keeps making. At the end of the day, the Nats are 47-45 and have an elite offense. If you told me that at the beginning of the season, I am not sure I would have believed you.

This team has so much heart and firepower, they just need pitching. Whether it is at the deadline or in the offseason, Paul Toboni has to address this pitching staff, the bullpen especially. This has been a great season so far, but hopefully this is just the beginning for this Nats core. To take the step from exciting young bunch to legitimate contender, the Nats need pitching, pitching and more pitching.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Royals play a three-game series in at Citi Field starting on Tuesday night at 7:10 on SNY...

5 things to watch

Juan Soto is on another planet

Soto was on an absolute heater during the Mets' just-completed four-game series split against the Braves, hitting .429/.579/.857 with two homers and seven RBI.

His biggest swing was the two-out, three-run, go-ahead homer off All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning of Monday's game, which the Mets eventually won in 10 innings.

Overall this season, Soto is slashing .301/.414/.570 (.984 OPS) with 19 homers in 72 games. He leads the National League in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS+, and is arguably second right now in the MVP race -- behind Shohei Ohtani, who is having another ridiculous year at the plate and on the mound. 

Despite missing roughly three weeks earlier this season due to a calf strain, Soto is on pace to finish the season with 34 homers -- just a tick below his 162-game average of 36. 

The starting pitching situation 

The Mets continue to operate with four regular starting pitchers and one question mark.

Nolan McLean and Freddy Peralta started the final two games in Atlanta, and Christian Scott and Sean Manaea will start the final two games against the Royals.

That leaves Tuesday as a night where New York will have to piece things together, which could be especially challenging since they could be without high-leverage relievers Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams, who all had heavy workloads in Atlanta.

Luke Weaver's dominance -- and future

Weaver hasn't allowed an earned run since April 30 -- a span of 24 appearances over 26.0 innings.

During that time, he has given up just 11 hits while walking seven and striking out 34.

In 38.0 innings over 36 appearances this season, Weaver has a 1.89 ERA (2.53 FIP) and 0.84 WHIP with just 21 hits allowed. But it's possible his Mets tenure could soon be coming to an end. 

Despite Weaver being under contract through 2027, the Mets could trade him ahead of the deadline. But the price would have to be right. 

Hello, Seth

Former Met Seth Lugo gets the start for Kansas City on Tuesday.

Lugo has taken a bit of a step back since his phenomenal 2024 season, when he had a 3.00 ERA in 206.2 innings and finished second in voting for the AL Cy Young award.

The 36-year-old has a 4.20 ERA (4.15 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP this season, and has allowed more hits (103) than innings pitched (96.1).

Lugo has been especially susceptible to the home run ball lately, surrendering five taters in 11.0 innings over his last two starts.

The Bobby Witt Jr. Show

Witt, who has finished in the top four in MVP voting each of the last two seasons, is having another tremendous year. 

He is hitting .292/.364/.467 and is leading the AL in bWAR (4.8) and stolen bases (30).

Witt has also been the best defensive shortstop in baseball, grading out in the 100th percentile when it comes to range.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

Soto has been feasting lately. 

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Christian Scott

Scott has been missing lots of bats, fanning 19 batters in 13.0 innings over his last three starts.

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

Jac Caglianone

Caglianone has game-changing power, and is having a strong second season after struggling as a rookie. 

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The Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals meet this afternoon at Busch Stadium, with Jacob Misiorowski on the hill for the visitors. 

My Brewers vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks are targeting Milwaukee to take this contest behind the dominance of their ace.

Who will win Brewers vs Cardinals today: Brewers -1.5 (-107)

The Milwaukee Brewers hand Jacob Misiorowski the ball in the first game of this doubleheader. The right-hander had a tough outing last time out, allowing five runs, although just one was earned. Overall, he's still been dominant, though. 

Over the last month, Misiorowski owns a 2.11 FIP while holding opponents to a mere 4% barrel rate. Misiorowski relies heavily on his four-seamer, throwing it 63.4% of the time, and opponents are hitting just .172 against the pitch.

Some of St. Louis' top bats have handled four-seamers well this season, but Misiorowski's ability to overpower hitters with his primary offering gives Milwaukee a clear advantage on the mound.

The St. Louis Cardinals are likely to go with an opener here. This Cards bullpen has a solid 2.77 FIP, but I'm really liking how the Brewers are swinging it right now. They have a 42.2% hard-hit rate and a 105 wRC+ over their last seven games. Several Milwaukee hitters are red-hot right now as well. 

I'll play this pick up to -120.  

COVERS INTEL: Misiorowski has been even more dominant on the road this season, posting a 1.62 FIP compared to a 2.20 mark at American Family Field. 

Brewers vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (+102)

This is a relatively low total, but there are reasons to expect a low-scoring contest. As mentioned, this Cardinals bullpen enters with a 2.77 FIP, while Misiorowski has consistently worked deep into games and often covers six or seven innings.

Milwaukee's relief corps has also been excellent lately, posting a 2.89 xERA over the last week while allowing just 0.28 HR/9.

Neither of these teams is hitting for much power right now. The Cardinals have a .162 ISO over their last seven games, while the Brewers sit at .151 over the same span. 

I'll play this pick up to -120. 

Brewers vs Cardinals weather

Conditions should be neutral in St. Louis this afternoon, with temperatures sitting in the mid-to-upper 80s throughout the game. Humidity will be moderate, while winds remain light at around 8 mph. Rain is unlikely to be a factor, with precipitation chances staying below 25%, so weather should not cause any meaningful disruption.

Brewers vs Cardinals odds

• Moneyline: Brewers -170 | Cardinals +163
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (-100) | Cardinals +1.5 (-104)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-111) | Under 7.5 (+104)

Brewers vs Cardinals trend

The Brewers have cashed the Under in 16 of their last 25 games for +7.30 units and a 27% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cardinals.

How to watch Brewers vs Cardinals and game info

Brewers vs Cardinals latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

This was the 13th week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Tuesday, July 6th).

According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Caden Bodine remains the top performer in the system. His full season statline is further below.

Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa continues to be the top performing pitcher in the system. The 22-year old Cremarosa is having a solid debut season within the Rays system. The 2025 8th round pick is currently in Single-A and holds a 2.68 ERA | 2.68 FIP with a 32.1 K% & 4.6 BB% over 57 IP.

RUMBLINGS

• Going to shine a spotlight on Ryan McCoy. The Rays picked him up from the Indy Leagues last year. The 24-year old is currently in High-A and has been on a tear the past few weeks. Since June 13th, McCoy is hitting .290/.436/.645, registering a 169 wRC+; he has 5 HR over his last five games as well.
• Jackson Baumeister has been solid since returing from the Injured list in late May. Over his last 8 starts, he has a 2.92 ERA | 3.71 FIP with a 33.1 K% & 12.7 BB% over 37 IP. His latest outing was fantastic as he delivered five no-hit innings while racking 10 strikeouts and yielded two walks.
• Baseball America had injury updates for several of the Rays top prospects
  • Daniel Pierce likely out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery
  • Anderson Brito suffered a minor right forearm strain but is expectecd back soon
  • Adrian Santana is dealing with a hamstring injury
  • Taitn Gray had surgery to remove a bone chip and is expected back later this month

TEAM LEADERS

• Must currently be assigned to that team
• Baseball America’s top ten prospects are featured below each team they’re currently assigned to.
• (minimum of 140 TBF & PA)

Tampa Bay Rays

Top 10 Prospects

• None currently on active roster

Durham Bulls

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .265, Blake Sabol
OBP: .332, Logan Davidson
SLG: .448, Blake Sabol
HR: 10, Carson Williams & Blake Sabol
wRC+: 99, Blake Sabol
SB: 16, Homer Bush Jr

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 1.96, Evan Reifert
FIP: 3.84, Ty Johnson
K%: 33.0% Ty Johnson
BB%: 7.9%, Chase Solesky
WHIP: 0.99, Ty Johnson
AVG: .171, Ty Johnson
WHIFF%: 15.2%, Ty Johnson

Top 10 Prospects

• #2 Brody Hopkins
  • AAA: 4.52 ERA | 5.07 FIP | 26.4 K% | 20.8 BB% | .195 AVG | 12.2 WHIFF% | 67.2 IP

Montgomery Biscuits

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .322, Austin Overn
OBP: .393, Austin Overn
SLG: .591, Austin Overn
HR: 15, Will Simpson
wRC+: 155, Austin Overn
SB: 32, Austin Overn

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.96, Chris Clark
FIP: 3.92, Chris Clark
K%: 27.9%, Jackson Baumeister
BB%:  3.6%, Santiago Suarez
WHIP 1.04, Chris Clark
AVG: .206, Jackson Baumeister
WHIFF%: 15.6%, Jackson Baumeister

Top 10 Prospects

• #1 Theo Gillen
  • AA: .178/.275/.244 | 21.6 K% | 11.8 BB% | 0 HR | 2 SB | 47 wRC+ | 51 PA
  • A+: .342/.449/.589 | 23.8 K% | 14.3 BB% | 12 HR | 28 SB | 165 wRC+ | 265 PA
• #4 Caden Bodine
  • AA: .250/.348/.350 | 13.0 K% | 8.7 BB% | 0 HR | 0 SB | 95 wRC+ | 23 PA
  • A+: .341/.411/.477 | 6.6 K% | 7.3 BB% | 4 HR | 3 SB | 132 wRC+ | 151 PA
  • A: .379/.433/.614 | 3.9 K% | 9.2 BB% | 5 HR | 1 SB | 178 wRC+ | 152 PA
• #9 T.J. Nichols
  • AA: 6.49 ERA | 4.96 FIP | 20.8 K% | 9.4 BB% | .274 AVG | 9.1 WHIFF% | 34.2 IP
  • CPX: 1.80 ERA | 2.55 FIP | 20.0 K% | 0.0 BB% | .300 AVG | 9.2 WHIFF% | 5 IP
    • 4/7: Placed on Injured List
    • 5/9: Began rehab assignment in Complex League
    • 5/19: Activated from Injured List
• #10 Santiago Suarez
  • AA: 5.85 ERA | 5.29 FIP | 23.7 K% | 3.6 BB% | .266 AVG | 12.4 WHIFF% | 60 IP
    • 4/25: Placed on Injured List
    • 5/5: Activated from Injured List

Bowling Green Hot Rods

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .314, Connor Hujsak
OBP: .435, Tony Santa Maria
SLG: .603, Connor Hujsak
HR: 18, Connor Hujsak
wRC+: 145, Ryan McCoy
SB: 31, Tony Santa Maria

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 1.97, Jacob Kisting
FIP: 2.68, Jacob Kisting
K%: 28.8%, Anderson Brito
BB%: 4.7%, Dominic Niman
WHIP: 0.94, Jacob Kisting
AVG: .197, Jacob Kisting
WHIFF%: 16.9%, Noah Beal

Top 10 Prospects

• #3 Nathan Flewelling
  • A+: .261/.394/.502 | 25.6 K% | 16.3 BB% | 16 HR | 4 SB | 131 wRC+ | 320 PA
• #6 Anderson Brito
  • A+: 3.34 ERA | 4.50 FIP | 28.8 K% | 14.4 BB% | .240 AVG | 13.4 WHIFF% | 32.1 IP
    • 5/23: Placed on 7-day Injured List

Charleston River Dogs

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .290, Cooper Flemming
OBP: .406, Taitn Gray
SLG: .474, Taitn Gray
HR: 7, Cooper Flemming
wRC+: 141, Taitn Gray
SB: 24, Alberth Palma

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.66, Jacob Kuhn
FIP: 2.68, Aidan Cremarosa
K%: 32.1%, Aidan Cremarosa
BB%: 4.6%, Aidan Haugh & Aidan Cremarosa
WHIP: 0.79, Aidan Cremarosa
AVG: .170, Aidan Cremarosa
WHIFF%: 16.7%, Aidan Cremarosa

Top 10 Prospects

• #5 Cooper Flemming
  • A: .290/.377/.442 | 15.6 K% | 10.3 BB% | 7 HR | 9 SB | 126 wRC+ | 321 PA
• #7 Daniel Pierce
  • A: .252/.336/.390 | 28.6 K% | 7.9 BB% | 4 HR | 6 SB | 101 wRC+ | 140 PA
    • 4/22: Placed on the 7-day IL
    • 5/2: Activated from the IL
    • Hasn’t played since May 30th
• #8 Taitn Gray
  • A: .286/.406/.474 | 21.9 K% | 16.1 BB% | 6 HR | 4 SB | 141 wRC+ | 192 PA
    • 6/1: Placed on the 7-day IL

Good morning.

While the sporting world was losing its mind over the USMNT calling in all of their favors to have a red card suspended at the World Cup, and how that affected the integrity of an ongoing tournament, only for the US to get embarrassed by a European soccer power anyway, not much was written about the Texas Rangers on their day off.

Kennedi Landry has a MLB Draft preview where the Rangers will hope to add more talent to a farm that has produced recent first-round contributors.

Here’s ESPN’s David Schoenfield handing out midseason grades.

And here’s Mike Axisa listing out which players might be available at the upcoming trade deadline.

Have a nice day!

Selecting players for the All-Star team is more complicated than we sometimes admit. The requirement for every team to have a representative no matter their quality can sometimes make things messy, as does the complicated voting process for selecting starters. Naturally, this process is going to omit some players whose performance on merit deserve to be recognized. 

One of those players this year could be Zack Wheeler. The Phillies co-ace was not selected to be on the initial NL roster despite having an 8-1 record and 2.36 ERA across 13 starts since returning from thoracic outlet surgery. Wheeler’s recovery has been stunning, as he hasn’t missed a beat despite having such a major surgery at age 35. 

Part of the reason Wheeler wasn’t named an All-Star was likely his innings total. His late start to the season has limited him to only 80 innings pitched this season, putting him 90th among all starting pitchers entering play on Monday. However, the controversial All-Star selection of Jacob Misiorowski last season despite the blossoming ace only having thrown 25.2 innings for his career to that point has set an uneasy precedent when it comes to innings totals and All-Star selections. 

There’s still a chance Wheeler could be nominated as replacements start to roll out, but as it stands right now, Wheeler is tentatively scheduled to pitch the last game before the break on July 12th. It’s unlikely he will be named as a replacement seeing that he may not be available to actually pitch two days after his last start. The Phillies would almost certainly prefer the 36-year-old doesn’t pitch any more innings than he needs to. In addition to that barrier, there’s also the fact that the Phillies already have five players headed to the festivities. It’s likely that MLB will look elsewhere for replacements as it may be deemed that the Phillies have enough representation already. 

Nevertheless, is Zack Wheeler an All-Star snub? We already know how his agent feels on the matter, but what about you?

A couple of weeks ago I read a hilarious and brilliant piece on Substack comparing each major league franchise to a bird.  The story is called: Thirty teams. Thirty birds. It was written by someone who goes by the name of 9inningnomad and if you can find it, I highly recommend it.

The descriptions were spot on.  Some teams obviously already have their birds, namely the Blue Jays, Cardinals and Orioles. 

The Yankees got tagged with the Canadian Goose.  From the story: “Loud.  Territorial.  Fully convinced that every public space belongs to it by birthright and prior history.  Blocks traffic.  Ruins the mood.  Wins the argument by existing and does not care if you like it.” 

Philadelphia Phillies – American Crow – “Smart. Loud.  Social in the way that a bar fight is social.  Travels with backup, always, because the crow understood early that the yard is more fun when everyone is involved in the confrontation.”  Boom!

Chicago Cubs – Black Capped Chickadee – “Everybody knows this bird.  Everybody likes this bird. Has somehow convinced an entire region that it’s the most important bird at the feeder.  Half the neighborhood has a chickadee flag on their porch.”  W!

Cleveland Guardians – White Breasted Nuthatch – “Does everything upside down and still makes it work.”

The Royals got tagged with the Hummingbird – “Tiny engine.  Fast twitch everything.  Shows up in bursts, flashes something beautiful, and is gone before you can fully process what you saw.”

I loved all of them.  On the Royals, I would suggest another bird.  No offense to the Hummingbird, which is one of nature’s great inhabitants, but I think the Royals should have been the Bobwhite Quail.  The Bobwhite is a pure midwestern bird.  They go through prodigious booms and busts.  The busts are so extreme that you wonder if they’ve gone extinct.  Then suddenly, for a couple of years, you see quail everywhere.  The booms never last long, one or two seasons, while the busts seem like they last forever.  Twenty-year downturns are normal for this handsome little bird with the distinctive call.

The Quail is a humble bird with an enormous midwestern inferiority complex, especially when compared to their peacocking brethren, the Ringneck pheasant and Tom Turkey, two birds who always announce their presence by strutting around the countryside.

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As this cursed season wears on, it’s apparent to all that the Royals need to change the direction of the franchise.  That change needs to start at the top and end with a thorough cleansing of the current regime.  Will they do it?  If I had to wager a guess, I would say that nothing is going to happen until after the season ends. 

The draft is coming up and the last time the Royals did a housecleaning was right before the 2006 draft, a draft in which they held the #1 pick.  Of course, the Royals blew that draft in the most Royal of ways, selecting Luke Hochever while passing on such notables as Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, Evan Longoria and Max Scherzer.  Kershaw and Scherzer will someday soon be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.  No fault of Hochever.  He had a couple of excellent years late in his career out of the bullpen.  Had he been a 4^th or 5^th round pick, we’d have raved about him.  Expectations are much higher for the number one selection and the Royals, operating without a General Manager, blew it.  Even had they picked say Kershaw or Lincecum, do you have any confidence that they wouldn’t have screwed those guys up too?  I can envision the team spending years trying to get either pitcher to adjust their awkward windups and leave them in A ball until they’re 25 years old.  Suffice to say, I don’t have much confidence in our developmental process.

So don’t expect any changes to the front office until after the draft.

Once this wretched season ends, we head into the lockout.  If John Sherman is going to make a change, this may be the time he does it.  The problem is, who do you hire as the new GM?  And even if they do, will the Royals get it right?  Sherman most certainly still has some Cleveland connections.  Maybe he can raid their staff for some competent replacements?

Speaking of the looming lockout, Jay Mariotti recently had an interesting take.  In a recent story he suggested that the players should take the lead and strike on August 12^th.  Screw the remainder of the season.  Screw the playoffs and the World Series.  Take the power away from the owners and leave them hanging. 

The bottom line is, there will be no winners in this labor fight.  The last time this happened, baseball took a hit and only a steroid fueled home run boom brought the game back to the mainstream. 

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I have a confession to make.  The Royals have played almost 90 games this season and I’ve only seen them play three times.  Based on how the season has unfolded, you might say, lucky you.  You’ve missed a lot of anguish.  In a normal summer I watch upwards of 100 Royal games but thanks to the wonderful world of streaming, I’ve lost my access to Royals baseball and I miss it.  I’ve been following most games on the ESPN app, but it’s not remotely close to seeing a live game. I do have Peacock, which allowed me to watch Sunday’s win, but that game wasn’t available on the MLB package. Strange times in TV land.

In past years, I’d leave the game on while working around the house, checking in now and then to see who’s at the plate or what the score is.

My wife has always been good at keeping me up to date when the game is on.  It usually goes something like this:

“Hey hon, Salvy just hit a home run!”. 

“Hey hon, is Country Buffet still playing?” 

“Hey hon, the Leprechaun guy (Kyle Isbel) made a good play in the field”.

“Hey Hon, the guy who looks like the Geico Cave Man is pitching”.

You get the idea.  She doesn’t always get the players’ names right, but close enough for me to follow from the other room.

Back to the streaming problem.  I know I can probably buy a package to pick up games, but I’m a bit of a self-imposed technology luddite.  Short of packing up and moving to a community that has a cable system, do any of you have any recommendations?

Are any of you using Royals.TV and if so, what’s your opinion of that?

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Over the past decade many saber metricians have fallen in love with the lowly walk.  I’ve been rolling this around in my mind for the last month and have concluded that not all walks are created equal.

I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re the #1, 2, 7, 8 or 9 hitter, a walk is almost always good thing.  If you’re the 3, 4, 5 or 6 hitter and come up with men on base, with no outs, a walk is fine.  If there are men in scoring position, and the pitcher doesn’t give you anything good to hit, take the walk.  If the pitcher is behind 2-0 or 3-1 and pipes a fastball down the middle, you better be swinging and not looking for a walk.  A base hit, even a measly single will score at least one and maybe two.  A walk just puts the pressure on the next batter to deliver.

If you’re batting 3 through 6, your job is to drive in runs.  This is one reason (and granted, there are many) why the 2026 Royals have struggled so badly. 

The middle of the order hitters, namely Vinnie and Sal, have not driven in the runs.  Salvy has averaged 96 RBI per season over the past five summers.  Vinnie has average 105 over the last two.  They might get 100 combined this summer and that’s a big if.

That’s a lot of missing runs in the middle of the order. 

Injuries have hurt them badly of course, with Vinnie, Bobby, Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia all missing time.  Father Time has caught up with Salvy and neutered him.  Carter Jensen has stepped up and that’s about it.  Bobby probably won’t make it to 100 RBI this summer, since no one is getting on base in front of him, and Jac Caglianone, though improving rapidly, is still a work in progress. 

Bottom line: I’m still old school.  I’d rather have my guys swinging the bat, trying to do some damage, instead of waiting out a walk.  Hitting is contagious.  You see your teammates getting a rap and you want to get to the plate and take your cuts.  And don’t get me started on bunting, my blood pressure is bad enough as it is.

After seemingly holding off the June swoon during the first couple of weeks of Aaron Judge’s absence, the Yankees succumbed in full, losing nine of ten games while their offense completely went to sleep. Their standing in the division, which looked strong just a few weeks ago, New York leading by four games, has slipped, with the Rays now three games up in the AL East.

The Yankees were always going to struggle at some point without Judge, but this latest stretch has of course been particularly brutal. Now that they’ve let the Rays open up a gap again in the division, how nervous are you that the Yankees will fade out of the AL East chase?

In truth, this AL East race has already been a rollercoaster. You can see it in FanGraphs’ division odds, which show the Yankees’ division chances shooting up before falling off three separate times this season:

You may notice that as things stand, the Rays and the Yankees have the same division odds, at least by FanGraphs’ estimation. Baseball Prospectus has anointing Tampa Bay as the division favorites, while betting markets have the Yankees as narrow favorites for now.

Based on the odds, it would seem like now is a great time to feel pretty nervous about the Yankees’ chances of earning the division crown. The team’s odds by FanGraphs have peaked at almost 90 percent multiple times this year, only for the Yankees to fumble things away, with the Rays now in front according to the projections.

Yet on the other hand, the fact that the projections still put this as a toss-up could provide Yankee fans some comfort. Despite how awful the team has played in recent weeks, how putrid the lineup has been for long stretches, the team isn’t out of it, has easily the best run differential in the American League, and still has something like a 50 percent chance to take the division.

Moreover, the Yankees stand to add more to their roster over the next month than their rival Rays, something that’s not fully baked into any projection. Not only will the Yankees get Max Fried, Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton (hopefully) back at some point, but they are perennially more active than Tampa at the trade deadline. Though the Rays have a stronger farm system, it’s not Tampa’s M.O. to dip into that farm system to add veteran help midseason; the Rays’ whole model relies on having scores of young players on hand to replace their current big-league contributors who threaten to age out and/or make more money. The Yankees, despite accusations of prospect hugging, typically make several major-league additions to their roster every summer during which they contend.

Overall, I think the FanGraphs odds have it about right: the Rays may have nudged in front in the standings, but the Yankees are by no means out of it and must act with urgency to fight their way back. What do you think? Are you nervous that the team will fall out of it entirely, or do they still stand a good chance to come back?

This morning, Sam continues our Trade Deadline coverage with a look at the Detroit Tigers, who are still on the playoff bubble but could prove to be sellers this month. Also, Andrew delivers today’s Rivalry Roundup, Jeff profiles George Moriarty, and Michael analyzes the last week down on the farm. And in the afternoon, Peter’s At-bat of the Week features more strong work from Trent Grisham.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

Time: 6:40 p.m. EST

TV: YES, Rays.TV, TBS

Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

MLB.com | Bill Ladson: The Yankees dodged a bullet on the injury front Monday, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew the start at second base. Chisholm left Sunday’s game with discomfort in his right big toe, but x-rays came back negative. The 28-year-old, who called the test results a “huge relief,” has been dealing with pain in the toe since his time with the Marlins back in 2023. The Yankees have withstood a barrage of injuries lately, most recently to starter Carlos Rodón, who landed on the IL last Friday with an elbow injury.

Daily News | Gary Phillips: When taking stock of the Yankees’ recent slide, there’s plenty of blame to go around. Without question, one key factor has been defense. Heading into Monday’s game, they’d allowed 29 unearned runs in their last 15 games, the most over that length of time since 1935. Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged defensive miscues have been “part of the issue,” adding that the recent turns of experienced defenders Ryan McMahon at third and Trent Grisham in center should help.

New York Post | Jake Nisse: Ryan Weathers was contending with more than just the Twins’ offense Sunday in a continued fallout from a bout of food poisoning or a stomach bug that swept through the clubhouse last week. The southpaw told the media he threw up multiple times between innings, fighting through the nausea to allow four runs in as many innings. “Credit to him, under the weather today, and still went out there and battled,” said Boone of Weathers’ performance. After a dominant start to the season, Weathers has watched his ERA balloon to 4.29, calling into question his slot in the rotation.

The Big Lead | J.P Hoornstra: Our condolences to the family of Al Holland, who died Saturday at the age of 73. Holland found his biggest success with the Phillies, where he earned an All-Star nod and Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award while serving as the team’s closer. Affectionately known as “Mr. T.,” Holland closed out his 10-year career in pinstripes, appearing in 28 games with the Yankees between the 1986 and ‘87 seasons. Holland is survived by his wife, Mary, and their three children.

The “Rockies never say die!” attitude was alive and well on Monday night.

Despite being down 6-1 after four innings, they chipped away at the lead to set up an exhilarating ninth inning where the Rockies scored three runs to send the game to extra innings — a first for the Dodgers in 2026. The Rockies briefly led 7-6 in the 10th inning, but failed to score in the 11th, which allowed Dalton Rushing to hit the walk-off single in the bottom of the frame for a Dodger win.

The young players came up clutch again with Kyle Karros hitting a huge RBI double and Cole Carrigg, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored, hitting a two-run double to send the game to extra innings.

After the game, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer had nothing but praise for Carrigg.

“He’s proven over and over again that the moment is not too big for him,” Schaeffer said. “That’s probably the biggest stage you can get in a regular season game — Dodger Stadium. He wants it. Two outs in the ninth, game on the line, he delivers a game-tying triple.” (The hit was officially ruled a double, but Carrigg advanced to third on the throw home.)

How extras went down

In the 10th, the Rockies went ahead after Tyler Freeman moved Carrigg to third. Carrigg then scored on a sac grounder by Jake McCarthy.

Mickey Moniak followed with a pinch-hit walk, but Ezequiel Tovar popped out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Brennan Bernardino gave up a sac grounder to Freddie Freeman that moved Andy Pages to third. A Mookie Betts line drive could have been out number two, but Edouard Julien couldn’t glove it and the error allowed Pages to score. Kyle Tucker followed with a single that chased Bernardino, leading Schaeffer to put in Jimmy Herget.

Herget quickly got down 3-0 to Teoscar Hernández before getting lucky with a liner that went straight into Herget’s glove. He then easily picked off Tucker to send it to the 11th.

Willi Castro started the 11th with a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Julien then popped out foul on a bunt and Hunter Goodman grounded into a double play to end the short frame.

The Dodgers took advantage of the zero and of Herget intentionally walking Max Muncy to lead off the inning. Tommy Edman hit a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third before Rushing hit a single to center field to score Hernández as Los Angeles pulled off a comeback of its own.

Incredible ninth

After pinch-hitter Braxton Fulford struck out to lead off the inning, Tovar drew a walk and Castro singled to set the table for Karros — Sunday’s comeback hero. After hitting the winning three-run homer in the eighth inning to beat the Giants on Sunday, Karros came up clutch again with a double to score Tovar and make it 6-4.

Goodman then drew an intentional walk to load the bases for TJ Rumfield, who swung badly at three consecutive sliders. Carrigg bailed him out by ripping a double to left-center field. Two runs scored, but Goodman was called out at the plate on an incredible throw and a brilliant slide.

Goodman was first called safe, but the go-ahead run was overruled when the Dodgers challenged the call, which was then was upheld when the Rockies challenged that Rushing was blocking the plate.

Fueled by the momentum, Antonio Senzatela was brilliant in the ninth. After giving up a leadoff single to Muncy, who then moved to second on a bunt, Senzatela struck out Rushing, gave a free pass to Shohei Ohtani and struck out Pages — thanks to a successful ABS challenge from Goodman.

Rockies strike first

The Rockies actually got on the board in this one first. Carrigg and Freeman started off the second inning with back-to-back singles before McCarthy loaded the bases with no outs when he was hit by a pitch.

But the Rockies couldn’t take advantage as much as they needed to, especially against the Dodgers. Troy Johnston popped out just beyond the grass at second base and then Tovar hit a sac fly. Castro ended the inning when he hit an infield pop-up.

Dodgers strike back

In the third inning, the Dodgers erased the Rockies lead when Rushing led off with a double. Ohtani then hit his 19th homer of the year to put L.A. up 2-1.

The Dodgers took a commanding lead in the fourth thanks to a five-hit inning. Tucker, Hernández and Muncy hit three singles in a row to score Tucker and go up 3-1 with no outs. Miguel Rojas followed up with a sac fly before the hit parade continued when Rushing hit his second double of the game. That set the table for Ohtani to hit a two-run RBI and put the Dodgers up 6-1.

Kyle Freeland put up scoreless frames in three of the five innings he pitched, but struggled against the mighty Dodgers, surrendering nine hits. It was really just the fourth inning that spoiled his outing. He struck out two and walked none, and was able to end the fourth when he got Pages to ground into a double play.

“I thought he was fine. I thought he was sharp,” Schaeffer said of Freeland’s performance. “They just had a good plan against him, specifically early in the count. I thought he was throwing strike one and they were ready to hit strike one for sure. Especially that inning. They put some good swings on him tonight – left on left – but I thought Free was fine.”

Freeland was pulled with the Rockies down 6-2. The game marked the seventh time the lefty has given up at least six runs this season (16 starts).

Chipping away

The first signs of a comeback came in the fifth with Tovar’s eighth homer of the season. The solo shot snuck into the left-field seats and marked Tovar’s third homer in his last three games.

The Rockies added another in the sixth when Carrigg hit a leadoff double and Freeman moved him to third on a flyball. Carrigg then scored when McCarthy hit an RBI single to cut L.A.’s lead to 6-3.

The Rockies had their chances throughout the game, drawing eight walks in the game, two by Karros, while issuing only two — and both were intentional walks. They went 3-for-13 with runners on base (1-for-8 before the ninth inning) and left 10 runners on base. Freeman hit two singles and stole a base.

Zach Agnos gave the offense a chance to rally by throwing three scoreless innings in the sixth, seventh and eighth for the Rockies. He only gave up one hit, while striking out one and walking none.

Overall, Schaeffer was very pleased with the bullpen.

“Ags was fantastic for three innings. Senza awesome. I thought Bernie was fine and Jimmy was fine,” Schaeffer said. “These guys — you just want to hand every single one of them the ball every night. You can’t do that, and I know that, but these guys have been fantastic as of late and most of the year.”

Up next

The Rockies and Dodgers will face off again on Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. MDT. RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.91) will start for the Rockies, while LHP Justin Worbleski (10-2, 2.80) will be on the mound for the Dodgers.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos did something that hasn't been done in Giants history since 1920.

San Francisco defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a final score, 10-1, on Monday, July 6. However, player of the game nods went straight to Ramos after putting together a performance in which he cracked three home runs – a "little league" homer and then two real ones smacked into the stands.

It was a career night for Ramos. He became the first Giants player since 1920 to record two home runs and a "little league" home run in the same game.

"Just working a lot on my path, on the way that I was swinging to day in the cage and BP (batting practice)," Ramos told NBC Sports Bay Area in a post game broadcast interview. "I just felt pretty good about it honestly."

Maybe it was the breakfast he had, which Ramos said he cooked himself: sausages, eggs, toast and hash browns. His go-to. For what it's worth, he walked to grab a coffee.

Maybe the extra caffeine from the morning kept him energized throughout the day leading up to the game. He finished the game going 3-for-5, which included 5 RBIs. He accounted for three runs, himself.

He opened the game with a triple in the bottom first inning, but a throwing error from Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez allowed Ramos to score.

Ramos delivered a three-run homer in the bottom sixth inning, sending one 349 feet into right field, bringing in Willy Adames and Víctor Bericoto. But he wasn't done there.

It was his second homer that really sealed the deal as Ramos expected a fastball and took a swing that put the ball over the wall in left-center field. Bryce Eldridge scored as Ramos rounded the bases to put the final touches on the 10-1 win.

"We were in awe of the second home run, I should say," Giants skipper Tony Vitello told reporters. "It was almost like that one was separate than the first. You know what kind of power, especially in this stadium, he's got going the other way, but that was kind of one that everybody was thunderstruck on."

He added: "It's always good anytime he does something positive, you're excited and happy, because he's always happy. You guys are around him in the locker room, and all those things. ... So, a positive influence in a lot of different ways."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'We were in awe': Giants' Heliot Ramos has career night vs. Blue Jays

Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing spun to face home plate umpire Dan Iassogna, holding up his mitt with the ball inside.

When that didn’t change the safe call, Dalton immediately pointed to the Dodgers dugout, mask in hand urging manager Dave Roberts to challenge.

Robert’s hands flew up to his ears, asking for a replay review.

The tension in Dodger Stadium broke with the announcement: “The catcher touched the runner’s hand before he reached the plate...”

The crowd’s applause drowned out the rest.

The go-ahead run had been on the line with that challenge in the Dodgers’ eventual 8-7 win over the Rockies in 11 innings. And it started a wild sequence to the Dodgers’ first extra-innings game of the season that ended with Rushing hitting a walk-off single to center field to score Teoscar Hernández.

Read more:'I wish she was alive.' Eliezer Alfonzo has emotional day as Dodgers lose to Padres

That brawl with the Rockies — figuratively and almost literally — finished with the Dodgers becoming the first team to win 60 games this season.

“That’s a lot of wins,” Roberts said.

It looked as if the Dodgers would coast to the mark. Dodgers closer Tanner Scott took the mound in the ninth with a three-run lead. But after giving up an RBI double to Kyle Karros and a two-run double to Cole Carrigg the score was tied. Only a strong relay throw home by second baseman Miguel Rojas and a successful challenge prevented Hunter Goodman from scoring a go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers got runners on first and second with two outs. That brought up Andy Pages with two outs, but a successful Rockies ABS challenge confirmed a strikeout, sending the game into the 10th.

That ended the Dodgers’ streak of 91 games without extra innings, the second-longest a team has gone without playing an extra-inning game in the modern era, behind only the 2005 Red Sox (99).

Read more:Dodgers' Edwin Díaz pushes back against alleged links to illegal cockfighting

The drama wasn’t over. Two batters into the 10th, the benches cleared.

With one out and Carrigg on third, Jake McCarthy hit a sharp ground ball to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who stepped on the bag and fired home.

Rushing flung his body into the tag, but Carrigg was called safe.

Carrigg said something as began to walk away, and Rushing spun around.

As the two exchanged words, Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez pulled his catcher away. But players from both dugouts and bullpens already began to spill onto the field.

“I think that what happened is Carrigg said something aloud, not directed at Dalton,” Roberts said. “Dalton thought something was directed at him. We cleared the air. Basically a big misunderstanding.”

Said Rushing: “I didn’t mean any harm by the tag or the way I reacted to the ball. Made sure he knew that. Told him I was just reacting to the baseball. I don’t expect it to go any further.”

After a brief stoppage, Henriquez escaped without further damage. And the Dodgers got another shot, with Pages on second to start the inning.

Freeman’s groundout moved him to third. Then Mookie Betts drove him in with a comebacker over the mound and past flailing second baseman Edouard Julien.

Tucker then looped a single into no-man’s land. But the rally ended when Hernández’s liner up the middle landed in the glove of Rockies right-hander Jimmy Herget, who just entered the game, catching Kyle Tucker off first base for a double play.

In the 11th, Henriquez got out of the inning unscathed. He got Julien to pop out on a sacrifice bunt attempt and then started a double play himself. He punched the air as he walked off the mound.

“He’s calm in big spots, you’re starting to see it,” Roberts said. “He’s throwing strikes, throwing the breaking ball when he needs to and he’s now unfazed by certain moments and higher leverage. He’s a guy, certainly, we trust.”

In the end, Rushing — who already hit a pair of doubles and scored on Shohei Ohtani’s third-inning home run and fourth-inning two-run single — was the hero.

After Hernández made it to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tommy Edman, Dalton got the end of his bat on a changeup and sent it up the middle, just out of reach of a diving Julien.

“Infield’s in, they’re kind of doing you a favor,” Rushing said. “So move the ball forward, good things happen. And it wasn’t pretty, but it worked.”

Rushing’s helmet twirled in the dirt behind him as he jogged from first toward the center of the field, ready for the celebration that would meet him there.

“He plays with a lot of moxie,” said Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Lauer, who held the Rockies to three runs in six innings. “And he definitely doesn’t back down to anybody, and we love him for that. He’s a great guy that you want on your team.”

Roster moves

Dodgers right-hander Evan Phillips is in line to make his first major-league appearance since May 2025. Phillips only made seven appearances last season, starting on the injured list with a strained rotator cuff before undergoing Tommy John surgery in June.

“It’s going to be a lot different tonight getting back out there in a competitive game, the full atmosphere,” Phillips said. “Really excited about that. I feel like probably the past two weeks or so I really took a good turn in my rehab, started bouncing back even better, pitching more like myself, feeling more like myself. So really just happy to carry that over to these games and see how the second half treats us.”

In a pair of corresponding moves, the Dodgers optioned right-handed reliever Paul Gervase to triple-A Oklahoma City and released left-hander Jake Eder.

The Dodgers also designated catcher Chuckie Robinson for assignment and added right-hander Carlos Duran to the 40-man roster. Both players are set to stay in Oklahoma City, with Robinson accepting his outright assignment.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The streak of no extra-inning games is finally over, and we can say that the Dodgers are undefeated in extras this season, walking it off against the Rockies 8-7 in the 11th inning. The decisive hit in this thrilling game came from the bat of Dalton Rushing with an RBI single, completing a terrific three-hit performance for the Dodgers catcher.

Before they had to dig deep for this victory, the Dodgers got to experience the thin line in baseball between control of a game and the illusion of it. The home team saw a 6-3 lead collapse in the ninth as Tanner Scott had his first blowup outing in over a month, walking multiple hitters for the first time this season.

To acquire that 6-3 lead, Shohei Ohtani and Eric Lauer were the protagonists. As if facing Ohtani in and of itself wasn’t a daunting enough threat, Kyle Freeland did so for the second time in the third inning with a runner on base after allowing a leadoff double to Rushing. Whoever questioned the Ohtani-Rushing partnership in recent weeks needs to check their facts—it seemed to be working just fine when Ohtani gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game by driving in Rushing with a two-run homer, his 19th on the season and seventh against lefties—now just two short of 300 in his career.

This combination of Rushing and Ohtani would go on to lead the way for the Dodgers once again in the following inning. After Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas secured back-to-back RBI on a single and sac fly, respectively, Rushing once again set up Ohtani with a double, who then proceeded to drive in a pair, this time with just a two-run single.

Overall in this game, the four runs batted in by Ohtani represented a season-high mark at home and only the third time he’s achieved that number or higher this season. Ohtani’s three hits were also a season high for the reigning back-to-back NL MVP. All of that success that Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers offense had against Freeland couldn’t be replicated facing Zach Agnos, who tossed three scoreless innings to keep Colorado with a puncher’s chance.

Still, the six runs scored by the offense between the third and fourth innings gave Lauer the comfort of pitching ahead. And before the bullpen surrendered that lead, Lauer delivered another productive outing, only running into a bit of trouble against the bottom of the order.

While the Rockies’ top four failed to record a hit versus the Dodgers starter, strictly reaching base on a couple of Kyle Karros walks, Ezequiel Tovar homered and was responsible for two of the Rockies’ three runs batted in across the first six innings. Once again, the strikeouts weren’t really there, with just a pair, but he didn’t need them. Lauer completed his quality start with a little support from the Rockies’ baserunning after Jake McCarthy failed to retouch second heading back to first on a casual one-out flyout.

What looked to be a smooth win after holds from Brock Stewart and Alex Vesia, despite the offense having stopped scoring in the fourth, all of a sudden turned worrisome in the blink of an eye—Scott provided a rollercoaster of emotions that culminated in the Rockies tying the game at six all. Colorado put two men on in scoring position with one out, and instead of pitching to Hunter Goodman, they intentionally walked him for the left-on-left matchup with T.J. Rumfield, a move that looked like it was going to work. Scott punched out Rumfield on three pitches, but there was still one out to go, and Cole Carrigg got a hold of a slider on the outside corner. Two runs came across to tie the game with a safe call overturned as the Pages-Rojas-Rushing combination gunned down Goodman at the plate, who displayed far too much athleticism on his slide for a major league catcher.

Perhaps more impressive than Scott’s blowup was the result of one specific at-bat against Tovar. Scott, who came into this matchup with just three walks in nearly 40 innings, managed to walk a hitter with a career 4.2% walk percentage.

Fitting to this team’s approach in many ways, but not to the context of the game, the Rockies played to hold serve in extra innings, prioritizing the one run in extras. With a bunt from Tyler Freeman and a groundball from McCarthy, the Rockies took the 7-6 lead but had no momentum to add to it against Edgardo Henríquez.

Considering the Dodgers had the heart of the order coming up in the bottom of the 10th, that felt like a questionable approach from Colorado, and sure enough, the Dodgers made them pay, even if once again defense played a key role in this one. Mookie Betts, who was 0 for 4 with all flyouts, had a man on third and one out; he hit a bullet at the second baseman, who had the chance to catch it, but only knocked it down, allowing the Dodgers to tie the game. Right-hander Jimmy Herget was brought on to face Teoscar Hernández with two on and two out after a Kyle Tucker single—Hernández did him a solid, swinging at a 3-0 pitch and hitting a soft liner that turned into an inning-ending double play.

Once again, the Rockies refused to do anything else other than play for the one run in the 11th, and this time it really came back to bite them. Edouard Julien was up with two on and no one out after a leadoff walk, and he bunted—a bunt that turned into a pop-up and didn’t even move the runners. Goodman hit into a double play, and just like that, the Dodgers just needed one to walk it off in the 11th. Protected by Ohtani on deck, following a Max Muncy walk and Tommy Edman bunt, Rushing sent everyone home.

Although it wasn’t necessarily the most impactful of hitting performances, Kyle Tucker quietly had another impressive individual night, securing a team-high three hits.

Game particulars

• Home runs: Shohei Ohtani (19), Ezequiel Tovar (8)
• WP— Edgardo Henríquez (3-0): 2 IP, 1 unearned run, 2 walks
• LP— Jimmy Herget (0-3): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 unearned run, 1 walk

Up next

The team leader in wins, Justin Wrobleksi, looks for his 11th on the season as the Dodgers host the Rockies for the second-to-last time on the season. Colorado will deploy another one of their veteran starters in Michael Lorenzen. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (PT).

Another milestone is within Shohei Ohtani’s reach.

Ohtani’s next home run will be his 300th in the major leagues.

No. 299 came in a wild 11-inning, 8-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night — the Dodgers’ first extra-inning game of the season.

The game had everything.

A middle-inning offensive outburst by the Dodgers.

A ninth-inning meltdown by Tanner Scott in which the substitute closer blew a three-run lead.

A 10th-inning run for the Rockies on a close play at home that resulted in catcher Dalton Rushing jawing at Cole Carrigg and the benches of both sides clearing.

An 11th-inning walk-off single by Rushing.

Ohtani’s home run reversed an early deficit to Rockies, his opposite-field shot sending the Dodgers in front, 2-1.

Ohtani’s two-run single capped a four-run fourth inning in which the Dodgers opened up their advantage to 6-1. That inning started with a single by Kyle Tucker, who advanced to third base on a hit by Teoscar Hernández. A single by Max Muncy drove in Tucker, and Hernández scored on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Rojas.

A double by Rushing brought up Ohtani with runners on second and third base, and the $700-million man singled up the middle to drive both of them in.

The performance extended Ohtani’s torture of Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, against whom Ohtani is now 9 for 16 with three home runs and nine runs batted in.

Ohtani didn’t homer in any of his five previous games but a meeting with Freeland broke him out of his mini-slump.

His home run on Monday night was his 19th of the season and the 128th in his three seasons with the Dodgers.

He is Japan’s major-league home run leader by a wide margin, as the next player on the list is Hideki Matsui, who hit 175 from 2003-2012.

What it means

The “Fre-ddie” chants at Dodger Stadium sounded a louder than usual, perhaps because bobbleheads made in Freddie Freeman’s image were distributed to fans. Freeman singled to right field in his first at-bat.

The Dodgers became the first team in baseball to reach the 60-win benchmark, and they maintained a 14-game lead in the National League West. Their division lead is the largest in the majors.

Who’s hot

Two months ago, when the Dodgers traded for Eric Lauer, they didn’t have to send the Toronto Blue Jays any players in return. Lauer was acquired for cash considerations.

The money was well-spent.

In eight games with the Dodgers, Lauer has a 3.12 earned-run average – solid numbers for a 31-year-old journeyman who was viewed as a placeholder until Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow returned from their respective injuries.

Lauer limited the Rockies to three runs and six hits over six innings.

Who’s not

Following a disastrous first season with the Dodgers, reliever Tanner Scott is in the middle of a solid year.

In 39 games this season, he’s posted a 2.70 ERA. He has also saved 12 games in the absence of closer Edwin Diaz, who is recovering from a procedure to remove bone chips from his arm.

Scott had a rare slip-up on Monday night, blowing a three-run lead he inherited in the ninth inning. With two outs, the bases loaded, and the lead down to two runs, Scott gave up a double to Carrigg that was initially ruled to have driven in three runs. The third run was nullified by a replay review, which showed that Hunter Goodman was thrown out at the plate by Miguel Rojas.

Up next

The Dodgers will continue their series against the Rockies on Tuesday, with Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.80 ERA) starting for the Dodgers and Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.91 ERA) for the Rockies.

May and June served as months to forget for Landen Roupp and Heliot Ramos. Roupp, following a brilliant March and April that generated All-Star buzz, struggled disastrously. After ending April with a 5-1 record and a 2.55 ERA, Roupp labored through 11 May and June starts, sporting a 5.87 ERA and walking 26 batters in 53.2 innings. Stunningly, the San Francisco Giants lost all 11 of his starts. Ramos suffered an injury in mid-May that landed him on the IL. It took him six weeks and nearly 40 games to return.

The struggles were not confined to the field. Roupp placed himself at the center of an ugly Pride Night controversy, looked foolish and bigoted in the process, and lost himself a significant number of fans. Ramos watched Casey Schmitt and Victor Bericoto fill his shoes admirably, while talks of a trade from a franchise he openly adores swirled.

Thankfully for both players, the calendar flipped to July. And if Monday’s 10-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays was any indication, that’s marvelous news for both of them.

It was the Roupp and Ramos show from the start of the game until the final out. The game began when Blue Jays’ leadoff hitter Ernie Clement reached on an error by Schmitt. Given the way Roupp had been pitching lately, you’d be forgiven for thinking the inning would go in a sideways direction, but instead the right-hander needed just seven pitches to retire the next three batters. Easy as pie.

The bottom of the first began when Ramos, newly entrenched as the leadoff hitter, saw an 0-1 fastball from Kevin Gausman on the outer half of the plate and decided to follow it in that direction, driving it deep, deep, deep into the aptly-named triple’s alley, smashing it off the padding on the wall. As the ball ran misdirection on right fielder Nathan Lukes, Ramos beelined for third base.

And when he looked up from the dust cloud that formed around his body following a full-speed dive into the bag, he realized that the throw had gone into the dugout. And every baseball mathematician knows the this equation: Triple + Error = Little League Home Run.

There are myriad ways in which a hitter can be Oracle’d in San Francisco, and Ramos’ was one of the least aggravating ones. According to Statcast, his leadoff hit — 399 feet despite fighting the wind — would have been a home run in every ballpark but the one he plays in. Instead, three bags and a little extra cardio would have to suffice.

But Ramos would exact his revenge on the confines of the stadium. As the game wore on and the lead grew wider — the Giants would take a 3-0 lead before Roupp’s lone hiccup of the night, a solo home run allowed to Kazuma Okamoto — Ramos geared up his power bar, ready to strike again, but this time more equipped for the walls.

It came in the bottom of the sixth, so let’s set the stage. Rafael Devers led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to third when Jung Hoo Lee reached on an error. After Willy Adames drew a walk (yes, two in one inning is legal) to load the bases, Bryce Eldridge struck out for the third time.

The lead was 3-1 as Bericoto stepped to the plate, looking to pick up his teammate. He did exactly that, lining a get-it-in heater from Gausman the other way for a two-run single.

The lead had grown to 5-1, which is the sweet spot with the Giants these days. Just enough of a lead to excite you, and just small enough to make you fear the impending bullpen implosion that will throw it all away. It’ll keep you tuned in!

There are, it turns out, antidotes to a bullpen known to blow mid-sized leads. The most common prescription is spending money on a bullpen, but the pharmacy already closed for that option. The second most common is to simply expand the lead.

Enter Ramos. The wind was still howling in from right field and baseball players, unlike golfers, do not have the option to club up. Ramos, it seems, did not care. Facing Tommy Nance — Bericoto had knocked Gausman out of the game — Ramos turned on a 1-1 sinker, cockily and confidently taking on right field, and clearing the fence before you even realized what had happened.

Just like that, the game was blown open.

As it turns out, the insurance runs weren’t needed, because Roupp remembered the third most common prescription for bad bullpens: not letting them pitch. Armed with a healthy lead, Roupp returned for the seventh inning and set down the side in order, on eight pitches. Back out for the eighth he came and, while he ceded a two-out single, he responded by immediately striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for style points.

All that was left was the window dressing, and Ramos apparently felt he deserved some of that fun. Our hitting protagonist stepped up in the bottom half of the eighth with two outs and one on, facing Adam Macko. As if being rewarded for his strong earlier at-bats (which also featured a groundout that was the hardest-hit ball of the day), all of which against right-handers, Ramos now got to tee off against a lefty.

If his first hit had been an attempt to clear the right field fences, and his second hit had been to prove that he truly could, his third hit was getting back to basics. He’d proven what he came to prove. Now it was time to have some fun, sit on a hanging breaking ball, and see just how far into the night his muscle can carry.

Pretty freaking far, it turns out. Ramos smashed the first pitch from Macko so high up the bleachers that even the broadcast drew out the usually-hyperbolic Andrés Galarraga comp. You don’t see a lot of 434-foot home runs in at 9 p.m. in San Francisco. Enjoy.

With that, the stars had done their job. Roupp had cruised through eight nearly flawless innings, ceding just three hits, two walks, and one run, while striking out five. Ramos had hit two homers and 29/30ths of another, knocked in five runs, and score thrice. And the supporting cast had played their part, keeping the rallies going and playing strong defense. Bericoto, in particular, impressed during his 2-4 day: after a leadoff single in the fifth, the rookie found himself standing at third with two outs, and Luis Arráez at first. With Schmitt at the plate, Arráez broke for second, swiping his seventh bag of the season. Bericoto expanded his lead perfectly, and took off with the throw, making it to home before the ball boomeranged back. A savvy and cheeky bit of running, and now he’ll always get to say that he stole home for his first Major League stolen base.

But after the fun is had, the game must end, and the Giants made sure no drama occurred. Spencer Bivens, recently called up, made his season debut to spell Roupp for the ninth. He struck out the first batter he faced. He struck out the second batter he faced.

The third? Aware of the plot, Bivens let Alejandro Kirk put the ball in play.

A soft and lazy fly ball out to the grass. Right field, specifically. Right into Ramos’ glove for out number 27.