Category: Baseball

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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two-plus months after the Yankees waited a few days to see if he could avoid an injured list stint altogether, Giancarlo Stanton remains without any real timeline to return to the active roster.

After suffering a setback with his right calf strain last month, when he appeared to be a few days away from being activated from the IL, Stanton is still not running again, according to manager Aaron Boone, as his rehab remains slow-moving.

Asked if he expects the veteran slugger to play again this season, Boone said he did.

“Now, that being said, I’m surprised it’s been this long,” Boone said Monday at Tropicana Field before the Yankees beat the Rays 5-1. “But yes, I expect him back.”

Stanton missed his 64th straight game Monday and did not join the Yankees on this trip, despite injured players often doing so in order to rehab at the club’s player development complex in Tampa.

Boone did not have much in the way of specifics as to what Stanton is doing other than not yet running; he had advanced to running the bases before getting re-injured last month. The manager had said last Monday that Stanton was “moving again with more intensity and hitting against velo[city] again,” though as of this Monday, Boone only said the 36-year-old was “upping the treadmill stuff he’s doing.”

“I don’t know that it’s [a] slower [buildup after the setback], we’ve just been listening to the body and following when he has gotten the images and things like that,” Boone said. “What he’s been able to tolerate, we’ve been able to do.”

Jasson Domínguez and Boone both got upset in the seventh inning after home plate umpire Emil Jimenez did not allow Domínguez to challenge a low called strike despite him tapping his helmet fairly quickly after the pitch — a repeat of what happened last month with the same hitter and umpire at Yankee Stadium.

Domínguez also tried to challenge a high strike called by Jimenez during a June 17 game, but the umpire did not grant either one.

“The same thing happened and [Jimenez] pointed to the dugout like it was influenced by us,” Boone said. “The dugout’s always going to react. He did it instantaneously. It’s a bad call, it’s a bad look and I don’t get it. I know it’s this crew, they’re sticklers for being immediate and all that. It was pretty immediate. The challenge absolutely should’ve been allowed like it absolutely should’ve been allowed a couple weeks ago.”

Boone said he did not stick around for a full explanation “because I was going to lose my mind.”

After leaving Sunday’s game early with right big toe discomfort, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was back in the lineup Monday playing second base and going 0-for-2 with a walk. … The Yankees are waiting on naming a starter for Thursday’s series finale to see how their bullpen looks, though Elmer Rodríguez would be the obvious call-up candidate for a spot start.

Record: 45-45. Pace: 81-81. Change on 2025: +1.

The Diamondbacks jumped on Padres starter Walker Buehler early. They scored six runs in the first three innings, and despite this being a Brandon Pfaadt start, were just able to hold on for victory. The win put Arizona back in sole possession of second place in the NL West, and also brought them back to a .500 record for the fifteenth time this year. That stat is for ChefAZ.

The D-backs took the lead while, I suspect, a sizeable number of fans were watching Team USA’s exit from the World Cup at the hands feet of Belgium. Yes, them again. Ketel Marte wasted little time, tripling on a misplayed ball off the wall in center at Petco. Geraldo Perdomo them wore the next pitch to put runners on the corner, and an errant pick off throw by Buehler allowed the D-backs to bypass the whole, tricky “hitting with RISP” thing. Two outs later, Max Kepler did the whole, tricky “hitting with RISP” thing, scoring Perdomo for a 2-0 Diamondbacks edge. But that was just an amuse bouche for the main course, delivered by Buehler in the fourth.

It was the epitome of the “That escalated quickly” meme from every San Diegan’s favorite movie, Anchorman. With one out, Corbin Carroll squirted one down the left-field line for a double. Five pitches later, it was 6-0 to Arizona. In short order, Gabriel Moreno singled, Lourdes Gurriel had an RBI knock and Max Kepler cranked his first home-run as a Diamondback, a three-run shot. It was a no-doubter, a 417 foot blast to right. Wasn’t the end of the fireworks for Arizona, as Geraldo Perdomo went deep (home-run #6 for him) in the fourth, and Nolan Arenado reached double-digits with his tenth of the year. All three homers are above.

Arenado joins Marte and Carroll in that club. After a rough June (196/.255/.299 for a .554 OPS), it’d be nice to get Nolan back on track. Speaking on “back on track”, Brandon Pfaadt delivered his best outing of the season. Indeed, the Game Score of 65 was his second-highest since July 18 last year. The only better was, of course, his incomplete game shutout against the Giants in September. Tonight, he pitched five scoreless, with no walks and six strikeouts. He did allow four hits, and just had a single clean inning. But all of the knocks were singles, and he didn’t face a single batter with a runner in scoring position. He could have gone longer, but is still being stretched back out. He threw 66 in his first game back and reached 72 tonight.

Add to his previous outing, and Pfaadt has allowed one run over 10.1 innings since his return. Small sample size, to be sure, and tonight’s opposition aren’t exactly a challenge. Indeed, the Padres came in to this game, already with the lowest OPS+ in the National League, at just 87. But with the loss of Michael Soroka, and the continued absence of Corbin Burnes, the Arizona rotation needs all the help it can get. His next outing will be a bit tougher. That’ll be on Saturday against the Dodgers and their 117 OPS+, best in the majors by a full seven points. The results there should tell us whether this shiny new version of Brandon is genuine or an illusion.

Both starters tonight did the five and dive, though for Pfaadt it was understandable. The struggles of Buehler continue, his ERA now above five this year (5.07). I guess at least he’s cheap, a $1.5 million guaranteed contract from the Padres. He simply hasn’t been the same since he had Tommy John in August 2022, his ERA since then also above five (5.09), compared to just 3.02 before the procedure. It’s a bit of a sobering thought, and let’s hope our pitchers are able to come back strong. It must be said, it was Buehler’s second TJ. Then again, that’s also the case for Justin Martinez. We’ll see…

Anyway, the game pretty much was over with Kepler’s shot in the third inning. After Pfaadt, Ryan Thompson and Drew Jameson each tossed a pair of shutout frames, and Arizona completed the shutout with a K:BB ratio of 11:0. It’s the first time they’ve done that (or better) since September 21, 2024, when they beat the Brewers 5-0 with a K:BB of 13:0. It’s only the fourth time in franchise history they’ve done it, while also scoring 8+ runs. The last such game was also against San Diego, a 9-0 win on April 21, 2023, where Zac Gallen, Miguel Castro and Joe Mantiply combined on a two-hitter with a 13:0 K:BB. Yeah, can you tell I had lots of spare time for research in this one?

The Diamondbacks got eleven hits, with two apiece for Perdomo, Gabriel Moreno (who also drew the team’s only walk) and Kepler, the last-named also driving in four runs. Arizona were 4-for-9 with RISP, which is certainly better than they have been doing. The victory keeps them in touch for the wild-card, where they are 3.5 games back of the Marlins. Though of the six teams above them, only the Cardinals and Phillies lost.

Click here for details, at Fangraphs.com
Maximus Decimus Meridius: Max Kepler, +22%
Antonius Proximo: Pfaadt, +14%; Marte, +11%
Commodus: Nolan Arenado, -4%

A very enjoyable Gameday Thread, which was probably needed as a welcome palate cleanser after the football ended Belgium 4, Waffles 1. Conversation was wide-ranging, covering topics such as entertainment options in Ancient Rome, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and medieval German astronomers. Never say the SnakePit is not educational. Comment of the night to Dano, who has probably been awaiting a chance to make this comment, ever since the signing was announced…

A good start to this four game set, making at least a split very likely. Back at it from San Diego tomorrow night, with another 6:40 pm first pitch. Zac Gallen will be starting that one, so… Yeah. Not exactly getting my hopes up, but we’ll see!

Jays 1 Giants 10

I don’t know….

At least in the past we were able to make the easy defensive plays. But tonight, we couldn’t even do that.

Andrés Giménez made an error. Kazuma Okamoto made an official, had another that should have been an error and made a lousy play on a throw into third which was just a bad mistake, too bad to be called an error. Kirk made a poor throw to second, and Ernie Clement made a worse home back to home.

Kevin Gausman wasn’t great. He wasn’t as bad as the score made him look, but he wasn’t great. 5.1 innings, 5 hits, 7 runs, 4 earned, 5 walks and 8 strikeouts. Yeah the defense didn’t help him out and two of his earned runs came after he left the game.

Tommy Nance came in with two on and one out and gave up a home run. Two runs added to Kevin’s line and one to Nance.

And Adam Macko gave up a 2-run homer in the eighth.

We managed three hits. Clement, Nathan Lukes and Okamoto had one each, Okamoto’s a home run, giving us our first in 29 innings?

No Jays of the Day. Clement had the high mark at 0.05 WPA, but that didn’t count the wide throw home.

Other Award: Gausman (-0.21). And really the batters all deserve one. Lukes had the low mark (-0.08).

Tomorrow is game two with the Giants….Someone will be opener, and Spencer Miles will be the bulk guy. Lefty Noah Schultz (2-5, 5.86) starts for SF.

Monday's 7-6 win at the Braves saw the Mets escape Truist Park with a split of the four-game series after New York overcame Atlanta in 10 innings, led by clutch moments from Juan Soto and Luis Torrens, among others.

Interim manager Andy Green and the Mets (38-53) return to Citi Field for a six-game homestand before the All-Star break, beginning with Tuesday's 7:10 p.m. start on SNY against the Kansas City Royals, trending back in the right direction.

"It was gutsy tonight, for sure," Green said. "Some huge swings late. Love having Juan up in that situation. That's a fun swing for the whole team. Huge swing for us. And then what Torrens did there again is pretty special. A lot of pitchers coming in and doing a really good job tonight, too -- guys coming into some dicey situations. And so, I see it as a really gutsy win."

Soto's ninth-inning home run gave New York a 5-3 lead before the Braves (52-37) evened the score during the bottom half on Matt Olson's two-run shot against Devin Williams, but Torrens' two-run double in the 10th and Luke Weaver's one-run relief appearance was enough for the Mets to survive.

New York went from a three-game skid, including a 19-6 margin in the first two losses of the series with the Braves between Friday's 5-3 defeat and Saturday's 14-3 result, to consecutive wins for the first time since June 17 and 18.

"It's always great," Soto said. "Play against teams like that -- they're a pretty good team, pretty good players over there and we showed that we can beat them. And at least to split of the series, I think it's good to see -- positive stuff."

Soto turned on a 3-1 fastball at 95 mph against Raisel Iglesias over the plate's inner half for his 19th homer of the season to put the Mets in front. He brought home Tyrone Taylor -- pinch-running for Francisco Alvarez, who led off the ninth inning with a single -- and Ronny Mauricio.

"He's the best in the game," Green said of Soto. "It's just like he's in a tier of his own and, in that moment, that's who you want in the box. You've got to step back for a second and give credit to Alvy and Ronny Mauricio, who has not played much, facing ... probably one of the best closers -- if not the best closer -- in the game right now and Ronny gets a huge hit for us there, too. So, those were two enormous at-bats that set us up for getting Juan to the dish."

Torrens took Taylor's spot in the lineup after the inning, entering as the Mets' new catcher, and followed Soto's momentum. In the 10th, Torrens turned on an 0-2 breaking ball at 80 mph over the inner half of the plate and sent a two-out double down the left-field line, scoring Bo Bichette and Jared Young.

"It's very big," Torrens said. "All of us are trying to pull out wins. And to be able to go out here the last two days and to pull out two victories, it's really gratifying as a group."

The Mets get a three-game series with the Royals (37-54), who enter New York after consecutive wins over the Phillies to take the three-game set from Philadelphia (50-41). A three-game series with the Boston Red Sox follows Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"Every day is a new day," Soto said. "We can't focus on what happened. It's been a tough series, season, definitely, but we've got to take the positive stuff. So, definitely, today, it was a really good, positive day. So, definitely, we take it and we learn from it, we keep moving forward."

Sometimes it’s just not your day. 

And for Phillies pitcher Christopher Sanchez, it just wasn’t his day Monday. 

In a 15-1 loss to the Royals, Sanchez allowed a career-high nine runs in 3 ⅓ innings and struck out a career-low one batter. 

The disastrous start ballooned the Cy Young candidate’s ERA from 2.00 to 2.62, but Sanchez couldn’t pinpoint anything specific that led to the nightmare afternoon. 

“I mean, it’s just a game,” Sanchez told reporters through an interpreter. “As I learn from the good things that we have on the field, and the things when we perform well, the same thing when I don’t perform. I just try to learn from it.” 

Monday’s disaster was a rare occurrence in what’s been an incredibly successful season for Sanchez. 

Sanchez was coming off a seven-inning shutout against the Pirates on June 30 and had allowed five or more runs just twice this season coming into Monday. 

He also made headlines earlier this season for tossing 50 ⅔ consecutive scoreless innings, the fifth-longest single-season streak since 1893. 

But from the get-go on Monday, he just didn’t have it. 

The lefty was tagged for six first-inning runs after a throwing error by shortstop Trea Turner and a three-run homer by Luke Maile. 

Sanchez even allowed Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who’s hitting .209 this season, to go yard in the second inning. 

The Royals smashed three homers off Sanchez before he was taken out in the fourth inning, and continued mashing even after the lefty departed. 

They scored a run in every inning they batted, contributing to their most complete offensive performance of the season. 

Despite Sanchez’s woeful outing and the Phillies loss, they’re still in a wildcard spot as the All-Star break approaches. 

The Phillies are 50-41 and 3 ½ games behind the NL East-leading Braves after the lopsided loss.

ATLANTA — In those rare instances they succeed, the Mets only do things the hard way.

The easy way Monday night would have been to ride Juan Soto’s go-ahead homer in the ninth inning to the finish line without extra hassle. Instead, Devin Williams imploded in the bottom of the inning, and it took a 10th-inning hero.

Luis Torrens became that guy with a two-run double that lifted the Mets to a 7-6 victory over the Braves and four-game series split.

Luke Weaver got the final three outs with only the automatic runner scoring (an unearned run), extending his streak to 26 innings without an earned run allowed since May 1.

“They have very good players over there and we showed that we can beat them and at least split the series,” Soto said. “Positive stuff.”

Williams was handed a two-run lead in the ninth inning and promptly surrendered a game-tying homer to Matt Olson. After the homer — a blast to left field that followed Ozzie Albies’ leadoff double — the Braves got runners to second and third with two outs. Williams was removed and Brooks Raley struck out José Azócar.

With two outs in the top of the 10th inning, Jared Young was hit by a pitch before Torrens stroked a two-run double. The veteran backup catcher has shown a knack for such big hits in his three seasons with the Mets.

“For me, it’s just trying to pick the team up whatever way I can,” Torrens said through an interpreter. “It’s really just concentrating on the at-bat and the approach there.”

After going 0-67 last year when trailing after eight innings, the Mets were 1-45 in such games this year before Monday’s comeback.

“It was gutsy tonight, for sure,” interim manager Andy Green said. “Some huge swings late.”

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In the ninth, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio each singled against Raisel Iglesias before Soto with two outs worked the count to 3-1 and crushed a 95-mph fastball over the right field fence to put the Mets ahead 5-3.

The Mets overcame an early Young error and two runners thrown out on the bases.

Young misplayed a grounder at first base that led to two unearned runs in the second inning. Bo Bichette was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from first base as the second out in the sixth and A.J. Ewing got nabbed off second base on a line drive to third in the seventh, completing the trifecta.

Freddy Peralta, hindered by an elevated pitch count, lasted only 4 ²/₃ innings and allowed three runs, two unearned, on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk. It was an improved performance over his four-inning outing in Toronto last Wednesday in which he surrendered five earned runs, but the Mets needed additional length. He departed after throwing 103 pitches.

“I feel good about some things mentally I have been working on, but also my pitches were pretty good and my sweeper was amazing,” Peralta said. “I wish I at least finished the fifth, but other than that everything was [good].”

Carson Benge’s homer leading off the second gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Benge’s blast was his 11th this season. He hammered a 1-2 slider from Reynaldo Lopez, clearing the fence in left-center.

But the Mets surrendered the lead with sloppy play in the bottom of the inning. Young mishandled Mike Yastrzemski’s grounder for an error, leading to two unearned runs. Jim Jarvis delivered a bloop single for the first run. Michel Harris II singled in the second run. The rally started with Dominic Smith’s single before with two outs Young misplayed Yastrzemski’s grounder.

Olson homered leading off the third to increase the Mets’ deficit to 3-1.

The Braves threatened against Peralta in the fifth, but the right-hander escaped — with an assist from lefty reliever Cionel Pérez, who recorded the final out. Albies doubled and Drake Baldwin was hit by a pitch before a wild pitch advanced the runners. But Peralta struck out Mauricio Dubón before Pérez retired Joey Bart.

The Mets pulled to within 3-2 on Alvarez’s RBI single in the sixth, but a potentially larger inning was thwarted because Bichette was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from first on Benge’s one-out double. Brett Baty left the tying run at third base by striking out to conclude the inning.

In the seventh, Ewing and Soto walked in succession with one out before Bichette’s line drive was gloved by Austin Riley, who fired to second to catch Ewing trying to retreat.

The Mets proved they still have the capacity to surprise in late innings today as they won 7-6 against the Braves and split the second series of the season against their division rival. Juan Soto walked three times and hit a three-run home run, and Luis Torrens provided the game-winning double in the tenth inning to finish things off in the Mets’ fourteenth extra-inning game this year.

Freddy Peralta struggled to remain efficient, starting in the first inning, as Michael Harris II bounced an infield hit off Peralta’s leg that landed in the middle of nowhere. Harris got the single and moved to second base on a wild pitch that flew over Francisco Alvarez’s head, but the inning ended with no runs scored. Peralta, however, needed 22 pitches to get out of the first inning.

Carson Benge struck first at the top of the second inning, smacking a home run into center field. However, at the bottom of the second inning, Dominic Smith lined a single into left field before the Mets’ defense struck again. It started at first base, with a ball deflecting off Jared Young on an error benefiting Mike Yastrzemski. Next, Jim Jarvis hit an RBI single into left field that three different Mets watched fall, apparently none of them sure if the others were going for it. It was Jarvis’ first major-league RBI, so at least it was happy for someone. After that, Harris came through by sneaking a ground ball into left field for an RBI single. Ozzie Albies grounded out to end the inning, but the score was now Braves 2, Mets 1. At the bottom of the third, Matt Olson belted a home run over right field to increase the Braves’ lead to 3-1.

At the bottom of fifth inning, Peralta came back out despite his high pitch count. Albies drilled a ball into right field that Benge should have caught but did not, and so Albies came up with a double. Olson was up next and reached on the fielder’s choice, but Albies played cat and mouse long enough to allow Olson to reach second base. Peralta then hit Drake Baldwin with a pitch, and then threw his second wild pitch of the night that moved Baldwin and Olson to second and third bases. After Peralta struck out Mauricio Dubón on his 103rd pitch, Cionel Pérez replaced him for the final out of the fifth inning. Two pitches later, the inning was over.

Bichette opened the sixth inning by whacking the ball over the head of pitcher Didier Fuentes for a single. When Benge lined a double into left field a few moments later, Bichette was waved around third base, only to be tagged out at home for the second out instead of the second run. Jared Young followed up with a single that moved Benge to third base, and Alvarez smacked an RBI single into right field to score Benge, but the scoring ended there when Brett Baty struck out on a foul tip: Braves 3, Mets 2. Cionel Pérez allowed a single to Yastrzemski, but stranded him there to end the sixth.

A.J. Ewing drew a walk in the seventh inning, and Soto drew his third walk of the game to bring up Bichette. Unfortunately, Bichette lined into a double play as Austin Riley managed to snag the ball out of the air and get it to Albies to tag Ewing out at second base, ending the top of the seventh. A.J. Minter came out for the bottom of the seventh and allowed a single to Baldwin, then a double to Dubón immediately after. Luckily, Minter struck out Joey Bart to end the inning right after.

Benge walked after Francisco Lindor grounded out, but Jared Young grounded into a double play, and that was that at the top of the eighth. Guillo Zuñiga came out for the bottom of the eighth in his major league debut for the Mets and acquitted himself well, walking Jarvis but allowing no hits or runs. Alvarez singled to start things off at the top of the ninth, and Tyrone Taylor came out to pinch run. After Baty struck out, Ronny Mauricio smacked a ground ball into right field for a single as well. Ewing flied out for the second out, but Taylor made it to third base. Soto was up next and absolutely bludgeoned one beyond right field and into the chophouse for a 3-run home run, and the Mets took the lead for the first time since the second inning. Afterwards, Bichette came up and, despite fouling two pitches off his foot, kept persisting until grounding out.

Devin Williams came out for the ninth given the change in score, and Ozzie Albies smacked a double, then stole third base, technically, although the base was absolutely uncovered. It did not matter when Matt Olson belted his own home run into the opposite field with no outs. Baldwin singled on an opposite-field line drive, and Jorge Mateo came in to pinch-run for him. Dubón grounded out for the first out (finally), but then Bart walked before Riley grounded out as well to bring up Yastrzemski. Brooks Raley came in to replace Williams at this point to try to get the final out against the lefty, but José Azócar wound up pinch-hitting for Yastrzemski and struck out. On to the tenth, with the score tied at 5-5.

Bichette was the free runner for the Mets at the top of the tenth inning as Lindor lined out on the first pitch he saw. Benge grounded out, but Bichette was able to move to third base. Owen Murphy, pitching in HIS major league debut, hit Young with a pitch to bring up Luis Torrens, who had come in for Alvarez to catch in the ninth. Torrens, who tends to excel in this type of situation, lined an RBI double into left field to score both Bichette and Young. Baty struck out, and the top of the inning was over. Luke Weaver pitched the bottom of the tenth for the Mets, and Azócar was the free runner for the Braves. In a close call, Harris ripped a double into right field after winning a challenge that overturned strike three, and Azócar scored, ending Weaver’s scoreless streak. Albies struck out, and Weaver intentionally walked Olson. Weaver unintentionally walked Mateo to load the bases, but by some miracle, Dubón grounded into a force out at second base to end the game.

The Mets now fly home to face the Royals tomorrow on short rest. Old friend Seth Lugo is pitching for the Royals, and TBD once again is pitching for the Mets.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +82% WPA
Big Mets loser: Devin Williams, -54% WPA
Mets pitchers: -20% WPA
Mets hitters: +70% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto 3-run home run, +74.6% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Matt Olson’s ninth inning, 2-run home run, -41.1% WPA

The Mets engineered a miraculous comeback thanks to late-inning heroics at the plate, winning a 7-6 thriller against the Atlanta Braves.

New York leaves Atlanta with a four-game split of the series against its bitter NL East rival.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Rookie outfielder Carson Benge got the scoring started in the top of the second inning, timing up a Reynaldo Lopez slider and launching it to left-center field for a solo home run.

-- In the bottom half of the second, the Braves retook the lead, 2-1. Mets starter Freddy Peralta allowed singles to Dominic Smith, Jim Jarvis, and Michael Harris II, and first baseman Jared Young made a fielding error on a Mike Yastrzemski short-hopper which advanced both Braves runners which came around to score.

-- Braves All-Star first baseman Matt Olson led off the bottom of the third inning, jumping all over a Peralta changeup and sending it into the right-field seats, making the score 3-1 in favor of Atlanta. 

-- With a man on first and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Benge made a difficult diving grab in right field to rob Yastrzemskiof a hit, helping Peralta keep the Braves off the board in the inning.

-- Benge, on the run to the warning track, was unable to haul in a long fly ball off the bat of Ozzie Albies as he led off the bottom of the fifth. It was ruled a double. The Braves wound up with runners on second and third with one out following a Peralta walk and a wild pitch. Peralta was able to record the second out of the inning by striking out Mauricio Dubon, and was subsequently pulled from the game by manager Andy Green to bring in southpaw Cionel Perez to face Smith, Atlanta's lefty DH. Braves manager Walt Weiss refused to cede an advantage at the dish, and sent in righty Joey Bart to pinch-hit for Smith. Perez only needed one pitch to get Bart to ground out, ending the inning without allowing any further damage to the Mets' 3-1 deficit.

-- Peralta's final line tonight was a mixed bag. He was inefficient, completing just 4.2 innings pitched and throwing 103 pitches, allowing six hits. However, of his three runs allowed, just one was earned, and he struck out six Braves batters to just one walk. His ERA for the season now stands at 4.68.

-- Bo Bichette led off the sixth inning with a single up the middle, and with one out, Benge recorded his second opposite-field extra-base hit of the night, splitting Atlanta's left and right fielders with a double. However, Atlanta's defense executed a perfect cutoff relay to home plate, gunning down Bichette before he could slide into home and keeping the score at 3-1. After Young narrowly beat out a throw to pick up an infield single and move Benge to third base, it was Francisco Alvarez who came up clutch with a two out knock, ripping a single through the infield to bring home Benge. Braves reliever Didier Fuentes struck out Brett Baty to strand one Mets runner in scoring position and end the inning with the score 3-2.

-- Amid a "tarps off" frenzy at Truist Park, the Braves managed to get two runners into scoring position with two outs, but Mets reliever A.J. Minter -- honored by his former ballclub with a pregame tribute video -- struck out Bart to end the seventh inning.

-- Right-handed pitcher Guillo Zuniga made his Mets debut in the eighth inning, and he impressed, working a scoreless frame to keep his team within one run.

-- With the Mets down to their final three outs, Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio roped singles off of Braves closer Raisel Iglesias to put runners on first and second base with one out. A.J. Ewing flied out to right field to move pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor up to third base, bringing Soto to the dish with two outs and men on first and third. On a 3-1 count, Iglesias challenged Soto with a fastball, high and tight. The slugger turned on it and sent it skyward, 430 feet, just inside the foul pole, a three-run shot to put the Mets on top 5-3, their first lead of the game. This blown save ended Iglesias's streak of 35 straight saves, which dated back nearly a year.

-- With Mets closer Devin Williams on the hill for the save opportunity, Albies led off the bottom of the ninth and knocked his second double of the night into the alley in right-center. The next batter was Olson, who sent a Williams pitch which tailed high and away in the zone to the opposite field. Soto could only watch as the ball flew over the wall, as Olson's second homer of the game tied the game, 5-5. With two outs and Braves runners at second and third, Green swapped Williams out, inserting left-handed reliever Brooks Raley to face the lefty Yastrzemski, who was promptly sent to the bench in favor of righty pinch-hitter Jose Azocar. Raley struck out Azocar to send the game to extra innings.

-- Former first-rounder Owen Murphy made his MLB debut for the Braves in the 10th, with Bichette on second base as the ghost runner. With two outs and Bichette still at second base, Young was hit by a pitch, and Luis Torrens -- his first at-bat of the night, substituted into the game for Tyrone Taylor, who had pinch-run for Alvarez an inning earlier -- sent a double down the left-field line to score both runners and restore a two-run lead for the Mets, 7-5.

-- Right-handed reliever Luke Weaver made his second straight appearance, and with one out, Harris II drove a double down the right-field line to score the "ghost runner" and cut the Mets lead to one run. Weaver battled back, stranding the potential tying run in scoring position by striking out Albies for the second out, intentionally walking Olson, walking Jorge Mateo on a 3-2 count to load the bases, and finally getting Dubon to ground a ball that was put away at second base for the force out. A 7-6 Mets victory in 10 innings.

Game MVP: Juan Soto

The three-out home run, which turned a potential loss to a two-run lead, immediately becomes a signature moment for Soto's time in a Mets uniform. 

Highlights

Carson Benge drives one to left-center to open the scoring! pic.twitter.com/mlt5Hslmwf

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 6, 2026

Juan Soto knew he successfully challenged a strikeout on a 3-2 count and already walked to first base pic.twitter.com/ynM4fDd0wS

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 7, 2026

A 2-out RBI single for Francisco Alvarez and the Mets cut the deficit to 3-2 pic.twitter.com/RUj17XfmO6

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 7, 2026

JUAN SOTO IN THE CLUTCH!!!!!

A 3-run homer off Raisel Iglesias for the lead in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/ZCHf7lpSbU

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 7, 2026

A 2-out, 2-run double for Luis Torrens in the 10th and the Mets take the lead back! pic.twitter.com/fsURsc2uy1

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 7, 2026

The Mets hang on as they split the series with the Braves

Luke Weaver gets his first save as a Met pic.twitter.com/alq48HaaOD

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 7, 2026

What's next

The Mets return to Citi Field on Tuesday night for a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. First pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

The starting pitcher for the Mets has not yet been decided.

Right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo (3-6, 4.20 ERA), who spent seven seasons with the Mets, is expected to start for the Royals.

Looking for a series win in a four game series, the Braves had Reynaldo Lopez on the mound, hoping to build on his last start against Freddy Peralta and the Mets.

Michael Harris gave Atlanta a chance to take an early lead in the first with a leadoff single, but Peralta got out of it with two strikeouts and a flyout. Carson Benge led of the second with a solo homer to give New York a 1-0 lead. Singles from Dominic Smith and Mike Yastrzemski allowed a bloop single from Jim Jarvis to bring home a run, as the Mets’ offense was a major factor in the Yaz and Jarvis hits. Harris followed Jarvis with an opposite-field single on a pitch way outside the strike zone to bring home another run and give Atlanta the lead.

Lopez worked through a walk and a single to keep the Mets at 1 run in the third and Matt Olson came right out with a leadoff solo homer in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead.

Peralta found himself in some trouble after a leadoff Ozzie double in the fifth and ultimately was pulled with men on second and third but two outs. Perez was first out of the New York bullpen and got Joey Bart to ground out, ending the threat. Didier Fuentes got the sixth and got into some trouble with a single, double, single, and single that only scored one run due to a fantastic relay throw from Jim Jarvis and a great diving play from Dubon, allowing the Braves to exit the inning with a 3-2 lead.

Dylan Lee took over for the seventh inning and walked two but got a double play to escape the inning. AJ Minter took the seventh for New York and allowed a Baldwin single and a Dubon double, but struck out Bart to hold the 3-2 score. Tyler Kinley took the ball in the eighth and walked Benge with one out, but got some help from a great play by Olson to turn an inning-ending double-play. Raisel Iglesias came in for the save after another nothing from the offense and gave up two singles but recorded two outs before facing Juan Soto with runners on the corners, two outs, and the game on the line. Juan Soto won that matchup, hooking a homer just inside the foul pole into the Chop House, giving the Mets a 5-3 lead and giving Iglesias his first blown save of the season. The Braves could have walked Soto, but chose to face him instead and paid the price.

This Braves team wasn’t done though, as Ozzie Albies led off the ninth with a double on Devin Williams. Matt Olson came through massively with his second home run of the night, tying the game up, still with no outs in the inning. Drake Baldwin followed Matt’s blast with a single and Dubon moved him to second with a fielder’s choice. Joey Bart then came up for his third chance with runners in scoring position and walked, passing the baton to Austin Riley in what could have been a big moment for him. Instead, a swinging bunt moved the runners over, but set up a two out situation for Mike Yastrzemski to try and avoid extra innings. The Mets took the opportunity to bring in a lefty reliever and the Braves countered with…Jose Azocar, who struck out on three pitches to send the game to extra innings.

It was at this point that Owen Murphy got to make his MLB debut and recorded two contact outs that moved the ghost runner to third before hitting a batter. He then went up 0-2 on Torrens before allowing a two-RBI double, giving the Mets a 7-5 lead. Owen recorded his first major league strikeout to end the inning on Brett Baty. Jim Jarvis started the bottom of the frame poorly, with a swinging bunt out. Michael Harris gave the Braves life with a one-out RBI double, after successfully challenging a called strike 3 to extend his at-bat. Ozzie Albies struck out, leaving the Mets to intentionally walk Matt Olson. This handed the keys of the game to Jorge Mateo, who drew a walk to hand things over to Mauricio Dubon with the bases loaded and two outs. Dubon grounded out to seal a loss in what was very much a coin-flip game that the Braves just couldn’t win, splitting the series.

It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest night spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. The music is cool in here. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. There’s no waiting list. The hostess will 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 week I asked you to grade the job manager Craig Counsell is doing. There was a real consensus in that 60 percent of you gave Counsell a “B.” Another 23 percent gave him an “A.” I’d probably have given him that A.

So here’s the part with the music and the movies. You’re free to skip that if you want. Or you can enjoy the music and movies and just skip the baseball. Your call.

So I’ve got a little nostalgia going on tonight for us older folks. This is the great jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery covering The Association’s pop single “Windy” on The Hollywood Palace in 1967. You even get Herb Albert introducing Montgomery.

I’m a sucker for “true crime” stuff, even though I know it’s (mostly) bad for me. Movies that are based on true crime stories suck me in more often than they should. Director Richard Fleischer was also a fan of “true crime” stories as he directed four films based on famous murders. I’d seen two of them before. Compulsion (1959) is based on the Leopold and Loeb murder trial and it’s decent, mostly because of a great performance by Dean Stockwell. The Boston Strangler (1968), on the other hand, is a hot mess. So I should have walked into Fleischer’s The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing (1955) with more trepidation. Because while The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing is not a dumpster fire, it does manage to be something that no true crime dramatization should be: dull.

The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing is based on the murder of famous architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) by railroad heir Harry Kendall Thaw (Farley Granger) in 1906. The title character is Evelyn Nesbit (Joan Collins), who was Thaw’s wife and White’s mistress.

If none of these names mean anything to you, I can promise you that you would have known them in 1906. Nesbit was a well-known “Gibson Girl,” by face if not by name. These were the women drawn by illustrator Charles Gibson for magazine covers. They were the turn-of-the-last-century version of supermodels, even if their faces were better known than their names. White was a rich architect, who, among many other things, designed the Washington Square Arch that still stands in New York. Thaw was the heir to an enormous railroad and coal fortune in Pittsburgh. His net worth was estimated to be around $40 million in 1900 dollars. He was also deeply mentally unwell, a fact that his money covered up throughout his life.

Thaw had become deeply obsessed with White. Not only had he “deflowered” Nesbit before she married Thaw, but Thaw was convinced that White had blackballed him from New York high society. (Maybe he did, but if he hadn’t, someone else would have.) One night in 1906, Thaw approached White during a stage performance on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden and shot killed him in front of hundreds of witnesses. He confessed on the spot, shouting that either that White had “ruined his life” or his “wife.” No one was really sure which one he said and probably both were true in Thaw’s mind. Thaw’s resulting murder trial became the first of many “Trial of the Century.”

One thing you need to know about The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing is that Nesbit was still alive in 1955 and served as a paid consultant on the film. As such, the film is far less lurid than the actual details of the case. For one, the film portrays White fairly sympathetically and Nesbit as in love with him. White’s only real crime, per the film, was not wanting the scandal of divorcing his wife any marrying Nesbit would bring. In reality, Nesbit was 16 when she met the 47-year-old White. She also wasn’t the only 16-year-old having an affair with White. The man was the Jeffrey Epstein of his time. Also, while Nesbit admitted that their later sexual encounters were consensual, their first meeting was a clear case of what we’d call date rape today. Thaw is portrayed in the movie as merely controlling and abusive towards Nesbit, but the long trail of payoffs to victims in his life shows him to be a violent psychopath, serial rapist, and a sadist.

Certainly the Production Code probably prevented some of the more lurid details of the story from coming to the screen, I also wonder whether Charles Brackett, who produced the film and also co-wrote the screenplay with Walter Reisch, also toned down the story. I know Brackett mostly from his terrific partnership with Billy Wilder, but I forgot that Brackett refused to work on Double Indemnity, considering it too immoral. Well, the White killing should have made Double Indemnity look like Sesame Street. Instead, we get a love story between a young woman (portrayed as older than she was in real life) and an older man. Then when the older man refuses to leave his wife, she marries her psychopathic stalker because she needs a husband and because he’s one of the richest men in America.

Farley Granger’s Harry Thaw is not nearly crazy enough. Yes, he’s portrayed as having a hair-trigger temper and an obsession with both Stanford White and Evelyn Nesbit, but his true craziness doesn’t come out until the very end of the film. I suppose Nesbit would rather people think she was duped by an abusive man than she knowingly married an abusive man for money and security. I also don’t think she wanted everyone to know that she was carrying on an affair with White at 16, and her age is never mentioned in the film.

The other problem is that while a young Joan Collins looked a lot like a young Evelyn Nesbit, her American accent is all over the place. Milland just rides with his mid-Atlantic accent that works well for upper-class people on both sides of the pond, but Collins needed a more standard lower-class American accent. Sometimes it’s good, but sometimes it just slips and sounds off. Her portrayal of Nesbit is also quite passive. Maybe that’s how the real Evelyn Nesbit was (I don’t know), but it certainly makes her a less-than-intriguing protagonist.

I did like the CinemaScope photography and the colorful look of early 20th-Century New York a lot. The sets and the costuming are first-rate.

The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing takes a really incredible true crime murder story and tries to reduce it to a lame love triangle story. It’s not a terrible film, but a crime like this one deserves much better.

The trailer for The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

As part of our Draft Week coverage, tonight we’re asking you who was the greatest first-round pick in Cubs history.

The MLB Draft only dates back to 1965 and honestly, the Cubs were mostly terrible at it for the first two decades. It can’t explain the first twenty-five years of the pennant drought after 1945, but it certainly does go a long ways towards explaining much of the next twenty-five. Things have gotten much better since around 2007 and certainly Cubs draft picks after that played a huge role in the 2016 title, either as players or as trade bait for other players.

If you go to Baseball Reference and look at the top Cubs players of all-time as ranked by bWAR, only one of the top ten were Cubs draft picks. To be fair, seven of them were from the era before the draft. Two were acquired in trades and only number ten, Rick Reuschel, was a Cubs draft pick. However, Big Daddy was taken in the third round, so he can’t be the Cubs’ best first-round pick.

The drafted player who is second on the Cubs’ career bWAR behind Reuschel is Mark Grace, who is 15th. However, Grace was taken in the 24th round in 1985. Again, not a first-round pick.

The Cubs best draft pick was Greg Maddux, who was taken in the second round in 1984. But he only had about a third of his total value as a Cub before leaving as a free agent. Still, just Maddux’s Cubs career would put him ahead of pretty much everyone except Reuschel and Grace among Cubs draft picks.

So when you look at the list of first-round draft picks in Cubs history, there is one player whose career bWAR is head and shoulders above everyone else. Unfortunately, that player is Rafael Palmeiro, who just 258 games for the Cubs before he was dealt. Second on the bWAR list is Josh Donaldson, who never even played for the Cubs.

I’m ruling that the greatest Cubs picks of all time can’t be people who played for other teams. I suppose if Palmeiro had been traded for Ken Griffey Jr., he could be the greatest Cubs draft pick of all time, but he wasn’t. So I’m calling Palmeiro and Donaldson as ineligible. Same goes for Jon Garland. To be the greatest Cubs first round pick, you have to have contributed to the Cubs.

So who was the greatest Cubs first-round draft pick who delivered the most value to the Cubs? You don’t have to go by bWAR in their time with the Cubs. In fact, I suggest you don’t. There’s more to baseball than just scoring on a metric. But the following players are first-round picks who starred with the Cubs and made a major impact.

I don’t think I need to tell you much about any of these players. But I will put two number to help you pick, The first is the player’s career Wins Above Replacement as calculated by Baseball Reference as a Cub. The second number is the player’s career bWAR.

Obviously all of these players, other than Wood, are still active. So you can include numbers that you think the player will do throughout their career if you want.

1995; Kerry Wood. Cubs—25.5. Career—26.8

2011: Javier Báez. Cubs—21.8. Career—26.9

2013: Kris Bryant. Cubs—28.0. Career—27.3

2015: Ian Happ. Career—24.2

2018: Nico Hoerner. Career—23.1

I could have included Kyle Schwarber, but other than his World Series heroics, Schwarber only returned 5.4 bWAR before he was non-tendered. And because of his poor defense, his career bWAR is below all five of these players, even with all those home runs.

So who was the greatest Cubs’ first-round pick of all-time?

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