DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 2: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field on August 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies’ bats are as hot as the temperatures in Denver this afternoon, as they lead the Kansas City Royals 8-1 in the seventh inning behind a Kyle Freeland gem.
There’s still a lot of baseball left, so it’s OVERFLOW THREAD time!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets throws a pitch during the third inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on July 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the eve of the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays have bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets in exchange for three prospects: OF Aidan Smith, INF Emilien Pitre, and RHP Gary Gill Hill.
Peralta, 30, was acquired by the Mets prior to the start of the 2026 season. The veteran hurler had been the ace of the Milwaukee Brewers for several years prior to the trade. Unfortunately, Peralta’s time in Flushing has been less than ideal, compiling a 4.99 ERA | 4.45 FIP over 22 starts during his Mets’ tenure. During his time Milwaukee from 2020 through 2025, Peralta was stellar, compiling a 3.33 ERA | 3.60 FIP; the Rays hope to get this version of the veteran hurler.
Heading to New York are three prospects.
Outfielder Aidan Smith was acquired by the Rays as part of the return for Randy Arozarena at the 2024 trade deadline. There was hope that he’d develop into a premier prospect and looked on his way to doing so registering a 158 wRC+ immediately following the trade. However, Smith has been unable to rise past High-A and holds a 68 wRC+ on the season.
Infielder Emilien Pitre was the Rays 2nd round pick in 2024 and has been an above-average offensive perfomer since joining the Rays organization thanks to an excellent ability to draw walks which significantly boosts his on-base percentage. He recently received a promotion to Double-A where he was hitting .323/.451/.492 over 163 plate appearances.
Gary Gill Hill at one time was among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects but he has been unable to take that next step in his development and has since seen his prospect status plummet. Gill Hill was originally selected by the Rays in the 6th round of the 2022 draft, meaning he’d be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason. The 21-year old was in Double-A and had a 4.49 ERA | 4.60 FIP over 108.1 IP.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 2: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays and Chase Meidroth #10 of the Chicago White Sox watch first base for the completion of a double play during the eighth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 2, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a three game series in which they scored exactly three (3) runs over 27 innings, I think I’m going to need to see proof of life photos for the Rays offense.
We’ll get to the errors and pitching mistakes, I promise, but when a team scores only one very late run, we need to start and end our critique with the hitters.
Today, the Rays got eleven hits and walked once, so it’s not like they had no opportunities. But almost all those hits were singles, and nearly all from the same three guys (Vilade, Caminero and Simpson) so those guys singled their way on to base and no one could drive them in. The only extra base hits came in the bottom of the ninth, at which point the game was entirely out of reach and no doubt the Rays were facing whoever the White Sox use for mop up duty.
Rays hitters didn’t strike out much, but they kept pounding the ball into the turf, grounding out twelve times, two of which were turned into double plays.
The game got off to an inauspicious start. Jax got into first inning trouble, with two men on base. But there were already two outs and it would have been possible to get out of the top of the first scoreless. But alas. First, Jax bobbled a not very challenging dribbler and could not get a runner at first, which allowed a run to score. Then the infield somehow failed to get either runner in a double steal that plated run number two.
I usually only post Rays highlights in these recaps, but I’m so disgusted with this inning I’m going to post a low light:
The White Sox scored again on a Benintendi solo home run in the fourth, but the Rays had a good chance to get back in the game in the bottom of that inning, loading the base on three singles (with an out coming on the one really well hit ball, 111 mph from Caminero, caught at the warning track). But neither Williamson nor DeLuca could get a run home.
Craig Kimbrel relieved Jax in the sixth, and I was hopeful when he got two quick outs. Was this going to be…a clean inning? Well, he gave up a walk. And a second walk. OK, could it at least be a scoreless inning? Nope. Hard hit double, two RBI, 5-0 Chicago.
But wait, the Rays came back swinging in the bottom of the inning. Once more, they loaded the based on three singles. With two outs, Ben Williamson came up to try to get the Rays on the board. But he grounded out weakly to short. Inning over.
And for the finishing touch, newcomer Alex Cook, pitching his second inning, yielded a two-run homer to Everson Pereira.
Oops that was not the finishing touch. Because Cook was replaced by Chris Roycroft, and HE gave up another two-run homer to Miguel Vargas, and giving the White Sox their eighth and ninth runs.
The Rays offense avoided total humiliation when Ben Williamson hit a solo home run in the ninth, and it was a little fun watching three White Sox fielders do a ninth-inning Keystone Kops routine tracking down a foul ball (unfortunately for the Rays one of them did catch it, fortunately for all the them, no one got hurt). Too little, too late.
TORONTO, ON- AUGUST 2 - George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays soars into third base with a triple in the seventh inning as the Toronto Blue Jays play the St. Louis Cardinals at Rogers Centre in Toronto. August 2, 2026. Steve Russell/Toronto Star (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
Cardinals 5 Blue Jays 1
Well….it was a close game until the top of the ninth.
Tie game, Louis Varland comes in. He’s been so good, I’m already thinking about the bottom of the inning. Well, he wasn’t ‘so good’ today. His inning went:
Six-pitch walk. He missed the zone by a lot on the balls. He doesn’t walk many and rarely misses by that much.
Ground ball single.
Line drive single. Run scores. 2-1.
Bunt pop up….amazing play by Alejandro Kirk to make the catch.
Ground ball force at second, Okamoto (playing first) to Andrés Giménez.
Lars Nootbaar hits an easy ground ball to second, and Luis Urías throws it wide of first. Run scores 3-1. Just a terrible throw by Luis.
Jordan Walker singles in two more. 5-1 and Varland is out of the game. Four runs against but only one earned. ERA jumps to 1.11.
Mason Fluharty gets the third out.
Max Scherzer was terrific. 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Likely his best start of the season, but he did go 6 two other times.
A little late to build some trade value, but I won’t be dreading his starts as much the rest of this year.
Spencer Miles threw 2 scoreless innings giving up a hit, a walk and getting a strikeout.
The offense was offensive……
Just 5 hits, 4 singles and a double with a walk.
We tied the game in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Andrés Giménez lined a single to left and Luis Urías doubled him home. Vlad followed with a ground out (hard hit, 108 mph) right at the shortstop. He had a rough day with three strikeouts before that.
Really all the batters had a bad day.
Jays of the Day: Scherzer (0.19 WPA), Miles (0.11) and Springer (0.10). Urías had the number too (0.31) but that error. It wasn’t a long throw, he was so close to second that Okamoto had no chance at the ball.
Other Award: Varland (-0.48, though some of that was on the Urias error), Vlad (-0.17), Kirk (-0.15, 0 for 4, tho he had that great catch, and made a couple of excellent challenges behind the plate), Clement (-0.14, 0 for 4) and Varsho (-0.11, 0 for 3, 2 k).
Tomorrow is the trade deadline.
Tomorrow the Jays will be in Houston. Shane Bieber (2-2, 5.74) is the listed starter, but tomorrow is trade deadline time. I would think the Jays would love to move him, but I’m not sure there is a market. Cristian Javier (1-1, 7.17) starts for the Astros.
The Mets have claimed 26-year-old catcher Shawn Ross off waivers from the Pirates and designated 29-year-old right-handed pitcher Joey Gerber for assignment to open up a spot for Ross on the 40-man roster. Ross has spent the vast majority of this season and his professional career in the minors.
Between his Double-A and Triple-A stints this year, Ross has hit .181/.325/.432 with 10 home runs. He made his major league debut on July 25 in a brief appearance at first base with the Pirates. He got the start behind the plate the following day and hit a two-run home run in that game, but Pittsburgh designated him for assignment on July 27.
As for Gerber, he’s spent most of this season in the minors, too. In 27.2 innings there, he has a 7.81 ERA and a 4.29 FIP. He’s thrown 8.1 innings at the major league level this year, and he’s fared better at baseball’s highest level, as he has a 4.32 ERA and a 4.18 FIP in that time.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 02: Robert Stock #89 of the New York Mets looks on during the game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Sunday, August 2, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Sunday afternoon the Mets took on the Marlins at Citi Field, the last game before the trade deadline, one that would most likely see massive changes to the Mets. There were several Mets who would be on other teams by Monday evening, as the Mets looked to try and recoup some sort of future from a failed season. The Mets had called Robert Stock up to make the start, after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in March, his first appearance in the majors since 2021. They’d be facing Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, who had a 2.96 ERA against the Mets in 118.2 innings.
It was a relatively quiet game for both sides, with nothing of real note happening during the first four innings. Both teams got a few baserunners, but neither were able to cash in. Robert Stock went five innings for the first time in his major league career. The only earned run he allowed in the game was on a fifth inning solo home run by Marlins catcher Joe Mack, and he struck out four while only giving up three hits.
The most exciting moment for the Mets during the first half of the game was when news broke during the first inning that Freddy Peralta was being traded to the Rays, netting three prospects in return. Carson Benge made a couple of spectacular plays in the outfield as well, robbing the Marlins of a few hits with his defense.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Mets started showing some signs of life. Luis Robert Jr. hit a single to lead off the inning, and Jared Young followed that with a double to put two runners in scoring position with no outs and driving Alcantara from the game in favor of reliever Michael Petersen. Marcus Semien drew a walk that loaded the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout kept any runs from scoring.
The three relievers brought in after Stock all kept the Marlins scoreless (and hitless) through the eighth inning. All three of them, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, and Huascar Brazobán, have figured heavily into the multitude of Mets trade rumors and could have thrown their final pitches as New York Mets. Devin Williams, brought in for the ninth, gave up a single to Otto Lopez that hit off his leg and made it unplayable for Semien. Then Lopez stole second, and was driven in on an RBI single by Xavier Edwards. After Griffin Conine popped out for the second out, Francisco Alvarez threw out Edwards on an attempt to steal second, ending the Marlins ninth inning scoring at the one run.
Despite the Mets having two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, neither came in to score and the Mets lost both the game and the series. The deadline is tomorrow, and even though some big names have already departed this team, this team will probably look a lot different the next time they take the field in Cleveland on Tuesday, with Sean Manaea currently expected to get the start in the opener against the Guardians.
Big Mets winner: Jared Young, +26% WPA Big Mets loser: A.J. Ewing, -35% WPA Mets pitchers: +19% WPA Mets hitters: -69% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Jared Young’s seventh inning double, +22.7% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Francisco Alvarez’s base loaded strikeout in the seventh, -15.6% WPA
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 02: Mike Yastrzemski #18 of the Atlanta Braves reacts as he rounds third base after hitting a solo homer in the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on August 02, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
How sweet it is. In a four-game set between two NL East teams, the Atlanta Braves have swept mopped the Washington Nationals, extending their win streak to five and improving to 67-45.
simple baseball fan thing we absolutely love is fans bringing brooms to the game for sweeps
This one will sting for Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli, who can add another quality start to his streak (now five in a row) with his final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 SO. But two solo shots would doom him and give him the loss.
JR Ritchie started strong in the first inning, freezing James Wood with four pitches, allowing a first-pitch single to Daylen Lile, almost getting Dylan Crews to ground into a double play, and then getting CJ Abrams to strike out swinging to end the frame. But he would flirt with disaster in the three innings that followed.
The Nationals threatened in the second with a Keibert Ruiz leadoff walk and Nasim Nuñez single to right. They would thankfully end up stranded on second and third base.
Things were a little easier in the top of the third, where Ritchie worked around a Lile walk. It helps when your center fielder does what he does best – Michael Harris II made a great catch at the wall for the second out.
The Braves drew first blood with a Mike Yastrzemski homer to the Chop House to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
A lengthy fourth would be JR Ritchie’s last inning of work. The Nats loaded the bases with one out with a Ruiz single, José Tena walk, and Jorbit Vivas single. A bad miss from Ritchie came up and in to hit Andrés Chaparro on the earflap of his helmet, leading to a scary moment and a tie game. Chaparro was shaken but ultimately smiling and seemingly okay; he was later replaced in the fifth inning by Brady House. The Nationals would tack on another with a Wood sac fly to take the lead and make it 2-1.
Worry not – the Chop House would be graced by yet another leadoff Braves home run – this one by Matt Olson. His 31st longball of the year tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Austin Riley smoked a double off Cavalli to be in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Jim Jarvis this, Ha-Seong Kim that, and don’t forget Jorge Mateo. But secret fourth Braves shortstop CJ Abrams and his fielding error allowed Riley as the go-ahead run to come home while Jarvis reached first base.
Some much-needed breathing room came in the bottom of the seventh, where Orlando Ribalta came in to relieve Cavalli. Mauricio Dubón reached on a solid single to left and would come home a batter later after a stolen base, throwing error by Ribalta, and Yaz sac fly to make it 4-2 Braves.
With Ritchie done for the day, Dylan Dodd and Didier Fuentes combined to work three perfect innings, setting down the Nats in order in the fifth through seventh. Dylan Lee allowed a leadoff walk to Crews, but an Abrams strikeout and Harry Ford double play took us to the bottom of the eighth.
Raisel Iglesias jogged in to face the 6-7-8 in the Nationals order for his 24th save of the year. Tena grounded out and Nuñez lined out to center field before Jorbit Vivas walked to bring the tying run to the plate. But Brady House swung at an Iggy slider to end it. Braves win!
Despite the records of these two teams, Braves Country was rightly a little nervous with the pitching situation and potent Nationals offense set to square off four times. The trauma of several consecutive one-run games didn’t help, either. But this team is looking Right again after the struggles of June and hopefully some more help is on the way before the Fish come to town on Tuesday.
While the Braves are off tomorrow, Battery Power certainly won’t be – stay tuned and keep up with everything trade deadline with us as we inch toward 6 pm ET tomorrow night.
The Mets were defeated by the Marlins 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
New York has now been shutout 11 times this season.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Mets figure to have plenty of innings available post trade deadline, and Robert Stock put together a strong audition in his first big-league start since 2021. The journeyman 36-year-old right-hander cruised through the Marlins lineup, holding them to just one run on three hits while striking out four in a career-high five innings.
Stock retired the first six batters he faced before giving up a leadoff single in the third. He allowed a two-out knock to put two on, but was able to strike Kyle Stowers out to strand the pair. The righty followed that with a perfect fourth, but the Marlins were able to finally break the scoreless tie in the fifth on a Joe Mack solo homer.
Stock got the next two batters to fly out, ending his return the big-league level on a high note.
-- Three of the Mets' top bullpen trade pieces got one last audition ahead of Monday's trade deadline. Brooks Raley needed just eight pitches to breeze through the top of the sixth, Luke Weaver followed suit with a nine-pitch seventh, then Huascar Brazoban struck out two in a clean eighth.
The scoreless day from the bullpen ended when Devin Williams gave up a run in the ninth.
-- Unfortunately, New York's offense couldn't get much of anything going again, as their struggles continued facing off with Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. The right-hander threw even better than Stock, holding the Mets to just four baserunners (two hits, two walks) while striking out five over the first five innings.
-- They finally pieced together a rally following the seventh inning stretch, as the first three reached to chase Alcantara and load the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts from Jorge Polanco and Francisco Alvarez and an A.J. Ewing fly out squandered the massive opportunity.
-- The Mets had another big chance after getting a leadoff double down the right-field line from Francisco Lindor, but the heart of the lineup was set down for a second straight wasted chance.
-- New York did bring the tying run to the plate after Pete Fairbanks issued a pair of walks in the ninth, but Ewing flew out to left-center to end the game. They stranded a total of 10 runners as a team and finished an ugly 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position on the day.
-- While the offense wasn't there again, Carson Benge enjoyed another strong day with the glove in right field. He raced back to make two spectacular catches and rob the Marlins of extra base-hits, helping Stock in the second and then Weaver leading off the seventh.
Game MVP: Joe Mack
The young catcher's solo homer gave the Marlins the early lead, which held up.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy looks to the field before a game against the Cubs in Chicago on May 18. (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)
The manager of the team that most needed Tarik Skubal sat in his office Sunday at Angel Stadium. The Milwaukee Brewers, the team that opened play Sunday with the best record in the major leagues, did not get Skubal.
“L.A. is America’s team,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
Not based on the cries from across America, from fans outraged that the Dodgers helped themselves to the best available talent yet again to baseball insiders mystified that the Detroit Tigers could not land a better return for Skubal than the three prospects the Dodgers swapped, or at least taken a couple more days to pursue a better return.
“Was I rooting for the Dodgers to get Skubal? Personally, no,” Angels pitcher Brent Suter said. “I was hoping another team that hadn’t won the World Series the past couple of years was going to get him.”
Suter pitched for the Brewers for seven years.
Pitcher Tarik Skubal walks to the dugout during a matchup between the Tigers and the Orioles Wednesday in Detroit. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)
“They have a loaded farm system,” he said. “I thought they were going to get him.”
In last year’s NLCS, the Brewers started an opener twice, Freddy Peralta once and José Quintana once. In a five- or seven-game series this October, the Brewers could have started Jacob Misiorowski twice and Skubal twice.
That could have mitigated the Dodgers’ huge advantage in slugging. The Dodgers have seven players in double digits in home runs. The Brewers have four.
But any and all statistics obscure the larger point: If you’re a Brewers fan, when is your year?
The Brewers never have won a World Series. They are in line for their eighth playoff appearance in nine years.
Sustainable success is nice, and difficult to achieve. Much credit to the Brewers, who play in baseball’s smallest market.
But the point of the game is to win the World Series. If you’re not going all in when you have the best record in the majors for the second consecutive year, when are you going all in?
If not now, when?
“I know we made our efforts, too,” Murphy said. “I trust the way we operate. I understand the way we operate.”
Milwaukee Brewers infield players celebrate after defeating the Angels Saturday at Angel Stadium. (William Liang / Associated Press)
This is all the more maddening in Milwaukee because, in 2008, the Brewers tried their best. That July, they traded four prospects for Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia. Only one, outfielder Michael Brantley, developed into a productive major leaguer. That’s the norm, not the exception, in multiprospect trade packages.
As it turned out, the Brewers lost in the first round of the playoffs, and Sabathia did not survive the fourth inning of his lone postseason start. Then he signed with the New York Yankees. So what? The Brewers went for it, and their fans believed.
After the trade for Skubal, Fangraphs increased the Dodgers’ chance to win the World Series from 25% to 31%. That still means a two out of three chance the Dodgers do not win.
“He’s an amazing player,” Suter said, “but it doesn’t mean a guaranteed World Series. It doesn’t guarantee anything.”
I could not believe the number of fans that reached out to say small-market teams could not match the Dodgers’ proposal because they had little chance to re-sign Skubal as a free agent.
The Brewers, with small-market resources, touted former Angels infielder Luis Rengifo as a significant winter free-agent signing. The Dodgers countered with Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker.
“L.A. is America’s team and has all the big names,” Murphy said. “Now they just added to that, with maybe the best pitcher in the game, certainly one of the greats in this era.”
If the Brewers and Dodgers meet again in October, Murphy will only be too happy to tell us who the underdog is.
“It’s going to be David and Goliath,” Murphy said. “We haven’t earned that right yet. We haven’t got there yet.
“If we get there, I’m sure the narrative will be pretty similar: the haves and the have-nots.”
Murphy wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: Fans across America might despise the Dodgers, but he does not.
“They’ve got a bunch of great dudes,” he said. “Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Teoscar [Hernández]. I don’t know [Shohei] Ohtani. He doesn’t even know who I am. But I feel like Ohtani is a great dude. I can just tell by his presence.
“How can you not love [Max] Muncy? Doc [manager Dave Roberts] is my good friend. [Coach Dino] Ebel, we’ve got his whole family playing for the Brewers.”
The Brewers made first-round picks of Ebel’s sons Brady and Trey over the past two years, paying $5.55 million in signing bonuses. The Ebel boys are top prospects. They can look forward to a long stay in Milwaukee.
TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 2: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the first inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on August 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
To say that Matthew Liberatore has struggled this season is to state the obvious. But, he tossed one of the best games of his career Sunday in Toronto as he completely shut the defending AL Champion Blue Jays down for 6 innings outdueling the Blue Jays Max Scherzer in the process. The Cardinals offense would come through late in the game to help them avoid another series sweep by Toronto.
The St. Louis Cardinals sputtering offense didn’t exactly set the world on fire. They did score first in the top of the 3rd inning when Nathan Church drew a one-out walk. Two batters later, Lars Nootbaar turned on an 84 mph changeup and turned it into a RBI double scoring Church and giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. This would be the lone Cardinals threat of the first 8 innings of the game.
Matthew Liberatore gave St. Louis the kind of outing that they expected when the season started, but have rarely seen. He was throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes and locked down the Blue Jays throwing a one-hit shutout for 6 innings. I can’t remember Matthew being better any game this season than he was Sunday versus the Blue Jays.
Max Scherzer deserves some credit, too, for his effort. He threw 6 full innings only allowing the 1 earned run, 4 hits while striking out 5 and walking just 1. In typical Scherzer style, he argued his way out of being taken out of the game in the top of the 6th inning.
You knew that the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen would enter the fray at some point and Sunday it was the bottom of the 7th inning when Ryne Stanek got into a jam, but also did a Houdini-like escape act to get out of it unscathed. George Springer hit an 87 mph Stanek slider off of the right field wall for a triple immediately putting himself in scoring position. Ryne rose to the occasion and struck out Alejandro Kirk and got Ernie Clement to foul out to Herrera to end the inning.
After the Cardinals wasted a leadoff single from Blaze Jordan in the top of the 8th inning, George Soriano was responsible for preserving the narrow 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 8th. He was able to get the first two outs with no trouble, but gave up a 2-out single to Gimenez who advanced to second on a wild pitch by Soriano to get into scoring position. Luis Urias made him pay for it when he ripped a 3-0 slider into the left field corner for a game-tying RBI double. Fortunately, that’s all they’d get as Guerrero Jr. grounded out hard to Winn at short to end the Blue Jays 8th.
The St. Louis offense would do something Sunday it hasn’t done lately. The Cardinals rallied in the top of the 9th inning. Masyn Winn got it started with a leadoff walk. Bryan Torres then singled to right giving St. Louis runners at first and second with no outs. José Fermín caught up with a 98 mph sinker singling in Winn and giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. It could have been much more as Nathan Church popped up a bunt that Kirk made a great play on for the first out. Blaze Jordan then grounded into a fielder’s choice that almost became a double play, but Blue Jays reliever Varland didn’t cover first base in time. It looked like that’s all the Cardinals would get when Lars Nootbaar hit a grounder to Urias who somehow turned an easy final out of the 9th into a throwing error that allowed Torres to score giving St. Louis a 3-1 lead and they didn’t stop there.
Jordan Walker took advantage of the extra out the Blue Jays gave them by stroking a single to left scoring 2 more and giving the Cardinals a rare commanding 9th inning 5-1 lead.
Surely the St. Louis bullpen could preserve a 4-run 9th inning lead, right? Riley O’Brien would be the man to answer that question as he came in to shut down Toronto and avoid a series sweep by the Blue Jays. O’Brien’s 9th didn’t start in a positive way as Okamoto hit a single into center that Church tried to scoop up casually, but allowed the ball to bounce away giving Okamoto second base for free. George Springer squared up a 97 mph sinker, but it went directly into the glove of Church in center for the first out. Riley then whipped a nasty 96 mph sinker past Kirk for the second out. That left Ernie Clement as the final hope for the Blue Jays. He grounded out to Masyn Winn who rifled a throw to first for the final out and a much-needed Cardinals victory.
The St. Louis Cardinals head to New York for a 3-game series versus the Yankees Monday. Michael McGreevy is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals while it’s Cam Schlittler for the Yankees. First pitch scheduled for 6:05pm central time at Yankee Stadium with the game broadcast available on Cardinals.tv.
Jul 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Hao-Yu Lee (50) reacts to an inside pitch in the sixth inning against the Athletics at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Even with heavy interest around the league ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, the Mets decided to run Clay Holmes out for one last rehab appearance Sunday.
The big righty went out and threw five-plus innings in front of a handful of potential suitors in Brooklyn.
The Diamondbacks, Phillies, Rays, and Rangers were the four teams with scouts in attendance for the outing, according to Joel Sherman of the NY Post.
Holmes gave up a single to the first batter he faced, but needed just five pitches to erase that, as a fly out and double-play ball helped him breeze through the inning.
Winston-Salem got on the board with runs each of the next four innings, though.
Holmes was hurt by an error in the third, and stolen bases in both the fourth and fifth, before his day came to an end with a man on-base in the top of the sixth.
Overall, he allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out three.
This is expected to be Holmes' final outing in the organization this season, as he said himself that being moved seems the most likely outcome ahead of the deadline.
If that's the case, the 32-year-old was tremendous during his two years as a Met.
New York took a chance on his transition to the rotation last offseason and he responded by becoming one of their most reliable arms, racking up a 3.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 42 outings.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 20: Jameson Taillon #50 of the Chicago Cubs looks on while walking towards the dugout during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field on July 20, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Taillon signed a four-year, $68 million free agent deal with the Cubs before the 2023 season. He struggled in his first year with the Cubs but then settled in as a solid innings-eater for the next two seasons, putting up an ERA of 3.27 in 2024 and 3.68 in 2025. But Taillon struggled mightily this year, going 2-6 with a 5.92 ERA. He missed almost six weeks with a hamstring injury and got lit up in his first two starts back. That led the Cubs to move on and designated him for assignment.
It should be noted that Taillon was universally liked as a teammate, with many Cubs saying he was a terrific friend to everyone and a mentor to younger players. That should help a Blue Jays clubhouse that at least one player has claimed is lacking in chemistry.
Taillon goes to the Blue Jays, who are having a nightmarish season after coming within two outs of a World Series title last year.
The Cubs have a makeup game with the Blue Jays at Wrigley on Thursday. It’s very possible that Taillon makes his Blue Jays debut in that game.
NEW YORK — The last-place New York Mets have agreed to trade starting pitcher Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays for three minor leaguers, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the teams hadn’t announced the deal.
Peralta, a two-time All-Star who can become a free agent following the World Series, has been a disappointment with the Mets after they acquired him from Milwaukee in a January trade. But he could boost the middle of a strong rotation for the pitching-rich Rays, who began the day with the best record in the American League at 65-45 and a 3 1/2-game lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees.
New York will receive outfielder Aidan Smith, infielder Emilien Pitre and right-hander Gary Gill Hill in exchange for Peralta.
The move comes a day before baseball’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. EDT on Monday.
SPARTANBURG, SC - JULY 12: Bowling Green Hot Rods pitcher Jacob Kisting (39) during a High A Minor League Baseball game between the Boiling Green Hot Rods and the Hub City Spartanburgers on July 12, 2026 at Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg, S.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Rays currently have three starting pitchers in the low levels of the minor leagues putting together strong seasons that have boosted their prospect stock. All three have improved their outlooks this season and have strengthened their cases to remain starters long-term. While there’s still risk in each profile, they currently project as potential backend starters with room for more. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rays move any of these guys as part of a trade package at the deadline.
RHP Jacob Kisting
Jacob Kisting was acquired from the Twins this past offseason for Eric Orze. Kisting is a 6’5 RHP who throws from a low 3/4 slot. His four-seamer sits in the low 90s but gets on hitters quicker than expected thanks to his low release height and above average carry. Kisting has good feel for his two-seam variant, and neither fastball projects as more than a fringy offering on pure stuff alone. He also has a pair of average secondaries in the low-to-mid 80s; a cut-slider and an offspeed pitch with above average fade and plenty of velocity separation. He has excellent feel of his offspeed pitch to the point where he can manipulate the shape to get more depth or fade depending on the situation. His low slot, deception, and ability to command the entire arsenal allow his stuff to play above its raw grades. Kisting has maintained plus whiff and strike rates this season in Bowling Green and looks ready for a promotion to Montgomery if there are innings available. Maintaining his command will be key for him to work as a middle-to-backend starter.
RHP Aidan Cremarosa
With a no-hitter this season, Aidan Cremarosa has already gained some attention while pitching in Charleston. The 6’3 RHP throws from a 3/4 slot with plus extension that helps his low 90s fastball gain a few ticks in perceived velocity. He has great feel for a low-70s breaking ball that he can land in-zone to steal strikes, but Cremarosa’s best weapon may be his low-80s offspeed pitch, which features solid movement and excellent velocity separation from his fastball. He also throws a low-80s cut-slider that allows him to generate plenty of strikes and weak contact. Cremarosa currently looks like a backend starter, but given his physical projection, he could find a bit more velocity and look more like a number three starter.
LHP Blake Morgan
Blake Morgan has enjoyed a strong start to his professional career. The 6’1 LHP throws from a high slot and features three pitches: a low 90s fastball, a low 80s gyro breaking ball, and a low 80s offspeed pitch. The fastball and breaking ball are fringy offerings, but his unique slot and plus command help him keep hitters off balance. Morgan’s best pitch is his offspeed pitch – it has plus fade from his high release point, and its velocity separation from the fastball is excellent, making it a clear plus offering. His feel for strike throwing gives him a safe floor as a backend starter, with a potential ceiling of a Jeffrey Springs-type starter. Morgan could raise his game by finding a second breaking ball shape to give hitters on both sides of the plate a different look beyond the first time through an order.
The Rays have taken their ability to identify and develop offspeed pitches to new heights in recent years. This is evident in some of their up-arrow pitching prospects as well as their offspeed usage and success in the majors. Any of these three names may be a potential target of other teams in a trade package. If they remain in the organization, any of these three could reach the majors by 2028.
