Category: Baseball

The White Sox (59-53) folded on offense and waved the white flag on the mound as the Red Sox (61-51) rolled to a 14-2 victory in Tuesday’s series opener, outhitting Chicago, 15-6. Davis Martin floundered through five innings while Patrick Sandoval worked smoothly through the South Siders despite struggling with his control, earning the W for the Red Sox.

Tonight was the second time this season that Martin has allowed nine runs; the other was June 16, while visiting the Yankees, when things really started to go downhill. There are definitely some red flags to consider as we head into crunch time in a tight division race, since this was the third outing in a row where he surrendered four or more runs. Davis owned a 3.62 ERA just a few hours ago, but Tuesday’s implosion has inflated it to 4.13 on the season. In his last seven starts (34 1/3 innings), he owns a rough 6.55 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP, and he’s been striking guys out at a much lower rate with just 20 Ks in this time span.

There may have been at least one explanation for Tuesday’s disaster. After the game, manager Will Venable said Davis Martin was tipping his pitches, an issue catcher Kyle Teel identified during the game and brought to the coaching staff’s attention. That doesn’t erase Martin’s recent struggles, but it does provide some context for why Boston’s hitters looked so comfortable from the opening inning.

Martin’s recent inconsistency is still worth monitoring. While tipping pitches may have contributed to Tuesday’s outing, his results over the past several starts have been uneven. His recent inconsistencies were one of the main reasons I was hoping Chris Getz would trade for another starting pitcher before Monday’s deadline, especially when everyone not named Sean Burke is a wild card when they start. Before the All-Star break — through June, really — Davis looked like he was approaching ace status, but he has been regressing lately, and it’s hard to imagine how he would perform in a playoff game at this moment in time. I’m still optimistic, and I’ve not given up on him by any means, but if we are being realistic, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty around his performance for the remainder of the season.

Right off the bat, Nick Sogard rattled Martin with a leadoff double off the Green Monster, then hit Ceddanne Rafaela square in the back on a curveball that got away to put two runners on. Davis navigated an out on a deep fly that advanced the runners, but back-to-back base hits from Willson Contreras and Masataka Yoshida scored the first run for the Red Sox, 1-0, and then loaded the bases with just one out. Naturally, Caleb Durbin demolished the second pitch he saw for a grand slam over the Green Monster in left, increasing the Boston lead to five, 5-0.

The way Boston has played over the last month needs to be studied for generations, because whatever chokehold they currently have on the baseball gods seems to be enough to overpower both the Pope AND a wizard. What I mean by that is Jarren Duran blasted a solo shot for the Red Sox to go back-to-back, tallying six earned for Davis in just the first inning, 6-0. Ouch.

It took 26 pitches for Martin to get out of the first, but he was fairly efficient through the next four frames, using just eight pitches in the third, ranging up to 15 in the other three. Davis did eventually work a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, and the South Siders finally scored a run in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Miguel Vargas, 6-1. Miguel’s fly out seemed like it was sailing over the Monster before it was caught against it.

But of course, the Good Guys did not carry that momentum through their at-bats in the fifth inning: Randal Grichuk grounded into a double play to end the scoring threat, and Davis conceded his third home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth to hand the run right back and increase the Boston lead back to six, 7-1.

Still, the White Sox didn’t quit, making Patrick Sandoval work in some tough at-bats while drawing four free passes. Consecutive walks in the sixth put runners on for the Good Guys, but they managed only one run on Braden Montgomery’s RBI ground out. The Chicago bats went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base, so they could have walked several more times and probably still wouldn’t have been able to catch up without some clutch hits.

Earning his first official win of the season, Sandoval had a much better day on the mound and only gave up the two runs on six hits while striking out five. The Boston bullpen didn’t seem to have a problem either, as the South Siders didn’t get another hit after five, and Brayan Bello was set up nicely for a three-inning save, his first of the season.

On the other hand, Chicago went to righthander Erick Fedde out of the bullpen, who was tasked with essentially eating innings and getting through this disastrous game. Still, he, too, gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits, and that was on top of two more runs attributed to Martin. Not that the bats were promising enough to complete the five-run comeback, but the Red Sox tallied a half-dozen between the two pitchers in the sixth to extend the lead to 13-2.

It almost felt like things were going to settle down so we could just end the suffering, and I could stop watching, but Fedde went out with a bang, and Abreu blasted his second bomb of the game on a solo shot to pour salt in Chicago’s gaping wound, 14-2. Bello was able to retire the Sox in order during their final at-bats, and the South Siders need to reset after that wimpy performance in the series opener.

The only good news of the night is that both the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins lost Tuesday, leaving the White Sox to reflect on that horrific game while still holding a three-game division lead. Righthander Sean Burke is on the mound tomorrow as the Good Guys attempt to revive themselves and even out the series, so we’ll do it again tomorrow and hope for the best.

MVP
Miguel Vargas: 0-for-2, RBI, BB, 2 K, SF
Braden Montgomery: 0-for-3, RBI, BB

Runners Up
Chase Meidroth: 1-for-3, R, BB, K
Colson Montgomery: 1-for-3, R, BB
Brenton Doyle: 1-for-2, outfield assist in first game as a White Sox

Cold Cat
Davis Martin: 5 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 2 BB, K, 3 HR, HB, LOSS (9-5)
Erick Fedde: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 ER), BB, K, HR
Randal Grichuk: 1-for-4, 2B, GIDP, E

With Brian Cashman not adding a reliever before the trade deadline Monday, and with a pair of Yankees starters inching closer to returns, each start has become an audition for Ryan Weathers.

Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt are both tracking toward rehab assignments, though Schmidt’s live batting practice Tuesday ended after two ups instead of three with forearm cramps that, at the very least, created a temporary scare.

Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole and Max Fried are already positioned atop the rotation. That’d create a rotation logjam and force two — with Will Warren also factoring into the equation — to shift to the bullpen if everyone remains healthy, but Weathers continued to make his case for a spot in the rotation Tuesday, tossing six scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 2-0 win over the Cardinals to extend his scoreless streak to a career-best 17 ²/₃ consecutive innings.

“We’re all in the same ballpark of like, if that’s what my job is and that helps us win ballgames, I mean, we all have the same end goal,” Weathers said when asked if he’d welcome a move to the bullpen or if he’d want to make a case to stay in the rotation. “So if that happens, then it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

Weathers needed just 88 pitches to navigate the Cardinals while scattering four hits, walking one and striking out six. He received plenty of help behind him from 21-year-old shortstop George Lombard Jr., who turned a pair of nifty double plays in his MLB debut. Weathers didn’t allow a runner to reach second base until the sixth inning, when JJ Wetherholt walked with two outs, Iván Herrera singled and Weathers stared down his first true jam of the night.

José Fermín drilled a sinker that carried an expected batting average of .940, according to Baseball Savant, but Heliot Ramos, making his Yankees (64-50) debut, made the catch.

“Just ran off the barrel enough to fly out to left,” Weathers said.

Manager Aaron Boone considered sending Weathers back out for the seventh inning before the walk and hard contact in the sixth, but it still marked the first time in Weathers’ career where he compiled consecutive starts with at least five scoreless innings. His ERA dropped to 3.79, the lowest it has been since May. Weathers abandoned his reliance on throwing the four-seam fastball over the past month — dropping from 28.2 percent in June to 13.3 in July, according to Baseball Savant — and threw it just seven times Tuesday, mostly due to the fact that “the other pitches stay in the ballpark,” Weathers said.

And with each of his past three starts, Weathers has started to answer the durability question that followed him to The Bronx when the Yankees acquired him in January, too. Injuries derailed his 2025 season, and he hadn’t made more than 16 starts in a season since 2021. After Tuesday’s outing, he’s up to 22 and 121 innings pitched — both career highs.

Those numbers will only continue to climb over the final two months, though that rate would significantly decrease in a bullpen role that, at the very least, Weathers is open to.

“He was efficient, he was on the attack and I thought just used his stuff really well,” Boone said.

CLEVELAND — Jefry Yan’s celebration is just beginning.

The demonstrative lefty reliever was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, landing him with the Mets as a 29-year-old rookie ready for his major league debut.

Yan, who celebrated strikeouts in the minor leagues with dances and gyrations on the mound, said he intends to continue those displays with the Mets.

“I am going to continue to go out there the same way,” Yan said through an interpreter before the Mets beat the Guardians 6-2 at Progressive Field. “I am going to go out there with the same type of emotion, the same type of fun — have fun like I am playing a kids’ game, like I always have.”

Yan, who originally signed with the Angels, was out of baseball for five seasons beginning in 2016 before returning with the Marlins, for whom he advanced as far as Triple-A. A stint playing in Japan followed before pitching in the Rockies minor league system last season.

He recalled working as a roofer during his years removed from baseball.

“I used to have a lot of friends there, a lot of Mexicans that I worked with and they always told me, ‘Don’t give up, you can make it to where you want to be,’” Yan said. “We always had a lot of camaraderie working there working there, but they always pushed me to strive for more.”

In 35 appearances this season split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse he pitched to a 3.24 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 41 ²/₃ innings.

He is looking forward to his first major league appearance and strikeout.

“I am going to enjoy that first one,” he said. “I have worked a long time for that moment.”

Kodai Senga, who has been utilized in long relief since his removal from the starting rotation, will receive a chance to pitch in one-inning, high-leverage spots, according to interim manager Andy Green.

Senga aced his first chance on Tuesday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning against the Guardians.

“I am grateful for the opportunity and to be able to pitch in situations like that,” Senga said through an interpreter. “At the same time, I made sure to tell the team that I signed as a starter and starting is something I would like to do. But I understand my results, my stats, don’t show that I necessarily deserve a starting pitching rotation spot.”

Green noted that such one-inning bursts for Senga weren’t possible with Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter assuming such high-leverage roles. All four veterans were traded in the last week.

“I don’t think you can expect [Senga] to pitch three out of four [days] at this point in time, but his right arm has 100 mph in it and a nasty forkball and that profile plays for a late-inning reliever,” Green said.

Robert Stock will remain in the rotation as the fifth starter, according to Green. The right-hander allowed one earned run over five innings in his start against the Marlins on Sunday.

Green said he anticipates Luis Robert Jr. will continue to play regularly, but he could see some action in the corner outfield positions. The Mets were unsuccessful in trading the veteran center fielder before Monday’s deadline.

Just when you think it can’t get any worse…A comically pathetic 8th inning turns a possible actual win into just another disheveled loss and the “free fall” stats keep mounting.

It’s hard to believe that on June 19th the A’s were 38-38, winning percentage that would earn them a spot 1.5 games out of 1st place had they maintained it through this evening. In hindsight, it was probably a relatively poor strategy to go 7-30 thereafter, 5-26 in their most recent 31.

Before continuing, we need to take a moment to appreciate just how “Bad News Bears” the bottom of the 8th inning was. Tasked with holding a 4-3 lead, Hogan Harris began the inning with the obligatory lead off walk. To his credit he was efficient and needed only 4 pitches, cleverly conserving himself so he could offer his greatness to many ensuing batters.

Then he walked the second hitter because walking the first 2 you face has become a reliever’s mantra. No fewer than 3 different relievers did that in the same game not too long ago — I would tell you the exact date but the games all blend together now.

In the only normal at bat, JJ Bleday struck out. What followed was somewhat remarkable in that it took blunders from 3 different players to occur. Tyler Stephenson flied to RF deep enough for Elly De La Cruz to tag and go to 3B. Butler’s throw was one hop to the cut off man, Jacob Wilson, but Wilson let the ball go through. It went through to 3Bman Tommy White, who fielded the throw by not catching it and the ball rolled to Hogan Harris backing up. Harris looked at the ball, counted the stitches, and thought about his grocery list, but did not call time. So Sal Stewart, who had been anchored to the bag at 1B the entire time, jogged to 2B.

Undaunted, Harris got back on top of the mound where he proceeded to do his best Nick LaLoosh impression. He threw one pitch so far high and outside Jonah Heim checked his back pocket for a 1st row ticket to see if he was allowed to catch it. Another wild pitch appeared to hit Eugenio Suarez in the foot — until you realized what it hit was Heim’s glove clanking it. And so the A’s lost 5-4.

Every time you think, “Well, nowhere to go but up” the A’s manage to make a further mockery of the game. Without a doubt injuries have greatly impacted the team of late, but it’s also notable that Butler, Wilson, and Harris were all with the team out of camp and Heim has been healthy throughout his time with the A’s. It’s not all scrubs and fill-ins who are in the middle of each embarrassment. It’s everyone.

Which makes one wonder: so what’s next? Are we destined to witness Tyler Soderstrom range back for a fly ball only to trip over his shoelace and send the ball caroming over the wall for a HR? Might Jacob Lopez somehow commit a pitch timer violation, balk, and adultery all on the same pitch? Can we expect Alika Williams, with the bases loaded, to catch a pop up and toss the ball into the stands not remembering that it was the first out? Could Elvis Alvarado try the “hidden ball trick” and then cause a 30 minute delay because he can’t remember where he hid it? Will Donovan Walton push a suicide squeeze so hard to 3B it smacks Henry Bolte in his “good testicle” ending his season and any chance at fatherhood?

Probably.

Freddy Peralta’s stat line isn’t getting any better even after he was traded by the Mets before Monday’s deadline. 

The right-hander was supposed to help the retooled Mets roster this season, but things never panned out quite the way either side hoped, and he was dealt to the Rays, who got a taste firsthand of the struggles Peralta has been dealing with.

He lasted all of 3 ⅔ innings in his first outing for Tampa Bay that saw him surrender seven runs on nine hits – all earned – while also giving up a pair of home runs. 

Peralta did register three strikeouts and a walk during his brief appearance before he was pulled from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning for Cam Booser, after facing just one batter that inning. 

Peralta’s ERA on the season ballooned to 5.37 after the ugly appearance. 

Among the runs Peralta surrendered was a three-run blast by Mickey Moniak in the bottom of the third inning that tied the game at 5-5.

Mets fans are surely familiar with the struggles Peralta had while in Flushing, and he posted a 4.99 ERA and 1.478 WHIP during his stint. 

In a goodbye post on social media, he was candid about the disappointment he had with his time with the Mets. 

“Although things didn’t work out as we all hoped, I want to thank the fans, my teammates, and the Mets organization for the love that they showed me,” the pitcher wrote on Instagram. “I want to wish everyone the best on their journey.”

Metss interim manager Andy Green also said after the trade he could sense Peralta’s unhappiness. 

“I know he’s disappointed by it,” Green said. “He came here to anchor a rotation and felt the weight of that. From talking to him, he certainly doesn’t feel like it went the way he hoped it would. I think we all feel that way. I think where we are today screams that we’re all wishing we were in a different spot.”

A Mets double play saved Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez from an “awkward conversation” during the SNY broadcast on Tuesday night. 

The two broadcasters were having a discussion in the bottom of the fourth when Hernandez referenced the old Milwaukee Braves, and Cohen began to mention the team’s mascot and logo — a depiction of a Native American. 

“The screaming Indian… That was a great logo,” Hernandez said on air, finishing the description that Cohen started of the mascot. 

“Well some people might not think so,” Cohen replied to Hernandez before Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. 

But the conversation didn’t seem to stop there as Cohen made a joke that the good defensive play by the Mets had helped change the topic. 

“Which saves us from that awkward conversation,” Cohen said. 

“Oh, it’s not awkward at all,” Hernandez retorted. 

Cohen continued with his recap of the inning as he prepared to toss the broadcast to a commercial break. 

“It’s good conversation,” Hernandez could be heard chiming in as the screen faded to black and the first commercial began to play. 

The use of Native American imagery has been a controversial topic over the years and several professional sports teams have changed their names and logos to move away from the imagery. 

The Commanders moved away from the Redskins nickname in 2020 and the Guardians rebranded from the Indians in 2022. 

The Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Braves in 1966. 

The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the San Francisco Giants scored four runs.

About an hour ago, with Texas up 2-0 and with MacKenzie Gore fresh off a six shutout innings start, I started tackling this as though the Rangers were going to win. Then big deadline acquisition Chase Silseth allowed a two-run home run to former Rangers farmhand Osleivis Basabe and I just assumed the Rangers would go ahead pick up another irony-laden loss.

But then the Rangers mustered up their second rally of the night in the bottom of the eighth and scored a couple of runs to turn the game over to Jacob Latz and I assumed the Rangers were going to win and break this hellish losing streak.

However, Latz hadn’t pitched since July 28 and was rusty enough to blow a rare save opportunity as he allowed a couple of Giants runs in the nine. At that point, I had deleted like three post game threads.

Jake Burger led off the Rangers’ half of the ninth with a double and hey, maybe the Rangers would actually pull it out, but then it seemed like they would not.

But then series thorn in Texas’ side Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a decently struck ball from Ezequiel Duran with two outs allowing Burger to moonwalk home and the Rangers won the game. Streak over. How about a winning streak instead?

Player of the Game: I will say Duran because he’s the first Ranger to ever have a hit with the bases loaded. And also this:

lol

Up Next: The Rangers and Giants close out this series with a pitcher to be named for Texas against LHP Carson Whisenhunt for San Francisco.

The Wednesday afternoon finale first pitch from The Shed is set for 1:35 pm CDT and you can catch it on the Rangers Sports Network.

More game thread!

CHICAGO –– Outside the ballpark, there was signage calling him overrated. Above the Friendly Confines, a prop plane towed a banner saying his new team is ruining baseball.

When he took the mound for the first time, the better part of 40,000 fans booed him intensely.

At various points during his debut start with the Dodgers, the stadium then mockingly chanted his name.

If Tarik Skubal was curious about what kind of spotlight would be upon him now, in the wake of the Dodgers’ blockbuster trade for him last Saturday, all he had to do was scan his surroundings at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night to find out.

With his new team, comes a whole new level of polarizing expectation.

“I do think that Tarik will get that kind of reception every time he toes the rubber,” manager Dave Roberts said.

In his first game with the Dodgers, Skubal largely pitched well in a 5-1 defeat.

He began the night by freezing Pete Crow-Armstrong with a 99 mph sinker. He retired five more in a row from there before Dansby Swanson ambushed a first-pitch fastball for a leadoff home run in the third. After escaping a jam later that inning, he mowed down the next eight he faced, collecting his sixth and final strikeout of the night on another 99 mph that blew away Crow-Armstrong for the first out in the sixth.

And if not for Kyle Tucker whiffing on a fly ball at the wall two batters later, or Nico Hoerner trampolining an infield RBI single straight off the plate and some 20 feet in the air with two outs in the frame, his final line likely would’ve looked even better than his (still quality) six-inning, two-run mark.  

“It felt like my major league debut,” Skubal said afterward. “Kind of same type of vibe in terms of the nerves running through. But I think that’s all good stuff.” 

The real story was just how much the Wrigley Field crowd reviled his presence.

For as much excitement bustled through the Dodgers’ home clubhouse pregame –– “It’s just not another game,” Roberts said beforehand –– there was an equal level of disdain from the opposing fans.

So it will go for Skubal and the Dodgers the rest of this year, after the club already labeled as baseball’s biggest villain added the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner to its star-studded roster.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Skubal said, striking a complementary tone while comparing the atmosphere to a playoff environment. “I’m going to go play baseball, but I’m not going to try and predict the future.”

Skubal stays in rhythm

Skubal’s day started with routine.

Three hours before first pitch, his 6-foot-3 frame was sprawled out on the floor of Wrigley Field’s visiting clubhouse, with a towel rolled up underneath his legs as he went through a series of stretches.

After that, he walked into a closed-doors game-planning meeting with his new battery mate, and fellow deadline arrival, Ben Rortvedt –– who had only arrived in Chicago on Tuesday morning after being reacquired by the Dodgers on Monday afternoon.

Then, as fans began piling into the ballpark, he emerged on the field to his first chorus of boos, which only grew as he got loose in the outfield before his pregame bullpen session.

“It’s a ton of fun to play in front of crowds like that,” Skubal said. “Even if they’re booing me or whatever it is, I think that’s what makes the game of baseball really fun.”

Indeed, neither Skubal nor the Dodgers will mind such reactions.

It’s all a reminder of the dominance both have displayed even before they united for another World Series push last week.

To Roberts, it’s the way Skubal embraces such moments –– his “intensity” and “compete” –– that has always struck him most about the 29-year-old left-hander anyway.

“I don’t want to say [he is] old school, but it’s a guy who’s just physical and he’s coming after you with electric stuff, high-octane,” Roberts said, later adding: “In between the lines, he’s a dog. Outside the lines, he’s humble, respectful, does and says the right things. That’s what you want. Just fortunate that he’s pitching for us.”

Instead, the most unfortunate part of Tuesday night was the way the rest of team played around its new ace.

In what was a season-high fifth-consecutive loss, the Dodgers managed just four hits, rolled into two double-plays (including one right before Tucker hit a solo blast for their lone run), and watched their slumping bullpen struggle again after Skubal was pulled after only 85 pitches.

“I’m not going to push him every time out,” Roberts said of that decision. “We have a lot of baseball left to play. He’s a guy that we’re all counting on. so I think that I’m going to manage, pick my spots with him.”

Alex Vesia gave up two hits in the seventh that became two runs –– the latter scoring when Evan Phillips replaced him but failed to escape a jam. Recently returned closer Edwin Díaz only got two outs in the eighth, getting the hook from Roberts after allowing a home run, a walk and a single.

That left Skubal saddled with the losing decision in his debut performance. 

It also offered a reminder that, for as good as their roster now looks, and as much grief as they will take from the rest of the sport, the Dodgers also aren’t invincible.

“I don’t know the answer of what’s got to give,” Roberts said, with the Dodgers (69-45) now trailing the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League’s top record and holding only a half-game lead on the Atlanta Braves for a top-two seed and first-round playoff bye. “But we got to find a way to win a ball game.”

Really, this is why the team went out and traded for Skubal in the first place; content to rankle opposing fan bases and frustrate rival teams to do everything it can to maximize their three-peat chances.

For Skubal, it creates a new reality.

And he didn’t have to wait long to feel the pressure he’ll now face.

Southpaw Tarik Skubal’s experience pitching in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field came with a hostile reception. Cubs fans booed him as he approached the bullpen gate in right field to warm up before the game. They jeered even louder and longer as he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning.

That’s what came with the “Los Angeles” scrawled across the chest of his new blue jersey. Over the weekend he’d gone from the top trade candidate in baseball, to a symbol of the Dodgers’ evil reign.

A sports betting site even seized on the moment and paid for an airplane to fly a “THE DODGERS RUINED BASEBALL” banner over Wrigley Field a few hours before the game Tuesday — although it was upside down.

As the boos quieted, he authored a quality start in his Dodgers debut. But that wasn’t enough to serve as the team’s new stopper, as the Dodgers’ offense fell flat. They stumbled to a 5-1 loss and extended their skid to a season-high five games and ensured a second straight series loss.

Read more:‘Dodgers do all the right things.’ Tarik Skubal dismisses the 'ruining baseball' critics

“There’s certainly no panic,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve been through a lot of these things, this core group of guys. I think that you just got to kind of reset, flush it, find a way to win a game, and not let it just compound. But it never feels good to lose.”

The first pitch Skubal threw as a Dodger, en route to holding the Cubs to two runs and four hits in six innings, was a sinker that zipped through the top of the strike zone at 96.3 mph, according to Statcast, to get ahead in the count against Cubs MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong.

For the next four pitches, he alternated between his four-seam fastball and off-speed pitches — first his changeup and then curveball. And to finish off the at-bat, he located a sinker at the bottom of the zone for a called strike three.

It was a strong first impression, and his first strikeout of six.

“Going to bed last night, excited,” Skubal said. “It felt like my major-league debut, kind of same type of vibe in terms of the nerves running through. But I think that’s all good stuff.”

Skubal retired the first six batters he faced, with the help of a sliding catch by center fielder Andy Pages and a diving grab by right fielder Kyle Tucker.

To end the second inning, Skubal got new Cub Tyrone Taylor to chase a changeup just outside. Skubal skipped backward off the mound and buried his fist in the pocket of his glove in celebration.

The next inning, Skubal wavered ever so slightly. He gave up a first-pitch solo home run to Dansby Swanson.

“I think everyone around the league and he himself would say he’s an aggressive pitcher, he comes after you,” Swanson told reporters. “ He likes to get strike one, he likes to get strike two. You’ve just got to be ready to hit pitches he may leave over the plate, and he doesn’t do that very often. He’s been so good for a reason.”

Then, after another sliding catch by Pages and a strikeout, he gave up a single to Crow-Armstrong and walked Seiya Suzuki.

In his first high-pressure situation of the night, Skubal induced Alex Bregman to fly out on a changeup.

Read more:Dodgers Debate: The Dodgers will stop at nothing to win

Then, he was back to cruising. Skubal put together perfect fourth and fifth innings.

“He creates really tough angles,” said catcher Ben Rortvedt, after his first game since the Dodgers reacquired him at the trade deadline. “Really commands the glove side really well. And his off-speed is really good, his changeup is elite. It’s two fastballs you can put on a dime. It’s just really good stuff.”

In the sixth, an unlucky bounce pushed the go-ahead run across the plate.

With one out, Skubal walked Suzuki on four pitches. Then he missed his spot with a fastball to Bregman, who roped a line drive to deep right field. Tucker tracked it back to the warning track but just missed the catch as he slammed into the wall. The double put runners on second and third.

Skubal held the Cubs at bay for one more batter by getting Michael Busch to skip a groundball to second baseman Tommy Edman, playing on the edge of the infield grass. He fired home for the second out of the inning.

Then came that dose of misfortune. Skubal’s fastball did its job, as the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner drove it into the ground. Bouncing off the plate, the ball shot up in the air, and then it settled in the grass, giving Bregman enough time to score the go-ahead run.

The Wrigley faithful turned up the heat, taunting “Skuuuuubaaaaalll.” They’d done something similar in the National League Division Series last year to Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

“The fans are what create the environment,” Skubal said. “It’s a ton of fun to play in front of crowds like that. Even if they’re booing me or whatever it is, I think that’s what makes the game of baseball really fun, the competition really fun, and the atmosphere is really fun. I’m sure that’s not going to be the only rowdy atmosphere on the road. I plan on pitching in front of those atmospheres for the rest of the season, and then obviously, when it comes postseason time, I’ll be ready to go.”

Skubal bore down and got out of the inning with a flyout from Taylor. That changeup, designed to get him to chase, wrapped up Skubal’s outing at 85 pitches.

“For me, I want him wanting for more, feeling good,” Roberts said. “This is me still learning him. Where we’re at, I’m going to err on the side of being smart and cautious, and knowing that he can still give us more. I’m going to push him, but tonight is not the night. I just felt that that extra inning wasn’t worth the squeeze.”

When Skubal walked off the mound, his team trailed 2-1, their only run a solo homer from Tucker, who’d been booed throughout his first series back at Wrigley since departing the Cubs in free agency.

The Cubs, on the other hand, continued to rally against the Dodgers’ bullpen.

“Just a rut,” veteran leader Mookie Betts said after the loss. “It’s OK. We’re going to be OK.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Nate Lavender's journey to the major leagues has been nothing but a rollercoaster. 

The left-hander was drafted by the Mets in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and pitched his way up to Triple-A in 2023 and into the 2024 season. However, Lavender suffered an elbow injury that required an internal brace procedure in May of 2024, as he missed the remainder of the year. He was then selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, but remained out all of the 2025 season while recovering from surgery and was eventually returned to the Mets in November 2025 after being released by the Rays.

Since being back in New York's system this year, the 26-year-old has pitched in three minor league levels, including 25 appearances with Triple-A Syracuse. With all of the team's moves at the trade deadline on Monday, Lavender got the long-awaited call and met the team in Cleveland for Tuesday night's game against the Guardians. 

His debut came in the seventh inning as he was thrust into a tough spot with two runners on two outs. Lavender battled against former No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana and struck him out looking to hold onto the 5-2 lead. He kept it going in the eighth inning with a quick 1-2-3 frame, giving the team what interim manager Andy Green described as much-needed energy for a group with lots of new faces in the clubhouse.

“I think what really energizes a group of guys is having a guy make a debut, come in and get a huge out in a tough situation against a very good hitter. And then go back out there and throw really well the next inning," Green said. "I thought the dugout was as alive in that Nate Lavender punch-out as it’s been in some time. And I think that really, hopefully, is a catalyst for us to bring some energy with these new guys we got here. 

"And we saw a bunch of guys in different roles, they were pitching in tough situations. They did a great job, so I think everyone took some juice from that.”

After waiting years, changing teams, and battling through injuries, Lavender called his debut outing an "unbelievable" experience. Overall, he tossed 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk.

“Unbelievable, unbelievable," Lavender said. "I think you briefly touched on it, even though you just said that, it’s been a long journey. Drafted here in ‘21, in the system, spent some time in Tampa, dealt with some injuries and stuff. All of that doesn’t matter. It’s part of the journey and it feels absolutely unbelievable, man.”

Nate Lavender says it felt "unbelievable" to be able to make his big-league debut tonight pic.twitter.com/PVzhpXpVec

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 5, 2026

Green also highlighted Lavender's poise in the high-leverage situation, noting that the team can't afford to ease new players in and that he stepped up to the challenge.

“The same heartbeat we’ve always seen from him," Green said. "I think that you, especially in relievers, have to be able to trust the heartbeat. And he was able to slow that game down. That was a big punch-out with two guys on. He just walked off the mound like he’d been doing it for a long time. I tried to tell him as quickly as possible he was going back out. There’s a lot of guys that will mentally shut down and call that a debut.

"We didn’t soft-serve him at all. I just don’t think there’s a good way to do that with the group we have right now, we got to pitch them as they are. He did a great job in a pocket he should excel in; he did.”

Green added: “No change in demeanor, completely calm, completely fine. Walked through, shook the hands with teammates. Saw him sit down on the bench and lock back in like he’s done a thousand times.”

Lavender later told reporters how his family traveled from Syracuse to Cleveland by train and made it there around 5 a.m. He thanked everyone in his life for support throughout his journey, helping him stay focused and positive at all times.

“Spending two years on the shelf is a lot of ups and downs," Lavender said. "Obviously the first Tommy John at the beginning of ‘24, nobody likes it. You rehab, you keep going, and then bang, another surgery. I was talking to my wife the other day, some of my friends too, you have to enjoy the small moments. If I can’t throw in a game, I can go attack this throwing program just exactly like I would with same mentality. Obviously my family, too. My wife, Emma, is absolutely amazing, really encouraging.

"That’s sort of how I’ve attacked the last couple of years. Now we’re here.”

The Mets will need that energy and mindset down the stretch of the 2026 season, and the lefty hopes to keep his story going by continuing to help the team any way possible.

“Just want to keep rolling, keep contributing, and keep winning ballgames, man. Let’s keep cruising.”

What can you even say at this point? Normally, I love doing a big, deep dive analysis in these game recaps, but tonight we’re going straight to the highlights because this was a complete ass-whipping and doesn’t need any further introduction.

So here we go, starting with the Willson Contreras single that got things started in the first.

The big blast came later in the inning from Caleb Durbin. Here’s his grand slam to make it 5-0:

Jarren Duran then immediately added another homer for good measure. (Random side note: He looked very relaxed tonight, and it wouldn’t shock me if he feels relief after not being traded. Something to watch if he starts heating up out of nowhere.)

From there, the most notable additional swings came off the bat of Wilyer Abreu. Specifically, he blasted a pair of bombs to deep centerfield in the fifth an eighth inning that went a combined 849 feet. Here are those highlights:

And all that completely omits the sixth inning, in which the Red Sox put up another six-spot to match the first inning. Here’s my favorite highlight from that rally (I always love when balls rattle around in the garage door)

Again, there’s not much to add to this one in terms of situational analysis. If you REALLY want to get picky (and my cynical ass does), you could try and nitpick Patrick Sandoval for not throwing enough strikes (he walked four guys and only threw 56 percent of his pitches for strikes), but he still managed to make it through five innings and not force the bullpen to cover too much ground.

This biggest thing to take away from this game is the same thing we should be taking away from the entire hot streak. Just enjoy it! What we’re witnessing here is something you may never see again. This team was dead in the water 14 games under .500, and now they’re ten games over at 61-51 with a boatload of talent still sitting on the IL and look like a bigger juggernaut by the day. Like, what? I’ve watched every single game of this turnaround, and I still can’t believe or explain it.

Nothing makes sense right now, and that’s a major reason why it’s so awesome. This is the type of run you tell future generations about, so soak it in as much as you can. THIS is the good stuff!

Three (Group) Studs

You could have about ten studs in this game, so let’s cheat and put them in three groups.

The guys who went deep: Caleb Durbin (grand slam), Wilyer Abreu (two bombs), and Jarren Duran (still alive).

The guys who hit with runners in scoring position: The team went 8-12 with runners in scoring position, and seven different guys had at least one run RBI. Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, Willson Contreras, and Andruw Monasterio all knocked in runs without going deep.

The notable relievers: Erik Miller made a successful Red Sox debut striking out Tristan Peters to end the sixth (Chad Tracy called it a “soft landing” in the postgame), and then Brayan Bello threw three scoreless innings to close things out. For Bello, this both kept all the other high leverage relivers rested, and also sustained sub 1.00 ERA out of the bullpen. (Another thing that doesn’t make any sense, but we’re just gonna stick with because it’s working insanely well.)

Two Duds

Connor Wong: An 0-4 night at the plate and the only Sox starter without a knock. There’s a reason this team traded for Adley Rutschman (who was in the dugout chatting it up with multiple starters tonight).

The challengers: Both teams burned both of their challenges by the sixth inning. Home plate umpire  Brennan Miller was on his game tonight, and if this thing was remotely close, he would’ve had all the high leverage calls to himself.

Play of the game:

It’s Durbin’s grand slam. Might as well watch it again. This freaking team man. I’m speechless!

The Royals got on the board first tonight against Joe Ryan. A pair of singles followed by a sac-fly RBI by Salvador Perez got the job done. Then, Michael Massey ripped a double to left-center to make it 2-0, Royals.

The Twins, who struggled against Randy Dobnak the last time they faced him, continued those struggles tonight. They finally got a run in the 4th inning after loading the bases with 1-out, on an Alan Roden sac-fly. Luke Keaschall would ground out to end the threat, however.

In the bottom of the 5th, the Royals, with the help of bad Twins defense, put together a 3-run inning. With 1 out, they got a single and a walk, then Bobby Witt Jr. doubled, scoring two. Witt would move to 3rd as Ryan Kreidler’s throw home sailed over Ryan Jeffers’ head. Witt then scored on the next at bat, on a grounder to 1st, beating the throw home by Royce Lewis. That gave the Royals a 5-1 lead.

It was a third rough start in a row by Joe Ryan, who exited after getting 1 out in the 6th and walking Isaac Collins. His final line was: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. His stuff just doesn’t seem to be getting him enough strikeouts lately. Kody Funderburk did a good job, cleaning up the 6th inning and tossing a clean 7th as well.

In the top of the 8th, finally working against the Royals bullpen, Josh Bell made some noise with a leadoff solo homer, his 14th of the year. Alas, no rally was sparked by this rally killer.

Travis Adams was tasked with the 8th inning. Perez doubled, then, after a fly out, Nick Loftin walked. Then Collins grounded out to 3B. Taylor Rogers entered, the Royals countered with pinch hitter Starling Marte, who hit a 2-run double to center. Then Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single to make it an 8-2 game, and that was the final. Another disappointing game for a team that bought at the deadline.

Studs:

Royce Lewis: 4-4, 2B, great leaping catch

Kody Funderburk: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K

Duds:

Joe Ryan: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Ryan Kreidler: 0-3, K, E

Ryan Jeffers: 0-5, K

Brooks Lee: 0-3, BB, K, E

Travis Adams: 0.2 IP, H, 2 ER, BB

Taylor Rogers: 0.1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB

Tarik Skubal had a perfectly fine Dodgers debut with six strikeouts in six strong innings. But the Dodgers couldn’t score much at all, while the Cubs offense did just enough off Skubal then teed off on the bullpen in a 5-1 win at Wrigley Field, the season-worst fifth straight loss for the Dodgers.

Skubal allowed a home run to Dansby Swanson in the third inning, his only hit allowed the first time through the order. He struck out six, finishing off two of them with changeups, two more with four-seam fastballs, and one each with his sinker and curveball.

Dodgers defenders made several sharp plays behind Skubal, including two sliding catches in the outfield by Andy Pages and one by Kyle Tucker through the first three innings.

But in the sixth inning, a fly ball to deep right field by Alex Bregman that Tucker appeared to have a beat on simply dropped behind him for a double instead of an out. That put two runners in scoring position with one out. Tommy Edman with the infield in snagged a grounder and threw home to prevent a run from scoring, but a Baltimore chop in the infield into no-man’s land behind the mound to second base fell for a Nico Horner single to score the go-ahead run.

Skubal was only at 85 pitches through six innings, but that was it for him, albeit after a stressful sixth inning, even with the bottom of the Cubs order due up in the seventh.

Alex Vesia allowed a double and single to his three batters faced, allowing two insurance runs in that seventh inning that essentially put the game away given how the Dodgers offense was going on Tuesday.

Hoerner homered in the eighth inning off Edwin Díaz — pitching while down three runs just to get some work after the last four days off, and also allowed a walk and single.

Dodgers relievers allowed five hits and a walk while recording six outs, matching the Dodgers reaching base on offense in nine innings.

Home on the road

It’s been a trying season for Tucker, who has struggled two thirds into his first season with the Dodgers, and even heard boos on Tuesday in his first game back in Chicago since playing for the Cubs last year. Things are going so poorly that Tucker even took an accidental throw from catcher Miguel Amaya off the helmet while standing in the batters box on Tuesday.

But Tucker silenced the boos momentarily with a home run in the second inning to open the scoring.

Eight of Tucker’s 10 home runs have been hit on the road, where he’s hitting .277/.377/.461, compared to just .209/.302/.300 at Dodger Stadium. His 126 wRC+ away from home entering Tuesday was more in line with Tucker’s overall career 133 wRC+.

Hit to left center, it was the only home run this season that Tucker didn’t pull.

Tucker also singled, giving him two hits in the series, and consecutive multi-hit games for the first time since April 3-4 in Washington D.C.

Catcher if you can

Ben Rortvedt started and caught the first seven innings, and fellow Tuesday addition Hunter Feduccia caught the eighth inning. That gave the Dodgers six different catchers used this season, matching 1976 as the most backstops in a season since moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

The Dodgers in 1976 saw Steve Yeager start 108 games behind the plate, Ellie Rodriguez start 21 games, Kevin Pasley 20, Joe Ferguson 12, and Ted Sizemore once, in addition to Sergio Robles catching 16 innings over six games in reserve.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Kyle Tucker (10); Dansby Swanson (17), Nico Hoerner (7)

WP — Javier Assad (7-1): 5 2/3 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts

LP — Tarik Skubal (7-6): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts

Up next

The series finale at Wrigley Fields is back under the Chicago sun on Wednesday (11:20 a.m. PT; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Eric Lauer takes the ball on getaway day, with fellow southpaw Shota Imanaga pitching for Chicago.