Category: Baseball

Good morning, baseball fans!

Just when we thought that the San Francisco Giants’ 2026 season couldn’t get any worse, a slew of injuries have been taking players out left and right over the last week. Casey Schmitt and Trevor McDonald are done for the year. And Harrison Bader decided to scoot through it, and made his injury worse. So who knows when we’ll see him again now.

We’re really going to need to start wrapping them in bubble wrap, and telling them to stay the heck away from Jeremy Affeldt so they don’t get any more creative ideas for how to get injured in their off time. (I kid, of course. No one can match Affeldt on that front.)

Honestly though, at this point, we should really just be preparing ourselves for the worst news possible at any given moment when it comes to this team. Natural disasters, civil unrest, dive-bombing squadrons of seagulls, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the bullpen…yeah, it’s all happening.

What do you think the next bad news to plague the Giants will be?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants head down south to begin a four-game series against the San Diego Padres tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.

Randy Dobnak threw 7 scoreless innings, and Salvador Perez tripled for the first time since 2022, in Royals 4-0 win.

And in the fourth, Royals captain Salvador Perez hit a leadoff triple — his first since the 2022 campaign. Perez chugged around the bases before belly-flopping into third base with his trademark smile. “Somebody told me it was four years ago,” Perez said. “So yeah, I saw the center fielder and kind of the ball got away from him. And I was touching second base. You know, I was thinking I can make it. So I go for it.”

Here are the key stakeholders involved in the Royals new stadium project

Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the Injured List yesterday with a sore wrist

Almost three weeks after Vinnie Pasquantino returned following surgery on a right hamate fracture, the Royals first baseman is on the injured list again as he deals with right wrist soreness.

Kansas City on Wednesday placed Pasquantino on the 10-day IL, calling up outfielder John Rave from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Pasquantino exited Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Twins in the ninth inning with right hand soreness after it had progressed throughout the game. He had felt some discomfort on a diving play at first base in Detroit over the weekend, and that discomfort hadn’t subsided.

Maikel Garcia felt pain in first rehab start and has gone back to KC for further evaluation

Maikel Garcia (left hand muscle strain) faced a setback in his rehab assignment, and is headed back to Kansas City for further evaluation.

Garcia went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and played five innings at third base on Tuesday night in his first rehab game with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. During his last at-bat, Garcia felt similar discomfort in his hand that had initially caused his injured list stint a month ago.

Some actual positive injury news, Kyle Isbel, who is rehabbing is on track to return in early August

Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel continued his Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday as he nears his return to the Major League club after being sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Isbel, who has been on the injured list since June 10, has played in seven rehab games so far with Omaha and is ramping up his workload, especially in center field as he gets ready for a return that could come as soon as the first week of August when the Royals return home after their road trip.

David Lesky posted his top 25 prospects in the Royals organization

Caleb Moody of Kings of Kauffman had some thoughts on what the Royals should do at the trade deadline

Angels trade catcher Logan O’Hoppe to Rangers, along with reliever Chase Silseth

Tarik Skubal notched his 1,000th career strikeout in potentially final start for Tigers, as they also blew a huge lead and lost to Baltimore

Chris Sale remains unbelievably talented for someone his age.

Here is your song of the day, Take it Easy by the Eagles

Today’s Reflections

The first two games of the four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals have been a dream of near-perfection for the Cubs. (I hope I’m not jinxing the team when I write this Tuesday afternoon)

Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki had two games where they were playing out of their collective minds. Yes, it’s just two games, and yes, we don’t know how long Dansby Swanson will let Bregman use his bat (my guess is as long as Bregman wants).

Bregman was the table-setter for the team, going 7-10 with five runs scored and two RBI, including a home run and three doubles. He was a triple short of a cycle on Monday. The disclosure of Bregman using Swanson’s bat is a little funny, but as superstitious as baseball players are, he might be sleeping with the bat right now (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Hoerner cleared off the table, going 5-for-10 with three runs scored, six RBI and a HR. As an example of Hoerner settling in, of his four hits Monday, the first two were up the middle on each side of second base. After a solid single to left field, his home run was in the left field seats. He’s still showing the occasional signs of his natural tendencies of not depending on pulling the ball. Hope he keeps building on that.

Suzuki was 5-for-10 with three runs scored, two RBI and a pair of doubles.

Carson Kelly DH’d one game, so he contributed in both games, going 3-for-9 with two runs scored and two RBI.

On Monday, Miguel Amaya went 2-for-4 with an RBI. On Tuesday, Ian Happ went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI on two doubles. Also, Pedro Ramirez, went 3-for-5 Tuesday with a run scored, an RBI and a double.

Colin Rea and David Peterson, enjoying the offensive support, posted solid performances. Monday night, Peterson went 5.2 innings allowing just three hits and a pair of walks while striking out three. He allowed two runs, one on a solo homer for his only mistake.

Tuesday, Rea went six innings of four-hit ball, allowing two walks and one run scored while picking up a pair of strikeouts.

There are still two games left in this key series. Hoping the hitting/pitching combo keeps chugging on.

I’m not ignoring the trade deadline. You all know the needs, and there are plenty of opinions below to pique your interests. A lot of the usual names, plus a couple of “yeah, right” names, but that keeps things interesting. My hopes? If they swing big, Detmers or Holmes for starting pitching, maybe with Gausman. For relievers, continue with the Mets by trying to pair Weaver with Raley or Minter. Adrian Morejon has entered the chat and is quite intriguing if the Cubs choose a non-Met route. This will clean out most of the top of the minors for the Cubs, though.

I tend to be pessimistic about the trade deadline, but where there’s smoke, there’s at least a bunch of sizzling embers. And the names above are just dreams, not predictions or expectations. And compared to usual years, my expectations are on a medium setting. The above fun thoughts won’t happen, so it will be more like one SP and one RP, then continue to scour the wire for RPs after the deadline.

I thought I’d add this on — I’m sure many feel discussion about Sandy Alcántara after this length of time is exhausting. But this line in one of the stories had me thinking: “He may not yet have returned to his elite form from a few years back, but the big right-hander is still a workhorse – and can be controlled through 2027 via a team option.”

A WORKHORSE! As nice as it would be to get an ace, a guy that you can (hope to) carry you deep into a game every fifth day would be a major gain. Alcantara has averaged seven innings and 102 pitches in his last five games. It would be nice to have one pitcher who when he starts the fourth inning, you don’t have to start wondering how fast the bullpen can warm up. In my fun game above, I’d put him in as a Gausman-like addition. But as a stand-alone option, gambling on him instead of Detmers would not be the most horrendous thing, especially if it opens options on other deals, like Holmes and a couple of Mets relievers. Just another out-there thought is all.

Let the dealing began!

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Tuesday’s Game Stories:

• Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/28/26): Cubs 10, Cardinals 2 – Early Offensive Outburst Buries Birds. “The Cubs ambushed the Cardinals and starter Michael McGreevy at Busch Stadium Tuesday night.”

• Associated Press (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs race to an early 7-run lead on the way to 10-2 win over St. Louis Cardinals. “Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner drove in two runs apiece and the Chicago Cubs jumped out to a seven-run lead after two innings.”

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs’ mighty offense gives Rea big cushion in nice start. “The strength of the Cubs’ offense has been the ability to have multiple hitters delivering on any given night.”

Monday’s Game Stories:

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Bregman, Hoerner back up Peterson’s solid start with 4 hits each. “Through all the peaks and valleys, the Cubs have continued to pick up wins to remain in the thick of the National League playoff picture.”

• AP (WGN.com): Bregman breaks out of slump with a HR and 2 doubles as Cubs beat Cardinals, 7-3, to open four-game series. “Alex Bregman broke out of his slump in a big way, at least for one night.”

Trade Deadline Stories:

• Zoe Grossman (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Trade Rumors: Ramírez Available, Detmers a Top Target? Possible Mets Deal, More. “Another week, another fresh batch of MLB trade deadline rumors for fans to stress over before the time finally comes on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. CT. It’s pretty widely.”
• Jedd Pagaduan (ClutchPoints): Cubs rumors: Jeff Passan responds to fan’s question on star prospect’s ‘untouchable’ trade status. “Jeff Passan shut down a Cubs fan’s way too ambitious evaluation of Pedro Ramirez’s trade value ahead of the deadline.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cardinals’ Masyn Winn drops brutal trade deadline quote ahead of game v. Cubs. “if the Cardinals do end up selling, that could deepen the pool of pitchers available on the trade market – which might help Hoyer tackle the one job he’s got ahead.“
• Ryan O’Rourke (Cubbies Crib): MLB insider made Jefferson Rojas’ 2026 trade deadline Cubs future crystal clear. “There’s no obvious spot for the team’s #2 overall farmhand anytime soon.”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): ESPN insider reveals why Cubs are ‘fortunate’ amid starting rotation need. “This is a great time for the Chicago Cubs to need starting pitching help.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): 3 familiar Cubs trade partners that could be in play again, 2 who aren’t worth the effort. “The Chicago Cubs could soon circle back to some familiar trade partners as Jed Hoyer looks to make a splash leading up to the MLB trade deadline.”
• Brock Beauchamp (North Side Baseball): Four Popular Cubs Trade Targets, According To Fans. “We asked our community which trade candidates were drawing their attention. Here are the top four players on the list.”
• Fox Sports: Pirates? Cubs? 3 Best MLB Trade Deadline Fits For Padres Closer Mason Miller. “Here are the three best MLB trade deadline destinations for San Diego Padres star closer Mason Miller.”
• Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): 3 Cubs’ internal options to replace Jameson Taillon before the 2026 trade deadline. “There’s an open spot in the rotation to fill before August 3.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Intradivisional Blockbusters Never Happen, But This One’s Worth Dreaming On. “Rental pitchers certainly have value, but acquiring someone like Greene would strengthen the Cubs’ rotation for years, instead of months.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): Trade Rumors: New York Mets Scouts Checking Out Cubs’ Double-A Team. “The New York Mets are one of the few teams in MLB that are clearly sellers at this year’s MLB trade deadline, and despite their disaster of a season, they have plenty of intriguing pitching targets that the Chicago Cubs would love to acquire.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs, already strong, eye getting even better at trade deadline: ‘Hopefully we get everything we want’. “Having put the front office in a position to buy at the trade deadline, the Cubs are simultaneously excited by what they’ve already got and what they might add in the coming days.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Are the Cubs and Marlins About to Link Up Again for a Deadline Trade? “The Miami Marlins could finally be willing to part with Sandy Alcantara, and the Cubs could be lurking.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs doing their part to encourage aggressive Trade Deadline. “There is no escaping the weight of each game in front of the Cubs over the next several days.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Ready to Deal “Majority” of Top Prospects as Big Trade Deadline Looms. “As if it wasn’t clear already, the Chicago Cubs are ready to push their chips in.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): With pitching obvious trade-deadline focus, are Cubs getting best version of David Peterson at right time? “As Jed Hoyer’s front office looks to improve the pitching staff before Monday’s trade deadline, an earlier-in-the-summer deal might be paying off, if Peterson keeps pitching like he did Monday in Missouri.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Cubs Can Meet Their Trade Deadline Bullpen Needs By Looking Toward A Division Rival. “As the Cubs search for trade partners, there may be a pathway to one in Cincinnati. If anything, they may be able to lean heavily on one aspect of their division rival’s roster.”
• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): 3 Mock Trades That Would Make for a Perfect Cubs Deadline. “Jed Hoyer has a chance to capitalize on one of the best teams he’s assembled in Chicago, and an aggressive deadline could be the move that defines the Cubs’.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs — with less than a week to MLB trade deadline — have earned investment from front office. “Less than a week from Monday’s MLB trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs are poised to bolster a roster that owns the fifth-best record in the majors.”

Jameson Taillon fallout:

• Matt Ostrowski (North Side Baseball): Jameson Taillon’s Unceremonious Dismissal Is A Result of Cubs’ Longest Unsolved Problem. “The past four seasons, the Cubs needed Jameson Taillon to do exactly what he did: prevent runs at a league-average rate, and do so over a lot of innings.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): A. J. Pierzynski Hates the Chicago Cubs So Much That He’s Willing to Kill His Credibility Talking About Jameson Taillon. “Yes, this is an A.J. Pierzynski hate post because I cannot believe his take on the Chicago Cubs letting go of Jameson Taillon earlier this week.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): What’s Next for the Cubs Rotation After Taillon DFA. “The pressure will now be on the Cubs’ rotation to step up to the challenge.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): What’s the Next Move After Cubs Shockingly DFA Veteran Starter Jameson Taillon? “The Chicago Cubs aren’t messing around to start trade deadline week.”

Assorted Stories:

• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Report): Cubs Swap Starters for Thursday’s Finale Against the Cardinals (UPDATE). “As of this moment (i.e., before tonight’s Game 3 matchup against the Cardinals in St. Louis), the Chicago Cubs are tied for a season-high 15 games over .500.”
• Darragh McDonald (MLBTradeRumors): Cubs Select Jake Woodford, Designate Andrew Wantz For Assignment. “Woodford will give the Cubs an arm capable of absorbing some innings for the time being.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman finds an offensive groove with an assist from Dansby Swanson’s bat. “Alex Bregman’s seven hits in his last two games for the Chicago Cubs tied his career high for most in a two-game stretch.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Alex Bregman, the hitter the Cubs have needed, might be showing up at the deadline. “Part of Chicago’s calculus at the trade deadline is its well-rounded position players are good enough to win multiple rounds in October.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Former Cubs first-round pick’s injury saga was even more heartbreaking than believed. “It’s easy to simply put Ed Howard in the ‘draft pick bust’ basket and move on, but there is a lot more to the story of this Chicago Cubs infield prospect. The local prep product hasn’t given up on his big-league dreams just yet.”
• Ron Luce (OnTapSportsNet): David Peterson Has Been an Unsung Hero for Cubs. “One lousy game against the Cardinals aside, David Peterson has been an unsung hero for the Cubs in their starting rotation.”
• Vanessa Serrao (Yardbarker): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is making the NL MVP race more competitive. “Crow-Armstrong has made the National League MVP race more competitive with his high-caliber defense, historic plate discipline and offensive surge.”

Food For Thought:

(It doesn’t fail — no matter how many times I listen to SRV, the song I’m listening to is his best and my favorite. Until the next song.)

Through the early 1980s Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played the Texas club circuit, becoming one of the most popular bands in the area. In 1982 the band played the Montreux Jazz Festival and their performance caught the attention of David Bowie and Jackson Browne. After Double Trouble’s performance, Bowie asked Vaughan to play on his forthcoming album, Let’s Dance, which, with Stevie’s lead guitar on six of the eight songs, became Bowie’s best selling record to date. After an after-hours jam in the artists’ bar Jackson Browne offered the group free recording time at his Downtown Studio in Los Angeles. Shortly afterward, legendary producer John Hammond landed Vaughan and Double Trouble a record contract with Epic, and the band recorded its debut album in two days over the Thanksgiving weekend at Downtown Studios.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

It’s trade deadline season, and though this has been a tame deadline period so far, the continuous swirl of rumors and (eventually) actual transactions will be the focus of much of the baseball world in the coming days. Yesterday, we discussed which players the Yankees were most likely to move, and today, we ask: what weakness do the Yankees most need to address, and which one are they most likely to address?

The answer to this question has been fluid throughout the year. Early on, it seemed obvious to most that the Yankees would need to make big additions to their bullpen, yet here we are at the end of July, and the Yankee relief corps has the second-best ERA in the majors. Paul Blackburn has proven to be the second coming of Luke Weaver, Brent Headrick almost never allows runs, David Bednar has been the top-tier closer the team envisioned, and Matt Blake’s latest reclamation project, Angel Chivilli, has looked dynamite since his most recent call-up. Add in the fact that players like Will Warren and Ryan Weathers (and perhaps Carlos Lagrange?) could get shifted to the bullpen if they’re not traded, and the unit looks like an area of strength, not weakness.

At other times, the matter of the infield appeared to be most pressing. Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each got off to nightmarish starts, and the shortstop duo of Anthony Volpe and José Caballero has had its ups and downs. But even on the dirt, things don’t look nearly as shaky as they did two or three months ago. Since seeing his OPS bottom out at .498 on April 22nd, Chisholm has played exactly as expected, with a .239/.309/.463 slash line and 16 homers plus 21 steals. McMahon has run a roughly .750 OPS over the last two months while bringing his usual quality defense at third base. And despite his penchant for high-profile miscues, Volpe’s combination of high-OBP and good range at short has made him a valuable contributor.

Then, there’s the most obvious need now, at catcher, with Yankee backstops having combined to “hit” .181/.261/.284. But even adding a catcher comes with major complications, as most teams are loath to make significant changes to their caching room midseason. For as awful as Austin Wells and Co. have been with the bat this year, a catcher’s primary job is to catch, to field his position, to manage his pitching staff. The Yankee backstops have done that portion of their job with aplomb this year (it’s probably not a coincidence that the Yankees prioritize defense at catcher and have the best team ERA in baseball), and it’s not trivial to just add a plus bat to that room without shaking things up on the run-prevention front.

Add it all up, and it leaves the Yankee roster in a weird spot heading into a crucial deadline. The roster has been slammed by injuries and has some seemingly clear places to upgrade, but actually making those upgrades is less straightforward than it might appear. What do you think? Where are the Yankees most likely to make moves in the next four days?

On the site today, Josh analyzes Matt Chapman as a possible hot-corner target, and Jeff writes up the great Casey Stengel as part of our Yankee Birthday series. Also, Andrew provides the day’s Rivalry Roundup, Matt delivers the All-July Team, and Peter provides his Sequence of the Week, which features great work from David Bednar.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox

Time: 2:10 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Chicago Sports Network

Venue: Rate Field, Chicago, IL

ESPN | Jorge Castillo: The two New York teams are expected to have wildly different trade deadlines, with the Yankees presumed to be buyers and the Mets perhaps the biggest sellers. While there’s a couple possible deals to be had between the two clubs — hello, Luke Weaver? — the largest possible splashes for the Yankees look like they could come from the West Coast. The San Diego Padres offer two relievers that could reinforce the bullpen, and the Angels feature both Zack Neto and Reid Detmers as alluring trade targets.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: With Cody Bellinger out 4-6 weeks with a hamstring strain, the Yankee lineup and outfield are starting to look pretty bald. The team is already suffering significantly without Aaron Judge in the lineup, and while they still have a chance to win the AL East, they need someone to step up and start hitting, or they have an increased need to bring in an impact bat before the Trade Deadline.

Front Office Sports | Eric Fisher: As a longtime lover of MLB.tv, I get to benefit from what might be sports’ best livestreaming experience. From what I’ve heard from New York locals, the Gotham Sports App has not been a very good livestreaming experience. The platform has repeatedly had playback, UI, and general quality issues over the past two seasons, and it seems it is being sunsetted by the YES and MSG networks. Streaming service DAZN is being tapped as the replacement for Gotham Sports, and I’ll keep using MLB.tv.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees announced who will be coming back to the Bronx on August 8th for the 78th edition of Old-Timers’ Day. Hall of Famers Joe Torre and Mariano Rivera lead the way, and they’ll be joined by Monument Park honorees Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neill, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. The first-time Old-Timers are Dellin Betances (born in 1988, gulp), Todd Frazier, David Weathers, and Adam Ottavino (who just pitched last year). Check out the full list!

TSN: If you know me, you know I’m a born hater. I want Shohei Ohtani to grow old and die warm in a bed surrounded by loved ones and I hope he has a rock in his shoe every single time he steps on a baseball field. Yesterday was a win for the haters, as Alek Manoah was released by the Angels. One imagines Gerrit Cole opened a particularly special bottle of wine last night’s game with the White Sox.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The New York Yankees are slim underdogs at nearly pick-em prices when they meet the Chicago White Sox in Game 4 of a four-game series.

Chicago rakes against lefties, and my Yankees vs. White Sox predictions and MLB picks expect a high-scoring White Sox victory. 

Who will win Yankees vs White Sox today: White Sox moneyline (-112)

The Chicago White Sox offer clear moneyline value when they host the New York Yankees. 

Chicago starter Sean Burke’s 83rd-percentile extension (6.8 feet) allows his 94.9 mph heater to play like 96+ mph, lowering hard contact (35.0% Hard-Hit rate), which should slow a longball-reliant Yankees lineup. 

Conversely, Yankees starter Ryan Weathers' shorter extension (5.8 feet) leaves his four-seamer sitting in the zone, exposing him and his .441 xSLG to Chicago's .168 ISO against lefties. 

I am fading Weathers' poor fastball optics and backing the White Sox moneyline, playable to -125. 

COVERS INTEL: New York's bullpen has surrendered a 13.0% walk rate over the last 14 days. Facing a White Sox order slugging .407 with RISP, unearned traffic makes Chicago a solid choice. 

Yankees vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 Runs (-116)

The White Sox and Yankees present strong value on the Over 7.5. 

Weather's short extension robs his fastball of late deception, and Chicago's lefties are recognizing it early, exposing his 1.42 HR/9 to their .168 ISO against southpaws. 

Burke isn't airtight either: a 3.81 home xFIP and 1.11 HR/9 should allow the Yankees bats to do their share of the scoring today. 

Both bullpens raise the floor even further; Yankees relievers are walking 13.0% of hitters over the last 14 days, while Chicago's pen carries a 4.09 ERA. 

I am taking the Over to  8.5 runs. 

Yankees vs White Sox weather

It will be a warm and humid day with light winds blowing in from centerfield. 

Yankees vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -104 | White Sox -100
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+156) | White Sox +1.5 (-178)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+104) | Under 8.5 (-117)

Yankees vs White Sox trend

White Sox are 5-0 in their last 5 during game 4 of a series. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. White Sox.

How to watch Yankees vs White Sox and game info

Yankees vs White Sox latest injuries

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

The Athletics went into the 10th inning before falling to the Boston Red Sox at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, on July 29.

Red Sox infielder Andruw Monasterio had the heroic moment in the top of the 10th inning with a leadoff, two-run home run, taking a 91 mph, four-seam fastball 428 feet off the bat across left center to give Boston a 4-2 advantage. He finished the game going 3-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs.

The Red Sox improved to 56-51. They have the third-best record in the American League East.

"Really, since the road trip before the All-Star break, we gave him some run there. He started playing more, and he started playing very good defensively. He's taken some good swings against both left and right," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters of Monasterio. "He's hit some home runs, a lot of doubles, but he's been huge for us."

It was a homecoming for Red Sox third baseman Nick Sogard, who is familiar with the Sacramento region. Sogard, 28, attended Jesuit High School in Carmichael. Naturally, he had dozens of fans out at the West Sacramento ballpark to root him on.

He didn't disappoint.

Sogard went 2-for-5 in the ballgame and accounted for an RBI in the sixth inning, which tied the game at 2.

"You feel the game going along, and actually the series, like we've had some runners, we've had some trouble getting them in, so you only get so many chances. So when you get get an opportunity, you can get a two-out hit and get the game tied, and now you've moved at that point, you've moved towards the back end of your bullpen. So, just a really, really good at-bat there," Tracy said of Sogard's timely hit.

But it was the veteran pitching of nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion Aroldis Chapman that stole the show and set up Monasterio's moment in the 10th.

In the ninth inning, it looked as if the A's were going to go ahead. Lawrence Butler hit a 85 mph slider that looked like it would have been a walk-off homer, but it stayed in the park and got down. Butler was caught watching the spectacle, hoping it would go over the wall, but Boston got it back in play as Butler settled on a double. Butler finished the game 2-for-3 with a home run and RBI.

Donovan Walton took a sacrifice bunt to get Butler to third, but that's where it ended as Chapman delivered a series of four-seam fastballs and splitters, racking up strikes. Jacob Wilson struck out swinging − the splitter got him. Jeff McNeil struck out on a 99 mph sinker.

Jonah Heim had a really good bat for the A's, despite the losing effort. Heim, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, hit a home run in the bottom of the second inning.

A's first baseman and slugger Nick Kurtz left the game in the first inning after taking a fastball to the elbow.

The A's fell to 45-63 and have the second-worst record in the American League West and AL overall. Their next game is Thursday, July 30 against the Red Sox at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. PT (9:40 p.m. ET).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Red Sox get 10-inning win vs. A's in homecoming for Nick Sogard

Even beat writer Steve Gilbert seemed exhausted by last night’s nailbiter and it’s hard to blame him for being physically and emotionally worn out after a 12-inning, four hour marathon game. It’s also understandable for the players themselves to feel similarly and I fully expected some kind of hangover effect for one or both of these teams coming into today. While it wasn’t the most glamourous game of baseball that’s ever been played, there was little evidence of any lingering effects from last night’s game – at least for the D-Backs who looked focused and prepared throughout the afternoon. That goes doubly for Eduardo Rodriguez who continues to put his worst outing of the season in the rearview mirror with his best start of the season and one of the best starts of his career with eight innings of scoreless ball.

Rodriguez’s teammates weren’t quite as dominant with the bats, but with that kind of performance from their starter, they quite literally didn’t need much offense to secure the win. After being held hitless their first time through lineup against youngster Jared Jones, the D-Backs made some adjustments on their second opportunity. Corbin Carroll opened the fourth inning with a leadoff double and then stole third for good measure to put himself within sacrifice fly range, but Gabriel Moreno had other ideas. Instead of settling for one run, Moreno crushed a low and away slider to dead center and nearly crushed one of the Pirates’ bushes by the batter’s eye in the process. That blast constituted the entirety of the Arizona offensive attack until the sixth when they built a nice two-out rally that started with the bane of relief pitching: a two-out walk. The recipient, Moreno again, advanced to third on a bloop single from Ketel Marte and then scored on a Max Kepler single that just evaded second baseman Brandon Lowe. It was a beautiful rally and one they’ll need to continue creating in their postseason pursuits.

Regardless, today was Rodriguez’s day. He looked completely unfazed for most of the game and had sharp command of all five of his pitches. His changeup was particularly devastating with seven of his 15 whiffs coming on that pitch alone. It wasn’t a strikeout heavy afternoon with just two on the afternoon, but he induced plenty of weak contact with just five balls put into play that are considered “hard hit” (95 MPH or higher) for the entire afternoon. He was also especially efficient in his pitch count as the Pirates were aggressive very early in the counts throughout the game and he dialed up two crucial double play groundouts to extinguish rallies before they could even get started in the first and fourth innings. Amazingly, the lefty only allowed six baserunners total in the outing including just one walk – an important secondary marker for Rodriguez who has been a bit walk-prone this season at times.

I think a special note of appreciation towards the Arizona starting pitching in this series is warranted. Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt, and Rodriguez combined for 20.2 IP in three days against the Pirates and allowed just one unearned run in that span. There are certainly complaints about the bullpen – particularly in last night’s near debacle – but you would be hard-pressed to find much room for protestation with run prevention like that from the starting pitchers. It’s especially encouraging to see from Pfaadt and Kelly who have both had their well-publicized struggles at various times this season. The Pittsburgh offense is sneakily good too, tied for second in the majors in runs per game with 5.21, third in OPS at .759, and their 980 hits is the most in the entire major leagues. The whole team will need to keep the positive momentum rolling if they want to keep pushing for a postseason berth.

I wish I had more to say, but all the Rays’ offensive prowess came in the first inning this evening — and nothing else after that!

Casey Legumina was tonight’s opener, working a 1-2-3 first inning, and his night would be finished thereafter.

On pitch one in the bottom of the first, Yandy Diaz swatted a solo shot to right field, his 15th of the year, to put the Rays up 1-0.

Jonathan Aranda doubled right after him, Junior Caminero struck out, and Ryan Vilade (cue the Big Rig horn) hammered a Mackenzie Gore changeup of of the C-ring catwalk to give the Rays a crooked number.

Ian Seymour gets the win, going 4.2 IP, walking one, striking out four, and only allowing two hits.

Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly would earn holds, respectively, creating the bridge to Brian Baker.

The lights would turn off at Tropicana Field, fans were instructed to turn on the lights on their cell phones, and Baker would enter the game to a light show accompanied by the song Lights by Avicii.

Other than a one out double by Brandon Nimmo, the ninth was tame with Baker earning his 29th save of the season. Rays win 3-0, and earn their third shutout in four games.

Quick turnaround tomorrow, with Cole Winn and Shane McClanahan as the probable starters and a 12:10 EST first pitch for the matinee against the Rangers.

The Mariners lost another one of these.

The lineup struggled for most of eight innings on Wednesday, before the bottom of the order scratched a run across in the eighth. They’d get another in the ninth. But the Dodgers lineup put tons of pressure on Emerson Hancock and the Mariners defense, eventually taking game two of the series 4-2.

Hancock got the ball in what could be his final game with the team. The Mariners are reportedly willing to trade a starter, and that could very well be Hancock. I’m not sure he did much to change his trade value. He was solid and unspectacular. He worked five innings, picked up five strikeouts on five whiffs, and gave up three runs on eight hits, including a homer. The defense behind him was bad, which didn’t help. Some of the shock value from his surprising season has worn off, but that there’d be a whole “Emerson Hancock trade deadline” storyline to this season is latest thing that would have liquified my brain not four months ago.

In the bottom of the first, Hancock hung a sweeper to Andy Pages, who yanked it into the left field seats. He also struck out three batters in the inning, including Shohei Ohtani. 

In the third, a pair of singles put runners on the corners with one out for Freddie Freeman. Hancock exploded his bat producing a squibbed at Weston Wilson, who dove on the ball like a grenade. While heroic, this isn’t generally the way you want to dive on a ball as an infielder, and the Dodgers scored a second run. Hancock would wrestle out of the jam.  

In the fourth, Mookie Betts singled up the middle to lead off, and Teoscar Hernandez doubled to right center on a ball that Julio Rodríguez might have caught in previous years — he met the ball just ahead of the warning, track, but seemed to pull up while checking the fence and let it drop. Hancock then intentionally walked Ohtani to load the bases. This time, Pages hit the ball that gave Wilson fits, making the game 3-0.

The bullpen was fine, aside from Michael Rucker giving up a single and an RBI double to Ohtani to make the game 4-0.

The Mariners struggled against crafty lefty Eric Lauer, who gave up one hit and one walk in six innings. The Mariners would get there second hit when Wilson doubled off Tanner Scott in the eighth. Mitch Garver looked like he’d immediately picked up another with a hard liner deep to left. But Hernandez flagged it down with an awkward leap into the chainlink fence, snaring it from the top of the wall.

Cole Young would follow with a single to give the Mariners their first run. And they’d get a second in the ninth inning on a doubles from Dominic Canzone and Josh Naylor. But they couldn’t figure things out in time. They’ll have a chance to take a series from the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The Athletics faced the Boston Red Sox in the third game of a four-game series at Sutter Health Park. The Red Sox won 4-2 in ten innings, giving them a chance to claim the series with a victory in the finale. The back-and-forth game featured missed opportunities from both teams, as the A’s were unable to get a clutch hit in several key situations.

Early Scoring Chances Wasted

A’s starter Jacob Lopez worked around two walks in a 27-pitch scoreless first inning. In the bottom of the first, Red Sox pitcher Patrick Sandoval hit A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz on the wrist, causing discomfort for the hosts’ star slugger.

The A’s left Kurtz at second base, as Sandoval struck out Tyler Soderstrom to end the inning. Because of his forearm contusion, Kurtz did not take the field in the second inning. Jeff McNeil replaced him at first base. Second baseman Alika Williams made a diving catch to end the top of the second.

Heim Time

Catcher Jonah Heim led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run, the 500th hit of his career and his 11th homer of the season, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, three singles set up a bases-loaded, one out situation for the Red Sox. Lopez escaped unscathed by getting Red Sox’ catcher Connor Wong to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

The Red Sox tied the game in the fifth inning. Left fielder Jahmai Jones led off the frame with his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field off Lopez. The A’s starter responded by striking out the next three batters, keeping the game tied at 1.

Butler Resurgence

The A’s immediately re-took the lead in the bottom of that inning. Facing Sandoval, right fielder Lawrence Butler led off the inning with a solo home run to center, his sixth of the season, putting the hosts up 2-1. With one out, shortstop Jacob Wilson singled. He then moved to second on McNeil’s single. Sandoval limited the damage by striking out the next two hitters, ending the inning with the A’s unable to add to their lead.

Red Sox Strike Back

Lopez exited with a runner on second and one out in the sixth inning. He turned in another strong start, allowing two runs, one earned on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two batters, while striking out eight.

Right-hander Hayden Juenger entered out of the A’s bullpen and could not strand his inherited runner. With two outs, second baseman Nick Sogard singled to center, bringing home the tying run. A’s third baseman Tommy White’s dropped foul popup hurt his team that inning. Boston’s runner would not have advanced to second base if the ball had been caught.

High-Stress Innings

Juenger stayed in the game to pitch the seventh inning with the score tied at 2. He got two outs, although gave up a double and a walk. Right-hander Elvis Alvarado replaced Juenger and induced Red Sox designated hitter Romy Gonzalez to ground out with the bases loaded. For the second time tonight, the A’s prevented Boston from scoring with the bases juiced.

Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten pitched the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Wilson reached on a fielding error, and McNeil followed with his second single of the night. White struck out for the third time, stranding two runners in scoring position.

The visitors got a runner on second with no outs in the eighth inning against Alvarado. The hard-throwing reliever struck out the next two batters before giving way to left-hander Brady Basso, who recorded the final out. Basso remained in the game and pitched a scoreless ninth, escaping trouble after allowing back-to-back singles with two outs.

A’s Blow It

Butler led off the bottom of the ninth with a double against Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman. Donovan Walton followed with a sacrifice bunt, advancing Butler to third. The hosts squandered that golden game-winning chance, as Chapman struck out Wilson and McNeil to send the game to extra innings.

The Red Sox took advantage in the tenth inning. Shortstop Andruw Monasterio hit a two-run home run against A’s left-hander Jose Suarez to give the visitors a 4-2 lead. That was the final score, as the A’s went down one-two-three in the bottom of the tenth against Boston reliever Greg Weissert, who recorded his first save of the season.

Analysis and Look-Ahead

The Athletics finished the game 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving ten on base in another frustrating offensive display. Wilson needs to stop swinging at everything, as that approach is not sustainable for long-term success and it cost his team tonight. Additionally, another takeaway was the disparity between the two bullpens. Boston’s relief corps threw five shutout innings, while the A’s beleaguered bullpen surrendered the lead and faced several high-pressure situations through the final few innings.

The A’s will look to salvage a series split tomorrow evening. The pitching matchup will feature former A’s player Sonny Gray against Mason Barnett.

It took 110 games, but the Astros have finally returned to the .500 mark.  Astros 7    Angels. 4.    The victory would represent a sweep in Anaheim, while securing a 5-1 road trip.    The Astros (55-55) have now won 8 of their last 9.    In contrast, after suffering the loss, the Angels (42-67) are now 25 games under .500.     

Hayden Wesneski’s (W, 1-0) return from Tommy John’s surgery was initially problematic.    Zach Neto drew a leadoff walk and moved over on Mike Trout ‘s double.    They’d each score on Vaughn Grissom’s double.  Grissom would come home on Jo Adell’s 61st RBI of the season and just like that, it was 3-0.     All told, five of the first six batters would reach safely.    

In the top of the 2nd, Yanier Diaz would launch a 425-foot blast to get the Astros on the board.    It was Diaz’s 7th homer of the season.    The next inning, Jeremy Pena would take a hanging slider from Grayson Rodriguez and deposit it over the centerfield wall.    Pena has now hit 6 home runs over the last week and is riding an 11-game hitting streak.    Rodriguez would eventually load the bases that inning, but the Astros failed to do additional damage.   He would exit after five innings of work.    Mitch Farris (L, 0-3) would come on for Rodriguez and immediately run into trouble, the biggest hit coming off the bat of Cam Smith.   His two-run double would give Houston their first lead of the night at 4-3.      Prior to that double, Cam was mired in a 2-42 slump.     Farris would allow a total of three earned runs in the 6th, while walking three.    

Wesneski would eventually get into a rhythm and settle down after the opening nerves took hold.    He’d come out after 79 pitches in the bottom of the 6th inning.    His return to the mound took 451 days.    Final stat line:    5 2/3 innings with 3 ER on 7 hits.   He’d allow a pair of walks and strike out four, receiving praise from Joe Espada and teammates alike.    

In the 7th, Houston would add an insurance run.   Yanier Diaz would bring home a hustling Jose Altuve who’d score all the way from first on an RBI single.    That made things 6-3.      Yanier for the night would register four hits.   The Angels would score in the bottom of the 8th on Jo Adell’s second RBI of the night.    Houston reclaimed that run on Denzer Guzman’s throwing error in the 9th which allowed Christian Walker to score.    

Bryan Abreu (S, 7) would come on and record four outs in earning the save.    

What a difference a week makes.    The Astros now sit just 1 game back from the Rangers for first place in the AL West.   Houston begins a 3-game series with Texas Friday at Daikin Park.

Odds & Ends:

The last time the Astros swept a series in Anaheim was back in September of 2024.    

With an intentional walk in the 6th inning, Yordan Alvarez now has 19 on the season.    He leads the majors.    

Jose Altuve registered a pair of hits for a second consecutive game.    

The Astros begin a 6 game homestand on Friday Night vs the division-leading Rangers.    Hunter Brown will take the hill in search of his third win.  

Clay Holmes’ next start could be in the minor leagues, for the Mets or for another major league team.

All options remain in play for the right-hander as he nears his return from the injured list, with the trade deadline arriving Monday.

Holmes, in his second minor league rehab appearance in his comeback from a broken fibula, fired four scoreless innings for Single-A St. Lucie on Tuesday. He will throw a bullpen session later in the week before a next step is determined, according to interim manager Andy Green.

“Obviously anybody can count out and see where we are five days [from Tuesday] and it’s Sunday before the deadline,” Green said before the Mets beat the Braves 3-2 in Game 1 of a doubleheader split. “There is a decision to be made around that.”

Holmes and Freddy Peralta are the Mets’ primary starting pitchers that figure to be dealt. Holmes, who has pitched to a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this year, can opt out of his contract after this season.

Francisco Alvarez had a .981 OPS in 15 games since July 3 as play began in the doubleheader nightcap. Alvarez delivered an RBI double in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie in Game 1.

“Since I have sat in this seat over the last month, he’s had really good at-bats,” Green said. “I see someone who swings with confidence. He impacts the ball like very few guys in the game. It comes off hot. There’s power — a huge hit in the gap for us today.”

Carson Benge’s RBI double in the seventh inning gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in Game 1. It was the fourth go-ahead RBI for Benge this season in the seventh inning or later, which tied him for fourth in MLB in that category.

Mets pitchers had compiled a 3.09 ERA, the third-lowest mark in MLB since the All-Star break, heading into the nightcap.

The bullpen’s 2.23 ERA was the lowest in the National League and third lowest in the major leagues.

The Dodgers had waited three months to see Edwin Díaz back on the mound, and all year for him to look like himself.

So on Wednesday night, when the trumpets began to blare and he came trotting out of the bullpen to begin the ninth inning, it almost felt like the trade deadline had come early at a jubilant Chavez Ravine.

 “I was trying to calm my emotions,” Díaz said. “And as soon as I got to the mound, it was, ‘Let’s go. Let’s make pitches. Let’s win the game.’”

In the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the Mariners, Díaz and the Dodgers did.

In what marked his first appearance since April 19 –– having been activated from the injured list pregame following a three-month absence recovering from an elbow procedure –– Díaz was not flawless in a one-run ninth.

He gave up a ground-rule double to Dominic Canzone with one out. Then he watched another double off the bat of Josh Naylor sail over Kyle Tucker’s glove in right field.

Still, given a soft landing spot with a three-run lead in his first outing back, he limited the damage there, collected his fifth save of the season, and took a long-awaited first step in what he hopes is a resurgent closing stretch to the year.

“My first game back, I was a little bit anxious,” Díaz said. “But I threw strikes, I made pitches, and at the end of the day got the W.”

Most encouraging for Díaz on Wednesday was the renewed life behind his trademark fastball, which was up more than a full tick from his early-season struggles (averaging 96.9 mph) and topped out at 98.9 mph (harder than any he had thrown in his 10 outings at the start of the year).

The Mariners, who have seemingly been hunting fastball all series, did connect for plenty of hard contact, including a couple deep flyouts that were hit over 100 mph off the bat.

But then, Díaz adjusted, ending the game with a slider that Luke Raley rolled over to first.

“The velocity, the stuff was really good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Obviously he gave up a run. But again, just kind of getting our bullpen back to being whole, closer to being whole, was great. Just getting him back on the team was exciting.”

Indeed, Díaz showed no ill signs of the elbow injury that had sidelined him since April, when he underwent a procedure to have loose bodies removed from his elbow.

He said pregame that both the elbow and knee discomfort that plagued him back then –– when he had a 10.50 ERA before going on the injured list –– had finally dissipated.

“I feel great,” Díaz said. “Just keep grinding. Keep getting better.”

The best part of his outing came before he even threw a pitch, with Díaz’s iconic entrance music –– “Narco” by the appropriately named Timmy Trumpet –– prompting a standing ovation from a raucous Dodger Stadium crowd.

Most fans –– who had been gifted Díaz bobbleheads on his serendipitous giveaway night –– pulled out their phones to record his entrance.

One spectator got more creative, holding a plastic beer bat to her lips to imitate the trumpeting tune.

“The fans were into it,” Díaz said. “So that’s really good.”

It was the kind of scene that, for so much of the summer, the Dodgers had missed.

The kind of result that, as the stretch run commences, they hope to get again and again out of their $69 million offseason signing.

“I don’t think anyone expected him to be lights-out, but I think that the pain-free part of it, the velocity, the slider was really good,” Roberts said. “All those things, those are things you can bet on. And, also, given what he’s done throughout his career.”