If baseball fans plan on watching any of the 15 Major League Baseball games on July 5, they will have to find their way to one of NBCUniversal's television properties.

All 30 MLB teams that day will be in action, and their games will be broadcast on either NBC, Peacock, or NBCSN, the first time a media company has presented all 15 MLB games nationally in a single day.

Two of the games on "Star-Spangled Sunday" (New York Mets at Atlanta Braves, 12:30 pm ET, and San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers, 7 pm ET) will be broadcast on NBC, with the other games on the schedule all streamed on Peacock, with three simulcast on NBCSN. Peacock will also have a multiview four-box presentation.

"There's no better way to enjoy some free time on Fourth of July weekend than with one of the great rivalries in MLB, the Padres and Dodgers. In 2024, the Padres were this close to knocking the Dodgers out in the Division Series," NBC lead play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti told USA TODAY Sports. 

Benetti will call that game with former pitchers and Cy Young winners Orel Hershiser, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia.

More: Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! 'It’s bigger than my birthday' former Met says

In the closing innings of Sunday’s exhilarating and chaotic finale against the Yankees, a surreal series of events events unfolded that one way or another should come to define the rest of the Red Sox season.

It started in the top of the ninth inning when Wilyer Abreu launched this hideous throw to nowhere, directly leading to a blown save:

Then it continued in the top of the tenth with another Abreu mistake, leading to an additional pair of Yankee runs:

I can count on one hand the number of times I felt as bad for a player on a Major League Baseball player within a game as I did for Wilyer Abreu in that moment. Normally a wonderful defender, he made two back to back blunders that looked likely to cost his team the highlight sweep of the season. And of course, this all came against the far more important, and far more devastating backdrop of the back to back earthquakes that rocked his home country, leaving behind a disaster with thousands dead, and tens of thousands more still missing.

As he stood there in the outfield with his “All together for Venezuela” message written on his hat, no player ever needed a hug on a baseball field more than Abreu in that moment:

But then something remarkable happened. The Red Sox offense – This Red Sox offense! – rallied out of nowhere in the bottom of the tenth to to take the game and pick up their despondent teammate. In that moment, it was probably better than any solace a hug could have provided.

Here’s the whole rally because it’s also probably the best half inning of baseball Red Sox fans are going to see all season:

The bottom line is this: One way or another, that tenth inning should become emblematic of the rest of the Red Sox season. Ideally that would involve the Red Sox making a remarkable comeback in the second half to go further than the Yankees by the time the end of fall rolls around, but at the very least, it should be the start of the Red Sox as an organization and fanbase rallying around Venezuela for the rest of the year.

This Red Sox roster is loaded with Venezuelan players (Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, Ranger Suarez, Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narvaez), and most of them are key contributors to the few positive things going on with the club. With everything that’s happened, they are now the main characters in our 2026 Red Sox story. Regardless of what happens on the field, the long, arduous process of Venezuela’s recovery should be tied to this baseball team.

And even though it’s just a game and a team thousands of miles away from the disaster, baseball can have that power. One of the biggest threats to Venezuela going forward is to have this tragedy fall out of the news cycle in places that can help. The Red Sox shouldn’t let that happen, and I know the players from Venezuela won’t let that happen. That’s why it’s so encouraging to see not just guys like Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu out on Jersey Street before the games collecting disaster donations, but also folks like John Henry and Sonny Gray.

Recently, the Red Sox started a new celebration when they do something good with their bats, reaching their hands together above their head to emulate the missing Citgo Sign over left field. Appropriately, here’s highlights of Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras doing it last week:

This may sound crazy, but I actually think this is the perfect celebration and symbol for the 2026 Red Sox and Venezuela going forward. Not only is the Citgo Sign a legendary landmark in the heart of Boston itself, but the company has deep ties to Venezuela. Without going into details there (because at the end of the day they’re an oil company that’s obviously up to no good) there’s probably nothing else that so clearly unites Boston and Venezuela as this oddly comforting red triangle, and the deep love for baseball it represents.

After all, the roots of Venezuela’s remarkable baseball history tie back to U.S. oil interests entering the country more than a century ago, and teaching locals the game. Now, all these years later, Venezuela’s returned the favor in a love letter back to us, reminding everyone of the joy and passion you can still bring to this wonderful game. As a group, they do it on a daily basis across all of Major League Baseball as well as anyone, and as an individual, Willson Contreras might do it the best.

So for the rest of the season, every time I see that Citgo sign, I’m now going to think of Venezuela. While it’s gone from the Boston skyline, I’m going to think of the buildings that are gone from the Venezuelan skyline. As it builds back up, I’m going to think of the resiliency of the Venezuelan people, who will also rebuild their country stronger and more beautiful than ever with time. And each time any Red Sox player does something good and celebrates with that Citgo Sign display, I’m going to smile at the ability baseball has to bring us all together, because that might just be the greatest power of this magnificent game.

Here’s where you can make donations to Venezuela via the Red Sox site. Hopefully, it will keep getting visits all year long. And hey, if we’re really lucky, maybe the comeback that’s coming for Venezuela will end up emblematic of both that tenth inning on Sunday, and the rest of the Red Sox season.

As Wilyer wrote: “All together for Venezuela!”

When you keep hearing about how the Yankees need to shop in the relief aisle come the trade deadline, that probably tells you something about the state of their bullpen.

Despite nice numbers in some departments, the pinstriped ‘pen has provided too many agita moments for a team with big-time October aspirations and needs, at the very least, more depth. 

Your move, Brian Cashman. 

Their closer has been nails lately, but had a 5.14 ERA as recently as May 18. Their hoped-for primary setup man has issues with left-handed hitters. Their lefty killer had a 4.02 ERA entering Wednesday (all numbers in this piece are entering Wednesday), nearly a run worse than his final mark last season. They’ve blown 13 save opportunities. 

But the Yankees also have seen some pitchers emerge – Brent Headrick, for one – and have hope that one of their top prospects, Carlos LaGrange, can transition from the rotation to the bullpen to become a hard-throwing intimidator late in games. Fernando Cruz’s splitter is fearsome. 

And the pen as a whole grades out well by several stats – entering Wednesday, the Yanks were sixth-best among bullpens in fWAR. They own the fourth-highest ground-ball rate of any bullpen in the majors and the third-best homers-per-nine-innings rate. 

They are second in pen ERA (3.19) and have the fifth-lowest opponent average. They’ve also thrown the sixth-fewest bullpen innings. In their last 10 games entering Wednesday, Yankee relievers had a 1.13 ERA. In their last 22, it’s 2.12. 

We’ll have to take it all into consideration as we formulate a grade for the relievers for the first half of this season. 

David Bednar, the closer, has had some late adventures, but he’s bloomed recently. He went on the paternity list on Monday carrying a streak of 12 straight scoreless appearances that trimmed his ERA more than two runs, down to 3.09. He’s saved 16 games in 18 chances. And some of his expected numbers suggest his numbers could be even better.

He gets a lot of chase (his chase percentage is in the 100th percentile, according to Statcast) and his ground ball rate is in the 96th percentile. 

Camilo Doval looks the part of a high-leverage reliever with a 98.5-mile-per-hour fastball and an expected ERA of 2.81. But overall this season he owns a 4.55 ERA, allows 8.5 hits per nine innings, and gives up massive hard contact.

Lefties, in particular, are mashing against him with a .350 average and a .941 OPS. To give you an idea of the OPS, there are only four batters in MLB who have an OPS that high this season and it’s a glittering group – Yordan Alvarez, Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.

But Doval has been better lately, recording a 0.96 ERA in 10 games since June 5. But, perhaps indicative of his season, the one earned run he’s allowed in that span came when he inherited a jam and surrendered a grand slam to Andrew Benintendi of the White Sox on June 18.

“Slumps are part of the game as baseball players,” he told MLB.com through an interpreter afterward. “We all go through them. I’m not exactly getting the results that I expect of myself right this moment, but I know they’re coming. I know a good streak is coming.”

Cruz had a nifty 2025 and he’s even better now with a 2.57 ERA in 39 games. He throws his diving splitter half the time and batters are only hitting .130 against the pitch. He’s also finished 41 strikeouts with it, the fourth-most strikeouts on splitters in the majors. The three pitchers with more – Nathan Eovaldi, Shota Imanaga, and Kevin Gausman – are all starters.

Lefty Tim Hill has seen an uptick in ERA, thanks in part to a 7.45 mark in May. But he still gets ground balls as well as anyone, limits walks, and keeps the ball off the barrel while primarily relying on a sinker. If he keeps getting ground balls at his usual rate (63.6 percent), his ERA likely will plunge.

Headrick, in his first extended run in the majors, has proved invaluable as another lefty in the pen. The 28-year-old has a 1.58 ERA in 41 outings and only one pitcher who has pitched in at least that many games has a lower ERA – Toronto’s Louis Varland (0.98).

“He’s been huge down there,” Aaron Boone said recently of Headrick. “He just continues to solidify himself at this level. He’s pitching with a lot of confidence.”

The Yankees have gotten some good innings from Paul Blackburn, who has a 1.17 ERA in June and a 2.50 mark overall. Ryan Yarbrough can offer multi-inning stints, too.

The Yanks haven’t fixed Jake Bird, though. Bird, who came over at the trade deadline last year, has a 4.88 ERA and has been up and down from Triple-A.

GRADE: B-

There’s high-level talent and it’s hard to ignore the numbers. It just feels like the path to Bednar should be smoother. The Yankees have always shown a willingness and an ability to upgrade their bullpen, to say nothing of how they’ve unearthed relief gems others might’ve missed. Here’s betting they do that again. The final grade could be much higher.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies wrap up a series this afternoon, as Philly eyes a sweep.

The P's come into this one as a short -122 home favorite, and it's not difficult for me to understand why. I'll be backing them as they hold a clear pitching advantage in this matchup.

Here are my Pirates vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks for July 2.

Who will win Pirates vs Phillies today: Phillies moneyline (-126)

COVERS INTEL: Jared Jones' average exit velocity is one of the highest allowed in the league, sitting in the Bottom 19 percent of the sport.

Pirates vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 (-107)

I like the Under with a projection of 9.4. Jones can give up damage, but he still misses enough bats to avoid a complete unraveling, and the Phillies’ offense has been closer to average than elite at 4.52 runs per game. 

Rangel is the bigger reason I’m comfortable below this number. His chase-heavy profile attacks a Pirates lineup with MLB’s highest whiff rate, giving him a path to soft counts and strikeout leverage. This total is priced as if both starters get hit (and hard), and I don’t agree.

I'd play this to -120.

Pirates vs Phillies weather

Pirates vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Pirates +114 | Phillies -124
• Run line: Pirates +1.5 | Phillies -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 | Under 10.5

Pirates vs Phillies trend

The Phillies have cashed the moneyline in 29 of their last 45 games for +10.60 units and a 17% ROI.

How to watch Pirates vs Phillies and game info

Pirates vs Phillies 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 more things change, the more they stay the same. Yet again, the Los Angeles Angels boast one of the greatest baseball talents of the generation, Mike Trout. Once again, that same Mike Trout finds himself limited due to injuries, even as he puts together his best season since 2022. Once again, the Angels failed to put together a team capable of winning significant games around Trout, and without him, they are downright terrible. And once again, despite finding themselves far out of playoff contention, their owner Arte Moreno seems disinclined to permit his front office to be true sellers, declaring Reid Detmers, José Soriano, and Jo Adell off-limits.

The only one thing different this year? The team fired general manager Perry Minasian last week, hiring John Mozeliak as the interim for the remainder of the season.

Should the Angels decide to do the smart thing and begin tearing everything down, they do have some pieces that may be of interest to teams throughout the league, including the Yankees. The pitching staff in particular is filled with quality names. A pair of young starters in Detmers and Soriano should be able to bring back sizeable prospect hauls if the front office was able to convince ownership to shop them around, as they are under team control for another two seasons. While Soriano gathered attention with his otherworldly start to the season, posting a 0.84 ERA through his first seven starts, it is Detmers who would be the more highly sought pitcher. His 2.9 fWAR ranks fourth among starters this season, and his metrics suggest that he is underperforming his 3.88 ERA. Soriano, meanwhile, has come down to earth after his meteoric rise, with a 5.34 ERA across his last 11 starts.

With the Angels’ interim general manager inexplicably believing that the team doesn’t need a rebuild, merely a small retool (perhaps influenced by ownership?), it’s much more likely that the team will be more inclined to trade from their bullpen depth. They may not exactly have an elite bullpen — they began the year with Jordan Romano as their closer, after all — there are some arms that may interest the Yankees. Veteran reliever Kirby Yates has rebounded nicely from a disastrous 2025 with the Dodgers, even if he hasn’t recaptured the magic of his 2024 season as the Rangers’ closer. With a 34.2 strikeout percentage that ranks 11th among relievers with at least 10 innings of work (he has pitched 17 innings this season), he would provide some swing-and-miss that the Yankees’ bullpen desperately needs.

On the offensive side, Los Angeles does not really match up with the Yankees. Zach Neto would give the team an offensive boost at the shortstop position, as he has a 114 wRC+ this season; defensively, though, he has taken a step back — instead of Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average disagreeing on his performance (he had 13 DRS and -8 OAA last year), both stats are very low on him this year (-2 DRS, -8 OAA). Jo Adell gives the Yankees something they don’t need more of — an outfielder who can function in center field but is below average there.

It’s unlikely, but a new front office in LA may finally cause Trout to force his way off the Angels. Now in his age-34 season and with an average salary of $37 million per year through 2030, he would still be a help to any team in the league…so long as he would be able to stay healthy. At this stage, he needs considerable DH time, and with Giancarlo Stanton still under contract through next season (with a team option for 2028), the fit is a bit awkward — even if a middle-of-the-order of Rice/Judge/Trout/Bellinger/Stanton would be a dream lineup.

Still, given the Angels’ refusal to trade Shohei Ohtani a few years back despite knowing that they would not even attempt to re-sign him…if you want to see that lineup, turn on MLB The Show. In fact, you might need to do that if you want to see any Angels players donning the pinstripes this season. Blame Moreno.

Meet the Mets

The Mets were blown out in the finale against the Blue Jays to drop the series. Starter Freddy Peralta was awful again putting the Mets behind early. The offense didn’t score until the game was well out of hand and all told it was just another sloppy loss in a season full of them.

Choose your recap:Amazin’ Avenue, Athletic, Daily News, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, NY Post

One of the only positives coming out of the lopsided loss was Carson Benge’s home run off of a lefty.

Owner Steve Cohen went on a podcast and discussed a variety of topics including the alleged feud between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, David Stearns’s job, the firing of Carlos Mendoza, the ejection of a fan at Citi Field holding a sign against Stearns, his unhappiness with the season, and the future of the team.

Luke Weaver has been one of the most dominant relievers in all of baseball, but should the Mets trade him at the deadline since he still has another year on his contract?

Jonah Tong’s family helped hand out his bobblehead giveaway to fans in Binghamton.

Around the National League East

The Braves started off July with a 5-1 win over the Cardinals.

The Marlins fell 6-3 to the Rockies in Colorado.

The Phillies defeated Paul Skenes and the Pirates 10-6.

Washington starter Cade Cavalli apologized for yelling a racially charged phrase at Wilson Contreras that caused a benches clearing incident.

The Nationals blew out the Red Sox 10-2.

Around Major League Baseball

The Yankees dropped their seventh in a row with a 6-2 loss against the Tigers.

The MLBPA’s latest CBA proposal included expanded rosters at the start of the season and placement on the 60-day IL in November.

Evidence is mounting that Major League Baseball may have changed the ball again, and that has led to more offense in the game.

Many teams could be interested in acquiring Tarik Skubal at the deadline, but it is still unclear what team will have a good enough package to acquire the Cy Young winner.

MLB has gutted the minor leagues in recent years for various reasons, and the strain is starting to show at the developmental level.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Grace Carbone took a look back at David Peterson’s tenure with the Mets.

This Date in Mets History

Happy birthday, Ángel Pagán!

The David Stearns scorecard isn’t pretty. You knew that already, but if you’ve been following along as I’ve graded different areas of the Mets’ first half this week, you’ve been reminded of how so many of his decisions have turned out badly.

Well, the good news for Stearns and the Mets is that he didn’t go 0-for-2026. The bad news is the one area where he excelled, putting together a dominant bullpen, is the area that matters least on a ballclub that is infrequently leading in the late innings.

Figures, right?

In truth, it’s fair to wonder if this Mets bullpen would have stood quite as tall had it been asked to do more in high-leverage spots.

For example, Devin Williams hasn’t blown a save since April 19, shaking off his early-season struggles to be a lock-down closer, yet he has only 12 saves for the season, miles from the MLB-high total of 26 by Cleveland Guardians’ Cade Smith.

On the other hand, Mets relievers are third in MLB in innings pitched, with 377, but some of that is because of the way they used the now-departed David Peterson, as well as others, as bulk-inning guys who followed openers.

The larger point is that the Mets have been able to keep their high-leverage relievers well-rested -- more so than they’d like, in truth.

That said, as far as grading their first half, it’s not fair to ding the pen for a lack of high-stress opportunities, for what they’ve done has been impressive. Indeed, their current 3.45 bullpen ERA ranks fourth in MLB, and their total of 379 strikeouts is first in the majors.

As such, it’s also only fair to give Stearns his due. 

Most notably, he signed Williams, despite the right-hander’s up-and-down 2025 season with the Yankees, moving quickly in the offseason to guarantee him $51 million over three years.

Whether he wanted Williams ideally to be Edwin Diaz’s set-up man may never be clear, as the Mets proceeded to lose Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what remains a murky scenario. Mets people were quick to put the word out that they wanted him back and expected to get last licks in the negotiations, while others familiar with the situation insisted Stearns was OK letting Diaz leave.

In any case, it was a wildly unpopular decision with Mets fans, but as it turned out, this one came up roses for Stearns, at least so far. While Williams has flourished, Diaz went down after only seven appearances with an elbow injury that required surgery to remove loose bodies, and he isn’t expected back until August.

As for Williams, he was shaky early but then seemingly found the form that made him one of the best relievers in baseball during his years in Milwaukee with the Brewers.

Most significantly, the right-hander has rediscovered the magic in his signature changeup, the so-called airbender that is a devastating weapon when he’s setting it up by throwing his fastball for strikes.

“You can see the confidence is back,” was the way one MLB scout put it this week. “It’s all about the confidence to throw the fastball with command and conviction and keep hitters from sitting on the changeup. He’s also trusting the changeup and not trying to steer it, as he did at times last year. When he’s just letting it go, it looks like his fastball delivery and then it disappears on hitters.”

Because of a few rough outings, Williams still has an unimpressive 4.13 ERA. But since April 23 he’s been dominant, giving up one earned run in 20 of his 22 appearances, to go with a couple of clunkers in non-save situations.

“I still need to see him close games in high-pressure spots again,” said the scout, “but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be an issue this year the way the Mets are playing.”

In the meantime, Williams is far from the only success story.

Luke Weaver, after some early-season problems as well, is on an all-time heater, having pitched 24 straight scoreless innings. In fact, he went all of May and June without giving up a run, while racking up 31 strikeouts compared to five walks.

Weaver has been so dominant that, even with another year on his contract, the Mets might be tempted to trade him at the deadline, as he’s likely to be highly sought after by contenders.

In addition, left-handers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter have both been reliable. Minter hasn’t given up an earned run in 14 innings since returning from last year’s elbow surgery.

And then there’s Huascar Brazoban and his 1.93 ERA. The right-hander has been an all-purpose weapon, used as an opener as well as a multi-inning reliever. His 42.1 innings are the most of any of the “A” relievers, if you will, and he’s given up only 22 hits in those innings.

In short, Brazoban has proven to be a steal for Stearns, acquired from the Miami Marlins at the 2024 trade deadline for minor leaguer Wilfredo Lara.

Finally, Austin Warren has emerged as an important bullpen arm as well. A 30-year old journeyman, Warren was picked up on waivers from the Giants in January of 2025, and after appearing in only five games last season, he has made 24 appearances this season, pitching to a 2.45 ERA over 33 innings.

With all of that in mind, the only knock on the Mets’ pen is that Williams and Weaver, in particular, did struggle early, when the Mets were digging themselves the deep hole from which they’ve yet to recover.

But again, to be fair, every bullpen has at least a few ups and downs. For the Mets, it’s pretty much been all pointing up since April.

So Stearns did get something right this year, constructing what has been one of the better bullpens in baseball. Unfortunately for the Mets, poor performance in other areas has minimized its impact.

GRADE: A -

Most baseball fans know that July 1 is colloquially known as Bobby Bonilla Day. In 2000, the New York Mets decided to defer the remaining $5.9 million left on Bonilla’s contract after they released him for batting .160.

Bonilla’s agent used that dismal batting average to his client’s advantage, knowing the team just wanted him gone. He got the team to defer the remaining money for 10 years, but then got 8% interest and those payment spread out over the next 25 years.

As such, the Mets now pay Bonilla $1,193,248.20 every July 1.

Before he was on the Mets, however, Bonilla was on the Dodgers, a part of one of the most shocking trades in Dodgers history. Bonilla and Gary Sheffield and three other players were traded to the Dodgers from the Florida Marlins for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile.

The Dodgers traded Bonilla to the Mets, and that deferred payment idea ended up coming around to benefit the Dodgers 24 years later. In addition to Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have eight players with deferred payments.

The Mets used that deferred $5.9 million to get Mike Hampton, a starting pitcher who helped them win the 2000 World Series. All of the players on the Dodgers payroll have helped them win World Series, aside from Edwin Diaz who remains to be seen. A running joke that has turned into a viable way to field a championship winning team.

Steve Henson of the L.A. Times has more details and quotes here.

In case you missed it, a fan at the Dodgers game against the A’s on Tuesday night got super excited about Team Mexico scoring a goal in their World Cup game against Ecuador. Justin Wrobleski’s pitch went into the dirt right after the fan yelled, but he then struck out the batter on the next pitch. Mexico went on to win and will play their next game on Sunday.

Chuck Schilkin has all the fun details here.

Today’s Reflections

Something is starting to feel familiar. Familiar, but different.

The Cubs’ bats are starting to come into form once again. That was proven in the games from Monday and Tuesday. Six batters in the Cubs’ starting lineup Monday had hits, with Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong with a pair each, in the 3-2 walk-off win. Suzuki had the game-winning hit.

Then on Tuesday, every hitter in the starting lineup (even Kevin Alcantara!) had at least one hit. Suzuki and Carson Kelly each had a pair. Two of Swanson’s three hits were home runs, two of the five homers on the team.

But Shota Imanaga, who picked up the win Monday with 6.1 strong innings, is the only starter from the Opening Day roster that has not been injured. Matthew Boyd recently returned from the IL and had a bend-but-not-break outing Tuesday. And five of the OD bullpen members are on the IL, plus Colin Rea was an emergency move into the rotation.

While having a patchwork pitching staff, the Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 games. Yes, it’s another streak for the Cubs. But instead of the shocking runs from early in the season, where the feeling was, “Is this real?!!! Who cares — Let’s keep going, whoo!!”, the feeling is, “Is this ….. real?? When is it going to fall apart? When will the pitching injuries take a permanent toll on the team? Well, let’s keep going and see.” Not to be a downer here, but I feel there is definitely a stronger feeling of caution than there was in April and early May. Rightfully so.

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Tuesday’s game stories:

• Scott Held (Chicago Tribune {$}): Dansby Swanson hits 2 of Chicago Cubs’ 5 HRs in 9-7 win over the San Diego Padres. “Alex Bregman, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong added home runs to help the Cubs win for the 10th time in 12 games.”

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.con): Swanson homers twice as Cubs win slugfest over Padres. “There are nights when Wrigley Field transforms into a hitter’s haven and teams understand that piling up runs is not only the goal, but required to find the win column.”

• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Change of strategy: Cubs belt 5 home runs, hang on to beat Padres. “The Cubs were ready to begin a new chapter Tuesday.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman downplays thumbs-down gestures after homering at Wrigley for 1st time since March. “Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman didn’t have any interest in providing insight into his post-home run thumbs-down gestures.”

Monday’s game stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Another Wrigley walk-off: Injuries aren’t keeping Cubs from winning while attempting to weather storm. “Seiya Suzuki delivered the latest game-winning thrill at Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ 10th walk-off win of the season, keeping the victories coming while the team deals with an ever-increasing mountain of injuries.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki power the Chicago Cubs to an MLB-leading 10th walk-off victory. “Imanaga held the Padres to two runs on nine hits and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings without walking a batter or allowing a home run on a humid, hot night at Wrigley Field.”

Assorted stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Walk of life: Cubs’ patience at plate paying off as offense heats back up after monthlong slump. “The Cubs are baseball’s walk kings, leading the majors in that category, getting improved on-base numbers all over the lineup and taking to shouting out free passes with as much gusto as complimenting home runs.”
• Evan Sullivan (Cubs Insider): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Explosive June Puts Him Alongside Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig. “Pete Crow-Armstrong nearly lapped the field in June, posting a 3.1 fWAR mark that left Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (1.8) in the dust. The numbers Crow-Armstrong generated are so outlandish that they’ve only been replicated in four other months by two players.”
• Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Power Surge Propels Cubs Toward Potential Sweep, Nothing Imminent on Trade Front, Mets Expect to Make Sweeping Changes. “Chicago’s North Side Baseballers have an opportunity to complete the sweep while simultaneously treating us to day baseball on what should be a beautiful summer afternoon.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs News: Ethan Conrad debuts, Vince Velasquez elects free agency, Pete Crow-Armstrong home run derby. “With the 2026 MLB Draft a little over a week away, the Chicago Cubs’ 2025 first-round draft pick has finally made his professional debut.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Craig Counsell downplays the Chicago Cubs’ many challenges, but he was hired to solve problems. “This might be Counsell’s most challenging season as manager, though he won’t consider the possibility and isn’t interested in comparisons.”
• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Cubs are hurting, but they’re also showing their mettle during a challenging time. “The Cubs picked up their 10th walk-off win of the season when Seiya Suzuki drove in Pete Crow-Armstrong with a hit off the ivy.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports.com): Are the Chicago Cubs’ Injuries Becoming Their Greatest Concern in 2026? “At this point, it seems like there is someone new is added every day, as the pitching staff has been destroyed. Now, they must find a way to overcome the injuries if they wish to stay competitive.”

Trade Talk:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Jameson Taillon could make injury return before All-Star break, good news for Cubs’ battered pitching staff. “The Cubs are aiming to have Taillon, who’s been out since early June with a hamstring strain, make a rehab start this weekend, potentially setting him up for a return from the IL during the team’s final series of the first half.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): What we’re hearing about Cubs’ pitching plans: Trade expectations, comebacks and more. “Even as they juggle various pitching injuries, the Cubs are trying to focus on internal solutions until the draft and trade deadline.”
• Eddie Lennon (LastWordOnSports.com): 3 Strong Luis Arraez Trade Destinations. “He doesn’t hit for power. He doesn’t rack up elite exit velocity numbers. He doesn’t overwhelm with highlight-reel tools.”
• Tyler Edmunds (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs Need to Stop Waiting and Go Get Sonny Gray. “The Chicago Cubs adding Sonny Gray from the Boston Red Sox would make a lot of sense for a team desperately needing pitching help.”
• Eddie Lennon (LastWordOnSports.com): 3 Great Landing Spots for Freddy Peralta. “Peralta still brings exactly what contenders want in October: strikeouts, swing-and-miss stuff, and the ability to shorten games when every inning carries postseason weight.”

Food For Thought:

John Lee Hooker (1917–2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist famous for his hypnotic, driving “boogie” rhythm and deep, gravelly voice. Born into a Mississippi sharecropping family, he pioneered an electric-style adaptation of Delta blues in Detroit. Over a career spanning five decades, he recorded over 100 albums, releasing classics like “Boogie Chillen” and “Boom Boom”.

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