PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Josiah Hartshorn #27 of the Chicago Cubs bats in seventh inning of the MLB All-Star Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
OK. I’m going to try to get all the player movement today. If I miss someone, I’m sorry. But the Cubs have to fill in for all the players who were traded yesterday.
Left-hander Braxton Garrett joins Triple-A Iowa.
Right-hander Andrew Wantz elected free agency.
Right-hander Tyler Santana was promoted from Double-A Knoxville to Iowa.
Left-hander Evan Taylor also promoted from Knoxville to Iowa.
Outfielder Jordan Nwogu was activated off the 60-day injured list and promoted from Knoxville to Iowa.
Shortstop Ed Howard was promoted from Knoxville to Iowa.
Catcher Daniel Campos promoted from Mesa to Iowa.
Outfielder Kane Kepley was promoted from High-A South Bend to Knoxville.
Left-hander Jackson Brockett was promoted from South Bend to Knoxville.
Second baseman Dom Krupinski was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to Knoxville.
Outfielder Alexey Lumpuy promoted from Myrtle Beach to South Bend.
Right-hander Braylon Myers also promoted from Myrtle Beach to South Bend.
Catcher Brennen Hudson promoted from Mesa to South Bend. Hudson was the Cubs’ 20th-round draft pick this year.
Stater Jaxon Wiggins took the loss after allowing five runs on two hits over 2.2 innings. As normal lately, control was the problem for Wiggins as he walked six. He struck out four.
The I-Cubs had four hits. DH Owen Ayers went 1 for 3 with a doule and a walk.
Here’s the only Iowa run on an RBI single by third baseman Owen Miller. He was 1 for 4.
Jostin Florentino gave the Cubs five scoreless innings and got the win. He allowed five hits. Florentino struck out four and walked no one, but he did hit one batter.
Yoendris Gonzalez gave the Cubs 2.2 scoreless and Ethan Bell retired all four batters he faced to complete the shutout. Bell struck out three.
Right fielder Jose Escobar had a home run washed out by rain on Sunday, so he cranked a solo shot in the fourth inning today. It was Escobar’s fifth South Bend home run and seventh overall. Escobar went 1 for 4.
South Bend scored four runs in the seventh inning on two two-run home runs. Second baseman Matt Hallquist hit the first one, his fifth on the year. Hallquist was was 1 for 4.
First baseman. Josiah Hartshorn went the other way for the other home run in the seventh. It was Hartshorn’s 17th home run and 12 with South Bend. Hartshorn went 1 for 2 with two walks.
The Pelicans and the Fireflies were still scoreless in the third inning when the rains came. They’ll finish this one tomorrow followed by a seven-inning game.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing catches a ball during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners at Uniqlo Field in Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Copyright (c) 2026 Shutterstock Editorial. No use without permission.)
CHICAGO –– Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has a diagnosis for his recent elbow injury.
As manager Dave Roberts said in a radio interview with AM570 on Tuesday, the second-year slugger has a “slightly torn UCL” in his right throwing arm, though a timeline on his recovery was not immediately clear.
Roberts expounded after Tuesday’s game by saying Rushing will remain on a hitting program, but is set to be shut down from throwing for up to potentially 4-6 weeks.
That could leave his status as a catching option in doubt for the stretch run of the year, and potentially the playoffs.
“Don’t know what that looks like for the rest of the season and throughout the postseason,” Roberts said. “Fortunately, it happened the day before the trade deadline. So… today we’re looking at two new catchers.”
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing catches a ball during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners at Uniqlo Field in Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Copyright (c) 2026 Shutterstock Editorial. No use without permission.) CHRIS TORRES/EPA/Shutterstock
Rushing was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup on Sunday, after feeling arm pain during pregame catch play.
And over the next 48 hours, the team made two catching additions before Monday’s trade deadline, reacquiring familiar faces in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia. They were both added to the active roster before Tuesday’s game, replacing recent minor-league call-ups Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson.
The Dodgers are confident Smith will return to action over the stretch run of the season. He started ramping up baseball activities during last week’s homestand, after his lingering injury finally became pain-free.
The hope is that Rushing will be able to return, as well, though it’s possible he could be limited to hitting-only duties.
If so, the Dodgers at least now have ample insurance at the position, allowing them to remain cautious with both Smith’s and Rushing’s recovery progressions as their injury questions linger behind the plate.
The Yankees have not referred to George Lombard Jr. as a savior of their season. The words “Derek Jeter” have yet to come out of Aaron Boone’s mouth when asked for comparison. The vision that the club’s manager laid out Tuesday, shortly after promoting the young shortstop, was for Lombard to “get settled here as seamlessly as possible and hopefully go out there and help us win ballgames.”
And then Lombard authored the kind of debut that ensured the nearly impossible expectations, at least externally, will only grow.
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In his first major league game, Lombard looked like the kind of immediate upgrade — with the bat and glove — who allows the Yankees and their fans to fantasize they have found their World Series shortstop for the present and the future.
The 21-year-old top prospect homered in his second big league at-bat, put on a show defensively and immediately displayed why he was untouchable at this and every trade deadline since joining the organization, contributing plenty to a 2-0 Yankees victory over the Cardinals.
There were 41,081 fans who watched a sweet swing and several slick defensive plays from Lombard. But if this game truly marks the start of a new Yankees era, there will be millions more who claim they witnessed the rise of Lombard firsthand.
Yankees George Lombard Jr. (96) blasts a home run during the fifth inning in his major league debut. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“This is probably a moment, a swing, a day I won’t forget forever,” Lombard said after his team improved to 64-50 on the year and 1-0 in the Lombard Era, which will be remembered for that swing and a bit of defensive wizardry.
Lombard had struggled initially with the bat at every minor league affiliate before adjusting and conquering the level. At least for one game, he required only two at-bats to figure out big league pitching.
After a third-inning groundout, Lombard stepped up in the fifth inning and smoked a solo home run into the left field seats for his first hit, homer, RBI, run scored and electrifying moment in The Bronx.
New York Yankees newcomer George Lombard Jr. completes a double play in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. (JASON SZENES) JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“He’s strong,” Boone said after Hunter Dobbins’ 0-2 sweeper got too much of the plate and was redirected 392 feet for a 2-0 Yankees lead. “He knows what he wants to do. He knows his plan.”
Lombard allowed a small smile as he rounded the bases while his parents — who earlier in the night had celebrated the first professional home run from George’s brother, Jacob, in his debut with the Marlins’ Low-A affiliate — hugged in the stands. The home dugout exploded. Yankee Stadium found a new hero.
And yet the kid, barely old enough to drink alcohol, whose reputation for maturity might be greater than his reputation for baseball excellence, did not show much emotion.
“Honestly, I felt pretty relaxed [during the game],” said the third-youngest Yankee (behind Jasson Domínguez and Johnny Ellis) in history to homer in his debut. “I think everybody around me, everyone here, helped me feel comfortable once I got here.”
To see the dangers of proclaiming Lombard as the rightful heir to Jeter, you just have to look at the last shortstop proclaimed as such, who was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with Tuesday’s corresponding move. A 2019 first-round pick, Anthony Volpe was the darling of the organization and the fanbase until he was not. In his fourth big league season, Volpe will have to prove himself in the minors to even make the case he can be a part-time player in The Bronx.
There are no guarantees, but the 2023 first-round pick wasted no time showing off tools that Volpe does not have in his toolbox.
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Arguably more impressive than his home run was the second-inning ground ball that Blaze Jordan smacked into the hole, where Lombard took a few long steps and lunged.
“I didn’t realize he was that long,” said winning pitcher Ryan Weathers, who watched Lombard spear the ball with an extended backhand and throw with force to second while fading away. Jazz Chisholm Jr. caught it, turned and threw for a well-turned double play.
“Pretty special turn. You just see how fluid he is, how physical he is,” Boone added of the play, on which Lombard looked “like a puma.”
Add in a homer from Chisholm and nine shutout innings from Weathers, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick and David Bednar, and the Yankees seized a 10th victory in their past 16 games.
This one, though, felt different. Time will tell, but it felt as if it should be remembered.
“Obviously a great first night for him,” Boone said of his new shortstop. “The home run was great. The defense was tremendous.”
Skubal and Mize were drafted together by the Detroit Tigers in 2018, came through the minor leagues together, arrived in the major leagues together in 2020, and within 48 hours became ex-Tigers together.
Mize, who like Skubal said the Tigers never made a contract extension offer to keep him, was traded to the San Diego Padres on Monday afternoon, just minutes before the 3 p.m. PT trade deadline in Seattle.
He packed up his suitcase, took a flight to Phoenix that was diverted to Las Vegas because of the Phoenix dust storms, and Tuesday afternoon was wearing a Padres’ brown uniform.
“Very excited to be here,’’ he said, “chasing a championship. Got a really good group here. I'm excited to be a part of it.’’
“I thought he might be gone, but for myself,’’ Mize said, “I still didn't know the direction in which the organization was going to go.’’
Even when Skubal was traded Saturday night to the Dodgers, Mize was unsure of his status. Were the Tigers going to keep him and still try to make the postseason? Or were they going to make a clean break and dump him, too?
“We were kind of up in the air after the Skubal trade,’’ Mize said. “I thought it would be more likely, and then the clock just kept ticking, and I was like, 'I don't know.' And then at the very last second, it happened. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but you know, excited with how it turned out.’’
Yet, just like Skubal, Mize also shed some tears with his teammates and coaching staff before he left town. He was a first-round pick by the Tigers (taken first overall). He loved the organization. Loved the city. And loved the fans.
Now, he’s starting all over, and just like Skubal, will be a free agent after the season.
Only he’ll be earning a little less money in free agency than Skubal, who’s expected to receive in excess of $400 million.
“It was a pretty emotional day all the way around,’’ said Mize, who’s scheduled to start Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. “You know, been living (in) Detroit for eight years. Met so many special people there. People that have changed my life and my career. So, it wasn't like I was trying to get out of there or anything. That place means a lot to me. It was really special, and certainly sad to leave. …
"You know, your mind goes to so many different places. It's just, you have to say goodbye to so many people that you really care about. ... But I couldn't be more excited and happy for this opportunity. I landed in a great situation. Mixed emotions, but I'm happy with how everything turned out.’’
The Padres are ecstatic the way it worked out, landing not only Mize, but also San Francisco Giants No. 2 starter Robbie Ray, who’s scheduled to start Friday when the Padres return home. They are battling for a wild-card berth, entering Tuesday night two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Diamondbacks in the wild-card race.
“We’re trying to win,” A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations, said. “We don’t apologize for it. We’re trying to win championships. We’re trying to get to the postseason and do it year after year.”
Now, with the acquisition of Mize and Ray, the Padres have doubled their starting rotation. They had been using just Michael King and Walker Buehler as traditional starters while going with an 11-man bullpen. Now, they can go the conventional approach.
“It really comes back to maximizing our roster and making sure we have the pitching depth to get through August and September,’’ Preller said. “You have to beat the best teams to get to where you want to go, so having guys like Robbie and Casey gives us starting options that we feel can stack up against anyone in October.”
The Padres hope that the upheaval doesn’t adversely affect Mize's and Ray’s routine. Ray’s last start was July 30 with the San Francisco Giants, when he gave up just four hits and one run in six innings against the Padres. Mize, scratched by the Tigers before his last scheduled start to prevent a potential injury before the trade deadline, hasn’t pitched in 11 days. His last start was July 25 against the Kansas City Royals. He has had bullpen sessions, but it’s hardly the same as pitching in games.
“I’m ready,’’ he said. “It’s been a little bit. So, I’m ready to get out there.’’
And, yes, he’s looking forward to catching up with Skubal again.
They spent their entire career together in Detroit, and now they’re separated by a 90-minute drive, competing in the same NL West Division as fierce rivals. The two teams face off one last time in the regular season, Sept. 22-24 at Dodger Stadium.
“It'll be pretty cool,’’ Mize said. “It's interesting. We come from the AL Central, and now the NL West is kind of out of left field for us. But, you know, we'll cross paths, and I look forward to it.
“He's my best friend, so obviously, hoping the best for him, but just not when he plays the Padres.’’
BRONX, NY - AUGUST 04: George Lombard Jr #96 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 4, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
You never know what to expect from a major league debut. You could get a fiery one like Aaron Judge’s first-pitch home run, or you could get a game like Mike Mayers allowing nine runs in 1.2 innings (both of which happened in 2016). I couldn’t tell you what Gleyber Torres did in his MLB debut, which I was in attendance for back in April 2018, but the memory of such a debut rings eternal.
For George Lombard Jr., the latest highly-touted prospect in an organization that puts pressure on youngsters like none other in the history of baseball, he probably didn’t need a tremendous first impression given the shoddy performance in the infield and who he was replacing, but coming out firing would boost the confidence of a front office that probably wanted to wait another two weeks to maintain his rookie eligibility.
Well, Lombard’s MLB debut was as good as you could’ve hoped for. Some slick defensive plays and a memorable first major league hit and homer in the same at-bat were the highlights of a ho-hum 2-0 shutout victory at Yankee Stadium over the Cardinals.
The night started much better than last, as Weathers came out throwing strikes and kept the Cardinals’ hitters off balance. After Cam Schlittler’s five walks and gargantuan pitch count populated the start of the game on Monday, the lefty was efficient and effective. Yankee hater Hunter Dobbins was on the mound, continuing a scoreless streak against the team he performatively hates that began with six scoreless innings last year with Boston with a clean first of his own.
In the second, a one-out single by Masyn Winn became the game’s first baserunner, but he didn’t last too long. On the very next pitch, Blaze Jordan would ground a ball into the 5.5 hole that the rookie Lombard would snag before turning a picture-perfect 6-4-3 double play in his first chance defensively as a Yankee. He’s an exceptional defender, so expect more plays like these in the future.
Perhaps energized by his double play partner’s dazzling play, Jazz Chisholm Jr. thought to provide some offense, hammering a looping curveball into the short porch in right field for a go-ahead home run, his 17th of the season. For those with good memories, you may recall Chisholm’s “free smoke” tweet in response to the Dobbins story last season. Good way to back it up.
Weathers kept on rolling in the ensuing innings, pitching around a bunt single in the third before tossing a 1-2-3 fourth. Another snazzy double play turned by Lombard in the fifth got him through five extremely quick innings. On the offensive front, a walk by Ben Rice and a single by Luis García Jr. put two on and nobody out, but an unsuccessful contact play and two unproductive at-bats stranded the threat.
The one known quantity we had about Lombard in the major leagues was his stellar defense at shortstop, but there were valid questions about whether his bat would play, particularly against right-handed pitching. While he had excelled against lefties in the minors, there was some risk against righties. You wouldn’t know it the way he swung it in his second at-bat, as Dobbins completely hung an 0-2 sweeper down the pipe, which allowed the rookie to get his arms extended just enough for his first big-league everything. Hit, run, RBI, home run, whatever you want.
Needing a shutdown inning, things got sticky for Weathers in the sixth, as after back-to-back strikeouts to open the inning, he walked JJ Wetherholt on four pitches before a single by Iván Herrera put runners on the corners with two out. Nearing the end of his rope and in a 3-2 count, he was able to get José Fermín to line out to left field to complete six sparkling innings, continuing a really good stretch of late.
For a brief moment, it looked like García made it 4-0 with his second homer in as many nights, but the ball died on the warning track in what was a fleeting sixth inning with a lot of loud contact. Fernando Cruz was first out of the arm barn in the seventh, immediately giving up a leadoff double to Nelson Velazquez before getting the next two outs. With a runner on third and two out, Brent Headrick was called upon out of the bullpen and needed just one pitch to retire last night’s hero, Nathan Church.
It seemed like the Yankees could get some insurance in the seventh after a single by Ryan McMahon and a walk by Lombard put two on with one out. Dobbins was lifted from the game by Oli Mormol for former Yankee Caleb Ferguson, as Aaron Boone countered with lefty killer Paul Goldschmidt. Despite seeming to get the matchup they wanted, Goldy hit a hard grounder right back to Ferguson, who turned a 1-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Headrick got in trouble in the eighth, allowing a single before a walk to the 9-hitter put two on and nobody out. Walking a tightrope, he induced a soft grounder out of Wetherholt and struck out Herrera before Boone lifted him for David Bednar. With the tying run on second and the bases loaded after an intentional walk of the pinch-hitting Alec Burleson, he toyed with Velazquez on a three-pitch strikeout to escape the jam.
A quiet top of the ninth against Ferguson put the spotlight back on Bednar, who retired Winn, Jordan, and Church to salt away yet another shutout victory. The Yankees now have 12 of those this season, second in the majors behind the Phillies.
The Yankees will look to win the rubber game tomorrow night at 7:05 pm. It’ll be Will Warren looking to build on his strong last start at Wrigley against Andre Pallante on Prime Video.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 04: Jo Adell #7 of the Cleveland Guardians runs onto the field prior to a game against the New York Mets at Progressive Field on August 04, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Joey Cantillo and the Cleveland Guardians took the field against the New York Mets, the day after a successful trade deadline. The pieces have been moved and the Guardians got a first look at the rest of the season.
Unfortunately for Joey, the Mets were on their better game. Joey looked like he was struggling with control, pitching a bit wild, and a throwing error in the second wasn’t helpful. With two outs, Gabriel Arias made a throwing error to first that allowed Marcus Semien to reach. The next batter walked and the batter after him hit a three-run home run on a 90.9 mph four seamer down the middle. Cantillo ended the night having gone 5.0 innings. He allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks and struck out five.
Slade Cecconi came on in the sixth in his new role in the bullpen. Slade went 2.2 innings, allowing a solo home run, two hits, and striking out four batters. Tim Herrin finished the eighth and closed the game, only walking one batter.
Recent acquisition Jo Adell went 2-for-4 with a run and a walk. He also reached on a error. In the bottom of the third Adell doubled to lead off the inning. Chase DeLauter drew a walk and, with one out, Angel Martínez slapped a double to left that bounced off of the foul line on the walk to score Adell from second.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Chase DeLauter singled on a sharp liner to left. Angel Martínez, with now two outs, drew a walk. Travis Bazzana hit a RBI single up the center, through both defenders to score CDL for the Guards’ final run of the night.
On a night where there are a lot of frustrating little mistakes and issues that piled up to a loss, there were some positives. Jo Adell looks to be a good addition that the team needed. Chase DeLauter is an on base machine, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Steven Kwan is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game.
These two teams will face off again tomorrow at 6:40PM EDT. It will be a righty face off with Christian Scott and Tanner Bibee starting for their teams.
Skubal cruised to six straight outs in his start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Then Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson stepped up to the plate in the bottom half of the third and deposited a first-pitch, 96 mpg fastball into the left center-field bleachers.
Shockingly, the home run was the first of the season allowed by Skubal on the first pitch of an at-bat, per TBS’ broadcast.
The no-doubt home run tied the game at 1-1, and that wasn’t the end of what ended up being a stressful inning for the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.
He recorded outs against the next two hitters he faced before Cubs star center fielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong, hit a single to right field to extend the inning.
Dansby Swanson rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Tarik Skubal. Getty Images
PCA stole second base soon after before Seiya Suzuki worked a walk against Skubal in a six-pitch at-bat. Skubal got Alex Bregman to fly out after that, limiting the damage to Swanson’s solo shot.
Skubal has thrown 48 pitches through three innings. It will be interesting to see how long Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lets him keep pitching in his first time performing in a Los Angeles uniform.
Tarik Skubal walks off the mound during a Los Angeles Dodgers game. AP Photo/Melissa Tamez
The new Dodgers ace settled in after that, though.
Through 5+ innings, Skubal has allowed one run on two hits, with one walk and five strikeouts.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 04: Hunter Dobbins #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 04, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals were hoping for an encore performance after a slugfest Monday night that they came out on top of against the New York Yankees. Tuesday night’s game was a completely different type of game as Hunter Dobbins for the Cardinals and Ryan Weathers were in a bit of a pitcher’s duel. The Cardinals would get their share of hits, but lacked enough runs to support Dobbins quality start.
Both pitchers were stingy for the first 6 innings at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night. The Yankees were first on the board in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. lifted a sky-high 397 foot fly ball into the right field stands for a 1-0 Yankees lead.
The Yankees got their second run in the bottom of the 5th inning when prospect extraordinaire George Lombard Jr. got ahold of one of Hunter Dobbins 81 mph sweepers and blasted it into the left field stands for his first Major League hit and the second Yankees run of the night making it 2-0.
The Cardinals would start a two-out rally in the top of the 6th inning when JJ Wetherholt drew a walk. When Iván Herrera singled up the middle, Wetherholt aggressively went first-to-third giving St. Louis runners at 1st and 3rd with two outs. José Fermín worked the count full against Weathers before barreling a 94 mph sinker that unfortunately sailed directly into the glove of leftfielder Ramos ending the Cardinals scoring threat.
Ryan Weathers pitched 6 innings of scoreless ball for the Yankees allowing just 4 hits while striking out 6. Hunter Dobbins was nearly his match for the Cardinals other than the two solo home runs. He pitched into the 7th inning as his pitch count didn’t hit 80 until the Yankees bottom of the 7th started. He would depart with one out in the 7th after McMahon singled and Lombard Jr. walked after throwing 91 pitches. He was relieved by newcomer Caleb Ferguson who the Cardinals bought from the Reds prior to the trade deadline for $250,000 in international pool money and he promptly got a double play ball on his first pitch to get the Cardinals out of the bottom of the 7th.
The Cardinals would load the bases in the top of the 8th inning after Pedro Pagés singled and Bryan Torres walked. JJ Wetherholt grounded out to the pitcher, but Lombard Jr. fell down at short taking away the double play possibility. The Yankees would eventually decide to intentionally walk pinch-hitter Alec Burleson which was wise considering the fact that he launched 3 home runs Monday night. Unfortunately, Nelson Velázquez struck out on 3 straight splitters to end the Cardinals chance to score.
After Caleb Ferguson held the Yankees scoreless in the bottom of the 8th inning, the Cardinals had one more chance to come up with some runs. Masyn Winn led off the 9th inning against Yankees reliever Bednar. He worked a full count before lining out to Chisholm Jr. at second for the first out. Next up was Blaze Jordan who struck out on a 91 mph splitter. Final Cardinals hope was Nathan Church who struck out confirmed by the ABS challenge.
End result? Cardinals with 6 hits, but no runs. Yankees with 5 hits and 2 runs. When your pitching staff only gives up 2 runs on 2 solo homers, you should win that game. Didn’t happen for the Cardinals Tuesday night.
It’s game 3 as the St. Louis Cardinals tackle the New York Yankees again Wednesday night. Andre Pallante hopes for another strong start for the Cardinals while the Yankees will start RHP Will Warren who’s 8-5 on the season with a 4.14 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm central time at Yankee Stadium and the TV broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Ryan Weathers pitched six scoreless innings and George Lombard Jr. homered in his MLB debut as the Yankees defeated the Cardinals, 2-0, on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Here are the takeaways...
-Weathers was on. The Yankees southpaw kept the Cardinals lineup off balance for much of the game. His only trouble came in the sixth when St. Louis had two runners on, but Weathers got Jose Fermin to line out to end the threat.
Weathers extended his scoreless innings streak to 18 and finished tossing 88 pitches (56 strikes), allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six batters across his six innings of work. His season ERA was lowered to 3.79.
-The Yankees got on the board first after Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a 397-foot blast in the second. It was tough sledding for the offense for a while. The Yankees had first and third with no one out in the fourth, but could not come up with any runs. Heliot Ramos grounded into a fielder's choice, as the Cardinals gunned down Ben Rice at home, who was running on contact. Spencer Jones grounded into a force out and Chisholm struck out to end the inning.
But Lombard Jr. gave the Yankees a jolt, launching a solo shot in the fifth to double the Yankees' lead. It was Lombard's first MLB hit and home run. He also became just the 14th Yankee to hit a home run in his debut.
The Yankees top prospect finished 1-for-2 with a walk and made a number of spectacular plays on defense, making it look easy.
-A day after the bullpen imploded, they were on the verge of doing so again. Fernando Cruz allowed a hit in his 0.2 innings of work before Brent Headrick got the final out of the seventh. The southpaw allowed a walk and a hit before striking out Ivan Herrera to get the second out of the eighth. David Bednar intentionally walked a pinch-hitting Alec Burleson before striking out Nelson Velazquez to end the eighth.
Bednar pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to lock down his 25th save.
-Ramos, making his Yankees debut, went 0-for-4. Luis Garcia Jr. finished 1-for-4 in his second game in pinstripes.
Game MVP: Ryan Weathers
Weathers' six scoreless innings allowed the Yankees to hold onto their slim lead.
Aug 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Max Clark (15) walks to the dugout before the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (54-58) vs. Seattle Mariners (55-58)
Time/Place: 9:40 p.m., T-Mobile Park SB Nation Site:Lookout Landing Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (6-1, 1.75 ERA) vs. RHP Emerson Hancock (6-5, 3.26 ERA)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 4: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 4, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics dropped their sixth straight game on Tuesday evening, dropping the series opener late to the Reds 5-4.
Ginn rolls early
It was J.T. Ginn on the bump tonight making his first start off the IL due to a blister issue. Based off how he was pitching early you’d be hard pressed to see a pitcher who was just returning from an injury. After allowing a pair of hits in the first Ginn induced a groundball double play, then proceeded to retire the side in the second and third frames. He ran into a bit more trouble in the fourth with two runners on but got a much-needed lineup to get himself out of that jam.
Bats take time to arrive, finally show up
Meanwhile the lineup behind Ginn tonight was squaring off against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. A trade candidate who ended up staying put, Singer was matching Ginn early, posting zeros across the first three frames this evening while holding the A’s to just one hit and a pair of walks.
Singer couldn’t keep the A’s off the board forever. A leadoff double off the bat of Tyler Soderstrom was an excellent way to start the fourth, and he’d come around to score on a base knock off the bat of veteran Jeff McNeil, a line drive single to right center:
McNeil didn’t perform well enough during the first half to gin up trade interest in the infielder’s services but the A’s benefit from having him around right here as he collected his 35th RBI to give the A’s an early 1-0 lead.
The A’s would continue to add on in the next frame. A walk and single put two runners on but a sacrifice bunt from today’s leadoff man Lawrence Butler didn’t work out as the back runner was gunned down at second base. Butler made up for it with a stolen base to get that second runner into scoring position but with two outs the A’s would need a big hit. And who else was next up to bat than Jacob Wilson?
A two-run double and suddenly the A’s had a 3-0 lead with Ginn on the mound and looking sharp. That’s a big hit for Wilson, a guy who was out for the past couple of games and has generally had a tough season with all the injuries and whatnot.
Reds do damage against Ginn
The young righty couldn’t keep the Cincy offense down forever. The Reds, now facing a three-run deficit, got to work in the fifth against Ginn. A leadoff walk of course started it all. Then a double put two runners in scoring position for Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz who brought both home with a two-run single. A wild pitch and some bad defense from Jonah Heim behind the plate then allowed him to get all the way to third before a sacrifice fly brought De La Cruz home. That’s three runs he’s more or less directly responsible for right there. Easy to see why he’s so important to the Reds.
Ginn would pitch one more frame tonight, finishing off six full frames in his first start since
J.T. Ginn: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 91 pitches
What rust? Considering his last appearance was just two and a half weeks ago we shouldn’t be shocked but it’s still nice to see him with no lingering issues. His next scheduled start should be in Boston against the Red Sox on Sunday.
A’s answer back
With the game all knotted back up at 3 apiece it was back on the offense to get some work in. The A’s were now themselves into the Cincy bullpen and it was old friend Sam Moll first out for the Reds. The lefty got two quick outs before a two-out hit from center fielder Henry Bolte. The struggling rookie then swiped second base to put himself in scoring position, his 13th of the season. It was Butler back to the plate and a groundball looked like it’d waste the scoring opportunity but a throwing error from De La Cruz allowed Bolte to come home to score:
The first baseman could have made an amazing play but that was a bad throw from De La Cruz. Now we see why he’s so enigmatic for Reds fans. Bolte also made a heads-up play to run it out and just beating the throw home. He may be going through some struggles in the batter’s box but he’s not letting that follow him onto the basepaths.
Bullpen blows it
Now with the lead again the A’s would ask their bullpen to get nine more outs. Lefty Brady Basso was first out of the ‘pen and turned in a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. Of course, he wouldn’t have had that without a great play from his shortstop:
Next was another lefty as Hogan Harris was tasked with handling the eighth. When you walk the first two batters of the eighth you’re just asking for trouble and that’s what Harris got after his two free passes. That led to two runs for the Reds, giving them a lead they would not relinquish. The A’s couldn’t answer back in the ninth and went down in the series opener 5-4.
Another loss thanks to the bullpen. A wasted solid start from Ginn which hurts. And now the A’s have lost six straight games. Tough to swallow and we are desperate to see an A’s win. Pronto.
The series continues tomorrow night, same time same place everyone. Lefty Jacob Lopez is set to get the ball for his 15th start of the season and fourth since returning to the starting rotation. The results have been much, much better as he’s allowed just three runs in 16 1/3 innings of work spanning those four starts. The Reds will counter Lopez with right-hander Rhett Lowder. Considered one of the Reds’ top prospects, Lowder looked fantastic last season in his first cup of coffee in the big leagues but has had some struggles here in 2026. A lot of the damage he’s allowed has been in disastrous blowup outings: he’s gotten tagged for eight runs twice and six runs once. If you were to remove those three starts he’d have a much-better 3.35 ERA. Which pitcher will show up tomorrow?
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 4: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on August 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Luis Arraez’s Philadelphia Phillies (61-53) debut went about as well as you could draw it up with their new second baseman knocking in a pair of runs on a couple of hits to support Jesus Luzardo’s terrific effort in a 5-0 shutout of the Washington Nationals (55-60) on Tuesday night.
Phillies fans gave Luis Arraez a standing ovation before his 1st at-bat
The new defensive alignment went smoothly on night one, with Bryce Harper making four routine catches in right field and Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm playing mistake-free in their new posts at third and first base while all provided significant contributions at the plate.
Harper walked in each of his first two at bats, both times pushing Trea Turner into scoring position for Arraez.
The 8.0 innings pitched were Luzardo’s most in a start this season, though he only needed 98 pitches. He becomes the third Phillies’ starter to collect double-digit wins this year.
The unsung rider on the Arraez trade also made his Phillies debut as Caleb Kilian pitched a scoreless ninth inning to preserve Luzardo’s shutout.
Andrew Painter will look to build on his solid return from the minors and validate Dave Dombrowski’s optimism in him in game two of the series tomorrow night. Nats’ will go with Jake Irvin.
In their first game after selling a slew of players at the trade deadline, the Mets looked like a better baseball team than the Guardians, a team that entered the night in the final American League Wild Card spot. We know by now that the Mets are not the better of the two teams, but thanks to a very solid start by Sean Manaea and a trio of home runs by Mets hitters, it ended up being a fairly easy 6-2 win.
Manaea went six innings, struck out seven, walked five, allowed seven hits, and gave up two runs, both of which were earned. It was his latest good start as he continues to pitch fairly well ever since rejoining the Mets’ rotation.
As for the Mets’ runs, most of them came while Manaea was in the game. Luis Torrens hit a three-run home run in the second, Bo Bichette hit a solo shot in the third, and Torrens singled in the Mets’ fifth run in the fourth.
The most heartwarming moment of the game came in the bottom of the seventh, as Nate Lavender made his major league debut—with the tying run at the plate—in relief of Daniel Duarte. Lavender struck out the first major league hitter he faced to end the inning. He stayed in the game to throw a scoreless eighth inning, too.
In the middle of Lavender’s outing, Carson Benge hit a bomb of a solo home run to left-center field. And Kodai Senga pitched the ninth, hitting the upper 90s with his fastball and putting up a scoreless inning with one walk and without any strikeouts.
Big Mets winner: Luis Torrens, +33% WPA Big Mets loser: Francisco Lindor, -6% WPA Mets pitchers: +24% WPA Mets hitters: +26% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Torrens hits a three-run home run in the second, +26.9% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Angel Martínez doubles to score a run in the third, -12.7% WPA
The Mets racked up nine hits, including three home runs, to beat the Cleveland Guardians, 6-2, in their first game after the trade deadline.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Mets took advantage of a two-out throwing error that extended their second inning, as Luis Torrens blasted a three-run home run against LHP Joey Cantillo to take an early 3-0 lead.
Bo Bichette tacked on another run in the third inning with a solo home run to deep left field, pushing the lead to 4-0. The homer, No. 11 for Bichette, had an exit velocity of 107.5 mph and traveled 422 feet.
-- Torrens' big night continued in the fifth inning, driving in his fourth run of the game with a single up the middle to make it 5-1. He finished the night 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBI.
-- Sean Manaea got the start and kept the Guardians' bats relatively quiet, allowing two runs on seven hits over 6.0 IP with seven strikeouts and five walks.
Manaea allowed the first three batters to reach base (HBP-single-walk) before getting back-to-back strikeouts and a forceout to escape the early jam. He avoided damage the next two frames, but the Guardians got to him in the fourth inning. Jo Adell hit a leadoff double, Chase DeLauter walked, and Angel Martínez doubled off the wall in LF to cut the lead to 4-1.
The lefty let up a two-out RBI single to Travis Bazzana in the fifth, but struck out Gabriel Arias to leave two Guardians stranded and keep the score at 5-2. Manaea stayed in to pitch the sixth inning and got through with a strikeout and 4-3 double-play on a soft liner. He finished after 100 pitches even.
-- Manaea got some help from RF Carson Benge in the second inning, as the rookie caught Brayan Rocchio trying to go first-to-third on Steven Kwan's single with a laser throw for the third out. It's his fifth outfield assist of the year.
Benge smashed the team's third home run of the night in the top of the eighth, a 451-foot homer over the wall in left-center to extend the lead to 6-2.
-- Daniel Duarte entered to pitch the seventh and ran into immediate trouble. Francisco Lindor's high throw allowed Adell to reach first safely (although a review may have flipped the call) and a walk to DeLauter brought the game-tying run to the plate with no outs. Duarte got two lineouts and interim manager Andy Green turned to LHP Nate Lavender to get the third out in his MLB debut, striking out Bazzana looking. Lavender stayed in and tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning, forcing a groundball double play.
-- Making his new bullpen role debut, Kodai Senga came in to get the final three outs in the ninth inning. He walked Adell with one out, but got the job done with two flyouts.
Game MVP: Luis Torrens
Torrens' four RBI were his most in a game this season and matched his entire July total.
(He nearly lost this honor for getting thrown out trying to tag up to second base in the top of the ninth inning.)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 04: Christian Franklin #27 of the Baltimore Orioles runs onto the field for his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 04, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So… here we are. The trade deadline has come and gone, and Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells are no longer Orioles. MASN analyst Kevin Brown called it a “dark-hearted and depressing couple of days.” Good for all the Birdland faithful still keeping a candle burning for this team—especially those of you who made it to the Yard a day after Monday’s dramatic events. You’re made of strong stuff.
Despite everything, there was still a game to be played. Tonight, it featured two former Orioles teammates, Cade Povich and current Angel Grayson Rodriguez, facing off on the mound. Neither has been good this year—Povich has mostly been in the minors, while Rodriguez entered this start with an ERA above seven. Yet somehow, of course, the two pitchers threw their best games of the year. In fact, for Rodriguez, it was his first quality start since July 2024… when he was an Oriole! (Does that make you feel good or bad?)
Still, a win is a win is a win. The Orioles scored two runs off Rodriguez, courtesy of a Pete Alonso single in the third, and Tyler O’Neill contributed a pinch-hit home run in the eighth to make it 3-1 Baltimore. That was enough, thanks to an unexpectedly strong Povich.
If you teleport back to the 2024 season, when the Orioles finished 91-71 and made it to the Wild Card series, you might remember that Rodriguez and Povich were rotation mates, along with Corbin Burnes, Albert Suárez, Cole Irvin and Dean Kremer. If you have a strong memory, you might remember that Rodriguez was good that year, making 20 starts and going 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA before getting shelved in July. G-Rod wouldn’t throw a pitch as an Oriole again, missing all of 2025 and getting traded before the ’26 season. Back in 2024, Cade Povich, meanwhile, made his MLB debut in June, then put up some terrible numbers, a 3-9 record with a 5.20 ERA and nearly four walks per game in his rookie season.
Consistency has bedeviled both of these starters since, but of the two former teammates, I must say Rodriguez looked stronger early on. Povich allowed five hits in three innings, stranding a pair of runners in the second and third innings both. It looked a bit dicey. As for Rodriguez, he struck out the first two O’s swinging, then sat Baltimore hitters down in order in the second.
Then, suddenly, Rodriguez got (just for the span of one inning) hittable. It was a hiccup, but it was just enough for the O’s to eke out the win.
That inning saw Orioles new guy Christian Franklin, a longtime Nationals farmhand, get a warm Oriole Park welcome in his very first MLB at-bat, then set up a run-scoring rally! Franklin walked, Colton Cowser singled, and Franklin chugged impressively from first to third. (Great game for the new guy, who also racked up his first stolen base in the seventh, and made a nice catch at the wall, too.) New catcher Carlos Narváez got aboard in his very first Orioles at-bat, too, getting hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Rodriguez has struggled this season with runners in scoring position. He did again tonight, leaving a ball up for Pete Alonso, who hit a two-run single to center field. Franklin scored, so did Cowser. It was 2-0, O’s.
At that point, it started to become apparent that Cade Povich was on some kind of a roll. He pitched a dominant fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. His pickoff game was astonishing. Povich allowed a leadoff walk in the fourth, picked off the runner and rung up the next two! In the fifth inning, Povich allowed only an infield single, then picked off the runner—his second of the night! A pair of flyballs and a bouncer to third wrapped up the sixth.
Ben McDonald described Povich as having “a slow heartbeat”—like a lizard, I guess? Well, tonight, the lefty, stashed in the Orioles minors since May, threw six scoreless with seven strikeouts. Even if the Orioles weren’t down Chris Bassitt (to back problems) and Dean Kremer (to trade), this was a convincing audition for another turn in the rotation.
As for Povich’s counterpart on the mound, if somehow what had you worried today was whether old Oriole friend Grayson Rodriguez would have a nice time in his return to Oriole Park, don’t worry. O’s hitters went down in order in five of seven innings tonight, scoring just the two runs off him on three hits (four total), as Rodriguez completed seven innings—not just his first quality start of the year, but his first QS since July 2024, when he was an Oriole. Talk about a revenge glow-up. (Alternatively, this O’s lineup may be bad.)
Three more innings to be played. How would this somewhat ransacked O’s bullpen handle their responsibilities? Not gorgeously, but well enough!
In the seventh, Rico Garcia, lately hittable, allowed a Zach Neto deep flyball that nearly tied the game. Instead, new guy Christian Franklin reeled in at the wall.
Andrew Kittredge had a shaky eighth, allowing a run on a couple of strange plays. Contact hitter Nolan Schanuel hit a double, then scored on a ball booted by third baseman Christian Encarnación-Strand. (CES is in the lineup for his bat, let’s say.) With two outs, Moisés Ballesteros hit a tapper back to the mound that Kittredge fielded, then hit Ballesteros in the back! But the home plate ump ruled the runner way out of the basepaths. So Kittredge was out of trouble.
Tyler O’Neill entered in the eighth as a pinch hitter, and got served a high fastball. Mr. Canada blasted it into the bullpen, giving his team a vital insurance run.
This made you feel a little better about Yennier Cano appearing as the closer. Though it wasn’t a breeze for the newly-extend righty, who allowed a leadoff double, it was pretty good. Cano got a groundout, struck out Wade Meckler on a challenged strike call, and whiffed Zach Neto swinging.
“The Orioles needed this one,” summed up the MASN booth after Cano got the save. As of this writing, the O’s stand to gain ground in the Wild Card race, too, as Cleveland and Minnesota are both down in their respective games. Yeah. So maybe the Orioles aren’t out of contention entirely. It doesn’t fix all the vibes magically at once, but it’s something.
So who is your Most Birdland Player of the night (and don’t say Grayson Rodriguez)? Cade Povich, the little backup starter who could? Pete Alonso, author of the game-winning two-run single? Tyler O’Neill, big bopper in a pinch-hit role? New guy Christian Franklin, who walked, stole a base and scored a run in his MLB debut? Sound off about these, and all other matters, in the comments below.
