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The Atlanta Braves traveled to PNC Park in hopes of picking up a much needed win after two heartbreaking losses in a row. Hurston Waldrep made his second start of season for the Braves and Paul Skenes was on the mound hoping to rebound from the worst stretch of his young career.

The Braves got on the board first when Matt Olson hit a double and Mauricio Dubón hit a sharp single to center field to make the score 1-0, but that was the only offense for the Braves outside of a Baldwin walk. Things went south shortly after that. Waldrep hit the first batter he faced, then Lowe, who hit a HR against Waldrep last time they faced off, hit a single. Waldrep then walked Reynolds to load the bases with zero outs. After Valdez struck out, Ryan O’Hearn then wasted no time and blew the game wide open with a grand slam to put the Pirates up by three. Gonzales also singled which prompted a mound visit. Waldrep finally was able to get the final two outs of the first inning after that.

In the second inning, the offense went just as you might expect with the bottom of the order. Riley and Jarvis both struck out, and Yastrzemski flied out. Waldrep looked to have settled down in the bottom of the second. He was able to induce a pop up followed by two groundouts.

The Braves struck again in the third inning to put them within two runs when Harris hit a double followed by an Albies single that scored Harris. That would be the only offense in the third though as Skenes retired the next three hitters. The third inning for Waldrep was almost identical to the first. He walked Reynolds, then gave up a single to Valdez, and then O’Hearn took him deep yet again to make the score 2-7 for the Pirates. O’Hearn had seven RBI in three innings. Waldrep then got two groundouts but then struggled a bit again when he Triolo singled followed by a Davis walk. After yet another mound visit Waldrep got the final out of the third with another groundout.

The fourth inning saw the bottom of the Braves order again. Smith popped out, but Riley was able to get a single, but that momentum was squashed when Yastrzemski hit into a double play to end the top of the inning. Waldrep stayed in the game for the fourth inning. He was able to strike out Lowe but then walked the next two hitters he faced which finally got him pulled for newly promoted Connor Thomas. Waldrep ended his night with seven earned runs on six hits to include two HRs, five walks, and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. Thomas then forced two groundouts to end the inning.

It looked like the Braves may get something going in the fifth when Jarvis and Harris had back-to-back singles, but then Albies popped out and Olson hit into a double play. Thomas stayed in the game to pitch and retired the side on five pitches.

In the sixth Dubón had a double, but that was the only offense for the Braves. You will never believe this, but in the sixth inning Ryan O’Hearn hit a HR again. This time it was a three-run HR again which gave him his tenth RBI of the game. That is not a type. Ten RBI in a single game that all came from HRs.

Skenes was finally replaced in the seventh inning, but that did not matter because the Braves were sat down in order. The subs came in for the Braves in the bottom of the seventh signaling the white flag. Thomas stayed in the game and gave up yet another run by issuing two singles and a walk in the inning, but he did pick up two strikeouts.

The eighth did not go any better for the Braves. The subs were in and Kyle Farmer grounded out, Matt Olson struck out, and Joey Bart grounded out. Jorge Mateo, obviously a position player, came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he saw, then O’Hearn finally got stopped from hitting a HR, but singled. Gonzales then singled to make the score 2-12. Callihan singled to load the bases but then Mateo was able to get Davis to ground into a double play.

José Azócar was now in the game in the ninth and singled. Dom Smith hit into a fielder’s choice and then Austin Riley had his second hit of the game with a double. Yastrzemski hit a two-run single that brought the Braves’ run total to four. That was it for the game though because Jarvis grounded out and Harris popped out.

There is no sugar coating it. The Braves looked totally defeated. They need an All-Star break real bad. Hopefully they can end the losing streak tomorrow.

Arizona Diamondbacks (45-45) at San Diego Padres (44-46), July 7, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Márquez on the mound. pic.twitter.com/zIXnIHsKEU

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 7, 2026

Another one in the sun 🏝️

Take 50% off https://t.co/epBmrbYHsx this week! pic.twitter.com/wcW8VkjbPg

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 7, 2026

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Will Warren gave up three home runs and the Yankees bats struck out 17 times in their 6-4 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night.

The Yankees have struck out 34 times in the first two games of the series, a franchise record for a two-game span. The loss undoes Monday's series-opening win as New York (50-41) is back to being 4.0 games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East.

Here are the takeaways...

-After an easy first, Warren pitched into trouble in the second. After allowing a one-out homer to Victor Mesa Jr., which wrapped around the right field foul pole, Warren allowed a single, walk, and a single with two outs, allowing the Rays to take a 2-0 lead.

The Rays would get to Warren again in the fourth. Richie Palacios hit an RBI double before No. 9 hitter Hunter Feduccia slammed a two-run shot to give Tampa a 5-3 lead. Yandy Diaz followed up with a solo shot.

Warren went 4.0 IP (75 pitches/48 strikes), allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three. He allowed three home runs.

-The Yankees bats struggled mightily. But a big moment in the game came in the sixth. After Cody Bellinger hit a one-out single and Max Schuemann went first-to-third on the hit, Bellinger got hung up between first and second for the second out. Jose Caballero struck out to strand the runner at third.

In the seventh, back-to-back singles from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the pinch-hitting Jasson Dominguez put runners at the corners with no outs. Ali Sanchez pushed across a run with a sac fly. Trent Grisham flew out and Paul Goldschmidt struck out -- after Dominguez reached third on a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt -- to end the threat.

-Ben Rice, who announced his participation in this year's Home Run Derby, gave the Yankees the lead in the third with an opposite-field three-run shot. His 26 homers are tied with Junior Caminero for second in the AL. Rice went 3-for-4.

Caballero started at shortstop for the second straight game. Caballero went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

-The Yankees bullpen behind Warren kept the team in the game. The combination of Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick allowed just one hit and one walk in 4.0 innings pitched.

Game MVP: Ian Seymour

The Rays southpaw's only mistake was the three-run shot to Rice, but Seymour struck out 12 Yankees in his 5.1 innings of work.

Highlights

DERBY READY.

Ben Rice's 26th home run! pic.twitter.com/M7MkmTt5XH

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 7, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Rays continue their four-game series on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM.

Gerrit Cole (3-3, 4.01 ERA) will take on Shane McClanahan (7-5, 3.05 ERA).

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight from Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.42 ERA, 3.74 FIP, with 50 strikeouts to 19 walks in 57 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit with five strikeouts in six innings.

He’ll be facing off against Blue Jays right-handed rookie Spencer Miles, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.83 ERA, 2.98 FIP with 55 strikeouts to 17 walks in 54 innings pitched. His last appearance was in the Blue Jays’ 9-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in three innings.

Game #91

Who: San Francisco Giants (38-52) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (42-49)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

In Game 1, the Colorado Rockiesfell just short of beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener.

Tonight, they will look to even up the series.

The Rockies have gone 4-2 in July, are 9-8 in their last 17 and 13-13 in their last 25 since June 9, outscoring opponents 166-147 over that span. Colorado has gone 5-6 in their current 17-day stretch without an off day heading into the All-Star break.

The team’s calling card has become its fashionably late arrival.  The Rockies 126 runs in the eighth inning or later are the most in baseball. As a club, Colorado is slashing .295/.363/.487 with 42 doubles, four triples and 27 home runs in the eighth inning or later. They also have the highest average, most extra-base hits and second-most homers in the Majors in the eighth or later in the Majors.

As for the bullpen, it has not allowed an earned run in five-straight games, with the total streak running to 22.1 innings since the eighth inning of their game against the Marlins on July 1. Their 22.1 innings streak without an earned run allowed is the second longest streak in franchise history, trailing a 34.2 inning stretch in 2013. This month, have allowed four runs total (one earned) across 24.1 innings.

Starting for the Rockies is California native Michael Lorenzen. This will be his 20th start for the Rockies in 2026. He has thrown at least five innings in four of his last five starts, posting a 4.26 ERA (25.1 IP, 12 ER) with 10 walks and 19 strikeouts across that span. In addition, Lorenzen has struck out at least five batters in four of his last six starts overall.

The righty has a 6.91 ERA in 86.0 IP. He’s struck out 67, walked 32, and given up 13 home runs. Lorenzen has a 1.81 WHIP. 

Taking the mound for the Dodgers will be LHP Justin Wrobleski.

One of his calling cards as a Dodger is his ability to work deep into games, a quality they will be hoping is evident tonight given that the Dodgers had to go deep into their bullpen in Game I due to Tanner Scott’s blown save.

In his last two starts, Wrobleski has gone seven-inning starts, and if he can manager one tonight, he will reach 100 innings on the season.

Currently, he has an ERA of 2.80 in 93.1 IP. He’s struck out 64 while giving up 18 walks and eight home runs with a 1.01 WHIP.

And now to the details.

First Pitch: 8:10 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

SB Nation site: True Blue LA

Lineups:

For the visiting Rockies:

And the home Dodgers:

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Let’s see if the D-backs can continue the Padres’ free-fall. On May 18, they beat the Dodgers 1-0, Michael King and two relievers combining on five-hitter. Consequently, the Padres took over first place in the division, with a record of 29-18. It looked possible that we could see a battle for the NL West, the likes of which haven’t happened since 2021, when LA won 106 games, and it still wasn’t enough. Except, since then, the two teams have gone in sharply different directions. The Dodgers have won at a better than .700 rate, going 31-15, while the Padres have been the worst team in baseball, going 15-28, and with the worst run differential over that time to boot.

Consequently, the Dodgers now have a 14-game lead in the division. That’s twice what it was on the same date last season, and the largest on this date since the pre-COVID times in 2019. The division is basically over. Fangraphs gives Los Angeles a 99.9% chance of winning the division, and that may be underselling them. But what happened to the Padres? Their rotation has fallen off a cliff. Over those 43 games, the Padres’ starters have won just seven times – tied for fewest in the majors – with an ERA of 5.29 which ranks 27th in the league. Their offense hasn’t been much better, a .679 OPS ranked 28th (albeit five points better than Arizona!).

It’s certainly not what you’d want given a cash payroll north of $230 million, which is $46 million more than the D-backs. But since San Diego really started spending, entering the top ten in 2020 (where they’ve been every season since, bar 2024), they have finished an average of fourteen games back, and have a losing post-season record at 13-15. If that continues, one wonders how much patience the team’s new owners will have with GM A.J. Preller. He has been in the position since 2014 – longer than anyone save the Yankees’ Brian Cashman – but the team has only made it past the Division Series once in that time.

It’s another night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest hole-in-the-wall for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. The dress code is casual. We’re always glad to see you. We’ve still got a few tables available. Enjoy a cool drink. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night, I asked you what was the best first-round pick in Cubs history. There was a clear winner in Kris Bryant, who got 53 percent of the vote. That makes sense as he was tied for the second-lowest pick in Cubs history as the second overall pick in the draft. Shawon Dunston was the only first overall pick in Cubs history and Mark Prior and Joe Carter were also second picks in the Draft. Also some guy named Terry Hughes in 1967.

On Tuesday nights I don’t do movie stuff, but I always have time for jazz. Now is that time.

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Tonight we’re featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Samara Joy singing “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” in New York on June 28 of this year.

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Welcome back to those who skip the music.

As we approach this Saturday’s MLB Draft, I thought I’d ask you who you think the Cubs should select in the first round with the 23rd pick. Of course, I can’t promise any of these players will be available at 23, but all of them are ranked between the 25th- and 37th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and between 17th- and 40th-best by MLB Pipeline. All of them are college players, because the Cubs only very rarely take a high school draft prospect in the first round.

Those lists, of course, do not match the lists that the Cubs or any other team have drawn up in their draft room. Some of these players also have “helium,” meaning that either BA or Pipeline thinks they’re higher on some draft boards today than when these lists were first published. So don’t take any “rankings” as gospel.

All of these players probably won’t be available at 23, but at least one of them should be and likely more than one.

Additionally, when a team’s first pick is at 23, they aren’t going to get a player who doesn’t have flaws or question marks. Any high-ceiling, low-risk player will be taken in the first five picks. So what I’m asking is what kinds of flaw are you willing to accept? How much risk will you take on?

Because I don’t think that most of you are familiar with these players and to keep the players anonymous. However, I’m guessing that those of you who follow the college game will be able to guess who they are in the comments.

So here are the choices:

Player one is a left-handed pitcher from a Big Ten school. After two years of both starting and relieving, he had a breakout season as a starter his junior season. His best pitch is his nasty curveball but he also has an above-average change. He’s not a high-velocity pitcher with his fastball topping out at 93. He’s a pitchability lefty who could move to the majors quickly. He also has a clean injury history.

Player two is a tall hard-throwing, lefty at an SEC school. He missed almost all of his freshman and sophomore seasons with a stress fracture in his elbow. He returned his junior season and dominated with one of the highest strikeout rates in college ball. His fastball averages 95 mph can touch 98, but his best pitch is a hard, power slider. He has an OK curve but he needs to work on his change. Player two has a high upside, but a lot of injury risk and bullpen downside.

Player three is an ACC outfielder with some terrific contact and hard-hit rates. He makes good decisions at the plate, leading to fewer strikeouts and lots of walks. He’s also a very good athlete with plus speed and lots of stolen bases. Despite that, his arm is weak and is likely to end up in left field, where he played in college, although center field is a possibility. While he is big enough and strong enough to hit for power, his current swing path doesn’t get much lift on the ball, so his power potential could be quite limited. Player three could move up the system quickly, as long as the Cubs don’t try to adjust his swing for more power.

Player four is an SEC catcher. He was a monster at the plate, winning the SEC triple crown. He has easy power to all fields. Player four also has good speed, not just for a catcher, but good speed overall. He was the first Division I catcher to ever have 25 home runs and 25 steals in a season. The downside on player four is that there is an above-average amount of swing-and-miss in his game and that weakness could be exploited by better pitching. Player four also struggled in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League. He only moved behind the plate full-time his junior year, so he’s still quite raw and inexperienced back there. Many doubt that he can stay behind the plate as a pro, although most think he can play left field in that scenario. Leaving him at catcher would likely mean a slower trip through the minors.

So knowing what you know, if these were the Cubs’ four options at 23, which one would you take?

Thanks a lot for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need one. Please stay cool out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Start of a new one.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/Zokf6AuAba

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 7, 2026

Here’s the Twins lineup:

Back home!

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUxpic.twitter.com/CZDyVka1Uo

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 7, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!