Worldwide Sports News

The Atlanta Braves took on the Miami Marlins in game two of the series looking for their seventh straight win. The Braves are tied with the Cubs for the most runs scored since the start of July and are seventh best since the All-Star Break. The Marlins are twentieth in MLB in runs since the start of July and in the bottom three since the break. The Braves are 6-2 against the Fish so far this season.

Bryce Elder was the starter for the Braves tonight. He had a 3.00 ERA since the start of July, but his FIP north of seven plus his BABIP shows he has had fortune on his side. The first inning went great for him. He was able to retire the side via two fly outs and a strikeout. The first did not go much better for the Braves facing the Marlins’ staff ace Eury Pérez (if he is the ace is arguable of course). Acuña was able to get a single, but that was the only offense.

Elder did his job again in the second by retiring the side. He had a strikeout and two ground outs. He made it through two innings only pitching sixteen pitches. The Braves busted the game open in their half of the second. Albies led it off with a walk, followed by a Dubón single to put runners on the corners. Austin Riley then kept his hot streak going and hit a ground-rule double after a Lane Thomas pop up to score the first run of the game.

Riley puts us on the board!#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/JmGJ7a09u9

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 5, 2026

Sean Murphy struck out, but then Drake Baldwin scored both runners with a clutch two-out single to make the score 3-0. The inning finally ended with an Acuña strikeout.

In the third inning Elder finally gave up his first baserunner with a walk of Marsee walk but settled down to sit down the next three hitters. In the bottom of the third Olson struck out, but the Braves’ newest cleanup hitter Michael Harris had a ground-rule double of his own to have the same amount of doubles on the year as his jersye number (23). Albies flied out, but Dubón came through again with yet another two-out RBI when he hit a single to score Harris to make the score 4-0. He also stole second base, followed by a Lane Thomas walk. Unfortunately, Riley’s hot streak did not continue in this at-bat and he struck out with two runners on to end the third inning.

Elder continued arguably his best start of the season in the fourth when he induced two pop ups and a fly out to sit down the side in order. The fourth was not exactly the best inning the for the Braves’ offense as Eury Pérez was able to strikeout the side.

Elder somewhat struggled in the fifth in comparison to the rest of his innings tonight. He induced a ground out, but then he walked Caissie and gave up a double to Marsee. Somehow Elder was able to get out of this jam with only one earned run. Mack grounded out to score the run and then Sanoja flied out on a deep ball to left. In the bottom of the fifth Harris singled, but it was the only offense for the Braves outside of that.

Walt Weiss showed faith in Elder after making it this far on so few pitches and left him in to pitch the sixth. It paid off as he once again retired the side, picking up a strikeout of Stowers. Pérez was finally pulled from the game and it was the right choice as Calvin Faucher was able to strikeout both Thomas and Riley. It looked like there may be some momentum as Sean Murphy singled for his first hit since coming back and Baldwin singled as well. Acuña struck out though, so no more runs were scored.

Believe it or not, Bryce Elder pitched the seventh inning, giving the bullpen a second game in a row where the starter went at least six innings. Weiss’ faith paid off. Elder was able to sit down three of the four hitters faced. The only baserunner was via an error from nine other than Austin Riley. The Braves were sat down in order in the seventh. Of note, Matt Olson yet again did not reach base this game, which is a rarity these days.

Dylan Dodd came in to pitch the eighth ended Elder’s arguably best performance of the season. Elder pitched 7.0 innings of one hit ball where he surrendered one run with two walks and had three strikeouts. Elder did all of this in only eighty-four pitches. Dodd started the inning off getting a strikeout, but gave us a scare after that. Sanoja and Edwards both singled back-to-back. After a mound visit Dodd was able to get Stowers to fly out. Weiss then decided to bring in Fuentes who promptly got Lopez to ground out on one pitch. to end the top of the eighth. Austin Riley singled in the eighth for his second hit of the game, but that was the only offense for the Braves.

The Braves possible future closer Didier Fuentes stayed in the game and got the save by retiring the side and picking up two strikeouts

The key to the game tonight was Bryce Elder proving the doubters wrong and pitched an absolute gem of a one hit game. Only showing weakness in one inning of seven. The Braves’ offense also had multiple clutch two-out RBI. Austin Riley also appears that his turnaround might actually be for real.

The Braves won their seventh game in a row and look to sweep the Marlins tomorrow when Martín Pérez takes the mound while they look to become the second team in MLB this season to win seventy games.

First pitch tomorrow is at 7:15 EDT.

The Orioles continued to shake off the post trade deadline doldrums tonight with another win over the Angels. We all know the saying of pitching, defense, and three-run homers. Well tonight it was pitching (excellent), defense (not embarrassing) and three home runs. The end result, a 5-2 victory and the series with win one game to go.

Even with five runs scored, for most of this game the Orioles’ offense felt lackluster. But just as they did last night, they clustered their few hits together early and relied on a pinch-hit homer late.

Through three innings, the Orioles had just one baserunner, a first-inning single by Gunnar Henderson. But in the fourth, they struck. After Henderson worked a one-out walk, Tyler O’Neill stepped to the plate against the lefty starter Reid Detmers. O’Neill has taken a lot of heat from Orioles fans, for good reason. But he’s been very good since the beginning of July. And what he did at the plate in this at-bat was a thing of beauty. He took a 3-1 fastball deep into the night. It landed 426 feet away in the left field seats.

The next batter, Coby Mayo, did even better. He jumped on a curveball and sent it to the same part of the ballpark. It landed 436 feet away. That’s bragging rights!

Those three runs were all the Orioles would need, though they did add some insurance later to take the edge off. Trevor Rogers had another very strong game, especially early on.

Through five innings, he allowed just one hit and it was a total fluke. In the second, Travis D’Arnaud hit a ground ball almost exactly to where Jackson Holliday was positioned up the middle. But before the ball got to his glove, it hit square on the corner of second base and ricocheted past him. Rotten luck. But Rogers didn’t let it sway him. He retired the 10 batters with ease.

With the Orioles up 3-0 in the sixth, Jose Siri led off. As Ben McDonald and Kevin Brown joked about activating the Siri on people’s iPhones, Ben said “Hey Siri, what’s the score?” just as the Siri at the plate took Rogers yard. Not my favorite bit they’ve done. But Rogers got the next three batters to end the inning and keep the Orioles lead at two runs.

Detmers exited after that inning and relief pitcher Shaun Anderson pitched two innings with just a single allowed to Mayo. The way Rogers was cruising, things didn’t feel too dire, but that went away in a hurry in the seventh.

Rogers started the inning and allowed just his third hit of the night, a single by Nolan Schanuel. Craig Albernaz opted to pull Rogers from the game at that point. He was at 93 pitches and I think if the lead had been bigger he might have been given at least another batter. Instead, new Oriole Alex Hoppe came in to make his Orioles debut.

If you’re not familiar with Hoppe, he is a 27-year-old rookie who appeared in 24 games out of Seattle’s bullpen with a 5.79 ERA. He gives up a fair number of hits and walks more guys than you want to see out of the bullpen. Anyway, the first thing he did as an Oriole was throw a wild pitch to allow Schanuel to get into scoring position. After a lineout and a groundout, Schanuel was on third. He scored on a single, the run added to Rogers’s ledger.

Hoppe was replaced by Rico Garcia, who got the final out. But the Orioles’ lead was cut to just one run. The book was closed on Trevor Rogers with a line of 6+ IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K. Another good start. His nine strikeouts is a season high for him.

Jackson Holliday walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, but was unable to score. He made the final out getting caught stealing with leadoff guy Christian Franklin at the plate. Speaking of the rookie, I’m fine with letting the guy get time to see how he does. But maybe pull the plug on him batting leadoff, ok? At least until he has more than zero Major League hits.

The idea of the Orioles bullpen getting through two more innings without allowing a run made me pretty nervous. But the eighth inning was very good to the Orioles. Yennier Cano looked great and went three-up, three-down. He did make a boneheaded mistake challenging a pitch that was so far out of the strike zone that the graphics people didn’t have a measurement to put up. But aside from that, well done Yennier.

The bottom half of the inning got off to a tough start, but ended well. Pinch-hitter Dylan Beavers struck out, as did Pete Alonso. Alonso took an 0-for-4 with two strikeouts tonight. Angels pitcher José Fermin threw way inside to Henderson. Given how shiny he was, I’m gonna say the ball slipped out of his sweaty, sweaty hand. Gunnar contorted out of the way but the ball caught his jersey for the HBP.

O’Neill was scheduled to bat next, but Albernaz opted for Leody Taveras instead. I was not impressed by this move. O’Neill struggles against lefties, but he’s been hot. And Taveras struggles against everyone. Lately, “struggles” is probably a generous way to put it. But Taveras came through with a home run! It wasn’t quite as majestic as those hit by O’Neill and Mayo. It bounced off the groundskeepers shed in right field. But they all count the same on the scoreboard. Two huge insurance runs made the score 5-2. You win this one, Alby.

Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the ninth, which is a lot less stressful when it isn’t a one-run game. The Angels went quietly to end the game. Orioles win, 5-2! Strong pitching and three home runs were the winning formula. They go for the sweep tomorrow at 12:35 with Brandon Young on the mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Freddie Freeman are both optimistic the 10-time All-Star avoided a serious injury in the fifth inning of Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Freeman took a 91-mph fastball to the hand at the plate on the first pitch from Shota Imanaga. He took a second to grimace in pain, but finished his at-bat two pitches later with a flyout to center field before being subbed out defensively by Kiké Hernández for the home half of the inning.

"We had to get Freddie out of the game," manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "He got hit in the hand, but fortunately X-rays were negative. So, that was another positive."

Freeman echoed his manager's optimism and told reporters he expects to be in the lineup for the Dodgers' series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

"That's what I get for swinging at a ball at my face," he said, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.

Freddie Freeman said he expects to be in the lineup on Friday.

His hand got jammed between the ball and the bat on this pitch he fouled off.

"That's what I get for swinging at a ball at my face," he said. https://t.co/RkIhNb2290pic.twitter.com/FJeMkqhEjE

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 5, 2026

Losing Freeman for any period of time, let alone an extended one if he would've broken his hand, would have been a major blow to a slumping Dodgers team that has been swept in two consecutive series amidst a season-worst six-game skid. In 112 games this season, Freeman has posted the National League's third best batting average (.310) and a top 10 OBP (.385) and OPS (.870). The 36-year-old is on track for his best individual season in the last three years, no longer hampered by a nagging ankle injury that forced him to miss time at the end of the 2024 regular season and that he re-aggravated early in 2025.

Even with the team's overall rough stretch, Freeman has continued to swing the bat well. He finished off July with a 3-for-4 night with an RBI and he's slashed .412/.444/.412 through the first five games of August. The rest of the lineup showed signs of life with a late rally at Wrigley Field on Wednesday and while it wasn't enough to get the win, it was an encouraging sight for Roberts.

"I liked the fight," Roberts told reporters. "It sucks to lose. It absolutely does, but we're going to win again."

That'll be a lot easier with Freeman in the lineup.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Freddie Freeman injury update: Dodgers star expects to play next game after scare

The Athletics faced the Cincinnati Reds in the middle game of this three-game interlegaue series. Once again, A’s starter Jacob Lopez turned in a quality start and gave his team a chance to win, only to receive no help from the bullpen and a struggling offense in a 3-2 loss, the Green and Gold’s seventh straight defeat.

Early Action

The A’s took the lead before most fans found their seats. The first batter of the game, right fielder Lawrence Butler, hit his seventh home run of the season against Reds starter Rhett Lowder to put the visitors in front 1-0.

LEADOFF LAW 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/bw8ZRclYnh

— Athletics (@Athletics) August 5, 2026

Lopez prevented an immediate response from the Reds, striking out the side in the bottom of the first inning. The Reds tied the game the following inning. With two outs, right fielder Noelvi Marte stole second base and then scored on catcher Jose Trevino’s RBI single.

Both teams Waste Scoring Chances

Lopez minimized the damage by striking out the next batter for his sixth strikeout of the game through two innings. The A’s southpaw recorded two more strikeouts in the third inning as the Reds stranded the go-ahead run at second base.

In the fourth inning, a walk and a single gave the Athletics their first scoring opportunity with a runner in scoring position. However, the A’s could not capitalize, as Donovan Walton grounded right back to Lowder to end the inning and keep the game tied at 1-1.

Reds Take the Lead

The Reds took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Second baseman Matt McLain hit his ninth home run of the season, a two-out solo shot off Lopez. The inning ended when Butler threw out Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz as he attempted to stretch a single into a double.

Back and Forth We Go

Cincinnati’s lead did not last long. With one out in the sixth inning, Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom singled, then raced around the bases to score the game-tying run on catcher Jonah Heim’s RBI double.

Heim ties it up 🤝 pic.twitter.com/HOHaBE5FkI

— Athletics (@Athletics) August 6, 2026

That was all the A’s offense mustered, as Lowder retired the next two hitters and stranded the go-ahead run at second base. The Reds’ right-hander completed six strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He did a good job of keeping the ball on the ground, inducing eight groundouts.

A’s Bullpen Blows

In the bottom of the sixth, the A’s brought in right-handed reliever Hayden Juenger. Lopez turned in another solid start, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out nine, and more importantly, walked just one batter.

At 87 pitches, Lopez could have returned to start that inning, but A’s manager Mark Kotsay decided to switch pitchers, a decision that ultimately backfired. Juenger found himself in trouble immediately, allowing back-to-back singles to begin his outing. The first hit was a play he should have made, as it was a grounder hit directly back at him. The hosts regained the lead, 3-2, on Marte’s one-out sacrifice fly.

After both teams pushed across a run in the sixth inning, neither team scored in the seventh and eighth, keeping the Reds’ one-run lead intact heading into the final frame. A’s right-hander Scott Blewett pitched two scoreless innings of relief to keep the game within reach.

Last night, the Athletics put up a fight against Reds’ closer Emilio Pagán, but tonight he retired the side in order to secure his second consecutive save and the Reds’ second straight series victory.

In Cincinnati’s hitter-friendly ballpark, the A’s offense delivered another disappointing performance, remaining quiet for most of the contest. The trio of A’s players who recently received contract extensions — Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler — combined for just two hits, a lack of production the team cannot afford with so many of its starters sidelined by injuries.

Speaking of injuries, if Wilson’s ailments are affecting his performance, it may make sense for the A’s to give him additional time to recover, especially with the team’s playoff hopes out of reach.

It seems like the Athletics may not win a game for the rest of the season. This evening’s loss makes the A’s losers of 12 straight series and winless in their last 14 series played.

Tomorrow morning, the team will look to salvage the series finale and finally end its losing streak. Right-hander Mason Barnett will start for the A’s. He will be opposed by Reds’ talented left-hander Andrew Abbott, who will look to take advantage of the injury-depleted A’s lineup.

Jefry Yan struck out his first big league hitter in the sixth inning Wednesday night. He celebrated with a style all his own.

He jumped off the mound, hung in the air for a beat and came down with one leg shot out underneath him, most of the way into a split.

Jefry Yan records his first career strikeout and has the celebration to match! pic.twitter.com/2aW0HdrViM

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2026

This had been one of the most anticipated moments of what is left of the New York Mets' season.

Yan has been doing some version of this for five years, through the Marlins system, winter ball at home in the Dominican, a season in Japan and a Rockies spring training that turned him into a clip everybody had seen by April. Some nights it's finger guns. Some nights he calls the out himself, arm cocked like an umpire.

He has gotten a lot of practice recently. He touched 101.6 miles per hour with his fastball this month and struck out better than half the hitters he faced. He also walked almost one in six.

He turns 30 this month. The Angels signed him at 16, he blew out his elbow at 19, and he spent five years outside of affiliated baseball, roofing houses in Arizona and delivering appliances.

So, he's earned the right to enjoy his time on the mound. It's just that other teams in the big leagues may not find it as enjoyable. Asked if the big leagues called for him to tame it down a bit, he said no.

Interim Mets manager Andy Green told reporters that opposing clubs have mostly decided he's harmless, a guy enjoying himself rather than a guy running them down. Hopefully for Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, teams continue to feel that way down the stretch when they are fighting for a playoff spot against the Mets.

For New York fans though, at least this is something exciting and fun after what has already been a brutal season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Mets pitcher Jefry Yan nearly did the splits after first MLB strikeout

Jefry Yan celebrated accordingly after his long-awaited first MLB strikeout. 

The Mets’ 29-year-old rookie reliever fanned Guardians pinch-hitter Angel Martínez during his big league debut Wednesday in the Amazin’s 6-5 win in 10 innings at Progressive Field, then immediately unveiled the wild celebration that made him a viral sensation in the minor leagues.

Yan jumped into the air, kicked his legs apart and landed before emphatically pumping his arms.

Jefry Yan records his first career strikeout and has the celebration to match! pic.twitter.com/2aW0HdrViM

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2026

After allowing two singles and a walk, the left-hander later struck out Chase DeLauter and got Jo Adell to ground into a force out to finish a scoreless sixth inning.

Yan had promised to bring his trademark celebration with him after the Mets promoted him from Triple-A Syracuse this week.

“I am going to continue to go out there the same way,” Yan said through an interpreter Tuesday. “I am going to go out there with the same type of emotion, the same type of fun — have fun like I am playing a kids’ game, like I always have.”

The moment marked the end of a long journey for Yan, who signed with the Angels as a teenager but underwent Tommy John surgery and was out of professional baseball. 

He worked as a roofer and returned to the mound through a men’s league in Arizona and later pitched in the Marlins organization, Japan and the Rockies’ system before joining the Mets.

Yan recorded a 3.24 ERA and 77 strikeouts across 41 2/3 innings between Double-A Binghamton and Syracuse this season before finally getting the call up to the majors.

Detroit Tigers (55-58) vs. Seattle Mariners (55-59)

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 Drew Anderson (4-4, 4.24 ERA) vs. RHP Bryan Woo (7-8, 4.56 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Anderson	40	63.2	28.3	8.7	47.9	3.80	0.5
Woo	21	120.1	24.5	5.2	38.6	3.20	2.9

2/3 in Seattle

⚾️ 9:40 PM ET
📺 @WatchDSN
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ T-Mobile Park pic.twitter.com/vf3oAhytBP

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 5, 2026

Back at it for Game 2 with Bryan on the bump. #TridentsUppic.twitter.com/Fak8KMwjB0

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 5, 2026

ARLINGTON, Texas — Believe it or not, there are still opportunities for this Giants team to reach new lows, and they just might be barreling toward a big one.

Or should we say, the big one hundred.

It’s a black mark only worn once before in the proud-and-storied franchise’s almost century and a half of playing baseball on both sides of the country. 

And yet it might be the most appropriate way for this miserable season to end.

The Giants (48-67) marched one step closer to their second 100-loss season Wednesday. 

For the most part, their pitchers didn’t look like they belonged in the big leagues, and neither did their starting lineup in an uncompetitive 6-0 loss to the Rangers, who had lost six straight before taking two of three from the trade deadline’s biggest sellers.

That’s probably because this Giants roster as currently constructed barely qualifies as major league, to say nothing of the manager who was in college this time last year.

San Francisco’s fire sale left it with MLB’s fourth-youngest roster and a lineup in the series finale that featured players who started the year in the minor leagues in six of its nine spots. Carson Whisenhunt, who started the game and was gone by the end of the fourth inning, also spent a large portion of this season in the minors.

“They’re here, so they’re major leaguers,” said Tony Vitello, the first-year skipper. “They’re in that locker room, and we’ve got the organization to represent. So find a way. … It just might be a great challenge. But that’s why we’re all here.”

Whisenhunt missed the strike zone on 10 of his first 14 pitches and walked three batters before being rocked for three extra-base hits that resulted in an early 4-0 deficit.

Carson Seymour, one of six new players called up this week, took over and proceeded to surrender the biggest hit yet, a solo home run Brandon Nimmo snuck over the left field fence.

Bryce Eldridge, maybe the one rookie who belongs, got ahold of a first-pitch changeup Cody Bradford left over the plate and sent it to the warning track, but it was contained by the biggest part of the ballpark. That was the best piece of contact any Giants hitter made against the Rangers starter who, like most of the hitters he faced, also spent most of this year in Triple-A.

Eddys Leonard ripped a 106.7 mph double for his first career major-league hit, and Rafael Devers lined a single at 106.2 mph. But the Giants failed to drive in either batter, and a toothless lineup was shut out for the 11th time this season. Nobody has been blanked more often.

What it means

The franchise responsible for greats such as Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and the man currently in charge, Buster Posey, has been around in some form dating back to 1883. They’ve been playing 162 games since 1962, four years after the Giants’ move to California.

Yet, the futility of the 1985 team that finished 62-100 has never been matched, before or since.

That’s because it’s a hard thing to do to play that poorly over 162 games. Since the American League moved to the modern schedule in 1961, and the NL a year later, there have only been 96 teams to finish a season with triple digits in the loss column.

For this Giants team to get there, they would have to finish the year 14-33 over their final 47 games, a 114-loss pace that, believe it or not, would be worse than any stretch this season.

That might seem far-fetched, and maybe it won’t transpire that way, but consider the roster that Vitello will manage the rest of the way. 

A pitching staff that was already among the worst in the majors lost its most effective starter and its two filthiest relievers in trades to contenders. Their most exciting and dynamic hitter (Luis Arraez) is wearing a different uniform, their most consistently productive bat (Casey Schmitt) recently had season-ending surgery and Matt Chapman may not make it back, either.

Although Posey did well to bolster the farm system with his five deadline deals, the moves left the MLB roster that was already among the league’s worst seriously depleted.

You have to wonder if they’re capable of avoiding ignominious history.

A plane flew over Wrigley Field ahead of Tarik Skubal's Los Angeles Dodgersdebut on Tuesday, Aug. 4. It was supposed to read, "The Dodgers ruined baseball"... if it weren't upside down.

The fumbled stunt, funded by sports gambling company Underdog, was intended as a jab at the back-to-back World Series champions — and their projected $322 million payroll — in the wake of their blockbuster trade for the best pitcher in baseball.

"We just want to say what every fan is already thinking," Underdog said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. And in that aspect, they accomplished just that. Just look at the replies under Jeff Passan's tweet when he broke news of the trade on Saturday night.

"They ruined the sport I love," wrote @murphyJacks0n.

"We need a lockout," @owennoble81 tweeted. "This is crazy."

And from several more accounts, "the Dodgers have ruined baseball."

Dave Roberts sat behind the podium at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 2. The Dodgers had just acquired Skubal in exchange for prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith the night before. The dust had yet to settle on the bombshell trade that added the reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner to the back-to-back World Series champions — and to a rotation that, when healthy, includes 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani when Roberts was asked by legendary Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke if he felt "unbeatable."

"We gotta play well," Roberts said. "Baseball's baseball. We gotta play the games, but I like our club."

But in the four games since acquiring Skubal, the Dodgers have done anything but.

They dropped Sunday's series finale to the Boston Red Sox in a sloppy 8-4 blowout at home before flying to Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs. After dropping each of the first two games in similar uninspired fashion — including Skubal's debut on Tuesday — LA found itself again in an early hole at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.

Eric Lauer, who has been a stabilizing presence in the rotation since his arrival via trade from the Toronto Blue Jays in May in the wake of injuries to Glasnow and Snell, was knocked around for six earned runs — tying his total from the entire month of July — on 11 hits and he gave up two homers to Pete Crow-Armstrong in four innings. This time, however, the Dodgers finally showed fight with a five-run eighth inning thanks to a pair of big swings from Ohtani and Max Muncy. Mookie Betts also had an encouraging 4-for-5 day at the plate, none bigger than his line-drive single to left field earlier in the frame to advance Kyle Tucker to second and set the table for Muncy.

But their early struggles proved too much to overcome. The Cubs held on for a 7-6 win, cementing the second consecutive series in which the Dodgers have been swept and pushing their season-worst losing streak to six games.

"I liked the fight," Roberts told reporters postgame. "It sucks to lose. It absolutely does, but we're going to win again."

A baseball season is a rollercoaster. No team, not even the Dodgers and their seemingly infinite money, cruises its way through 162 games. The Dodgers are in a slump, a bad one, but nothing more. They'll get Snell back in the rotation sometime in the near future, and Glasnow's timetable isn't far behind now that he's begun a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario. August is not October.

That's exactly what fans of MLB's other 29 teams are afraid of.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 'bad for baseball' Dodgers are just bad ... for now

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.

• Recalled from Triple-A Reno: LHP Philip Abner
• Reinstated from the Paternity List: C Gabriel Moreno
• Placed on the 15-day injured list: RHP Ryan Thompson (strained lower back)
• Optioned to Triple-A Reno: C Adrian Del Castillo

An unsurprising return to the roster for Moreno, with an equally unsurprising optioning of Del Castillo. The other move is a little more of a surprise. Thompson has certainly been struggling badly since the break. He had a 2.88 ERA in the first half, about as good as any Diamondbacks reliever. But in the eight appearances since, things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse:
Ryan Thompson post-break: 6.1 IP, 17 H, 9 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 3 K, 12..79 ERA
Part of that is undeniably bad luck – a .519 BABIP! – but if there is a physical cause behind the fall-off, that’s probably good news. The return of Abner does give the team another left-handed option out of the bullpen. Incidentally, Blake Walston pitched a clean inning in his first rehab appearance for Reno.

Elsewhere, an interesting line-up tonight, with both Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado getting scheduled rest days. Marte has been struggling almost as much as Corbin Carroll of late. Over his last 24 games, he has a line of just .178/.246/.290 for an OPS of .535. Corbin has, at least, been providing value on the base-paths and with his gloves. But since the start of July, Marte has been worth -0.3 fWAR, the lowest value of anyone on the active roster; Carroll is at +0.1. What’s amazing is that, over the same time, James McCann has been almost as valuable as Gabriel Moreno, despite appearing in only one-third the number of games.

We also see Lars the Noot going up to the top of the order. It’s something we’ll likely only see him doing against a right-handed starter like Casey Mize tonight. But it’s likely better than have Carroll or Geraldo Perdomo batting in the #1 slot. Over their 21 starts combined there, the pair have hit just .148, going 12-for-81, with an OPS of .562. Let’s hope that Tiny can show some of the same patience he did in his D-backs debut last night, drawing a pair of walks. After E-Rod’s blow-up and the subsequent loss for the D-backs, the importance of tonight’s game for both sides has become magnified.

Spotify has done me dirty with this “Work From Home” mix, you guys. I’m listening to the worst song right now (“If You Love Her”, by Forest Blakk), and it’s perhaps the worst song I’ve ever heard outside of that one Christmas song about the shoes. It’s so bad the rest of the press box asked me what I was looking at to have such a disgusted look on my face. It’s the schmaltziest, most saccharine bit of dreck I’ve heard in a long time, and I was around for the summer “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” was on the radio every five seconds. It’s one of those songs that’s highest ambition is to be a wedding reception first dance, and if my betrothed insisted on it as a first dance song I’d reconsider the whole marriage. It’s so bad, it’s making me think music as a concept was a mistake, or perhaps even having ears in the first place. And I would still rather listen to this song on an endless loop than ever think about last night’s game ever again.

Lineups:

News:

Carlos Vargas was at T-Mobile Park throwing to live hitters. He should head out on a rehab assignment within the next week.

Carlos Vargas throwing to live hitters today at T-Mobile Park | Lookout Landing

Kate also wrote on Taylor Ward’s arrival and role as envisioned by Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners front office.

New Mariner Taylor Ward is not just here to walk (but that’s okay too)

Today’s Game Information:

Game time: 6:40 PT

TV: Mariners.TV with Aaron Goldsmith, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Dave Valle/Jay Buhner, with Angie Mentink serving as field reporter

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Dave Valle/Jay Buhner

NB: For your planning purposes, Valle will be on the TV side innings 1-3 and 8-9, and on the radio in innings 4-7; Buhner will be on the opposite schedule.