The festivities started off in a wholesome way when the first baseman's parents threw out the first pitch. His dad lobbed the ball to a catcher who was sitting just to the side of home plate and the ball sank and bounced. His mom, on the other hand, threw a perfect arc to a catcher squatting behind the base. The two posed for a photo with their son before Chicago's starting pitcher Erick Fedde took the mound.
Munetaka Murakami's parents threw out the first pitch today to celebrate his bobblehead day 🥹 pic.twitter.com/onxO9ea5vI
The Astros jumped to an early lead off a solo home run from Jeremy Peña. But then, batting second in the bottom of the first inning, Murakami blasted his own home run. He took a slider over the plate and sent the ball flying into left field, allowing Sam Antonacci to score as well and putting the White Sox up 2-1.
To show his versatility, Murakami swatted the ball to right field for his second home run of the game in the eighth inning. He took a high pitch, boosted the ball away and put two fingers in the air as he rounded the bases.
The Japanese-born player got another RBI in the third inning with a ground out that sent Drew Romo home and had a two-run single in the seventh inning.
"It feels amazing and really, super excited right now," Murakami said through an interpreter after the game before his teammates splashed him with a bucket of orange Gatorade.
Murakami was selected to the All-Star Game in his first season as a replacement for Minnesota Twins' outfielder Byron Buxton. He also participated in the Home Run Derby. Despite missing 35 games before the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury, the 26-year-old has impressed with 22 home runs, 48 RBI, .378 OBP and .921 OPS.
In his speech, Kent reflected on his time with the Mets, which spanned four seasons from 1992 to 1996.
Jeff Kent speaks during his Baseball Hall of Fame inductino July 26. Charles Wenzelberg
Kent was traded to the Mets from Toronto as a rookie, learning of the deal in the middle of the night before a doubleheader.
“What a whirlwind that was. New York was something that I was not prepared for,” Kent said. “You learn about pressure and accountability and responsibility fast in that city. And if you don’t, it’ll chew you up. But I am, without a doubt, grateful for every minute of it.”
Kent’s speech featured mentions of several other Hall of Famers, one of whom he shared a locker with upon arriving in Queens.
“My locker mate those first couple of years was Eddie Murray. Eddie Murray didn’t know what to make of me,” Kent said. “I had a habit of running my mouth when I was a young kid. Eddie didn’t run his mouth, showed up prepared and performed every single day. One day, I asked Eddie, ‘How do you stay so calm when the bases are loaded?’
Jeff Kent is pictured during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony July 26. Charles Wenzelberg
“He told me he focused on the one, not the three RBI sitting out there, but just the one on third base. That lesson of keeping things simple stayed with me forever. Your emotions will get the better of you in this game. Players who control them the best are the ones who last,” Kent recalled.
Another Hall of Famer who got a mention in Kent’s speech?
The late Tommy Lasorda, with whom Kent shares a Los Angeles connection. Kent returned home to Southern California to wrap his career with four seasons as a Dodger.
“I learned a long time ago from Tommy Lasorda, one of the best motivators in the game, a simple truth that I lived by for my whole career: ‘The money lies in the RBIs,’ ” Kent said.
Tommy Lasorda is pictured while the Dodgers’ manager. Shutterstock
“If I was gonna win, I knew I needed to produce runs,” he continued. “That became my focus, and as a middle infielder of my era, I’m proud that I set the bar for my production.”
After the induction ceremony, Kent said that while he hadn’t heard the saying from Lasorda personally, it stuck with him.
“[At] Cal Berkeley, our manager made us sit around home plate … on the loudspeaker, he played a motivational tape of Tommy Lasorda,” Kent said. “And in that speech … I got out of that, and the money lies in the RBIs. That stuck in my brain forever.”
Kent’s illustrious career took him to many places, and Cooperstown is now at the end of that list.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 25: Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians at bat in the top of the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 25, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The competitive souls of the 2026 Cleveland Guardians were weighed in Tampa this weekend and found wanting. It’s time for the organization to adjust, accordingly.
We have been covering potential trade targets for the Guardians (two of whom are now injured, of course) and we will continue to do so, but it’s probably time for the Guardians to consider becoming sellers. How much did they ever intend to be buyers we may never know, but the Guardians simply don’t have an offense ready for prime time in the playoffs, even in a weak American League. The Guardians are 23rd in wRC+ at 94, last in hard hit rate at 31.5%, second to last in barrel rate at 6.2%, and second to last in ISO at .141. The Rays are right around Cleveland in all these metrics and yet absolutely destroyed the Guardians beating them 5 out of 6 times this year. The Guardians have a 108 wRC+ against AL Central rivals and teams under .500 and an 81 wRC+ against opponents outside their division who are over .500. They simply are not good enough to beat a good team in a seven-game series.
Will this change? Well, things changing relies on significant steps forward from Travis Bazzana, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez, on Jose Ramirez regaining his usual form before too long as he recovers from hamate surgery, and on Kyle Manzardo pulling his head out of his you know what. Additionally, Ralphy Velazquez, or Angel Genao, or Cooper Ingle will need to find their way to a breakout that translates at the major league level. OR, the Guardians will have to find a way to trade for a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat who I just don’t see on the market.
Perhaps the new CBA will provide a way to inspire Paul Dolan and/or David Blitzer to spend on free agent hitters, but I would not hold my breath. More likely, the team needs to develop and produce their own major leauge hitters. Juneiker Caceres, Nolan Schubart, Aaron Walton, Jaison Chourio and Welbyn Francisca are showing excellent progress at various paces throughout the minor league system. Instead of trying to add major league talent, one could argue that the Guardians should look to find more bat darts to throw at the target of fixing this problem, as well as some pitching depth that is never sufficient.
What do the Guardians have to sell? Here are some possibilities: Steven Kwan – Kwan has finally found his way back to being a valuable hitter, with his wRC+ reaching 94 as of today. With his exceptional defense, I suspect there would be a contender willing to give some good value for Kwan. I am still not opposed to something like 6/$72 extension for Kwan, but, assuming that’s off the table, they should look to get the most out of his remaining value and not wait for an offseason that may be hugely affected by a coming lockout and potential lost games to do it. Hunter Gaddis, Collin Holderman, or Erik Sabrowski – For different reasons, each of these high leverage relievers may be worth dangling. Gaddis has put a lot of mileage on his arm, also, and doesn’t strikeout quite as many hitters as one would like. Holderman’s breakout is new and could be fleeting. Sabrowski has extensive injury issues and his elbow may be a ticking time bomb. In a market where everyone is looking for relief help, any of these three could net a prospect with real potential to be a good, everyday player and I’m not opposed to the idea. Kyle Manzardo – Manzardo has been terrible but he still has many encouragine metrics. I would not put it past a good hitting development group pushing to acquire Manzardo and fix him, willing to give up a prospect or two of interest. Austin Hedges – No one wants to hear this, I suppose, but Hedges as a good hitter is probably worth a lot to some contending team in need of a backup who seems capable of helping a little at the plate. And the Guardians seemingly already acquired Hedges’ replacement in Patrick Bailey. Bo Naylor – Someone, somewhere believes they can fix Bo Naylor and will offer a low-A prospect of lottery ticket value, I’m sure of it. Naylor doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting another shot in Cleveland, for whatever the reason.
To be clear, the team can cut Gabriel Arias, Rhys Hoskins, and/or David Fry and you’d hear no complaints from me. If there is a trade out there for any of the the three, go for it. Be my guest.
I would not look to trade any of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams or Parker Messick. It’s doubtful a team will offer enough to make Joey Cantillo or Slade Cecconi good pieces to deal. The one name who should be considered as a remote possibility is Cade Smith. If someone wants to offer a franchise-altering return for Smith (multiple top 100 prospects+), I think it’s something I’d consider. Reliever value is volatile and Smith is 27 years old and set to put 220 innings on his arm in three years. Under control through 2029, there is no need to move him now… but it is a conversation worth having in case there is Mason Miller-to-the-Padres-type return out there, somewhere.
I know everyone is tired of hoping that prospects will pan out. But, the Guardians have given us little choice but to hope that the plan will finally begin to bear fruit in 2028 and beyond. Finding more potential options to give this plan a chance at succeeding by trading off pieces of value from a team that simply doesn’t have the juice probably makes sense. I will not complain if this is the route they take… nor will I complain if they try to add a veteran bat or two, or a veteran arm. I don’t know if that’s wisdom… or indifference. I would say, if pushed on the issue, I think it makes more sense to shop Kwan, Hedges and one of Gaddis/Sabrowski/Holderman and turn their attention to 2028 and beyond for a real run at a World Series… after they have hired some new hitting development folks from another organization, but that’s another article entirely.
Baseball Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander stands on the pitcher's mound at Yankee Stadium and watches pitcher Satchel Paige at work. Paige is a member of the New York Black Yankees.
The Colorado Rockies feel distant from baseball’s oldest legends because, frankly, they should. The club didn’t take the field until 1993. Honus Wagner debuted in 1897 and last played in 1917. Satchel Paige’s career stretches back into an era that Major League Baseball spent decades pretending did not fully exist. Mickey Mantle belongs to baseball cards, post-war Yankee dominance, and bad knees.
The Rockies belong to the Blake Street Bombers, purple pinstripes, altitude, and Rocktober. Baseball is most definitely organized into distinct eras, but it is ultimately interconnected by the people.
Careers overlap. Young players share clubhouses with old legends. A veteran who barely passed through Denver can become a bridge to a past that feels impossibly distant.
Welcome to Purple Row After Dark.
Here is the game: Start with someone who wore a Rockies uniform, then move backward through Baseball Reference roster pages one shared team at a time. For this exercise, each shared Baseball Reference season roster counts as one link. This is not meant to litigate exact active-roster overlap by date. That would strip away some of the mystique and romance of the exercise.
Player-to-manager or player-to-coach connections are allowed if they happened on the same major-league team, but teammate-to-teammate is the cleanest version. No broadcasters, family links, ownership links, front office-only links, or spring training loopholes. Shorter chains are better. Stranger chains are strongly encouraged.
Murphy played for the 1993 Rockies. He also played with Niekro on the 1976 Atlanta Braves, and Niekro played with Spahn on the 1964 Milwaukee Braves. Just like that, a player from the first Rockies roster connects to one of the greatest left-handed pitchers who ever lived.
That is the normal version. Clean names. Easy path.
But some paths are more scenic.
Take Daryl Boston, an outfielder on the inaugural 1993 Rockies. Boston can take us back to the Deadball Era through a museum walk of baseball names:
That is three links from the inaugural Rockies roster to Satchel Paige.
This is what makes roster wandering more than a trivia exercise. The Rockies are young, but they are woven into the same fabric as the old legends. The players who passed through Denver brought their own histories with them, connecting LoDo to different eras, clubhouses, and worlds.
So here is the challenge: find your own Rockies connection to a baseball legend.
Want a place to start? Try connecting Mickey Moniak to Mickey Mantle (Moniak already connected himself). Then see if you can keep going to Mickey Cochrane, the Hall of Fame catcher Mantle was named after.
Tonight, Purple Row After Dark is going back in time. Happy traveling.
Jul 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) and pitcher Mitch Farris (70) celebrate defeating the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Swept, sure. Six times now. But to sweep? Nah, it just ain’t to be.
The San Francisco Giants are now 0-5 with the chance to sweep a 3+ game series after their 4-3 loss to the Angels. It’s not just their opponents or their own self-sabotage keeping the broom in the cupboard — the umpires are doing their part as well.
With the tying run at second in the 9th, home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt decided an inside fastball was close enough and called Heliot Ramos out on strikes to end the game.
Now, of course, in this brave new world of ABS and challenges, this wouldn’t be such a big deal. A light tap on the head and any pitch-calling injustice can be swiftly adjusted within seconds — if one of the team’s challenges remained. If one doesn’t, then you’re living in baseball’s stone ages, which these 2026 Giants might be.
Willy Adames had burned the team’s last challenge earlier in the 9th on a 3-0 sinker from reliever Sam Bachman. The pitch’s natural movement appeared to take the ball out of the zone. It entered the catcher’s glove wide of the corner. Bachman had heaved some big misses earlier in the AB and when he walked Jesus Rodriguez. Given the scenario — 9th inning, no outs, down by three, and another baserunner would bring the tying run to the plate — it wasn’t a bad challenge in terms of strategy. It was a bad challenge, a terrible one, in the sense that he was wrong. Upon review, a fiber of a seam scraped the inside corner. Wendelstedt reported — with the biggest sh*t-eating grin on his face, I’m sure — that the call was confirmed, San Francisco has no more challenges remaining, hehe. That first strike got Bachman back into the at-bat and he’d eventually get Adames to ground into a fielder’s choice forceout.
The no more challenges thing immediately became an issue in the next at-bat. Bachman got lost on his way to the plate again, and Wendelstedt went out of his way to reorient him. In a 3-0 count, a change-up that fell well below the zone was called a strike, and Cavanaugh, powerless to protest, could only tap his helmet quizzically.
Given a second life in the AB, Bachman worked the count full but ended up walking the rookie catcher anyway (Cavanaugh, 2-for-2 with 2 BB) bringing the Giants tying run to the plate.
Manager Kirk Suzuki swapped the errant Bachman with the inexperienced lefty, Mitch Farris, who, despite his surname, had never pitched in a save situation before (my thinking: Farris → Ferris → Save Ferris). Farris got pinch hitter Daniel Susac to lineout on his first pitch and then had his heart jump into his throat on his second pitch to Luis Arraez when his 352 drive teased a game-tying 3-run home run for 95% of its time in the air. Missing a friendly push from the wind, the ball kicked high off the brick wall in right for a 2-run double.
The Angels were on the ropes. They had lost a MLB-leading 8 games so far when leading after the 8th inning with an inexperienced arm on the hill without a split advantage. Ramos, who had been scuffling as of late, put up a fight too. He fouled off three pitches, then in a 1-2 count and fully in swing-mode, spat on a change-up in the dirt. He didn’t get baited by the subsequent fastball either. He read it out of the hands well — maybe low, definitely inside, and he kept his bat on his shoulder. Who knows what he would’ve done with it, but Ramos had earned another pitch.
He didn’t get one.
While Adames’s failed challenge drew the quickest criticism because it was the most recent, the reason that challenge was San Francisco’s last was thanks to a bad challenge by Grant McCray way back in the 5th inning.
Down 4-0, Angels’ starter José Soriano with runners on first and second and nobody out, McCray saw a 1-0 fastball as off the plate and away. When Wendelstedt called it as strike one, McCray challenged it immediately.
Besides the fact that he was wrong, there’s some problems with McCray’s thinking here.
First off, the difference between a 1-1 count and a 2-0 count doesn’t do much in terms of swinging the outcome of the at-bat. Reversing the call here doesn’t save McCray from being called out, nor does it directly guarantee he reaches first.
Secondly, McCray is hitting out of the 9-spot. Sunday was just his second start of the year, his eighth game, his seventh plate appearance, and he’s yet to record a hit. No offense, but the likelihood of his bat providing no offense is high. While I get why a manager might not want to restrict any player from challenging specific balls and strikes, an unproven, bench piece should probably be discouraged from making split-second decisions in the heat of the moment. Save those challenges for the powerhouse guys!
McCray got it wrong in the 5th, and the full consequences of that failed challenge wasn’t known until four innings later.
While Ramos got the bat, and challenge, taken out of his hands, that final strike-3 didn’t sink the Giants. They were swinging from behind, hanging on by their fingernails, living in the fairy land of conditional ifs because while they had no trouble creating opportunities (like in the 9th), they struggled to capitalize on them (like in the 9th).
Their lead-off batter reached base in 8 of the game’s 9 innings, but only once did the batter after him reach base. Their first hit with a runner in scoring position was Arraez’s 9th inning double.
Credit is due to Angels starter José Soriano and his bowling ball arsenal of sinker, splitter, knuckle curve, who allowed one run (unearned) over 5 innings pitched. He surrendered just three hits, one of those being a sun-double by Adames. While he walked three, he buckled down when it mattered with well-located offerings eliciting weak batted balls and unproductive outs.
A perfectly placed splitter in the 3rd got Bryce Eldridge swinging to end the inning and strand two runners. In the 5th, after the first two Giants reached base, he struck out McCray (again, thanks to a well-located sinker) then got Arraez to roll weakly to second for what should’ve been a double play if not for a throwing error by shortstop Zach Neto. Looking back on the quality of contact, it’s not surprising that the only run they managed against Soriano was thrown in rather than batted in.
Even though he got hung with the loss and gave up four runs, the recently called-up Carson Whisenhunt held his own for the most part. He struck out 7 over 5 innings, including five in a row at one point. He had already bagged 15 whiffs by the end of the 3rd, the majority of those flails came on his signature change-up. By the end of his outing, 65% of the swings on the offspeed came up empty.
As dominant as he was at times, Whisenhunt’s youth showed through at crucial points. In the 1st, after Mike Trout doubled, the veteran advanced to third when Whisenhunt sailed a fastball. The wild pitch allowed Trout to cross the plate on a groundout to short.
Then in the 4th, Jorge Soler socked the first pitch of the frame over the wall in center field. The knock rattled Whisenhunt. The old adage that solo homers won’t beat you remains true — but what will beat a pitcher is walking the next batter after a solo homer, then giving up another bomb. Whisenhunt struggled locating his slider and fastball against Nolan Schanuel. Uncomfortable with his secondary offerings, he predictably went back to his change-up after the walk, and Jo Adell launched one 446 feet.
Adrian Houser took over in 6th and did an excellent job working around some errors to keep the Angels’ lead at three, but three runs was all they needed.
Milwaukee, with the second best record in the National League, comes to town tomorrow.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 30: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I keep thinking about all the teams that don’t seem to have improved much if at all from last season. Detroit. Boston. Cleveland. Denver. Minnesota. What a weird Pangea of inertia.
Then again, some teams have actually made moves. Some are better for having made those moves. Here are the handful of biggest threats to the Knicks repeating as champions in June 2027, as of July 2026.
TORONTO/PHILADELPHIA
The Raptors and Sixers had essentially the same offseason, in that you can view them however you like and come up with completely polar opinions on both.
On the one hand, Toronto traded a hill of beans for one of the greatest players this century, who last year put up 28 points a game on 51/39/89 shooting. Worried about durability? Kawhi Leonard played over 2000 minutes last season, just the second time he’s done so since leaving Toronto for L.A. seven years ago, though that was the second in three years. And he fits a perfect position of need.
You might have missed it what with all the Mario Hezonja buzz of late, but for $8 million the 76ers signed the greatest player this century, who last year put up 21 points, six rebounds and seven dimes on 52% shooting. Worried about age? Last season LeBron James fell 11 minutes short of 2000, a mark he’s failed to reach only four times in 23 seasons. And he fits a perfect position of need.
On the one other hand, the last time Leonard and James were legit Larry O’Brien influencers, we’d never heard of COVID. The president being senile was a concern. It was a different world, a simpler time. And recent times don’t necessarily suggest better days ahead for either player’s new team.
Since leaving Canada for the Clippers, Leonard has played in one playoff series his team won, two they lost, two he missed parts of and three he missed altogether. Since leading the Lakers to the Bubble ‘chip, LeBron’s team won three of eight playoff series, beating a Memphis team led by two 23-year-olds, a Warriors side that started five 30-year-olds that series and a Houston team a year ago without Kevin Durant for five of the six games.
If there’s one NBA player with a seeming fix on who “is him” and who isn’t, it’s Scottie Barnes. And while Barnes is a great number of wonderful things on the 94×50, one thing he is not is “him.”
I figure he figured out pretty quick last year that Brandon Ingram is good enough at basketball to make the kind of money where his grandchildren will never buy store-brand ice cream sandwiches, but not good enough to be “him,” either. Whenever the NBA thinks enough time’s passed that we’ve forgotten the scandal finalizes the Aspiration investigation, assuming Leonard is a Raptor, he is most definitely a him-type. Kawhi would also make the Raptors a hydra-headed beast defensively. How many teams have the firepower to test Leonard and Barnes and Collin Murray-Bowles and Immanuel Quickley? With Jakob Poeltl the back line of defense?
But do the Raptors have enough 3-point shooting? Leonard is a better shooter than Ingram *when healthy*, which is sorta the rub. Ingram and Sandro Mamukelashvili were Toronto’s two best high-volume snipers from distance. Can third-year man Ja’Kobe Walter — 41% on moderate volume last year — level up his attempts without losing too much of his accuracy?
Do the Sixers have enough 3-point shooting? Lost amidst all the understandable elation of turning Paul George and Kelly Oubre into Lebron and Jaylen Brown is that while Philly is bigger and more athletic at the forward spots, they look to have taken a step back in their perimeter game. George and Oubre combined to make 186 of 494 3-point tries last year (37.6%); Brown and James were 217 of 647 (33.5%).
Both of these teams probably improved from last year to next. But neither feels like a realistic Finals threat.
HOUSTON
I have Houston here instead of Denver for one reason. And it isn’t Kevin Durant, who back in 2019 I thought was a foolish bet to continue his annual high level of play into his early 30s. All KD’s done since is carry it into his mid- and now late-30s.
It’s that the Rockets can reasonably hope that a year with instead of without Fred VanVleet, plus growth from any of Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, paired with the perpetual greatness machine that is Durant, means a higher ceiling in 2027, maybe even one that sends them soaring above the last two Western champs. Whereas the Nuggets can reasonably hope that the next time they win a title in 15-25 years, it’s under new ownership that actually feels up for a title defense.
Admittedly, I think Houston is more than a little behind the Spurs and Thunder. But there’s enough “if it all goes right” there to think that if it does, it might be enough to send them to their first Finals since 1995.
INDIANA
Like Charlie Brown lining up for the kick, so many seemingly can’t wait to overlook and underrate the Pacers yet again. What is wrong with you people?
It wasn’t all that long ago that Tyrese Haliburton and not Jalen Brunson was the Eastern guard living a charmed life while leading his team to one inspiring, improbable win after another. Obviously Knicks’ fans biggest fear last season was that Indiana would land a top lottery pick in their gap year, draft a stud and come back even more frightening than the group that knocked off the Knickerbockers in 2024 and 2025.
Instead, they gambled and lost that pick in the Ivica Zubac trade. Props to the Pacers for adding a sneaky-good center who’s an elite rebounder (which Myles Turner was not). I’m a bit confused by that center not now or ever being able to space and shoot as a five-out center (which Myles Turner was). I think Roy Hibbert must have been the last Indiana big I remember who couldn’t shoot. Knicks fans saw how much the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns’ as a shooter and spacer unlocked all kinds of options for their offense. Haliburton is a brilliant playmaker who’ll now have to negotiate what would figure to be less room with Zubac firmly inside the arc.
Still, Indy has Haliburton. And Zubac. And Pascal Siakam. And Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell and Obi. Oubre and Larry Nance Jr. are solid additions. It’s the Pacers. It’s the Knicks. You know.
OKLAHOMA CITY
This isn’t a huge deal. It’s a crack, is all. But sometimes a crack is enough. Just knowing a seemingly invincible foe is in fact vincible can create the kind of confidence that brings down mountains.
The Thunder are still awesome. Maybe still the title favorites, even. The Spurs barely snuck past them, even with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out hurt. OKC’s beaten New York six straight times and seven outta eight; last time the Knicks beat the Thunder RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims suited up. Coming up short a year ago doesn’t mean Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren suddenly forget how to ball.
But OKC traded Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe for the Leon Rose Blue Plate Special — second-rounds picks in perpetuity. They’re still young. They’re still deep. They’re still awesome. Only not quite as young. Or deep. Or awesome. And after their destruction of the league in 2025 and into last year’s Western conference finals, there are now teams in both San Antonio and New York who see themselves as the title favorites.
The Thunder are still most of all the good things they were a year ago. Just not the defending champs, and not the consensus favorite. That either means nothing or something. We’ll know in ten months.
SAN ANTONIO
The Spurs have reason after reason after reason to see themselves as next in line to win the championship. You already know most of them. So I’m gonna pivot and point out the biggest reason to doubt the Spurs even make it back to the Finals. Pro’ly the biggest reason, if they never do win it all with this group, why they didn’t.
The Thunder. Duh.
These Spurs remind me of the Magic back in the day, when a young Shaq was anointed the heir apparent to His Airness. After leading Orlando to the Finals in only his second season, winning their first of several titles was unquestionably a matter of when and not if. But a funny thing happened on the way to immortality. That lot not only never won, they never made it back to the Finals. Know any other generational bigs who got to the Finals in year two, only to lose a heartbreaker at home early en route to getting gentlemanly swept? It wasn’t the team they lost to in the Finals that did them in; it was a conference rival they beat once and never again.
There’s a narrative forming about Victor Wembanyama’s work ethic and drive that could be true, but that also feels like marketing. I’m inclined to think Wemby works harder than Shaq did, even though I can’t possibly know that. There are stereotypes at play there. I must work to reject them.
The Spurs acted like Susan Lucci finally winning an Emmy when they beat a shorthanded Thunder squad in the WCF. Victor and the victors were entitled to that; there is no ugly crying when you win. But I have a feeling the Thunder haven’t forgotten. And that they watched the Finals and learned some things from the Knicks they’ll put their own wrinkle on in next year’s meetings with San Antonio.
This isn’t an Xs-and-Os argument for what OKC may have in store. I just think will is a helluva variable to try and plug into an equation. I suspect the Thunder are as driven to take down the Spurs as they are to lift themselves back up to the Association’s apex. I still think the Spurs are the biggest threat to the Knicks. But while New York are the defending champs, it’s the runners-up who may have the biggest target on their backs next year.
Tyrone Taylor continues to drive up his trade value.
The center fielder crushed a three-run homer against Dodgers right-hander Evan Phillips on Sunday and has quietly been on a tear since returning from the IL late last month.
In that 18-game span, Taylor has produced a 1.327 OPS as he’s put a tough spring and a right hip flexor strain behind him.
Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor hits a three-run home run to give the Mets the lead in the sixth inning at Citi Field in the Queens, New York, USA, Sunday, July 26, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“A lot of belief, swinging with aggression, swinging with intent to do damage, not letting a bad swing impact his next swing,” interim manager Andy Green said of Taylor’s recent stretch. “It’s been fun to watch him… the next couple days against lefties too. So he’s earned obviously more playing time, and he’s been huge for us.”
With the Mets at 44-62 despite Sunday’s 8-3 win, it seems a good bet that they’ll cash in on the in-form 32-year-old. The career .237 hitter indicated he hadn’t made any drastic changes since coming off the IL.
“Nothing too crazy,” he said.
Amid the mounting trade chatter, though, Taylor said that he was not thinking about the trade deadline and is instead trying to remain “present.”
Green echoed the sentiment despite the possibility that his roster may look quite a bit different in the coming days.
“We’re here today, we played to win a baseball game,” Green said. “We’ll do the same thing tomorrow.”
Taylor’s bomb against LA was his fifth home run of the month, and there is plenty for prospective trade partners to like about him.
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Tyrone Taylor celebrates with Luis Robert Jr. after he scores on his three-run home run to give the Mets the lead in the sixth inning at Citi Field. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
His reliable glove in the outfield has been coupled with his domination of lefty pitchers this season, to the tune of a .292/.303/.569 slash line with 11 RBIs. He also started the bulk of games for the 2024 Mets team that made it to the NLCS.
Sunday may have been one of his final games for the Mets, but he’s certainly made it an easy sales pitch for David Stearns.
Jun 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) reacts after tagging out Milwaukee Brewers shortstop David Hamilton (6) trying to steal second base in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are set to visit Old Friend Willy Adames and the San Francisco Giants this week to begin a six-game West Coast road trip that will also take them to visit the Angels.
Milwaukee, at 66-39, sits atop the NL Central after a solid 7-2 homestand featuring series wins over the Marlins, Mets, and Rockies. On the other side, the Giants, at 44-61, sit just ahead of the Rockies near the bottom of the NL West. They’re 4-6 since the break, with series losses against the Mariners and Royals but a recent series win over the Angels.
The Brewers’ injured list includes pitchers DL Hall (close to returning), Kyle Harrison (close to returning), Joel Kuhnel (close to returning), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Outfielder Brandon Lockridge is also on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, while fellow outfielder Sal Frelick’s return is TBD as he was recently shut down from baseball activities.
San Francisco is without pitchers Trevor McDonald (TBD), Joel Peguero (August), Matt Gage (August or September), José Buttó (September or out for season), Hayden Birdsong (out for season), Randy Rodríguez (out for season), and Rowan Wick (out for season). Third baseman Matt Chapman could be back for this series after missing the entire month of July, while outfielders Harrison Bader, Jonah Cox, and Victor Bericoto are all shelved. Jung Hoo Lee is also considered day-to-day with elbow soreness.
Jake Bauers leads the Brewer offense with 18 homers, while Brice Turang and William Contreras have both reached the 100-hit threshold with 103 hits apiece. Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, Andrew Vaughn, and Joey Ortiz have also been key cogs in recent weeks, with Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, Luis Lara, David Hamilton, and Blake Perkins rounding things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .255/.337/.402 (.739 OPS ranks sixth), with 98 homers (tied for 29th), 535 runs (fifth), and 104 steals (tied for fourth).
Rafael Devers leads the Giants with 22 homers this season, with Casey Schmitt (21 homers) and Willy Adames (18 homers) right on his tail. Luis Arraez leads the Giants with 129 hits this year, as he’s slashing .327/.363/.451 and figures to be a trade chip at the deadline. Lee, Bryce Eldridge, Heliot Ramos, Drew Cavanaugh, and Drew Gilbert are also regulars offensively, with Daniel Susac, Jesus Rodriguez, Grant McCray, and Christian Koss serving as depth. As a team, the Giants are hitting .253/.308/.417 (.725 OPS ranks 15th), with 118 homers (tied for 19th), 436 runs (25th), and 40 steals (28th).
Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill lock things down at the backend of Milwaukee’s bullpen, with Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, and Chad Patrick also serving as valuable arms. Craig Yoho, Bryse Wilson, and Garrett Stallings round out the group as the “B” arms after Lance McCullers Jr. was DFA’d over the weekend. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.43 team ERA (second), including a 3.39 starter ERA (second) and a 3.47 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,027 batters (second) over 940 2/3 innings.
Caleb Kilian leads the Giants’ bullpen with 42 appearances and eight saves this year, though he’s blown three opportunities and has a 4.57 ERA. Erik Miller (2.97 ERA over 30 1/3 IP), JT Brubaker (2.74 ERA over 49 1/3 IP), Sam Hentges (2.66 ERA over 20 1/3 IP), and Keaton Winn (3.38 ERA over 34 2/3 IP) have been the best arms for San Francisco’s bullpen, with former Brewer Adrian Houser (4.86 ERA over 87 IP), Dylan Smith (2.81 ERA over 16 IP), and Jason Foley (6.00 ERA over 3 IP) rounding things out. As a staff, the Giants have a 4.38 team ERA (22nd), including a 4.40 starter ERA (17th) and a 4.38 bullpen ERA (21st). They’ve struck out 797 batters (28th) over 925 2/3 innings.
Sproat continues to be plagued by some command issues, as he issued four walks in his latest outing against the Mets. The potential is still there, though, as he’s flashed some promising signs at times this season. For the year, he’s 3-5 with a 5.09 ERA, 5.21 FIP, and 91 strikeouts over 86 2/3 innings across 19 appearances (17 starts). The former second-round pick has never faced the Giants in his career.
Mahle, 31, is a familiar opponent from his five-plus seasons with the Reds. On a one-year deal with the Giants, he’s struggled to a league-worst nine losses this year, with a 5.31 ERA, 4.52 FIP, and 77 strikeouts over 83 innings through 16 starts. The 10-year veteran took the loss in his last outing against the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four over five-plus frames. Mahle has made nine career starts against Milwaukee (all while with the Reds), with a 1-3 record, 5.36 ERA, and 63 strikeouts over 45 1/3 innings.
Henderson has looked great in a pair of major league cameos over the last two seasons, with a 2.54 ERA and 2.99 FIP over his first 63 2/3 innings, striking out 80. He’s picked up four wins in his eight starts this year, striking out 47 across 38 1/3 innings. He went five innings against the Mets in his last appearance, earning the win as he allowed two runs on five hits and no walks, striking out nine on 80 pitches. This marks Henderson’s first career appearance against San Francisco.
Roupp, 27, is in his third MLB season, and while he has the worst ERA of his career at 3.93, he also has the best FIP of his career at 3.31. Through 20 starts, he’s 7-8 with 113 strikeouts across 110 innings. He went six frames against the Royals in a no-decision his last time out, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks, striking out seven. Roupp has made five career appearances (three starts) against the Brewers, with a 7.16 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings. That includes a rough appearance back on June 1, when he allowed eight runs in four innings of work in a loss.
Drohan has been a reliable arm in Milwaukee’s rotation since stepping into that role a couple of months ago, as he’s taken on a similar role to Tobias Myers in 2024 and Chad Patrick in 2025. The rookie has spanned 82 innings with a 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 82 strikeouts. He’s coming off a bit of a rough start, though, as he went six innings but allowed five runs on six hits and a pair of walks, striking out six in a loss. Drohan pitched against the Giants back on June 1, going four innings with two runs allowed on four hits and two walks, striking out five in a no-decision.
Webb, 29, is already in his eighth major league season. After a great month of June that saw him win NL Pitcher of the Month (0.71 ERA, 0.605 WHIP, and 29 K over 38 IP), he’s had a bit of a rough July. Through four starts this month, he’s 0-2 with 19 runs allowed over 22 2/3 innings (7.54 ERA), striking out just 13. Webb has been dominant against Milwaukee for his career, with a 5-0 record, 1.79 ERA, and 54 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings across eight starts. That includes seven one-hit innings back in June, when he struck out four en route to a win.
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, July 27: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, July 28: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, July 29: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Brewers once again are the superior team in this matchup, but Roupp and Webb are both tough pitchers. Still, give me the Brewers to eke out two of three.
Carlos Beltrán credited Kevin Long at his Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony Sunday.
PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Long is trying to get the Phillies out of their hitting funk that led them to four straight losses heading into Sunday night’s game against the Yankees.
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But for a few minutes before the game at Citizens Bank Park, the hitting coach was transported back to the beginning of his coaching career, just after he retired as a minor league player and took over as the hitting coach with Kansas City’s Class-A affiliate in Wilmington, Del., in the spring of 1997.
His first task was to take the organization’s young star, Carlos Beltrán, and help make him a switch-hitter.
During his speech, Beltrán said becoming a switch-hitter was the “biggest decision of my career.”
Carlos Beltran is pictured during his Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony July 26. Charles Wenzelberg
Just shy of 20 years old, Beltrán, a natural right-handed hitter, worked with Long in extended spring training and went on to become one of the best switch-hitters in the history of the game.
“That was my first assignment as a coach,’’ Long said Sunday. “Somebody there thought he should be a switch-hitter and they put that in my hands, which I’m very grateful for. It taught me a lot at a very young age.”
Long, 31 at the time and having topped out at Triple-A as a player, was paired with Beltrán, in his third season in professional baseball.
“It really wasn’t to get him down the [first base] line faster or anything like that,” Long said of the decision to teach Beltrán to hit left-handed. “Maybe he was struggling righty-on-righty. I don’t know. Still, to this day, I don’t know.”
The pair just went to work.
“We hit every day at 10 or 11 in the morning, went to lunch together and came back and hit again,’’ Long said.
Beltrán, who grew up in Puerto Rico, was also still learning English, and Long said the two learned how to communicate together.
“There was a lot of Spanglish going on from both of us,’’ Long said.
Sunday, Beltrán pointed to their time together for helping shape his career on and off the field.
Kevin Long is pictured during an April 24 game for the Phillies. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“There’s no doubt that you really helped me change my career,’’ Beltrán said. “People today might see the numbers, the home runs, everything that I did, but you and I remember the words that we put together to try to make that work.”
“His tools were off the charts,’’ Long said. “The arm, the speed, the power, his bat speed. He was an elite player with an extreme skill set in every area.”
Kevin Long and Carlos Beltrán talk in the Yankees’ dugout during a September 2014 game. Getty Images
Beltrán mostly struggled at the plate in that 1997 season, but exploded the following year, as he opened the season at Wilmington before jumping to the majors from Double-A in September.
And Beltrán went on to be the American League Rookie of the Year in 1999.
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“It was not hard to see how good he could become,’’ Long said. “He could do things on a baseball field no one else could do.”
The pair reunited when Beltrán signed with the Yankees prior to the 2014 season, with Long the hitting coach.
“It was nice to be together again so many years later,’’ Long said. “For us to both have all that success was pretty special.”
And while he wasn’t in Cooperstown with Beltrán on Sunday, he was aware his former player made a point of crediting him.
“It’s a pretty cool story,’’ Long said.
— Additional reporting by Mark W. Sanchez in Cooperstown
NEW YORK (AP) — Freddy Peralta and the last-place New York Mets never thought they would reach the final week of July well out of playoff contention, with the front office preparing to sell off assets at the trade deadline.
An offseason makeover that went bust after last year’s second-half collapse has the Mets 18 games under .500 with eight days remaining before the Aug. 3 deadline, and Peralta is among those expected to get moved to a postseason contender.
With his future uncertain, the right-hander held the Los Angeles Dodgers to three runs (two earned) and six hits while throwing 93 pitches in four innings Sunday before New York rallied with three-run homers by Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien in an 8-3 victory.
It could end up being Peralta’s last start for the Mets.
“I can’t hide that,” Peralta said. “I know it probably is, but I have to focus and keep giving the best of myself and if it happens, it happens. I’m just thankful and grateful to be part of this organization. I know that so far I let them down. I haven’t (done) what I was supposed to do, but I’m grateful to be here.”
Peralta can become a free agent after the season. The two-time All-Star was acquired from Milwaukee in January for youngsters Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat as the Mets gave up a pair of players rated among the game’s top 100 prospects in the anticipation Peralta would be the frontline starter they needed.
Instead, he is 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts and has failed to complete five innings in four of his past five outings. He was 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA after beating Atlanta 8-1 on June 14 but is 0-4 with a 7.93 ERA in his last seven starts, including a June 20 dud when he allowed 10 runs and 10 hits over 2 2/3 innings at Philadelphia.
“I just come here and try my best every day to stay healthy and give my best every five days,” Peralta said. “I know it hasn’t been that way. We haven’t done what we expected to in general. I know that I can be way better than this. I still believe in myself. I am born to be a winner, not a loser, and I think that I have a lot in me, a lot to show. And I know that it can change because I still have time to make a change, to make it better.”
Before joining the Mets during an offseason when they also added Luis Robert Jr. and Semien in trades and signed Bo Bichette to a $126 million, three-year contract, Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts last season. He led the National League in wins, finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting and helped the Brewers win their third straight NL Central crown
“I trust him because he is going to catch his rhythm and go dominate five or six innings, which is all you’re ever looking for from a starter in a postseason situation,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “So he’s a guy that has a track record, has the experience, has the stuff. It is going to continue to trend back towards what he’s always been historically.”
Taylor, who played with Peralta in Milwaukee before joining the Mets in a December 2023 trade, also can become a free agent this fall and could be making himself more attractive to contenders with his current hot streak.
Taylor’s homer was his fifth in 33 at-bats since returning from a strained right hip. Since being activated, the backup outfielder is hitting .382 with a 1.403 OPS, the highest in the big leagues since June 28 among players with at least 30 plate appearances.
“I’m just bracing for each moment here,” said Taylor, who is batting .237 overall with eight homers and 23 RBIs. “I’m trying to do my best to help the team win here. I’m not thinking anything (about) that at all besides just being present.”
The Golden State Warriors’ interest in Trey Murphy III has not translated into meaningful progress because their current offer falls short of what the New Orleans Pelicans want.
Golden State has proposed a package centered around two first-round picks for the 26-year-old wing, according to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel. New Orleans has continued asking for three first-round selections and a young player it views as part of its long-term core.
That final piece may be the biggest obstacle.
The Warriors’ Trey Murphy III pursuit has stalled as the Pelicans demand three first-round picks and a promising young player. NBAE via Getty Images
“New Orleans has not changed their asking price of three first-round picks for Murphy and a young player they can add to their core, something the Dubs do not have to offer,” Siegel wrote.
The Warriors have several players aged 24 or younger, including Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Those players apparently don’t move the needle for the Pelicans or the Warriors are not interested in mortgaging the future.
Murphy would address several of Golden State’s most glaring needs. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals last season while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range. His combination of size, shooting and defensive versatility would make him a natural fit alongside Stephen Curry.
He could also help carry the offense while Jimmy Butler recovers from a torn ACL.
The problem is that New Orleans has little incentive to lower its price. Murphy is entering his prime, remains under contract and is coming off the best season of his career. The Pelicans have also resisted previous offers while maintaining that they hope to compete next season.
Stephen Curry looks on from the bench during the game against the Sacramento Kings. NBAE via Getty Images
Golden State can increase its draft compensation, but matching the complete asking price would require either persuading New Orleans to value one of its current prospects or finding another team to help facilitate a deal.
The situation reflects a larger roster-building problem for the Warriors.
Golden State once had premium young trade assets in James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga but held onto both until their values declined. The franchise now has future first-round picks available but lacks the coveted young centerpiece that rebuilding teams commonly demand in blockbuster negotiations.
Trey Murphy III dunks the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
That has made it difficult to land Murphy, much less established stars such as Jaylen Brown or Anthony Davis.
The Warriors must also decide whether Murphy is worth three first-round picks and another rotation player. His production and age make him appealing, but the Pelicans’ requested return resembles the price typically attached to a proven All-Star.
For now, Golden State appears headed toward returning much of the same roster that missed the playoffs last season. Draymond Green is expected to re-sign, but Butler’s injury leaves Curry without a dependable second scoring option to begin the year.
Murphy could provide both immediate help and long-term value.
The Warriors simply may not have what New Orleans wants to make it happen.
The Los Angeles Dodgers may already possess one of baseball’s deepest rosters, but Ken Rosenthal believes their rotation uncertainty makes a pursuit of Tarik Skubal impossible to dismiss.
“So much depends on how they review the health of their rotation,” Rosenthal said. “Dave Roberts said that Shohei Ohtani experienced discomfort in his knee following his last bullpen session on Wednesday. That led to the cancellation of his bullpen session today.”
Ken Rosenthal says the Dodgers cannot ignore a Tarik Skubal trade as Shohei Ohtani’s knee discomfort clouds their rotation. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Ohtani is still expected to pitch again this season, while Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are also working toward returns. The Dodgers could eventually enter October with more than enough starting pitching.
That is where Skubal becomes difficult to overlook.
“They know one way or another, greater payroll restrictions are coming in the next CBA,” Rosenthal said. “They cannot simply ignore the possibility of adding Tarik Skubal.”
Skubal would represent much more than insurance. The Detroit Tigers much more than insurance left-hander has established himself as one of the sport’s premier starters, combining swing-and-miss stuff with the command required to lead a postseason rotation.
The Dodgers also possess the prospect depth to make a serious offer. Rosenthal noted that Los Angeles has several highly regarded outfield prospects and could potentially include a controllable major-league pitcher such as Emmet Sheehan in negotiations.
Shohei Ohtani throws on the field before game two of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees. Getty Images
Detroit would demand a massive return, particularly because Skubal is not merely a short-term rental. Any package would likely require multiple premium prospects and at least one player capable of helping the Tigers immediately.
That price could ultimately prevent a deal.
Los Angeles already has Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and several injured starters expected to return. Emptying a significant portion of its farm system for another pitcher may appear excessive if the rotation gets healthy before the postseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walks off the mound after relieving Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Corey Knebel. AP
The Dodgers cannot assume that will happen, though. Ohtani’s latest discomfort is another reminder of how quickly pitching plans can change.
Rosenthal was not reporting that a trade is close or that Detroit has decided to move Skubal. His point was that the Dodgers have the resources, urgency and championship window to explore the possibility.
Los Angeles may eventually decide the price is unreasonable.
Ignoring the best pitcher who could become available would be the greater risk.
Knoxville Smokies infielder Jefferson Rojas (2) scores a run during a Minor League baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Birmingham Barons at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on June 2, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/ News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After everyone lost yesteday, everyone won today! OK, the Pelicans actually split a doublheader.
Grant Kipp turned in a solid start, earning the win after allowing one run on four hits over five innings. Kipp walked three and struck out two.
DH Moisés Ballesteros hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, his second with Iowa. Ballesteros went 1 for 5.
Center fielder Brett Bateman went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Bateman also stole a base. He scored three times and had one RBI.
In the month of July, Bateman is hitting .397/.466/.628 over 19 games.
First baseman Jonathon Long doubled twice in a 2 for 5 game. He had two runs batted in.
Catcher Owen Ayers was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Ayers scored once and had one RBI.
Second baseman Owen Miller went 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored. He was also hit by a pitch.
Right fielder Kevin Alcántara was 0 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. The walk gives Alcántara a 36-game on-base streak for Iowa, which is a new team record. At least going back to 2005, the first year that full game data is available.
Starter Kevin Valdez went five innings and allowed two runs on just three hits. Both runs came on a fourth-inning home run. Valdez struck out four, walked one and hit two.
Luke Little retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth and got the win. Little struck out one.
Jacob Wallace came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth and allowed the automatic runner on second to score on no hits. Wallace walked one and struck out two to collect his first save in the Cubs organization.
Third baseman Jefferson Rojas hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the tenth that proved to be the winning blast. It was his 15th home run this year. Rojas was 2 for 5 with a double and the home run.
DH Ariel Armas hit a solo home run in the second inning, his second on the season. Armas went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored twice.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez hit an RBI double in the sixth inning. Alvarez went 2 for 4.
Right fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored.
Pierce Coppola pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He walked one, hit one batter and struck out four.
JP Wheat relieved Coppola to start the sixth and promptly let three runs score to tie the game and had two runners on when Jackson Brockett entered the game. Brockett stranded the two runners and then went the rest of the way, earning the win. Brockett’s final line was no runs on two hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out six and walked on.
Catcher Justin Stransky connected for a two-run home run in the eighth inning. It was Stransky’s fifth home run this season. He went 2 for 4 with three total RBI.
Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. He scored two runs.
Center fielder Kane Kepley was 2 for 4 with a triple and scored on Hartshorn’s double.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda went 2 for 4. Both singles drove in a run, giving him two on the day.
Second baseman Michael Halquist broke the 3-3 tie with a two-run double in the sixth. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Riely Hunsaker gave the Birds five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. Hunsaker struck out seven and walked one.
Anhuar Garcia handled the other two innings for the save. Garcia gave up one run on two hits. The one run was a leadoff home run in the seventh. Garcia walked one and struck out two.
Second baseman Fernando Cruz hit his first Pelicans home run with the bases empty in the seventh in game one. It was his 14th overall home run. Cruz went 1 for 3.
Two batters later, first baseman Edward Vargas cranked a two-run home run, his first of the year and his first since 2023 in the Dominican Summer League. Vargas went 1 for 3.
Third baseman Derniche Valdez doubled twice in a 2 for 3 game. He scored one run.
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) July 26, 2026
Jordan Henriquez started game two and was responisble for five of the six runs the Crawdads scored in the third inning. The final line on Henriquez was five runs on four hits over 2.1 innings Two of the five runs were unearned. He walked one, hit one and struck out one.
Left fielder Geuri Lubo homered with the bases empty in the top of the seventh. It was Lubo’s sixth home run for the Birds and seventh overall. Lubo went 1 for 3.
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani’s swing hasn’t looked right since coming back from the All-Star break.
The Dodgers, however, insist it has nothing to do with the two-way star’s lingering knee issue.
Questions about this correlation have cropped up in recent days, with Ohtani starting his second half in an uncharacteristic slump.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has been mired in a 7-for-38 slump with no home runs since receiving a lubricant injection during the All-Star break. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Coincidence or not, he is 7-for-38 with no home runs since receiving a lubricant injection during the All-Star break to address a left knee injury — one that has prevented Ohtani from making a pitching start since July 3.
Granted, Ohtani has been playing through his knee problem since mid-June. And it hardly seemed to hamper him offensively in the month leading up to the All-Star Game, as the four-time MVP hit .273 with 11 home runs, 21 RBIs and a .987 OPS in the 27 games after the injury originated.
On the Dodgers’ post-All-Star-break road trip, though, the 32-year-old was largely a nonfactor as the team’s DH. He recorded just three extra-base hits, albeit with a double in Sunday’s 8-3 loss to the Mets. He struck out 10 times in 41 plate appearances, while only drawing two walks and driving in three runs. Most notably, he wasn’t impacting the ball with his usual pop.
“The quality of contact since the break,” manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Sunday, “has gone down considerably.”
But when asked about that theory Saturday, Roberts quickly pushed back, citing the slugger’s insistence to the team’s training staff that his injury is not impacting his mechanics at the plate.
Ohtani doubled against the Mets on Sunday, but he collected only three extra-base hits on the nine-game road trip. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
Ohtani has not addressed reporters himself since before the All-Star break.
“I can only go by what him and the training staff is telling me,” Roberts said, while refuting the notion that Ohtani’s knee might benefit from him getting a break as a hitter, too. “Unless I hear otherwise, that hitting compromises his health, then I’m going to keep putting him in the lineup.”
Over a long season, of course, occasional lulls are inevitable.
Only a couple months ago, Ohtani hit just .200 with one home run over a 26-game rut, then immediately caught fire and reestablished himself as an MVP front-runner.
Even now, his .907 OPS on the season ranks sixth best in the National League.
Still, Roberts couldn’t pinpoint a reason for Ohtani’s recent decline.
“I feel like he’s just not squaring the baseball up,” the manager said. “There’s a lot of balls that are just mishit.”
Until that changes, speculation about his knee will persist.
BOSTON (AP) — Toronto veteran right-hander Max Scherzer will celebrate his 42nd birthday with a start, coming off the injured list and starting Monday’s series opener at Washington, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
“I think just talking to him and understanding where he was physically and how he has recovered from the rehab outing in (Triple-A) Buffalo,” Schneider said. “Maybe a little bit limited in pitch count, but I think he kind of checked all the boxes.”
Scherzer (1-4 with a 10.23 ERA) was placed on the injured list in mid-June with back spasms, but has had various setbacks, including three cortisone shots in his thumb.
He threw 56 pitches in five innings, striking out seven in a rehab start on Wednesday.
He’s made only six starts this season for the Blue Jays, who have dropped seven of 10 since the All-Star break.
Last season, after being left off the ALDS roster because of late-season struggles, Scherzer was included on the ALCS and World Series roster for the Blue Jays. Toronto lost the series in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He is 222-121 with a 3.27 ERA in 489 games over 19 seasons and seven different teams. He has two World Series rings, one coming with the Nationals, where he’ll start on Monday, in 2019. The other with Texas in 2023.
