Dodgers vs. Rockies game chat

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 04: Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on July 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The rubber game of Dodgers vs Rockies is upon us. What late-game weirdness is in store for us tonight?

Wednesday game info

  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Rockies
  • Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
  • Start time: 7:10 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

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Wizards vs. Jazz preview: Washington starts 2026 NBA Summer League on Thursday

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 31: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks and forward AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars chase down a loose ball in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse on January 31, 2026 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Washington Wizards 2026 NBA Summer League tips off tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern with the epic grudge match with the Utah Jazz the world has been anticipating for almost two weeks.

That’s when Washington picked BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall selection, spurning Kansas guard Darryn Peterson. We all know what can happen in summer league when things get this personal.

Seriously, this one could be a fun watch with the top two picks in the 2026 draft on the court.

Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa — the first two picks of the 2026 NBA Draft. | NBAE via Getty Images

What does summer league mean? The real answer, at least according to one group of academic researchers found a relationship between performance in summer league and effectiveness in the regular season. The summer to regular season relationship is strong enough to stimulate some rooting interest and weak enough that fans can dismiss bad performances, if they want.

So, if Dybantsa plays great, it’s a sign of future greatness. If he stinks, we can all say summer league probably doesn’t matter and hope he’ll be better when the real games begin.

My guess is that summer league performance is becoming less and less meaningful as teams do things like play top picks for only a game or two before parking them on the sidelines to avoid injury.

Keys to the Wizards Summer League

  1. Don’t take it too seriously. Summer league is similar to NBA basketball, but it’s not NBA basketball.
  2. With Dybantsa and Will Riley, look for activity and aggression. Are they trying to make things happen, or waiting for the game to come to them? Root for them to attempt to make plays.
  3. For older guys expected to be role players, watch for signs they understand their role and can execute it. The differences in level of competition are meaningful, but for a three-and-D type, is he willing to pull the trigger when he has an opening or is he turning down shots? Is he giving a strong defensive effort even though the scheme isn’t as sophisticated as it will be when the real games start?
  4. Avoid injuries.

Who to Watch

  1. Dybantsa — No. 1 overall pick who the Wizards hope will develop into a dominating scorer and leader of a championship-level offense.
  2. Tre Johnson — Last year’s No. 6 overall pick, Johnson is a sweet-shooting guard who probably will be coming off the bench next season. Look for him to score in bunches. Will he have added muscle since the end of the regular season?
  3. Will Riley — Washington’s other first round pick last season. He’s long, has skills, and generated some buzz around the league with some gaudy performances later in the season. Has he gotten stronger? Will his decision-making be better?
  4. Felix Okpara — Second round big man with potential as a rim protector, rebounder and rim-runner.
  5. Seth Trimble — Undrafted free agent guard out of North Carolina who has the size, athleticism, and collegiate performance to indicate the potential to become a high-quality NBA defender. The challenge: can he shoot well enough at the NBA level?
  6. Jamir Watkins — Older prospect the Wizards got in the second round in 2025. Last season, he flashed defensive skills. Offense is a work in progress.
  7. Juju Reese — Had some nice rebounding games when the Wizards were tanking their hardest. Can he translate the production in extended garbage time to real competitive games?

From Utah, I’m interested in seeing:

  1. Peterson — The other guy most seriously considered to be in play for Washington at No. 1. He’s a talented guard with good size who played like the No. 1 pick in most drafts and still had a “bad” year at Kansas.
  2. Ace Bailey — Long and skilled wing who was reasonably productive as a rookie. How much progress has he made since the regular season ended?

Need to Know

  • Start time: 9 p.m. Eastern
  • Where to watch: ESPN or Monumental Sports Network

Orioles rally falls short in 9-7 loss to Cubs

Jul 8, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Umpire Quinn Wolcott indicates out as Baltimore Orioles outfielder Dylan Beavers (12) is caught trying to steal second base by Chicago Cubs infielder Dansby Swanson (7) in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

The Orioles entered this homestand in need of a series win to keep their slim playoff chances afloat. Baltimore dropped the opener on Tuesday, and the team continued to spiral out of contention tonight.

Pete Alonso gave the Orioles an early two-run lead, but Dean Kremer allowed three home runs in the fifth inning. Chicago struck for five more in the seventh, and Baltimore’s rally fell short in a 9-7 defeat.

Kremer made his first mistake in the top of the third inning. The righty threw Pete Crow-Armstrong three consecutive splitters in the same location. Crow-Armstrong went swing and a miss for strike one, swing and a miss for strike two, swing and a solo home run for a 1-0 lead.

Baltimore’s offense showed some life in the fourth inning. Blaze Alexander and Jackson Holliday put runners on the corners with a pair of singles. Gunnar Henderson bounced into a double play, but the twin killing still allowed the tying run to score.

Kremer posted a zero in the fourth with some help from a caught stealing by Adley Rutschman, and Alonso gave the Birds the lead with a two-run blast in the bottom half. Unfortunately, Kremer failed to deliver the shutdown inning.

Michael Conforto launched the first pitch of the inning over the fence in right field, and Carson Kelly obliterated the second pitch of the frame to tie the game at three. Conforto ambushed a first-pitch fastball that was north of the strike zone, but Kremer grooved a cutter to Kelly.

Kremer retired Dansby Swanson for the first out, but Crow-Armstrong stepped in for his second blast of the game. The All Star gave the Cubs the lead with a solo shot to center, and the Orioles never recovered.

Holliday led off the bottom half with an opposite-field single, but Henderson grounded into his second double play of the evening. Rico Garcia entered and posted a zero in the sixth, but Chicago broke the game open in the seventh.

Garcia retired Conforto before allowing a single and a walk. Craig Albernaz summoned Grant Wolfram to face Crow-Armstrong, and Wolfram struggled to find the strike zone. The lefty walked PCA to load the bases and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Alex Bregman.

Wolfram came within one strike of ending the inning with the game still in reach, but he lost Michael Bush to reload the bases. The Cubs scored their sixth run of the game on a wild pitch by Wolfram, and Seiya Suzuki put the game out of reach with a three-run blast.

The Orioles did their best to battle back. Tyler O’Neill hit a pinch-hit home run to start the seventh, and the Orioles used three singles to manufacture their fifth run of the game. Alonso stepped up with two outs and runners on the corners, but the Polar Bear flew out to center.

Albert Suárez tossed a scoreless eighth, and Baltimore continued to claw their way back in the eighth inning. Coby Mayo launched a ball to the second deck in left field, and O’Neill followed with his second home run of the game.

Holliday hit a ball off the top of the wall for his fourth hit of the game, and Henderson lined a ball up the middle at 103.6 MPH. Henderson nearly broke through for his first hit of the game, but Swanson made a diving catch to rob Baltimore’s shortstop and keep the lead at two.

Tyler Wells tossed a scoreless ninth, but Baltimore’s two, three and four hitters went quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Rutschman, Ward and Alonso all grounded out to prevent the tying run from ever reaching the plate.

The Orioles would have killed for seven runs in several of their recent losses, but they were done in by an 8-0 run tonight. Holliday finished 4-for-4, O’Neill tallied 40% of his home runs this season, and Mayo showed off his power against lefties. Both Ward and Dylan Beavers notched multi-hit games, but the pitching let the team down.

Baltimore fell to 42-51. The O’s will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow with Trevor Rogers on the mound.

What's next for San Francisco Giants as MLB trade deadline approaches?

The San Francisco Giants have a lot to consider at this juncture of the MLB season.

There were mid-level expectations for the Giants at the start of the season. On paper, it seemed like the Giants could battle for a wild card berth.

The Giants won't meet those expectations.

A week before the All-Star break, San Francisco has the third-worst record in baseball at 38-54. The Giants lost 10-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8, held hitless through eight innings.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that this team won't be competitive down the stretch, which has many of the Giants faithful singing a NxWorries tune, wondering what to do and where to go from here.

It's evident that a shake-up is needed. It's simply a matter of where they start and what they can realistically do to change things in the dugout. But one thing's for sure: the Giants are sellers heading into the trade deadline.

What should the Giants do now?

The Giants have to accept their fate. Entering the season, they looked like a team that could compete with anybody, but then the baseball games were played and that proved to not be the case. So now San Francisco has to look itself in the mirror and figure out what went wrong and how to make things right – well, better than they have been going, anyways.

Here are a few ideas:

Get aggressive in the trade market, sell high

It's easier said than done, but the Giants have to get off the expensive contracts eating up their salary. Reason being, you won't be able to get any talent, let alone invest in your prospects, if there isn't enough dollars to go around by the time negotiations occur.

It's also a matter of how aggressive they plan to be and who will be prioritized. Who is untouchable? ESPN's Jeff Passan has Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as a top-ranked trade candidate. He plays all throughout the outfield. Offensively, Lee ranks top 10 in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate.

Lee, 27, makes $22.83 million this season and next, before going down to $21.33 million in both 2028 and 2029. Although not a star, the Giants can sell teams on Lee being a promising, solid all-around player.

Move on from veteran players

With a record like San Francisco's, the best thing you can do for the fans is give them something to be hopeful for. That's not aging veterans.

Examine the market for your guys who are age 30 and up, or are occupying a ton of salary space.

Rafael Devers turns 30 in October. His age isn't so much a problem, but his contract ... combined with the lack of expected production. Devers has had a down year so far, batting .244, registering 86 hits and 18 homers. He's under contract through 2033 at a hefty price tag.

Others to consider moving on from are Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. They're fan favorites, but based on age and dollars it all makes sense. Adames is under contract through 2031 at over $31 million per season. Chapman is locked up through 2030 at over $25 million per year.

It's hard to say goodbye, but in the best interest of the Giants, they have to find new homes for these guys. And honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if Devers, Chapman and Adames wanted to find a new home if it meant playing for a contender and a chance at a World Series title.

Retain young talent, bring in fresh faces

There's promise for the future in this squad with guys like Bryce Eldridge, Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It's a start.

"The San Francisco Giants, who would love to trade two of their infielders at the trade deadline, need to clear space for power-hitter Bryce Eldridge. They realize it’s stunting his growth as an infielder to keep using him as a DH at the age of 21," USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale wrote.

Eldridge has had plenty moments as a designated hitter but none bigger than his walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals on June 10.

Another intitiative San Francisco needs to focus on is hanging on to guys like Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Landon Roupp. The best bet is to hang on to them to help usher in a new era. Years from now, when the team has a new look, you can decide whether to leverage them for additional assets.

However, in the interim, hold on to those guys for dear life because teams will come knocking as MLB gets closer to the trade deadline.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: What's next for San Francisco Giants as MLB trade deadline approaches?

Yankees’ anemic offense flops again in latest loss to rival Rays

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Jasson Dominguez is tagged out at the plate by catcher Nick Forte after trying to score on a suicide bunt play by Max Schuemann in the second inning of the Yankees' 3-0 loss to the Rays on July 8, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla, Image 2 shows Aaron Boone argues with home plate umpire Doug Eddings after getting ejected in the sixth inning of the Yankees' loss to the Rays, Image 3 shows Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was given the night off, can't bear to watch from the dugout during the Yankees' loss to the Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the first time in three games, the Yankees did not strike out 17 times Wednesday night, so there was that.

Otherwise, their lineup remained abysmal as their deficit in the AL East grew larger.

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The Yankees wasted a quality pitching effort from Gerrit Cole because the only thing they are doing consistently well of late is slumping together offensively, their latest collective dud resulting in a 3-0 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

In a game in which their frustration began to boil over, with Aaron Boone and bench coach Brad Ausmus both getting ejected in the sixth inning, the Yankees (50-42) lost for the 11th time in their past 13 games while dropping to five games back of the Rays (54-36) for the division lead.

“Just looking at the outcomes, it’s not where we want to be, and it’s not good enough to compete for first place right now,” Cole said.

After the Yankees had struck out 17 times in each of the first two games of this series, they whiffed just 11 times Wednesday, yet they still mustered just six hits (all singles, only three of which left the infield) as they were stifled by lefty Shane McClanahan and the Rays bullpen.

They had just one hard-hit ball all night, coming on a Ben Rice groundout.

They will try to salvage a series split Thursday afternoon, but that will be a difficult task against Rays All-Star Drew Rasmussen, who has pitched the Yankees tough (including 13 shutout innings this season) even when they are not going through a death spiral.

“You can feel it,” José Caballero said of the lineup’s struggles. “Personally, I think it’s us thinking about the bad stretch and taking it heavy on ourselves. I can speak for myself, I don’t like knowing that the last seven to 10 games, I’m doing bad. You think about it too long and it doesn’t get easier if you continue thinking about it. For me, we should just keep it simple and trust the room. We know how good we can be and we know how good we are.”

Jasson Dominguez is tagged out at the plate by catcher Nick Forte after trying to score on a bunt by Max Schuemann in the second inning of the Yankees’ 3-0 loss to the Rays on July 8, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images


During the first three games of this series, the Yankees have recorded 45 strikeouts and two walks.

The Rays always pitch them tough, but this is taking that to another level of dominance.

The top four hitters in the Yankees lineup — Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice, Amed Rosario and Cody Bellinger — went a combined 2-for-16 on Wednesday.

Aaron Boone argues with home plate umpire Doug Eddings after getting ejected in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ loss to the Rays. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Goldschmidt is now in an 0-for-34 skid after striking out three more times, giving him 10 punchouts over his past three games before he likely sits Thursday.

Bellinger went 0-for-4 and is now in an 8-for-70 (.114) slump.

“Obviously offensively now is a real struggle for us. I keep saying that,” Boone said. “It’s no secret. There’s no magic pill. … I do believe we’ll get through this, but there’s not much more to talk about. We got to go make some things happen.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was given the night off, can’t bear to watch from the dugout during the Yankees’ loss to the Rays. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Cole allowed three runs across 6 ¹/₃ innings while throwing 97 pitches, his most since returning from Tommy John surgery.

He was hurt by the top two hitters in the Rays lineup, on a night when Yandy Díaz had four hits and Jonathan Aranda drove in all three runs.

But even a shutout wouldn’t have been enough.

The Yankees had a chance to take a lead in the second inning after back-to-back singles by Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe with one out.

But Max Schuemann came up next and dropped down a safety-squeeze bunt to the pitcher, but Domínguez got a late break from third and was easily thrown out at the plate.

Austin Wells followed by popping out in foul territory, on the way to finishing the night batting .148.

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McClanahan retired 10 straight batters into the sixth inning, when Caballero led off with a bunt single. But he was soon erased on a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play with Goldschmidt providing the whiff.

The Yankees tried to challenge the play at second, but did so too late, which resulted in Boone and Ausmus getting tossed by home plate umpire Doug Eddings.

“I feel like sometimes you get beat up a little bit, you can have that defeated feeling,” Boone said. “We got to avoid that. This game waits for no one. It’s hard as can be. We got to get over ourselves in that.”

Canadiens Have Possible Trade Target In Former Flames First-Rounder

The Montreal Canadiens should be looking to add to their forward group this off-season. When looking at their roster, it is fair to argue that they could use another skilled forward in their top nine.

There are plenty of NHL forwards creating conversation in the rumor mill this off-season. Among them is Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary, and he is a player who the Canadiens would be wise to pursue.

Zary is a former first-round pick who would benefit from a change of scenery. The 24-year-old forward had a tough 2025-26 season with the Flames, as he posted 12 goals and 25 points in 74 games. Yet, when looking at his previous campaign, he certainly has the potential to bounce back. Due to this, Montreal should consider kicking tires on him.

Back during the 2024-25 season with the Flames, Zary recorded 13 goals and 27 points in just 54 games. This after he recorded 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games with the Flames as a rookie in 2023-24. With numbers like these, Zary has already shown that he has the potential to provide decent offensive production at the NHL level.

Furthermore, with Zary being in his mid-20s, he is still young enough that he could improve as he continues to gain more experience. With that, he could be a good young player for the Canadiens to buy low.

If the Canadiens acquired Zary, he could work well in their middle six. This is especially so when noting that he can play both on the wing and down the middle. 

D-backs @ Padres Discussion

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: A general view of Petco Park stadium on May 04, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Today’s Lineups

DIAMONDBACKSPADRES
Ketel Marte – 2BFernando Tatis – RF
Ildemaro Vargas – SSJackson Merrill – CF
Corbin Carroll – RFXander Bogaerts – SS
Gabriel Moreno – CGavin Sheets – 1B
Max Kepler – LFJake Cronenworth – 2B
Lourdes Gurriel – DHLuis Campusano – C
Nolan Arenado – 3BMiguel Andujar – DH
Pavin Smith – 1BJase Bowen – LF
Tommy Troy – CFSung-Mun Song – 3B
Jose Cabrera – RHPMichael King – RHP

As Alex Weiner noted last night, the D-backs after 91 games have exactly the same 45-46 point they had after 91 games in both 2024 and 2025. Of course, in neither of the previous season did Arizona end up making the playoffs. But things the rest of the way went rather different. In 2024, the D-backs had the second-best record in the National League from this point on, going 44-27. Unfortunately, the New York Mets were almost as good, and their 45-28 mark proved sufficient to bring them into a three-way tie with the Diamondbacks on 89 wins, and that infamous double-header against the Braves which saw both side win the tie-breaker against us.

In 2025, however, the mediocrity continued. They were a mere 35-36 thereafter, on their way to eighty wins. However, the bar was considerably lower to reach the post-season. A mere 83 wins was sufficient for the Reds to make the playoffs – ironically, it was the Mets turn to lose out on the tiebreaker. The D-backs could have been involved as well. In their penultimate series, they walked off the Dodgers to move to 80-77: winning three of their last five contests would have had them finish on 83 wins as well (though they dropped the season series to the Reds anyway). But they lost all five contests, and were eliminated after Friday night’s loss in San Diego.

Which way will things break over the remainder of 2026? Only time will tell. We don’t know if the team will buy or sell, and that could well be a factor. Or maybe not. After all, Mike Hazen sold last year, but the D-backs then went on a bit of a tear to keep things interesting into the final week. Meanwhile, the 2024 team bought A.J. Puk and Josh Bell, and after 140 games were 2.5 games clear. But they played below .500 ball the rest of the way, going 10-12, and that ended up costing them. So it’s very hard to predict. But as the chart above shows, the rest of the way we can’t possibly find ourselves with the same record as 2025 and 2024 again!

Jake Rogers becomes unlikely hero in Tigers’ win

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) celebrates a three run home run against the Athletics with third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) and catcher Jake Rogers (34) during the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Perhaps they should rename Comerica Park to Rogers Center after Jake Rogers’ pinch performance helped the Tigers beat the A’s 6-1.

The Tigers have been pretty good lately, 7-3 for their last 10 games, and as we know, performing well against teams with much better records than theirs. So naturally, against another fourth-place team, they’re going to potentially struggle. However, they did take the first game of the series against the A’s, so how this series will play out is anyone’s guess. The Tigers had Troy Melton on the mound up against Jeffrey Springs for the A’s.

The A’s went 1-2-3 in the top of the first. The home half took considerably longer to work through. With one out, Dillon Dingler singled and was able to advance to second on a throwing error by the A’s third baseman. Kevin McGonigle walked, then Spencer Torkelson walked. Springs was having a heck of a time finding the zone, and that didn’t change when Riley Greene came up to bat, and both Greene and the catcher challenged pitches, both of them balls, before Greene singled to score Dingler and put the Tigers on the board first. Two outs followed, but they had certainly worn Springs down early.

After the first out of the second inning, there was a pause in play. A foul tip hit Dingler in his exposed hand, and while he stayed in through the top of the inning, he did ultimately leave the game. No current status updates. With two outs in the second, Lawrence Butler doubled. Then Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (a challenger for the Isiah Kiner-Falefa crown of making me struggle to spell their names right) singled. A final out ended the inning and the threat. In the bottom of the inning, Nick Kurtz was out of the game for the A’s after two, citing illness, so a rough game all around. Zach McKinstry got a one-out single. Then, with two outs and pinch-hitting for Dingler, Jake Rogers came in and hit a home run. Now that’s how you step in with style.

The A’s went 1-2-3 in the top of the third. The Tigers, likewise, went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the fourth things got rough for Melton for the first time all game. Tyler Soderstrom got a one-out double. Jacob Wilson then reached on a fielding error by McKinstry, which allowed Soderstrom to score. With two outs, Kuroda-Grauer singled. Melton managed to get out of the jam, though, with only the one run scored. In the home half, the Tigers went down in order once again.

Melton struck out the side in the fifth, though Jeff McNeil really fought him for the final out of the inning, and then when he finally did strike out, he had a good scream at himself.

In the bottom of the inning, Rogers continued to have himself a heck of a game with a leadoff single, then hustled all the way to third when McGonigle singled. He was looking a little breathless after that, so Spencer Torkelson decided to give him a break and hit a three-run homer to clear the bases.

Riley Greene walked, which was the end of the game for Springs. He was replaced by Justin Sterner. Sterner came in and got the final two outs of the inning. The Tigers were up 6-1 after five innings.

In the top of the sixth, Soderstrom walked with one out. Melton’s day was done at that point with a final line of 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 E, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K on 91 pitches. Keider Montero came in to replace him, and gave up a walk to Jacob Wilson. Two outs followed to get the Tigers out of the inning, no harm done. Mason Barnett was the new A’s pitcher in the home half. With one out, McKinstry walked. McKinstry was then eliminated by a force out off the bat of Matt Vierling. Rogers drew a walk, putting him on base for every one of his at-bats for the evening. The Tigers ultimately left their baserunners stranded, unfortunately.

Carlos Cortes got the A’s going in the seventh with a leadoff single. With two outs, McNeil singled, so maybe he can be a bit nicer to himself later. Montero got out of the inning, though. José Suarez came in to pitch for the A’s in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Greene singled. However, two outs followed to leave another baserunner stranded.

In the eighth, Montero was replaced by Tyler Holton, who got three outs in a row. The Tigers also went three-up, three-down. Now they just had to get the final outs of the game to lock it down.

Beau Brieske was the man the Tigers turned to for the ninth. Kuroda-Grauer singled to get things started. With two outs, he took second on defensive indifference. It was Rogers who caught the final out of the inning, a cherry on top of an incredible evening for him.

Final: Tigers 6, A’s 1

Utah re-signs center Mo Bamba on two-year deal

With Walker Kessler off to Los Angeles, it's going to be a bit of center by committee in Utah this season. Jusuf Nurkić likely starts with Jaxson Hayes behind him.

Now add Mo Bamba to the list. Bamba is returning to the Jazz on a two-year deal, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Bamba signed a couple of 10-day contracts with the Jazz last season and played in two games with the team. They liked him enough to bring him back, although likely on a non-guaranteed veteran minimum deal.

The No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Bamba has played in eight NBA seasons and with seven different teams. For his career, he has averaged 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, plus he is a good rim protector.

Mariners Play Boring Game in Boring Stadium, Lose 2-0

Jul 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) tags out Miami Marlins’ Otto Lopez (6) at home plate to end the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

I don’t want to write this recap.

The Mariners lost 2-0 to the Marlins on Wednesday. It was a very boring game. George Kirby pitched well, in the way that George Kirby often pitches well, but not in the way that he pitched so well as to be newsworthy. The Mariners lineup hit poorly, in the way that the Mariners lineup often hits poorly, but not in the way that they hit so poorly as to be newsworthy. The Marlins stadium on television is ugly and empty and fills me with an unseasonal depression. I don’t want to write this recap.

The Mariners offense was bad today. Five hits, two walks, one hit by pitch, no runs. They distributed this modest sum with a base runner in each the first four innings; they didn’t get another base runner until Josh Naylor singled with one out in the ninth. It never felt like they were going to score. I don’t even remember who pitched for the Marlins, because whatever it is about LoanDepot Park renders everything into an ocular Lorem Ipsum. Again, it was very, very boring to watch. The most interesting thing that happened for the Mariners on offense was Naylor swung and missed so hard at an 0-1 pitch in the sixth inning that he fell over and needed a few moments to recover. I chose to believe he simply fell asleep mid swing.

Kirby was good again. He threw six innings and struck out seven with 12 whiffs. He walked nobody and didn’t give up a ton of grounders, so it felt almost like a vintage Kirby outing, rather than the still pretty decent but definitely new version of Kirby we’ve seen much of this year.

The Marlins got the only run they’d need with a solo homer from Kyle Stowers to lead off the second. In the third, Javier Sanoja hit a lead off double. He was later erased after Luke Raley made a nice, not-so-boring diving catch, tossing to second for an easy double play. Unfortunately, the Marlins followed later in the inning with a single and a triple to make it 2-0, increasing their lead over the Mariners by infinity.

In the fourth, Heriberto Hernández got a double. Jakob Marsee hit a rocket grounder to short that nearly hit Hernández. In his attempt to get out of the way, Hernández strayed too far from the bag, and Colt Emerson raced him back to second and tagged him with a dive.

In the fifth, Otto Lopez doubled with two outs. The Marlins nearly scored again on an Xavier Edwards single, but Victor Robles fielded and fired home to Cal Raleigh, who made a great snag and tag for the final out.

Well, those last three things weren’t that boring. The Mariners actually played pretty solid defense on Wednesday, which is closer to a miracle that it is boring. Frankly, if the Mariners had won this game, I would have called it “solid” or “necessary” or maybe even “rugged.” But, well, they didn’t. With two outs in the ninth and Naylor on third, Cole Young watched the final strike three on a pitch that was well outside. It seemed he, too, was so bored that he didn’t bother to challenge. The Mariners lost 2-0.

Yankees suffer sixth shutout loss of the season

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 08: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees argues with home plate umpire Doug Eddings #88 after being ejected in the sixth inning of the game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 08, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After striking out 17 times in each of the first two games of this series, the Yankees managed to rein in the whiffs today. However, this more contact-oriented approach brought far worse results than their five runs in the opener and four runs last night. They found themselves shut out for the sixth time this season as they managed just six hits and didn’t draw a single walk. Yandy Díaz was a perfect 4-for-4, Jonathan Aranda drove in all three runs, and Shane McClanahan tossed 6.1 scoreless as the Yankees went down without much resistance, 3-0.

Paul Goldschmidt might be mired in the worst stretch of his career. After improbably powering the offense in the first half of June, the regression monster caught up all at once with the 38 year old. He entered this game amid a career-worst 0-for-30 skid, and with his strikeout in the first had struck out in eight straight plate appearances. He’d finish the day 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, which ties him for the second-longest hitless streak in franchise history at 34 ABs, just two behind Gil McDougald’s 0-for-36 in 1959.

Gerrit Cole’s fastball velocity and command at the bottom of the zone looked just as good as it did last time out against the Twins, averaging 97 mph and collecting four of his six strikeouts. However, he just fell victim to some pesky hitting by the first two hitters in the Rays lineup and exactly zero run support from his offense. In the third, Yandy Díaz reached on a two-out double that came close to leaving the yard and Jonathan Aranda singled him home to open the scoring. In the fifth, Nick Fortes and Díaz reached on a pair of one-out singles, a double from Aranda driving Fortes home, though José Caballero made a nice snap throw home to gun down Díaz on a Junior Caminero grounder to avoid further damage in the frame.

The Yankees tried a sequence of small ball to open the scoring in the second, but just barely got beat out in the fundamentals department by the Rays. Jasson Domínguez reached on a one-out swinging bunt single and then went first to third after getting a good read on an Anthony Volpe bloop jam-shot to the opposite field. They then attempted the safety squeeze on the very first pitch to Max Schuemann, but Domínguez didn’t quite get a wide enough lead off third, Schuemann didn’t quite bunt the ball far enough down the third base line, and a perfect scoop and glove toss from McClanahan and an excellent, legal plate block and tag by Nick Fortes at home got Domínguez by a step, Austin Wells then popping out to strand a pair.

All the air went out of the Yankees’ balloon upon that failure to capitalize, McClanahan retiring 11 in a row starting with the out at home. They had to wait until the sixth inning for their next baserunner, José Caballero leading off with a bunt single. That got erased in a hurry, Caballero getting thrown out at second on a strike-em-out throw-em-out double play that resulted in both Aaron Boone and Brad Ausmus getting thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Doug Eddings after he ruled they took too long to challenge the play and refused to send it to the replay center.

Rosario led off the seventh with a single, and after McClanahan retired Cody Bellinger, Kevin Cash emerged from the dugout to retrieve his starter at the end of a season-long outing of 6.1 scoreless innings allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five. Domínguez collected his second infield single of the day to put a pair on with one out, but a Volpe strikeout and Trent Grisham pinch-hit fly out stranded them in place.

Cole also completed 6.1 innings, departing with a runner on first in the seventh after Taylor Walls drew a leadoff walk. Fernando Cruz inherited his runner and surrendered a single to Díaz — his fourth hit of the day — to put runners on the corners for Aranda, his sac fly to center driving in his third run of the day to give him 61 RBI on the year — 3rd-most in the AL. It was a start that in many ways mirrored his outing against Minnesota, Cole leaning on the four-seamer as he struggled to find a consistent release point for the slider and changeup. Too many of his secondaries were either over the heart of the plate or complete waste pitches to be able to fool the Rays hitters. His final line saw him allow three runs on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

The Yankees went quietly in the final two innings. They were put down in order in the eighth, and after a Ben Rice single to lead off the ninth, Bryan Baker struck out the next three batters to slam the door on a game that took just over two hours and fifteen minutes — 3-0, Rays your final score.

New York will look to salvage a series split tomorrow afternoon. They have not announced the starter who will face off against Yankee killer Drew Rasmussen. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET with the broadcast returning to YES.

Box Score

The Lakers have officially signed Walker Kessler, who may determine the success of the Luka Dončić era

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 25: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz is interviewed after the win against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 25, 2023 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Chris Nicoll/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Few positions in the history of the NBA have more prestige and history than the center position for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reading off the names of players who have anchored the paint in purple and gold is like listing off inner-circle Hall of Famers.

Mikan. Kareem. Wilt. Shaq. AD. All have title-winning legacies with the franchise and all were included among the top 75 players all-time in 2021. And that’s not even an extensive list.

Lining up at center for the Lakers carries pressure and expectation under any circumstance. But Walker Kessler, who the team officially announced on Wednesday, is going to have a lot of weight on his shoulders.

Coming into the summer, the top priority for the front office was finding a center. It has long been a hole in the starting lineup, with patchwork attempts failing to do the job. Once Luka made it clear he wanted a big man to pair with in the offseason, the onus was on Rob Pelinka to find the long-term solution.

To do so, the Lakers had to make a big gamble.

The top names on the market were restricted free agents and while the Lakers had the cap space to make teams sweat, they did not have the luxury of time. So, the Lakers calculated the risk and pushed their chips they’ve held so tightly to the middle of the table to acquire Kessler.

Two first round picks and two pick swaps later and Kessler was inked to a four-year deal that will pay him north of $30 million annually. It’s an enormous contract for a player but whose biggest accolade in the NBA so far is a spot on First Team All-Rookie in 2023.

No All-Star games. No All-NBA teams. No All-Defense teams. But, at still just 24 years old, it’s a gamble the Lakers felt was worth making, and it’s not hard to see why.

While he hasn’t received official honors for his defense, he’s widely regarded as one of the league’s best rim protectors. His 2.4 blocks per game career average is as good an indicator as any of his ability to defend the paint.

Considering how much the Lakers struggled at defending the rim last season, that alone makes Kessler a welcome addition. He’s the type of big man who not only can deter shots in the paint, but will make defenses second-guess even attempting them.

It’s just as easy to see him meshing offensively as well. He has established himself as a great pick-and-roll big, able to finish at the rim or make plays out of the short roll. It’ll be the staple of the Lakers’ offense, no matter if it’s Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves running the show.

The questions come with whether Kessler’s game can translate on a bigger stage and in a bigger volume.

There’s a difference between doing it for 30 minutes per night with the Jazz and doing it for 30 minutes per night with the Lakers. Every team is now going to be scouting the Luka-Kessler pick and roll. Can he still produce at the same level of efficiency?

No longer can he hide in obscurity. The lights are a lot brighter in Los Angeles than they are in Salt Lake City. Some players are built to step up and some aren’t.

Pelinka and the front office made a gamble that he’s the former and not the latter and used all their remaining tradeable draft picks to do so. The core of this era of the Lakers will be Luka, Kessler and Reaves.

Whether that’s the core of a contending team will largely lie in the hands of Kessler being the center of the future. As much as the Lakers believe that to be the case, they need it to be true, or the Luka era could be doomed from the start.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Braves blank Buccos as Grant Holmes pitches five shutout innings

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 8: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 8, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Despite getting completely and totally blanked for the first six innings of this contest, the Atlanta Braves eventually broke through and ended up pulling off a 3-0 victory in an excellent pitching performance from Grant Holmes and Atlanta’s bullpen.

It would be an understatement to call this one a pitchers’ duel, as both starters were dominant for the period of time where they were out there. Grant Holmes successfully navigated his way through two trips through the order as he finished with just three hits allowed and one walk conceded across five innings of work and five strikeouts. The slider and cutter were both working pretty effectively for Holmes — everything was working, really, as Holmes picked up two strikeouts on the four-seamer and three on the slider.

The only time that Holmes ran into trouble was in the third inning, which is when he found himself with two runners in scoring position with two outs after he led off the inning hitting Henry Davis and then gave up a two-out single to Bryan Reynolds. Fortunately, Holmes was able to get Esmerlyn Valdez to pop up on a four-seamer and that was that for the scoring chance. That was as close as Pittsburgh got to scoring off of Holmes before he eventually exited the game with 90 pitches after five innings.

As good as Homes was, Jared Jones was better. Jones was just about untouchable against the Braves tonight, as he struck out eight batters without giving up a hit or a walk through six innings of work. Atlanta’s lineup couldn’t handle him at all, which is why it was probably a huge relief for the Braves once they saw Mason Montgomery walk out for the seventh inning.

The crowd in Pittsburgh disagreed with the decision and they voiced their disapproval after Ozzie Albies ended the combined perfect game bid with a looping single out to left to give the Braves their first hit and baserunner of the game. While Jones has been kind of easing back into things following elbow issues, it certainly took a lot of the neutral intrigue out of the game once it was clear that the Pirates weren’t going to let him go for the perfect game.

Either way, the Braves were unable to do anything with the baserunner in the seventh inning as Montgomery sat down the Braves in short order after the hit. However, Atlanta’s fortunes improved once the eighth inning rolled around and an old friend of Pittsburgh’s got a chance to do some damage against his old club.

Earlier in the game, Joey Bart came the closest to getting the Braves on the board after he hit a deep fly ball in the third inning that only made it to the warning track. The funny part is that despite the hard contact, Bart busted it out of the batter’s box because he knew this ballpark and knew that he probably didn’t get enough of it for a dinger. This time in the eighth inning, he did, in fact, get enough of it. Bart followed up Mike Yastrzemski’s double off the wall in right field with a 422-foot shoot to left-center in order to finally break the deadlock and put the Braves in the lead.

Thanks to Didier Fuentes and Dylan Dodd keeping the Buccos quiet once they entered in relief of Grant Holmes, that set the stage for Dylan Lee to enter the game and deliver another strong performance out of the bullpen. That set the stage for the Braves to add on some more insurance as Michael Harris II led off the ninth with a double and then Drake Baldwin cashed in Money Mike with an RBI knock to make it 3-0.

With the lead at three runs, it was now up to Raisel Iglesias to make it stick and get a tiny bit of redemption following his rare blown save on Monday. The first batter for Iggy is always crucial and this time, Iglesias struck out Esmerlyn Valdez to get the inning started on the right track. While Iglesias did end up walking a batter, the Pirates weren’t able to even get the tying run aboard and the Braves ended up taking the 3-0 shutout victory.

For a while, this sure seemed like teh Braves were going to be on the wrong side of history for a second night in a row. Instead, Atlanta took advantage of the pitching change and did enough damage to Pittsburgh’s bullpen while the Braves’ bullpen was back in great form as well. Grant Holmes pitching five great innings sure helped matters as well and the Braves were able to snap their losing streak at the earliest point to where you could call it a losing streak.

It’ll be a quick turnaround for everybody involved as the rubber match takes place tomorrow afternoon at 12:35 p.m. ET. The Pirates will turn to Mitch Keller while Bryce Elder will be making his return to the rotation for the Braves. Hopefully he can pick up where Grant Holmes and the rest of Atlanta’s pitching staff left off and we’ll see the Braves pick up a much-needed series win after a nice win on Wednesday evening.

The Brooklyn Podcast: Free Agency News, Summer League Takeaways & the Return of Pooch!

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Mikel Brown Jr #0 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles by Nick Boyd #19 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the California Classic at Golden 1 Center on July 06, 2026 in Sacramento, California. 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 Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The California Classic is officially over and that California love is being spread the Brooklyn way. The lottery picks showed out. Mikel Brown Jr. looked like the real deal in his one game, while Egor Dëmin continues to evolve. Hard to argue anyone at that tournament was better than him — as discussed. Furthermore, Pooch returns.



Topics

  • Intro
  • Summer League: Mikel Brown Jr. & Egor analysis
  • Standouts, Drake Powell
  • The “Flatbush Five” discussion
  • Free Agency: Moe Wagner, Keon Ellis, and the frontcourt depth
  • Julius Randle: Culture building & the “Fringe All-Star” debate
  • Mailbag: Making a “big move” and the Eastern Conference landscape
    • MPJ extension status
    • Noah Clowney’s role & team pressure
    • Peyton Watson & potential starting lineups
  • Five Out (Rapid Fire)
  • Outro & Final thanks

Check out the Pod

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Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers game discussion: Gabriel Hughes vs. Roki Sasaki

DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 3: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in his MLB debut in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on July 3, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Colorado Rockies have a rare opportunity as they try to win a series on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies’ offense has been troublesome for the best team in baseball throughout the series, and after a narrow extra-inning loss on Monday and a comeback victory on Tuesday, Colorado looks to do it again tonight.

Gabriel Hughes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his first career start after debuting against the San Francisco Giants last Friday. Hughes was excellent against the Giants in his debut, firing three scoreless innings to secure a save. He will have a tougher challenge this time out as he faces a dangerous Dodger offense. In nine starts in the minors this year, Hughes has a 4.71 ERA over 36.1 innings of work in that role. He has done excellent work pounding the zone, as evidenced by his 44 strikeouts against 12 walks. He’ll need to be mindful of hitting his spots and utilizing all of his pitches to challenge the Dodgers and avoid getting behind hitters, thus leaving mistakes over the plate.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers will send out Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.40 ERA). It’s been a tough second season for Sasaki as he has experienced an up-and-down ride. He had one of his worst outings last Thursday when he gave up six runs on seven ‌hits in a season-low three innings against the San Diego Padres. Sasaki has excellent stuff that can result in strikeouts, but he has struggled with his command and given up a lot of contact. He has been hit by the long ball lately, giving up seven home runs over his last four starts.

And now to the details.

First Pitch: 8:10 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

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

SB Nation site: True Blue LA

Lineups:


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