It was another massive game from Cooper Ingle tonight. He went 2-4 with a mammoth HR that was 109.4 MPH off the bat and traveled 409 feet. He also had a 2 RBI double that went 383 feet. He ended the night 2-4 and is now hitting .311 with a 1.006 OPS on the season. Milan Tolentino went 1-4 with a 3 RBI triple in the first inning.
This was one of Austin Peterson’s better starts this season. He allowed just one run in five innings pitched with 7 strikeouts and 3 walks. His ERA is down to 4.84 on the season now. As for the rest of the bullpen, it didn’t go very well tonight. Leftwich, Webb, and Stephan combined to give up 6 runs in just 3 innings pitched.
The RubberDucks couldn’t come through tonight despite some big offensive performances from Alex Mooney and Dean Curley. Mooney went 2-4 with a HR and an RBI double, and Curley went 2-3 with an RBI single and a walk. Nolan Schubart also extended his on base streak to an absurd 52 games.
After a tough start to the season, Josh Hartle has really found something as of late. He was great again tonight, allowing just one run in 6 innings pitched while striking out 5. He has been phenomenal the last few weeks and his ERA is down to 3.86 on the season. If he keeps this up for another couple starts, we could see a promotion to AAA coming.
Jonah Advincula continues to destroy High-A pitching, as we saw him do in 2024 and 2025, I’m not too sure why they sent him back to LC after spending a short amount of time in Akron. He went 2-3 with a HR and 2 BBs tonight and is now hitting .314 with a 1.053 OPS. Welbyn Francisca continued his new power surge with another HR tonight. He is now hitting .264 with an .837 OPS on the season. Esteban Gonzalez went 2-4 with a walk.
Nelson Keljo had a great High-A debut. He struck out 7 batters and walked 4 in 3 scoreless innings. He continues to have no problems missing bats and racking up strikeouts.
The Howlers offense was led by a pair of multi hit performances from Dauri Fernandez and Luis De La Cruz. Dauri went 2-3 with two walks and is now hitting .284 with an OPS of .765 on the season. Luis De La Cruz has been a nice surprise this season, he went 2-3 with a walk and is now up to a .292 average and an .858 OPS on the season. At just 19 years old, I think he might be one of the more underrated prospects in the system.
Aidan Major gave up 3 runs on 3 hits in 5.1 innings pitched. He was able to strike out 4 batters while walking just 1. His ERA sits at 3.96 on the season.
The Yankees bullpen blew a late lead and Cam Schlittler's gem before a defensive miscue led to New York's 6-5 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday night in Chicago.
After the Yankees retook the lead in the 11th, they made two excellent defensive plays, almost stranding the runner on third. However, Ali Sanchez tried to throw behind Munetaki Murakami on third but threw it into the outfield, allowing the tying run to score.
After leaving the bases loaded in the 12th without scoring a run, the White Sox came through on an Edgar Quero walk-off single.
The Yankees (61-47) is a league-worst 1-7 in extra-inning games.
Here are the takeaways....
-The Yankees got off to a fast start, scoring four runs in the first off of Davis Martin. Paul Goldschmidt drove Ben Rice, who hit a double, in with the first run with a single. Spencer Jones, starting in left field, followed up with an opposite-field three-run blast, smashing a changeup over the heart of the plate 380 feet.
It's Jones' third career home run and he went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
-The Yankees offense the rest of the night was stymied by Martin and the White Sox bullpen, not scoring another run.
-Schlittler retired the first 11 batters before allowing a hit with two outs in the fourth. The right-hander was cruising, facing one over the minimum into the seventh inning, when it fell apart. He walked the leadoff hitter and hit Miguel Vargas before allowing a one-out double to Andrew Benintendi.
Schlitter was pulled with two runners on, giving way to Fernando Cruz. The reliever set the White Sox down to end the threat and put a bow on Schlitter's night.
The hard-throwing right-hander allowed one run on two hits and one walk across 6.1 innings while striking out eight batters.
-The Yankees bullpen was shaky for the second straight night. Cruz got an out in the eighth but allowed a double before Paul Blackburn gave up a two-run shot to Sam Antonocci and then Murakami hit a solo shot to tie the game.
Blackburn bounced back, getting the White Sox, 1-2-3, in the ninth.
Wednesday was the first time Blackburn allowed two or more runs since May 13. He had allowed four home runs all season before the back-to-back jacks in the eighth.
-Tim Hill wiggled out of trouble in the 10th after the ghost runner reached third on a wild pitch. The White Sox couldn't capitalize, hitting two grounders and Murakami struck out.
In the bottom of the 10th, Anthony Volpe came off the bench and drove in the go-ahead run on a sac fly.
Game MVP: Edgar Quero
Quero's walk-off single completed the White Sox's comeback.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman all but confirmed Wednesday that the team would be in contact with the Tigers to gauge their asking price for reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
“There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” Friedman said Wednesday afternoon when asked how aggressive the Dodgers would be in pursuing big-name players. “Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations. We’ve shown to be very aggressive in the past. … We’ve traded a lot of really talented young players.
“But we’re able to be in those conversations because of the incredible work by our scouts and our front office and our player development group that has our farm system in such a strong spot to be able to talk to any team basically about any player.”
All that was expected. Checking in is simply due diligence.
Friedman avoided showing his hand when asked the odds of the Dodgers (68-40) acquiring a player like that at the Aug. 3 deadline.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not in the handicapping business.”
Part of the calculation, with the Tigers on a skid that could push them to sell at the deadline, will be the health of the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which is steadily improving. So, instead of trying to fill specific holes, the Dodgers have the luxury of reading the market and being “a little bit more selective and opportunistic.”
Before the Dodgers’ 4-2 win against the Mariners on Wednesday, they activated closer Edwin Díaz and designated left-hander Charlie Barnes for assignment. Díaz earned the save in his first major-league appearance since undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in late April, giving up two hits and a run.
Right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) threw two innings of live batting practice Wednesday afternoon, and right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (right elbow inflammation) threw one simulated inning.
Over in Class A Ontario, left-hander Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgery) hit his target of four innings and gave up just one hit in what could be his last rehab start before being reinstated from the IL, although Friedman said the team was still talking through the next steps.
Teoscar Hernandez leaps to rob a home run Seattle's Mitch Garver in the eighth inning Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s timeline back to the mound is the biggest unknown, but Friedman insisted that his lingering knee injury didn’t change the Dodgers’ evaluation of its rotation heading into the deadline.
“I don’t think it puts it in an acute need at all,” Friedman said. “We’re confident he’s going to come back. Again, if there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned with that. But there’s not. And the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back.
“And then that’s also where it gets to the depth that we have and the talented arms that have stepped up with some of our injuries, that we feel like deserved an opportunity to keep going. So it just doesn’t fall into acute. That being said, we’re always open-minded to different things.”
Friedman also offered some insight on Ohtani’s right biceps injury, which he first publicly acknowledged on July 3 and that he said Tuesday night was not 100%. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since that July 3 start, when the biceps issue flared in his last at-bat.
“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now, he would be making his regular turn [in the rotation],” Friedman said. “We kept the arm going. Does he feel 100% in his arm? No. But neither does any pitcher in late July. But this is around the knee and making sure that we can get it to a place where there’s just no compensation. So exactly when that is, I’m not sure. But I feel confident that relatively soon, he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch play and bullpens and getting him back.”
Ohtani’s timeline, however, hasn’t progressed the way the Dodgers initially expected since receiving an Orthovisc injection to lubricate his knee at the beginning of the All-Star break. They’d hoped he’d return to the rotation in its first turn out of the break. Instead, he threw a bullpen in Philadelphia last week, and then his throwing program stalled.
He’s been throwing weighted plyo balls to keep his arm strength up without aggravating his knee.
It’s also unclear what version of Ohtani the Dodgers will get when he returns to the mound.
“There’s no question it got significantly better,” Ohtani said in Japanese of the effects of the injection. “But after talking with the doctors, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the pain to be zero. That may end up being something that has to wait until the offseason. In the meantime, I’ll keep working through my rehab program and try to get it as close to zero [pain] as possible.”
While playing through the knee injury, and searching for a mechanical adjustment to take some pressure off it, Ohtani’s execution has wavered. He had a 4.38 ERA in his last four starts, compared to 0.74 in his first 10.
“I think it speaks to the knee and the delivery and just the challenge of repeating it over and over and over again,” Friedman said, “and more speaks to why we are doing this and making sure that we get it calmed down and in a good spot so he can repeat. Then I’ll bet on him to execute.”
There’s an argument to be made that the best-case scenario for the Dodgers would be for the Tigers to hold on to Skubal, but time is running out for them to move up in the wild-card race.
The worst-case scenario would be for him to land with a National League rival. But Friedman said he’s never orchestrated a trade simply to block a fellow contender.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts dives for a ball hit by Seattle's Cole Young. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s so hard to line up on a trade to begin with,” he said. “If I was so concerned about a player going to another team, I’d probably want that player and then I would just acquire that player.”
Most trade deadline moves come together late, so plenty could happen in the coming days to define the Dodgers’ direction.
“Feel really good about the talent base we have in place, not just on field but also how the group meshes together,” Friedman said. “And so like always, we’re gonna be thoughtful and careful about what we potentially add to that dynamic.”
Lauer impresses
Left-hander Eric Lauer put together his best start as a Dodger on Wednesday, limiting the Mariners to four baserunners — one error, one hit batter, one single and one walk — through six scoreless innings.
The Dodgers, in need of rotation help in mid-May after a string of injuries, traded for Lauer when the Blue Jays designated him for assignment. They have won all nine games he’s pitched.
A pair of American League West Division rivals worked out a trade together on Wednesday, July 29.
The Los Angeles Angels announced they sent catcher Logan O’Hoppe and right-handed reliever Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers, who sent over minor league infielder Angel Arredondo.
O'Hoppe spent the first five years of his major league career with the Angels. Before he became a once-promising player for the Angels, he was originally selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
With a week remaining before the trade deadline, the Angels could also consider trading pitchers Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and shortstop Zach Neto. Their decisions on those players will further indicate what direction the Angels are moving in as a franchise.
Angels-Rangers trade grades
Angels: C-
The Angels decided to unload a pair of players in exchange for Arredondo. The trade could be considered questionable for the Angels, considering Arredondo isn’t a highly touted prospect.
Texas came across as the true winner in the deal, adding immediate depth to its roster and system with the additions of O'Hoppe and Silseth without giving up any of its top-level prospects. (O'Hoppe, 26, is reportedly heading to Triple-A for now.)
Silseth has started just 17 of the 82 games he has played over the past five years for the Angels, settling into a relief role. In his career he's allowed 126 hits and 70 runs (64 earned runs) while striking out 153. This season he sports a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings of work over 47 games.
“I don’t know,” he quipped Wednesday, when asked what the odds were that the Dodgers would add a star-level player before Monday’s trade deadline.
“I’m not in the handicapping business.”
Tigers pitcher Tariq Skubal might be on the move at the trade deadline. He made perhaps his final start for Detroit on Wednesday.
That doesn’t mean, however, the team’s president of baseball operations isn’t prepared to take a gamble.
For what felt like the umpteenth time in recent weeks, Friedman trotted out some familiar company lines while discussing the Dodgers’ trade deadline plans in a news conference Wednesday.
He said the team has no “acute needs” to address before trade activity freezes on Monday. That the club is confident its pitching staff will be fully healthy for the stretch run of the season. That the team isn’t intent on doing anything drastic as it pursues a third straight World Series over the rest of the year.
But when asked if the Dodgers could be aggressive for a top trade target –– say, ahem, like Tigers ace Tarik Skubal –– Friedman also didn’t say no.
Under his leadership, the Dodgers never do.
“I think our mindset is always, and we’ve talked about this, there just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” he said. “Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations. We’ve shown to be very aggressive in the past.”
Exactly how hard the Dodgers will push in the Skubal sweepstakes, of course, is a predominant storyline in Los Angeles and around the sport leading up to the deadline.
Skubal hugs fellow pitcher Jack Flaherty in the Tigers’ dugout on Wednesday in Detroit. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Rival clubs see the Dodgers as a serious threat for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Friedman, speaking generally, noted how the Dodgers’ perenially stocked farm system allows them “to talk to any team basically about any player.”
And over the next several days, the Dodgers and Tigers will undoubtedly be talking.
With Detroit fading from contention, and the likelihood of Skubal getting dealt seemingly going up, every expectation is that the Dodgers will attempt to see if there’s a trade the sides could line up on.
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“We’re always of the mind of trying to do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to win,” Friedman said. “Sometimes we’re fortunate enough to line up on things, sometimes not … We try to do everything we can to avoid not having to do something [at the deadline]. But when you’re able to be in a position to be a little bit more selective and opportunistic about what potentially is available, it just puts you in a better position. So as much flexibility as we can have, the better.”
The Dodgers have been steadfast that, however this deadline plays out, they will be in a strong position come October.
This week, they activated Kiké Hernández and Edwin Díaz off the injured list. Tyler Glasnow is set to begin a rehab assignment after facing hitters for the second time in live batting practice on Wednesday afternoon, while Blake Snell was nearing the end of his own with a scheduled four-inning outing Wednesday night. Will Smith is also pain-free and finally ramping up again, with the club satisfied that his lingering neck injury is finally behind him.
Shohei Ohtani’s status as a pitcher is more of a question, with the two-way star currently limited only to plyo-ball activities to keep pressure off his ailing left knee.
Skubal walks off the mound Wednesday for perhaps the final time as a Tiger. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
But even that, Friedman insisted, isn’t creating any extra deadline urgency; with the veteran executive noting Wednesday that Ohtani’s knee injury “keeps getting better” and that his coinciding biceps issue is not a serious concern.
“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now,” Friedman said. “The fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back.”
Ideally, it means the Dodgers hope to have the same postseason rotation of Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto that carried them to a title last year. That would also allow others such as Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki to be shifted to the bullpen in the playoffs, further bolstering a relief corps that figures to be significantly stronger now that Díaz has returned in the closer role.
For most teams, such encouraging circumstances would rule out a big splash for a rental pitcher, even one as talented as Skubal.
The Dodgers, though, are not like most teams.
And with the opportunity to complete a historic three-peat lying in front of them, Friedman sounded like he was ready to at least dabble at the top of the market and see if the club could execute another blockbuster move to enhance its already auspicious championship chances.
Not because they need to. Not simply to keep someone like Skubal away from another team, either (“If I was so concerned about a player going to another team,” Friedman said, “I’d probably want that player and then I would just acquire that player.”)
But rather, because any time there is a needle-moving player available on the market, the Dodgers are “always open-minded,” Friedman said.
Ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Rafael Devers worked a 2-2 count against Chad Patrick and fouled a ball off just near the third base dugout.
The ball popped up and traveled along the foul line in left field but would eventually get lost in the sun during the middle of a summer’s day at Oracle Park.
Ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Rafael Devers worked a 2-2 count against Chad Patrick and fouled a ball off just near the third base dugout. X/@nbcsauthenticSan Francisco Giants fan left bloody after foul ball hits his head.
As fans were attempting to track the ball down, it eventually came back to the crowd and bounced right off a fan’s head.
The crowd left in “aww” as fans in attendance thought they might’ve witnessed a major injury occur at the stadium, but the fan who was hit by the ball assured his fellow peers that he was okay, and took a standing ovation to let them know he was okay.
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The Giants broadcast crew looked over the play after it happened and labeled the fan as “Gamer of the day.”
Afterward, the broadcast crew broke down the play and were left cringing as the fan immediately started bleeding, despite his efforts to say he was okay.
After being struck by the ball, the fan was greeted by another Giants fan and was gifted the baseball.
During the Giants game, their offense finally took off in what’s been a rather quiet month of July, as the team has struggled to provide any run support.
X/@nbcsauthentic
In the sixth inning, the team’s lineup exploded by scoring 7 runs, then adding an additional set of three in the seventh and eighth innings.
The seventh inning was highlighted by multiple players, continuously passing the baton around as the team scored four consecutive runs from base hits. The inning was capped by a Jung Hoo Lee 2-RBI double to make it 10-2.
Outside of Lee’s RBI to put the game away, catcher Daniel Susac continuously showed power at the plate by going 3-4 with two home runs and 4 RBIs.
For the first time this season, Scott pitched six full innings. He threw 98 pitches and struck out seven batters, allowing five hits and just one earned run.
"That's as far as he's been pushed at any point in time," Green said of the right-hander. "He gave us a chance to win, and went toe-to-toe with one of the best in the league [Chris Sale] today."
From the very start of the game, Scott looked destined to push on into the latter stages. He threw just 43 pitches through four innings.
"I did a good job attacking the zone early, especially in the first couple of innings," said Scott as he reflected on his performance. "My cutter was playing really good as well."
Scott, who now holds a sub-3.00 ERA, is clearly confident pounding the zone, even against fearsome lineups such as Atlanta's.
"My stuff was playing all night. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel."
Finally, Scott was asked whether he felt that tonight's performance felt like clearing a hurdle in regard to being able to consistently pitch deep into ballgames.
"Maybe a little bit. Obviously, this is my first time doing it, but I have to keep being me... hopefully the next time, it's seven [innings]," Scott chuckled.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 5: Casey Mize #12 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on July 5, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in and cool off with us. The dress code is casual. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you how optimistic were you about Alex Bregman. You seemed pretty optimistic as 59 percent of you said you were “somewhat optimistic” and 29 percent said you were “very optimistic.”
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. Please enjoy responsibly.
Tonight we’re honored to feature an ensemble of legends in Copenhagen in 1971. Playing tonight are Sonny Stitt on sax, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Thelonious Monk on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Kai Winding on trombone and Art Blakey on drums.
I don’t really have a movie to talk about tonight. I did watch When in Rome on TCM, the 1952 film that stars Van Johnson as a priest on a pilgrimage to Rome and Paul Douglas as the escaped convict/conman who impersonates him to escape the police dragnet. It’s one of those “religion” films of the 1950s that were fairly innocuous but also a way of differentiating the freedom-loving and religious NATO countries from Godless communism. The only thing to really recommend it is that Douglas is so charming as the escaped convict. Otherwise, it’s pretty predictable and unremarkable. But Douglas meant it wasn’t a waste of 78 minutes to watch it.
But with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey everywhere, I thought I’d ask you to name your favorite “Sword and Sandals” films. The term “sword-and-sandals” was originally used to describe the kinds of films made by the Italian film industry in the 1950s about Greco-Roman myths and history. Think the Hercules series of films that starred bodybuilders like Steve Reeves. But it later was used to describe any film set in the Roman Empire or Ancient Greece or Egypt. That includes all the religious films about the life of Christ or his followers.
So are you entertained by Gladiator? Do you shout “I am Spartacus” whenever you see Kirk Douglas on the screen? Does the chariot race in Ben-Hur thrill you? Do you thrill to the Spartans of 300? Did you love the Ray Harryhausen animation in Jason and the Argonauts or Clash of the Titans? (Man, I did when I was young. I still love it.) Or maybe you just laugh your head off at Monty Python and the Life of Brian.
It would be especially good if you’d recommend a lesser-known film for the rest of us to seek out.
Tonight is the last After Dark before the Trade Deadline. I was going to ask you about this proposed deal by Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs who had the Cubs sending outfielder Kane Kepley and right-handers Dominick Reid and Mason McGwire to the Marlins for Sandy Alcántara. But if you want proof that Al and I don’t coordinate, he published a piece that had a proposal on an Alcantara deal earlier today. And you’re probably all talked out on Sandy Alcántara.
So since we won’t meet again until after the Trade Deadline, I thought I’d just ask you who you think will be the newest starting pitcher for the Cubs on Monday. There’s no question the Cubs are going to try to get a starting pitcher by Monday. If they don’t, it would be a major bit of malpractice. Now it’s possible that the best deal the Cubs could swing would be someone like Michael Soroka last year which turned out to be a disaster but only because he got hurt. He’s actually pitched very well this year for the Diamondbacks.
Al has had several articles on possible starting pitching targets. The Feed polling software only allows six options and one has to be “none of the above,” so I’m going to have to pick five choices.
Which one of these five starters do you think is most likely to be a Cub on Monday?
Sandy Alcántara
Reid Detmers
Casey Mize
Freddy Peralta
Robbie Ray
I didn’t put Tarik Skubal in the mix because I don’t think the Cubs have the kind of trade capital the Tigers would want for him. I do think Mize will come cheaper. I didn’t put in Foster Griffin because the Nats are only two games out of the Wild Card and because I can only pick five choices.
Others I didn’t include because of the polling limitations are Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and José Soriano. In Soriano’s case, I also didn’t include him because I don’t think the Angels are willing to trade him.
So who will be the next Cubs starter?
Before we go, I do want to mention that with the Trade Deadline on Monday, there may or may not be an After Dark on Monday. If the Trade Deadline is busy, there won’t be one. If it’s relatively quiet (as in, the Cubs got most of their business done on Saturday and Sunday), then there will be. But we’ll keep you updated as the Trade Deadline passes.
Thank you for stopping by tonight. Have a great rest of your week and weekend. Get home safely. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels traded reliever Chase Silseth and struggling catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for minor league third baseman Angel Arredondo on Wednesday night.
The deal, announced a few minutes before the Angels’ series finale against the Houston Astros, could mark the beginning of an extensive rebuilding process for the Angels, who entered play Wednesday with an American League-worst 42-66 record and 13 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the AL West.
“We know we have to start shaking up this roster, and today was day one,” Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said. “Clearly, where the Angels are at right now, we need to do things differently.”
Silseth, 26, was one of the Angels’ top relievers, going 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 47 games this year. O’Hoppe, 26, appeared in 75 games, batting .209 with 23 RBIs.
Arredondo, 19, hit .247 with eight home runs, 15 doubles and 47 RBIs in 86 games for low-A Hickory this season. He signed with the Rangers as an international free agent out of Mexico in 2024.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 30: A detailed view of Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals Nike batting gloves at Busch Stadium on May 30, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In what could be his last start as a St. Louis Cardinal prior to the trade deadline, Dustin May completely shut down the Chicago Cubs for 5 innings. What did the Cardinals do with the remaining 4 innings? Well, let’s tell that story. Spoiler Alert: the ending was amazing. but it would take more than 9 innings to play out.
For the first 5 innings of Wednesday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, there was next to no offense to share and that’s because both Dustin May and Cubs starter Matthew Boyd were dealing. Not trying to take anything away from Boyd’s effort, but the Cardinals lack of offensive punch lately helped his cause some. Considering the fact that Dustin May is widely expected to be traded prior to next week’s deadline, it was no surprise that he was pulled from the game after 5 very strong innings. Dustin May’s likely final stat line as a St. Louis Cardinal was 5 complete innings allowing only 1 hit, no runs while striking out 3 and walking 2. That kind of effort will be very much in demand from contending teams. The only question is what kind of return the Cardinals will receive if he is dealt. We’ll find out soon enough.
Where was the Cardinals offense? Well, that’s a question the fanbase has been asking since the All-Star break. The question specifically for Wednesday night’s game was it almost arrived in the bottom of the 6th inning. “Almost” is such a big word. Jordan Walker started the inning with a leadoff single. Iván Herrera, who the Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in, moved him over with a ground out to the right side. Alec Burleson then proved he can hit lefties as he nudged a single into right field that wasn’t elusive enough to score Walker as he was held up at third. With runners at first and third with just one out, Masyn Winn struck out, but Jose Fermin was given a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Blaze Jordan. He sadly popped out weakly to the catcher to end the inning. In a way, the Cardinals 6th inning was a metaphor for their season. So much promise, but at the end of the day, nada.
As for the Cardinals bullpen handling the final 4 innings, Justin Bruihl kept the Cubs scoreless in the top of the 6th inning. For the top of the 7th inning, it was Ryne Stanek’s turn. He’s one of the many Cardinals who is rumored to be available at the trade deadline, too. He allowed some drama as he gave Michael Conforto a two-out walk and then moved him up to scoring position at second base with a wild pitch. Stanek then walked Ramirez to give the Cubs runners at first and second with two outs. He was able to blow a 99 mph four-seam fastball past Dansby Swanson to end the inning and keep the Cubs in zero runs land. George Soriano covered the 8th inning with just a walk to Suzuki being the wart.
The Cardinals pitching staff was truly in lockdown mode heading into the top of the 9th inning. Dustin May and the other 3 relievers had collectively only allowed 1 hit. Riley O’Brien’s mission was to keep that streak intact in the top of the 9th. Riley got Bregman out to start the 9th with a weak flyout to right. Cardinals killer Ian Happ struck out on one of Riley’s 81 mph wicked sweepers for the second out. O’Brien then had to deal with Michael Conforto who he plunked on the big toe with a two-strike sweeper gone rogue. Justin Dean was brought on as a pinch-runner for Conforto to give Chicago some speed on the bases. Dean moved into scoring position at second when Riley threw a wild pickoff attempt past Burleson at first. St. Louis chose to intentionally walk Ramirez to bring up Dansby Swanson who was 0-3 on the night. We all held our breath as Swanson’s weak flyout to right field was tracked down by Jordan Walker keeping the Cubs scoreless through 9 innings.
Could the St. Louis Cardinals finally beat the Chicago Cubs in walk-off fashion? It was up to the bottom half of the lineup to get it done. Masyn Winn struck out against Cubs reliever Thielbar to start the Cardinals bottom of the 9th inning. That brought up the Ferminator aka José Fermín. He will not be allowed to wear the Ferminator shirt tomorrow as he whiffed, too. Blaze Jordan was the Cardinals final hope to avoid extra innings. He ripped a 77 mph curveball into the left field corner for a double to give St. Louis a runner in scoring position which became Bryan Torres who was brought in to pinch-run for Blaze. It was then up to Nathan Church who immediately went down 2 strikes on sweepers from Thielbar and then popped out weakly to Dansby Swanson at short which sent the game into extras.
In the 10th inning, it was Luis Gastelum on the mound for the Cardinals. He got Nico Hoerner out on a line drive that was grabbed by JJ Wetherholt for the first out, but arch enemy Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed a 81 mph changeup 424 feet into the right field stands scoring free runner Dansby Swanson and giving the Cubs a soul-crushing 2-0 lead. But, wait for it, the Cardinals proved they still have a little magic left.
The Cardinals bottom of the 10th inning began with Nathan Church as the free runner at second with Lars Nootbaar leading off. He managed to beat out an infield single giving St. Louis runners at first and third with no outs and the potential winning run coming up. JJ Wetherholt, who had previously grounded out 4 times in a row, stepped to the plate as the potential winning run. He worked the count full and then drew a walk to load the bases with no one out and the mighty Home Run Derby king Jordan Walker walking to the plate. Jordan swung over a ball that rolled innocently to Bregman at third for the force out there, but no double play and Church scored to make it 2-1. That brought up Iván Herrera who put on his hero cape and ripped a game-winning walk-off double into the left-centerfield gap scoring Wetherholt and Walker giving St. Louis a borderline miraculous 3-2 extra innings victory. More of this, please!
It’s the final game of a 4-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante gets the ball for the Cardinals while the Cubs will start Javier Assad. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm with the TV broadcast available through Cardinals.tv.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 29: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals advances to third base on a single hit by teammate Michael Massey #19 (not pictured) against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field on July 29, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a nice calm win today for the Royals. They took the lead early, built on it, and closed it out 4-0 in a workman-like game type we have not had nearly enough of this season.
The Royals got the scoring started in the third when Tyler Tolbert hit a home run to left center.
I have never seen Tolbert drive a ball like that. It was a nice swing from a player who is known more for speed than power. The second run might actually be more fun though. The leadoff hitter in the 4th inning again sparked the team. This time it was Salvador Perez who hit his first triple since June 8th of 2022.
Of course, Salvy was a third with no outs in the 2nd inning and no one could get him home. This time, Nick Loftin hit a ball deep enough to center to get the sac fly and the 2-0 lead.
Kansas City continued to build a lead in the 5th starting the inning off with a single from Josh Rojas. He was out on a fielder’s choice from Tolbert’s bunt, but then Tolbert scored on an RBI double from Carter Jensen who hit the ball down the left field line and stuck it in the corner. Lane Thomas hit into the second fielder’s choice of the inning, but managed to move Carter to third with Jac Caglianone coming to the plate. Jac singled to end an 0-22 stretch and drive in the run giving the Royals a 4-0 lead. It was not a clean hit as the first baseman, Royce Lewis, got a glove on it, but it was hit hard and not an easy play as it kicked into foul territory.
Meanwhile, Randy Dobnak was teaching his old team a lesson. The sinkerballer kept Minnesota off balance all night getting through 7 innings with just 4 hits and 1 walk, none of which turned into runs. It was not that all the contact was bad, Dobnak gave up 10 hard-hit balls, but most of them were on the ground or just unable to get under it even when squared up. It was a very good night for a guy purchased from another organization just six weeks ago. It was a career high seven innings and it put the team in a good position to get the win.
Daniel Lynch took the torch from Randy and made easy work of the 8th and making the Royals win probability climb to 98.5%. The offense had an opportunity to add to the lead in the ninth before Carter Jensen fouled a ball off of Lane Thomas in the batters box, Tolbert got picked off of second after a nice leadoff double, and then Jensen fouled one off of himself. It ended up staying 4-0 and the game was turned over to Steven Cruz to hold onto the win.
Cruz got Josh Bell to pop it straight up behind the plate where Carter Jensen could catch. Then a hard-hit Royce Lewis liner to short. Finally, he got a comebacker to the mound for a one, two, three ninth and a Royal victory.
Tomorrow will decide who wins the series. The Royals have not lost a series since the All-Star break.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 28: Andrés Muñoz #75 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after getting the final out for the 7-6 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners have the chance to do something dumb tonight.
After a month of terrible baseball and losing three-of-four to the Rangers over the weekend, it wouldn’t have been weird for the Mariners to get swept by the Dodgers. But the Mariners played an exceptionally entertaining game last night to narrowly take one from the LADs. The last time they beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles was 2009, as our Jake Mailhot notes. They can take a series victory today, which would put them in a better spot ahead of the trade deadline and a crucial nine-game homestand.
On the mound is Emerson Hancock. This could very well be his last start in a Mariners uniform, as the team is anonymously reported to be interested in trading from their rotation. Cool.
Colt Emerson is back in the lineup, implying whatever kept him out of the game yesterday has run its course. The Mariners will face another left — this time Eric Lauer — meaning Rob Refsnyder and Weston Wilson precede Emerson in the order.
Got a question for ya gang. Who exactly turns down the chance to play with a guy who has a living, breathing wing in the Hall of Fame while he’s still active in the league? Steph Curry already has a permanent wing in the Hall of Fame before his career is even over. And LeBron James reportedly looked at the chance to play beside that guy and still said, essentially, “Not like this.”
According to Anthony Slater’s reporting, a source close to the situation says LeBron would’ve genuinely loved to play with Steph. Just not here. Not in blue and gold, not under this logo, not as a Warrior. Somewhere else, with Steph as the visiting attraction instead of the household he’d be moving into.
Once I looked at it that way, the reporting started saying something different. People have been talking about this as though LeBron rejected Steph. My armchair psychology tells me he was rejecting the decade of history that would follow him into every locker room.
LeBron James reportedly would’ve loved to play with Steph Curry anywhere other than Golden State 😅, per @anthonyVslater
"I had source tell me they think LeBron would have been more interested in playing with Steph Curry elsewhere away from the Warriors than actually going to… pic.twitter.com/df3UEq9tQp
Draymond reacts to LeBron's decision to sign with the 76ers instead of Warriors
"I ultimately don't think Bron was ever able to get over the history and I understand it, I get it… he's gonna get crushed if he comes to the Warriors, 'ahhhh man you went to team up with Steph'… pic.twitter.com/K5PdHwUIUC
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) July 28, 2026
I want to sit in that for a second because it’s a wilder detail than it got credit for. This wasn’t a hypothetical some blogger cooked up. LeBron seriously floated the Warriors as a landing spot, according to Dan Devine’s reporting for Yahoo, but the appeal reportedly hinged on Golden State also bringing in a proven co-star, someone in the Anthony Davis mold, a running mate from a title he’d already won. So we’re talking not just Steph, more like Steph plus another proven championship star. If LeBron was going to cross one of the biggest psychological lines in NBA history, he apparently wanted more waiting on the other side.
There’s a version of LeBron joining the Warriors that ends with him getting cooked by his own legacy every single day. I’m imagining Every road arena chanting it back at him. Every TV graphic pulling up 2016 before tipoff. Every First Take segment turning it into a referendum instead of a highlight. Every GOAT debate suddenly turning into an argument about that decision. Jordan fans would run with it with a bloody vengeance. Warriors fans would barely be able to contain their smirks. Cavs fans, the ones who watched him deliver the thing he’s proudest of in his whole career, might run with it hardest of all. He’d never escape it, not for one single game of however many seasons he had left.
But strip the jokes away and there’s something real underneath it. This is still the rivalry that shaped both of their careers, and neither man has ever fully let it go. LeBron beat this era’s Warriors once, in 2016, and it’s one of the signature achievements of his entire career. He’s spent a decade watching Golden State build a competing claim to the defining dynasty of that era. You don’t walk into that house and put on that jersey unless you’re ready to spend the rest of your career explaining the choice.
And this is where it gets complicated, because we already witnessed a similar experiment. The legendary Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, won two rings, won two Finals MVPs, and people still bring up an asterisk every time his name comes up next to the greats. To me as a GSW scribe? I don’t care. But for how KD feels about himself? Maybe it’s too much noise to be around, IDK he’s a grown man minding his business. I would have guessed that two championships (shoulda been three) should have silenced everybody. But I guess instead it opened up a permanent debate about whether he needed Steph more than Steph needed him. LeBron had a front row seat for what happened to Durant’s reputation. He didn’t have to imagine the discourse; he got to watch it happen in real time.
Roster fit, cap sheets, and Jimmy Butler’s knee mattered. But I think the bigger obstacle was legacy. I think LeBron looked at the Durant blueprint and decided he’d rather build his own final chapter from scratch in Philadelphia than risk spending the rest of his career explaining championships instead of celebrating them.
Maybe that’s the strangest part of this whole saga. Steph Curry reached the point where the Hall of Fame started telling his story before the story was even over, and even that wasn’t enough to convince LeBron James to step into somebody else’s story. I’m betting that LeBron decided he’d rather write one more chapter of his own than spend the rest of his career talking about why he walked into Steph Curry’s.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 28: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 29: Christian Scott #45 of the New York Mets pitches during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves in game two of a double header at Citi Field on July 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets only managed two hits tonight as they lost to the Braves 1-0 in the second game of today’s doubleheader. Christian Scott had a good outing, and his longest this year, but the Braves pitching behind Chris Sale stifled the Mets offense completely.
Scott came out throwing strikes immediately in the first inning. He gave up a single to Drake Baldwin on the first pitch of the game, a line drive that dropped into left field. However, Scott recovered nicely after that and retired the next three batters in order.
Then, for awhile, it was a matter of Scott and Sale showing off their skill. Scott excelled at attacking the strike zone, keeping his pitch count low by inducing contact in a way that the defense was able to handle. Sale struck out the first three hitters he saw and shut down the Mets completely until the bottom of the third inning. Carson Benge smacked a line drive into left field for a lead-off single, but when he tried to steal second base, accidental interference was called on Luis Torrens (the hitter), and Benge had to return to first. This was more frustrating when Francisco Lindor grounded into a force out at second to end the inning.
At the top of the fifth, Scott started to have trouble as Ozzie Albies lined a single into center field. Mauricio Dubón grounded into a force out right after and ended up at first himself. Despite striking out the next two batters, Scott needed 26 pitches to get through four batters in the fifth inning, a drastic difference from the first four innings. Despite a ten-pitch at-bat to Taylor, Sale worked relatively quickly in the bottom of the fifth, and the Mets hitters struck out in order.
Scott returned for the sixth inning, but his troubles continued. Jim Jarvis led off with a line drive double that followed the foul line down into right field. Baldwin broke his bat as he whacked a ground ball in the direction of right field. Lindor was able to intercept, but not in time to make a play. Baldwin had a single while Jarvis reached third base. Then, Matt Olson smacked an RBI single under Lindor’s glove to center field that allowed Jarvis to score. Baldwin moved to third. Albies walked to load the bases with two outs. Dubón flied out after that to end the inning, and Scott made it through six innings for the first time this year. The score stood at Braves 1, Mets 0.
At the bottom of the sixth, Eric Wagaman led off by lining a single into center field, only the second hit of the night for the Mets, and the only Mets hit in the sixth inning. A.J. Minter replaced Scott in the seventh inning, and with one out, hit Austin Riley on the arm with a pitch. Riley proceeded to steal second base successfully when Lindor could not get the ball from Torrens in his glove to tag him. Nevertheless, Minter struck out the next two batters to end the top of the inning. Didier Fuentes replaced Sale in the seventh inning, though it did not make much difference for the Mets. Tyrone Taylor overturned a third strike to a fourth ball and walked, but Fuentes struck out the rest of the side. The score remained 1-0.
Cionel Pérez came out for the eighth and worked a 1-2-3 inning, thanks in part to a beautiful diving catch by Benge. Dylan Lee replaced Fuentes for the bottom of the eighth, but the Mets offense still could not get on base. Daniel Duarte replaced Pérez for the ninth inning. With one out, Dubón dropped a line drive into left field for a single. Eli White then dribbled a hit down the third base line for another single. However, Duarte managed to get out of the inning unscathed by striking out Riley and getting Jarvis to fly out. Raisel Iglesias came out to try for the save for the Braves and retired the top of the Mets lineup in order to end the game with the Mets loss: Braves 1, Mets 0.
The Mets will face the Marlins tomorrow at 7:10 PM. Nolan McLean will face off against Eury Pérez in the start of a new series at home.
Big Mets winner: Christian Scott, +16% WPA Big Mets loser: Francisco Lindor, -18% WPA Mets pitchers: +29% WPA Mets hitters: -75% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Eric Wagaman’s single, +6.4% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Matt Olson’s RBI single, -13.9% WPA
