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MLB News & Moments: Cam Schlittler and Tarik Skubal dominate

A rare 1-0 game in Philly.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 6 Hours Ago

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

Today’s Headlines

 

Schlitt’s Creek

With a potent home offense and a ballpark that tends to favor hitters, it is rare to see the Phillies stuck in a 1-0 game at Citizens Bank Park. However, a nice pitching matchup can trump anything else, as demonstrated by Cam Schlittler and Jesús Luzardo, who delivered a classic duel that barely went in favor of New York’s ace. While Luzardo was electric and struck out nine over seven innings, he did allow a solo homer to Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth, giving Schlittler all the run support he would need. The Yankee righty was probably at his best form of 2026, limiting the mighty Phils to three hits and no walks over 7.1 frames, while striking out 12. New York’s bullpen closed the contest with their dominant back-end, as David Bednar earned his 19th save of the season. The 1-0 final score is a nice start to this series of heavyweights, as the rest of the weekend should be full of high-quality baseball.

Backing His Words

Asked recently about his thoughts on the trade deadline, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal stated his desire to stay with the franchise and try to make a deep run in the playoffs. Those words could be encouraging for Tigers fans, but the decision for the front office will ultimately depend on the team’s outlook in a week. At least for one day, Skubal walked the talk in a way only he can do, by pitching like a true, capital-A ace. As Detroit’s offense provided an early 2-0 lead against opener Beck Way, Skubal would need little else to provide a vintage performance, limiting the Royals to four hits, two walks, and a run over 7.1 frames, as he struck out 12. As the lefty continues to show no signs of his early-season injury issues, it is clear that he is a major difference-maker, regardless of what uniform he is wearing by early August.

Wild West

Despite being more than two months away from the postseason, this Texas-Seattle series feels huge, with both teams holding serious aspirations of winning the AL West. With a MacKenzie Gore vs. Bryce Miller matchup on the mound, there was no clear favorite, especially with the Rangers playing at home. However, Miller imploded quickly, leaving the game with five runs allowed in only 5.1 innings, as homers from Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger led to his demise. Gore was his usual intermittent self, needing 96 pitches to barely go five innings, but he managed to limit the damage to three runs allowed, giving Texas’ bullpen a chance to shine and close the contest. While closer Jacob Latz did allow a run in the ninth, it would not be enough for Seattle, as the Rangers closed the 5-4 win to stay atop the West. This series, and the rest of their matchups in 2026, should be must-see TV.

RoKing of Queens

Despite the notable difference in the standings, the Mets were unexpectedly competitive against the visiting Dodgers, with lefty Sean Manaea matching Roki Sasaki inning after inning. An early solo homer from Luis Robert Jr., Jr. was erased by a Mookie Betts RBI single, while Manaea’s veteran guile and some outstanding defense kept the game tied at one after six frames. The Mets removed their starter after only 84 pitches, opening the door for LA to take advantage of a battered bullpen. The Dodgers scored once in the seventh and then put the game away with a two-run homer from Kyle Tucker, ending the contest with a 4-2 score. Sasaki earned his fourth win after tossing seven innings of one-run ball, with nine strikeouts. Despite the closeness of their respective payrolls, the Mets are now a full 23 games behind the Dodgers.

Back on Track

Just a day after stopping their epic 15-game winning streak, the Boston Red Sox went back to their winning ways. And as it happened in many instances during that stretch, it all happened in dramatic fashion. With Patrick Sandoval making just his third start of 2026, the lefty was at his best, keeping the Blue Jays scoreless through 4.2 innings despite heavy traffic on the bases. Meanwhile, Boston’s offense broke through early against Trey Yesavage, with homers from Anthony Seigler and Ceddanne Rafaela giving the Sox an early 3-0 lead. With the score extended to 4-0, Toronto mounted an inspired comeback to tie the game, highlighted by a Kazuma Okamoto three-run blast. That was no deterrent for the red-hot BoSox, as they would respond with a two-run eighth to retake the lead for good, as RBI doubles from Romy Gonzalez and Seigler were the decisive hits. Aroldis Chapman, automatic as ever, struck out two to notch his 24th save of 2026.

 

By The Numbers

 

23 Kazuma Okamoto is now the sole owner of the Japanese rookie homer record, following his 23rd blast of the season. He was tied with Shohei Ohtani’s 22 in 2018.

38.87  At age 38 with 317 days, Paul Goldschmidt became the oldest Yankee ever to homer in a 1-0 game. He was also the second-oldest player to achieve this rare feat in the past 10 years, only surpassed by Albert Pujols, who did it at age 42 in 2022.

14 With a pinch-run steal of second from Grant McCray, the Giants reached 14 straight successful stolen base attempts, which is the longest active team streak in the league. This is kind of remarkable considering San Francisco has the lowest stolen base total in the NL, with 40.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Bryce the Salesman

As a superstar that once made the decision to take his talents to Philadelphia, Bryce Harper knows a thing or two about how to operate in this tough city. Earlier this season, as part of an in-game interview against the Mets, Harper made a case for LeBron James to join the city’s NBA team – that dream came true, as the 76ers will now become LeBron’s fourth career team, and presumably where he will ultimately retire. With these positive vibes and momentum, the Phillies should also hope that they can crown this exciting season with a memorable playoff run.

Oppo Raffy

Despite his massive power to the pull side, it could be said that Rafael Devers is at his best when he is spraying hits to the opposite field, showing his full display of talents as a hitter. Facing the Angels as the Giants started the game under a miserable five-game losing streak, Devers showed some of this power with an impressive line-drive two-run homer to the corner of left field, where it seems almost impossible for a lefty to deliver a long ball. According to Statcast, that homer was launched at a 24-degree angle while barely traveling 362 feet. As the game went on and San Francisco blew a 5-1 lead, it was all to be decided in extras, where Devers was again at the plate with the bases loaded and one out. The chance for an epic walk-off grand slam was tempting, but Raffy Devers was smarter than that, shortening his swing to deliver an opposite-field fly ball that guaranteed at least a sac fly to win the game. In a season with almost nothing to celebrate, Devers is at least one nice thing for Giants fans to have.

Dad Power

In that same Giants game, the impressive exploits were not limited to the field of play. With a line drive foul ball reaching one of the upper decks, a fan made a truly outstanding barehanded catch, while holding a baby, to boot. This unnamed hero was deservedly cheered by his section and will now join the pantheon of awesome catches while holding a baby, food, or some random items in the stands.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Juan Soto left last night’s game in the sixth inning with soreness in his left calf. This is the same injury that has nagged him throughout the season and could now lead to another IL stint. He is due for an MRI that will reveal the extent of the injury. With the Mets tumbling as part of a lost season, it would make sense to let him heal and be cautious with his recovery. 

⚾ The Marlins announced that ace Max Meyer will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks. This comes after he was placed on the 10-day IL with a neck strain earlier this week. This development could represent a major blow for Miami, especially as they are now on the fringes of the NL wild card race.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Carlos Beltran’s HOF Career Began With Kansas City — Anne Rogers, MLB.com

When Will the Athletics be Truly Competitive Again? — Dan Szymborski, Fangraphs

 

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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