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MLB News & Moments: Max Muncy silences Yankee Stadium

LA breaks Gerrit Cole's heart yet again.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 9 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.

Before any action took place on the field on the full day of games after the All-Star break, MLB issued a surprise statement banning all use of AI-related software in the dugout. The bizarre situation was later explained in more detail, as it became apparent that several teams were becoming used to accessing generative AI to enhance decision-making during games. The Mets were mentioned as one of the biggest culprits of this practice; considering their terrible season so far, maybe it is best to still leave baseball games to humans.

Today’s Headlines

 

Max Effort

In yet another rematch of the 2024 World Series, the Yankees again tried to exact some kind of revenge against the Dodgers. With Gerrit Cole on the mound, the script of that fateful Game 5 came into picture again, as the Yankees game him an early lead to work while he was keeping LA scoreless. New York scored an unearned run in the fourth versus an unrecognizable Roki Sasaki, who finished his night with one the best performances of his young career (5 hits and a walk versus 5 strikeouts in 5.2 frames). As Cole had cruised through six scoreless, his pitch count approached 100 entering the seventh, as he opened the frame with his first walk, handed to Mookie Betts. Manager Aaron Boone seemed all but ready to remove Cole, but the Yankee ace lobbied to stay – which proved a fatal mistake when Max Muncy took him deep in the next at-bat. The two-run homer ended Cole’s night and sucked the air out of Yankee Stadium. While the Yankees still had a chance to tie things in the eighth, a perfect defensive relay gunned down Trent Grisham at the plate. Closer Tanner Scott secured a perfect ninth for his 14th save, as LA hung on for the 2-1 win in this timeless rivalry.

Winning Eleven

As the Red Sox went into the break with a nine-game winning streak, many wondered if it had only been a mirage against a soft part of their schedule. Facing the division-leading Rays would be a tougher test, especially as the return meant a double-header to begin the second half. Boston was up to the task in a major way, starting with an impressive 10-0 win in the opener and then riding a strong bullpen game to cap the second game with a 5-3 victory. Game 1 included a 15-hit effort and homers from Masataka Yoshida and Omar Narváez, while Wylier Abreu’s two-homer performance was they key in Game 2. As Aroldis Chapman earned his 20th save, the Red Sox are now riding an 11-game winning stretch, climbing to .500 for the first time since the beginning of the season. What once looked like a certain sell-off at the deadline now has become a completely different vibe around Fenway Park.

Sweet Sixty

In what probably was the best-pitched game of Friday’s action, the Marlins and Brewers fought to a stalemate into extras, as both teams traded solo home runs in the fifth as the only scoring in the contest. Starters Sandy Alcantara and Logan Henderson rode different strategies towards similar pitching lines, while both bullpens held their own to send the game to the tenth. This is where Milwaukee finally showed its superiority, as the wonderfully named Craig Yoho stranded the ghost runner, while Garrett Mitchell was able to drive him in and walk it off with two outs. The Brewers now become only the second team in baseball with 60+ wins, and their recent acqusition of Lance McCullers Jr., Jr. suggests they are preparing for a great playoff run.

By a Touchdown

Landen Roupp has become one of the most frustrating Giant pitchers in recent memory, capable of having ace-like stuff or pitching a clunker with the same ease. This season, he has six starts with four or more runs allowed, while also having nine games with zero or one run in his ledger. Last night, the good Roupp decided to show up, pitching seven masterful, scoreless innings with only two hits and three walks allowed. Even as he struck out only two Mariners, the defense behind him was stellar, inducing 13 groundball outs. Meanwhile, Bryce Miller was similarly good through four frames, until a Bryce Eldridge two-run blast opened the scoring. The Giants would add one of their patented grand slams to turn the game into a laugher, cruising to a 7-0 win. As they now ride a three-game winning streak, San Francisco will try to get to four straight for the first time in 2026, sending ace Logan Webb to the mound for game two of this series.

Get Carter

Through eight and a half innings, the Royals-Padres series opener was a normal game. San Diego’s offense could not do much against Seth Lugo, while Kansas City scattered just enough runs to take a 3-2 lead into the ninth. Alex Lange recorded to quick outs and looked primed to earn the save, but Ty France shocked everyone with a solo homer to tie the contest. The Padres summoned Mason Miller to preserve the tie, and he promptly loaded the bases with no outs. That must have made him really angry, as Miller proceded to strike out the next three batters to take the game to extras. In the top of the tenth, San Diego appeared to ride that momentum, scoring thrice to take a 6-3 lead. However, the Royals would somehow find new life against reliever Kyle Hart. The bottom half started with three straight singles, closing the gap to only one run as Carter Jensen got to the plate with a chance to walk it off. In the second pitch of the at-bat, he completed the improbable comeback, with a slow single that sent Kauffman Stadium into a frenzy.

 

By The Numbers

 

5 Spencer Steer had himself a game for the Reds, homering twice and driving in three runs. The second of those four-baggers was an inside-the-park job, making him only the fifth Cincinnati player to achieve a multi-homer game that included an inside-the-parker. Elly de la Cruz had been the most recent such Red in 2024, while the short list also includes franchise icon Johnny Bench in 1972.

8  With Willy Adames‘ grand slam to secure San Francisco’s win over the Mariners, the Giants now have eight grand slams in 2026. No other team has even reached seven.

21 Despite his inconsistency, Roki Sasaki has shown flashes of his potential, like he did last night against the Yankees. Sasaki had 21 pitches recorded at 100 miles per hour or above, the most by a Dodgers pitchers in a single game since tracking began in 2008.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Freaky Friday

With Chris Sale on the mound to start the second half, Atlanta probably had a good feeling to start the game. With the offense giving him an 8-0 lead by the fifth, Sale simply cruised to his tenth win of the season, going seven scoreless while striking out six. However, the game still had plenty of time to go bonkers. After Atlanta scored four times to make it 12-0 by the seventh, the Rangers waved the white flag and sent catcher Kyle Higashioka to pitch. Since Atlanta had surrendered its DH, reliever Victor Mederos had no choice but to take his first career at-bat with two outs and runners on second and third. Mederos not only put the ball in play, but got a two-RBI hit that sealed the 15-1 final score. This was the first multi-RBI day by a non-Ohtani pitcher since Logan Webb, who hit a two-run homer on the final day of the 2021 regular season, right before the boring universal DH became a thing.

Steering the Ship

The Reds have been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball, failing to take full advantage of their bandbox home ballpark. For a night, at least, they were able to flex their muscles in the league’s premier bandbox, exploding for eleven hits and seven runs to take the opener 7-2 against the Rockies. Six of those hits went for extra bases, including a multi-homer day for Spencer Steer. While his first blast a traditional long ball to the pull side, the second one added a layer of Coors-induced craziness that only this park can produce. As Steer swung and drove a ball deep to right center, a perfect carom twisted both Colorado outfielders, creating a frenzy that gave Steer just enough time to round the bases. The inside-the-park effort was the cherry on top for a complete Cincinnati effort, as their pitching staff limited the damage to only two runs and allowed no walks.

Ford Focus

With two of the worst pitching staffs in MLB going head to head, in Sacramento nonetheless, plenty of runs were to be expected. While the game was improbably scoreless through two innings, the Nationals scored three in the third and never stopped scoring, opening an 8-2 lead by the fifth. That particular frame was notable for featuring the first career hit and homer for WBC darling Harry Ford, who finally got his MLB debut. Ford would finish his eventful night with two hits, three runs, and three RBI, as Washington’s offense was relentless in this 23-4 drubbing of the A’s. Every Nationals player had at least one hit and one run scored, while Andrés Chaparro had the game of his life, going 4-for-5 with a pair of homers and eight RBI.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ The Dodgers provided an update on Shohe Ohtani’s pitching status, as he was pushed from his last start and then missed the All-Star Game due to knee inflammation. While the original thought was that Ohtani would have his knee drained, manager Dave Roberts indicated that his latest treatment included a lubricant injection. The new timetable suggests that Ohtani could start Wednesday against the Phillies, but things could still change. Meanwhile, the two-way star still started his second half by playing DH versus the Yankees. 

⚾ The Yankees also shared important injury updates, as it has become clear that Aaron Judge is not fully healed from his rib injuries. The team’s original timetable had set the All-Star break  as a target date for his return, but manager Aaron Boone confirmed that the rehab process will continue, albeit with an in-season return still likely. On the flip side, lefty Max Fried made a rehab start in AAA and should be available to return to the majors later in the month.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Six Teams That Crushed the Draft — Jim Callis, MLB.com

Luis Arraez’s Launch Angle Revolution — Davy Andrews, 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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