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Look, let’s just cut to the chase this once, shall we?
Today’s Headlines
Tarik Traded to LA
Dread it, run from it, Tarik Skubal is a Los Angeles Dodger all the same. The Detroit Tigers sent the two-time reigning Cy Young winner to LA for a prospect package of outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitching prospects River Ryan and Brady Smith. MLB.com values Hope as LA’s fifth-best prospect, Ryan as its seventh, and Smith as its 17th. Still, this is all fluff. Hope, Ryan, and Smith aren’t the headline. The headline here is the rich got richer. The Dodgers got better. Somehow. And the noise of a lockout and a salary cap and baseball’s perceived nadir got louder. Buckle up. We’re at an inflection point. Moreover, we’re bound for one of the most consequential playoff runs in the sport’s history.
Rafaela Keeps Sox Rolling
The Dodgers did suffer one loss last night, falling to the Boston Red Sox 3-2. The difference-maker? Boston catcher and former Dodgers prospect Connor Wong. Kind of. With runners on the corners and the game tied in the eighth, Wong hit into a run-scoring double play. That said, the real difference-makers were Boston outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela and starter Payton Tolle. Rafaela raked in two home runs against LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto, an almost impossible task. Tolle did something just as improbable, going toe-for-toe with Yamamoto. The rookie struck out seven and allowed just two runs in six innings. So, it’s Rafaela with the first star, Tolle with the second, and Wong with the game-winner. And they say Boston lost the Mookie Betts trade.
PCA and Cubs Put Yankees Away
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on first, the Chicago Cubs had their best and brightest at the dish: Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA didn’t disappoint. He ate up a down-and-away slider down the right field line for an easy go-ahead RBI triple. PCA rounded the bases like a sonic boom with a little dirt on him. The 24-year-old is now up to 64 RBIs and a .920 OPS. Another run, this provided by Seiya Suzuki, provided Chicago’s bullpen with all the insurance they’d need. Jacob Webb sat down three of the four batters he faced; Caleb Thielbar put the Yankees down one-two-three. Chicago wins, 5-2.
Perez Flirts with Perfection
Rest easy, Kent Mercker. Though Atlanta’s Martín Pérez did his best, he couldn’t quite seal a no-hitter in yesterday’s 8-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Pérez can comfort himself with one thing, however: This wasn’t a Yoshinobu-Yamamoto-Baltimore situation. Pérez didn’t get all the way to the end only to stumble. Washington’s Brady House halted the no-hit bid with two outs in the top of the seventh. Still, it was a terrific performance for the 35-year-old: seven shutout innings, one hit allowed, two walks, and six strikeouts. His ERA is now 3.24, his lowest since 2022. Mercker, meanwhile, is still the last Atlanta pitcher to throw a no-hitter, doing so in 1994.
Philly Wins Pitching Duel
Philly’s Cristopher Sánchez versus Baltimore’s Shane Baz brought the goods, but it was Philly who took the 5-0 win with them. Sánchez is in large part why. The 29-year-old allowed just two hits over six shutout innings. He might’ve gone deeper if not for his five walks. Redemption, though, comes in the form of his 11 strikeouts, his most in a game since May 16. His counterpart wasn’t entirely his equal. Baz allowed one run and six hits and struck out just five. Where Sánchez mowed them down himself, Baz let his defense do the dirty work.
Baltimore’s bullpen couldn’t equal Philly’s, either. Baltimore’s Grant Wolfram and Andrew Kittredge combined for a horrid eighth. The former walked a pair, both of whom would later score. The latter allowed three hits and a walk, with another two scoring to form a four-run eighth. From there, Philly’s pitching stood alone again.
And Good Things Will Happen
Nascent kids across America are taught one thing: Put the ball in play. Seattle’s Cal Raleigh heeded that lesson on Saturday, and his doing so led to a 4-3 walk-off win. Raleigh, though, wasn’t the only one to take the expression to heart. Seattle outfielder Randy Arozarena led the bottom of the ninth off with a double. His fellow outfielder, Dominic Canzone, then lifted a fly ball to shift Arozarena to third. In that way, Raleigh’s got Canzone just as much to thank as some tee ball coach. Regardless, the catcher lasered a ball to first. Twins first baseman Royce Lewis spun and tried for a double-play to end the inning. But a clutch cost him. Lewis went home for the third out, only for Arozarena to beat it out. The little things. They’re just as liable to get you caught as they are to set you free.
By The Numbers
⚾ 10. Tampa Bay pitcher Drew Rasmussen made the bell toll 10 times, striking out 10 White Sox batters in six scoreless innings.
⚾ 7. The Arizona Diamondbacks blew by the Cleveland Guardians thanks to a seven-run seventh.
⚾ 5. With a home run yesterday, Atlanta’s Matt Olson clinched his fifth 30+ home run season.
⚾ 5, again. Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman keeps raising his stock. The All-Star catcher racked up five RBIs last night along with his 33rd home run.
⚾ 1.311. On June 28, Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor returned to action following a hip injury. Since then, he’s hit seven home runs and posted a 1.311 OPS in 23 games.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Goodbye Gausman?
Nothing like a good feeling. Those are words Kevin Gausman might’ve said yesterday in what might’ve been his last start as a Blue Jay.
Kevin Gausman exits the game to a standing ovation from the Blue Jays faithful 🥹 pic.twitter.com/sdhyCJ9wXR
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 1, 2026
1986-2026
The 1986 New York Mets reunited on Saturday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their World Series win.
"Not only did they win, but they resonated with the public in a way that few teams ever have."
– Gary Cohen on the 1986 Mets pic.twitter.com/YuCLJpaWht
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 1, 2026
1986-2026, Part Two
1986 World Series MVP Ray Knight might’ve enjoyed yesterday a little too much.
Ray Knight forgot he was on live television for a second there. 😂 pic.twitter.com/OywrG5qeqj
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 1, 2026
Crush Is Now In The Canon
Jokes of Davis’ end aside, Chris Davis still did the following in his 10 years as an Oriole: Become an All-Star and a Silver Slugger. Clubbed 295 homers. Recorded 780 RBI. Posted a .774 OPS. All in 1,417 games played.
It's O'fficial 🥹
Chris Davis is a Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer 🧡 pic.twitter.com/BfNKhhnEqX
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 1, 2026
Like Two Ships In The Night
As one star exits Detroit, another might just be entering. Congrats, Max Clark!
MAX CLARK 😤
The 21-year-old rookie has his first Major League home run in his second MLB game! pic.twitter.com/kgOJP7kN4g
— MLB (@MLB) August 2, 2026
Abreu’s Arm
The first of Wilyer Abreu’s second outfield assist just last night.
Shohei, meet Wilyer Abreu. pic.twitter.com/yoroEfgY6o
— Dan Pie (@Bostons10thMan) August 2, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Poor Pittsburgh. The Pirates announced that standout first baseman Ryan O’Hearn will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a quad strain. It’s a terrible loss for Pittsburgh and comes at terrible timing. O’Hearn was hitting .270 with 17 home runs, 69 RBIs, and a .788 OPS this season.
⚾ One comes, one goes. Though O’Hearn is down for the count, Pittsburgh acquired reliever Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees on Saturday. The deal sends Doval to the Steel City while sending two prospects to the Bronx. Doval has a 4.54 ERA, but still might be a much-needed arm for the Buccos.
⚾ Trade! The Chicago White Sox traded for starter Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners. Castillo heads to the South Side in exchange for reliever Seranthony Domínguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, and catching prospect Boston Smith. Even in a down year, Castillo should be some help to the White Sox. The team’s starters rank 15th in ERA.
⚾ More trades, here! The Cleveland Guardians sent catcher Bo Naylor and right-hander Codi Heuer to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Blake Perkins and right-hander Craig Yoho. Both Naylor and Heuer will report to Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate. The activation of Brandon Lockridge and recall of Garrett Stallings caps Milwaukee’s roster at 26.
⚾ So nice, let’s do it thrice! Atlanta acquired outfielder Lane Thomas and lefty Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals. Atlanta will send pitching prospects Carter Holton and Lucas Braun to Kansas City in return.
⚾It’s a two-for-one blow for Baltimore. The Orioles announced that pitcher Colin Selby’s season is over due to injury and that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle may be out for the year. Mountcastle suffered a significant oblique strain in a rehab assignment last week. The 29-year-old played just eight games this season.
⚾Henceforth, Tink Hence is no longer a Cardinal. The St. Louis Cardinals DFA’d the 23-year-old pitcher to make room for newcomer Quinn Mathews. Hence had yet to crack the bigs this season and carried a 6.64 ERA in 19 Triple-A outings.
⚾ Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley is going to the 10-day IL due to a left elbow injury. Former Reds prospect Stuart Fairchild will join Seattle’s Big League team, meanwhile.
⚾ The Twin Cities keep turning. To fit the newest Twin reliever A.J. Minter, Minnesota optioned fellow reliever Zebby Matthews. The team also DFA’d Cody Laweryson to open a 40-man spot for Garrett Acton.
⚾ In non-Skubal news, the Dodgers DFA’d pitcher Cole Irvin and added fellow hurler Will Klein to the IL. Kyle Hurt and Wyatt Mills will take their place.
⚾ Easy A. The Athletics made an efficient swap, AthleticsPR/status/2083697077369131280″>DFAing lefty Connor Thomas and selecting fellow southpaw Ben Bowden.
⚾ Texas Rangers farmhander Nolan Kingham might be making his MLB debut this weekend after having his contract selected. Kingham comes up at the expense of Luis Curvelo, who was demoted to Triple-A.
Articles You Should Read
Where the trade market stands in wake of Skubal deal — Mark Feinsand, MLB.com
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