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The lockout was already happening. That was never in doubt. The only thing that is is how many games of the 2027 season will be lost, if any. The trade of Tarik Skubal, the winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards, from the Detroit Tigers to the two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers only really impacts the fan conversation, which is what MLB and the owners want. The real battle will come in the negotiating room when representatives of the owners and the MLB Players Association. Skubal’s trade for three prospects doesn’t impact much of what will actually be talked about. I have watched the Milwaukee Brewers all my life and am enjoying the current run of success. Yes, I want to see them in a World Series and I wanted them to trade for Skubal, prospects be damned. As the saying goes, prospects are suspect until they aren’t. For anyone in MLB crying that they didn’t have access to Skubal, that is false. I will let this column from Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times spell that out.
Today’s Headlines
Peralta To Rays Highlights Slow Sunday
If you are wondering where all the trades are, so are we. On what should have been a busy Sunday of deals, only five went down with nothing too unexpected. That only means one thing. Today will be absolutely nuts.
⚾ The New York Mets shipped right-handed starter Freddy Peralta to the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays for three prospects, then overnight sent right-handed reliever Huascar Brazobán to the Chicago White Sox for two right-handed pitching prospects. Peralta was expected to be a huge part of a contending Mets team, but put up a 4.99 ERA and never achieved the level he had reached with the Milwaukee Brewers, when he drew NL Cy Young Award votes last year. The Mets acquired Peralta in a major offseason trade for two prospects, infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat.
⚾ The Chicago Cubs got their first big arm of the deadline, adding right-handed starter Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays for two prospects.
⚾ The selloff in San Francisco began with the Giants shipping right-handed starter Tyler Mahle to Atlanta for a right-handed reliever Anthony Molina.
⚾ The New York Yankees acquired first baseman Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals for right-handed reliever Yovanny Cruz and three right-handed pitching prospects.
Red Sox Finish Off Sweep Of Dodgers
The Dodgers are 0-1 in the Tarik Skubal era. Sure, Skubal won’t make his Dodgers debut until Tuesday when he faces the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but he was in the dugout at Dodger Stadium briefly during Sunday’s nationally televised game against the Boston Red Sox, so the era has begun. Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida hit solo homers in a four-batter span of the third inning as the Red Sox rolled to an 8-3 victory over the Dodgers to complete a three-game sweep. For Rafaela, it was his fourth homer of the series, giving him 15 this year. While the Dodgers are in cruise control in the NL West, still leading by 10 games over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks, the Red Sox are now five games behind the first-place Rays and 2½ behind the second-place Yankees in the AL East, still with a firm grasp of an AL wild-card spot. It is the first time the Red Sox have swept the Dodgers since 2010. Young Red Sox left-hander Jake Bennett held the potent Dodgers lineup in check, going 5⅔ innings, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Jarren Duran tacked on a sixth-inning solo homer for the Red Sox.
Alvarez’s 4 Hits Keep Astros Rolling
We usually don’t talk about the Houston Astros as underdogs considering their recent history. But after not making the postseason last year after eight straight trips and two World Series championships, they kind of are. Especially with the start to their season, sporting a 34-41 record in mid-June. But they have been hot since the All-Star break and continued that pattern by knocking off the Texas Rangers 7-3. The Astros never trailed the Rangers in the series as they notched their second sweep in a row and their 11th win in 12 games to take over first place in the AL West. Yordan Alvarez continued his hot streak with a 4-for-5, two-RBI performance, Jeremy Peña hit a two-run homer and Cam Smith had three hits and an RBI.
Caballero Blast Boosts Yankees Over Cubs
A trade-deadline acquisition from last year helped the New York Yankees win a game just before this year’s trade deadline. José Caballero, picked up from the Rays, belted a two-run homer to back the gutty effort from ace right-hander Gerrit Cole in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees took two of three games from the Cubs in a battle of second-place teams in the AL East and NL Central, respectively. Cole went 5⅔ innings, walking three and giving up four hits, yielding just one run while striking out five. He needed bullpen help to escape a bases-loaded situation in the sixth.
Mariners Walk Off Twins Again
How about a seven-game Minnesota Twins–Seattle Mariners series? If this weekend was any indication, it sure would be fun. A day after Cal Raleigh’s walk-off fielder’s choice, the Mariners won in the bottom of the ninth again, this time on Colt Emerson’s RBI single to right with one out for a 7-6 victory over the Twins. The Twins won the opener of the three-game series 5-3. Right-hander George Kirby, in perhaps his last start with the Mariners, went seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits and a walk with three strikeouts. But when he exited, the Twins pounced. Trevor Larnach hit a two-run homer and Royce Lewis a three-run shot to pull the Twins within 6-5. Luke Keaschall then hit an unexpected tying blast off right-handed closer Andrés Muñoz to tie it in top of the ninth. In the bottom half, Josh Naylor singled, Raleigh struck out, Victor Robles singled Naylor to third and Emerson notched his first career walk-off with a liner to right.
White Sox Quietly Take Series From Rays
MLB’s Cinderella story continues to act like a contender. After picking up right-handed starter Luis Castillo in a trade with the Seattle Mariners the other day, the Chicago White Sox rolled past the best team in the AL, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 to take two of three games in the weekend series. The White Sox are 5-0-1 in their last six road series. Andrew Benintendi, Everson Pereira and Miguel Vargas hit homers for the White Sox. Left-handed starter Anthony Kay tossed 6⅓ shutout innings, scattering seven hits and striking out three.
By The Numbers
5 Cleveland Guardians right-handed starter Gavin Williams struck out 10 and allowed one hit over 5⅓ innings in a 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was his fifth straight game of 10 or more strikeouts and one or fewer hits, tied for the second-longest streak with Chris Sale of the 2018 Boston Red Sox. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers had six in 2016.
1 Colorado Rockies right-hander Kyle Freeland threw his first complete game in his 251st start, beating the Kansas City Royals 8-1.
10 Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starter Jacob Misiorowski struck out 10 in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. That was the Miz’s 10th double-digit strikeout game of the season, the Brewers’ single-season record.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Hi, I’m Tarik
Some dude just walked into the Dodgers’ dugout.
Stop Fighting, We Have A Tarp
How do you stop a benches-clearing incident? You call for rain and the ground crew does the rest. (Also, check below as to what led to this.)
Awkward moment here as the Guardians and D-backs benches cleared but things had to be broken up because "Um please move we need to tarp the field"
— Casey Drottar (@caseydrottar.bsky.social) 2026-08-02T19:27:32.953Z
Benches clear in the pouring rain after Dbacks Tim Tawa tried to break up Gavin Williams’ perfect game with a bunt
— Talkin' Baseball (@talkinbaseballbot.bsky.social) 2026-08-02T20:15:13.000Z
A Proper Tribute
It has been 47 years since the death of legendary Yankees catcher Thurman Munson in an airplane crash. Current Yankees catcher Austin Wells paid homage to Munson with his equipment selection.
Monday’s Schedule: Sliding Practice
Some slides just don’t go the way you expect. Ask the Mariners’ Josh Naylor about that.
Naylor's sliding technique needs work, that looked painful
Moment Of Zen
And just in case you needed something nice to smile about, we present the dude who is always smiling, Mariners superstar Julio Rodríguez.
Injuries and Other Moves
There are a handful of minor moves getting overshadowed by the trade deadline. You can catch up with all the major-league moves here.
⚾ Former All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is being designated for assignment by the Rays following their trade for Freddy Peralta.
Articles You Should Read
Inside the aggressive push Dodgers made for Skubal — Maddie Lee
Rage — Joe Sheehan
Brewers face familiar question after watching Skubal land with Dodgers — Andy McCullough, The Athletic
Angels’ Suter, member of MLBPA committee, weighs in on Skubal deal — Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
